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

[PolyRob]

If you had the choice to do the BRAND NEW csr tower in mid July for $155 a night or any number of deluxe resorts (even upgraded views) for under $200/night, which would you do?
I know I'm guaranteed a nice room at the new tower and it is neat to try new places, but I am a deluxe resort person (bus system, I'm looking at you).
I am squeezing a trip in last minute to see DD one more time on her DCP (moves home 8/1 ) and there are REALLY good CM rates out. The deluxe resorts are at a super high discount % so are the better deal.

Which deluxe resort and what parks do you plan on visiting?

If it is BC/PVB/GF/CC I would have to book it for less than $200! I bet CSR tower rooms will still be nice next year and they may get discounted when they don't fill with convention people like YC. The new rumored TV system sounds nice though, but I understand the deluxe feel!

 

[miztressuz]

I notice everyone is getting 1% on mastercard payments through plastiq. Is that a promo of some kind or just the way mc is coding now? I have 2 tuitions coming up soon. Might get DH a business citi AA card.

Unfortunately it's not a promotion, it's MC GCs that come up as debit cards and trigger the 1% debit card fee on Plastiq. Here's Lain's compilation of DP's and discussion when it started a couple months ago. Having just checked my MCGC it does indeed start with 5113 3200, wish there was a way to tell for sure in the package.

 

[havaneselover]

On the phone with AMEX again...forever, now this rep tells me my property tax and income tax payments did not count. I have been told by more than one rep that they do. I am just beyond ticked off now, and a supervisor is now looking it over.

Editing, that I just checked and the exact same property tax payee counted toward my BBP bonus in February.

Yikes. I plan on paying my taxes with my Platinum in September. Maybe I should use it to pay dd's swim dues instead.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Well, I just got the email that we didn't get any of our requested tickets for the Olympics They said my request has been entered into the lottery system and I can try to purchase anything available on July 2. I'm pretty bummed, but everything on the news is already saying that this is forecasted to be one of the most popular Olympics games of all time, and that millions of Japanese residents didn't get tickets either. I find it extremely hard to believe that I couldn't get tickets to equestrian cross-country though... it's not even a seated event, you literally are just walking around a multi-acre open field watching people jump their horses.

I guess worst case scenario, we go to Japan a couple weeks after the Olympics when things are (hopefully) cheaper and easier to book and still have a great vacation.

 

[mamathompson]

I have to chime in on the vehicle discussion. I drive a 95 GMC suburban. We bought it 8 years ago for $3000 and it's still going strong. It's a diesel so we get crazy good mileage and it can haul all my kids and their stuff. I drive it everywhere. In fact we are towing our tent trailer 1000 miles tomorrow with it to camp with family. Over the years we have had to put some money into it. Nothing major, air conditioning, and a few upgrades. He can mostly do all the work himself which also saves. It needs a paint job terribly but I'm not ready to part with it. Every time I start discussing a new vehicle he adds up what the payments would be for a year and I think about how much traveling I could do with that money instead!

 

[Haley R]

They aren’t my main bank. I use discover as my main bank, but I don’t really deal with cash. If I ever need cash I’ll get cash-back at the grocery store. I also use Chase but there aren’t a lot by me anymore. I feel like you should try out PNC and get the bonus. If you don’t like it you just got $300 each and you can try something else. Chase as a good bonus too so you could even try both and see what you like better?

Our main bank is Heritage and we love them, but there aren't any local. We just use them for the interest rate.

 

[Haley R]

They're a bank, nothing any better or worse than any other bank IMO. The only thing to be aware of is how to avoid the fees. Their lowest tier checking account has a $500 min balance or $500 in direct deposits monthly to avoid the $7 monthly fee. Now, you may be able to fake the DD's but have to decide if it's worth the hassle to keep or move money there every month just for ATM access? Unless you plan to make it your everyday account and your HYC basically becomes one of your savings accounts?

Hubby's had an account for a long time, it works fine. I used them for a while when I did the bank bonus, and again, it seemed fine but you know, nothing earth shattering that I changed banks for it. It gets discussed here a lot because of the $200 or $300 bank bonus you can get from it. If you do decide to open a PNC account, look into that and see if you can go for the higher account for the bonus and then just downgrade to the one you want after the bonus hits. Easy peasy.

Thanks I'll mention all of that to Dh and see what he thinks. Our main bank will still be Heritage because they refund ATM fees if you make the 10 transactions every month which is super easy to do. We just can't deposit cash with them. I'm actually tempted to not even open an account anywhere until we need to deposit cash.

 

[jaysraptor]

Yep, used paper check. It takes a while, so you want to be sure you allow enough time for it to get to your mortgage company.

Edit: sorry, I skimmed over the Pennymac part. I do not have a Pennymac mortgage, but I haven't heard anyone here say there's been a problem with Plastiq for paying (any) mortgages with MCs.

Thank you. I just was not finding any information on paying with the other type of payment options offered, the ACH Payment and Wire Transfer.

 

[Haley R]

If you had the choice to do the BRAND NEW csr tower in mid July for $155 a night or any number of deluxe resorts (even upgraded views) for under $200/night, which would you do?
I know I'm guaranteed a nice room at the new tower and it is neat to try new places, but I am a deluxe resort person (bus system, I'm looking at you).
I am squeezing a trip in last minute to see DD one more time on her DCP (moves home 8/1 ) and there are REALLY good CM rates out. The deluxe resorts are at a super high discount % so are the better deal.

