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

[GusGus16]

How are you attempting to bunny proof your lawn? I would love to bunny proof my back yard and I have yet to figure out anything that works. My older dog like to "raid the bunny nest" so to speak and bring the treasures in the house! The bunny can have the rest of the yard, you'd think they would naturally stay out of where the dogs are but not yet!

Thankfully, only trying to bunny proof about a 1.5ftx3ft area, using some green netting that I had and makeshift stakes, with wiring and discarded branches to secure where the bottom meets the ground-so nothing fancy. Last year I had to replant my cucumbers because the bunnies ate the tender seedlings, they have already done a number on my pea shoots this year. So just hoping the netting keeps them out for the next few weeks...the bunnies loose interest as the plants mature. I know I have a family of bunnies. I saw 3 of them in my yard-two of them were very fat (thinking pregnant). More off topic but at my previous house, I had these lovely raised beds-tried to bunny proof them, and ended up with a bunny making a nest in one of the beds and having 5 babies bunnies, so hoping try 2 works a bit better.

Farmers' market here tomorrow---and I can use cards with all the farmers and other vendors because everyone has Square We deal with groundhogs and deer---the foxes keep the bunny populations under control

I guess if my netting doesn't work, I'm going to have to look into .

 

[smmco]

The latter has been my MO for the past 2 or 3 cards...I'm sure it works either way but I like for Amex to feel they're winning

I now have 4 Amex with a total of 800.00 dollars in Annual fees. I'm going to have to figure out how to cancel a couple of these and still make Amex feel like they are winning.

 

[Mopedmom1]

Is there anywhere we have a thread for Disneyland? I looked on dischurners, nada. Trying to do a search but not working so well. I am trying to find hotels that have been discussed. Thanks! @Lain

ETA: NM persistence pays off. I sure liked the old search function better!

 

[PolyRob]

Its been a long time of missing out on offers and self referrals and I really want to apply for an Amex while I wait for my next Chase business card. What is currently the best "starter" card? I remember the BBP being recommended awhile back since it has no fee and can hold MRs. It doesn't seem like there is any bonus for it right now and since I sadly have no other Amex cards, there is no way to get a referral yet. The 100,000 business platinum may be a little much for me to attempt right now. I see the 50,000 offer for the personal gold and IDK if its worth going for since its elevated from the traditional 35,000? I can use the $100 airline incidental reimbursement on JetBlue luggage this year and the $120 at Cheesecake Factory because I do lunch there monthly with a friend. I am 2/24 so one personal slot doesn't seem like the end of the world. Would the personal gold be a bad move? I figure then I at least have something to refer from.

I plan on traveling to California from the East coat in fall of 2020 so I guess earning for that would be my next "goal." For me, that means traveling with either United or Alaska which I know is limited by Chase and BoA.

 

[disneedee]

Ugh...our 5pm SW flight home tomorrow was cancelled....was able to book a 9pm flight home....will get home after midnight...not looking forward to work Monday....
SW Rep didn’t know why...told me to email customers service and ask for compensation....anyone have experience with this....I have no idea what to ask for

When sw canceled a flight on us they gave everyone on the flight a $250 voucher which was about the cost of the flight. Plus booked us on a flight the next day. I believe they also provided hotel vouchers and transportation, but we just went back to my sons for another nite. They voucher showed up automatically in the sw acct. but the rep’s announced this all when they canceled the flight. So your situation is a little different but might give you an idea what to ask for.

 

[kmc8826]

Its been a long time of missing out on offers and self referrals and I really want to apply for an Amex while I wait for my next Chase business card. What is currently the best "starter" card? I remember the BBP being recommended awhile back since it has no fee and can hold MRs. It doesn't seem like there is any bonus for it right now and since I sadly have no other Amex cards, there is no way to get a referral yet. The 100,000 business platinum may be a little much for me to attempt right now. I see the 50,000 offer for the personal gold and IDK if its worth going for since its elevated from the traditional 35,000? I can use the $100 airline incidental reimbursement on JetBlue luggage this year and the $120 at Cheesecake Factory because I do lunch there monthly with a friend. I am 2/24 so one personal slot doesn't seem like the end of the world. Would the personal gold be a bad move? I figure then I at least have something to refer from.

