I love credit cards so much! v4.0 - 2021 (see first page for add'l details)

[Haley R]

Could be because Veteran's Day is on a Thursday this year so people are taking Friday too - extended weekend.

Dh has Friday off that’s why we thought about going but maybe we’ll go Wednesday instead. We haven’t driven over for the day yet with ds. We’ve always stayed there

 

[Happy_2_B]

Would like some advice from the experts on this board.
I followed your advice this summer and got the Chase CSP credit card for my husband and myself. We reached our spending limits, and each have reached the 100,000 points due to some hefty medical bills we paid off. Right now, we have a low 800 credit score and carry no credit card balance or mortgage balance. We normally fly Southwest because of their customer of size policy, and we have each had their own credit cards for years. We love to travel and normally do not pay for air fare. We are considering Europe once Covid restrictions ease.
What would be the next credit we should consider that we would be able to transfer to airlines and hotels. (We do have the Chase Marriott and Hyatt that I keep open since the free yearly night does save a bit when we travel).
Thanks for any input

First off, 800 is an excellent credit score- it's not low by any stretch. Mine dropped 100 points recently due to closing a card with a long history- but it just bounced back to 830 and that's where I like to keep it. I think 850 is max if I remember right. It sounds like you aren't a hardcore churner yet, so you have a couple of options. For the first, I would consider a CSR for the transfer bonus. Right now the sign up isn't great- but would still consider it. Sounds like you are under 5/24- which is another reason to consider Chase. My policy is to max out 5/24 with Chase and AmEx first- then get what we can while the timer is ticking away. With that said, in my (extensive) experience membership rewards (AmEx 'currency' in case you didn't know) are much more usable at lower redemption rates than URs are almost across the board when flying to Europe- but it really depends on where you are going. If you decide to go with AmEx, start with their Platinum card (either business or personal depending upon the sign up bonus you are eligible for- just pick the best one). The business card option obviously assumes you have a business (including 'online sales'- which could be putting several things up on eBay for sale over the course of the year). The sign up for the AmEx Gold card has been decent recently, too- but haven't looked in a while. We like the Platinum for 5x on airfare for when flights are out of pocket. It really depends on your comfort level and your budget- and whether or not you can meet the larger spends on some of these cards. If you can meet them, I would personally go with Amex first if you want to go to Europe soon, use some your URs to transfer to Hyatt for hotels while there, then look at the CSR down the road. Now- if you want to jump into this with both feet and start playing the game more seriously- and you have the wherewithal to pull it off, some people get three cards at a time for both 'players' (husband and wife) in a short period of time. The way we do it is one person gets three cards on the same day, waits for their referral link to show, then refers the other spouse for the same cards. This way you get the most points for each card you both apply for. You can do this with one card or up to 3 cards at a time- again, depending upon you ability to meet the MSRs and your comfort level with all of this. Play this game within your means- you never, ever want to carry a balance forward and pay interest- so if you can only do one card at a time then stick with that. Came back to edit this. If you decide to do the 2 player mode, consider how many referrals you are willing to do back and forth to your partner/spouse each year. We only do a few a year, because when you get to a certain number you generate a 1099. Chase and AmEx are watching closely these days, and our goal is to stay off the radar and keep playing. As I have mentioned before- I have been playing since the Bush administration- and have been part of some absolutely wild ways to generate many, many millions of points and miles- but those days are mostly over. You will read a lot about DPs (data points) and this and that as ways to generate points/miles. You seem conservative now- and my advice is to stay that way. The DPs people rely on today will be the same DPs we talk about a year from now as those to stay away from because 'Billy Bob' and 'Sally Jean' did that particular thing and were locked down. Play the long game, stay conservative- and stay off the radar.

 

[CookieandOatmeal]

Tire Rack came to me when I needed new tires in September. Is that not an option?

No mobile installers in our area yet and my hubs is also very particular as to who touches the car. Back when he needed new tires for his 3 series, he ordered tires online and had them shipped to our house. We then had to haul them to a local garage/mechanic that specializes in german brands. He had to leave his car there for the day and get a ride to/from work. It will be a big hassle now that we have a little toddler to cart around.

DS chose a 2018 TLX (it's really nice--a gazillion times nicer than my Odyssey). Glad to hear it hopefully will be cheap like DD and my Hondas to maintain. He kept showing me 4-5 year old BMWs and Mercedes in the same price range and I explained over and over why European was not an option!

