I love credit cards so much! v5.0 - 2022 (see first page for add'l details)

[Maryrachel713]

Welcome. It is a great hobby and it's rare that a hobby earns money!

I agree that the CSP or CSR is a great card to start with. You might log into your existing Chase account and see if there are any special offers for you with increased sign up bonuses (SUBS).
Based on your upcoming trips, sounds like a SW companion pass (or two) might be a goal for your future.

Thank you for the tip--I logged in earlier and looked. I'm back in now to write down the details and I already have 4 preapproved offers.
I'm not worried about meeting a minimum spend.

CSP is 80K points, up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.* 2X on other travel purchases.* 3X points on select streaming services.* So taking the bonus offset into account, would cost $45.

CSR is 60 k. 3x points on travel. 10X total points on Chase Dining purchases with Ultimate Rewards. (what is that?? gift cards?) $300 travel reimbursement (not sure what those conditions are) and Global Entry (which I need to get) reimbursement. Airport lounge credit (we already have access to American lounge). Taking both of those bonuses into account, would cost $150.

I already get 4x on gas and 1x on everything else with my costco card (travel is 3%)

Also does anyhow know how quickly you get a number if you're already pre-approved? I need to put a deposit down and would love to do it on a new card.

 

[wanderlust7]

How does PYB work? If you use Airbnb you get extra value per point? The portal sounds like something my husband would definitely not want to do. Can I transfer to other programs too? We actually are under contract for DVC right now so we'd use those points to stay at Aulani (one of the things we bought it for). Thank you for all the info!

You would charge the Airbnb to your card, then you can go and use points to "erase" that charge with a statement credit. Say the Airbnb is $1000, it would take 80k URs with CSP and 66.7k with CSR to erase.

As long as you have a CSP or CSR, you can transfer to airline or hotel partners. You can combine all your URs as well as those of household members.

If flights are more the priority and you were interested in the SW Companion Pass, it usually takes 2 cards to get there. You'll want to think about if you want to do that first. You don't want to get Chase cards too close together, usual rule of thumb is 3 months in between, but there can be some exceptions.

Also does anyhow know how quickly you get a number if you're already pre-approved? I need to put a deposit down and would love to do it on a new card.

I haven't tried this yet, but you can add your card to mobile wallets before you get it. What you're paying would need to accept Apple/Google/Samsung Pay though. Otherwise, the CSR is automatically expedited, other cards you can request that. Takes about 2 days.

 

[magickingdomprincess]

Thank you for the tip--I logged in earlier and looked. I'm back in now to write down the details and I already have 4 preapproved offers.
I'm not worried about meeting a minimum spend.

CSP is 80K points, up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.* 2X on other travel purchases.* 3X points on select streaming services.* So taking the bonus offset into account, would cost $45.

CSR is 60 k. 3x points on travel. 10X total points on Chase Dining purchases with Ultimate Rewards. (what is that?? gift cards?) $300 travel reimbursement (not sure what those conditions are) and Global Entry (which I need to get) reimbursement. Airport lounge credit (we already have access to American lounge). Taking both of those bonuses into account, would cost $150.

I already get 4x on gas and 1x on everything else with my costco card (travel is 3%)

Also does anyhow know how quickly you get a number if you're already pre-approved? I need to put a deposit down and would love to do it on a new card.

FYI, doctor of credit website has a link for a 70k CSR sub if you have a Chase login.

 

[Brandonius]

Hello!

I'm 19, a college student, and am hard at work starting a business and earning money. I live in so cal and most of my core childhood memories come from Disneyland. I've wanted to take a trip to Orlando since I was like... 6? But due to family and money constraints, it never happened. I'm wondering if someone can give me the lowdown on how to work towards taking a WDW / Orlando trip in 6-9 months from now, ish. Farther out is fine too, if needed. Probably me and one other sibling.

