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

[punkin]

How long hetween CIP cards?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

How long hetween CIP cards?

I’d recommend a minimum of 3 full calendar months.

EDIT: This is a conservative recommendation as usual. I think MOST of us around here are advocating for a responsible and conservative strategy though. You're welcome to proceed after 2 months...but you could be asking for problems (i.e. a denial or worse risk shutdown).

 

[bernina]

Getting Disney Giftcards at Best Buy with Swagbucks is dead? I need $3,000 in Disney Giftcards by Sep anyone have any suggestions?

I believe so but you can confirm on the gift card thread.

I purchased a $100 gc at Best Buy on Friday. It showed up today but with 0 Swagbucks. I was there picking up a gift and thought I’d give it a try. Not a total loss as I’m working on MSR (or is is SUB now? ) for 5 cards between P1 and P2.

 

[vanjust14]

Getting Disney Giftcards at Best Buy with Swagbucks is dead? I need $3,000 in Disney Giftcards by Sep anyone have any suggestions?

Yes, it seems dead for the time being. I know there were a few people on the giftcard deals thread who mentioned getting an email from BJ's for I think 8% off for buying in bulk. I believe some others were able to call and get the discount also. It should be on that thread if that might be an option for you.

 

[Alexle2007]

DH needed a reload of Amazon GCs so we went to Weis this afternoon. Nice surprise the 900 extra fuel points. Now to remember to use them by 5/27. Might need to go back for more.

 

[Alexle2007]

You are correct! But for me, I like to camp - don't go much anymore, but I still am a nature enthusiast.

Right now, I've probably done at least 50 and probably closer to 60 Disney trips of 1-2 weeks. Going again in Nov and Feb.

So in the past, I've also stayed in the cabins as well as in a tent. But, unless I start getting younger, those days are going to get to be few and far between.

Isn’t the fountain of youth in FL? I thought Ponce de Leon found it there?

 

[vanjust14]

@speedyfishy, I just looked back in that thread and someone mentioned they were offered a BJ's deal of $140 for the 3 $50 Disney packs if they spent $2500. Seems you can call BJ's B2B. From the giftcard thread: I contacted Brian Lockhart at 774-512-6348. After someone else on here mentioned the deal, I googled it and found another website that talked about the deal and gave Brian's number.

 

[Cynthia Lang]

Hi and Welcome...you did an awesome job listing everything out....and have given yourself lots of time to acquire points towards a Disney trip in 2021

it looks like you have opened 6 cards on the last 24 months...but 2 of those are department store cards and may not count against Chases 5/24.
Does the Macy’s card you opened have an American Express logo on it ?
Is your husband willing to open cards as well ? If so please list any cards he has opened or is an authorized user on opened in the last 24 months

Most of us here start with Chase...but until we need to figure out your 5/24 count....the good news is if your 5/24 now...3 of the cards will drop off in September..

Also...Are you willing to apply for business cards or just personal ?

Thanks for your reply! To answer your questions, no the Macy's card isn't American Express. My husband is willing to open cards and he's an authorized user on all the cards I listed above. I'm willing to apply for business cards if I qualify for them but I don't have my own business.

 

[Hoosier John]

I don't see anything listing your regular expenses so obviously those could go on the CIP. (i.e. groceries, gasoline, etc.) Take whatever you spend monthly on that multiplied by 3 and that could handle a chunk of it. Seems like your rent accepts CC payments with a Visa at a 2.5% fee, that's an easy one that would handle your MSR right there too. Can you pay ahead of DVC dues (I see it says monthly) - maybe you could go buy a bunch of Disney GCs (on a discount too preferably) and pay ahead on that. On the surface, it seems you don't have to mess around with Plastiq or any of those other bills unless you want to. While it would be nice to finish off the MSR super quick, the question is, then what? You can only go so fast in this game so hitting a HUGE MSR in a month isn't always your best plan if you don't have a lineup of cards to get behind it.

Now if your wife is playing the game too and willing to go for some cards you can double your pace and I might adjust some of my comments above.