I plan on traveling to California from the East coat in fall of 2020 so I guess earning for that would be my next "goal." For me, that means traveling with either United or Alaska which I know is limited by Chase and BoA.

I really like my personal gold. I used a personal slot to get it this past October. It is a significant competition with the CSR so that’s something to think about. I end up using it a lot more than the CSR.

The BBP is a great card but you might want to wait for it until there is a time where you could take advantage of the 0% for 15 months. I am using it to float the money on a big chunk of my DVC purchase. (You should tour the Riviera model on your upcoming solo trip..,just saying).

Maybe get one and then self refer for the next one?

I started with the MR cards with calling in and getting the Biz Gold and Biz Plat but that is a significant spend to commit too. Good luck deciding!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

When sw canceled a flight on us they gave everyone on the flight a $250 voucher which was about the cost of the flight. Plus booked us on a flight the next day. I believe they also provided hotel vouchers and transportation, but we just went back to my sons for another nite. They voucher showed up automatically in the sw acct. but the rep’s announced this all when they canceled the flight. So your situation is a little different but might give you an idea what to ask for.

Thanks appreciate hearing your experience with this...annoying that I had to argue with them to refund our EBCI fee which couldn’t transfer to the new flight since it was less than 36 hours before....
Then had to check in 24 hours before while at dinner...DH more stressed about that...
No automatic rebooking...if I hadn’t seen the text as soon as it was sent and called....I doubt we could of flown home tomorrow.....there were only 5 seats left on flights ....vouchers were not offered when rebooking...just told to email customer service...will see what happens..

 

[smmco]

Its been a long time of missing out on offers and self referrals and I really want to apply for an Amex while I wait for my next Chase business card. What is currently the best "starter" card? I remember the BBP being recommended awhile back since it has no fee and can hold MRs. It doesn't seem like there is any bonus for it right now and since I sadly have no other Amex cards, there is no way to get a referral yet. The 100,000 business platinum may be a little much for me to attempt right now. I see the 50,000 offer for the personal gold and IDK if its worth going for since its elevated from the traditional 35,000? I can use the $100 airline incidental reimbursement on JetBlue luggage this year and the $120 at Cheesecake Factory because I do lunch there monthly with a friend. I am 2/24 so one personal slot doesn't seem like the end of the world. Would the personal gold be a bad move? I figure then I at least have something to refer from.

I plan on traveling to California from the East coat in fall of 2020 so I guess earning for that would be my next "goal." For me, that means traveling with either United or Alaska which I know is limited by Chase and BoA.

Do you want airline points or hotel points? If you want United points I would go with Chase preferred or reserve.
These are my opens or upgrades since March 15, 2019
AA Barclay 60k
Delta Gold 60k
Chase preferred 60k
Amex Gold 50k
Hilton Honors upgrade 150k
Amex Blue Preferred upgrade 250 credit.
I'm currently at 6/24 and done until March 2020.
I totally think I've lost my mind. I still have three spends to meet. On the upside I have an 8 day trip to SeaWorld and WDW next week all booked with points. I would log into your Amex account periodically to see what offers you have. I was shocked by what they offered me.

 

[calypso726]

I had a travel hacking fail turn into an unexpected travel win this morning. I tried booking a Hilton in Key Kargo on points for NYE but nothing was available for just one night. No surprise there. I was able to book a 5 night stay on points though which is not what I wanted but was hoping I could get it modified over the phone to one night. Well, that didn’t work and when I asked to cancel the reservation the agent had some challenges getting it cancelled without a fee popping up. The cancellation policy was fee free until a few nights before check in which the agent could see but there was some glitch in the system. I was given 500 HH points for my patience, which was nice.


Then, the agent said she would be transferring me to another colleague since I was eligible for a promotional Hilton Grand vacation offer. It turned out to be an offer for 6 days on the Big Island of Hawaii. A rental car is included, as well as a $200 Hilton future stay certificate and 5,000 HH points. Initially, the offer had to be used in one year but I was able to have that extended to 18 months. Of course, we do have to attend the 2 hour time share presentation. The fee was $798 which is not a bad deal in my opinion. We didn’t really have firm plans for 2021 but it looks like we might be going to Hawaii again.

