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

[SouthFayetteFan]

I'm not in the sub, but given I just took the plunge on the public biz offer, how much are mailers going for now with the new restriction?

It seems $50-$75

 

[miztressuz]

Ok - so we have to make an $8,000 purchase all on May 1st. It's something we are getting re-imbursed for. Our Chase Freedom is our every day card, and we also had/have a Starwood/Marriott and Hilton card which we successfully used for the sign up bonuses (we each have these). We are trying to figure out if there is a good card to sign up for to get a good bonus for this purchase. Maybe we can each get a card and split the charge $4k and $4k?

Please let me know if there are more questions for me to answer that would be helpful. Would a Disney Visa be in the running? Thanks!

Offhand, not the Disney Visa

It has a low MSR and so the return on the spend is lower. Top of my head thoughts are, best case is doing the no fee card through a referral. The sign up offer on that is $200 statement credit for $500 in spend. So one signs up for that offer, then refers the other for the same offer. You'd get $400 in statement credits and $100 in Disney rewards dollars for referring P2, plus $80 Disney rewards for the purchase. Return of $580.

If you instead each open one of the Sapphire cards from Chase, which also earns UR points like your Freedom card so you can pool them together, that have $4k MSRs for 50k UR each, you'd end up with 100k UR which is equal to $1,000 cash or more if you use the Sapphire benefits for travel (either redeeming through the Chase travel portal for a higher valuation or transferring to travel partners like Hyatt or SW. (You can transfer to Marriott too but unless you're topping up for a points redemption, it's generally better value to cash out the points for reimbursement. Sad to say) Both Sapphires have an annual fee, but the CSP is waived for the first year ($95) and while the CSR is high ($450), don't let that scare you. It comes with a $300 travel credit that can be used for anything travel, including toll charges and parking along with stuff like hotels, trains, cruises, etc. It's likely you can easily use that travel credit on something you were spending on anyway so effectively it's a $150 card that worst case scenario you pay with the UR you earn making it a $850 - $1000+, in addition to the $80 for the purchase, return on that $8k in spend.

More research would be needed to compare the options and decide how to go about it for your situation. But I just wanted to let you know for that kind of spend, especially if you can split the purchase, I wouldn't necessarily look at cards like Disney. I'd save the Disney card if you really, really wanted it for something smaller like a new washing machine or something. I'd look at cards with higher spend requirements as they usually get you a better return for that spend. Don't be afraid of a card with an annual fee for something like this, most likely you'll still come out ahead if you run the numbers.

 

[tink1970]

So far I've seen, male and female cardinal, starlings, 2 blue jays, a red headed bird that I think is a woodpecker and a number of smaller birds. A robin landed in the yard but didn't go near the feeder. I imagine he's looking for worms.

I love watching the different birds around our house. We also have blue jays, cardinals, a really obnoxious woodpecker and robins. A couple of times baby birds have decided that our yard is the place to learn to fly-keeping 4 dogs in check while they do so can be a challenge (I hope the birds develop better survival strategy in the future).

I also planted milkweed to help out the monarchs--about 3 years ago I saw one emerge from its chrysalis laid on our recycling bin (the chrysalis was gorgeous looked like a jade piece with gold and pearls), spread its wings to dry and fly off. It was such a crazy timing moment (I'd been keeping an eye on the chrysalis for weeks) and one of the perks of being retired (note to my FIRE friends).

 

[DisneyMandC]

Well, I hope you're right, but I can't find anything less than 60k miles each way per person...so 120k round trip. I haven't searched that hard - just a few different dates.

Oh I'm sorry!! I worded my original post poorly. I said I had 125k miles for both of us, but what I should have said is 125k miles EACH. So 250k total. I'm seeing 60k PER PERSON for JFK to Tokyo, so 120k should get us both there booking on one of our accounts, and 120k miles booking on the other account will get us back. I hope that helps!

 

[Lain]

We bring home a slice and it takes us 2 days to eat it. Way too heavy for just one person in one sitting. At least in this house.

I have 5 more Slices of Joy from the gift card deal that ran over the holidays! And I need to redeem them all before they expire at the end of this month! Since I usually only go to the Cheesecake Factory once a month to use my dining credit, and I'm pretty sure these vouchers are limit 1 per visit, I'm going to have to make a few extra trips this month just for a slice or else leave money on the table.

 

[Judique]

I gotta use my $300 Resort credit and Uber credit on that Lux.

