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

[Haley R]

lets just start with one first... :]

Haha good plan

 

[MKTokyo]

In the past 10 months I have used almost 600K MRs. I've booked BA 1st class for two from ATL- Edinburgh (twice), Dublin to MCO in biz and Virgin Australia in biz from AKL-LAX (for 2). I've also topped off Delta accounts several times allowing for planned and unplanned trips with them for family as well as myself. I know this board loves their URs but MRs rule for me and our international travel

My only regret about starting with an MR card was that I didn't discover churning soon enough to be able to get J tickets for our London trip. Comfort+ is a mediocre product but the flight out is late & relatively short. We will probably just go to sleep. (After "dinner," anyway. I don't know who wants "dinner" at midnight or what they plan on serving.) I guess it wasn't exactly a "mistake" since there's nothing I could have done about it without a time-turner, but it annoys me.

I find both MRs & URs extremely valuable. Can't go wrong either way.

 

[Lain]

No, but aren’t we wondering when/if Amex will stop issuing any points at all for gift card purchases? That’s the only reason I mentioned it. I’ve been double checking to make sure I’m getting points for gift cards at places like office supple stores and gift card only stores. Maybe I misunderstood?

Ah, my misunderstanding.

 

[Alexle2007]

.

 

[GusGus16]

Finally got my Citi AA Biz card denial letter in the mail.

Got my CIP1 6/19 and met MSR by 7/19. Got P2's Citi AA Biz card also in 6/19 and her CIP1 in 7/19. I applied last week for my Citi AA Biz since we had met the MSR on P2's Citi AA Biz, and I got an instant denial.

According to the letter they "used a credit scoring system that assigned a numerical value to various items on my credit report. The information didn't score a sufficient number of points for approval because:"

1. Your commercial credit report shows insufficient credit history for one or more of your accounts.
2. Your consumer credit report shows that you have low credit limits.
3. The ratio of balances to available credit limit is too high on the commercial credit report.
4. Your commercial credit report shows a new account that was opened too recently.

Addressing reason #1. So, since we, myself and P2 just started playing the game, neither one of us have ever had a business credit card. I had my CIP opened for a month before applying for the Citi AA Biz, and the Citi AA Biz card was P2's first business card. I apparently had insufficient history, but P2 had none.

Reason #2, low credit limits. P2 and I are both 0/24 and I have 2 Wells Fargo Rapid Rewards cards that show on my credit report. Card #1 has a $7,000 limit and a $0 balance. I am an AU on Card 2, and it has a $14,500 limit . At the time of my Citi AA Biz app, the card also had a $0 balance since we were putting all organic spend on my CIP1, and then P2's CIP1. First Wells Fargo card was opened in 1997, and the second was opened in 2000.

Reason #3. At the time of my app, my CIP1 had a little over $5,300 on it. The credit limit on that card is $11,000, so slightly less than 50%. My CIP balance was paid off on 7/27/19.

Reason #4. New commercial account opened too recently. Obviously this was from my CIP1 the month before. I can understand this one.

Just thought I would pass along the info for some DP's. At the time of the Citi AA Biz app, both Equifax and Transunion were reporting my credit score as 822. According to the letter and Credit Karma, they only pulled from Equifax.

This is citi being citi we believe, same exact thing when I got my immediate denial for my 1st Citi AA biz and someone else had the same thing on the boards. The thought is you likely could reapply in about 95 days, I haven't yet, seems like the train might be derailing so I'm probably won't apply again.

 

[Alexle2007]

No way what are your dates. Not sure much is available when we go in October

We go 8/15-21. We are staying at CB this time and 2 of the nights are $129 and the others are $109. I think these were added since it is during their Passholder appreciation timeframe.check out the AP site on Universal.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Had a busy day getting down to my conference in VA beach. Here is the delightful view from my room.



And at 11 pm when they fired the bulldozers back up.

I think I have to pick a monitoring service and/or come up with a good plan and start freezing my credit. Nothing bad has come up, but I am paranoid it will!

