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I do. Taking into account all credits, Amex is $550-200 (Uber) - $200 (airline) -$100 (Saks) =$50. Usually I’ll get a few other offers that are effective cash (most recently, $60 back on any Marriott purchase over $300). Obviously the CSR is $250 after travel credit not counting DoorDash which is $60 (?).
CSR is easy to get value from on a points accrual perspective - 3x on all travel and dining is super broad, and it’s better now with the new Lyft 10x earn rate. Combine CSR with the Chase Freedom to max our their 5x categories. CSR points are great because the floor is 1.5 cents, and otherwise you can transfer them for better value. I spend a lot on dining and travel so this is an easy way to earn a bunch of points.
Amex points accrue more slowly, but I think it’s valuable to have points in a different rewards program to allow more flexibility. Where Amex really shines is purchase protection - if I’m buying material goods, they go on the Amex. You get like 120 days of purchase protection where if you buy something and then break it or lose it, you get your money back. Same with return protection - if you change your mind about a purchase, they’ll just give you your money back. Centurion lounges is another big value add for me, since I am able to use them for work pretty often.
TLDR easy for me to justify CSR because of fast points accrual and high point value floor. Easy to justify Amex Plat because of credits and consumer protections/customer service. Plus, the spend categories (except 5X flights) are pretty much complementary and it’s nice to diversify.
👍🏼 Ditto.