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

[SouthFayetteFan]

I did, and I did! Thanks again!

Thanks for supporting one of our fine folks here! That's so awesome

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

So, we PC'ed dh's CSR to a CFU back in April when the AF posted. Already had used the $300 TC in Jan. I'd like to PC the CFU back to a CSR soon. Couple of questions:

1. The AF will post soon after or not until 2020 or this is an unknown?
2. Will he get the TC again or not until the last Dec statement drops and we are into 2020?
3. Is this a good way to get on Chase's bad side? Don't want to do that and not worth it.

AND another topic with a question
We never stay at Bon blah so I pretty much ignore the chatter. But now we are going to be at Swan for 5 nights in Aug. We will have the resort fee on each room. What is the best way to save on that? Can't use Marriott GC, correct?

Thanks!

Do you have another card you can PC to CSR? I wouldn't keep PCing the same card back and forth. ANY CF, CFU, or CSP that you have can be PCed to a CSR. I'd pick a different card and then all your questions don't matter.

 

[WVMomof3]

So, we PC'ed dh's CSR to a CFU back in April when the AF posted. Already had used the $300 TC in Jan. I'd like to PC the CFU back to a CSR soon. Couple of questions:

1. The AF will post soon after or not until 2020 or this is an unknown?
2. Will he get the TC again or not until the last Dec statement drops and we are into 2020?
3. Is this a good way to get on Chase's bad side? Don't want to do that and not worth it.

AND another topic with a question
We never stay at Bon blah so I pretty much ignore the chatter. But now we are going to be at Swan for 5 nights in Aug. We will have the resort fee on each room. What is the best way to save on that? Can't use Marriott GC, correct?

Thanks!

So it’s too late now, as they are all sold out, but I wonder if the Daily Getaway deal today would have helped you. And by the wording of it, wondering if you can now use Marriott Gift cards at other properties. Is that why you were thinking you couldn’t use one? Or is there a reason you can’t use gift cards on resort fee? This is what the Getaway offer said:

 

[wendow]

Do you have another card you can PC to CSR? I wouldn't keep PCing the same card back and forth. ANY CF, CFU, or CSP that you have can be PCed to a CSR. I'd pick a different card and then all your questions don't matter.

Well, my dh has a CF he could PC to a CSR and that is fine. I have a CF as well and we rarely max out the categories. Though I'm an AU'er (for like forever) on his CF so I'd need to make sure that didn't get moved over. I still don't understand if/when I'll be charged the CSR AF and if I'll get the TC again? I know there was some chatter and was either @Andysol or @striker1064 who suggested we consider this.

 

[wendow]

So it’s too late now, as they are all sold out, but I wonder if the Daily Getaway deal today would have helped you. And by the wording of it, wondering if you can now use Marriott Gift cards at other properties. Is that why you were thinking you couldn’t use one? Or is there a reason you can’t use gift cards on resort fee? This is what the Getaway offer said:

View attachment 404730

Hmm yeah, it wasn't too long ago the Marriott GC's couldn't be used at SPG properties yet. Looks like maybe that has changed. I guess I'll watch for an Amex offer and just go buy a GC if the offer isn't still valid when we go.

 

[wendow]

Found the post from @Andysol I was thinking of:

Also- to anyone who isn’t doing this already with your CSR: never have it for more than one year. Get the CSR, use the travel credit of $300, pay the $450, after the first year and second wave of AFs, use the $300 travel credit again and then downgrade the card within 45 days to get your full refund (used to be 60) of 2nd AF.
Then, if you have a P2 or another Chase UR card, PC that card to a CSR and rinse/repeat. You should constantly be PCing that card annually, but it’s worth keeping because of the 1.5:1 ratio and the unmatchable insurance. Plus, you’ll always get $600 for $450

 

[tink1970]

I'm not sure if my question got lost or not LOL, we move so fast. Does AMEX usually offer a bonus on the Delta Blue, and can I still get 15k miles for referring from my Plat if they get the Blue?

