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

[striker1064]

Applied for the Barclay AA biz. Says they are gonna call me for additional info This is the one thing I really dislike about Barclay. They like to do everything over the phone. Um, no thanks...please just text or email...

ETA: Email says they will let me know within 10 days. That seems like a bad sign.

Definitely not a sure denial. In my experience, Barclays will either auto-deny, or go pending and deny very shortly thereafter when you check the status. If you're still pending, it likely means someone needs to review the application for some reason. Barclays is very concerned about the number and velocity of cards you have - and this is your second Barclays, right? The rep will be reviewing your history with your first as well.

You might get a call. Usually with Barclays I think pending is good. It's not like 7-10 with Chase.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I wish I could pay my insurance with my credit cards. It’s close to $10,000 a year. It’s through Country Companies and is automatically withdrawn. I need to see if paying with cc is an option.

I didn’t realize or really look into paying our insurance with a cc until I found this thread last year...Ours takes Visa and MC, no Amex

 

[miztressuz]

How do you all meet minimum spending requirements? Our mortgage is automatically deducted through our credit union. We do have a business, but it’s farming and there are major fees (sometimes 6%) for paying using credit cards. Many times you lose your early incentives as well. Last year we spent over $250,000 through the farm, but it’s all in checks.

I’ve gotten caught up in the spend a dollar to save a quarter mentality before, and I don’t want to go back down that route. We pay our cards off monthly. We just did a big house remodel, and don’t have many other “big” house expenses planned this year.

Any tips you have to meet minimum spending would be great. Thanks!!!

I should add that I have 3 cards we primarily use, and that’s where I should be researching how to earn more bonuses. I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and got it and qualified when it was a bonus of 100k UR points. Most of our monthly spending is on that card, including our timeshare dues of ~$450 a month. I get 3x rewards on them. We both have Amex HHonors cards, and both spent $15,000 on them. We earned 4 free nights total, but we each pay a $95 AF. We signed up when there were a ton (don’t recalll the exact number) of Hhonors points, and I referred DH so I earned the bonus as well. When we take weekend trips, we stay at Hilton properties, so I do like having Gold status. I’ve been preselected for the Ascend version, but the AF is deterring me.

I'm not one to pay more than I have to for anything, if there's a discount to be had I'm usually all for it, but seeing that number paid out through checks is making me sad. If I had that I'd certainly run the numbers to see if some of it should go on a CC. While you might not get completely free points or miles, it'd be heavily discounted. Or just think of it as a smaller sign up bonus if you can reimburse your fees from it.

My recent penny wise pound foolish story that hubby likes to trot out is when I bought the cheapest hot dog buns I could find because there wasn't really a sale that week. There were two choices, that package or potato buns that
we enjoy for 49 cents more. I was being cheap that day and saved the 49 cents. Realized after checkout that I missed the spending threshold for fuel points by 42 cents The program ignores cents on an order so I had to go back and ended up spending a 1.49 in order to get our discounted fuel. So by getting the cheap buns I cost myself a $1 more than I needed to.

Have you looked into Plastiq at all? It's a service that let's you put bills that don't normally accept a credit on a credit card and then sends a check on your behalf to the recipient. It has a fee but you can get some promotional discounts for signing up from a friend and supporting other friends (called fee free dollars FFD). I am by no means an expert but many here use it and there's a write up on it on DISchurners subreddit to get you started.

To put it in perspective, say you pay a 2.5% fee for the whole MSR on the CIP. That's spending $125 + $95 (AF) to earn $800 cash (worth more if you spend through the Chase portal). Minus those expenses and it's still a $580 bonus that you wouldn't have if you paid $5000 cash instead. So in your situation it's something I would consider.

But other suggestions in general are looking into prepaying expenses if you can. Like Verizon will let you have a $500 credit on your accounts. We prepaid a few months of phone and internet service and then just reimbursed the savings account each month instead. Some do utilities like water and electric similarly. Double check everything that comes out of you checking and see if they have updated billing options. Our water just changed to Speedpay and we can use a CC now for a flat fee of $2.25, so that's an option for us now. Can also give up category spend to put everything towards MSR, your return will be higher.

 

[speedyfishy]

Anyone have any thoughts if a VGC is an acceptable wedding gift?

 

[smallsy]

Are you canceling your oldest card because it has an annual fee? Or because it has a large credit line you are not using?

The latter. I have a Capital One card with no rewards that I’ve had since college (original credit limit was $200 ). I never use it and it’s purely my back up if my CF is compromised and also just because it’s my oldest.
So I should just keep it? Had a 11K limit now.

 

[amalone1013]

Could have used that last week I've never seen 3rd party gc at either of the Michael's by me. Does yours have them?

Also happy to see 10% at starbucks even if it is my cfu, better than the 5% on my csp.

Mine has them... in a rack in the middle of the store behind the custom floral counter


Also my AMEXs have a 15% back on Starbucks up to $5 you may want to check for

Ps. I have the same problem with notebooks...

I have three Michaels I typically go to and I know one definitely has a GC wall by the checkout lanes. I can't remember if it carries Disney, but I figured it would be worth picking one up if it did.