Our TL is a 2004 that we gave to my mom and it is still going strong.

My last car was a 2010 TSX and cost relatively nothing to maintain. It was still running strong but my fickle self just wanted a new car. I asked my brother if he wanted it but since he lives in NYC, a car is more of a pain than it is worth so I ended up trading it in when I got my X3. An Acura is definitely a great car to get for a teen...it's basically a Honda but just with the Acura badge and a little more horsepower/luxury!

 

[Arcades]

The original CSRs reset their travel credit on calendar year not membership year. That is why it said after the December statement. I can’t remember when it changed but definitely anyone who had it in first year or 2 are reset on calendar year.

Well, if I had one of those and wasn't perfectly synced up to take advantage of it, I would downgrade and re-upgrade because it's much easier to double dip the new ones

 

[Limes96]

Quick question. My Cheesecake Factory charge posted to my Amex gold card 10/31. The dining credit posted 11/4. Which month does it count for?

 

[havaneselover]

Quick question. My Cheesecake Factory charge posted to my Amex gold card 10/31. The dining credit posted 11/4. Which month does it count for?

I think November.

ETA: Actually, ignore that. I have no clue but am curious.

 

[Limes96]

I just posted about an MS/vgc opportunity on Reddit if anybody wants to check it out.

 

[kmhowell]

This whole Swan reserve thing is making me over think my plans.

We’re currently planning a week at wdw in February. I have AoA little mermaid room book.

But I had been considering swan reserve. I could book 5 nights for 210,000 bonvoy piubts and then an additional 2 nights with UR for 65,000 points.

Or I could book all 7 nights with UR for 205,000 points.

The swan reserve costs $2968 for the week. I have 330,000 UR points and 211,000 bonvoy points.

Would you pay $1900 for 7 nights at AoA, use a mix of bonvoy and UR or all UR?

I don't know what your risk tolerance is for booking non-refundable hotels, but I saw others reporting on the Priceline Express Deals thread that they found the Swan reserve on PE for around $238/night. Of course, that'll fluctuate depending on when you're going but may be worth looking into if you really want to stay at the Swan Reserve for about the same price as AoA and save your UR. The folks on that thread are very friendly too and happy to help those looking for a deal on rooms at WDW!

 

[Calfan]

Quick question. My Cheesecake Factory charge posted to my Amex gold card 10/31. The dining credit posted 11/4. Which month does it count for?

As long as the charge posted on 10/31, the credit will be for Oct.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

CSR travel credit resets on membership year, so you should have a 30 day window to use it again and still qualify for a full AF refund (this is the "double dip" that wipes out the AF). I always use a refundable Southwest Flight to immediately trigger the whole $300 (then cancel after it posts the credit).

The original CSRs reset their travel credit on calendar year not membership year. That is why it said after the December statement. I can’t remember when it changed but definitely anyone who had it in first year or 2 are reset on calendar year.

So I'm a 10/2016 CSR card. I'm going to assume this means my travel credit resets 1/2022? So there is no way for me to double dip before the cancel? I guess if that is the case, I'll try for a retention offer, and then cancel. And then decide if I'm going to do a MDD at some point.

 

[tink1970]

This will be our first cruise with Viking, so feedback on them will come once we return. We know a lot of experienced cruisers- and one recently went on a cruise with them and said they blew away Celebrity and Crystal- so we are excited to try them. Out of our next 6 already booked cruises- 5 are with Viking. The Panama Canal next week that ends in Ft. Lauderdale (followed by 2 weeks doing Orlando/Tampa theme parks and the beach- woohoo), France river cruise in May, Grand European river cruise in October, Egypt in December, and one of those long Mediterranean cruises late spring 2023. After the France cruise- which is the southern part of France- we will take a train to Paris and spend a week there before coming home. The Egypt cruise is on the Viking Osiris- and it is the first river boat they have built with the Explorer Suite in the front, so we are looking forward to having an ES in the front on the river boats. ES on their ocean vessels are both forward and aft. A lot of people like it aft, but we prefer the front. Since Viking’s biggest suites are in the back on most of their river boats we will stay back there when necessary- as the engine noise doesn’t compare to that of a big ship steaming flat out over the ocean. The Egypt cruise was supposed to start in a couple of weeks- but the boat isn’t finished being built due to COVID so we had to put if off a year.