I've never missed a payment on my cards so far, and never plan to. My FICO based on my Discover portal is 727. (Down several points due to a recent hard inquiry)

Current Cards:
02/21 - Authorised user on family's CHASE rapid rewards card (highest loyalty level)
08/21 - DISCOVER IT Secured Card (18th birthday)
05/22 - MASTERCARD Apple Card
08/22 - This isn't a new app, the discover IT secured "upgraded" into the Discover IT Chrome. Basically, my credit line went up to 1800 from 500, and I was refunded my 500 security deposit.

I applied for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card yesterday but was not accepted. Have not received the info as to why in the mail yet.

Monthly card spends, estimate around $2k a month combining my freelance biz and other living expenses. (Not ready to go for chase business ink cards yet because of low reportable business income)

There are several airports in So Cal I regularly fly - SAN, LAX, ONT, and others. Southwest services all of them. My family has been at the companion pass level of the southwest card for many years. I personally would prefer a cheaper airline to Southwest - my family loves it for being able to check lots of bags. I pack light - backpack and carryon. No pref for hotels either - my family has always been Hilton honors, but that's because they like Homewood suites. I'm open to any good options that provide good value at low/mid-level.

Basically, I don't care about tons of upgrades or first-class stuff - I'm a college student that wants the most bang for my buck/points.

What cards should I work towards next and what other things should I do to expedite the process? What are the best uses of points on a trip to Orlando? Tickets are the biggest expense on the budgets I've drawn up and I can't think of any way to make those cheaper - especially since I'd want to visit around to various parks so just churning Disney gift cards won't really do it for me. Thanks for any advice you can give!

 

[Arcades]

Hello!

I'm 19, a college student, and am hard at work starting a business and earning money. I live in so cal and most of my core childhood memories come from Disneyland. I've wanted to take a trip to Orlando since I was like... 6? But due to family and money constraints, it never happened. I'm wondering if someone can give me the lowdown on how to work towards taking a WDW / Orlando trip in 6-9 months from now, ish. Farther out is fine too, if needed. Probably me and one other sibling.

I've never missed a payment on my cards so far, and never plan to. My FICO based on my Discover portal is 727. (Down several points due to a recent hard inquiry)

Current Cards:
02/21 - Authorised user on family's CHASE rapid rewards card (highest loyalty level)
08/21 - DISCOVER IT Secured Card (18th birthday)
05/22 - MASTERCARD Apple Card
08/22 - This isn't a new app, the discover IT secured "upgraded" into the Discover IT Chrome. Basically, my credit line went up to 1800 from 500, and I was refunded my 500 security deposit.

I applied for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card yesterday but was not accepted. Have not received the info as to why in the mail yet.

Monthly card spends, estimate around $2k a month combining my freelance biz and other living expenses. (Not ready to go for chase business ink cards yet because of low reportable business income)

There are several airports in So Cal I regularly fly - SAN, LAX, ONT, and others. Southwest services all of them. My family has been at the companion pass level of the southwest card for many years. I personally would prefer a cheaper airline to Southwest - my family loves it for being able to check lots of bags. I pack light - backpack and carryon. No pref for hotels either - my family has always been Hilton honors, but that's because they like Homewood suites. I'm open to any good options that provide good value at low/mid-level.

Basically, I don't care about tons of upgrades or first-class stuff - I'm a college student that wants the most bang for my buck/points.

What cards should I work towards next and what other things should I do to expedite the process? What are the best uses of points on a trip to Orlando? Tickets are the biggest expense on the budgets I've drawn up and I can't think of any way to make those cheaper - especially since I'd want to visit around to various parks so just churning Disney gift cards won't really do it for me. Thanks for any advice you can give!

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is considered one of Chase's "premium" cards, which unlocks transfer partner options and usually is given a higher credit limit. You may have to establish a personal relationship with Chase other than as an AU for one year before they will consider you for their premium products. I would suggest applying for the Freedom Unlimited card. If approved, it will earn you 1.5x UR on all purchases. For now, those UR can only be redeemed for a $0.01 statement credit, but in the future if you get the CSP, you could transfer them to Hyatt to subsidize hotel costs in the Orlando area (there are *many* Hyatts near both Universal and Disney) or to Southwest if you are not interested in staying at a Hyatt hotel.