Amex has been offering the 10k SUB on the Blue for quite a while (so it's no different than usual, unlike the gold/plat/reserve offers beginning today).
And yes, I received my 15k MRs for my referral of a family member to the Amex Blue.

 

[elgerber]

Amex has been offering the 10k SUB on the Blue for quite a while (so it's no different than usual, unlike the gold/plat/reserve offers beginning today).
And yes, I received my 15k MRs for my referral of a family member to the Amex Blue.

Thank you. Guess I haven't paid much attention to the Blue in quite awhile.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Found the post from @Andysol I was thinking of:

Also- to anyone who isn’t doing this already with your CSR: never have it for more than one year. Get the CSR, use the travel credit of $300, pay the $450, after the first year and second wave of AFs, use the $300 travel credit again and then downgrade the card within 45 days to get your full refund (used to be 60) of 2nd AF.
Then, if you have a P2 or another Chase UR card, PC that card to a CSR and rinse/repeat. You should constantly be PCing that card annually, but it’s worth keeping because of the 1.5:1 ratio and the unmatchable insurance. Plus, you’ll always get $600 for $450

Yes - the key here is to do it with a different UR card each year to keep on the up and up with Chase! I think the AF thing is weird when you upgrade a card. It’s possible that the anniversary date stays the same so if you know when you originally applied you can beat the AF by upgrading on the 2nd of the month in the month AFTER you originally were approved. It’s hard to put it in writing lol.

 

[WVMomof3]

Our rule is if dd makes the spend, points are hers. If we make the spend, points are ours. We’ve not had a situation where we made part of the spend and she made part but I guess in that case, we could split the points?

Or your dd could use the card for everything and use Venmo for the rest. That’s what my dd will be doing with her latest card cause she decided not to do summer school so no tuition to pay.

Hmmm, maybe she needs to fund a wedding registry. How much would DH freak if I told her to get married. . I realize that the wedding doesn’t actually need to happen. Lol. Off to go find that post.

Wait, is Venmo still 3x on CIP? I’m thinking that’s gone, right?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Some sort of rumor is brewing about a major AA miles deval (as it relates to flights):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1134212799436140544

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/burt4x/_/epjewdu

 

[disfanforlife]

Found the post from @Andysol I was thinking of:

Also- to anyone who isn’t doing this already with your CSR: never have it for more than one year. Get the CSR, use the travel credit of $300, pay the $450, after the first year and second wave of AFs, use the $300 travel credit again and then downgrade the card within 45 days to get your full refund (used to be 60) of 2nd AF.
Then, if you have a P2 or another Chase UR card, PC that card to a CSR and rinse/repeat. You should constantly be PCing that card annually, but it’s worth keeping because of the 1.5:1 ratio and the unmatchable insurance. Plus, you’ll always get $600 for $450

I am trying to read, follow, and learn. What does PC stand for?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Product Change - it's in the glossary on page 1

GLOSSARY - we will use many abbreviations and acronyms. Refer to this list to help understand the most common ones. IF you have any questions though, just ask! We are all super nice (we also will typically try to spell these out in our initial comments to a newer person)