We are Platinum Plus with NCL. That's as high as you can get with them except Ambassador- and that level takes like a gazillion cruises. We met one of the Ambassadors on a recent cruise- apparently there are only a handful of them- so doubt we will ever get there- but never say never. Anyway, we do a Baltic cruise with NCL shortly before the Grand European with Viking. That will allow us a few days in Copenhagen after that cruise, and a few days in Amsterdam before the Viking one starts. After the Viking ends- we will spend about a week in Venice. Viking does a post in Prague, but instead of a 5 1/2 drive to get there, we will hop on a plane in Budapest and go to Venice instead since it isn't part of the Mediterranean cruise- and that city is higher up on our list than Prague. We are leaving a spot next year for what my wife calls ‘the wild card trips’- and we will just decide at the last minute to go somewhere, make arrangements- and go. She is more spontaneous than me- I am the planner- so she likes to take a trip now and then without plans to take me out of my comfort zone, and they work out just fine.

So- onto why we like NCL. We are debt free- and are grateful for those that came before us and left a legacy, and we plan to do the same. I don’t usually talk about this kind of stuff- but it is relevant here. NCL is ‘freestyle cruising’. Although we have money- we aren’t country club type of people (although we live in one). There’s nothing wrong with that lifestyle-it just isn’t us. We like to stay in suites and have a butler to meet our needs- but we want to do so hanging out in our sweatpants if we want to. We also don’t like dressing up for formal nights- or to go to dinner. I will wear a collared shirt and some Tommy Bahama stretch linen pants to dinner- but the last time I wore a blazer and tie (don’t own a suit) was decades ago for the Chef’s Table at V&A. We don’t go to the ‘meet the captain and crew’ socials either- just not our thing. By the way, those Tommy Bahama stretch linen pants will change your life- highly recommend them. For any guys reading this, try Bonobos stretch pants in various styles- excellent comfort with a dressier look. Back on track… We are both mostly vegetarian, so despite having access to a private restaurant in the Haven we often eat from the buffet. Some of the time we will go to the buffet to get a bunch of fresh, grilled, and/or steamed veggies and take them up to the other restaurant and order something else to go with them. The specialty restaurants are quite good for the most part, and when we feel like something other than vegetables we will head to the Brazilian Steakhouse for their unusual cold bar, specialty soup, and a small taste of some of the different meats they present tableside on a skewer. Their signature French restaurant is quite good, too, and the quality far surpasses those at Disney. For a change, we eat a vegetable stir fry and some spring rolls at the Asian restaurant - or go to the Teppanyaki Grill for a vegetarian meal and a show. Since we are pretty high up their loyally totem pole, we get a lot of free wine and champagne and whatnot. Since we don’t drink, for whoever happens to be our neighbor it becomes their lucky day. We are very casual people that like to travel in comfortable, somewhat casual clothing- and NCL fits that bill. Viking will be a bit different, but their dress code is minimal so we are OK with the compromise. We have also been assured that they can meet our dietary needs despite not having a salad bar or buffet.

We both do some work from home- but for me it is more to stay busy that anything else. My wife writes, and is publishing some books next year- so her work goal is to make a positive impact in that way. I have taken a lot of travel writing coursework- and miscellaneous fiction, non-fiction, romance and memoir writing courses to learn how to write in those styles- but as yet have done nothing with them. Have a press pass, recorder, etc.- but with travel writing it is a whole different experience than ‘just being a tourist’. Have to do lots of research and interviews and spend time writing on the trip, so haven’t wanted to look at the world with that perspective yet. I always head out the door with my stuff and the intention to do so, though. Emailed Conde Nast yesterday to shop an article on our upcoming trip- if they are interested may finally take the plunge. Our businesses also legitimize business card acquisitions- and since my wife writes a cruise blog and is writing a book on cruising, occasionally charging a chunk of a cruise to a business card is helpful with MSR since the threshold with business credit card charges is ‘business related’- not tax deductible. So, that’s a little bit of my take on cruising- writing any more and this post would take up a page- lol.

