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

[MsOnceUponATime]

I heard on a podcast recently that if you have a surpass that’s eligible to upgrade, you can do the $15k spend for the free night, upgrade to aspire and get the free night there, and the $15k you spent on the surpass before upgrading counts towards the $30k on the aspire. So that would be a way to get 3 free nights on one account with $30k spend in one year. High spend but doable in a calendar year if you want those fnc’s.
Oooof - high spend!

 

[georgina]

New to me - usually with Chase if I make a payment before the statement closes, the available credit reflects the payment. I like to keep my credit utilization on a card at less than 50%. With that in mind, I made a modest payment on my new CSR Biz as I have with other cards. While the 'current balance' went down, the available credit did not reflect that. So it seems I will have a fairly high % of my available credit used until it closes in about 10 days and I can pay it off. I wasn't looking to cycle the credit, I am not planning to charge any more right now, just wanted to lower the usage. Didn't work.

 

[wanderlust7]

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal standard award increased again to 250k. Went to update my alert, but I already had 250k as the max range. Makes FNCs even more valuable. I just hope they never cap it!

 

[Princess Michele]

I reviewed the Bonvoy points rules since I am trying to quickly amass enough points for a 2026 safari. I'm glad I did because my original plan was flawed. I will point out a few of the lesser known rules in case it might help someone else's planning.

Member can receive 500K transferred pts per year.
Member can purchase up to 150K pts per year (bonus pts during a bonus offer do not count)
Member can purchase an additional 100K pts per year while booking.
Member can purchase additional 100K max through the Points Multiplier (special offer after a stay.)
Member can participate in 2 transfer transactions max per month and up to 6 per year. (A transfer transaction is sending or receiving pts.)
Account must be open at least 30 days to purchase pts.
Account must be open 30 days with a qualifying stay/activity to transfer or 90 days without qualifying stay/activity.

This is not an exhaustive list, so be sure to read the full rules carefully before making plans to transfer/purchase pts.

@djmeredith Thank you for writing this up and sharing. This will be helpful as we work on amassing our points also.

 

[DCLMP]

New to me - usually with Chase if I make a payment before the statement closes, the available credit reflects the payment. I like to keep my credit utilization on a card at less than 50%. With that in mind, I made a modest payment on my new CSR Biz as I have with other cards. While the 'current balance' went down, the available credit did not reflect that. So it seems I will have a fairly high % of my available credit used until it closes in about 10 days and I can pay it off. I wasn't looking to cycle the credit, I am not planning to charge any more right now, just wanted to lower the usage. Didn't work.

I noticed the same thing on my Citi elite card. I only noticed because I have low credit limit of 5k. I made a 2k payment, but the credit limit is still at 3k. I going to start paying attention to my other cards now.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Looking for thoughts on keeping DH's Biz Plat: AF is due Sep 19. I chatted and told 15K MR for $5K retention offer. Not sure we should take it b/c working on two other MSRs: Atmos Summit ($5K left by Nov 21) and a Delta Biz Gold ($5.5K left by Dec 10). These will take up our normal expenses for the next 2.5 months.

I do have a property tax bill and was considering putting that $5k in my personal Hyatt CC because that would earn the FNC and 2 elite nights, because I'm going to end up only 2 nights away from Globalist this year. Though I could just do a 2 night mattress run and then put the $5K in the Biz Plat...

It's hard not knowing whether the coming changes will be worthwhile. Can't use the wireless credit, the $200 airline credit will go to Delta if that still works, the $150 Dell is tough but I could probably get near face value. The Hilton quarterly credit goes to pretty overpriced food so I'd consider that 3/4 of face value at best. So that's about $500 in value plus whatever comes next (maybe $600 FHR credit?).

As I write this I'm thinking I could do it all by hitting Staples/Office Depot during VGC sales with my Hyatt card to get the $5K that way. But Is it worth going through the hassle?

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Received the letter from American Express regarding my application for the no fee Hilton Honors card.
I had closed the Hilton Honors Surpass card on 7/28/25 and applied for the no fee HH on 8/29/2025.

I was not approved for the no fee card so I called Amex and as stated as a possibility by @wanderlust7, my Surpass had not cleared my account. The CSR I spoke to confirmed this but did not proceed to help clear the card, (I did ask) rather suggested I reapply in the future.

The Amex cards I hold are 1 business Bonvoy about 7 years old, 1 personal MR earning credit card from the 90ties, and two personal Bonvoy cards, one I've had 7 years and one I've had 25 years. The total is now 4 credit cards. I expect the Surpass to finally disappear sooner or later but meanwhile I app'ed and was approved for a Chase SW card. That msr is gone this week.

The letter I received stated that 'According to our records, you currently have the maximum number and type of American Express card accounts that we allow.'

So, American Express also counts the Amex branded business cards you have. Since I'm in it for the long haul, I'll app for another honors card when we get into October. I want to add to my small stock of HH points and I might as well grab them where I can. I'll push Aspire out further, now possibly end of 2026, keep it a year or so and then go back to the basic card, or tempt fate and try for something else. It's a slow game for me but I don't burn points very quickly. Just like to have them when I want to use a few.

