Reader Ted has asked me to review the Bellco Platinum Rewards Credit Card, it looks pretty interesting at first glance at least so let’s get into the review.
The Basics
- No annual fee
- Card earns 3x points on the following categories:
- Grocery Stores/Supermarkets (Whole Foods Market, King Soopers, Target, Walmart, Costco)
- Gas/ Service Stations (Conoco, Shell, Circle K, Corner Store)
- Automated Fuel Pumps (King Soopers Fuel, 7-Eleven Fuel, Jenny’s Market)
- Sporting Goods Stores (Cabela’s, Sports Authority, Bass Pro Shops)
- Shoe Stores (DSW, Payless, Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, Zappos.com)
- Sports/Riding Apparel Stores (Dick’s Sporting Goods, Eddie Bauer, Lids)
- Fitness/Member Clubs & Private Golf Courses (24 Hour Fitness, OrangeTheory Fitness, Gold’s Gym, CorePower Yoga)
- Misc. Food/Convenience Stores (Starbuck’s, GNC, Schwan’s Home Delivery)
- Rec Centers/Ski Lifts/Var. (Arapahoe Basin, Boondocks, JumpStreet)
- Public Golf Courses (The Links, Deer Creek, Foothills Golf Course)
- Bicycle Shops/Sales/Service (Performance Bike, Bicycle Village, TriBella)
- Movie Theatres (AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, Elvis Cinema)
- Camper/Trailer Dealers (RV America, Ketelsen Campers, RV World)
- Tourist Attractions/Museums (Denver Art Museum, History Colorado Center)
- RV Parks/Campgrounds (Great Sand Dunes, Royal Gorge KOA)
- Sporting/Recreational Facilities (Colorado Clays, Challenger Sports, Altitude FC)
- Wholesale Clubs (Sam’s Club, Shamrock Food Service)
- Aquariums/Var. Zoo (Denver Aquarium, Butterfly Pavilion)
- Bowling Alleys (Brunswick Zone, Lucky Strike, Fat Cats)
- Card earns 2x points on the following categories:
- Cable / Satellite Services (Hulu, Comcast, Netflix, DIRECTV)
- Internet Services (XBOX Live, GoDaddy, PayPal, AOL)
- Phone Services (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket)
- No sign up bonus
How Much Are Points Worth?
Points can be redeemed for the following:
- Hotel reservations, airfare, cruises, vacation getaways, event tickets, theme parks, charitable donations, merchandise, gift cards or as a statement credit
Points are worth 1¢ a piece when redeeming for statement credit in increments of $100.
Application Information
This bank is based out of Colorado and I believe it’s only available to Colorado residents. If anybody out of Colorado tries to apply, let us know how you go.
Our Verdict
The only thing of interest are the 3x categories (you can get 2% cash back on all purchases with other cards, so the 2x categories are worthless). At best these 3x categories are worth 3% cash back, that’s only an additional 1% cash back over a 2% card. Because this card doesn’t come with a sign up bonus, you’d need to spend a lot on those 3x categories to make this a better option than a card that has a high sign up bonuses. For the majority of people, I don’t think that would be the case. That being said, it is nice to have another card that earns 3x on grocery stores without a cap so for heavy hitters it could make sense.
View Comments (10)
I just had a brochure from them, it said Earn 15,000 bonus points if you spend $500 or more on purchases in the first 90 days.
Card now offers a 15,000 point bonus on $500 spend in 90 days.
Also looks like you can get it out of state, their "Become a member" page lists joining the Bellco Foundation as one of the options. $10 donation required though.
Still seems like a lot of work though.
edit: found https://www.doctorofcredit.com/bellco-platinum-rewards-credit-card-150-bonus-3-lots-categories-co/. This post/repost system is confusing.
I haven't tried to get the credit card but was able to open a bank account with Bellco while living outside of Colorado. The catch is that my brother (who lives in CO) had to already have an account.
Now compare this card to the UMB Simply rewards card.
https://www.umb.com/personal/banking/credit-cards/rewards-visa
BUYER BEWARE ON UMB!!!
I called in and asked about eligibility, since they have limited locations. The CSR assured me that there was no residency requirement, as long as you lived in the Continental US.
So I applied. Received a pending message. I called after a couple days, and they told me my app was under review. So I waited another week. I was told my application was declined due to my geographical location.
Hard pull for nothing, after being fed misinformation. Needless to say I was pissed.
I see they have some Branches in IL but nothing in Chicago. Wondering if I should waste a pull finding out whether Chicago counts
From http://saverocity.com/pfdigest/umb-simply-rewards-credit-card-a-surprisingly-solid-product/
Be careful applying if you live outside of UMB’s footprint! Reader R. notes: “I wasted a TU pull to find out you’ll be auto-declined if you reside outside their market area (=midwest).”
I looked into this a while back and it was only for Colorado residents. I can't say for certain whether or not that has changed.
Anyone approved outside Colorado?
Sure