I love credit cards so much!

[Lain]

Picked up a $500 US Bank MCGC this morning, registered the MCGC, created a Masterpass wallet with the MCGC, linked Masterpass to Plastiq, set up a $250 payment to student loan servicer -- no fee, but then I got this error:

Please Call Your Card Issuer
We're sorry your card issuer has declined your payment to MOHELA.

Please select another payment method or contact your card issuer by phone and see why they have blocked this payment.

Error Code: 2025 Payment ID: *******

Need to poke around to see what's wrong. Don't want to call the bank.

Just following up.

I found this: http://milenomics.com/2018/06/how-are-things-going-on-that-plastiq-masterpass-promo/

Which suggested: If you get the message below, try removing then re-adding the MCGC to Masterpass then re-adding it to Plastiq.

I did this, but I'm still getting the error.

I haven't seen anything about US Bank-issued MCGCs being blocked, but my head is trying to rule things out right now. If I can't liquidate this card through Plastiq's Masterpass promo, I still have some open card slots on Venmo. But it would suck because these $500 MCGCs are so easy to get from grocery stores without worrying about Level 3 data to Amex.

As an aside, I added the MCGC directly into Plastiq, and it looks like Plastiq treats the MCGC as a credit card and charges a 2.5% fee.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I tossed and turned all night thinking about the biz plat. As much as I want the MRs, I don’t think I want the stress of a 10k MSR. Amex are hard anyways but 10k is just a ridiculously high MSR for us, even if a visa. So, my fomo May get the better of me and I cave but gonna try to stay strong and resist!

I’ve about decided the same. Last 3 cards of mine and 2 of dh’s Have been Amex. I’m burned out on Amex.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

does this also work for gift cards at home depot and sam's

Not sure but worth a shot. I don’t have a Sam’s near me and went with Walgreens to stack with 5xUR Freedom category

 

[miztressuz]

I like AS first class. It's plenty roomy, the food is good and they let you use their tablet for their in cabin entertainment instead of having to use your own phone/tablet. I like AS fc better than Delta fc which is my only other fc experience. Their economy is fine, it's been a long time since I've flown it because of living on the east coast but when I lived in CA and was flying home they were always my preferred airline. Now that they fly more places in the country they are still my preferred airline. I like their overall product better than the other domestic airlines. If it wasn't much more I would fly first especially since it'll cover your bags, get you a meal and an easier uses of their entertainment. Short flights like the one I'll do to SFO in Sept economy is good and not worth a higher price for an hour and a half flight.

That makes me feel better about it. Good points all, I didn't even really think of the "perks" like food and bags that come with FC, I was focused on the seat and remembering my last cross country flight in economy.

I think I have stuck in my head AirTran, and hoped AS wasn't like that. We only had 1 AirTran flight (not by choice) and we were near the front of the plane right behind "first" and I remember looking at the seats thinking 'so they took out a seat in the row and called it first?' Something like that, it didn't seem much different than the seats we were sitting in. I looked at seatguru for the specs for AS but I think I just couldn't subconsciously shake that thought, now that I think about it more.

 

[SBWB48]

Just following up.

I found this: http://milenomics.com/2018/06/how-are-things-going-on-that-plastiq-masterpass-promo/

Which suggested: If you get the message below, try removing then re-adding the MCGC to Masterpass then re-adding it to Plastiq.

I did this, but I'm still getting the error.

I haven't seen anything about US Bank-issued MCGCs being blocked, but my head is trying to rule things out right now. If I can't liquidate this card through Plastiq's Masterpass promo, I still have some open card slots on Venmo. But it would suck because these $500 MCGCs are so easy to get from grocery stores without worrying about Level 3 data to Amex.

As an aside, I added the MCGC directly into Plastiq, and it looks like Plastiq treats the MCGC as a credit card and charges a 2.5% fee.

Plan to try this myself later, assuming my shiny box is sitting at home waiting for me...will let you (and everyone else) know. I have the Citi AA Biz already loaded to my MasterPass account (and used 5x via Plastiq so far), so will see if that makes a difference.

 

[schmass]

Help please! It has taken me since 8am but I finally got caught up on all the posts from the weekend. I was about to apply for the Hilton Biz. But now I'm strongly considering the Platinum Biz card. With my mom's 7k rent through Plastiq, I could easily meet the spend. Thoughts?

 

[disneybirds]

Daughter is doing the Westin Cayman over spring break 2019. Which hotel are you looking at? I think she considered the Ritz because of a kids pool and then moved on, but now she has the Ritz card coming so not sure what she's up to. She also looked at a Kimpton and may have booked one or two nights there.