Dunno what happened ... See below post

 

[Hoosier John]

I don't see anything listing your regular expenses so obviously those could go on the CIP. (i.e. groceries, gasoline, etc.) Take whatever you spend monthly on that multiplied by 3 and that could handle a chunk of it. Seems like your rent accepts CC payments with a Visa at a 2.5% fee, that's an easy one that would handle your MSR right there too. Can you pay ahead of DVC dues (I see it says monthly) - maybe you could go buy a bunch of Disney GCs (on a discount too preferably) and pay ahead on that. On the surface, it seems you don't have to mess around with Plastiq or any of those other bills unless you want to. While it would be nice to finish off the MSR super quick, the question is, then what? You can only go so fast in this game so hitting a HUGE MSR in a month isn't always your best plan if you don't have a lineup of cards to get behind it.

Now if your wife is playing the game too and willing to go for some cards you can double your pace and I might adjust some of my comments above.

I think I can pay DVC DUES ahead, for the rest of the year (only), via CIP, so that helps. I added some regular expenses, below, but will still have to dig into something above.

Company      Monthly     Payment Options         Fee

Mr Cooper    $ 1,970     1-time auto-phone        ?
Rent           1,700     MC, Visa, AmEx          2.50%
Ditech           440     1-time auto-phone       2.27
Student Loan     285     Checking,Savings only       X
DVC Dues         220     CCs, DGC, DReward        0
DVC Loan         160     Checking,Savings only       X
Chase Freedom     50     Checking only               X
Auto Loan        140     Check,MM,Savings only       X
Life Insurance    39     MC, Visa                 0
Gas bill          30     MC,Visa,Disc,DClub       0
Electric bill     30     MC,Visa,Disc,AmEx       5.50

My larger average regular monthly spend looks like this:

Restaurants    $ 190     Typ. a 4% reward         0
Automotive       170     Typ. a 2% reward         0
Grocery          165     Typ. a 3% reward         0
Wholesale Club   145     Typ. a 2% reward         0
Medical & Vit    120     Typ. a 2% reward         0
Fuel             100     Typ. a 5% reward         0
All other spend  200     Typ. a 2% reward         0
        Total  1,090

Thank you!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Thanks for your reply! To answer your questions, no the Macy's card isn't American Express. My husband is willing to open cards and he's an authorized user on all the cards I listed above. I'm willing to apply for business cards if I qualify for them but I don't have my own business.

Hi there and welcome back to the thread!

I would typically PM you an invite to our DISchurners reddit group but you have to have 10 messages to PM so I will do that right here In that group we have some guides that keep track of our best tips you can also support another DISer when you apply for a card! To join I just need your reddit username (or you can join at reddit.com and just let me know). Let me know and I can get you all setup.

So, the Kohls and Macys cards do not count. You are at 4/24 AND all 4 of your cards fall off in September it seems!

09/17 - Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa Platinum
09/17 - Bank of America Cash Rewards Visa Signature
09/17 - Chase Freedom Unlimited
09/17 - Barclays Cash Forward​

So you're willing to go for biz cards BUT you're not sure if you qualify. Here's a sample list of activities that could qualify you: Owning a Rental Property, Selling on eBay, Consulting, Babysitting, Mowing Lawns, Teaching Piano, Tutoring, Selling Cookies, really any side hustle activity that makes you money. You do not need to be filing some sort of business tax return to qualify. You also could be "thinking" about starting one of these activities and project your revenue (I know some people have done that too).

The answer to this question is somewhat important because it will greatly affect the recommendations we give you.

• If you feel that you DO qualify for biz cards then we're wholeheartedly going to recommend a Chase Ink Preferred (CIP) and its 80,000 point bonus (this can be worth upwards of $1,200).
• If you are NOT going for biz cards, I'd probably turn to a Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) and/or Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR). I'd actually recommend we discuss a MDD (Modified Double Dip) there and get both cards. I can provide more clarity on that too once we settle on a strategy. Your high level of monthly spend means this shouldn't pose a huge problem for you.
• SIDE NOTE: 2 out of the 3 cards I've mentioned here do offer support links that you could support another DISer potentially. They also can be great cards to get because then you could turn around and have your Husband potentially apply for one and earn the support points yourself!

Your husband is an authorized user on these cards which hurts BUT we can assist in resolving that if it makes sense. During the past 24 months, has he applied for any cards using his SSN? That is also a very important detail as we plan here. You're also going to want to stop adding each other as AUs as you move forward in this game (except on biz cards which I can explain more on that if you decide to go after them).

