I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[castormom4]

So a weird thing happened to me lately... I paid ahead on my Water Bill ($450) with a CC and paid the $1.95 one-time fee to do so. I try to pay it ~6 months at a time. Well I guess because my CC payment was too close to my bill due date (3 days prior), they still pulled my auto-pay from my checking. I wasn't crazy that they did this so I called in and said why did you pull from my checking and they said because it can take 5 days for a payment to credit... Weird, but ok - I paid the bill 3 days in advance and you still charged me a 2nd time, when you could easily see the pending payment????

Of course the person I was talking to on the phone was used to people calling in having their water shutoff because of non-payment so she had no idea what I was trying to do or ask. She offered to refund the double payment and I finally said "sure", just to end the call before it got more awkward. This was two weeks ago and I honestly forgot about it until today when a check shows up for almost $400. She refunded my entire credit balance... So basically I "MSed" $400 for a $1.95 fee... Guess I'm off to make another $400 payment on my water bill again!! (Not to MS, just because I hate monthly bills)

Lol! We're having a similar situation with our rental property taxes and insurance. We just did a cash out refi on 2 properties. They didn't tell us till the day of closing that the taxes/insurance had to be escrowed. Stupid but whatever. We had just paid insurance on one property ($511) on cc to meet MSR. Figured I'd get it back in a check. Well, month later, we get the bill for insurance on the other property. We call the bank. Oh.....they only escrowed from 2021 on. Ummmm.....dumbest thing I've ever heard, but sure. So I pay that insurance bill. Then we get a letter stating there was an error and they'd be paying from escrow now. Figured I'd get two checks back. Well now we have the tax bills and "they aren't sure." This has to be a joke. Well whatever, paid taxes on both properties with my cc and I'll wait for the check. So I'm potentially waiting for almost $4k in checks lol and met MSR almost on 2 cards in a month.

 

[Judique]

AFs posted on both my and DW's Chase Marriott Biz cards. Called for retention, no dice, so I closed them. We had already received the free night certificates.

I may have kept these open had I not just been trying to book the free nights. Marriott's peak/off-peak stuff is so frustrating. I was looking at a few dates over the next few months in Philadelphia and NYC, and of course they're all 40k peak so I can't use the certificates.

I'm just not interested in fighting even more to make sure I'm making up the value of the annual fee and dictating our vacation time around Marriott's games, so that's that.

Do you also have the Amex cards? Or the personal Chase card? They work for me but I travel in a different manner than you. Combined with Amex's holding back the award nights, the whole Marriott issue is frustrating. But, I've calmed down and looked at the over all picture - I can get value as all I have to do is beat $95 to $99 on a room.

I do wish that certificates could be turned into a point value to make them more flexible on the peak redemptions.

Also, leaving for Florida this weekend and have an 'on the road' room booked for 10K points. Stayed at this one and it's a good value. Clean, comfortable, convenient and safe close to 95 with lots of close by options for a quick dinner plus a good morning breakfast and coffee. Cash price is $166 plus tax. That would make my FNC a viable use, but the head cannot deal with giving up the FNC when I can spend 10K points.

But, I'm just not earning very many points as I rarely give Marriott any actual cash, other than for offers through Amex. So now I hate to spend points! @SouthFayetteFan mentioned that he has depleted a few points - any quickie ideas for replenishment? I wouldn't use UR's as they are earmarked for possible Hyatt redemptions.

There are loads of hotels out there, but it seems most of them are Marriotts.

 

[GZanta77]

Could someone help me remember, or point me to where it's spelled out on the rules of TY points cards. Here's our history with them.

Received TY Premier cards 8/2017 - converted DH to Rewards+ 8/2019; I converted to Double Cash card 8/2019

I cant remember if you cannot apply for another TY card if you currently hold any card that earns points or if it just had to be 24 months from receiving and/or cancelling card. If the latter is the case, does it count changing cards? So would my clock have reset when I converted last August?

Thanks for any information!

Per citi site..........

Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you received a new cardmember bonus for Citi Rewards+℠, Citi ThankYou® Preferred, Citi ThankYou® Premier/Citi Premier℠ or Citi Prestige®, or if you have closed any of these accounts, in the past 24 months.

I don't believe that a product change should have reset the clock......but am not 100% sure.

 

[striker1064]

Do you also have the Amex cards? Or the personal Chase card? They work for me but I travel in a different manner than you. Combined with Amex's holding back the award nights, the whole Marriott issue is frustrating. But, I've calmed down and looked at the over all picture - I can get value as all I have to do is beat $95 to $99 on a room.

Yes, DW also had the Chase personal card, and the AF posted there as well. Also no retention, also closed. The holding back award nights is also annoying - there were several dates we checked that aren't necessarily busy times, but the nicer hotels had no award availability despite having standard room rates for cash.

 

[miztressuz]

Think I'm getting my official bad news on the CSR today. I have an "IMPORTANT INFORMATION ENCLOSED: CHANGES TO YOUR ACCOUNT" letter coming from Sapphire Reserve today. They were all excited to tell me about the Doordash and Lyft rollout and conveniently buried the lead until now
Guess they were waiting for everyone to use them for the SuperBowl and feel like they can't live without it before dropping the new fee on us.