Congrats on the MBs, those are all really nice! It really threw me off about a day or two ago Disney started shuffling the free and paid MBs around. Not just free on top! I have so many resort reservations linked that I am tempted to get another set Funny DH likes gray. I am weird and observe people with gray Mbs in the park. I try to figure out if they truly like gray, or if they were lazy and forgot to customize or booked very last minute. It is honestly the only free color band I do not have in my possession lol

Haha DH just got a gray one! He says he’s going to pop out the main piece and put it on his Apple Watch. We’ll see. I feel like he’ll just end up wearing it.

Staples will have fee free VGC’s August 4th-10th. I will definitely be taking advantage of this.

Yesssss

I sincerely hope you will report this to corporate. Instead of catching a nap, that desk clerk/hotel should be reporting this to the police each time it happens until they get it under control.

I reported it today and got back the generic “thank you for sharing your concerns. We’re sorry about the problems you had.” Nothing else.

Really unhappy with UR/Chase right now. Please tell me if you think I’m being unreasonable or not. I made a car rental reservation through the UR portal on my CIP account for 31k UR pts, which equaled $382. I noticed when I did the online check in with Alamo it showed the $382 fee, which I thought was kind of strange but wasn’t sure if that was normal or not since this is my first UR car rental. I called Alamo, then UR and after about 40 minutes on the phone with them I was assured it was fine, they don’t pay Alamo until the day of pickup. I used my DH’s Arrival Plus to guarantee the reservation since he was the primary driver and needed the cc needed to match the driver. This was probably a mistake in hindsight.

When we picked up the car, it still showed the dollar amount, but I (stupidly) thought this was still ok since I verified the reservation number matched my UR reservation. Well, guess what. Got home and my DH’s card was charged $382. I called Chase UR, who contacted Alamo, who refused to reverse the charges. Spoke with a supervisor who spoke with someone different at Alamo, who also refused to refund the charges. UR rep offered to reimburse me the 31k UR points, plus 5k “courtesy” points for my time and effort (I’ve been on the phone with them at that point for over an hour, plus the 40 minutes pre-trip). I mentioned this did not seem right as when I go to cash out my UR points to pay the cash fee I shouldn’t have been charged, I’m out $70. She (supervisor) indicated 5k was the most she could offer, that I would need to get with the CIP customer service.

Fast forward to several calls with CIP customer service and the UR rep (same manager), 60 minutes later, and the most the CIP customer service rep will begrudgingly agree to put in a request for is 2,700 pts (so that I can cash out for the full $382). He was very reluctant to even put this request in, and he indicated that this probably won’t be approved. I feel like I’ve totally been screwed over because I now have to pay $382 (which I had reservations for less but wanted to not use any cash), and if I cash out the 31k points, it only equals $310. I can also cash out the 5k for another $50, but after 3 hours on the phone being bounced around, and not doing anything wrong on my end, I feel like I should get the 5k UR as a true courtesy on top of the 7k to cash out to pay the cash fee.

If anyone’s still with me (sorry, this is super long!), do you think I’m wrong? My DH feels like we should just be happy we got the 31k+5k back (which trust me, I’m very grateful to not be out the UR’s and the money both), but I still feel like I’m out $70. It’s especially upsetting since I went to the trouble before we even left to verify the reservation was ok. What do you guys think? I’m just so frustrated right now!

You’re nicer than I am. I probably would’ve hung up after getting the URs and then disputed the charge on my card and call that payment for my time wasted.

They are seriously on a rampage. I didn't even bother to app for anything before cancelling my hilton biz yesterday. They are just too much drama. I have no patience for dramatics.

I totally agree with you. I know that theoretically I could spend more on Amex and get out of pop up hell, but frankly I’m not interested.

 

[Alexle2007]

I am way behind but I rode Hagrid’s Motorbike again today and it continues to be AWESOME! The wait would not have been bad if not for weather in the area. So it took 2 1/2 hours to get on. Hoping to go earlier tomorrow so I can actually ride it during the day.

Oh, and I upgraded to Premier APs today and, of course, didn’t use the after 4 pm EP since we got there late, had dinner at Antojitos (which was very good) and then went straight to Hagrid’s.

And did everyone see the big news! Park #4 is coming! People are scanning rendition and speculating a Nintendoland with a Mario ride, a replacement for Dueling Dragons, there’s a big hotel (wonder if it will have EP?) My nephew who works at Universal had said before that only HRH, PBR and RPR would always be the only ones but maybe with the expansion, it will allow for an additional one. SO excited!

