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

[gottalovepluto]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y41P2S5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also got this one to try, since they were all free returns... but then lost the packaging so I use it for APs and gift card stash lol.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073XM2HWQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks! Gonna be buying some Amazon on my BB SB run today!

 

[striker1064]

Today, I ran to Best Buy for a Disney GC through SB, for 7.5% back. I calculated my metro fare round trip at $4.10 and started to wonder what I was doing for a net $3.40.

I will take those sweet, sweet BB rewards though.

 

[Lain]

@Lain We got our res for the Sierra Nevada loop hike! I think we'll go to Monterey for 3 nights afterwards and then back to San Francisco before flying home. So looking forward to California!

When are you visiting? Looks like the rain is finally letting up, and with all the rain this season the hills and bluffs should have some really spectacular wildflower blooms over the next few months.

 

[tink1970]

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice on whether it's a good idea to jump into the Bonvoy program right now. It's almost time for DH to get a new card, and I had been thinking about the Amex Bonvoy Biz card while the AF is still waived the first year. He has a $750 Marriott stay coming up for a conference in June, and he stays in Marriotts for conferences several times a year. I can also refer him from my Amex Biz Gold to get the 20k MR, which would be nice.

BUT - neither of us has any Marriott cards or any Marriott points right now. Given the problems with the Bonvoy program, does it make more sense to just stay away entirely and pick a different card? My thinking is this is probably the last chance we will have to get the card without an AF, and the bonus will give him a base to build on with future planned stays. I'm planning to have him try for another Chase business card this summer, so it has to be an Amex business card right now. Of course, this assumes he doesn't get the popup!

Here are DH's stats:

04/18: AMEX Delta Gold
05/18: CHASE Sapphire Reserve
08/18: CHASE Ink Preferred
10/18: AMEX no-fee Hilton
02/19: BARCLAYS Arrival+

I wouldn't avoid Marriott, it has the largest footprint, hotel wise and it sounds like your DH is alrady going to be staying there more than once this year. Even with some of the hiccups, I've stayed there without incident and haven't had any issues with the merger.

If you can meet the sign up bonus of $5k in 3 months that's 100.000 Marriott (fine, bonvoy) points plus the Amex Biz has no AF for the first year and will increase the points he earns if he uses the card. So with the waived first year AF, you can decide whether you like it, take it for a trial run as it were. Since it's a biz card, Chase won't see it and you have nothing to lose. That's only my opinion, of course.

 

[Lain]

Thanks! It's so crazy, I guess I just wanted to see another DP of SSN with exact same name. P2 and I don't have middle names, otherwise I'd probably put it on -just in case- and to help distinguish the cards.

I saw a DP of 8 Chase biz cards! Half SSN, half EIN.

I always want to meet MSR quickly too. I don't need the points at the moment, but I want them. There's something oddly satisfying about seeing points post and then combining into a larger total. But doing AmEx MSR is forcing me to slow down. It's like watching paint dry. Spreading them out over 3 statements and watching statement close dates like a hawk.

Check the discussion on this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/ax5xju/comment/ehrff3n/. OP does not have a middle name either and used the same FN LN on all his apps.

 

[magickingdomprincess]

My wife has 10 Chase Cards - no issues! I don't think Chase has any limit to the number of card accounts you can have. As you indicated, they more look to limits in total credit limit that they will extend.

Is 3 biz card still the consensus for the limit? Not counting any with EIN's. Or is it really the same issue of credit limits not number of cards?

@SouthFayetteFan - what was the rule of thumb about how long to wait to apply for a new card after closing the same card product?

I’m inclined to suggest @StephPlum should wait 30 days after closing her CIP#1 before applying for CIP#2 to avoid the possibility of Chase reopening CIP#1. Then assuming your CLs look good and it’s been at least 3 months since you opened a card that Chase can “see,” apply for CIP#2 using DH’s link. Am I totally off here?

I wouldn’t worry too much about having closed CIP#1. Chase is not Amex, and they don’t really seem to care about opening and closing cards. My DW closed her CIP#1 in 10/18 when her second year AF posted, and her last Ink card was approved in 12/18 before CIP#2 today.

