I love credit cards so much! v7.0 - 2025 (see first page for add'l details)

Curious how in-the-weeds you all get with maximizing spend. (I know I'm way more intense than your average Joe, but, for this thread, I'm probably middle of the road.)

When you have an MSR, do you just go ahead and put all spend there until it's hit? Or, do you only put your lower-return spend (items where you would only be getting 2% anyway) and continue to do your higher earn spend on those cards?

My particular use case is a DCL balance. I have the RedCard and a CIC, so I can get Disney GCs at a minimum of 9.5% return but it does require the hassle of buying the VGC and paying off the red card balance $200 a time at customer service. I'm 3 minutes from both a Staples and a Target, so not a huge commute, but still special trips that need to be taken.

OR, I can just put the balance on a card that'll only earn 1% but moves me towards spend.

It would save me a ton of trips to Target if I just put the DCL charge on this card. But, it also feels like I should only put things that would be 2, 3, or even 5% towards this spend and save Disney expenses, with the 9.5% floor, for the RedCard/CIC combo.

Also, it's an AmEx, so I can't split the difference and use this card at Staples to buy the VGC to keep some of that return.

Thoughts?

I often have more than 1 MSR card, so I'll see which has the better category. If there's an Amex or Chase offer that's more than 5%, I would use it even if it's not on a MSR card. DH doesn't like switching cards, so usually he's using the Hyatt for elite nights and FNC.

I like my armchair churning, so I wouldn't do the Staples/Target, but I do the online Disney GC deals when they come up. I think it depends on how high you put that pain factor (I put it high lol).
 
But AmEx is sensitive to buying GCs to hit spend, right? I know folks have talked about adding a GC to a regular grocery order but I was under the impression that I shouldn't load up on GC during an AmEx MSR.
I have no problem using my Amex to buy GC for my 6% on groceries or even my $20 office credit. But I wouldn't buy GC to hit spend for MSR that one is a slippery slope and not worth the risk

Edit to add all of my new cards get L3 data on my purchases. My very old cards do not.
 
I'm not an expert, but I believe from personal experience that only certain businesses tell AmEx what you purchased. The problem is knowing which ones. I had trouble with a GC purchase for MSR once, from Lowe's I think? But I have not had issues with grocery stores, hotels, other businesses.

You can see the Amex L3 data online. It's under "Show Additional Information" after you click on the transaction. I bought a Chipotle GC on my biz gold last time to use the credit, it shows "CHIPOTLE GI" (assuming GI is gift truncated).

ETA: Forgot to mention it was bought at Staples online.
 
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**DISREGARD They are already back in my account! Amazing!**

UGH
I just booked a Springhill Suites one night stay on points, but I didn't realize the website changed the date on my from my original search after I "visited hotel website" so I accidentally booked it for TONIGHT (was supposed to be September). I called the Hotel within 20 minutes (it sure took a long time for the confirmation email to come through, which is how I noticed what I had done) and she said she could cancel it for me but wasn't sure how long it would take for the points to post back to my account.

Does anyone have experience with the "how long" part?
 

Has anyone done a whale watching tour from Victoria, BC that they'd recommend? It is a lifelong dream to see orcas in the wild, so we may even do 2 tours... a sunset tour the day we arrive and then a half day tour the following morning, to ensure a higher success rate. We'll be taking the ferry over from Port Angeles as part of an Olympic/Rainier NP trip.
 
**DISREGARD They are already back in my account! Amazing!**

UGH
I just booked a Springhill Suites one night stay on points, but I didn't realize the website changed the date on my from my original search after I "visited hotel website" so I accidentally booked it for TONIGHT (was supposed to be September). I called the Hotel within 20 minutes (it sure took a long time for the confirmation email to come through, which is how I noticed what I had done) and she said she could cancel it for me but wasn't sure how long it would take for the points to post back to my account.

Does anyone have experience with the "how long" part?
Glad you got your points back. I had booked a flight for DH on SW just in case, and completely forgot about it. Got a text from MIL which reminded me about the flight, the flight had taken off already but was still able to cancel his ticket and get our miles back. Making stupid mistakes is so nerve-racking.
 
Has anyone done a whale watching tour from Victoria, BC that they'd recommend? It is a lifelong dream to see orcas in the wild, so we may even do 2 tours... a sunset tour the day we arrive and then a half day tour the following morning, to ensure a higher success rate. We'll be taking the ferry over from Port Angeles as part of an Olympic/Rainier NP trip.