 

[amalone1013]

Operation buy swagbucks was a 50% success today... got 6000 on DHs account earning a 450sb bonus but can only get 2000 to go through on mine, needed 6000 to get my bonus. Still ahead though because I am at 9050sb for $80.96

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

From the producers who brought you Churning Shower Thoughts by SouthFayetteFan comes a new special edition post...
A Fireside Chat with SouthFayetteFan...

We have experienced a lot of growth on our thread recently. I would implore DISchurners both new and old to read some scattered thoughts I'd like to share with you. This is NOT directed at any one person but rather a series of thoughts that I wish to share with the group as a whole:

On Strategy, Pacing and Velocity...

• Have a strategy... If you're not sure where to start, ask! Especially in your early stages, it can be easy to get drawn off course, distracted by the allure of some new offer that isn't truly your best move. Develop a strategy with your end goal in mind (trip to Europe, free flights to Disney, over-water bungalow hotel, etc.) and stick to it! Your strategy should include which cards you plan to get and how you'll space them out to "play safe".
• Deviate from your strategy ONLY if the juice is worth the squeeze. A once in a lifetime best offer? Snag it!! But if this "great offer" rolls around every few months...perhaps it's not the time to deviate from the plan.
• PACING IS ESSENTIAL! Especially if you are a new churner...adhere to the velocity recommendations. THIS COMMENT might be particularly helpful if you don't know what I'm talking about. I get it...you have a lot of spend coming up, and that next card would be great right now...WAIT.IT.OUT. Shutdowns are real, denials will come, and pop-ups are not worth it! If you are only churning for the next 3-4 months towards 1 trip, maybe it's worth the risk. If you're in this for the long game...then play the game responsibly!
• If you're trying to go too fast, and you ask on the thread if it's ok...we will not say YES. You can do what you want, but understand, that we will not validate and provide our blessing on somebody pushing the envelope on application velocity. I and many others on this thread do not want to be the reason you get shutdown or denied. If you're ok with it, then do it, but don't expect our blessing (and that's ok...only you can decide what's best).
• If you find yourself paying Plastiq fees only to hit your MSR too quickly and be sitting on the sidelines waiting for your next card then consider if those fees were worth it? Perhaps you should just use your organic spend to hit those MSRs. OR perhaps you need to work a card with a nice category bonus into your strategy so that you can use that in between MSRs.

On Manufactured Spend (MS)...

• Always remember, this isn't a game - there is real money at stake here. Start slow - make sure you know what you are doing!
• Don't get in too deep - Your avenues to liquidate gift cards could dry up tomorrow. Nothing is promised here, and if you end up with $10,000 in VGCs can you float that if you're unable to liquidate?
• Understand your costs and rewards - it is possible to MS and lose money if you do it the wrong way. Also evaluate if it is worth your time, some people think it is, others do not. You do not NEED to MS to churn.
• Know the risks - Gift Cards could be stolen or drained, You could be subject to scrutiny by employees. I don't say these things to dissuade you from doing it - but be aware of the risks.

On other miscellaneous topics...

• If you are jumping in with American Express - research the RAT! You need to understand what works and what doesn't, you need to have a plan for keeping continual spend on your card. Do not become a victim of Pop-Up. Churny the Bear says "Only you can prevent Pop-Ups". A few dollars here or there won't cut it!
• Plan ahead! Reducing your credit limits an hour before applying IS NOT going to help! Paying down your balances on other cards the day before you apply won't make a difference. Manage your portfolio of cards constantly - Proactively reduce CLs & Don't wait until the last second to close cards (when it's necessary to close them)!
• Don't get caught up in FOMO - especially with certain points currencies. If you don't have a use for Hilton points, don't earn them! If Delta doesn't fly from your airport, don't apply! Make sure you that when you earn program specific points (Airlines/Hotels), you have a use for them, and even better, a backup use for them!
• Don't draw eyes to your account if you can avoid it. Is it really necessary to expedite that card?? That might be an indication that you didn't plan ahead well enough... Loophole didn't work out, chalk it up as a loss and try again - you have no leg to stand on. Be responsible and don't "ruin it for everybody" by complaining when you know you're not entirely in the right.
• BE ORGANIZED! Start a spreadsheet, and keep track of everything! When did you apply? When did you earn the bonus? What is the annual fee? When did you close the card? All of this and more is very important! The best churners are keeping track of everything!

