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

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Okay I'm ready to start prepping for my next card.
Here is where I am at:
02/19 Chase Sapphire Preferred (met MSR, waiting for reward points) Credit Limit $15000
03/18 Best Buy
07/17 Bank of America ( I used this one for a no fee balance transfer, amount has been paid off) Should I close it? I don't use it.
04/16 Chase SW Priority Credit Limit $12000 (This is my favorite card even with the AF b/c we fly primarily SW) It is losing out to the Sapphire though. :)
09/15 Citibank (This one was also used for a no fee balance transfer, also paid off and not used) Close it?
11/13 Walmart MC
06/11 Chase Disney (I just lowered my credit amount on this card to $2000) I was thinking of closing it since I don't use it but not sure how much it will affect Credit score if I do.
05/08 Kohls
10/08 Lane Bryant
05/05 Avenue
05/05 Credit Union Master Card

I have had 5 hard pulls since Aug 2017.

We have an Alaskan Cruise coming up in June of 2020. I opened the Sapphire to earn points to use towards flights.
I will be referring my husband for this card in July of this year. He's not big on the churning game, so I have to use him in small doses.

I am thinking I want to do the AMEX Hilton Honors card next because of the low MSR and no AF, and the sign up bonus is 100,000 points. We will probably stay in a Hilton when we fly to Seattle right before the cruise so this seems like the best choice. Also is it 2 or 3 months I should wait since applying for the CSP
Should I go with this card, or am I missing a better opportunity.
I don't want to mess with any business cards right now.

So what do you all think?
TIA

Quoting myself for a quick update. I just caught up on the Chase Freedom 5% categories so I think I should apply for the Freedom first and then the Amex. Does this plan sound okay. I need to wait though b4 applying for the Freedom though correct, since I just got my CSP in Feb?

I think the Chase Freedom is an excellent choice for you, I'd probably wait until April to apply since you got your CSP last month. Looks like that will move you to 4/24 until July.

Then you have to ask yourself if Chase has any cards you want before you leave 4/24 behind.

If you're done with Chase, I'd suggest you consider the Amex (personal) Gold card. Through a Dischurner's support link, you can get 40,000 MRs for $2000 MSR. Did you know 1000 MRs would get you 2000 HH points? In addition you could earn 4xMR at supermarkets, 4xMR at restaurants, 3xMR with airlines, a $120 dining credit, $100 airline incidental credit, $100 Hotel Collection credit, all for the $250 AF.

Then once you have the Amex Gold, you can self-refer to an Amex Hilton card if you want. But before doing that, I'm going to throw out this idea for you:

How attached are you to a lower MSR? If you're flexible on that, I'd be looking at the Barclay Arrival+ 70K sign up bonus for $5K spend for these reasons:
  • no AF for the 1st year, then $89 (at that point I personally would cancel the card because it's a loser compared to a $0AF 2% cash back card)
  • after the MSR, points worth $800 (70,000 SUB + 10,000 MSR) toward travel expenses
  • no foreign transaction fee
  • 2x points on all spend (+ the 5% rebate, which has limited value) when applied toward travel expenses; otherwise it's a 1% cash back card
  • any travel expense over $100 is eligible to be erased with points
The Hilton points aren't super valuable; the 100,000 HH points are probably worth $400-$500 max, and the $95 AF is not waived the first year like the Arrival+ is.

Since you don't have any Barclays cards in your stash, you probably will get approved. But be careful with your timing on application because you want to use those points to erase your 2020 cruise expenses right? I'd wait until T minus 10-11mo to cruise departure to apply.

If you are set on a Hilton card, IMO the Aspire is a better choice.

ETA: I also think you should pc your BoA to the Cash Rewards card if it's not already. 3% online shopping cash back is pretty terrific.
 
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Good news today-Cookie dog will not be receiving surgery so the fact that we won't have (likely) a CIP SUB MSR to meet is moot. Hooray! The vet was wonderful and thinks she can do fine without it.

Second good news (and actually On Topic)...received my Barclay AA Biz yesterday, activated it and today within about 15 minutes met MSR so that's 61K AA miles headed my way (as well as a year of yard some kind of service/2 dogs' meds for a year).

So I'm 2 for 3 today and I'll take it. If we don't get the CIP I'll change strategies for payment of our Oct ABD. I'm also considering letting this application be denied then trying (myself for DH) again later. Is the recommendation 3 months after a denial? I can't remember because it hasn't happened to me with Chase.
 


How does this one work? I've been wondering for DHs BoA card. Is it all online or certain merchants?

I'll preface this by saying I haven't bought anything online with it yet (because MSRs!), but from what I've read on FT and the BoA website, it will be good for many retail merchants (including online travel like hotels and airlines) but won't work to pay doctor's bills or insurance bills that are payable online. I contemplated trying it on Plastiq to see if it would code 3% but haven't tried it out yet. Maybe someone else who has this card will chime in.... @happ?
 
You could probably go to Universal cheaper. It's over $300 a night for Easter weekend.

I will do one night in late March, depending on which day is nice weather! I did notice they have a salt water pool with a roof that opens, as well as an outdoor pool.

