I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[SouthFayetteFan]

We would be flying to Disney World.

How many total open credit cards? Including department store cards?

DH and and I each have our own SW Visa (black with a red "core") and a Disney Visa (no annual fee)

You indicated that nonstop flights with SW are now limited. Do you know if any other airlines fly nonstop on your preferred city pairings? When you're talking about wanting flight points, it's somewhat important to identify which airlines are best for your routes. If SW is limiting the nonstops BUT they are also the only one flying nonstop, they may still be your best option.

Do you recall what month and year you applied for those SW cards? Are they over 2 years old?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Oh, no, $4k/70k I think. I should probably start writing this stuff down.

I glossed over this comment earlier but wanted to circle back...

I would recommend that everybody have a spreadsheet of CC offer screenshots...
Every time I apply for a card, I do a quick print-screen of the offer terms before I apply. I paste that into a new sheet on my excel document and name the sheet after the card. If I can't recall my offer terms - I have them. If something changes with the offer after I apply, I have proof of what I applied for. I've never had to produce this sheet, but it takes about 10 seconds to grab the screen shot and gives me peace of mind.

I of course also enter the offer into my CC mastersheet and add a spend tracker to my dashboard sheet and about 10 other things that would make you think I'm crazy...but at least grab the screenshot

EDIT: I know I sound like a broken record always pitching these spreadsheets...but if you're in this game from the long haul you will appreciate it later! I can tell you every card I've gotten in this game and there are 71 of them since 2011. I can tell you the exact date I earned every bonus, what the bonus was, how much it was worth. Up until June 2016 I can tell you the month and year I applied for every card. Starting in July 2016 until now I can tell you the EXACT DAY I was approved for ever card since then. There's a lot more I can tell you too from the spreadsheet. It may seem useless but in June of 2021 when you're trying to remember when you earned that CSP signup bonus and if your 48 months have passed yet, you will love having a spreadsheet like this.

Basically:

 

[WVMomof3]

Is discover widely accepted? It used to be that it wasn't. She has offer here now for a Capital One Platinum

A bunch of our young adult kids on this thread have started with the Discover. It is usually one of the easier ones to get. DD said that she has only one time had someone not accept it, it was online trying to buy some software. There are links on our reddit where you can get a $50 signup bonus. It will giver her 1% cash back on everything, 5% on rotating categories and it is doubled in the first year. DD also just got an offer for the Capital One Platinum. I just threw it away as I didn't see it as a good card. No signup bonus and no points of any kind. The Freedom Unlimited was listed as a student card at one time, but I just went in to double check and I didn't see it listed as that anymore. But once she has the Discover for a few months, she should be able to move on to Chase and that would be a good one to try. Also could try the CIP as @Lain was suggesting, I believe. That one is a business card.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

We have only stayed at Marriott Grand Vista and Marriott Lakeshore Reserve. We are heading to Grande Vista on Sunday for a week and then to Harbor Lake for 2 days with our Marriott certificates. Lakeshore has an awesome lazy river and pool area. They didn’t build all the units that were in the original plan so it’s never crowded. On TUG, Harbor Lake gets better reviews for younger children. I have a friend coming with us for a 2 week Disney trip in April. we have a 3BR townhouse at Lakeshore for our first week and then a 2BR Cypress Harbor unit for the second week. I have alarms set for a couple times every night to check what new inventory is deposited. I’m still hoping to get a 2nd week at Lakeshore but it isbecomong less likely every day. How did you like Cypress Palms?

So glad you like Lakeshore...we have 2 nights in a 2br booked there in September before moving to a 2 br at the beach club....
We really like Royal Palms....it’s quite..the pool isn’t crowded...and it’s an easy shuttle or walk to the world center...the rooms are nicely updated..we booked with URs...but it sounds like I should investigate TUG

 

[Psychodisney]

I checked and our flights are 737-800s. Also the notification is only on the app not website

I have that notice on my flight next weekend too. How did you find out the airplane type?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

This made me recall that Amex sent me that beagle 2.0 one. Has anyone used theirs?

I attached it to DSs backpack with the Tile. Neither work that great over more than 20 foot distance. And even when DS was 20 feet away the apps couldn’t find him. Both worked fine inside my house

 

[palhockeymomof2]

We love Marriott Grande Vista!

Thanks....will keep that in mind for future trips...

 

[wed100105]

You may not have been keeping up with all the recent news, if not you have missed that it is now possible to get a 2nd CIP bonus using your same name and SSN as your first application. If that loophole is still open I would go for it for yourself as early as April 1st. You could have your husband refer you - he gets 20k URs you get 80k + 5k URs - it's another easy 105k URs. Then you could repeat that with him in May. This loophole may not be around forever so I'd strike while it's possible. I think a couple of Aviator Biz cards now would be a decent move too. If you can hit major spends quickly, I'd consider going for that Plat in April too. It's a lot of spend but it seems like you move through them quickly.

If you're interested in the AMEX Gold on groceries, maybe take a look at the AMEX Blue Cash Preferred (BCP) too. It offers 6% back on groceries and has a $250 signup bonus through the support links.

Sorry if I missed it before, but how long do you recommend waiting between signing up for your 1st and 2nd CIPs?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I should figure out how to attach it to my phone. I'm constantly losing my phone in my house and emailing the kids to call me so I can locate it when it rings.

The worst was when I was working and I had to call to find it - in my handbag - which I'd already searched through.

You don’t need to attach it. You set up the app on the phone and link the tile/beagle. The phone app can find the Beagle or you press the button on the Beagle and it makes a sound on your phone.

 

[AmyAnne]

Well, having reflected on it overnight, she at least seems willing to consider the possibility that something shady is going on. If he is who he claims to be then there is no reason he couldn't order a phone himself and have it shipped if necessary. DW is going to follow up with her this evening.