My partner has a lower credit score for you and I was able to get the following 3 cards for her this past year to help her build credit: Chase Freedom Unlimited, Capital One Quicksilver and American Express Hilton Honors. All of those have reasonable minimum spending requirements that you should be able to meet as a college student and will earn you some cash back/travel rewards. These cards also have no annual fee, so you can keep them open long term to help build your average age of credit. For now, focus on building a credit relationship with as many banks as possible. Then, down the road you will have more options.

 

[Psychodisney]

Hello!

I'm 19, a college student, and am hard at work starting a business and earning money. I live in so cal and most of my core childhood memories come from Disneyland. I've wanted to take a trip to Orlando since I was like... 6? But due to family and money constraints, it never happened. I'm wondering if someone can give me the lowdown on how to work towards taking a WDW / Orlando trip in 6-9 months from now, ish. Farther out is fine too, if needed. Probably me and one other sibling.

I've never missed a payment on my cards so far, and never plan to. My FICO based on my Discover portal is 727. (Down several points due to a recent hard inquiry)

Current Cards:
02/21 - Authorised user on family's CHASE rapid rewards card (highest loyalty level)
08/21 - DISCOVER IT Secured Card (18th birthday)
05/22 - MASTERCARD Apple Card
08/22 - This isn't a new app, the discover IT secured "upgraded" into the Discover IT Chrome. Basically, my credit line went up to 1800 from 500, and I was refunded my 500 security deposit.

I applied for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card yesterday but was not accepted. Have not received the info as to why in the mail yet.

Monthly card spends, estimate around $2k a month combining my freelance biz and other living expenses. (Not ready to go for chase business ink cards yet because of low reportable business income)

There are several airports in So Cal I regularly fly - SAN, LAX, ONT, and others. Southwest services all of them. My family has been at the companion pass level of the southwest card for many years. I personally would prefer a cheaper airline to Southwest - my family loves it for being able to check lots of bags. I pack light - backpack and carryon. No pref for hotels either - my family has always been Hilton honors, but that's because they like Homewood suites. I'm open to any good options that provide good value at low/mid-level.

Basically, I don't care about tons of upgrades or first-class stuff - I'm a college student that wants the most bang for my buck/points.

What cards should I work towards next and what other things should I do to expedite the process? What are the best uses of points on a trip to Orlando? Tickets are the biggest expense on the budgets I've drawn up and I can't think of any way to make those cheaper - especially since I'd want to visit around to various parks so just churning Disney gift cards won't really do it for me. Thanks for any advice you can give!

Great goals! But you might need to push that target date a little further out. Maybe 18 months? Most important thing to remember as a college student is to pay in full every month. On time is great but pay in full is better. Otherwise, you aren't really getting value from the points. Establishing a great credit history now is very important.

First step for college students is your Discover. Got that covered. Next, I would recommend trying for a Chase Freedom product. I think they have a student version but I don't know that that matters. Chase wants their own credit history before approving for a Sapphire product or any cobranded cards. After 6 months of use and on-time payments, you might be able to get your own CSP or SW card.

Caution on the cheap airlines. Don't get sucked into signing up for their cards. No personal experience but my friends have the Spirit card and find their award system hard to benefit from.

 

[reliev]

KLM/air France offer on Amex platinum spend 1k or more 20k bonus points!

 

[Psychodisney]

KLM/air France offer on Amex platinum spend 1k or more 20k bonus points!

Lots of new Amex offers. Most valuable to me is UPS 35% off.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Thank you for the tip--I logged in earlier and looked. I'm back in now to write down the details and I already have 4 preapproved offers.
I'm not worried about meeting a minimum spend.

CSP is 80K points, up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.* 2X on other travel purchases.* 3X points on select streaming services.* So taking the bonus offset into account, would cost $45.

