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

[mom2febgirls]

I apologize for the brief answer, but in your situation I would look at the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the AMEX Platinum Card. Sapphire Preferred has an all time high 100k sign up bonus right now. The Platinum card also has an amazing offer right now. You may be able to use card match, or AMEX’s prequalified tool to pull up the 125k MR offer for their personal platinum.

Welcome!

I'd say go with either Chase or Amex for points. You can book most airlines with their points and it will give you more flexibility since you won't be tied down to just one. With the new 100K CSP offer, I think it's a great time to get one. It's also handy since it has no FTC. My personal preference is for either an Amex Plat or a CSR for traveling abroad, but between the SUB and the lower AF the CSP is a real winner right now.

Don't get an AU card for your spouse and then you can get more cards. There are different ways to turn those points into flights to Europe. In the past few years we have used credit card points (sometimes Chase, sometimes Amex) to get lie-flat business class seats to Europe on 4 different airlines.

Hope this helps.

Thanks. Is there somewhere I can find a good explanation of how to use the CSP rewards?

 

[iujen94]

Thanks. Is there somewhere I can find a good explanation of how to use the CSP rewards?

Maximizing points can be stressful (to me, anyway!) - you’ll hear of people booking first class seats to Fiji and blah blah blah. I haven’t made all that work out (although I think we will have enough United miles to fly premium economy to Switzerland next summer, so I’m excited about that!) I’ve decided not to stress about getting THE absolute best value and not try to keep up with the magical redemption stories and just focus on how *I* want to use the points. I’ve used them for SW many times (1 Ultimate Reward = 1 SW point). If you ever stay at Hyatt hotels, that’s an easy redemption that can give you a ton of value. 1 UR = 1 Hyatt point, and there are lots of REALLY nice Hyatt hotels that are 15k points per night. You can also transfer to United. Those are the 3 that I’ve used, although there are others.

I’ve also booked travel through the Chase travel portal where 1 UR = 1.25 cents, so you could book $125 in travel for 10,000 points. It’s basically an Expedia type website for flights, hotels, cars, activities, etc. (in fact, I think it actually is run by Expedia), but you can pay in dollars or URs.

The other big thing that people have been able to use URs for recently is “pay yourself back,” where you can basically wipe out certain categories of expenses (like groceries and home improvement stores), again at a rate of 1.25. That currently has an expiration date of October-ish, I believe, but it may be extended.

If I were you, I’d get the CSP for yourself to get the awesome 100k UR bonus, then refer your DH to the CSP. He’ll also get the 100k UR bonus, and you’ll get 15k for referring him. (Apologies if I’m reiterating advice you’ve already been given!)

 

[trenty]

Regarding the CSP 100,000 offer. DH held the CSP previously. It was closed in July of 2017. I don't remember exactly when he got the SUB, but it was probably towards the end of 2016 since we only held this card for a year.

He would be eligible for the 100,000 SUB if he applied - right? Has the 48 month rule changed? Should we wait until August to apply? I don't mind waiting even longer as long as this offer sticks around.

 

[iujen94]

Regarding the CSP 100,000 offer. DH held the CSP previously. It was closed in July of 2017. I don't remember exactly when he got the SUB, but it was probably towards the end of 2016 since we only held this card for a year.

He would be eligible for the 100,000 SUB if he applied - right? Has the 48 month rule changed? Should we wait until August to apply? I don't mind waiting even longer as long as this offer sticks around.

It’s 48 months since he received the SUB, so sounds like he’s good to go!

 

[Limes96]

It doesn't matter. The Schwab will just go towards your 10 charge card limit. There are velocity rules for credit cards (1 in 5 days and 2 in 90), but they don't apply to charge cards. So you can do BBP first then Schwab or vice versa, however close you want. There is a rule that you can only apply for the same card every 90 days and the system counts the regular plat and the Schwab as the same card. But since your 10x is over, I'm guessing you're already past that.

Thanks! That’s what I wasn’t sure about. I’ll just have to decide if I want to risk waiting on the Schwab and also how long I can stand waiting on another chase card.

 

[mmmears]

Thanks. Is there somewhere I can find a good explanation of how to use the CSP rewards?

It really depends on what you want to use them for, when, and how.

But my shorthand is this: you can check through the credit card portals to see how many points a particular flight would cost (sometimes this is the best way to redeem for flights). You can move points from the credit card portal TO a specific airline and use their own in-house rewards system (we have found that this works well for lie-flat seats to Europe from our home airport). The downside of the 2nd option is that if you cancel, the points are now stuck as miles in that particular airline instead of going back into the more flexible credit card points bank (example: we have about 240k miles in Flying Blue right now because we canceled 2 RT seats to Copenhagen (J class) on Air France due to Covid). It pretty much works the same for hotels (as in there are 2 ways to do it). There are pros and cons to different ways to book, so we decide on a case by case basis.

My advice is to get as many Chase URs or Amex MRs as is reasonable because either one will give you the flexibility to book different hotels and flights. And, as everyone is stating, that new CSP offer is a great deal. If you get one then send a link to your spouse to get one, you are looking at a combined 220,000 points or more just based on the SUB, the link, and MSR spending . That's about enough for 2 lie flat tickets from the west coast in my experience.

 

[christineinvegas]

I got my CSR in Sept 2016 and have kept it since.

I really want this CSP.

I haven't used my $300 credit yet. Can I use the credit, cancel the card, wait 30 days and apply for the CSP?