Uber credit? I know it has a GE credit but I didn't pick up on an Uber credit.

 

[shairpdrh]

I have 5 more Slices of Joy from the gift card deal that ran over the holidays! And I need to redeem them all before they expire at the end of this month! Since I usually only go to the Cheesecake Factory once a month to use my dining credit, and I'm pretty sure these vouchers are limit 1 per visit, I'm going to have to make a few extra trips this month just for a slice or else leave money on the table.

If it helps I think they are one per person/customer per visit. I read the restrictions and used two in one visit (there were 4 of us, but I only had two). We were all on one check and I also used two other gift cards.

 

[elgerber]

My turn - its March 1 which means in less than a week DW will drop to 3/24....ooooh, the possibilities.....

Ha, me too, on the 7th!! Then two weeks later, we will both be 3/24!

Yesterday I got my "Your Vacation Magic Starts Now" booklet for my short August trip. I also got a mailer from DVC that says "Congrats on your upcoming vacation" with an offer to do a DVC phone tour for a $25 gift card. Cool. Except that we have been DVC members for 25 years so we aren't eligible for the tour LOL. Considering my upcoming vacation is booked on points, wouldn't you think their computer could figure that out? LOL.

 

[Lain]

Uber credit? I know it has a GE credit but I didn't pick up on an Uber credit.

Probably referring to the Uber Amex Offer that came out yesterday.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

thank you very much. why would you want/not want to open a business card? higher annual fee?

Some people are afraid too...yes the CIP...has a $95 annual fee...not waived the first year....vs the CSP...which also has a $95 annual fee...but it’s waived the first year

So it would cost you $190 in fees for 2 CIPs....you earn 190k URs...which you could use for travel or cash out for $1,900-$190= $1710
Or...2 CSP...no fee the first year....for 118k URs...to use for travel or cash out $1,180

I think "afraid" is potentially the wrong word...

@JJ2017 - this really comes down to a question of eligibility and comfort.
(1) Are you eligible for a business card? @Lain did a nice job giving some ideas of things that would be considered an eligible small business in the eyes of the card issuer.
(2) Do you want to pursue business cards? Some of the most lucrative offers are on business cards. However, some people do not have an eligible activity, aren't interested in pursuing one, and don't feel comfortable bending the truth to say they have one. Others disagree with the position that selling on eBay is an eligible activity and they're entitled to that opinion
(3) Yes there probably is a very small portion of people that are "afraid" - but these are typically fears with no truth to back them up. Things such as "having a business card will affect my taxes" or similar statements that actually aren't true.

Whatever you decide to pursue, good luck! I will send you a welcome message to our DISchurners reddit group. You may find the information and guides there to be very helpful! Also, when you do apply for a card, you could potentially support a fellow DISer that way too

 

[DisneyMandC]

I also planted milkweed to help out the monarchs--about 3 years ago I saw one emerge from its chrysalis laid on our recycling bin (the chrysalis was gorgeous looked like a jade piece with gold and pearls), spread its wings to dry and fly off. It was such a crazy timing moment (I'd been keeping an eye on the chrysalis for weeks) and one of the perks of being retired (note to my FIRE friends).

We had a ton of milkweed come up in our field last year! I didn't know what it was at first and I swear it wasn't there the year before. Most of it was in the tree line where we don't mow, but I tried to mow around the couple plants we had in the actual grass.

 

[Judique]

I have 5 more Slices of Joy from the gift card deal that ran over the holidays! And I need to redeem them all before they expire at the end of this month! Since I usually only go to the Cheesecake Factory once a month to use my dining credit, and I'm pretty sure these vouchers are limit 1 per visit, I'm going to have to make a few extra trips this month just for a slice or else leave money on the table.

Well, it's really one per person and I've redeemed them on take out, two at a time. I guess it will be YMMV with whoever does your order, but we've had no problem. my original intent was a big family dinner in restaurant, but that got derailed by the accident. I ended with 8 free slices after all was said and done, but used all but 2, so we are doing well.

Combined with the $10 per month, the free slice, and the original 20% off restaurants on the gold card which I used quite a bit of for gift cards, I'm not complaining about Cheesecake Factory as they have some things we like quite a bit and a large and varied menu. Plus we've used takeout for all of it.

Oh and cheesecake can be frozen, but I'd buy plain for that.

