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

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Since I suddenly have 3 free IHG nights with one expiring in 2 weeks, I decided to look and see what was available nearby. Just looking as I doubt I'm going anywhere before next year.

So, for New Year's Eve, I could use a free night at the Willard. Not certain, but I think this is the DC hotel that @calypso726 enjoyed when she came for cherry blossoms.

That made me curious and I checked January 20,2021. Sold out. Only a couple places with no free point nights available and in town a regular room was about $2400. Guess people were thinking of this night long before I got curious.

This was just IHG. Nothing much could get me downtown for either night.

The BF and I discussed my new "extra" free night this morning. I was suggesting we go to Traverse City with it. But with MI shutdown and the cold, he doesn't wanna have to work around booking igloos at wineries, etc. So now we're thinking somewhere in OH or IN where they aren't as locked down and we can at least have a nice dinner. Probably celebrate New Years early as I think he's on call for Christmas and New Years. The joys of dating a reserve pilot, LOL.

I guess I better start looking.

 

[Pooh2]

Sorry, I thought you were a regular lurker on here - you probably came over from the GC thread. John did a great job at explaining this, but I bet the $550 annual fee (AF) of the Sapphire Reserved (CSR) scared you away.

Another option is the Chase is the Sapphire Preferred (CSP). That card only has an AF of $95 and has a better sign up bonus (SUB) 60,000 Chase URs after spending $4,000 but unlike the CSR the CSP Pay Yourself Back is only 1.25.

Until 4/30/21 Groceries will earn 2pts/$1 with the CSP... So if you buy $4,000 in DGCs at grocery stores, you'll earn 60,000 from the (SUB) + 8,000 from the grocery store purchases you'll have 68,000 Chase points to "erase" those transactions which works out to $850 dollars. (68,000*.0125)

You'll save $755 ($850-$95) on Disney Gift Card. The CSR is a better deal but it took me 3 years of credit churning to be okay with paying $550 for an AF.

The $755 works out to 18% savings.

My husband already has the chase preferred card so I just looked through the statement to figure our what you guys are talking about. Thanks for all the explanations! Going to reread both posts and figure out how to proceed.

 

[spacerangerqueen]

Late to the party but wanted to share my 2020 churning experience.
In January DH did a MDD for the SW cards. He earned a (yet to be used) CP in July (maybe? can't remember since we haven't used it haha). It was nice to have a larger MSR with a long time frame since we didn't spend much while in lockdown.

We did use some points and miles to road trip up to my parents in Virginia end of May and then up to Illinois to grab my step-daughter. Then we flew her back on SW after a few weeks in FL with us.

In September we finally replaced our aging refrigerator. I had cashed out 80,000 MR in July to get a $1000 Home Depot gift card. I put the rest of the fridge on the CSR to take advantage of the extended warranty and then paid myself back for that charge with URs after it posted. Loved getting a free refrigerator!! Then we took another road trip to Tennessee using points for a rental car and hotels in Memphis and Pigeon Forge.

I got the JetBlue Plus card during it's 60k offer over the summer and used a fraction of those points to fly my son and I to Virginia to spend the week of Thanksgiving with my parents.

We also refinanced our mortgage which took most of July/Aug/Sept so no new cards then. We were able to combine our two mortgages into one, go from a 30 year with 20 years left down to a 15 year, reduce the interest rate by half, and remove our pain in my butt escrow account. It may have taken 3 months, but it was worth it! As soon as we closed I apped DH for the 80k CSP offer and we earned those points last week. Since we now get to pay our own property taxes I applied for the Hyatt card to use once we received the check from our old escrow account. So now I am halfway to a bunch of Hyatt points and you all have me considering going for Globalist!

Oh, I also closed my SW card when the 2nd year AF posted (after getting my anniversary points) and am eying that new 80k offer, but might not be able to jump on it since I got the Hyatt a month ago.

For awhile I thought it was going to be a wasted year, but I definitely got good use out of my cards and got some pretty good bonuses!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Thank you! So did DH and I got instant approval! So I am all set! Bring on those URs!

Congrats

 

[becauseimnew]

My husband already has the chase preferred card so I just looked through the statement to figure our what you guys are talking about. Thanks for all the explanations! Going to reread both posts and figure out how to proceed.

Awesome, you'll need to login to his Chase account. Here's a good explanation of how to Pay yourself back. https://thepointsguy.com/guide/chase-pay-yourself-back/

And just because he has the CSP doesn't mean you can't get your own, even if you are an Authorized User on his account.

 

[Judique]

The parties will still continue...

I wasn't even thinking about this years situation. I just wouldn't want the crowds to begin with. Daughter used a couple of nights last year to do either Ritz or St Regis, I don't remember which and I declined. She went in the season not on the holiday and they upgraded her to a suite. Took the girls around to the sites and got pics, etc.

