I love credit cards so much! v4.0 - 2021 (see first page for add'l details)

[Killer Fish]

Hmmmm...new SW Biz card that was approved for P2 yesterday not showing up in list of accounts. Hopefully I can get those merged through secure messaging. P2 does not like having to call anyone.

 

[Arcades]

I’m looking forward to starting this journey of earning tons of points. I am a nerd with an earned doctorate, so I am eager to learn and know I can do it with your help.

I recently was approved for the
10/21 Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
(** I need to spend $5k in 3 months to get the bonus. I know I should have asked here before applying, but did it late at night. I haven’t gotten it in the mail yet.)


I have the
Chase Disney Visa (this is my only experience with CC rewards, owned for 8 years)
Chase Freedom Ultimate Rewards (owned for 16 years)

Bank of America just changed my Accelerated Rewards American Express® Card to a Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Visa Signature. I just activated it today. (Owned for 14 years)

Right now, I believe my wife is an authorized user on all cards.

GOALS:
I‘d like to earn travel rewards and cash toward a car down payment.

ABOUT ME:
There are four in our traveling party, two adults, two kids.

Our budget is about $6,000 a month, but would need coaching on how to use CC for my bills that current are automated.

I’m heading to WDW in 7 days and would like advice about which card to use. I usually charge everything to one card. (We also have over $400 in Disney Rewards and some gift cards for this trip.)

Oh, we do have a Target Redcard and have bought a few gift cards from there in the past.

We are DVC members, so won’t be paying for our room. Currently our monthly dues come out of our checking account.

Immediate questions:
1. Tips on reaching the minimum spend On the Bonvoy.
2. I know next to nothing about Plastiq. I don’t have an account.
3. How should I pay for food, gas, and stuff for my upcoming trip (Gift cards from Target? The new Bonvoy?) I have cash in vacation savings acct to pay it off.


Thanks for your help.

The big question is whether you want to explore business credit cards or just personal credit cards. If you're willing to engage the former, here's some advice I posted previously for a user interested in business credit cards:

Business credit cards are offered to businesses. The application will have a section for the business applying and the underlying officer or owner that looks very similar to a personal credit card application. Individuals, even those without real businesses, can apply for business credit cards using their SSN as the Tax ID number and applying as a sole proprietorship (your title would be "Owner"). If you were ever asked what your business is, you could say you sell things on Amazon. Personally, I say my business is "[my real job] consultant". For business income, list at least $1,000 (I use 10% of my actual income). For time in business list 1 year -- this way you can say it is a new business and your business income is your anticipated income (e.g. no business tax returns filed). I have never been asked any of these questions by Amex or Chase -- and only once was I asked to confirm my business mailing address (same as my home address).

5/24 refers to Chase's credit card restriction that you can only be approved for 5 personal credit cards (across all credit card issuers) in a 24 month time period. If you reach 5/24, then Chase will automatically deny you for new credit cards (business or personal). Amex business cards do not report to your personal credit, so Chase doesn't count them towards the 5 card limit (Chase also does not count their own business credit cards -- which is why you see members here applying for their business Ink products regularly to get more cards).

It may seem intimidating at first, but business cards are the real secret to maximizing credit card rewards because you double or triple the number of sign up bonuses you can get over time (particularly with Amex's 1 bonus per card per lifetime rule and Chase's 5/24 rule). Most issuers have business credit cards and most don't count towards 5/24 (Capital One being the exception amongst major companies).

Adding an authorized user to a personal credit card will count against 5/24 in Chase's initial consideration of an application, but you can ask the reconsideration agent to ignore it. The point being, you should probably cease adding your wife as an AU to any more cards if you're going to want to do this in two player mode. If both of you targeted Southwest Companion Passes through points, you could each add a child and fly for half price to anywhere Southwest goes.

Card specific advice will really depend on your willingness to do business cards or not.

 

[calypso726]

You have room in your suitcase for me? All those trips sound great!

Always! There are pros and cons to being married to a PlanePrincess. It’s a lot more points to travel in first whenever the flight is over 2.5 hours So lots more churning to generate points. One of the pros is you get extra baggage allowance

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Kind of wish I had waited a bit on that CIC now! Was looking to refer DH for a Southwest card since we'll be booking flights in early December for our July 2022 trip. The CIC spend is already a little high for us, and I'm not sure that I want to MS, so I guess I'll just think on it for a little bit. Maybe wait a month and then have him apply so there's less overlap in the minimum spend months?

Does anyone know if these new benefits get retroactively added to existing cards? The early bird check-ins would be nice for our trip, so if I don't get this benefit on my card, that might push me over the edge to get DH his own card before we book flights.

