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

[NewbieMom]

Are you still in the same town or general area? Maybe your post office can help if you are? As in activate another forwarding period from your past address? Just clutching at straws for you...

I actually did contact the post office to fill out another address change. I'm also close with my old neighbors and have met the new tenants in my old apartment. They have my address and said they would forward anything they get. I'm highly suspicious as to whether Citi has actually sent anything both times. It's incredible to believe that I can't even cancel a card with other forms of ID!

 

[NewbieMom]

I can agree on Citi's mediocre customer service, but not sure how you can get this resolved. To be fair, it seems they have given you a number of options and none of them have worked out, but that is not Citi's fault. Having lost the card and online access, changed your phone number twice and moved address - I'm guessing your situation doesn't fit the template and under the circumstances, I think many banks would have similar challenges giving you access to the account.

Any chance you can get into a branch to prove your identity there? If not, you really need to get hold of a US-based supervisor at CitiCards, it seems the offshore csr's only have a limited amount of things they can do, and anything out of the box needs escalating. Customer service has to help you find a solution, but I have to tell you, I had a recent problem with Citi that I had to make 4 calls before finally finding someone who would escalate my call back to a US based supervisor. Good luck

The person I spoke with was US based, but I didn't push for a supervisor yet. Now that AF is about due, I will. I'm not going to pay an AF indefinitely because they won't allow me to close without the card number.

 

[becauseimnew]

Is anyone else struggling to make themselves use the "Pay Yourself Back" feature on their CSR? Right now I can redeem about 27k points to get a $400 statement credit. I could use the cash and I *rationally* know that most of my redemptions are at 1.5cpp through the Chase travel portal, so I'm technically getting the same value even if I'm redeeming them for groceries vs a rental car. My only big-ticket travel currently planned is for Japan 2021 and I don't need any more URs for that. On the other hand, I like seeing those six figures of points in my UR account as my little travel slush fund and knowing I can take trips....eventually .... without having to budget money for lodging or transportation.

Me... we don't have as many URs as some others, we are a family of 4 so we need a lot of points to travel. I did cash in 30K leaving our balance at 300K, we plan to go to Spain next summer and I'm sure we'll need most of those. We'll earn 60K from the CSP, but have Hawaii penciled in for 2022.

 

[wanderlust7]

Is anyone else struggling to make themselves use the "Pay Yourself Back" feature on their CSR? Right now I can redeem about 27k points to get a $400 statement credit. I could use the cash and I *rationally* know that most of my redemptions are at 1.5cpp through the Chase travel portal, so I'm technically getting the same value even if I'm redeeming them for groceries vs a rental car. My only big-ticket travel currently planned is for Japan 2021 and I don't need any more URs for that. On the other hand, I like seeing those six figures of points in my UR account as my little travel slush fund and knowing I can take trips....eventually .... without having to budget money for lodging or transportation.

I use the portal a lot too. I agree, the psychology is different, even if the value is the same. I did do some PYB for groceries when it was earning 5x. But now it's back to 1x, I switched back to the BCP for 6%.

I've cashed out pretty much all of my MRs with Schwab at 1.25. I don't seem to have as much of an emotional attachment to those, lol. DH still has his stash in case we need it in the future.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Red light green light, Simon days, i wouldn’t do water balloons unless you know for sure there aren’t any latex allergies. Sidewalk chalk and they can do Pictionary. Trash bag races.

Thank you

 

[Haley R]

Is anyone else struggling to make themselves use the "Pay Yourself Back" feature on their CSR? Right now I can redeem about 27k points to get a $400 statement credit. I could use the cash and I *rationally* know that most of my redemptions are at 1.5cpp through the Chase travel portal, so I'm technically getting the same value even if I'm redeeming them for groceries vs a rental car. My only big-ticket travel currently planned is for Japan 2021 and I don't need any more URs for that. On the other hand, I like seeing those six figures of points in my UR account as my little travel slush fund and knowing I can take trips....eventually .... without having to budget money for lodging or transportation.

We’ve been using the PYB feature a lot but are still wanting to keep at least 300k points in our account. We want to get back to japan so bad. We aren’t sure when or if that will even happen but having the points there just in case is our plan

 

[trenty]

Is anyone else struggling to make themselves use the "Pay Yourself Back" feature on their CSR? Right now I can redeem about 27k points to get a $400 statement credit. I could use the cash and I *rationally* know that most of my redemptions are at 1.5cpp through the Chase travel portal, so I'm technically getting the same value even if I'm redeeming them for groceries vs a rental car. My only big-ticket travel currently planned is for Japan 2021 and I don't need any more URs for that. On the other hand, I like seeing those six figures of points in my UR account as my little travel slush fund and knowing I can take trips....eventually .... without having to budget money for lodging or transportation.