My last cruise was Australia/NZ on Viking, ending March, 2020 (we just barely made it back before everything closed down-eek). We loved it so much we booked 3 while on board, not knowing what the future held. Considering their current sailing style, I doubt we'll keep those 3 but as loyal DCL cruisers, we were very impressed. I hope you enjoy your cruise

 

[EACarlson]

I think 850 is max if I remember right. It sounds like you aren't a hardcore churner yet, so you have a couple of options. For the first, I would consider a CSR for the transfer bonus.

850 is the max for FICO 8, some institutions like Navy Federal are starting to move to FICO 9 which goes up to 900.
I don't believe a CSR is an option for PP at this time. They would not be able to receive the SUB on the CSR as they received a Sapphire SUB this summer, they wouldn't be approved for a CSR as they currently hold a CSP, and they can't upgrade their CSP to a CSR due to Chase's interpretation of the CARD Act, they won't allow any PC's for the first year of AF products.

@Tink3815 I would recommend a Chase Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited if you don't already have them. Not great sign ups but those will give you a nice complement to your CSP to attain as many UR as possible. Or an AMEX, either a Gold or a Hilton of some variety. The Gold earns MR at a very good rate, a Hilton Surpass or Aspire will give you Hilton Status and usually a pretty good number of Hilton Points.

 

[wanderlust7]

Would like some advice from the experts on this board.
I followed your advice this summer and got the Chase CSP credit card for my husband and myself. We reached our spending limits, and each have reached the 100,000 points due to some hefty medical bills we paid off. Right now, we have a low 800 credit score and carry no credit card balance or mortgage balance. We normally fly Southwest because of their customer of size policy, and we have each had their own credit cards for years. We love to travel and normally do not pay for air fare. We are considering Europe once Covid restrictions ease.
What would be the next credit we should consider that we would be able to transfer to airlines and hotels. (We do have the Chase Marriott and Hyatt that I keep open since the free yearly night does save a bit when we travel).
Thanks for any input

If you want to do business cards, the Chase Ink Unlimited and Ink Cash are at 75k UR for $7500 spend, no annual fee. Once you get one, you can then support your DH for another 20k points. You may already know that UR transfer to Hyatt 1:1. That's usually the best value for hotels.

This is assuming that you do not have 5 or more cards that report to your personal credit report in the last 24 months. It would also be better if it is at least 3 months from your CSP.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

So I'm a 10/2016 CSR card. I'm going to assume this means my travel credit resets 1/2022? So there is no way for me to double dip before the cancel? I guess if that is the case, I'll try for a retention offer, and then cancel. And then decide if I'm going to do a MDD at some point.

I would call or SM to find out when the travel credit resets. I too got it when it first launched (I think the day it came out), so 8/2016. I recall at some point Chase shuffled some things because my travel credit reset with the December statement. So not quite calendar year, but with the December statement. It's worth finding out for sure.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Would like some advice from the experts on this board.
I followed your advice this summer and got the Chase CSP credit card for my husband and myself. We reached our spending limits, and each have reached the 100,000 points due to some hefty medical bills we paid off. Right now, we have a low 800 credit score and carry no credit card balance or mortgage balance. We normally fly Southwest because of their customer of size policy, and we have each had their own credit cards for years. We love to travel and normally do not pay for air fare. We are considering Europe once Covid restrictions ease.
What would be the next credit we should consider that we would be able to transfer to airlines and hotels. (We do have the Chase Marriott and Hyatt that I keep open since the free yearly night does save a bit when we travel).
Thanks for any input