 

[WVMomof3]

I know how to pay for your Amazon Prime membership has come up a lot on here. You can now switch your payment to gift card balance instead of the linked CC.

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amazon-prime-membership-can-now-be-paid-with-gift-card-balance/

 

[Hoosier John]

Sorry, I thought you were a regular lurker on here - you probably came over from the GC thread. John did a great job at explaining this, but I bet the $550 annual fee (AF) of the Sapphire Reserved (CSR) scared you away.

Another option is the Chase is the Sapphire Preferred (CSP). That card only has an AF of $95 and has a better sign up bonus (SUB) 60,000 Chase URs after spending $4,000 but unlike the CSR the CSP Pay Yourself Back is only 1.25.

Until 4/30/21 Groceries will earn 2pts/$1 with the CSP... So if you buy $4,000 in DGCs at grocery stores, you'll earn 60,000 from the (SUB) + 8,000 from the grocery store purchases you'll have 68,000 Chase points to "erase" those transactions which works out to $850 dollars. (68,000*.0125)

You'll save $755 ($850-$95) on Disney Gift Card. The CSR is a better deal but it took me 3 years of credit churning to be okay with paying $550 for an AF.

The $755 works out to 18% savings.

My gut tells me the CSP should be a better deal than the CSR, with the bigger SUB and 2x on groceries (which makes me think my numbers were off, originally).

My husband already has the chase preferred card so I just looked through the statement to figure our what you guys are talking about. Thanks for all the explanations! Going to reread both posts and figure out how to proceed.

Which means you can use his CSP, OR have him support you in getting your own card.

Awesome, you'll need to login to his Chase account. Here's a good explanation of how to Pay yourself back. https://thepointsguy.com/guide/chase-pay-yourself-back/

And just because he has the CSP doesn't mean you can't get your own, even if you are an Authorized User on his account.

Then you get the benefits becauseimnew pointed out plus you DH gets a 20k UR bonus (I think it 20k).
And you can transfer points between spouses if you need.

 

[afan]

Anyone have tips/tricks with Alaska Airline Companion certificates that are expiring at the end of the month? I tried asking for an extension and they said no.

I'd look at flyer talk and see if they have any info. Way more likely to find answers on the alaska thread than here since not many of us have the card or fly them. Since I fly solo I never use the pass and don't even consider it part of the card.

 

[elgerber]

I looked at our Reddit page, are there any support links for Google Pay out there?

 

[Hoosier John]

I searched MISC, and it looks like you can be the first!

 

[wanderlust7]

I think I messed up my UR daisy chain. Two of the accounts have no points, so I can't go in and delete the transfer to card that might be causing the issue. I want to transfer from my account to DH's. If I call, do I just need DH's card number? Will they need to verify with him?

 

[elgerber]

I searched MISC, and it looks like you can be the first!

But I need one myself

 

[afan]

But I need one myself

Gotta fix the formatting on my reddit but the codes there now if you haven't found one

 

[snugglebug]

Gotta fix the formatting on my reddit but the codes there now if you haven't found one

Added mine as well.

Having issues getting P2's acct to send money to mine. I'm not sure why it keeps failing.

 

[elgerber]

Added mine as well.

Having issues getting P2's acct to send money to mine. I'm not sure why it keeps failing.

and we have to send $10 to get the bonus correct? does it matter who you send it too?

 

[taaren]

Okay, CC experts ... is there ever a way to get back rewards that disappear after you close a card? I opened a Chase Disney card during one of the better offers in fall of 2019, used the initial bonus, then forgot about it for awhile because I concentrate on my airlines/hotels cards most of the time. When the annual fee date came up, I cancelled it since it had an annual fee that I wasn't going to recoup for the next year but forgot to transfer out the $78.50 Disney Reward Dollars to a DDRD card so I could use them on my next trip whenever that will be ... Has anybody found any trick to asking Chase to get them back somehow? Probably not, but if anyone would know, it'd be you guys.

 

[snugglebug]

and we have to send $10 to get the bonus correct? does it matter who you send it too?

You have to complete a transaction of $10+. Qualifying transactions are sending money to someone or making a contactless payment (Android only).

P2's phone does not support contactless payment so he needs to send money, but it keeps getting declined. I've added bank acct and a debit.

 

[elgerber]

You have to complete a transaction of $10+. Qualifying transactions are sending money to someone or making a contactless payment (Android only).

P2's phone does not support contactless payment so he needs to send money, but it keeps getting declined. I've added bank acct and a debit.

We have iPhones so I would have to send money too.

 

[Alexle2007]

I think I messed up my UR daisy chain. Two of the accounts have no points, so I can't go in and delete the transfer to card that might be causing the issue. I want to transfer from my account to DH's. If I call, do I just need DH's card number? Will they need to verify with him?

I was able to transfer via SM when I was having problems the one time. I just let them know which accounts I wanted to move from and to.