 

[calypso726]

Thank you all so much for the responses. It seems I left out some information. We would like to travel to Ireland, but I'm also open to Hungary. As you see, I haven't gotten far in planning yet. Really, there's so much we want to see, and my oldest kid is entering high school so we are really wanting to travel as much as possible. I just paid for part of our hotel when we went to Charleston last week, and now I'm hooked on this credit card mile thing!
The four of us would be flying out of Nashville, where Southwest has a hub. We've never flown anything but coach. I do have a willing P2, and a few years ago I started a little side business that I haven't done anything with in 2 years and did not generate any real income. Could I still apply for a business card?

Lain- thank you so much! A strategy and good advice is definitely what I am after. Truthfully, I have a VERY LIMITED understanding of using points for airlines vs. hotels vs. just taking the cash reward. I really want to use these cards to maximize the amount of travel we can do as a family. To add to the incomplete info from earlier:
01/19 Capital One Venture
We normally put $1500-2000/month on CCs. We pay them off every month.
The four of us would be flying out of Nashville, where Southwest has a hub. We've never flown anything but coach. I do have a willing P2, and a few years ago I started a little side business that I haven't done anything with in 2 years and did not generate any real income. Could I still apply for a business card?
Can you or any of your wise travel friends suggest which cards I should start with? I feel like I need a class! Thanks everyone!

You can definitely still apply for a business card.

I am going to suggest starting with Chase UR point earning cards. They are flexible and can be used to pay for travel through the Chase UR portal. In addition, they transfer 1:1 to United which has multiple flights out of BNA to Dublin. You can fly for 60k RT in economy.

 

[wanderlust7]

Its been a long time of missing out on offers and self referrals and I really want to apply for an Amex while I wait for my next Chase business card. What is currently the best "starter" card? I remember the BBP being recommended awhile back since it has no fee and can hold MRs. It doesn't seem like there is any bonus for it right now and since I sadly have no other Amex cards, there is no way to get a referral yet. The 100,000 business platinum may be a little much for me to attempt right now. I see the 50,000 offer for the personal gold and IDK if its worth going for since its elevated from the traditional 35,000? I can use the $100 airline incidental reimbursement on JetBlue luggage this year and the $120 at Cheesecake Factory because I do lunch there monthly with a friend. I am 2/24 so one personal slot doesn't seem like the end of the world. Would the personal gold be a bad move? I figure then I at least have something to refer from.

I plan on traveling to California from the East coat in fall of 2020 so I guess earning for that would be my next "goal." For me, that means traveling with either United or Alaska which I know is limited by Chase and BoA.

Are you able to pull up the 100k personal platinum offer? Supposedly, it's more likely if you're new to AmEx. The referrals from that are 15k. Otherwise, the personal gold is a good choice since you have use of the credits. It comes with 4x on restaurants and groceries. Referrals are only 10k though.

 

[PolyRob]

I really like my personal gold. I used a personal slot to get it this past October. It is a significant competition with the CSR so that’s something to think about. I end up using it a lot more than the CSR.

The BBP is a great card but you might want to wait for it until there is a time where you could take advantage of the 0% for 15 months. I am using it to float the money on a big chunk of my DVC purchase. (You should tour the Riviera model on your upcoming solo trip..,just saying).

Maybe get one and then self refer for the next one?

I started with the MR cards with calling in and getting the Biz Gold and Biz Plat but that is a significant spend to commit too. Good luck deciding!

I can definitely see times where I would use the gold over my CSR. My friend who I go to Cheesecake Factory with has the rose gold version and every time we go I use my CSR and she uses her rose gold and gets the credit e-mail from Amex stating she used her $10 within seconds of swiping the card. I am always a little envious of this benefit

That sounds like a nice idea with the BBP. I actually got a DVC mailer for my upcoming PVB cash stay to book a tour and get a Disney gift card. I am definitely going to schedule an appointment. Not sure I can fit it in on my first day, but for FP+ and a gift card, it makes the most sense.