I can say for certain DH was approved for the SW Performance Biz card on 10/11. I copied and pasted the benefits at the time, and they were not the new benefits. When I log into Chase today, it lists the new card benefits, including the $500 transfer credit. (Note the Perf Biz does not get EBCI credits). I just transferred points from one of my children's accounts to DH's account. I'll report back when the credit posts.

 

[Judique]

Are there limits on which Hilton cards you can get if you've already had certain Hilton cards? Or is that just Marriott?

With Amex, if you've had a card they can still approve you to get it again, but, having had it there is a chance of getting the pop up. The pop up may mean no bonus, so many abort the application at that point..

There is another possibility to get the bonus and that is if you had the card many years ago, or a 'lifetime' ago. Lifetime is indeterminate but I've heard 7 years mentioned.

The best way to find out is to apply.

As far as I know, there are no limits on having Hilton cards.

 

[iujen94]

I can say for certain DH was approved for the SW Performance Biz card on 10/11. I copied and pasted the benefits at the time, and they were not the new benefits. When I log into Chase today, it lists the new card benefits, including the $500 transfer credit. (Note the Perf Biz does not get EBCI credits). I just transferred points from one of my children's accounts to DH's account. I'll report back when the credit posts.

Please do! I read some language that made it sound like you only got the credit when you were transferring FROM The account that had the credit card, but it was just a blog summary, and I haven’t gone to look at the official southwest language.

 

[becauseimnew]

Please do! I read some language that made it sound like you only got the credit when you were transferring FROM The account that had the credit card, but it was just a blog summary, and I haven’t gone to look at the official southwest language.

That's how I understood it, but hopeful for the data points.

 

[catsinawindow]

I can say for certain DH was approved for the SW Performance Biz card on 10/11. I copied and pasted the benefits at the time, and they were not the new benefits. When I log into Chase today, it lists the new card benefits, including the $500 transfer credit. (Note the Perf Biz does not get EBCI credits). I just transferred points from one of my children's accounts to DH's account. I'll report back when the credit posts.

Yeah, my question was answered by SW later that day when they sent an e-mail saying that my card would be getting these new benefits. But, I mentioned the SUB and new benefits to DH and he was enthusiastic about getting the card, it sounds like I'll be referring him anyway. He's probably right that we won't have trouble meeting the minimum spend on this card and the CIC with the holidays coming up!

Also curious to hear if you get the credit transferring points (this only applies to the business card, right)?

 

[Thumper99]

Hello all. The new offer from Southwest airlines for possibility of 100,000 points looks to be great! I currently have a Southwest plus card. But I’m thinking I would like to refer this offer to my husband and then we would work on the companion pass through that offer. He is a card holder on my current account so could I even refer the offer to him and still get the 20,000 referral bonus points? Am I thinking about this correctly? Thank you for any help!

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Please do! I read some language that made it sound like you only got the credit when you were transferring FROM The account that had the credit card, but it was just a blog summary, and I haven’t gone to look at the official southwest language.

You're exactly right, that is the specific language, which makes what I did a bit of a gamble. But I really don't see how Chase will get that specific detail, but maybe I am naive? I paid $60 to transfer 6,000 points from a child account to DH, so we will see in the next day or so if it credits.

Southwest® $500 Fee Credit for Points Transfers: A statement credit will automatically be applied to your account as reimbursement for fees associated with using your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card to transfer points to another Rapid Rewards Member or a pre-selected charity chosen by Southwest with an active Rapid Rewards account, up to an anniversary year maximum accumulation of $500 in reimbursed transfer fees. Anniversary year means the year beginning with your account open date through the first statement date after your account open date anniversary, and the 12 monthly billing cycles after that date each year. If you switch to this product from another Chase credit card your account open date is the date the switch to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is completed. Statement credit(s) will post to your account the same day your point transfer fee purchase posts to your account and will appear on your monthly credit card billing statement within 1-2 billing cycles. Account must be open and not in default at the time the statement credit is posted to your account. Statement credits will be issued for the anniversary year in which the transaction posts to your account. For example, if you transfer points and Southwest does not post the fee transaction until after your current anniversary year ends, the cost of the fee will be allocated towards the following year’s maximum of $500 in reimbursed transfer fees. Points can be transferred with a minimum transfer of 2,000 points and a daily maximum of 60,000 points.

 

[becauseimnew]

Hello all. The new offer from Southwest airlines for possibility of 100,000 points looks to be great! I currently have a Southwest plus card. But I’m thinking I would like to refer this offer to my husband and then we would work on the companion pass through that offer. He is a card holder on my current account so could I even refer the offer to him and still get the 20,000 referral bonus points? Am I thinking about this correctly? Thank you for any help!

yes, even if he's an authorized user on your account he's eligible for his own card and you'll ear the bonus.