CSR is 60 k. 3x points on travel. 10X total points on Chase Dining purchases with Ultimate Rewards. (what is that?? gift cards?) $300 travel reimbursement (not sure what those conditions are) and Global Entry (which I need to get) reimbursement. Airport lounge credit (we already have access to American lounge). Taking both of those bonuses into account, would cost $150.

I already get 4x on gas and 1x on everything else with my costco card (travel is 3%)

Also does anyhow know how quickly you get a number if you're already pre-approved? I need to put a deposit down and would love to do it on a new card.

That 80k CSP offer is a great offer- as the standard offer is 60k right now. The CSR 60k offer is the standard offer.

As far as annual fees (AFs), you've got a good handle on thinking about how to recoup that cost. In addition to the stated benefits, there are often coupon offers on these accounts or special promotions chase puts out, that helps you get more value out of the card. Here's an example. If you can, start training your mind to be thinking about the GIANT sign up bonus, which for that CSP, is worth approximately $1,000. When the card comes up for renewal in a year, after that time you can choose to downgrade to a no-annual fee card if you aren't getting the value out of the AF. We often recommend downgrading, also called product changing (PC) rather than closing, so that the credit line and length of account stays with your credit history. FYI, many of us here are in the hobby for the SUBs and are less concerned about the category bonuses, because a good SUB will always beat category bonuses.

If you can't decide between the CSP and CSR, many people in your situation might go for both sapphire cards, called an MDD. There are specific instructions to do this on the reddit thread- there's timing that matters and you don't want to mess that up. Typically you can't get approved for two sapphire cards, but there's a bit of a loophole that allows for this. If the GE is the big pull for you for the CSR, there are MANY cards which provide this benefit. FYI, you can also upgrade your CSP to a CSR after the first year, if you find you'll be doing a lot of PYB or portal purchases in year 2.

I know someone else recommended this, but given your large monthly organic spend, you could easily go over 5/24 in under a year. A good way to take advantage of your organic spend is through biz cards and a P2.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Hello!

I'm 19, a college student, and am hard at work starting a business and earning money. I live in so cal and most of my core childhood memories come from Disneyland. I've wanted to take a trip to Orlando since I was like... 6? But due to family and money constraints, it never happened. I'm wondering if someone can give me the lowdown on how to work towards taking a WDW / Orlando trip in 6-9 months from now, ish. Farther out is fine too, if needed. Probably me and one other sibling.

I've never missed a payment on my cards so far, and never plan to. My FICO based on my Discover portal is 727. (Down several points due to a recent hard inquiry)

Current Cards:
02/21 - Authorised user on family's CHASE rapid rewards card (highest loyalty level)
08/21 - DISCOVER IT Secured Card (18th birthday)
05/22 - MASTERCARD Apple Card
08/22 - This isn't a new app, the discover IT secured "upgraded" into the Discover IT Chrome. Basically, my credit line went up to 1800 from 500, and I was refunded my 500 security deposit.

I applied for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card yesterday but was not accepted. Have not received the info as to why in the mail yet.

Monthly card spends, estimate around $2k a month combining my freelance biz and other living expenses. (Not ready to go for chase business ink cards yet because of low reportable business income)

There are several airports in So Cal I regularly fly - SAN, LAX, ONT, and others. Southwest services all of them. My family has been at the companion pass level of the southwest card for many years. I personally would prefer a cheaper airline to Southwest - my family loves it for being able to check lots of bags. I pack light - backpack and carryon. No pref for hotels either - my family has always been Hilton honors, but that's because they like Homewood suites. I'm open to any good options that provide good value at low/mid-level.

Basically, I don't care about tons of upgrades or first-class stuff - I'm a college student that wants the most bang for my buck/points.

What cards should I work towards next and what other things should I do to expedite the process? What are the best uses of points on a trip to Orlando? Tickets are the biggest expense on the budgets I've drawn up and I can't think of any way to make those cheaper - especially since I'd want to visit around to various parks so just churning Disney gift cards won't really do it for me. Thanks for any advice you can give!