I wish everybody here nothing but success as churners! As our community grows, it's hard to maintain that level of personal interaction. We have a lot of newbies floating in with the veterans. We have lurkers galore on the thread as well who are solely learning from what's said. Please understand that this thread is like being in Churning 101 and Churning 401 at the same time. Stop, Think, and Ask questions!

 

[wendow]

From the producers who brought you Churning Shower Thoughts by SouthFayetteFan comes a new special edition post...
A Fireside Chat with SouthFayetteFan...

We have experienced a lot of growth on our thread recently. I would implore DISchurners both new and old to read some scattered thoughts I'd like to share with you. This is NOT directed at any one person but rather a series of thoughts that I wish to share with the group as a whole:

On Strategy, Pacing and Velocity...

• Have a strategy... If you're not sure where to start, ask! Especially in your early stages, it can be easy to get drawn off course, distracted by the allure of some new offer that isn't truly your best move. Develop a strategy with your end goal in mind (trip to Europe, free flights to Disney, over-water bungalow hotel, etc.) and stick to it! Your strategy should include which cards you plan to get and how you'll space them out to "play safe".
• Deviate from your strategy ONLY if the juice is worth the squeeze. A once in a lifetime best offer? Snag it!! But if this "great offer" rolls around every few months...perhaps it's not the time to deviate from the plan.
• PACING IS ESSENTIAL! Especially if you are a new churner...adhere to the velocity recommendations. THIS COMMENT might be particularly helpful if you don't know what I'm talking about. I get it...you have a lot of spend coming up, and that next card would be great right now...WAIT.IT.OUT. Shutdowns are real, denials will come, and pop-ups are not worth it! If you are only churning for the next 3-4 months towards 1 trip, maybe it's worth the risk. If you're in this for the long game...then play the game responsibly!
• If you're trying to go too fast, and you ask on the thread if it's ok...we will not say YES. You can do what you want, but understand, that we will not validate and provide our blessing on somebody pushing the envelope on application velocity. I and many others on this thread do not want to be the reason you get shutdown or denied. If you're ok with it, then do it, but don't expect our blessing (and that's ok...only you can decide what's best).
• If you find yourself paying Plastiq fees only to hit your MSR too quickly and be sitting on the sidelines waiting for your next card then consider if those fees were worth it? Perhaps you should just use your organic spend to hit those MSRs. OR perhaps you need to work a card with a nice category bonus into your strategy so that you can use that in between MSRs.

On Manufactured Spend (MS)...

• Always remember, this isn't a game - there is real money at stake here. Start slow - make sure you know what you are doing!
• Don't get in too deep - Your avenues to liquidate gift cards could dry up tomorrow. Nothing is promised here, and if you end up with $10,000 in VGCs can you float that if you're unable to liquidate?
• Understand your costs and rewards - it is possible to MS and lose money if you do it the wrong way. Also evaluate if it is worth your time, some people think it is, others do not. You do not NEED to MS to churn.
• Know the risks - Gift Cards could be stolen or drained, You could be subject to scrutiny by employees. I don't say these things to dissuade you from doing it - but be aware of the risks.

On other miscellaneous topics...

• If you are jumping in with American Express - research the RAT! You need to understand what works and what doesn't, you need to have a plan for keeping continual spend on your card. Do not become a victim of Pop-Up. Churny the Bear says "Only you can prevent Pop-Ups". A few dollars here or there won't cut it!
• Plan ahead! Reducing your credit limits an hour before applying IS NOT going to help! Paying down your balances on other cards the day before you apply won't make a difference. Manage your portfolio of cards constantly - Proactively reduce CLs & Don't wait until the last second to close cards (when it's necessary to close them)!
• Don't get caught up in FOMO - especially with certain points currencies. If you don't have a use for Hilton points, don't earn them! If Delta doesn't fly from your airport, don't apply! Make sure you that when you earn program specific points (Airlines/Hotels), you have a use for them, and even better, a backup use for them!
• Don't draw eyes to your account if you can avoid it. Is it really necessary to expedite that card?? That might be an indication that you didn't plan ahead well enough... Loophole didn't work out, chalk it up as a loss and try again - you have no leg to stand on. Be responsible and don't "ruin it for everybody" by complaining when you know you're not entirely in the right.
• BE ORGANIZED! Start a spreadsheet, and keep track of everything! When did you apply? When did you earn the bonus? What is the annual fee? When did you close the card? All of this and more is very important! The best churners are keeping track of everything!