 

[jujubiee4]

I do not see it yet. Can anyone tell me if I am thinking of this wrong? Like I said earlier, the Paypal double dip thing is confusing me. Am I wrong in interpreting it as $1500 max with Walmart/ Paypal AND $1500 top category? But I am thinking if you double dip the top category with the Paypal then it would only be $1500 max total? So $75+$75=$150 in 2x5% awards vs $135 in 9% awards? So better to max twice vs piggy backing? Or am I just confusing myself more?????

I'm completely confused. I have the freedom flex. So if i max the 1500 for Walmart and get the 5x can
I also get 5x for regular grocery stores? There seems to be so many different opinions on how this works.
I was on hold with Chase last night and got tired and hung up. So I just sent them a message.

Also is it just automatically added? Do we have to activate like the walmart/paypal offer?

 

[DisMommyTX]

I am currently at 3/24. Next priority is earning the SW CP for 2022-23. My plan was to get a single SW personal or biz premier card in Dec, whichever had the highest bonus to help get to 125k. Now I really want to MDD two personals (elevated spend is doable), but that would put me 5/24 locking out biz options until June 2022. It probably isn't too big of a deal as P2 would still be eligible, but I hate eliminating options. 200k SW would probably be worth it for 6 mo, right? Maybe I should grab another biz now just in case. It's been 4 months since my last one, and just finished the spend on P2's newest card. Thoughts?

 

[MinnieMay]

I have a CFF on which I am still using the 12 months of 5X grocery incentive. I am thinking for Q-4, if my highest spend category is groceries, I will end up with another 9X bonus (as happened when groceries were one the quarterly categories earlier in the year.) Do others agree? I just have to make sure my grocery spend > walmart/paypal? Do they count spend over the $1500 max? So many questions, lol

 

[wanderlust7]

A few weeks ago, I received a retention offer on the Bonvoy Brilliant for spending $1500 in 3 months. So, I brought that card instead of the slew of Disney GCs I have over the WDW 50th anniversary trip with me. Knocked out the spend and it's back in the sock drawer until next month for the dining credit.

What was the retention offer on the Brilliant? Will have to try for DH's soon.

 

[platamama]

Ok, my turn for which card next and for which player.

P1 - 03/24
CIU 07/21
DiscoverIT 03/21
Amex Plat 11/20
Hilton Surp 05/20
CIU 01/20 (downgrade from CIP)

Holding:
CSR (no plans to mess with this, my fave card)
Amex Gold (will ask for retention, but got 10K MR in 2020, I like this card)
IHG (totally forgot to churn)
Bonvoy Biz (I like this card for status/FNC)
CIC (will hold for biz expenses)

P2 - 1/24
CIC 01/21
CIU 02/20
DiscoverIT 02/20 (planned to close, but I did make use of some Q3 here after maxing mine. Would like to churn.)
CIP 11/19 (I want to keep one CIP and it looks like it's this one)

Holding:
Amex Surpass
Chase Freedom
*Eligible for CSP/CSR in July so plan to keep at 3/24 for that.

I like to remain at 4/24 so I can get Biz cards or if a great personal comes around. I highly value UR, we do enough dining out that with PYB I can cover most softball travel expenses that way. We only fly SW, it's just easy. I prefer Hilton for hotel, then Marriott. I know Hyatt is great, but I don't have that option in most places we end up. We both hold CPs through the end of this year and I'd like another, but at the same time it's easy enough to get UR and transfer those over. If we CP again I think priority is me (P1) as I'm more likely to fly off somewhere with a kid or two. I do rent cars in Orlando (preference to National thanks to CSR).

Upcoming travel:
Disney in January, hopefully. That trip is half booked and a total mess so maybe I'm fine canceling it. Army is not making my travel life easy at all.

I want to do a family trip somewhere, anywhere. In my dream planning I would have points to cover rooms for everyone (5 adults, 2 teens) and maybe airfare, car if needed, etc. Colorado, Hawaii, Costa Rica are near the top of my list, kids want something outdoorsy not beachy, maybe a cabin somewhere. This is actually something I want to do every other year to bring the family together as we get more spread out. Dreams.

Lots of softball, but most of those tournaments are usually pay to play so have to be booked through them. The need for UR is never-ending. But, maybe a cashback card would be good here as well.

Thoughts:
I'm watching datapoints in the Biz Plat. If the Adobe credit works for my plan I'm highly considering that card. I don't exactly have a use for MR other than transfer to Hilton, but I'd be fine cashing out for HomeDepot GCs to be honest, lots of home improvement going on around here. I've been hoping one of us would get an upgrade offer to Hilton Aspire. I've already held it, but P2 has not. I think if he doesn't get an upgrade offer by the time my diamond status ends than I may just have him app for that. My pre-Covid plan was to use Hilton in Hawaii and/or Costa Rica.

