I wasn’t even aware before today that there is such a thing as a Chrysler credit card–and it turns out there’s a good reason for that.
The card is issued by First National Bank of Omaha, an issuer known (to me, anyway) for having lousy credit card rewards programs. It’s not that it’s a consumer rip-off card or anything–there’s no annual fee and there’s 0% interest on purchases for the first six months.
It’s just that the rewards program is one of those geared toward people who don’t know about credit card rewards. The card earns 3 points per dollar on purchases at a Chrysler dealership, vs. 5% for Toyota / Lexus and as much as 7.5% for BMW. You get 2 points per dollar on travel, and 1% on everything else. And that’s all.
Given that most people don’t spend that much of their budget on travel and Chrysler dealerships, the Chrysler credit card is effectively a 1% card. I don’t know how much the points are worth and the website won’t let me see, but I’m pretty sure they’re not worth more than one cent each. Which makes this a great credit card for FNB but a real dog for any customer who actually uses it what with all the 2% credit cards out there. Instead of this card, you could get the Fidelity Amex or the Citi DoubleCash, of course.
But let’s not forget there’s another card that offers 2% back on all purchases and 5% back on the first $5,000 in purchases every year. That’s right: the GM credit card is a much better deal than this one, despite what this disingenuous comparison chart would have you believe.
So Chrysler credit card users, get thee to Capital One–or anywhere else, really–and upgrade your credit card.
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