I wish everybody here nothing but success as churners! As our community grows, it's hard to maintain that level of personal interaction. We have a lot of newbies floating in with the veterans. We have lurkers galore on the thread as well who are solely learning from what's said. Please understand that this thread is like being in Churning 101 and Churning 401 at the same time. Stop, Think, and Ask questions!

I agree with all this a thousand, million percent! Wise words from the benevolent dictator. As usual! (Trying to get to 50k likes reactions fast, huh??)

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I agree with all this a thousand, million percent! Wise words from the benevolent dictator. As usual! (Trying to get to 50k likes fast, huh??)

That comment should be good for at least 50 ........

Haha!! Seriously though, it was something I've been thinking about all week. It's just been a long time since we had one of these "meta" comments about responsible churning.

 

[kmc8826]

From the producers who brought you Churning Shower Thoughts by SouthFayetteFan comes a new special edition post...
A Fireside Chat with SouthFayetteFan...

We have experienced a lot of growth on our thread recently. I would implore DISchurners both new and old to read some scattered thoughts I'd like to share with you. This is NOT directed at any one person but rather a series of thoughts that I wish to share with the group as a whole:

On Strategy, Pacing and Velocity...

• Have a strategy... If you're not sure where to start, ask! Especially in your early stages, it can be easy to get drawn off course, distracted by the allure of some new offer that isn't truly your best move. Develop a strategy with your end goal in mind (trip to Europe, free flights to Disney, over-water bungalow hotel, etc.) and stick to it! Your strategy should include which cards you plan to get and how you'll space them out to "play safe".
• Deviate from your strategy ONLY if the juice is worth the squeeze. A once in a lifetime best offer? Snag it!! But if this "great offer" rolls around every few months...perhaps it's not the time to deviate from the plan.
• PACING IS ESSENTIAL! Especially if you are a new churner...adhere to the velocity recommendations. THIS COMMENT might be particularly helpful if you don't know what I'm talking about. I get it...you have a lot of spend coming up, and that next card would be great right now...WAIT.IT.OUT. Shutdowns are real, denials will come, and pop-ups are not worth it! If you are only churning for the next 3-4 months towards 1 trip, maybe it's worth the risk. If you're in this for the long game...then play the game responsibly!
• If you're trying to go too fast, and you ask on the thread if it's ok...we will not say YES. You can do what you want, but understand, that we will not validate and provide our blessing on somebody pushing the envelope on application velocity. I and many others on this thread do not want to be the reason you get shutdown or denied. If you're ok with it, then do it, but don't expect our blessing (and that's ok...only you can decide what's best).
• If you find yourself paying Plastiq fees only to hit your MSR too quickly and be sitting on the sidelines waiting for your next card then consider if those fees were worth it? Perhaps you should just use your organic spend to hit those MSRs. OR perhaps you need to work a card with a nice category bonus into your strategy so that you can use that in between MSRs.

On Manufactured Spend (MS)...

• Always remember, this isn't a game - there is real money at stake here. Start slow - make sure you know what you are doing!
• Don't get in too deep - Your avenues to liquidate gift cards could dry up tomorrow. Nothing is promised here, and if you end up with $10,000 in VGCs can you float that if you're unable to liquidate?
• Understand your costs and rewards - it is possible to MS and lose money if you do it the wrong way. Also evaluate if it is worth your time, some people think it is, others do not. You do not NEED to MS to churn.
• Know the risks - Gift Cards could be stolen or drained, You could be subject to scrutiny by employees. I don't say these things to dissuade you from doing it - but be aware of the risks.

On other miscellaneous topics...