First off, 800 is an excellent credit score- it's not low by any stretch. Mine dropped 100 points recently due to closing a card with a long history- but it just bounced back to 830 and that's where I like to keep it. I think 850 is max if I remember right. It sounds like you aren't a hardcore churner yet, so you have a couple of options. For the first, I would consider a CSR for the transfer bonus. Right now the sign up isn't great- but would still consider it. Sounds like you are under 5/24- which is another reason to consider Chase. My policy is to max out 5/24 with Chase and AmEx first- then get what we can while the timer is ticking away. With that said, in my (extensive) experience membership rewards (AmEx 'currency' in case you didn't know) are much more usable at lower redemption rates than URs are almost across the board when flying to Europe- but it really depends on where you are going. If you decide to go with AmEx, start with their Platinum card (either business or personal depending upon the sign up bonus you are eligible for- just pick the best one). The business card option obviously assumes you have a business (including 'online sales'- which could be putting several things up on eBay for sale over the course of the year). The sign up for the AmEx Gold card has been decent recently, too- but haven't looked in a while. We like the Platinum for 5x on airfare for when flights are out of pocket. It really depends on your comfort level and your budget- and whether or not you can meet the larger spends on some of these cards. If you can meet them, I would personally go with Amex first if you want to go to Europe soon, use some your URs to transfer to Hyatt for hotels while there, then look at the CSR down the road. Now- if you want to jump into this with both feet and start playing the game more seriously- and you have the wherewithal to pull it off, some people get three cards at a time for both 'players' (husband and wife) in a short period of time. The way we do it is one person gets three cards on the same day, waits for their referral link to show, then refers the other spouse for the same cards. This way you get the most points for each card you both apply for. You can do this with one card or up to 3 cards at a time- again, depending upon you ability to meet the MSRs and your comfort level with all of this. Play this game within your means- you never, ever want to carry a balance forward and pay interest- so if you can only do one card at a time then stick with that. Came back to edit this. If you decide to do the 2 player mode, consider how many referrals you are willing to do back and forth to your partner/spouse each year. We only do a few a year, because when you get to a certain number you generate a 1099. Chase and AmEx are watching closely these days, and our goal is to stay of the radar and keep playing. As I have mentioned before- I have been playing since the Bush administration- and have been part of some absolutely wild ways to generate many, many millions of points and miles- but those days are mostly over. You will read a lot about DPs (data points) and this and that as ways to generate points/miles. You seem conservative now- and my advice is to stay that way. The DPs people rely on today will be the same DPs we talk about a year from now as those to stay away from because 'Billy Bob' and 'Sally Jean' did that particular thing and were locked down. Play the long game, stay conservative- and stay off the radar.

I read this as the OP saying they have a credit score in the low 800s, not a poor credit score.

I too like Amex cards. Or, If you aren't churning the Southwest cards (meaning opening and closing the cards every 25 months or so and re-applying), that might be something to look into.

 

[Happy_2_B]

I don't believe a CSR is an option for PP at this time. They would not be able to receive the SUB on the CSR as they received a Sapphire SUB this summer, they wouldn't be approved for a CSR as they currently hold a CSP, and they can't upgrade their CSP to a CSR due to Chase's interpretation of the CARD Act, they won't allow any PC's for the first year of AF products.

Thanks for clarifying this for the OP- totally spaced this. And DW just got a CSP after her 4 year wait. Back when Chase Private Client first started none of this crap existed. Every time we went in the bank they wanted to show us new cards- and most of them had a boatload of extra points for CPC status. I had all three Sapphires for quite a while. Then the sh*t hit the fan. Initially CPCs were exempt from 5/24- but that didn't last long. Even the relationship between our CPC and Relationship and Business bankers have changed with the credit card department-it used to be they would pick up the phone and make things happen for us. Now our CPC banker will use any excuse he can not to have to call them on our behalf. We were promised an elevated banking relationship experience across all Chase goods and services when we deposited a crapload of money in their bank- elevated experience my a*s.

 

[afan]

Good to I know. I just wish the ge appt weren't just m-f during reg biz hours.

Eta I should also do it now since I have the retention spend to do. It should count even though it's reimbursed correct? Maybe so clear too for that reason that's almost 200 in spend I wouldn't have to pay for.

Quoting myself to ask again, meeting spend for retention on my plat. If I did both GE and Clear, that spend would count even though I would get reimbursed. Right? Just like an offer would count for the whole amount?

 

[IFlossU]

Quoting myself to ask again, meeting spend for retention on my plat. If I did both GE and Clear, that spend would count even though I would get reimbursed. Right? Just like an offer would count for the whole amount?

Definitely not an expert, but across 4 Amex cards that I have, the reimbursed benefits have always counted towards MSR.

 

[Alexle2007]

Quoting myself to ask again, meeting spend for retention on my plat. If I did both GE and Clear, that spend would count even though I would get reimbursed. Right? Just like an offer would count for the whole amount?

Yes, it counts.

 

[hsmamato2]

Those are the standard SUBs for business cards, they'll be there after 12/1. Only the personal SUBs will change.

how do we know when the bonus ends? I waited a bit long to get started this year.....