I'm a little confused on the CIP #2, do you have to close your first CIP to get the second? For some reason I was thinking you didn't have to close it, but not sure I imagined that.

 

[WVMomof3]

I think I may have messed up on my SW card. I had planned to cancel it. Kept putting it off thinking I could do before I have to pay it, bill due March 20th. But I now realize the fee posted on Feb 1. Was I supposed to cancel within 30 days of posting date? I feel like a noob with this question. lol

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice on whether it's a good idea to jump into the Bonvoy program right now. It's almost time for DH to get a new card, and I had been thinking about the Amex Bonvoy Biz card while the AF is still waived the first year. He has a $750 Marriott stay coming up for a conference in June, and he stays in Marriotts for conferences several times a year. I can also refer him from my Amex Biz Gold to get the 20k MR, which would be nice.

BUT - neither of us has any Marriott cards or any Marriott points right now. Given the problems with the Bonvoy program, does it make more sense to just stay away entirely and pick a different card? My thinking is this is probably the last chance we will have to get the card without an AF, and the bonus will give him a base to build on with future planned stays. I'm planning to have him try for another Chase business card this summer, so it has to be an Amex business card right now. Of course, this assumes he doesn't get the popup!

Here are DH's stats:

04/18: AMEX Delta Gold
05/18: CHASE Sapphire Reserve
08/18: CHASE Ink Preferred
10/18: AMEX no-fee Hilton
02/19: BARCLAYS Arrival+

You're right in noticing that there's a lot of consternation over the new Bonvoy program (and that atrocious name). But here's the problem...there just aren't that many hotel programs out there now. The major ones that you see discussed are: Marriott, IHG, Hyatt, & Hilton. Hyatt and IHG are nice but they have limited cards so your earning opportunities are also limited. (Of course you could transfer URs to one of these programs (or book hotels through the portal), but many people are already using their URs for other portions of the travel).

That really leaves Marriott and Hilton as the two major chains that CC Churners focus on. They both have numerous cards you can get with big time earning potential. (I readily will admit that I'm not up on all the Marriott restrictions between Chase/Amex and the various cards but it does seem like people are getting multiple large signup bonuses there). Marriott and Hilton also both let you combine points with spouses which doubles your earning potential in some respects.

Most of the complaints you see about Marriott are because things "aren't like they used to be". The customer service isn't as good, they've devalued the points, they've made it difficult to use old certificates, etc. For somebody who (a) stays at Marriott properties with some regularity and (b) is just jumping into their program - Bonvoy really isn't that bad. It's certainly on par with Hilton - they both have their merits and their drawbacks I'd say. If you know that you'll have a good use for the Marriott points, I'd consider jumping in there.

 

[pillow]

When are you visiting? Looks like the rain is finally letting up, and with all the rain this season the hills and bluffs should have some really spectacular wildflower blooms over the next few months.

Our hike is early September. I'd still like to visit in the spring and drive the coast down to San Diego. That will have to be another trip though - so much to see and do there!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Is 3 biz card still the consensus for the limit? Not counting any with EIN's. Or is it really the same issue of credit limits not number of cards?

I'm a little confused on the CIP #2, do you have to close your first CIP to get the second? For some reason I was thinking you didn't have to close it, but not sure I imagined that.

I don't think there is any limit to the number of biz cards you can get. Some of the DPs on r/churning are insane with 5, 6, and more Chase biz cards. I'm not sure EIN even has anything to do with it, it's possible that this is another "churning myth" that we've all bought into because it was accepted as true. I seem to recall we have people here with 4 Chase Biz cards with SSN. Also, as it stands now you don't have to close CIP1 to go for CIP 2.

 

[Lain]

Our hike is early September. I'd still like to visit in the spring and drive the coast down to San Diego. That will have to be another trip though - so much to see and do there!

Well, in September, the weather will almost certainly be warm and sunny. We get our summers in September and October.

 

[pillow]

Is 3 biz card still the consensus for the limit? Not counting any with EIN's. Or is it really the same issue of credit limits not number of cards?

DH has 5, and I have 4 - all applied for with SSN. Go for it!

 

[magickingdomprincess]

DH has 5, and I have 4 - all applied for with SSN. Go for it!