I saw the Biz Gold at 35,000 MR. I guess I could consider that over the platinum. It just seems like a lower offer. I don't know what other personal cards I would even be tempted by to use up a slot and have always wanted a real Amex. I only have a combo Macy's card which has a $500 Amex limit that I used 1x at Costco years ago when I didn't have the Costco card on me. I also don't want to upset Amex so early in the game and figured $2,000 would be easy to meet at a normal pace and I could put all grocery store spending on it since I have no UR card for this and it would be consistent spend for the future.

Do you want airline points or hotel points? If you want United points I would go with Chase preferred or reserve.
These are my opens or upgrades since March 15, 2019
AA Barclay 60k
Delta Gold 60k
Chase preferred 60k
Amex Gold 50k
Hilton Honors upgrade 150k
Amex Blue Preferred upgrade 250 credit.
I'm currently at 6/24 and done until March 2020.
I totally think I've lost my mind. I still have three spends to meet. On the upside I have an 8 day trip to SeaWorld and WDW next week all booked with points. I would log into your Amex account periodically to see what offers you have. I was shocked by what they offered me.

I like the flexibility of URs and have been slowly pooling them between a CSR, CSP, and 2 CIPs. Hoping to go for the 3rd CIP in September if thats still an option for the bonus over a United business card. I didn't take the extended United business offer back in March because I went for the CIP which had a higher bonus. I wouldn't be opposed to a United card, but I am not sure if one of those personal cards would be the best move right now. I currently have 3 personal and 2 business cards with Chase.

 

[PolyRob]

Are you able to pull up the 100k personal platinum offer? Supposedly, it's more likely if you're new to AmEx. The referrals from that are 15k. Otherwise, the personal gold is a good choice since you have use of the credits. It comes with 4x on restaurants and groceries. Referrals are only 10k though.

I have the 70,000 offer on the platinum in a minimized incognito window with the 50,000 gold right now. I haven't attempted card match, but if it works well for new customers hopefully I could pull it up. I think I am just a little intimidated by making back its AF over the gold. Having the lesser referral on the gold does seem like a bummer tho.

 

[mom2elal]

Since there is no way I am going to catch up on 9 or 10 days of posts, I just read that wonderful discussion thread on reddit and am starting here. Ha!

So wanted to share info from our trip. We had a great time. No flight delays...yay! Even with 9 people some of the days, we did all FP+ and never waited in a standby line. The first 2 days were great....not crowded in walkways and resort pool very pleasant. Then on Saturday the flood gates opened. Saturday thru Thurs when we left were packed.

We're leaving for our first trip since FP+ on Friday, so I have to ask...when you say that you didn't do any stand-by lines, do you mean that you were able to get more fastpasses after you had used your 3? I'm stressing about using the FP+ system with the crowds, because I'm so used to the way DLR does it and we usually get TONS of fastpasses there.

On that note, does anybody have any obscure hot tips for these WDW novices??

 

[mom2elal]

I’m reading a little more about this right now, and it seems Apple will kill the “iTunes Store” as we know it. Details are unannounced. But it seems, as I mentioned above, that Apple will just split their services and related content into different apps; music in a Music app, tv episodes (and probably their upcoming tv streaming service) into a TV app, etc. But you should still be able to access your already purchased content, purchase new downloads, subscribe to services, and stream the same content as before in these new apps.

As for iTunes gift cards, Apple has millions (if not billions) of dollars worth of liability in the form of iTunes credit/gift cards out in the marketplace. No way can Apple wipe that out with these changes to how they structure their services. I think if anything, “iTunes” gift cards will be rolled into your Apple ID account that can be used to purchase digital services (but not hardware, since Apple has “Apple Store” gift cards for that).

That's a relief! I still haven't gotten over the fact that they don't sell iPods anymore, other than the touch. Or that my 2nd generation iPod was stolen out of my car about 5 years ago.


I'm old and I enjoy actually owning media! In my day, we had CD shelves and we liked it that way!