Right now, the Marriott since it was the only one with points availability. We stayed at the Westin years ago and it was really nice. The Ritz is a huge property that spans both sides of the street (i.e. beachfront and cross the street to the beach), if I remember correctly. It is beautiful island and we felt very safe there.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Retailmenot DP

Spend $30+ at Walgreens get $10 back. I have x3 CFs did it on 2 different cards using 2 separate accounts. Bought a $50 gc both times. Chips and a soda with one purchase because I was hangry and Motrin with the other cause I needed it. Both $10 rewards posted today and I can use the deal again before it expires today and i will also register my 3rd card. Unfortunately cash back can only be transferred to PayPal. I was banned back in the churning days but said gc redemption coming soon so I’ll hold out for that!

ETA: Walgreens runs 7/27 and 7/28 posted today cash back

Sorry I must have missed something....what is this abou?

 

[speedyfishy]

Help please! It has taken me since 8am but I finally got caught up on all the posts from the weekend. I was about to apply for the Hilton Biz. But now I'm strongly considering the Platinum Biz card. With my mom's 7k rent through Plastiq, I could easily meet the spend. Thoughts?

I’d go for the Plat. Especially because you can refer yourself to the Biz Green (only one purchase) and Biz Gold (if you can swing a 5k MSR)

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I was looking to book the Hilton Garden Inn San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge in Emeryville. Rates are 50K/night, but it will only show accessible standard rooms if I choose Pay with Points. At first I thought there must be a conference during my dates and those are the only rooms left, but once I unchecked Pay with Points all the room options popped up. Then I checked a bunch of random dates and the same thing happens. DH will be Diamond by December when we're going to CA, so I guess we should book an accessible standard and hope for an upgrade. I hate the idea of taking up an accessible room when we don't need it though.
Has anyone encountered this before?

Go into flexible search and uncheck the standard rewards box and check the premium rewards. That will show u if maybe standard rewards are sold out. If so, book the accessible at the standard reward rate and keep checking. Also put a note that accessible room isn’t needed in the comment.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Help please! It has taken me since 8am but I finally got caught up on all the posts from the weekend. I was about to apply for the Hilton Biz. But now I'm strongly considering the Platinum Biz card. With my mom's 7k rent through Plastiq, I could easily meet the spend. Thoughts?

Which points would work into your upcoming travel plan?

I think the Hilton 100k will be around but the plat I believe ends today.

 

[WVMomof3]

First Post! I applied and was approved for the Chase Sapphire Reserve. I paid my Disney Trip in full and received my $300 travel credit already. Once the statement closes I should receive my 50,000 UR Points. I should have done this sooner, especially since I have been a Chase customer for 30 years!

Thank you to all who recommended the Chase Sapphire card!

Welcome to the Dis and our thread! I think you may find getting cards addicting once you see your first bonus post!

 

[calypso726]

Which one stated that clarification? I haven’t been keeping up with that restrictive language but I initially noticed that VFTW, DoC, and TPG all said 24 months on upgrade bonuses. I just want to make sure I’m giving folks good advice as it relates to what to do now and a month from now with Marriott cards and the Lux card.

Well, either I misread it or it was a typo/misprint that got corrected. I checked all the blogs I follow for their articles on the SPG lux and am unable to find it. Dang! So much for optimism. Now to decide what MSR and card I want to go for next.

 

[miztressuz]

https://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/2018/07/30/navigating-marriotts-byzantine-credit-card-rules/
Credit to @platamama and @miztressuz

Reading and rereading this chart and what I am coming up with is that if I want the SPG biz after August 26, I will have to have closed my Marriott Biz 30 days before, in addition to being 24 months out from the Marriott bonus.

Can anyone tell me I'm wrong? I want the free nights each year from all of these cards so I'm still tempted to apply now.

Yes, that's pretty much my take too. Can't have had the Marriot Biz within 30 days and can't have received the bonus for Marriott personals within 24 months. Seems to me if you want 4 "free" nights each year you'd want to get the cards before 8/26 to make it easy.

I'm sure it's probable workable after, but that gets way more complex.

 

[CoP Luv]

We won't judge if you find the need to call back every hour or more.

So while I am waiting for something to change in my CIP app status, I figured I would post a few pics from our Europe trip earlier this summer thanks to this thread and cc’s.

My first new cc was on the last day the CSR online app was open. I hit that spend (thankfully/not thankfully Murphy came calling with house repairs) and got 100k UR.

We knew we wanted to go someone special for our next trip and tossed around the ideas of an Alaskan cruise. Somehow we also got the idea of a Norwegian Cruise instead. And since we were going to Europe, why not use United’s open jaw rule? So that’s how we decided on Lake Como, Amsterdam, and Norway. Three places neither of us had been before.

Flights: paid 200UR for business there and economy back. Economy flights were about $3k, and before this hobby were were cashing out UR on our CF for cash, so our 200k UR would have been $2k, so I look at this as a $2k savings.

