Comment by ajkjk

in the paradigm where rewards programs go away, prices at stores are also 1-3% cheaper across the board because the rent-extraction of credit card fees is removed, so make sure you're considering that scenario fully.

it's possible that with the fees removed cards still have rewards because the premium cards still want your business (they have other mechanisms for making money than just interest + fees, cf https://www.bitsaboutmoney.com/archive/how-credit-cards-make...)

however I maintain that credit card rewards are a net drain on society. Paying for things should just be paying for them, not a complicated system that generates fake money points that you can then turn around and spend in bizarre ways if you remember to. The whole system is stupid.