Not a big deal but it can be very hard to keep up with our thread without checking in somewhat regularly. Joining that DISchurners group may provide you with an easier way to see the major discussion topics on our news thread. Obviously you can also send PMs on the DIS once you get up to 10 messages so you might want to comment a bit more frequently

 

[speedyfishy]

@speedyfishy, I just looked back in that thread and someone mentioned they were offered a BJ's deal of $140 for the 3 $50 Disney packs if they spent $2500. Seems you can call BJ's B2B. From the giftcard thread: I contacted Brian Lockhart at 774-512-6348. After someone else on here mentioned the deal, I googled it and found another website that talked about the deal and gave Brian's number.

Thank you!

 

[snugglebug]

Happy Mother's Day mommies!

It's our last night in Costa Rica and Uber almost left us stranded downtown San Jose Dh set up an account yesterday and it worked fine twice today, then suddenly said there was an issue with out payment (my CSR). We switched out the credit card and same thing. I had notified Chase and Amex (all accounts) of our trip so it wasn't that, and I didn't get any texts or anything from Chase. Uber is half the price of a taxi here and we only had USD so really didn't want to attempt a taxi. I think I would have had to seek out an ATM, blocks away in the rain. Ugh. Same with bus. I got logged in to my Uber acct (set up last year), used my CSR and same thing. So, as a last resort I routed Uber through Paypal and it worked. Such relief. We had wanted to visit the Oygen Mall before heading back to the hotel, but not wanting to risk getting stuck there we decided to skip it. So, sitting on the balcony enjoying the rain on our final night.

If anyone has ideas what might be going on with Uber I'd love to hear it. This was our first time using Uber, probably not a good idea in a foreign country lol

We visited a coffee farm, volcano and La Paz waterfalls. The waterfalls were by far my most favorite part of this trip. I'll share pics tomorrow or Tuesday.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I think I can pay DVC DUES ahead, for the rest of the year (only), via CIP, so that helps. I added some regular expenses, below, but will still have to dig into something above.

Company      Monthly     Payment Options         Fee

Mr Cooper    $ 1,970     1-time auto-phone        ?
Rent           1,700     MC, Visa, AmEx          2.50%
Ditech           440     1-time auto-phone       2.27
Student Loan     285     Checking,Savings only       X
DVC Dues         220     CCs, DGC, DReward        0
DVC Loan         160     Checking,Savings only       X
Chase Freedom     50     Checking only               X
Auto Loan        140     Check,MM,Savings only       X
Life Insurance    39     MC, Visa                 0
Gas bill          30     MC,Visa,Disc,DClub       0
Electric bill     30     MC,Visa,Disc,AmEx       5.50

My larger average regular monthly spend looks like this:

Restaurants    $ 190     Typ. a 4% reward         0
Automotive       170     Typ. a 2% reward         0
Grocery          165     Typ. a 3% reward         0
Wholesale Club   145     Typ. a 2% reward         0
Medical & Vit    120     Typ. a 2% reward         0
Fuel             100     Typ. a 5% reward         0
All other spend  200     Typ. a 2% reward         0
        Total  1,090

Thank you!

So you could naturally put your $1k+ in regular monthly spend on the CIP and in 3 months that handles 60% of the MSR. The rest could easily come from the DVC dues and 1 rent payment. After a CIP, you could look to maybe an AA biz card or really anything that isn't Chase. You want to spread your Chase cards out by 3 months preferrably (2 is ok in a rare instance). NOW if your wife is jumping in too (and I'm assuming these are your household expenses above) then you can alternate cards and run a little faster than what I'm describing.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Thanks for your reply! To answer your questions, no the Macy's card isn't American Express. My husband is willing to open cards and he's an authorized user on all the cards I listed above. I'm willing to apply for business cards if I qualify for them but I don't have my own business.

Since it’s not American Express’s...the Macy’s and Kohl’s cards should not count for Chase against 4/24...so you could apply for their cards...
Since you are 4/24 until September...I would start with Chase business cards....
The Chase Ink Preferred CIP has the highest bonus 80k URs after spending 5k in the first 3 months ....
As far as the business....most of us here apply as a sole proprietor using our first and last name as the business name and SS number as the business EIN

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Since it’s not American Express’s...the Macy’s and Kohl’s cards should not count for Chase against 4/24...so you could apply for their cards...
How much Do you usually put on credit cards in 3 months...some cards require a $5,000 spend on the first 3 months to get the bonus, others lower amounts....don’t want to recommend a card for you to open if you can’t get the bonus
As far as the business....most of us here apply as a sole proprietor using our first and last name as the business name and SS number as the business EIN

@Cynthia Lang already answered that question

• What amount of spend would you put on a card monthly (i.e. groceries, gas, insurance, cable, cell phone, other expenses)? Anywhere from $4k-$6k per month
• Do you currently payoff your CCs in full every month or do you carry any balances/pay any interest? Pay in full every month

 

[palhockeymomof2]

@Cynthia Lang already answered that question

Opps missed that..off to edit my post

 

[3 DD love princesses]

As I understand, credit bureaus allow for shopping around for loans by only entering one hit for the same type of loan request within a short time-frame (around 30 days). So maybe you only had a couple of hits?