Flight to Amsterdam: the open jaw taxes would have been much more expensive than a cheap flight so we ended up on Easy Jet. Used the CSR travel credit. Savings: $175

Cruise and Amsterdam hotel were paid OOP but helped accumulate some points for our flights. We booked the cruise through United Cruises and got 25k United Miles after sailing.

ETA: these were the only two pics I got to upload.

 

[schmass]

Which points would work into your upcoming travel plan?

I think the Hilton 100k will be around but the plat I believe ends today.

My original plan was Hilton Biz today and then SPG Lux mid-Sept. My upcoming travel is:

We have a one night pre-cruise Hilton stay in October. DH has gold status through his Hilton card, but I booked this way back in January and the price has gone up so I don't want to rebook. It looks like I'd get gold status with the Plat, as well though.

I have a two-night work stay at a Sheraton in October, so I'd be able to take advantage of the SPG Lux $300 credit and get reimbursed by my company.

Next month I'll be booking airfare to Germany for a work trip in December. Not sure which airline yet. And I'll probably stay at a Marriott while I'm there.

 

[WVMomof3]

Am I crazy for considering this?

I am at 5/24 so out but DH is 4/24 he had
CFU (3x promo) hit credit report 5/31/18
Marriott premier 7/14/18

We will both be out of most Stariott options because of Marriott premiers each. I could apply him for Marriott Biz after the 14th before the restriction goes into play. Too risky? Too many chase apps for him?

I would be afraid to do 3 Chase in less than 3 months.

 

[peel]

Go into flexible search and uncheck the standard rewards box and check the premium rewards. That will show u if maybe standard rewards are sold out. If so, book the accessible at the standard reward rate and keep checking. Also put a note that accessible room isn’t needed in the comment.

I still get the same results. I told DH to call Hilton Honors to see if they can do anything. If not, we'll take your suggestion and book the accessible room with a note on the ressie. Thanks!

 

[platamama]

In churning news, after much hemming and hawing about my next card, I pulled the trigger on the Amex Biz Platinum this morning - I've been trying to pull the 100k personal card via cardmatch with zero luck, so this seemed like a good way to go. Instant approval.

We are $300 away from done with the CSR/CSP double dip and I have a big contractor bill coming due in about a week. I figured the amex would arrive super quick (rep told me to call her direct line if I haven't gotten it by Thursday) and I could get set up to pay my contractor via Plastiq and knock out a big chunk of that 10k in one go, leaving me with a more normal MSR to work on for the next few months. In the rep's crazy spiel of card benefits I found out that you get 1.5 points per 1$ on purchases over $5k (hadn't focused on that before because how often would I even have a single purchase over $5k?), so that helps offset the Plastiq fee too. My first MR card!

Thanks again to everyone here - before this board, I didn't make the connection that our rental unit (a real, legit business!) would qualify us to get business cards.

Congrats! I'm also suffering from @disneymagicgirl 's FOCI, but I'm going to take a deep breath and go for it ... maybe...

We used DH's Biz Plat to make a $5K federal income tax payment, and we got 1.5 x MR on the $5000 but not on the Pay1040 fee of $93.50 which showed up as a separate purchase even though it was all made in one payment. So I guess I can always go this route if I run out of organic spend on the $10K.

An interesting play with overpaying taxes like this, is that you can apply your refund to US Treasury IBonds (which has some tax benefits if used to pay for college expenses) so in essence buying those with a credit card which hasn't been allowed since 2003. Another thing you can do with a tax refund is using it for a DD for bank bonuses applied for with strategic timing. I think I'm talking myself into calling in.

 

[afan]

That makes me feel better about it. Good points all, I didn't even really think of the "perks" like food and bags that come with FC, I was focused on the seat and remembering my last cross country flight in economy.

I think I have stuck in my head AirTran, and hoped AS wasn't like that. We only had 1 AirTran flight (not by choice) and we were near the front of the plane right behind "first" and I remember looking at the seats thinking 'so they took out a seat in the row and called it first?' Something like that, it didn't seem much different than the seats we were sitting in. I looked at seatguru for the specs for AS but I think I just couldn't subconsciously shake that thought, now that I think about it more.

AS was never a discount airline they just aren't big enough to compete fully with the legacy carriers. It started as a regional airline for the west coast and runs a lot of the same routes as SW and Virgina America, which is part of why they bought them. That's part of what keeps the sales and some flights low. Their fc is 2 and 2 and economy 3 and 3 on all the flights I've ever been on. They do fly 737 for the most part with the VA fleet being Airbus A320 (yuck, sorry dad retired from Boeing and I grew up in Seattle, plus Airbus are so loud). You'll find some smaller regional jets and prop planes for the puddle jumps, some of which do leave out of SEA.