• 0/30 = To apply for a Chase Business card you want to have no applications in the last 30 days
• x/24 = The number of cards opened within the last 24 months - A common measurement for churning activity
• A+ = Barclays Arrival Plus Card
• AA = American Airlines
• AF = Annual Fee The yearly fee associated with premium credit cards.
• AMEX = American Express (aka Amex or AmEx)
• AU = Authorized User - A secondary user of a credit card account.
• BBP = AMEX Blue Business Plus Card (aka BB+)
• BoA = Bank of America (aka BOA or BofA)
• BGR = AMEX Business Gold Rewards Card (aka BRG)
• CF = Chase Freedom Card
• CFU = Chase Freedom Unlimited Card
• CIC = Chase Ink Cash Card
• CIP = Chase Ink Preferred Card
• CIU = Chase Ink Unlimited Card
• CL = Credit Limit - the credit limit assigned to your card
• CPP = Cents Per Point - the monetary value of a reward redemption
• CSP = Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
• CSR = Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
• DD = Double Dip - can be used in many different ways, most notably a strategy that no longer works (applying for 2 Chase cards on the same day)
• DoC = Doctor of Credit blog - a very reputable blog we often quote
• DP = Data Point - A piece of information that proves that a strategy is working (or not) or a rule is being applied in a certain way
• GC = Gift Card - Any gift card. Usually used in conjunction with a store name or issuer (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express)
• HH = Hilton Honors Reward Program
• HUCA = Hang Up and Call Again - A tactic advocated when you encounter an unfriendly/unhelpful/uninformed phone agent.
• MCGC = MasterCard Gift Card
• MO = Money Order - sometimes used with certain strategies
• MPE = Chase MileagePlus Explorer Card
• MPX = United MileagePlus App where you can purchase GCs to other stores and earn UA miles and CC points
• MR = American Express Membership Rewards Program
• MS = Manufactured Spending (ask for additional explanation)
• MSR = Minimum Spending Requirement - The minimum required amount that must be spent on a credit card in order to qualify for the sign up bonus
• P1 & P2 = Player 1, Player 2 - Referring to spouses and other family members that are also participating in the churning game
• PC = Product Change - converting your card to a different product as allowed by the bank (many times to avoid an annual fee or access different benefits)
• r/churning = Reddit's churning group where a lot of our info comes from. (Not necessarily a friendly place like here)
• RAT = American Express Rewards Abuse Team who reviews AMEX signup bonuses and may deny your points at their discretion
• SM = A Secure Message sent through a bank's secure portal
• SPG = Starwood Preferred Guest Rewards Program (now a part of Marriott)
• SUB = SignUp Bonus...used by some less refined folks (JK JK!!)
• SW = Southwest Airlines
• TPG = The Points Guy blog - NOT a favorite around these parts but sometimes quoted
• TYP = Citi Thank You Points Rewards Program
• UA = United Airlines
• UR = Chase Ultimate Rewards Program
• VGC = Visa Gift Card(s)
• YMMV = Your Mileage (Miles) May Vary - i.e. results may vary.

 

[mmmears]

So I have convinced DD to try for the CIP, but now rethinking. I think this is a bad deal for me. lol There is no way she can make anywhere near the spend, I would have to help her. A lot. She is living at home this year so she really doesn't have that many expenses. She needs the ticket to Australia. She need to pay for that. So I said we can try to open the card wait for it to come to buy ticket and get your first $1000 in spend or I can use my points to buy ticket now and then when she gets her points she can transfer them over to me. So I get probably $4500 in spend for nothing. And she gets a free flight to Australia. She is like that seems great, lets do that. But now that I am thinking about it, It sounds like a bum deal for me. What to do?? I am ready for CIP #2 for me, but this will delay that for awhile. Be nice to DD or more points for me??? Decisions. I am not even sure she will qualify.

I'm sitting here with pretty much the same dilemma. DD needs a better card with no foreign transaction fee so I was thinking of suggesting the CIP. But there's no way she can meet the spend on that so then I'd lose out on points. But she put her flights on our CSR so we did get lots of points for them even though she's paying for them. I'm wondering if we can perhaps split the points.

Our rule is if dd makes the spend, points are hers. If we make the spend, points are ours. We’ve not had a situation where we made part of the spend and she made part but I guess in that case, we could split the points?

Or your dd could use the card for everything and use Venmo for the rest. That’s what my dd will be doing with her latest card cause she decided not to do summer school so no tuition to pay.

That makes sense to me, about making the spend and getting the points. I don't think I'd feel good about getting them all, but splitting them might make sense.