Edited to add: I guess it will be an excellent value for a 50K certificate in July. It's $800 before taxes.
Yikes! I've been so busy with work and driving my mom to her doctor's appointments I haven't had time to look. Thank you for saving me the time! I guess we'll stick Hershey since I was able to book the room at the reasonable fed'l gov't rate and not the ridiculous Easter weekend rate.
 
@SBWB48 @Lain @striker1064 Just letting you guys know that the UR transfer from P2's CSP to my CIP to Hyatt worked like a charm and I booked the Hyatt Regency SF. First time using points was pretty exhilarating when I looked at the per night rate.
Thank you

That's great news!

Looking at the Giants' schedule, I'm guessing you're coming in around 6/14-16 (and the 14th is a Fireworks night!)? Rooms are running in the high $200s (with taxes and fees, probably over $300), so yeah I think 20k UR>Hyatt/night was a good deal. And the hotel is beautiful, as is the surrounding area. I think you'll like this location a lot more as a base for sightseeing SF than something around Union Square. Definitely check out the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building on Saturday. Take a walk along the Embarcadero at night to catch the light show on the Bay Bridge suspension cables. Remember, you can catch a light rail (T-line) from the Muni underground station (shared with the BART Embarcadero Station) right in front of the Hyatt Regency to the ballpark. Fare is $2.75, although you may want to purchase a 1- or 3-day visitor passport. Plenty of other suggestions, so just ask!
 
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Since you said "most of ours" I just wanted to make sure you're adding up all your Chase CL's to compare to household income, not the individual card CL's. Chase is looking at the person as a whole to assess how much credit they've extended across all cards, both business and personal. So if you personally have 3 cards, one at 30k, one at 15k, and another at 5k, then you have 50k in credit extended. If your HHI is 100k, then you've reached that 50% threshold that starts making auto approvals iffy; if you're HHI is 150k, then you're at 33% and still good.

They seem willing to extend more credit than 50% of income, but you have a better chance of getting auto approved for it if your existing CL's are under it. Chase for a long time was happy to give me 60% of my reported income. But I was at half or below that before I applied for each card. And just because we're discussing it I'll also mention that there seems to be a ceiling that they don't like to cross regardless of reported income, I think it was mentioned around 70k in CLs.
I checked DH's the other night and he is at $90k and he received $14k on his CIU. He is only at 27% of HHI though. I do need to reduce his Marriott though since who needs $30k on it.
 
Good news today-Cookie dog will not be receiving surgery so the fact that we won't have (likely) a CIP SUB MSR to meet is moot. Hooray! The vet was wonderful and thinks she can do fine without it.

Second good news (and actually On Topic)...received my Barclay AA Biz yesterday, activated it and today within about 15 minutes met MSR so that's 61K AA miles headed my way (as well as a year of yard some kind of service/2 dogs' meds for a year).

So I'm 2 for 3 today and I'll take it. If we don't get the CIP I'll change strategies for payment of our Oct ABD. I'm also considering letting this application be denied then trying (myself for DH) again later. Is the recommendation 3 months after a denial? I can't remember because it hasn't happened to me with Chase.
Happy for Cookie dog!!!! Sorry about the CIP. Interested what they say this time! Yay for the Barclay spend being met. I met mine last night :) Still waiting for a match from them so hope to be 61k AA miles richer as well!
 
That's great news!

Looking at the Giants' schedule, I'm guessing you're coming in around 6/14-16 (and the 14th is a Fireworks night!)? Rooms are running in the high $200s (with taxes and fees, probably over $300), so yeah I think 20k UR>Hyatt/night was a good deal. And the hotel is beautiful, as is the surrounding area. I think you'll like this location a lot more as a base for sightseeing SF than something around Union Square. Definitely check out the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building on Saturday. Take a walk along the Embarcadero at night to catch the light show on the Bay Bridge suspension cables. Remember, you can catch a light rail (T-line) from the Muni underground station (shared with the BART Embarcadero Station) right in front of the Hyatt Regency to the ballpark. Fare is $2.75, although you may want to purchase a 1- or 3-day visitor passport. Plenty of other suggestions, so just ask!
Yes, that's the Brewers' Series. Are the fireworks at the stadium? Standard rate was over $300 before the fees. Do you know if the 3 day passport covers the Muni and the BART (back to OAK) rides? Saving your post..again. Thanks
 
Good news today-Cookie dog will not be receiving surgery so the fact that we won't have (likely) a CIP SUB MSR to meet is moot. Hooray! The vet was wonderful and thinks she can do fine without it.

Second good news (and actually On Topic)...received my Barclay AA Biz yesterday, activated it and today within about 15 minutes met MSR so that's 61K AA miles headed my way (as well as a year of yard some kind of service/2 dogs' meds for a year).

So I'm 2 for 3 today and I'll take it. If we don't get the CIP I'll change strategies for payment of our Oct ABD. I'm also considering letting this application be denied then trying (myself for DH) again later. Is the recommendation 3 months after a denial? I can't remember because it hasn't happened to me with Chase.


So happy about your pup, and not happy about the CIP. What's with them?
 
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