That's good that she's willing to consider the possibility of a scam.

uggh I am either spoiled or being a baby. My flight tomorrow (flying alone) is now almost full and there are people sitting next to me! I was hoping for at least an empty middle seat. So far the flight hasn't cost me anything - paid for by work and the upgrades I did do (got away from people for a short while) were covered by the statement credit on my new CC. I could pay $24 and move closer to the front and there would be an empty seat next to me; at least it shows that now. I'd hate to pay that and then someone picks the other seat. Does the CC get you any upgrade? Wondering if I ask nicely tomorrow if they would do anything.

Oh and flying Boeing MD88s for all flights.

It's been a long time since I've had an empty middle seat, flights these days are so packed. I'm travelling alone tomorrow too and hoping for an oversold flight so I can get bumped (with sufficient compensation of course).

 

[CaT_DisLife]

I applied for the United biz this morning. I checked the status line this evening and it said 30 days. That's still good, right? I can't stand the waiting....

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Sorry if I missed it before, but how long do you recommend waiting between signing up for your 1st and 2nd CIPs?

I’d say around 3 months (at least 2 for sure)

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I used to buy the vgcs in the regular line but I feel less judged by the self-checkout.

At Jewel, I tried self checkout and had problems. Customer service guy comes over and says no gift cards in self checkout. He then rings it up on the register and totals it before I could put in my phone number. Then he had to redo the whole transaction since I had a promo for no fees on VGCs.

 

[WVMomof3]

Chase entering new markets: Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina; Kansas City, Kansas; Minneapolis; Nashville, Tennessee; Pittsburgh; Providence, Rhode Island; and St. Louis.

New bank bonus opportunities for some of our members in these markets?

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/13/jp-...it-wars-with-expansion-into-bofa-country.html

I usually pass over the bank bonus info, but am finally considering one. Is the Chase one a good start? Seems easy enough since it is not that much money tied up. Will go for the PNC also, but waiting till I need the spend on a new card. Tried the M&T one because that one seemed easy, but despite my state being listed, when I put in my Zip it says I am not eligible.

 

[Lain]

A bunch of our young adult kids on this thread have started with the Discover. It is usually one of the easier ones to get. DD said that she has only one time had someone not accept it, it was online trying to buy some software. There are links on our reddit where you can get a $50 signup bonus. It will giver her 1% cash back on everything, 5% on rotating categories and it is doubled in the first year. DD also just got an offer for the Capital One Platinum. I just threw it away as I didn't see it as a good card. No signup bonus and no points of any kind. The Freedom Unlimited was listed as a student card at one time, but I just went in to double check and I didn't see it listed as that anymore. But once she has the Discover for a few months, she should be able to move on to Chase and that would be a good one to try. Also could try the CIP as @Lain was suggesting, I believe. That one is a business card.

I was actually thinking the Bonvoy Biz might be a good fit for @MKCP5 ’s DD if she’s ok with applying for a business card. The signup bonus is at a high of 100k Marriott points right now if she can meet the $5k minimum spending requirement in 3 months. Ongoing, it would earn 6x Marriott points on her (discounted) Marriott stays, 4x Marriott points on gas and dining, 2x Marriott points everywhere else, first year AF waived if she applies before 3/28/19, $95 AF in the second year but then she’ll get a 35k free night anniversary certificate. There’s a chance Amex would approve DD, even with her limited credit history, since Amex tends to be pretty lax with business card approvals. But if DD is sensitive to a denial, this being her first credit card, then maybe an easier card like a Discover or Chase Freedom/Freedom Unlimited might be a better starter. However, if approved, the Bonvoy Biz, being a business card, won’t do anything to establish DD’s credit history because it won’t report to her personal credit reports. It would be a great card for the bonus, and the purposes described in @MKCP5 ’s original post.

 

[EACarlson]

Is discover widely accepted? It used to be that it wasn't. She has offer here now for a Capital One Platinum

It's gotten much more so, I run into more issues with AMEX being accepted than I do Discover. They also have a track record of being generous to people new to credit.

 

[EACarlson]

A bunch of our young adult kids on this thread have started with the Discover. It is usually one of the easier ones to get. DD said that she has only one time had someone not accept it, it was online trying to buy some software. There are links on our reddit where you can get a $50 signup bonus. It will giver her 1% cash back on everything, 5% on rotating categories and it is doubled in the first year. DD also just got an offer for the Capital One Platinum. I just threw it away as I didn't see it as a good card. No signup bonus and no points of any kind. The Freedom Unlimited was listed as a student card at one time, but I just went in to double check and I didn't see it listed as that anymore. But once she has the Discover for a few months, she should be able to move on to Chase and that would be a good one to try. Also could try the CIP as @Lain was suggesting, I believe. That one is a business card.

What the Capital One Platinum has going for it is that is probably the easiest unsecured credit card without an annual fee that you can get. If you use it for three months you can get it PC'd to a Quicksilver which is 1.5% cash back that posts as soon as the transaction does. The downside is that they pull all three bureaus and if you don't have a score or it's low, they will cap how high your limit can be.

 

[afan]

My email keeps seeing BofA emails as spam, which makes me laugh, but I also want to see that they got my payment or something. So weird because they are emails I generally open or move to another folder not something I delete. Clearly the email has started seeing them for what they are though.

 

[Haley R]

or check out lowes. they are at $20 a piece... amazon has them at $29 a piece.
if u for the amex offer at lowes at 10% off up to $1000, u got another set of savings...

I just checked and we don't have the Lowe's offer, but I'll have Dh look at Lowe's for the Tile. Thanks!