X1 Credit Card - 6 Months Review - Still Worth It?
A little more than six months ago, I got approved for the X1 card and received my 17g stainless steel credit card in a premium-looking package. One of the great things to start with was a $32,000 credit limit. Even if I don't plan on putting that big of an amount on the card, it certainly helps to maintain a good credit score. Credit Karma recommends keeping a card utilization under 10% of the credit limit. Additionally, this higher limit, in combination with credit limits from other credit cards I own, certainly helps bring down the average utilization across the cumulative credit line.
If you want to learn about all of the remarkable features the X1 card offers, check out the link below for my initial review.
Kashyap Bhansali
Until this day of owning the X1, I have spent almost $1800 using this card. Using varying boosts or cashback multipliers available on the X1 app, I racked in 5220 points. I have had the opportunity to use 3x and 5x multipliers from the available boosts when using the card at Gas stations, Amazon.com and via digital wallets like Google Pay or Apple Pay. Let's calculate the average cashback earned, 5220/1800 comes out to a 2.9x multiple, meaning for every dollar spent, I earned 2.9 points.
If these 5220 points are to be redeemed, we would have two options:
- Purchase at one of the many merchant X1 partners and pay with points. Doing this can redeem a value of $0.01 per point, making the cashback worth $52.
- Redeem towards credit card statement. Doing this gives you a value of $0.007 per point, which makes the cashback worth $37.
X1's 50+ select merchants include well-known brands that you may already be shopping from in the space of Fitness, Retail, Travel, and Tech.
Now when it comes to X1 card and credit scores, a credit check was performed using Experian report. A couple of months in, X1 card activity started being reported to TransUnion and Equifax too. So if you think this card will help build your credit score, the answer is yes, it will.
X1 account hacked
Everything was great until month 4, when my X1 account had a breach! On one of those days, I got notified via X1 app push notifications that some charges were declined on the card due to fraudulent activity. When I investigated further, I noticed the account info on the app, like my phone number and email address, were changed. Shortly after, my email was under a spam attack which wasn't so great either.
I immediately raised a complaint with X1 via email. My account remained locked under review for more than two weeks. I wish X1 customer support would have been more prompt in resolving such issues.
Is the X1 card still worth it after six months?
Despite what happened, I continue to be a fan of the X1 brand and its perks. I remain a big fan of the Single-use, free-trial and anonymous virtual cards that help me use this card stress-free online. It relieves me of any worry about forgotten subscriptions and sketchy online websites that offer free trial subscriptions but require you to add a card on file. Indeed one of the most thoughtful cards I have used so far compared to the ones I own from Chase, Amex, Citi and Discover.
What sweetens the deal for me is all the potential cashback value it offers with the boosts and no annual fees! Being a Visa Signature card, it has additional benefits that are on par with the top-tier Chase Sapphire and American Express credit cards.