I'd look at where they go out of Victoria. Never done one there, we've done one out of somewhere up by Everett that is escaping me, anacortes maybe. I'd think that one out of PA would go to better locations than one from Victoria. You want to be in the salish sea, in among the San Juan Islands. It's not uncommon for there to be orcas in Puget sound but you need to get out of there to be more likely to see them.

I'd find some and read reviews. It's not guaranteed and I don't know if there are still 3 pods that hang around, it's been around 30 years since we went. We got lucky and the 3 pods were hanging out and we saw a lot.
 
You can see the Amex L3 data online. It's under "Show Additional Information" after you click on the transaction. I bought a Chipotle GC on my biz gold last time to use the credit, it shows "CHIPOTLE GI" (assuming GI is gift truncated).
OK, I bought gift cards quite a bit this year on DH's BCP. Multiple times a month at several stores. This was to spend the $1000 so I could get the $150 credit. They were often on separate transactions, not with groceries. None of them show as gift cards - Whole Foods, Aldi, Safeway. When we lived where a grocery store had Universal gift cards, I bought thousands worth of those without issue.
 
OK, I bought gift cards quite a bit this year on DH's BCP. Multiple times a month at several stores. This was to spend the $1000 so I could get the $150 credit. They were often on separate transactions, not with groceries. None of them show as gift cards - Whole Foods, Aldi, Safeway. When we lived where a grocery store had Universal gift cards, I bought thousands worth of those without issue.
Ive not had issue either in regards to Amex offers and standard % back but I wouldnt advise anyone buy GC to meet an MSR. Many many reports of Amex not issuing sign up bonuses due to GC purchases.
 
Ive not had issue either in regards to Amex offers and standard % back but I wouldnt advise anyone buy GC to meet an MSR. Many many reports of Amex not issuing sign up bonuses due to GC purchases.

I've done it. Bought visa gc along with my groceries to meet more than one amex spend before and during covid. If there's no level 3 data there's no way for them to see it. I buy non visa/mc gc during all of my sub spends regardless of who the bank is. None of it is ever crazy amounts. Probably at some point, included a target 10% off gc online.

I still go by as long as you don't buy crazy and don't buy visa/mc gc at a store with L3 and add in something to those gc so it's not an obvious amount, there's no issue. I think it's more that they don't want the entire sub done as ms with gc.
 
I'm also kind of middle of the road. I probably wouldn't do the Staples / Target deal, but I don't have a Staples local to me, so I can't say for sure lol!

I do tend to continue using "deals" on cards when they come up. For example - I had a 10% back on insurance payments on one of my AmEx cards. I called in to pay our semi-annual auto insurance paying the first $200 on the AmEx card to max out the 10% discount and put the rest on my new MSR card. I mainly do that because I know we have plenty of non-bonused spend coming up (medical bills, etc), so I won't have any problems meeting it.
target just announced this 1752867436696.png
 
Has anyone done a whale watching tour from Victoria, BC that they'd recommend? It is a lifelong dream to see orcas in the wild, so we may even do 2 tours... a sunset tour the day we arrive and then a half day tour the following morning, to ensure a higher success rate. We'll be taking the ferry over from Port Angeles as part of an Olympic/Rainier NP trip.
I cannot speak for Victoria but flew to Vancouver specifically to see orca about 8 (?--yikes time flies!) years ago. Used Vancouver Whale Watch and was in their smallest boat-a 12 person RIB. There are strict US/Canada rules about the distance that must be kept between the whales and the boats...however the whales do not have to observe them :laughing: ...and I have a couple of amazing photos of one majestic animal quite close up. It was the most amazing day🖤🤍🐳🤍🖤. I hope you're able to find something that works with your schedule🤞
 
So I managed to squeak out one last $60 credit on my Hilton Biz before I cancelled it. I tested it at the "market" at the Garden Inn near me buying snacks. Once it credited I went back and got 2 bottles of wine, LOL. And today I cancelled it. We'll have to see what I do for the $50 credit this quarter. I was planning on using it for a stay in Nashville for a conference, but it looks like none of my people are going to the conference. So I'll likely be cancelling my room.