I do like to have hotel status. I try to book via hotel points or cash so that I get my status recognition. I have been almost bumped from my hotel at a tournament in a town where I know most everything was booked. I had to argue to get the room I booked (vs one too small for us), I did use my status in my argument even though I had booked that one via Chase/Expedia. I don't want that stress.

I have a bad addiction to UberEats, or even DoorDash. It's a Monday night thing unfortunately. Getting dinner delivered to the kids allows us to grocery shop and date night so it's a win for everyone really. The Uber Cash from Gold and Plat will be missed, I can't keep both cards.

My only cards have ever been NFCU, USAA, Chase, Amex and Discover. I've not branched beyond that, I did get denied BOA last year.

I have a $9K payment I'm getting ready to make soon so it's time for a card.

I think @Arcades makes good points about the Biz Plat. I'll add some more. It's even better if you open one, refer P2 to an Amex card of your choice (I got a $0 AF biz card for P2) using the current support offer of 15K MR plus 4xMR on all spending up to $25K spend (exp. 12/1/21). That way, you'll be stacking MRs on top of your SUB. And there's also a current offer to add employee cards (green ones are free) and get 20K MR for $4K spend per employee card up to 100K MR total. If you have five employee cards to max out that offer, you could rake in MRs.

In my case I got a 150K MR/$15K MSR SUB targeted offer. P2 got an Amex card using my link, so that I could get the additional 4xMR. P2 has an employee card from my Biz Plat. So on that employee card, I'm getting 20xMR per dollar on the first $4K spend: 10x from SUB + 1x regular earning + 4x supportal + 5x employee card.

You get automatic Marriott Gold and Hilton Gold by holding the Biz Plat (just make sure to enroll).

You could pick Southwest as the airline for the $200 airline credit. When you use MRs to book flights with the Biz Plat, then you would get 35% points rebate on your chosen airline. Additionally, First or Business class fares on any airline also qualify for the 35% points rebate.

If you'd rather have the SW CP, then the new offers look great too.

 

[wanderlust7]

I am currently at 3/24. Next priority is earning the SW CP for 2022-23. My plan was to get a single SW personal or biz premier card in Dec, whichever had the highest bonus to help get to 125k. Now I really want to MDD two personals (elevated spend is doable), but that would put me 5/24 locking out biz options until June 2022. It probably isn't too big of a deal as P2 would still be eligible, but I hate eliminating options. 200k SW would probably be worth it for 6 mo, right? Maybe I should grab another biz now just in case. It's been 4 months since my last one, and just finished the spend on P2's newest card. Thoughts?

The SW offers end 12/7. If you do a biz now and then the MDD, that's less than 2 months in between. Feels risky to me. A biz then one of the personal SW might go through fine. I think the second personal will be iffy.

Getting to 5/24 until June doesn't seem bad. Since if you're usually going at the 3 months pace, if you got one soon, next would be Feb, then May. It's like you're getting the one you'd get in Feb earlier and then the one you'd get in May only a month later.

 

[chattadisser]

Just to add a datapoint out there. My AF came up on my Am Ex Delta Plat and I called about retention. Offered 15K Skymiles for $1K spend in 3 months. Took this offer. Delta is our primary airline where we live and I value this card when we have 4 traveling on it. Just in case you have an AF coming up on this one.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Since fall is traditionally the time I applied for new cards, I have quite a few AF coming up. Is it worth reaching out to all of them for retention offers?

Barclay AAviator Personal (2017) - Thinking of ditching this and possibly trying to churn.
CSR - (2016) The never ending debate of the MDD. Want to see if I can get an offer, otherwise, might downgrade. EEEK!
Surpass (2017) - Keeping as I normally get the FNC out of it each year.
Barclay AAviator Biz (2020) - Was originally going to keep, but since the reduced mileage airports are gone, thinking of ditching it (churn someday)
Bonvoy Boundless (2020) - want to ditch, but I think Marriott is waiting to extend my FNC until I pay the AF for the year. GRRRR!

Anyone have luck getting offers on any of the above (and yes, they are all Sept/Oct open dates, LOL).

 

[becauseimnew]

I am currently at 3/24. Next priority is earning the SW CP for 2022-23. My plan was to get a single SW personal or biz premier card in Dec, whichever had the highest bonus to help get to 125k. Now I really want to MDD two personals (elevated spend is doable), but that would put me 5/24 locking out biz options until June 2022. It probably isn't too big of a deal as P2 would still be eligible, but I hate eliminating options. 200k SW would probably be worth it for 6 mo, right? Maybe I should grab another biz now just in case. It's been 4 months since my last one, and just finished the spend on P2's newest card. Thoughts?

Option 1: If you went with 2 personal cards : 224K RRs, $24K MSR.

Option 2: Performance Business card, earn 85K RRs for $5,000 MSR. Plus 1 personal card, earn 112K RRs ($12K MSR). 197K RRs for $17,000.