A targeted offer that beats your best multiplier
There's a 10% statement-credit offer on my no-bonus card for this store — does it beat my 5× rotating-category card?
Scenario
Wallet: Card A with a live targeted offer (10% back, up to $30, at this merchant), Card B (5× rotating category active for this merchant).
Purchase qualifies for both the offer and the rotating category.
- Merchant
- Electronics retailer
- Category code
- 5732 (electronics stores)
- Amount
- $200.00
Card options
| Card | Earns | Cash-equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Card A (targeted offer)Routed | 10% offer · Statement credit | $20.00 |
| Card B | 5× · Ultimate Rewards | $12.50 |
Routing path
1. Merchant whitelist
No pin — skip.
2. Live offers
Card A's 10% offer = $20.00 cash-equivalent. Compared against Card B's 5× = $12.50. The offer wins and short-circuits the rest of the priority.
Result
Swipe Card A. The targeted 10% offer ($20) beats the 5× rotating bonus ($12.50). Offers reflect real incremental value, so they outrank category multipliers and sign-up-bonus gating.
Illustrative scenario with sample wallets and values. Pikt is a personal-project preview; reward rates and point valuations are estimates that change over time. See the methodology.