Yes, I pretty much feel the same way - those UR's are my ticket to wonderful travel experiences. However, I do like @palhockeymomof2 suggestion of taking the money saved and creating a travel fund with it. I might just do that.

I use the portal a lot too. I agree, the psychology is different, even if the value is the same. I did do some PYB for groceries when it was earning 5x. But now it's back to 1x, I switched back to the BCP for 6%.

I've cashed out pretty much all of my MRs with Schwab at 1.25. I don't seem to have as much of an emotional attachment to those, lol. DH still has his stash in case we need it in the future.

We’ve been using the PYB feature a lot but are still wanting to keep at least 300k points in our account. We want to get back to japan so bad. We aren’t sure when or if that will even happen but having the points there just in case is our plan

Me... we don't have as many URs as some others, we are a family of 4 so we need a lot of points to travel. I did cash in 30K leaving our balance at 300K, we plan to go to Spain next summer and I'm sure we'll need most of those. We'll earn 60K from the CSP, but have Hawaii penciled in for 2022.

I have the CSP (not CSR) and have looked at PYB but haven't taken advantage of it. I know it makes sense in the math sense to use PYB, but the whole reason I have the points is to travel. So I like keeping the URs for future travel. (Yes I know I can just put the money from PYB in a travel savings account. But want to see my URs grow in this time of non-travel for my family.)

 

[ctinct]

I’ve been using the pay yourself back feature a lot. I’ve got a ton of southwest points, along with a companion pass that I haven’t yet used (and who knows when I’ll be able to) along with multiple ihg and Marriott nights, and my travel is all domestic. I’m just not sure when I’ll feel comfortable traveling again, and who knows if changes will happen with the UR program....witness the removal of Disney stuff. For me, a bird in the hand and all that.

Also, I noticed something very weird on my Reserve card over the past few days. I check my charges pretty regularly just to keep track for my own peace of mind, and I noticed that on a day recently when I had three different charges, they posted each one three times. I figured it was a glitch and watched it for a few days, and they did resolve it without me having to take action, but it really messed my mental accounting up.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

Bit the dust and canceled 9 flights we had for the rest of the year. And all accompanying hotels. Sad but not comfortable traveling this year.
Sounds like everyone is doing lots of home improvements this summer! We already did the roof a few years ago and some windows. We got a new hot water heater and sump pump last year. Two years ago, we had professionals come and sand our one year old deck and refinish it. Before they left, we told them we’d like to do it each year ourselves since it wouldn’t need to be sanded again very soon. They were GREAT telling us exactly what to do, use etc. just got it finished tonight. So feeling good about that.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

We did use our Amex $5 back for the first time this week. Inexpensive carry out lunch for two. Can’t beat that!!

 

[ten6mom]

So, it turns out Dapper Days happens to fall over our November dates and they have a rate of 239/night at Carribbean Beach Resort.

I don't know anything about it (either), but wondering what your thoughts are on that?

Remember we are BW people at heart so Pop Century will be fine; just don't know if Caribbean Beach Resort is a ton different/better?

And then, the other part of the question is, if I were to book the hotel at a Dapper Day rate but park tickets separately, does that change anything? Make it harder to get park reservations? Maybe eliminate the refundability/cancellation possibilities?

AND- does anyone know, if I book through Dapper Days, can we still get Magical Express from the airport??

 

[snugglebug]

For those headed to Disney Springs soon, I used my Amex Gold at The Polite Pig thinking maybe it'd trigger the Shop Small and it did.

Also used it on a whim for a campaign purchase tonight and it triggered. There's not a ton showing up on my map nearby besides a Mexican restaurant we tend to lunch date at (and we don't do that too often) so happy to see it getting triggered. I was only able to add it to one personal Amex for me (Gold) and one personal for P2 (Surp).

 

[Artygal90]

So, it turns out Dapper Days happens to fall over our November dates and they have a rate of 239/night at Carribbean Beach Resort.

I don't know anything about it (either), but wondering what your thoughts are on that?

Remember we are BW people at heart so Pop Century will be fine; just don't know if Caribbean Beach Resort is a ton different/better?

And then, the other part of the question is, if I were to book the hotel at a Dapper Day rate but park tickets separately, does that change anything? Make it harder to get park reservations? Maybe eliminate the refundability/cancellation possibilities?

AND- does anyone know, if I book through Dapper Days, can we still get Magical Express from the airport??

I haven't stayed at Caribbean Beach but I did stay at Riviera, which is right next door. I definitely want to try CB next time we do a proper Disney trip - they are the central hub for the Skyliner system so you can get to both Hollywood Studios or Epcot without having to change lines. The general vibe seemed nice and relaxed and the renovations seemed to have made it easier to get around the resort. Plus the pool looks nifty!