 

[Judique]

Probably referring to the Uber Amex Offer that came out yesterday.

How quickly I forgot! I think we will do Uber eats.

 

[speedyfishy]

I have 5 more Slices of Joy from the gift card deal that ran over the holidays! And I need to redeem them all before they expire at the end of this month! Since I usually only go to the Cheesecake Factory once a month to use my dining credit, and I'm pretty sure these vouchers are limit 1 per visit, I'm going to have to make a few extra trips this month just for a slice or else leave money on the table.

I’ve used more than one before at like three different Cheesecake Factory’s over the years.

 

[elgerber]

.

 

[WVMomof3]

I’m getting rid of my Hilton Biz in May regardless. I’ll probably apply for whatever the Blue Biz cars is before then though.

Plan for this month is to apply for SPG Biz for DH before the 28th. Need to get my tax refund back first as I’ll be using that to pay my student loan on DH’s Citi AA Biz to finish MSR. Then CIU on April 1 which I’ll knock out quickly by making a couple payments towards our September WDW trip. Yes, I could get 3x URs on CIP, but I want the additional URs from CIU to put towards our trip, so its a decent trade off.

I’ve been going over getting more Citi AA cards for us and need some input. I currently have about 125,000 AA miles for both of us (as soon as MSR is done on DH’s card this month). From everything I’m seeing this should be enough to get us to and from Japan in first, or at least business, on JAL. So I really don’t need more AA miles for that trip. But I guess part of me is just paranoid that there will be a devaluation and I’ll need more miles at the last minute. I guess I’m that case I could transfer SPG to AA if necessary?

Someone help assuage my fears lol.

Can you remind me how you are paying student loans with a card? Are you going through Plastiq? DD has a unsubsidized loan that I would like to start paying on. Actually, I have no idea who to pay come to think of it. I have never seen paperwork for it. Can we pay it before she graduates? I need to look into how to get that information. With her 8000 miles away, she is no help.

 

[Judique]

I was just checking for walmart/sams offers on our amex accounts and got zero. There are tons of Hilton offers though, that weren't there late last night when I was looking.

ETA: I see offers for just about every brand. Of course, none are on the hilton cards. But hey, I'll take them.

I also got a lot of Hilton offers. I think there are something like 5 right now on my rose gold. And no intent to stay at a Hilton. I would buy a $250 gift card of I thought they had them and if it would work.

 

[amalone1013]

Realized on the way home that my Lux upgrade offer says available until 4/24... and DHs car registration will be due in June, and usually you can renew up to two months early online. Think I'll definitely be pulling the trigger.

Last night I was explaining to DH that his Lux is now the Bonvoy Brilliant and he told me that sounded like a lighting fixture company. Then I (re)explained the new rewards program name and he told me that Bonvoy just makes him think of Bomb Voyage from The Incredibles

 

[striker1064]

It seems $50-$75

That's higher than I thought but makes sense I guess considering their relative rarity compared to personal mailers and the ability to move toward/stay under 5/24 while amassing biz cards. I think for me I'm much more content to take off with personal mailers. If it's gonna be almost a full 2 years until I'm under 5/24 again, what's another couple months at the end of that for potentially hundreds of thousands of AA points?

EDIT: And with that, just used one of DW's mailers to get another personal AA. Cause why not, I guess. Finished her Premier spend much sooner than anticipated thanks to WDW + paying rent online. Frankly, even with the fee, paying rent makes it way too easy to burn through cards. It's tempting!

 

[miztressuz]

I was just checking for walmart/sams offers on our amex accounts and got zero. There are tons of Hilton offers though, that weren't there late last night when I was looking.

ETA: I see offers for just about every brand. Of course, none are on the hilton cards. But hey, I'll take them.

Thank you, thank you We have a paid stay at a DoubleTree reserved that I've been hoping to get an AmEx offer on again. I've got them on a few cards, told hubby to check his Hilton but not holding my breath. Although the last time with SPG ones eventually I got them on my SPG card, so maybe I'll have him hold off adding it to anything just yet.

Here's what I'm seeing:

DoubleTree, spend $225 get $45 back, exp 5/31
Hilton Garden Inn, spend $175 get $30 back, exp 6/30
Hilton, spend $250 get $50, exp 5/30
Homewood Suites & Home2 Suites, spend $250 get $50, exp 5/30

Plus they still have the offers out there for Hawaii and Mexico so it should stack.