• If you are jumping in with American Express - research the RAT! You need to understand what works and what doesn't, you need to have a plan for keeping continual spend on your card. Do not become a victim of Pop-Up. Churny the Bear says "Only you can prevent Pop-Ups". A few dollars here or there won't cut it!
• Plan ahead! Reducing your credit limits an hour before applying IS NOT going to help! Paying down your balances on other cards the day before you apply won't make a difference. Manage your portfolio of cards constantly - Proactively reduce CLs & Don't wait until the last second to close cards (when it's necessary to close them)!
• Don't get caught up in FOMO - especially with certain points currencies. If you don't have a use for Hilton points, don't earn them! If Delta doesn't fly from your airport, don't apply! Make sure you that when you earn program specific points (Airlines/Hotels), you have a use for them, and even better, a backup use for them!
• Don't draw eyes to your account if you can avoid it. Is it really necessary to expedite that card?? That might be an indication that you didn't plan ahead well enough... Loophole didn't work out, chalk it up as a loss and try again - you have no leg to stand on. Be responsible and don't "ruin it for everybody" by complaining when you know you're not entirely in the right.
• BE ORGANIZED! Start a spreadsheet, and keep track of everything! When did you apply? When did you earn the bonus? What is the annual fee? When did you close the card? All of this and more is very important! The best churners are keeping track of everything!

I wish everybody here nothing but success as churners! As our community grows, it's hard to maintain that level of personal interaction. We have a lot of newbies floating in with the veterans. We have lurkers galore on the thread as well who are solely learning from what's said. Please understand that this thread is like being in Churning 101 and Churning 401 at the same time. Stop, Think, and Ask questions!

Another thought/reminder I might add is that understand the card companies can change the rules at any time. They can also start enforcing rules they have previously not enforced. I.e. Chase could stop allowing cash out on UR’s. They could stop allowing combining points. Amex could (and has) clawed back points and credits. Ultimately the companies are the one in the power position; unfortunately churners are just along for the ride. So play it smart and think about it.

 

[wendow]

Another thought/reminder I might add is that understand the card companies can change the rules at any time. They can also start enforcing rules they have previously not enforced. I.e. Chase could stop allowing cash out on UR’s. They could stop allowing combining points. Amex could (and has) clawed back points and credits. Ultimately the companies are the one in the power position; unfortunately churners are just along for the ride. So play it smart and think about it.

Yes! As @calypso726 says, the only constant in this game is change. We're on a roller coaster and at the mercy of these cc companies. Playing this game smart and having a good strategy is key!

 

[afan]

Max8 update per the local news. Said boeing is looking to change the software that'll be ready in time for the next approval so it could fly again in oct. This is sooner than has been eluded to before.

The change would take both sensors or whatever it's called (already changed the channel and can't rewind) so everything that should have been talking to each other would be.

 

[wendow]

Tried to close a citi AA biz through chat and told they can 'only close a business account with a business concierge' CS rep and that you have to call. No other option. Will try again tomorrow through chat.

 

[elgerber]

Random thoughts as I wait forever for the train from the parking ramp to the terminal...
Is it bad when you get out of bed at 3:10 after going to bed at midnight, to find a Touring Plans email upping the crowd levels fairly significant for your trip that starts today?
Where the heck are all the people driving to at 3:50 am?

 

[StephPlum]

.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Tried to close a citi AA biz through chat and told they can 'only close a business account with a business concierge' CS rep and that you have to call. No other option. Will try again tomorrow through chat.

I was told the same thing the first time....tried a few hours later and they closed it with no issues....hopefully you will be successful the second time

 

[Alexle2007]

Yes! She is going back in 2 weeks for character auditions for Tokyo. Not sure how I feel about that, but most people aren't chosen on their first time, so it is good practice.

She is going to watch and see if any seasonal spots open up she can apply for for most any position. She might magically find that she has reapplied for the Spring DCP when those apps release. And yes, summer alumni is another option. The future of my discounts is bright, folks!

So I am intrigued by DCP (I know DS has a bit of time (5 years) before he is even off to college. Does she still go to college full-time while in DCP? Does it extend when you will complete college? I am guessing depending on what your major is DCP may not be a good fit? Pretty sure DS will be doing some in engineering/math/sceience realm.