Thanks! I need to wait a month or two (just got the CIC in Feb and the CIP in Nov). But it's very tempting! Hoping the loophole stays open a long time!

 

[Lain]

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

DH has 5, and I have 4 - all applied for with SSN. Go for it!

I thought somebody had 5 and couldn't remember who!! Thanks Any chance he's going for 6 anytime soon to really test the waters??? HAHA!

 

[tink1970]

I've been noodling around with my great June/July European holiday quite a bit. I decided I didn't want to do Krakow and Reykjavik alone so cancelled those flights, found a great fare home from EDI, used AA miles from MUC-EDI. Booked my usual room category at my usual hotel AND...put my AA charges on my Citi AA biz card, completely forgetting I have $100 credit still to use on my Amex Plat. Why????? In the grand scheme of things it's not a huge deal ($60) but I kind of want to scream and. I can't even remember why I thought the Citi biz was a good idea...maybe I thought it was sad and lonely. So annoyed with my blonde self

 

[Oscar Madison]

Son and I may take a trip to San Francisco to see some baseball games this summer. Any suggestions for hotels near Oracle Park that aren't crazy expensive? Last spring we did the same thing in San Diego and didn't rent a car, just took public transportation everywhere, and loved it. Any chance of doing that in SF too?
Thank you!

 

[magickingdomprincess]

I posted on the DL forum but was hoping for some input here too on San Diego hotels. I have the Catamaran booked currently on cash for 2 nights, but it's kind of pricey ($980) so I'm exploring other options also. I could book two nights at the Hotel del Coronado, one night with cash, another on HH points. I have 144k HH points that I was kind of saving for the Hilton Hawaiian for next year, but who knows if that will really happen (DH isn't convinced) so I'm thinking why not use them now? One night there is 90k HH points. Is the del Coronado a good place to stay? Is it hard to get on/off the island? Is the beach good for wading/swimming? We'll be there the end of July. I have been to the island once about 8 years ago and it seemed really nice, but it was just for a visit, not to stay there. We'd be going to SeaWorld on the first day then checking in after, then probably just hanging out around the resort and maybe exploring SD a little the next day. The other hotel I saw recommendations for is the La Jolla Shores hotel, which I could book for $741 for two nights. Anyone have experience with it? Thanks so much for any input! I feel so lost for hotels anywhere except for WDW and Vegas!

 

[miztressuz]

Even though I only found this thread a week ago I’m starting to feel like a real professional! I did the sams club offer, buy a $45 Sam’s club membership and get $45 off your first order. Also I had my card linked in Dosh, so I should get another $20 back. Then, I bought a DGC using my Amex card so I could get a $10 Statement credit.
Now for my question: my new Hilton Biz card should come today or tomorrow, I should be able to meet the MSR very quickly. Need to book hotels for weekends in March, April, May and August. Do I book thru the Hilton app using my card to make sure I earn my 12x points OR can I book any ole way- Priceline, booking.com etc. and still earn points?
Thanks for all the help! I hoping to do well enough to convince my husband to be a P2.

Any charge that comes from a Hilton hotel will earn the points, so if you are paying Hilton and not booking.com or Priceline or whoever, you'll get the CC points. However several hotels, and I don't recall if Hilton was one of them but I think so, limit the base points you earn on a stay if it comes from an OTA or discount site. So you'd get your CC points but might not get status or the normal base/bonus points on the room. The Hilton Biz card gives you Gold status which is an 80% bonus on the base points, on top of the 12x from the CC charge. Not sure if that becomes a factor when comparing to the OTA pricing. Hilton does have a best price policy you can check out, they may be able to match the price you're seeing through the other booking channels.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Is 3 biz card still the consensus for the limit? Not counting any with EIN's. Or is it really the same issue of credit limits not number of cards?



I'm a little confused on the CIP #2, do you have to close your first CIP to get the second? For some reason I was thinking you didn't have to close it, but not sure I imagined that.

I have 4 Chase business cards...SW, CIP, CIC & CIU....I did reduce the credit limits on the 3 I had prior to applying for the 4th

For the second CIP...people still have the first open when applying