Just curious, but how are you getting a Deluxe for under $200/night?!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I would be inclined to try the new tower, just to be one of the first and check out the new building. But I guess it depends on which deluxe you are looking at for alternatives.

Which deluxe resort and what parks do you plan on visiting?

If it is BC/PVB/GF/CC I would have to book it for less than $200! I bet CSR tower rooms will still be nice next year and they may get discounted when they don't fill with convention people like YC. The new rumored TV system sounds nice though, but I understand the deluxe feel!

It is basically any deluxe. I didn't see poly on the list but that is all I noticed was missing. POFQ and RS both are under $100 so thats an idea too. We will be back in Dec with the whole fam I think. I think we will do every park.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Just curious, but how are you getting a Deluxe for under $200/night?!

CM discount...sadly my last

 

[Haley R]

Well, I just got the email that we didn't get any of our requested tickets for the Olympics They said my request has been entered into the lottery system and I can try to purchase anything available on July 2. I'm pretty bummed, but everything on the news is already saying that this is forecasted to be one of the most popular Olympics games of all time, and that millions of Japanese residents didn't get tickets either. I find it extremely hard to believe that I couldn't get tickets to equestrian cross-country though... it's not even a seated event, you literally are just walking around a multi-acre open field watching people jump their horses.

I guess worst case scenario, we go to Japan a couple weeks after the Olympics when things are (hopefully) cheaper and easier to book and still have a great vacation.

Our Airbnb host was talking to us about how everyone there is so excited for the Olympics. They've already started selling merch everywhere for it.

 

[miztressuz]

New-to-me Amex Offer:

Spend $100+, get 500 Membership Rewards® Points. Up to 3x
Get 500 additional Membership Rewards points by using your enrolled Card to spend a minimum of $100+ in one or more eligible transactions in-store or online at U.S. Supermarket locations by 9/25/2019. Limit of 1,500 Membership Rewards points. See terms.

No go here but I got a couple new hotels

Fairmont and Sofitel Hotels & Resorts, Spend $400 get $80, expires 12/17 (good in North America only)
Get a one-time $80 statement credit by using your enrolled Card to make a single purchase of $400 USD or more on room rate and room charges, when you pay for your stay at Fairmont or Sofitel Hotels & Resorts by 12/17/2019.

Hotel ZaZa, Spend $500 get $100, expires 9/30
No single purchase language here.


And a 2 extra MR for BP and Amoco purchases. Thought they also had another AO out there but I don't have it showing on any of my cards so I could have made it up

 

[Haley R]

CM discount...sadly my last

Ah okay. I was like holy cow where can I find this deal? lol

 

[Lain]

New-to-me Amex Offer:

Spend $100+, get 500 Membership Rewards® Points. Up to 3x
Get 500 additional Membership Rewards points by using your enrolled Card to spend a minimum of $100+ in one or more eligible transactions in-store or online at U.S. Supermarket locations by 9/25/2019. Limit of 1,500 Membership Rewards points. See terms.

Aren't you in Japan?

 

[DisneyMandC]

Our Airbnb host was talking to us about how everyone there is so excited for the Olympics. They've already started selling merch everywhere for it.

I believe it. I'll hopefully get lucky with the lottery next week, but I'm not holding my breath. If nothing else, I've got the miles saved and I've been working on the hotel points and we pick out ten days in September next year to go.

 

[vanjust14]

@Haley R , I'm in the midst of looking for a new bank as well. I have PNC from doing a bank bonus last year and really like them except for their online billpay. Worst one I've seen. All Chase cards are listed as "Chase credit cards", with no option to add nickname that I can see and no address to choose from to make sure you are picking correct one. I just opened a Discover checking because they are completely fee free and used mobile deposit for my paycheck. Deposited 6/21 and they are holding all but $200 of it until July 2nd. They said they will do that for the first 90 days. Not happy about that so for now I'm using PNC.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

It says that page doesn't exist for me

bad link

Nope not a bad link...they deleted the tweet

Apparently they didn’t enjoy my response.

 

[punkin]

Unfortunately it's not a promotion, it's MC GCs that come up as debit cards and trigger the 1% debit card fee on Plastiq. Here's Lain's compilation of DP's and discussion when it started a couple months ago. Having just checked my MCGC it does indeed start with 5113 3200, wish there was a way to tell for sure in the package.

Thank you. I just read through the post you linked twice and decided that it's just too much trouble. Looks like the DPs are all iver the place.

 

[miztressuz]

Thanks I'll mention all of that to Dh and see what he thinks. Our main bank will still be Heritage because they refund ATM fees if you make the 10 transactions every month which is super easy to do. We just can't deposit cash with them. I'm actually tempted to not even open an account anywhere until we need to deposit cash.

I'd ask around for using other bank's ATM's to deposit cash. You may just be able to use PNC to deposit money into Heritage at the ATM if they're in the same network. Can't hurt to check out the network PNC is using (it'll say it on the ATM somewhere, Allpoint is a big one can't think of the other big one) and ask Heritage if they accept deposits from outside ATM's if they are within the network.

And unless I have a huge influx of cash, like several hundred dollars, I usually just hang on to cash to spend and don't bother depositing. It's how I haven't hit an ATM for spending cash in about a year (at least, could be longer). Since you're not getting paid for the gigs now, it may be rare that you need to deposit a large sum like that so even if there's a small fee to figure out how to get it into the Heritage account, might be worth doing that rather than maintain an account you don't use.