 

[mom2elal]

A sad churning story with a semi-happy ending...So yds has not been feeling well and he has a cough, so his dr wants to test him for Covid. Dh and I had a reservation for Yosemite tomorrow (you have to have a day pass reservation to get into the park right now), and I had a reservation for a hotel just outside the park that I made with URs. But if yds has it, dh and I could too obviously, and we didn't want to take a chance on spreading it, so we decided to cancel. The policy said that you couldn't get a refund if you cancelled less than a week before, but I chatted with Chase and the agent called the hotel and was able to get me a refund of the 18k points! I was so looking forward to visiting Yosemite with lower crowds...I hope we can get another reservation later.

 

[Judique]

A sad churning story with a semi-happy ending...So yds has not been feeling well and he has a cough, so his dr wants to test him for Covid. Dh and I had a reservation for Yosemite tomorrow (you have to have a day pass reservation to get into the park right now), and I had a reservation for a hotel just outside the park that I made with URs. But if yds has it, dh and I could too obviously, and we didn't want to take a chance on spreading it, so we decided to cancel. The policy said that you couldn't get a refund if you cancelled less than a week before, but I chatted with Chase and the agent called the hotel and was able to get me a refund of the 18k points! I was so looking forward to visiting Yosemite with lower crowds...I hope we can get another reservation later.

happy you got your points back. Hopefully your son is safe and will be fine soon.

 

[mhartman09]

Just popping in to say we are headed to WDW tomorrow!! Gosh, it feels like it's been forever since our last trip. That was our back to back DL then WDW for Thanksgiving last year, but it sure feels like it's been more than 8 months.

Not much going on for me lately in the world of credit cards. I've been using the Chase PYSB since it's actually a decent return on cashing out over just letting my URs sit there. I rarely use URs on the portal anymore (oh how I miss WDW UR bookings), so this feature at least gets me the higher redemption rate.

@ten6mom -The Christmas season is my fav time to visit. We did trips on the week leading up to Christmas Day in 2017 and 2018, then Thanksgiving week in 2019. I always like to take at least a day to devote to just resorts since there are so many thing to see at several of them. Hopefully most are decorated for your trip. If they still arent allowing park hopping by then and have shortened park hours, checking out the resorts could be a great way to fill your evenings after the parks. We love the decorations at Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, and all 3 Epcot resorts.

 

[wendow]

Just popping in to say we are headed to WDW tomorrow!! Gosh, it feels like it's been forever since our last trip. That was our back to back DL then WDW for Thanksgiving last year, but it sure feels like it's been more than 8 months.

Not much going on for me lately in the world of credit cards. I've been using the Chase PYSB since it's actually a decent return on cashing out over just letting my URs sit there. I rarely use URs on the portal anymore (oh how I miss WDW UR bookings), so this feature at least gets me the higher redemption rate.

@ten6mom -The Christmas season is my fav time to visit. We did trips on the week leading up to Christmas Day in 2017 and 2018, then Thanksgiving week in 2019. I always like to take at least a day to devote to just resorts since there are so many thing to see at several of them. Hopefully most are decorated for your trip. If they still arent allowing park hopping by then and have shortened park hours, checking out the resorts could be a great way to fill your evenings after the parks. We love the decorations at Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, and all 3 Epcot resorts.

Have a great trip! Maybe we will see you in a few days

 

[wendow]

Hey friends, I could use all thoughts and prayers. My ds9 is sick. Like has ran a fever for 3 days now. Sore throat, headache, super fatigued....I do not think he has covid. He is my kiddo who runs a fever with anything and everything. He ran a 106 fever with teething. I am not lying. I took him in to the ped like 4-5 times between 4-8 mos for 105-106 fevers. Every time a tooth would start erupting, he'd get a high fever. They'd draw blood and urine and give a shot of Rocephin but nothing ever turned up for an infection. Finally we connected the dots that this coincided with a new tooth. He just runs hot and his immune system gets really excited. We leave for wdw in 3 days. I'm hopeful his fever will be gone by then but it was still very much there today. Also, just a bit worried if any of the rest of us catch whatever he has, we could potentially have a fever too though it is unlikely. Ugh, we've not been sick at all since like Jan and now this right before our trip. Why, oh why...???

 

[wendow]

Anyone know how long it would take to see a $5 credit for the small business offer? I have a few purchases from this week that posted, no credit tho....

I've done 7 purchases at places that show up on the map or count for small biz. One place is a Chinese restaurant right up the street from me and I've made two purchases there and neither has triggered the $5 credit, though they come up on the map for me. All other ones have triggered the credit and/or email so far. I'm thinking I may chat Amex about the one place and see if they will give me the credit.

Once the purchase posts, the credit has shown up in just a couple days.

 

[mom2elal]

happy you got your points back. Hopefully your son is safe and will be fine soon.

Thank you! He's not really that sick. If it weren't for Covid being so scary and unpredictable I wouldn't be worried at all, you know?