 

[mom2elal]

It’ll probably just be native/bundled in with the next Mac OS update.

All your purchases and subscriptions are already associated with your Apple ID, so I’d imagine your content should all be in their respective new apps once you’re logged in.

Not everyone owns a Mac, LAIN!
☝

 

[Lain]

Its been a long time of missing out on offers and self referrals and I really want to apply for an Amex while I wait for my next Chase business card. What is currently the best "starter" card? I remember the BBP being recommended awhile back since it has no fee and can hold MRs. It doesn't seem like there is any bonus for it right now and since I sadly have no other Amex cards, there is no way to get a referral yet. The 100,000 business platinum may be a little much for me to attempt right now. I see the 50,000 offer for the personal gold and IDK if its worth going for since its elevated from the traditional 35,000? I can use the $100 airline incidental reimbursement on JetBlue luggage this year and the $120 at Cheesecake Factory because I do lunch there monthly with a friend. I am 2/24 so one personal slot doesn't seem like the end of the world. Would the personal gold be a bad move? I figure then I at least have something to refer from.

I can definitely see times where I would use the gold over my CSR. My friend who I go to Cheesecake Factory with has the rose gold version and every time we go I use my CSR and she uses her rose gold and gets the credit e-mail from Amex stating she used her $10 within seconds of swiping the card. I am always a little envious of this benefit

That sounds like a nice idea with the BBP. I actually got a DVC mailer for my upcoming PVB cash stay to book a tour and get a Disney gift card. I am definitely going to schedule an appointment. Not sure I can fit it in on my first day, but for FP+ and a gift card, it makes the most sense.

I saw the Biz Gold at 35,000 MR. I guess I could consider that over the platinum. It just seems like a lower offer. I don't know what other personal cards I would even be tempted by to use up a slot and have always wanted a real Amex. I only have a combo Macy's card which has a $500 Amex limit that I used 1x at Costco years ago when I didn't have the Costco card on me. I also don't want to upset Amex so early in the game and figured $2,000 would be easy to meet at a normal pace and I could put all grocery store spending on it since I have no UR card for this and it would be consistent spend for the future.

I have the 70,000 offer on the platinum in a minimized incognito window with the 50,000 gold right now. I haven't attempted card match, but if it works well for new customers hopefully I could pull it up. I think I am just a little intimidated by making back its AF over the gold. Having the lesser referral on the gold does seem like a bummer tho.

There are pros and cons to all the cards mentioned: the Plat, the Biz Gold, the personal Gold, and the BBP.

I agree with what @wanderlust7 suggested and encourage you to consider checking Cardmatch if you’re at all interested in the Platinum to see you’re targeted for the 100k MR offer. But do it only if you’re ready to apply if the offer shows up, because if you close that window you may never see that offer again. The $550 AF is easy enough to recoup from the benefits (not including the ~$1k value on a 100k MR SUB) if you’ve got a plan to use the $200 airline credit, $200 Uber credits, and $100 Saks credit.

The Biz Gold has a public and affiliate link offer of only 35k MR, but you can get a 50k SUB offer on this card by applying through a support link. There are several support links for this card on DISchurners. Alternatively, you could think about getting the Platinum first (especially if you can get the 100k MR targeted offer or even the 75k MR incognito offer), then using the Plat to support yourself to the Biz Gold support link offer for a 15k MR support bonus and the 50k MR SUB. The Plat would take you to 3/24, but the Biz Gold wouldn’t add another card to your */24 count, then you could use the Biz Gold the Plat to support yourself to other Amex biz cards.

The strength of the Biz Gold is in its 20k MR support links. But note that the support clicks on this card and all other Amex MR earning cards are capped at 55k/year. So a Biz Gold will yield only 2 support clicks at the full 20k MR and a third click at 15k MR. A Platinum card will get you at most 3 clicks at its full 15k MR and a 4th click at 10k MR. Ask yourself how many support and self-support clicks do you think you’ll use or get out of these cards in their first year? Also remember that support bonuses totaling $600+/year across all cards will get you a 1099 on the value of these bonuses at 1 cpp.