I got the Starbucks on my CSP. I think its the 10% as well. I still have a nice Starbucks stash from the Chase Pay promo combined with a Starbucks reload bonus so I am going to wait and see if there is any other promo that will stack before I reload.

I saw 15% starbucks in my AMEX offers my Michael's has had Disney in the past, but I haven't looked recently.

I've always been interested in law, and considered being a lawyer at one point. Admirable to me that you are a prosecutor. I'm sure I'm totally sensationalizing it and just assuming it would be like TV, ha. Maybe once I get it out of my system I won't like it but it just intrigues me. Totally understand that most just want to get it over with though.

You are like BIL lol. Hes always been interested in law and just decided to to back to law school, his acceptance letter came last week.

Applied for the Barclay AA biz. Says they are gonna call me for additional info This is the one thing I really dislike about Barclay. They like to do everything over the phone. Um, no thanks...please just text or email...

ETA: Email says they will let me know within 10 days. That seems like a bad sign.

That's what my email said for my Arrival Plus

 

[Judique]

Hm... contra-DP: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/asn2tt/comment/egvw26s?st=JSEGJ7GB&sh=294afd4f

The way Amex is delaying their FN certs really makes it confusing. Hope I didn’t steer you wrong.

Your dp is for the SPG Lux upgrade.

 

[Judique]

The latter. I have a Capital One card with no rewards that I’ve had since college (original credit limit was $200 ). I never use it and it’s purely my back up if my CF is compromised and also just because it’s my oldest.
So I should just keep it? Had a 11K limit now.

Keep it. If necessary you could reduce the credit limit.

 

[Lain]

Anyone have any thoughts if a VGC is an acceptable wedding gift?

They certainly want you to think so:

And, oh hey... https://www.giftcardmall.com/categories/wedding-gift-cards

 

[smallsy]

Keep it. If necessary you could reduce the credit limit.

Ok, thanks! I’m seill trying to figure out how all this works. I know it won’t go against my 5/24 since it’s not a new card but didn’t know what the pros/cons are of having an extra personal card open that’s never used.

On another note, I realize biz cards are different but I find it incredibly annoying that chase is sending me CSP and CFU offers when all I want is for them to approve my CIP already!

 

[Judique]

I wish I could pay my insurance with my credit cards. It’s close to $10,000 a year. It’s through Country Companies and is automatically withdrawn. I need to see if paying with cc is an option.

The website says you can log in to pay a bill, so it may be a possibility.

 

[havaneselover]

Anyone have any thoughts if a VGC is an acceptable wedding gift?

Honestly some people will find them to be a pain. Just my $0.02.

 

[trenty]

We also have our mortgage automatically deducted and don’t touch that.......We pay our insurance, phone, internet, electric and oil bills all with credit cards....we also put our DVC dues on them, all dining, groceries, and gas
...I use my credit cards...then pay off the balance weekly

@wed100105 I so the same, except DVC dues (earning free gift cards for that right now). This is also my spend pattern when not meeting MSR (which is most of the time for me.)

 

[palhockeymomof2]

The latter. I have a Capital One card with no rewards that I’ve had since college (original credit limit was $200 ). I never use it and it’s purely my back up if my CF is compromised and also just because it’s my oldest.
So I should just keep it? Had a 11K limit now.

I’d keep it and lower the credit limit if you’d like...but if your applying for Chase cards it shouldn’t be an issue

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Anyone have any thoughts if a VGC is an acceptable wedding gift?

Here on Long Island cash and checks are the norm...but when my son got married in Florida...they would of preferred a gift card instead of some of the gifts they received

 

[wendow]

Definitely not a sure denial. In my experience, Barclays will either auto-deny, or go pending and deny very shortly thereafter when you check the status. If you're still pending, it likely means someone needs to review the application for some reason. Barclays is very concerned about the number and velocity of cards you have - and this is your second Barclays, right? The rep will be reviewing your history with your first as well.

You might get a call. Usually with Barclays I think pending is good. It's not like 7-10 with Chase.

I have two Barclay already. I PC’ed my first arrival+ to a no fee rewards card and then I got another arrival+ Last December.

 

[MrPTato]

Did you talk to your mortgage company beforehand? When I called mine, they said if I didn't pay the full monthly amount due in a single payment, it would not be allocated properly. I wanted to see anyway, and did a $100 MCGC test through Plastiq, and it showed up only as "principal curtailment," so I was still on the hook for the full mortgage payment due.

Hope your company is more lenient!

With Navy Federal, the smaller payments go into "unapplied funds" until the monthly amount has been paid in full. Anything above that gets applied to principle. I sent them 6 payments one month via Plastiq and all were credited correctly.

Can you call them and have it changed automatically or do you have to call after the payments and get it corrected?

 

[Psychodisney]

I think others have gotten that card before. Anybody have any thoughts there? Are Barclays biz cards hard to get?

Mine was no problem. Instant approval. One purchase and then to the sock drawer.

 

[wendow]

That's what my email said for my Arrival Plus

And you were approved or denied? Sorry I know you told me but I forgets

 

[wendow]

Mine was no problem. Instant approval. One purchase and then to the sock drawer.

Did you have other Barclay cards?