 

[hsmamato2]

just posting to air my personal grievance with SWA... I just realized they got rid of every nonstop flight between mine and my inlaws airport...except for ONE on a Sunday! BLEH! (STL used to be a hub for SWA,what happened?) this puts a monkey wrench in my summer plans... back to your regular conversations now...

 

[LynnTH]

There's a 65k offer showing in branch if you have a Citi Iocation available -

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/citi...onus-95-annual-fee-not-waived-in-branch-only/
Citi has some interesting anti churning rules so I'd read up a bit on their products. Like Chase, getting one can lock you out of a bonus for another but unlike Chase the 24 months can go based on opening or closing date of cards. It's a little trickier IMO so I'd want to make sure a quick grab of points now doesn't affect a potential plan for later. If there's nothing else in their portfolio that interests you, then no problem.

Last I saw you can still transfer points to any other TYP member but those points expire within 60 or 90 days (I think 90), so don't transfer until you have a redemption ready. I'm not sure of the limits to transfers, but I thought there was a cap. (I haven't had a Citi TY card in ages and ages, but I read about them occasionally when I'm thinking of diversifying.)

Thanks for this. I don't think we have any branches will have to look. I don't have interest in any of their other cards (since AA is now not happening). I did see the 24 months since closing a card. So, this will be a one and done (rinse and repeat every few years...possibly) Would be a good way to get some Disney Tickets paid for.

 

[wanderlust7]

Could someone help me remember, or point me to where it's spelled out on the rules of TY points cards. Here's our history with them.

Received TY Premier cards 8/2017 - converted DH to Rewards+ 8/2019; I converted to Double Cash card 8/2019

I cant remember if you cannot apply for another TY card if you currently hold any card that earns points or if it just had to be 24 months from receiving and/or cancelling card. If the latter is the case, does it count changing cards? So would my clock have reset when I converted last August?

Thanks for any information!

If the card number didn't change then it doesn't count as closed.

Per citi site..........

Bonus ThankYou® Points are not available if you received a new cardmember bonus for Citi Rewards+℠, Citi ThankYou® Preferred, Citi ThankYou® Premier/Citi Premier℠ or Citi Prestige®, or if you have closed any of these accounts, in the past 24 months.

I don't believe that a product change should have reset the clock......but am not 100% sure.

A product change within the same family might keep the same account number and not reset the clock. But based on DPs, it doesn't seem 100% consistent.

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

Travel question: Favorite hotel chain that's not Hilton?

Go!

 

[becauseimnew]

Looking at the Barclay Aviator Red, is 60K the best offer? Should I hold out a couple of months? I'm 0/24 and in need of AA miles.

 

[becauseimnew]

Travel question: Favorite hotel chain that's not Hilton?

Go!

Hyatt. Love Hyatt Place & House, free breakfast for a family of 4 and the ability to transfer URs makes it the BEST option for our family. We have 9 nights booked this year, going to book 5 more for October.

 

[elgerber]

I have a question on flights, or other things, booked with UR. What if you cancel the card that the flight is booked under, before you take the flight? Is that an issue? I can see the flight in my Delta acct. Not a huge deal if I have to pay a fee and keep the card for another year, but want to be sure, when the time comes around.

Anyone know the answer to this?

 

[Alexle2007]

Since we are all love our Pop Tarts! Did everyone see the Super Bowl commercial? Who's going to be the first to give them a whirl?
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...3E4C3490C9845AED60753E4C3490C9845AE&FORM=VIRE

 

[Oscar Madison]

I have a friend who I referred for a CIP. This is his first business card. I gave him the number to call to check and it is giving him the 2 week message by mail. He applied on Sunday. Is that bad or good news? I'm trying to remember if my first biz card took longer than the rest but can't recall.

 

[Alexle2007]

Anyone know the answer to this?

Sorry, I have never actually booked a flight directly with URs. I know when I have canceled hotels and rental cars, the points go back my UR pool for that card. Do you have another UR card to keep them active (assuming you have not zeroed out your URs)?

 

[Alexle2007]

I have a friend who I referred for a CIP. This is his first business card. I gave him the number to call to check and it is giving him the 2 week message by mail. He applied on Sunday. Is that bad or good news? I'm trying to remember if my first biz card took longer than the rest but can't recall.

Two weeks is good. Tell him to keep checking...it should change.

 

[elgerber]

Since we are all love our Pop Tarts! Did everyone see the Super Bowl commercial? Who's going to be the first to give them a whirl?
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...3E4C3490C9845AED60753E4C3490C9845AE&FORM=VIRE

I bought some about 6 weeks ago. Honestly the texture of the outside was a little soggy in the toaster. Otherwise they mostly just taste like the regular brown sugar poptarts, which are my faves.

 

[Haley R]

Hyatt. Love Hyatt Place & House, free breakfast for a family of 4 and the ability to transfer URs makes it the BEST option for our family. We have 9 nights booked this year, going to book 5 more for October.

Is it better to transfer to Hyatt instead of booking through the Chase portal?

 

[Alexle2007]

Travel question: Favorite hotel chain that's not Hilton?

Go!

it really depends where I am going and what is available. Like for AUS, Brisbane and Cairns are mainly Marriott but for Sydney, I booked the Park Hyatt. So Hyatt and Marriott are good for me also.

 

[wanderlust7]

Is it better to transfer to Hyatt instead of booking through the Chase portal?

Most likely transfer, but you should still compare to make sure.