The new Biz Gold is supposed to earn 4x MR on the two top categories of spend you make every month in gas, restaurants, shipping, advertising, and computer/tech services providers. But as @wanderlust7 can attest, it’s been glitchy lately.

The Gold and BBP are really fantastic everyday cards. As you know, the Gold earns 4x MR at grocery stores and restaurants. The BBP earns 2x MR on everything, and compliments other MR cards that have higher category bonuses. You’re going to be using these cards almost everyday, and that’ll keep Amex happy. But as you know, the support clicks from these are only 10k MR per approval.

The 50k SUB on the Gold is the highest offer on that card. The BBP has a targeted 20k MR SUB that DoC wrote about this week and you can check the direct link referenced here to see if you’re targeted. 20k is not a bad start! The BBP has a 10k MR SUB when applying through a support link. So, arguably, supporting yourself from a Biz Gold (20k MR) or Plat (15k MR) along with the 10k MR SUB is a better deal than the 20k MR targeted offer.

I’ll offer more thoughts tomorrow.

 

[wanderlust7]

I have the 70,000 offer on the platinum in a minimized incognito window with the 50,000 gold right now. I haven't attempted card match, but if it works well for new customers hopefully I could pull it up. I think I am just a little intimidated by making back its AF over the gold. Having the lesser referral on the gold does seem like a bummer tho.

If it doesn't come up in card match, you can also try variations on your name. Not sure if the Macy's AmEx makes you a new customer or not.

Here's how I calculate I'm making back the personal plat AF. Assuming I'm only keeping it the first year (which I haven't totally decided yet). Double dip on the $200 airline credit (also possible to triple dip if you wait until the end of the year) - I calculate as worth $180 x 2, assuming I need to sell the Southwest gift card. Though of course, no guarantees that SW GC will continue to credit. Uber I use for UberEats, $200 annual credit I figure is worth $140 to me (more if I use it for Uber). The credit automatically goes into your Uber account, so have read that it continues for a while (few months?) after you cancel the card. Saks I use for skin care, which is the same price everywhere, so I calculate full value for that. It's twice annually, so figure I can get it 3 times for $150. So total would be $650, which more than covers the AF. Not to mention that I used the Global Entry credit for $100. And hope I'll get to use a Centurion lounge. It comes with Gold status for Hilton and Marriott too, if you don't have that elsewhere.

The Biz Gold I got back when the AF was waived. The 4x on restaurants and gas is great. But I've held off on getting it for DH since the $295 AF is hard to swallow without anything to offset it. Still net positive with the SUB, but just not as high as I'd like.

 

[Haley R]

We’re in hakone and because of volcanic activity the ropeway is closed which is a huge bummer. It’s also super cloudy so we haven’t had any views of mt Fuji yet. It’s been kind of a bust coming here honestly. Would’ve been nice to have an extra day in Tokyo instead

 

[PolyRob]

There are pros and cons to all the cards mentioned: the Plat, the Biz Gold, the personal Gold, and the BBP.

I agree with what @wanderlust7 suggested and encourage you to consider checking Cardmatch if you’re at all interested in the Platinum to see you’re targeted for the 100k MR offer. But do it only if you’re ready to apply if the offer shows up, because if you close that window you may never see that offer again. The $550 AF is easy enough to recoup from the benefits (not including the ~$1k value on a 100k MR SUB) if you’ve got a plan to use the $200 airline credit, $200 Uber credits, and $100 Saks credit.

The Biz Gold has a public and affiliate link offer of only 35k MR, but you can get a 50k SUB offer on this card by applying through a support link. There are several support links for this card on DISchurners. Alternatively, you could think about getting the Platinum first (especially if you can get the 100k MR targeted offer or even the 75k MR incognito offer), then using the Plat to support yourself to the Biz Gold support link offer for a 15k MR support bonus and the 50k MR SUB. The Plat would take you to 3/24, but the Biz Gold wouldn’t add another card to your */24 count, then you could use the Biz Gold the Plat to support yourself to other Amex biz cards.

