Maximizing the Altitude Reserve Card's Mobile Wallet Rewards
From Travel Strategies
The Altitude Reserve card earns 4.5% cash back, when you use it to make a mobile wallet payment (with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Microsoft Wallet).
By changing your behavior to use your mobile wallet (when possible), instead of pulling out a credit card, you can increase the rewards you earn every year.
Here are some tips:
- Getting started is easy, just add the Altitude Reserve card as your “default” mobile wallet payment instrument. And keep your eyes out for opportunities to swipe your phone, instead of your card. You can check to see if a specific retail location takes Apple Pay, by opening the store’s information page in Apple Maps.
- Samsung Pay can be used at most credit card terminals. Like magic, Samsung devices can simulate the magnetic fields that happen when you swipe a traditional credit card. As a result, they work at almost any credit card terminal, and not just those that explicitly support the Mobile Wallet services. If you have a Samsung Pay device, you’ll be able to earn 4.5% at almost any place where you would swipe your card.
- If you have an Android Phone that doesn’t support Samsung Pay, you can pair it with the Gear S3 watch, to pay at most credit card terminals. If you are hardcore about earning points, and you don’t have (or don't want to switch to) a Samsung Phone, you can spend $300 to buy a Samsung S3 watch. Then, you can use your Samsung Pay on your watch.
- You can use Apple and Google Pay on some websites. You’ll sometimes be given this option, if you have set up the Mobile Wallet on your phone, and you visit the store's website in Safari or Chrome. Apple and Google are hoping many websites will support this capability, by the pickings are pretty thin right now.
- When regular online payments aren’t available, you can sometimes use your wallet to make a payment from the merchant’s app. Mobile Apps are much more likely to support Mobile Wallets. So, you can train yourself to start using the app, rather than the website.
- You can pay your rent with your mobile wallet using Radpad. Radpad, an online bill paying service that lets you pay for your rent with any landlord, accepts Apple Pay and Google Pay. You’ll pay a 3% fee, but you’ll be getting 4.5% back.
- Sometimes, you are better off using another credit card that earns bonus rewards on that purchase. While 4.5% is a better reward rate than you can get from any general-purpose reward card, some credit cards will earn higher rewards, when you use them for certain categories of spending. For example, the Sapphire Reserve card earns 5.1 cents per dollar on travel and restaurants, the Chase Ink Cash card earns 8.5 cents per dollar at Office Supply stores, and the Amex Blue Preferred earns 6 cents per dollar at grocery stores.
- If you highly value premium-cabin award tickets, and have had success booking them with frequent flyer miles, you shouldn’t use the Altitude Reserve card. You are better off earning 1.5x Ultimate Rewards, or 1.5-2x Membership Reward points, with the Freedom Unlimited, Ink Unlimited, Amex EveryDay Preferred, or Amex Business Blue Cards, then getting 4.5 cents per dollar in travel credits from your Altitude Reserve.