So I am trying to figure out how to make the Amex Plat work better for us. Ever since AA stopped working for GC credits, I am kind of at a loss of what to do. We don't fly SW (too far, and TBH quite expensive - $500 for a flight that was $200 on other airlines) or Delta (also really expensive and always with a stop).

However, I was reading up on using my travel credit (and potentially DH's once he gets his) on Delta GC.

Now, I will fully admit that I am not an avid reader on this thread or other travel hacking sites, but I saw this in the FAQ's:

HOW DO I REDEEM A DELTA GIFT CARD?

• Gift Cards may be redeemed for any Delta-marketed flight worldwide by visiting delta.com or by calling 1-800-221-1212.
• Gift Cards may only be redeemed for the cost of air transportation, including taxes, fees, and surcharges imposed on the air transportation. They may not be used for any additional fees (including baggage fees) or for any other products or services (including upgrades, in-flight purchases, premium seating, mileage booster, SkyMiles Cruises, cargo, hotel stays, or car rentals).
• Gift Cards may now be used toward Delta Vacations® packages

So I searched my dates for WDW and sure enough, a few Disney hotels came up. So can I really book a Delta vacation (air and hotel) and use my Delta GC's from my Amex Plat???

I'm wondering the same thing about the almost $1K in AA GCs I'm sitting on. I really wish they would just give a travel credit like the CSR does. Does anyone know if we can turn all these airline GCs into hotel nights? I'm pretty sure it work with AA but if it works with Delta at least I'd have a path going forward.

 

[mmmears]

Some sort of rumor is brewing about a major AA miles deval (as it relates to flights):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1134212799436140544

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/burt4x/_/epjewdu

Sadly I can't say that I'm surprised.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I am trying to read, follow, and learn. What does PC stand for?

Product change...

 

[tink1970]

Thank you. Guess I haven't paid much attention to the Blue in quite awhile.

Yes, it's kind of a crap card! I just referred my father so he'll have a card while he dogsits for me (I'll pay the bill) and to get the 15k MRs.

Some sort of rumor is brewing about a major AA miles deval (as it relates to flights):

Wow, just wow. If American is trying to emulate Delta with the worthlessness of their points, they're going to be in trouble since they don't have a very good product to earn loyalty.

Sadly I can't say that I'm surprised.

Me, neither. DH flew AA in first today to California and his review of his experience went as follows "Flights ok.Food not so good." (yes he is terse, always) AA just can't seem to get it together!

 

[wendow]

Hmmm, maybe she needs to fund a wedding registry. How much would DH freak if I told her to get married. . I realize that the wedding doesn’t actually need to happen. Lol. Off to go find that post.

Wait, is Venmo still 3x on CIP? I’m thinking that’s gone, right?

Venmo does not code 3x anymore on CIP. However, if meeting a MSR, I find the fee minimal for a bonus as big as the CIP.

 

[wendow]

Yes - the key here is to do it with a different UR card each year to keep on the up and up with Chase! I think the AF thing is weird when you upgrade a card. It’s possible that the anniversary date stays the same so if you know when you originally applied you can beat the AF by upgrading on the 2nd of the month in the month AFTER you originally were approved. It’s hard to put it in writing lol.

Right, it is hard to understand in writing too lol. I found the post from @Andysol and as I read, I realized I didn't understand when he first posted about this.

SO, I would want to use my dh's really old CF and not use his CFU (which was the CSR)? OR maybe a better option is to use my CF but that was my old CSR. Hmm, not sure either is a good option. We don't have another UR card.

 

[Lain]

Some sort of rumor is brewing about a major AA miles deval (as it relates to flights):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1134212799436140544

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/burt4x/_/epjewdu

Sadly I can't say that I'm surprised.

As soon as United introduced dynamic award pricing, rumors were already swirling that AA would join United and Delta and go dynamic. So I agree with @mmmears, not surprised. For those of you earning AA miles for Disney, I hope AA doesn't devalue hotel redemptions. And for those earning AA miles for partner awards, I hope AA like United leaves partner redemptions in place.