 

[IFlossU]

I got my CSR in Sept 2016 and have kept it since.

I really want this CSP.

I haven't used my $300 credit yet. Can I use the credit, cancel the card, wait 30 days and apply for the CSP?

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you can PC your CSR to a Freedom card, and then apply for the CSP almost immediately. But first use your $300 travel credit.

Hopefully someone can confirm this

 

[afan]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you can PC your CSR to a Freedom card, and then apply for the CSP almost immediately. But first use your $300 travel credit.

Hopefully someone can confirm this

Yes. It's suggested you wait 4 days from the PC to applying.

 

[wanderlust7]

OMG! The news I've been waiting, hoping for! Hawaii interisland travel restriction ending on June 15. This is the part I was most worried about since the cheapest testing on Kauai I saw was $150, so $600 for our family of 4! Was seriously considering dropping the Maui part of our trip.

They will accept vaccination for all when they reach 60% vaccinated and drop all restriction at 70%. Not sure when they'll have the vaccine passport worked out. But I'm a lot less worried about the testing before the trip.

Happy, happy day!

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021...nation-incentives-and-statewide-travel-goals/

 

[ski_mom]

I am hoping to book my flight this month to Hawaii. I have been planning to fly out Wednesday, stay 10 nights, and fly home Sat. We will fly Jfk-Hnl so if we fly home Sat it will be Sunday when we get home.
Should I switch it to fly home Friday(getting home Sat)? It stinks to lose another day in Hawaii but maybe it will be better to have a day to recover before heading back to work and school. Plus Friday flights are much cheaper.

That's a tough call if you ask me. When we went to Hawaii, we took a red-eye back home. I think we left Hawaii around 10pm and get home (to STL) around 3:00 the next afternoon. I went to work the next day, but I'm good at sleeping pretty much anywhere, so I slept for most of the plane ride. It wasn't great sleep, but it worked for me and gave us an extra day in Hawaii.

 

[afan]

That's a tough call if you ask me. When we went to Hawaii, we took a red-eye back home. I think we left Hawaii around 10pm and get home (to STL) around 3:00 the next afternoon. I went to work the next day, but I'm good at sleeping pretty much anywhere, so I slept for most of the plane ride. It wasn't great sleep, but it worked for me and gave us an extra day in Hawaii.

Unless you are only flying to the west coast, anywhere in the midwest and east will have almost always redeye from HI. With the time change it's just how it works. When I used to work at apple vacations, I don't remember there being any flights that didn't have them. I just don't think they have the early morning flights but also most won't want to end a vacation that way. So any afternoon flight you get into the west coast late in the evening which puts you on the redeye, or you have the redeye from HI and connect to the early am flight from the west coast.

 

[Judique]

SW rapid rewards - won 100 points this morning for youngest daughter.

 

[Limes96]

In case anyone has a top golf account, they’re also running a daily sweepstakes contest on their app until June 23. We’ve been there a few times and it’s a lot of fun. The kids and I had planned to go sometime this summer so hopefully I can get a hefty discount on our visit.

 

[Psychodisney]

Remember the 5x points Chase promos? I read it as bonus on $1500 each month April through June. I now realize it was only on the first $1500 spent on each card.
I am the only one who thought they hit the bonus jackpot?

 

[punkin]

If DH is working on a MSR on his new Platinum and has 10X at grocery stores, what are the gift card restrictions to prevent the RAT? I want to buy some Disney gift cards to pay for tickets. Also, Platinum has a paypal credit, I believe. Can I use that for a portion of the tickets?

 

[Judique]

Remember the 5x points Chase promos? I read it as bonus on $1500 each month April through June. I now realize it was only on the first $1500 spent on each card.
I am the only one who thought they hit the bonus jackpot?

Some of the cards had a second bonus that started in May. Maybe some of your spend will spill over and qualify. I 'think' the 2nd promo was basically gas and travel on my Disney and either Hyatt or Marriott or IHG cards. Once I got my 5X disney and 5x Hyatt points I was gone. Although they are going to get me to spend $350 on the IHG to get 10% off a gift card at Best Buy.

 

[Psychodisney]

Some of the cards had a second bonus that started in May. Maybe some of your spend will spill over and qualify. I 'think' the 2nd promo was basically gas and travel on my Disney and either Hyatt or Marriott or IHG cards. Once I got my 5X disney and 5x Hyatt points I was gone. Although they are going to get me to spend $350 on the IHG to get 10% off a gift card at Best Buy.

I got the second bonus on SW and Hyatt (I think) for travel and gas. I thought the other was $1500/month. Sadly, no.

I've been putting my gas on Freedom and I put travel on CSR for the insurance. Oh well.

 

[Judique]

I got the second bonus on SW and Hyatt (I think) for travel and gas. I thought the other was $1500/month. Sadly, no.

I've been putting my gas on Freedom and I put travel on CSR for the insurance. Oh well.

And I've only put about $20 in gas in the Hybrid in the last couple of months and no travel...

Would be nice to take the card to Disney if I were going, which is not until November.

 

[Judique]

Waiting for someone to come by and wasting time..

Spam email that got through the filter: offering me an auto loan for people with bad credit. And, apply now, through their link......somewhere in a foreign country. Whole page was clickable so couldn't even copy and paste. Hope no one bites on something like that.

And, in the last few days, I've submitted online orders 4 times. I think I'm bored.