The strength of the Biz Gold is in its 20k MR support links. But note that the support clicks on this card and all other Amex MR earning cards are capped at 55k/year. So a Biz Gold will yield only 2 support clicks at the full 20k MR and a third click at 15k MR. A Platinum card will get you at most 3 clicks at its full 15k MR and a 4th click at 10k MR. Ask yourself how many support and self-support clicks do you think you’ll use or get out of these cards in their first year? Also remember that support bonuses totaling $600+/year across all cards will get you a 1099 on the value of these bonuses at 1 cpp.

The new Biz Gold is supposed to earn 4x MR on the two top categories of spend you make every month in gas, restaurants, shipping, advertising, and computer/tech services providers. But as @wanderlust7 can attest, it’s been glitchy lately.

The Gold and BBP are really fantastic everyday cards. As you know, the Gold earns 4x MR at grocery stores and restaurants. The BBP earns 2x MR on everything, and compliments other MR cards that have higher category bonuses. You’re going to be using these cards almost everyday, and that’ll keep Amex happy. But as you know, the support clicks from these are only 10k MR per approval.

The 50k SUB on the Gold is the highest offer on that card. The BBP has a targeted 20k MR SUB that DoC wrote about this week and you can check the direct link referenced here to see if you’re targeted. 20k is not a bad start! The BBP has a 10k MR SUB when applying through a support link. So, arguably, supporting yourself from a Biz Gold (20k MR) or Plat (15k MR) along with the 10k MR SUB is a better deal than the 20k MR targeted offer.

I’ll offer more thoughts tomorrow.

Thank you! I will wait to check cardmatch like @wanderlust7 and you suggested until I am 100% sure if I am going to do the personal platinum. I rarely use Uber, but I would pool the credits like I have seen mentioned here. Saks would probably be used easier. It makes sense that the additional 30,000 MRs + higher referral would cover the higher AF compared to the personal gold. And then referring from the personal platinum to the business gold which will help earn higher referrals plus be a better offer than the public offer since it is a referral. I think the personal gold is enticing because of the categories, but its a similar situation with the Chase business cards. Going for CIP #2 was better than a CIC right now. I could use the categories of the personal gold (like the CIC), but there is time and its best to get the highest SUB first.

I know this is far down the line, but if I did not want it for the AF past the first year, would PCing it to say the green card upset Amex less than outright cancelling it?

If it doesn't come up in card match, you can also try variations on your name. Not sure if the Macy's AmEx makes you a new customer or not.

Here's how I calculate I'm making back the personal plat AF. Assuming I'm only keeping it the first year (which I haven't totally decided yet). Double dip on the $200 airline credit (also possible to triple dip if you wait until the end of the year) - I calculate as worth $180 x 2, assuming I need to sell the Southwest gift card. Though of course, no guarantees that SW GC will continue to credit. Uber I use for UberEats, $200 annual credit I figure is worth $140 to me (more if I use it for Uber). The credit automatically goes into your Uber account, so have read that it continues for a while (few months?) after you cancel the card. Saks I use for skin care, which is the same price everywhere, so I calculate full value for that. It's twice annually, so figure I can get it 3 times for $150. So total would be $650, which more than covers the AF. Not to mention that I used the Global Entry credit for $100. And hope I'll get to use a Centurion lounge. It comes with Gold status for Hilton and Marriott too, if you don't have that elsewhere.

The Biz Gold I got back when the AF was waived. The 4x on restaurants and gas is great. But I've held off on getting it for DH since the $295 AF is hard to swallow without anything to offset it. Still net positive with the SUB, but just not as high as I'd like.

I will play around with the name options on cardmatch when I do it. I do also have a corporate Amex through work so IDK if that would also possibly disqualify me as a "new" customer.

Thank you for explaining you credit redemptions. I will have to read up on the DD/TD airline credit strategy. I have always seen it mentioned here, but didn't really commit it to memory because of the Amex FOMO.

I sadly don't frequent many airports with a Centurion lounge. If I did, I would have probably jumped on it before the CSR. They seem awesome! I may actually have to go to Vegas in October for work (a shame, I know ). I think some coworkers would be envious of me on our return flights lol

The Hilton/Marriott status would also be nice. Better than having essentially no status with either company.