I hear ya. We almost always get an inside cabin for the dark rooms (and price). I'm guessing we sleep better because the room is so dark (but it could be because of the money we saved ). Always sleep great on a cruise.

The DVC annual members cruise changed to 2 stops at Castaway Cay, a day at sea, and no other stops because that's what the members wanted. These are knowledgeable cruisers and opted for a 100% Disney experience over a day a Nassau.



We lucked into a pre-release viewing of Secretariat on DCL. Great movie, and descent theater. My wife also loves Movies Under the Stars on Princess (I think another line has outdoor movies too)

Yeah I had 11 inquiries and chase still approved me for cards.

You are correct! But for me, I like to camp - don't go much anymore, but I still am a nature enthusiast.

Right now, I've probably done at least 50 and probably closer to 60 Disney trips of 1-2 weeks. Going again in Nov and Feb.

So in the past, I've also stayed in the cabins as well as in a tent. But, unless I start getting younger, those days are going to get to be few and far between.

We just got back today from 10 days camping in myrtle beach. We have a toy hauler. I don’t think I can do the tent as I need the bathroom when the kids need to go. Don’t have time to walk to the bathhouse and wait if there’s a line.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

Happy Mother's Day mommies!

It's our last night in Costa Rica and Uber almost left us stranded downtown San Jose Dh set up an account yesterday and it worked fine twice today, then suddenly said there was an issue with out payment (my CSR). We switched out the credit card and same thing. I had notified Chase and Amex (all accounts) of our trip so it wasn't that, and I didn't get any texts or anything from Chase. Uber is half the price of a taxi here and we only had USD so really didn't want to attempt a taxi. I think I would have had to seek out an ATM, blocks away in the rain. Ugh. Same with bus. I got logged in to my Uber acct (set up last year), used my CSR and same thing. So, as a last resort I routed Uber through Paypal and it worked. Such relief. We had wanted to visit the Oygen Mall before heading back to the hotel, but not wanting to risk getting stuck there we decided to skip it. So, sitting on the balcony enjoying the rain on our final night.

If anyone has ideas what might be going on with Uber I'd love to hear it. This was our first time using Uber, probably not a good idea in a foreign country lol

We visited a coffee farm, volcano and La Paz waterfalls. The waterfalls were by far my most favorite part of this trip. I'll share pics tomorrow or Tuesday.

Can’t help with Uber as I’ve never done it. Costa Rica is nice and there’s lots to see and do. I used to do mission trips there and still talk with the family where we stayed. I even flew one of them up to MD for my wedding. I want to take my family to CR but haven’t figured out when we could go. How did your kids like it?

 

[Hoosier John]

So you could naturally put your $1k+ in regular monthly spend on the CIP and in 3 months that handles 60% of the MSR. The rest could easily come from the DVC dues and 1 rent payment. After a CIP, you could look to maybe an AA biz card or really anything that isn't Chase. You want to spread your Chase cards out by 3 months preferrably (2 is ok in a rare instance). NOW if your wife is jumping in too (and I'm assuming these are your household expenses above) then you can alternate cards and run a little faster than what I'm describing.

Thanks. Just wanted to make sure how this will work. I'm tracking everything you say, except I wonder why you keep avoiding the Mr Cooper payment. Prolly because I haven't nailed down whether it will work and if there is a fee? Once (IF) I get the CIP in hand, I think I should give the Mr Cooper auto-phone payment a try, unless y'all know something I don't.

As soon as I get some DPs to show my wife, I will get her involved as a P2.

Interestingly, I got the following offer from Navy Federal (I think it's pretty good for Navy Fed, but not as good as other non-Chase offers):
SUB 40k pts, after
MSR of $4k in 90 days.
3x supermarkets and gas stations,
2x restaurants,
1x rest
No AF