I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[Hoosier John]

I'm new here, just me playing.
Tyring to follow the rules, so in the last 24 months:

4/20 - Barclays (for free financing on my daughters MacBook only - will have it paid off by Oct)
9/18 - Belk card
7/18 - Old Navy Card

Thats it for the last 2 years. I tend to open accounts only to get the savings, pay them off then never use them again, lol
I did upgrade my Chase Disney Visa to Premiere and upgraded my Citicard (from many years ago) to a Citi Double Cash, but I haven't used it yet.

I have a Chase Disney Premiere Visa that I opened in 2008 and use almost exclusively (along with Discover for 1% and 5% back in certain categories).
I pay the full balance every month on both with the exception of the occasional Disney trip that I pay off over a couple of months at 0%.
I'd like to get better at making the credit card thing work for me!
Monthly spend approximately $5-6k
We do not fly, so that's not an issue. We love to travel to Disney and Universal and beachy locations. No specific goals, would just like to travel for free!
I have 5 kids - ages 11-20. 2 are in college and will travel with us every now and then. I suppose I'd like to be able to take my whole family on vacation periodically. And since we have 5, my family will be big one day soon with in-laws and grandkids!

Where do I start? Thanks for helping.

I like the 2% on everything cards (like your Double Cash), whenever I'm not stretching to meet a Minimum Spend Requirement (MSR) on a new card. You're probably at 3/24 right now (if the store cards fully count) and will be even better after September at 1/24. This is valuable for Chase, who doesn't allow more than 5 personal cards of any kind in 24 months.

Initially I would look toward Chase cards like the CSP. It has a $95 Annual Fee (AF), but you earn over $600 (60k Ultimate Reward -UR- points). Also since you mentioned travel (but not air), the Chase World Hyatt, Bonvoy, or IHG might be worthy, depending on your hotel preferences.

Additionally, the Amex Hilton, or other Amex cards compete. I'm not very well versed in Amex or Citi, so others will help here, too.

 

[becauseimnew]

Not sure if it would work or not, but we got emails for our CSP, stating we could add them to our Chase digital wallets and use them right away, before the card arrived. I did not try it, but that's what it said.

I did this with our Hyatt cards, works great as long as the locations take apple pay (for us iPhone users)

 

[Albort]

Anyone have any data points for BA canceled flights? Any luck getting a refund vs a voucher? Asking for a friend...

it very much depends on who cancelled it and where you purchased it. In most cases, if you continue to push for COVID19 reason, they will eventually give you a refund. I know of 2 ppl who gotten refunds through Chase portal even though it was flyer that cancelled. If BA cancelled the flight, it should be a lot easier to cancel and get your money back.

I'm new here, just me playing.
Tyring to follow the rules, so in the last 24 months:

4/20 - Barclays (for free financing on my daughters MacBook only - will have it paid off by Oct)
9/18 - Belk card
7/18 - Old Navy Card

Thats it for the last 2 years. I tend to open accounts only to get the savings, pay them off then never use them again, lol
I did upgrade my Chase Disney Visa to Premiere and upgraded my Citicard (from many years ago) to a Citi Double Cash, but I haven't used it yet.

I have a Chase Disney Premiere Visa that I opened in 2008 and use almost exclusively (along with Discover for 1% and 5% back in certain categories).
I pay the full balance every month on both with the exception of the occasional Disney trip that I pay off over a couple of months at 0%.
I'd like to get better at making the credit card thing work for me!
Monthly spend approximately $5-6k
We do not fly, so that's not an issue. We love to travel to Disney and Universal and beachy locations. No specific goals, would just like to travel for free!
I have 5 kids - ages 11-20. 2 are in college and will travel with us every now and then. I suppose I'd like to be able to take my whole family on vacation periodically. And since we have 5, my family will be big one day soon with in-laws and grandkids!

Where do I start? Thanks for helping.

you seem to be missing a lot of the chase cards. We probably recommend you start with those due to 1) 5/24 rules, 2) its easier to earn points due to each cards catergory, and 3) ease of redemption. Im not sure what your intended goal is at disney or universal. Im assuming hotels is a big one for u where u can redeem 1.5x with a CSR.
another set u can also look at the Citi TYP line, seeing that you have a Citi Double Cash(would be your daily driver), pair that with a premier, u can also do the same, redeem hotels through the travel portal. If im not mistaken, u can redeem Disney hotels and tickets through the portal.
Another solution is to churn Marriott cards. Both Swan and Dolphin are Marriott properties. Marriott cards are great to churn but they have terrible categories to continue earning points to.

your option is endless.

 

[Oscar Madison]

No, I'm a fellow Wisconsinite I would think you could upgrade her ticket for free. Actual 4 day tickets with UR is what I had.

Perfect...thank you! Go Brewers-enjoy the 48 game season!

 

[wanderlust7]

Success story for AMEX platinum.

Annual fee was coming shortly. 2 minute phone call and they gave me 30k MR points with no spend requirement! Great start to the day.

Now I need to wait over a year for another retention offer right?

Congrats! You can ask for another retention when you get close to your next AF, so about a year.

 

[havaneselover]

Success story for AMEX platinum.

Annual fee was coming shortly. 2 minute phone call and they gave me 30k MR points with no spend requirement! Great start to the day.

Now I need to wait over a year for another retention offer right?

So you called before the annual fee hit? Mine should be hitting soon.