So now it's just meeting the spend on my daughter's Bonvoy, and then deciding what is next. I have a Marriott cert to use before 8/26. My daughter wants to go somehwhere before the school year starts for her. We thought about Cancun, but the sargasm is apparently REALLY bad. I threw out the idea of San Diego again to hit up the zoo, but she doesn't like crowds, LOL. And I'm gonna think in the summer the crowds are probably a lot higher than when I went in October. The other option is taking her to NC...and that's a trip I'm always down for, LOL.
I haven't been able to use my quarterly Hilton $$ on 2 cards.
any ideas? we have a Garden Inn , Hampton and Homewood locally but I don't believe any have a restaurant. Do they sell GC at the hotels since can't buy online.

hate for it to go to waste
thanks
I used mine in the Market area at the Garden Inn. Got snacks and then went back and got 2 bottles of wine, LOL.

Question about President Circle Status. I have it on my account through Venture X but on my latest car rental, I went to the counter and was only given choices in the Gold member area. Has anyone had this experience before?
I booked our RDU rental through the Cap 1 portal. When we landed at RDU it was earlier than our reservation. I just walked over to the PC area and picked a car. Now granted it was basically the same as what we booked (small SUV). but it was a trailhawk version. I didn't get any push back. We have another rental booked for Vegas next month and I plan on doing the same thing.

Speaking of lounges, is anyone familiar enough with LAS to let me know how easy/quick it is to travel between concourse B/C to Concorse D (all within Terminal 1) and back? It looks like our flight will be leaving from B or C (Southwest), but the Capital One lounge is in D. From a map they look to be in separate buildings, but I've read that we can travel between them without leaving security? It would be nice to get free breakfast in the lounge before our trip, but my husband also gets nervous when traveling and prefers to be near the gate...
I'm going to assume that Southwest is the same gates that Spirit was, as I know D is Deltas, and Spirit wasn't in D. Yes, it can be done. There is a lot of walking though. You do take a tram, and then walk. I want to say it was a good 20-30 mins between the Spirit gates and "The Club". The Cap 1 lounge is right by there. Last time I did it, the route was under construction, so maybe the have moving walkways now. But honestly I think Vegas has removed a lot of those. When we flew out in May, I think the wait for the Cap 1 lounge was like 45 min. We don't normally get there too much before a flight, so we didn't waste our time. You'll probably want to do the security for the D gates, and head straight to the lounge, then take the tram back to "security". Watch to make sure you don't accidentally exit, LOL. And then you'll head to your B/C gates.
 
I'm going to assume that Southwest is the same gates that Spirit was, as I know D is Deltas, and Spirit wasn't in D. Yes, it can be done. There is a lot of walking though. You do take a tram, and then walk. I want to say it was a good 20-30 mins between the Spirit gates and "The Club". The Cap 1 lounge is right by there. Last time I did it, the route was under construction, so maybe the have moving walkways now. But honestly I think Vegas has removed a lot of those. When we flew out in May, I think the wait for the Cap 1 lounge was like 45 min. We don't normally get there too much before a flight, so we didn't waste our time. You'll probably want to do the security for the D gates, and head straight to the lounge, then take the tram back to "security". Watch to make sure you don't accidentally exit, LOL. And then you'll head to your B/C gates.
Wow, 20-30 min is more than I was expecting, actually! Will have to give ourselves plenty of time to get back to the gate if we decide to hit up the lounge! Our flight is rather early in the morning (8:25, I think) so i'm hoping the Capital One lounge won't be crowded, but we'll definitely check the wait list before we Venture (haha, punny) over there.
 
Edit to add all of my new cards get L3 data on my purchases.

bought a Chipotle GC on my biz gold last time to use the credit, it shows "CHIPOTLE GI" (assuming GI is gift truncated).

ETA: Forgot to mention it was bought at Staples online.

Ive not had issue either in regards to Amex offers and standard % back but I wouldnt advise anyone buy GC to meet an MSR. Many many reports of Amex not issuing sign up bonuses due to GC purchases.

I still go by as long as you don't buy crazy and don't buy visa/mc gc at a store with L3 and add in something to those gc so it's not an obvious amount, there's no issue. I think it's more that they don't want the entire sub done as ms with gc.

Appreciate the feedback! I think I'm going to stick with only buying GCs along with stuff (like the Shoprite promo this week) but I'm not going to go buy a giant clump of DGC from Sam's/BJs. That feels too risky.
 
Bummed. We had to cancel our big trip out west (we were supposed to leave Wednesday) because DH had complications with kidney stones. At least it was 90% refundable. We probably won't be able to do this trip again until next Summer (but of course we had other trips planned) as school starts in a few weeks and my work schedule has to be set months in advance. ☹️ Anyway, I'm trying to be grateful that it wasn't something more serious and also trying to figure out if we we can sneak away for a last minute short stay at WDW of Universal or if we should just save money and wait.
 





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