Welcome! I would recommend pulling your credit report, perhaps from credit karma, and looking at the dates listed for those cards. Based on the info provided, you are somewhere between 2/24 and 3/24. This means you've opened 2-3 new cards in the last 24 months (yes, AU counts). Chase has a rule where you won't be approved for any new cards once you go over 5/24. My point here, is you want to be selective with your choices in the next few cards you opened.

In your situation and based on your needs, I would establish a relationship with Chase. Not sure what would be the right timeframe, but perhaps after 3-6 months of that relationship, you might want to consider applying for a Chase SW cc. Often there is a 50k point bonus with just $1,000 MSR. 50k SW RR points could hopefully knock out your flight costs almost completely!

Theme park tickets are expensive, but many of us do regularly save 5-20% on tickets by buying discounted gift cards. Take a look at that thread if you haven't already.

Once you've established a good history with Chase, do consider their business cards. They don't add to your 5/24 count and you'd be surprised at the business income needed, once you have a relationship history.

Last thing, if you do decide to apply for another Chase card like the Freedom others recommended, check for advice here on when to apply, as it sounds like you were just declined for the CSP. I'm not sure if there is a recommendation on this, and I wouldn't want you to get in a denial cycle simply because of time between apps.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

KLM/air France offer on Amex platinum spend 1k or more 20k bonus points!

ACK! Just a few days ago I was on the fence between award tickets and cash fares and had to make a pros/cons chart, lol. I decided on the award tickets and already purchased them- grrr. I have this offer on both P1 and P2 cards. At least it's through the end of the year!

 

[platamama]

This may be a premature notification, but just a heads up that people on reddit this morning are posting that Chase is no longer allowing PCs. They are being told it's a new Chase policy. Whether that's actually true, or if there's some kind of IT glitch and agents are just spouting that it's a new policy, or it's just specific cards, I think is a watch-and-see situation. If anyone here has tried in the past 24 hours, please share a dp.

I was thinking of PCing my old Chase Marriott to the Ritz card, but because of Marriott's insane rules about what cards you can get and when, I need to get a Brilliant first (but I might be subject to LL even if I cancel my current Amex Bonvoy and apply after 30 days) before I can try the PC to the Ritz... since you can't get a Brilliant if you are currently holding a Ritz. I'm thinking of going for lifetime Platinum (I'm 3 years and 300 nights away; I really need to think about if this is realistic even if I can successfully get 40 nts from having a biz and Brilliant), so holding the right cards could help a me a lot toward that since there's no way I'm making Platinum this year.

 

[Maryrachel713]

That 80k CSP offer is a great offer- as the standard offer is 60k right now. The CSR 60k offer is the standard offer.

As far as annual fees (AFs), you've got a good handle on thinking about how to recoup that cost. In addition to the stated benefits, there are often coupon offers on these accounts or special promotions chase puts out, that helps you get more value out of the card. Here's an example. If you can, start training your mind to be thinking about the GIANT sign up bonus, which for that CSP, is worth approximately $1,000. When the card comes up for renewal in a year, after that time you can choose to downgrade to a no-annual fee card if you aren't getting the value out of the AF. We often recommend downgrading, also called product changing (PC) rather than closing, so that the credit line and length of account stays with your credit history. FYI, many of us here are in the hobby for the SUBs and are less concerned about the category bonuses, because a good SUB will always beat category bonuses.

If you can't decide between the CSP and CSR, many people in your situation might go for both sapphire cards, called an MDD. There are specific instructions to do this on the reddit thread- there's timing that matters and you don't want to mess that up. Typically you can't get approved for two sapphire cards, but there's a bit of a loophole that allows for this. If the GE is the big pull for you for the CSR, there are MANY cards which provide this benefit. FYI, you can also upgrade your CSP to a CSR after the first year, if you find you'll be doing a lot of PYB or portal purchases in year 2.