 

[platamama]

I think it's time for me to get into MRs. And not sure where to start.
I used to get the 100K platinum offer in the mail all the time, before my Hilton Amex - I don't get it anymore. But I don't think I'd go for that one anyway. With the limited amount of travel we'll be doing this year, I just can't justify the annual fee.

The gold, on the other hand, is a possibility. Grocery stores is a big spend for us, so I like the idea of 4X on that one.
I'm seeing 35,000 as the public sign-up offer - does it get higher?

Is the personal gold a good place to start?

Here are my stats:
05/18 Chase Ink Preferred - closed
08/18 Chase Sapphire Reserve - Changed to CF
08/18 Chase Sapphire Preferred - closed
11/18 Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus - closed
01/19 Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business - closed
04/19 Chase Ink - closed
06/19 Barclay Arrival Plus
08/19 Southwest Performance Business
09/19 Hilton Honors Business
10/19 Chase Ink Preferred 3rd
2/2020 Chase Ink Unlimited (CIU)
3/2020 Capital One Venture

I responded over on Dischurners. Gold is a great card, but don't dismiss the Platinum outright without considering its extra benefits.

 

[Killer Fish]

So you called before the annual fee hit? Mine should be hitting soon.

I did....I would not have had someone here said to give it a shot. It was set to post later this month.

The agent told me about the new perks and I said "oh that's nice but I have those covered by other cards." He then offered 30k MR with no strings attached or $300 statement credit with $2k spend. Took the points and smiled!

 

[havaneselover]

I did....I would not have had someone here said to give it a shot. It was set to post later this month.

The agent told me about the new perks and I said "oh that's nice but I have those covered by other cards." He then offered 30k MR with no strings attached or $300 statement credit with $2k spend. Took the points and smiled!

I got a $300 statement credit with $2k of spend. I took it. I have to finish paying q1 federal taxes anyways. The agent did note that I don't use my card much. I explained I haven't been traveling much and use my gold card for restaurants and grocery stores. They also tried to tell me how valuable the $20 wireless credit is but I don't have a cell phone bill. I think it was a decent offer all things considered.

 

[georgina]

Ooh, DD just called me and said she & her DH are going to put in an offer on a house in DC. Big step, she will be turning 30 in a couple of days also. Got my fingers crossed it goes well.

 

[Judique]

Ooh, DD just called me and said she & her DH are going to put in an offer on a house in DC. Big step, she will be turning 30 in a couple of days also. Got my fingers crossed it goes well.

Congrats! Son is shopping for his first house and older daughter is shopping for a third in the Maryland area.

Are they buying in the District or in the DC area -Va, Md, DC?

 

[punkin]

So DH's Sapphire Preferred AP just posted. My original plan was to upgrade it to a Reserve, but since we're not travelling, I'm at a loss. Should I pay the AP and figure it out later, cancel the card or carry on with my original plan?

 

[georgina]

Congrats! Son is shopping for his first house and older daughter is shopping for a third in the Maryland area.

Are they buying in the District or in the DC area -Va, Md, DC?

They are renting in Columbia Heights now, and have been looking there, Petworth, and Park View area. I think the plan is to stay there, have a few kids, and possibly move when those kids hit school age. Her DH is from Fairfax.

We are planning to move to the N VA area ourselves in about a year. I hit realtor websites every now and then to see what is out there!

 

[WVMomof3]

My CIP fee will not drop! It has been over 3 weeks since we PCd. The payment has come and gone and I did not pay it thinking it would drop off. Now I have some interest on there as well. I have SM twice. They claim it will take 2-3 billing cycles. What? I hate to pull out @SouthFayetteFan's I know more than you GIF on them, lol. But I have never had one take this long to drop. Anyone else seeing this problem? I don't want to SM again, I don't really want the eyes on my account.

 

[becauseimnew]

So DH's Sapphire Preferred AP just posted. My original plan was to upgrade it to a Reserve, but since we're not travelling, I'm at a loss. Should I pay the AP and figure it out later, cancel the card or carry on with my original plan?

Don’t cancel the card, if you don’t have a need for the 1.25 portal PC it to a freedom.

 

[havaneselover]

My CIP fee will not drop! It has been over 3 weeks since we PCd. The payment has come and gone and I did not pay it thinking it would drop off. Now I have some interest on there as well. I have SM twice. They claim it will take 2-3 billing cycles. What? I hate to pull out @SouthFayetteFan's I know more than you GIF on them, lol. But I have never had one take this long to drop. Anyone else seeing this problem? I don't want to SM again, I don't really want the eyes on my account.

Mine dropped off within two days.

 

[WVMomof3]

Mine dropped off within two days.

All mine in the past have been within 2 days. But I really don't want to say the last time I changed my CIP...

 

[elgerber]

Card question. As you know, my dad will be passing soon and my step mom will be on her own. Right now they use a Drivers Edge MC that earns points towards cars that they never use the points for and she would never know how to use them anyway. The other card they use is a Disney card that I referred them to a couple of years ago. I don't know that she will go back without him. Since she has never had her own card, I was thinking a card that's more basic, like a cash back card, might be good for her. I have no cash back cards. Suggestions for a good one?

 

[punkin]

Mine dropped off within two days.

mine did too

 

[punkin]

Don’t cancel the card, if you don’t have a need for the 1.25 portal PC it to a freedom.

DH has a CIP for 1.25 redemption. I was hoping for a 1.5 redemption with a Reserve, but if we're not traveling that $550 fee is really too high.