I know someone else recommended this, but given your large monthly organic spend, you could easily go over 5/24 in under a year. A good way to take advantage of your organic spend is through biz cards and a P2.

Thank you, that is very helpful. I decided to do CSP because the fee is lower. My husband is skeptical so I don’t want him to freak out.

It sounds like it may be worth it to look for a card that will do GE or start trying to earn companion passes on southwest (which I don’t know how to do yet). I don’t think we could get a business card though. The specific promo link is really helpful because it gives me something more clear and concrete to note as a benefit.

How do people handle using different cards? Do you do all the spend on one and then switch to another? How do you know what card to use?

 

[Psychodisney]

Thank you, that is very helpful. I decided to do CSP because the fee is lower. My husband is skeptical so I don’t want him to freak out.

It sounds like it may be worth it to look for a card that will do GE or start trying to earn companion passes on southwest (which I don’t know how to do yet). I don’t think we could get a business card though. The specific promo link is really helpful because it gives me something more clear and concrete to note as a benefit.

How do people handle using different cards? Do you do all the spend on one and then switch to another? How do you know what card to use?

Typically, we put all the spend on the SUB we are working on. There are exceptions for example if we have good categories on the CF. Regularly we spend on our UR cards because we value those points over MR. We get new cards when we have predictable big organic spend coming.
Another card you might consider outside the Chase spectrum would be Capital one venture or Venture X. Both of those would get you your GE. Those “miles” are pretty flexible.

 

[wanderlust7]

New Amex Offers:
- Use Apple Pay 5x get $15
- Cell phone service $75 get $10 x2
- Cable/internet 10% up to $15

More niche is WM trash service 20% up to $100 on biz cards. I probably shouldn't max it out by prepaying $1000 (have it on 2 cards). That would last us 2.5 years. Feels a little extreme lol.

 

[elgerber]

New Amex Offers:
- Use Apple Pay 5x get $15
- Cell phone service $75 get $10 x2
- Cable/internet 10% up to $15

More niche is WM trash service 20% up to $100 on biz cards. I probably shouldn't max it out by prepaying $1000 (have it on 2 cards). That would last us 2.5 years. Feels a little extreme lol.

Which card was the Apple Pay on?
Cell service, do you think gift cards would work?

 

[iujen94]

Which card was the Apple Pay on?
Cell service, do you think gift cards would work?

I had the Apple Pay on my Plat but not P2’s Plat.

 

[punkin]

This may be a premature notification, but just a heads up that people on reddit this morning are posting that Chase is no longer allowing PCs. They are being told it's a new Chase policy. Whether that's actually true, or if there's some kind of IT glitch and agents are just spouting that it's a new policy, or it's just specific cards, I think is a watch-and-see situation. If anyone here has tried in the past 24 hours, please share a dp.

I was thinking of PCing my old Chase Marriott to the Ritz card, but because of Marriott's insane rules about what cards you can get and when, I need to get a Brilliant first (but I might be subject to NLL even if I cancel my current Amex Bonvoy and apply after 30 days) before I can try the PC to the Ritz... since you can't get a Brilliant if you are currently holding a Ritz. I'm thinking of going for lifetime Platinum (I'm 3 years and 300 nights away; I really need to think about if this is realistic even if I can successfully get 40 nts from having a biz and Brilliant), so holding the right cards could help a me a lot toward that since there's no way I'm making Platinum this year.

I literally PCed a CIP to CIU last week. The new card just came. This must be very new?

 

[wanderlust7]

Which card was the Apple Pay on?
Cell service, do you think gift cards would work?

Apple Pay was only on DS's Plat AU. He tends to get the offers we don't get.

If you're buying Verizon gift cards directly from VZ my guess is that it would work since it works for the cell phone credits.

 

[platamama]

I literally PCed a CIP to CIU last week. The new card just came. This must be very new?

Yes, very new, like since this morning. Some commenters seem to think it's a system error/IT problem - fingers crossed that's all it is. It's in the daily discussion part of the churning subreddit if you want to follow along.