I went pending, then denied last year for "too many of card type." Same as you, I'd closed a card but it hadn't fallen off yet. I called and asked them to reconsider, they did and was approved. So if you don't care to wait, perhaps call and use the words "reconsideration?" Especially if that Honors card has any quarterly credit you'd want here in September.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I reviewed the Bonvoy points rules since I am trying to quickly amass enough points for a 2026 safari. I'm glad I did because my original plan was flawed. I will point out a few of the lesser known rules in case it might help someone else's planning.

Member can receive 500K transferred pts per year.
Member can purchase up to 150K pts per year (bonus pts during a bonus offer do not count)
Member can purchase an additional 100K pts per year while booking.
Member can purchase additional 100K max through the Points Multiplier (special offer after a stay.)
Member can participate in 2 transfer transactions max per month and up to 6 per year. (A transfer transaction is sending or receiving pts.)
Account must be open at least 30 days to purchase pts.
Account must be open 30 days with a qualifying stay/activity to transfer or 90 days without qualifying stay/activity.

This is not an exhaustive list, so be sure to read the full rules carefully before making plans to transfer/purchase pts.

Also, thanks for writing this up. What was your original plan and how are you pivoting?

Has anyone done a Greece / Turkey trip?

We did a Greece trip in 2018- our first to Europe. It feels crazy the first time was just seven years ago. We did just the Greek Islands- Santorini and Naxos. Sorry, no East Coast recommendations- we flew ORD-LHR-Santorini on British Airways, which I think is only a seasonal flight. But I would peek at flying blue.

Good morning!

I am currently at 4/24... I just now saw that there is an offer for the IHG Biz card that I'd like. I currently hold an IHG Personal.

However, I had applied for the IHG Biz back in March 2025 and got denied flat out (I had a handful of Inks open at the time, although I cannot remember what they gave for the reason for the denial). Right now I have only one Ink open.

That denial was my first outright denial so I am wondering if you feel I should be safe to apply for the Biz again or no? I am not sure of best practices in this situation.

For sure, apply. I feel like Chase has loosened up quite a bit.

According to what a Citi employee said is that they are targeting people that submitted high HHI. I guess the link has caused a lot of fraud, "people" got high credit limit and charged it up and aren't real people?

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/1n8f77t/comment/ncg5bmm

I used the 100K link, used a lower HHI than my previous Citi application and no issues with my account.

Not caught up in this, but curious what people are considering HHI?

 

[palhockeymomof2]

New to me - usually with Chase if I make a payment before the statement closes, the available credit reflects the payment. I like to keep my credit utilization on a card at less than 50%. With that in mind, I made a modest payment on my new CSR Biz as I have with other cards. While the 'current balance' went down, the available credit did not reflect that. So it seems I will have a fairly high % of my available credit used until it closes in about 10 days and I can pay it off. I wasn't looking to cycle the credit, I am not planning to charge any more right now, just wanted to lower the usage. Didn't work.

I have read reports of this elsewhere. If the concern is your credit score, since it’s a business card it wouldn’t affect it.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

its been a few post back but the WC "buying opportunity" is opening soon first wave comes 9/10
https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments...ek-to-go-before-first-phase-ticket-sales-open

We have been wanting to plan a Mexico City trip, and they are hosting the opening game, so I am going to enter the lottery and see what happens. Thanks for posting this.

Sounds like first chance to enter the lotter is 9/10-9/19. Sounds like there's no benefit to entering the second the lottery opens during this period: "Timing of a fan’s entry into the Visa Presale Draw during the entry period will not impact the fan’s chances of success"

 

[becauseimnew]

Also, thanks for writing this up. What was your original plan and how are you pivoting?


We did a Greece trip in 2018- our first to Europe. It feels crazy the first time was just seven years ago. We did just the Greek Islands- Santorini and Naxos. Sorry, no East Coast recommendations- we flew ORD-LHR-Santorini on British Airways, which I think is only a seasonal flight. But I would peek at flying blue.

For sure, apply. I feel like Chase has loosened up quite a bit.

Not caught up in this, but curious what people are considering HHI?

Looks like people with HHI of $100K have been locked.
Fingers crossed my card doesn't get locked. I've stopped using the card, won't finish the spend until I feel like I'm in the clear. I just paid down my balance and my statement is scheduled to close tomorrow. Looks like people are getting locked when their statement closes, hoping the $0 balance on my card keeps eyes off my account.

 

[mmmears]

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal standard award increased again to 250k. Went to update my alert, but I already had 250k as the max range. Makes FNCs even more valuable. I just hope they never cap it!

This just makes me so sad. Like it wasn't high enough already?

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Not sure if everyone has already heard about the massive HH devaluation today. It is making HH points considerably less valuable, at least to me. This is the second (devaluation) this year, with the first being in May.

My beloved Grand Hotel Victoria Lake Como went from 140k HH pts / night to 170k / night. So glad that I booked my stay for next May several weeks ago.

I have a stay at the Hotel D'Inghiliterra in Rome at the end of the month that I was going to cancel and instead head to Sorrento to visit the Amalfi coast. But with the devaluation I'm thinking I'll stick with Rome and do some day trips outside of the city (Orvieto and maybe Abruzzo). Decisions, decisions.

 

[wanderlust7]

Booked the Park Hyatt Los Cabos while waiting to see if more nights open at the WA. They just pushed back opening again, so I got a call. Was offered to move to the Cape or a different date. Decided to cancel. I asked about courtesy points and they gave me 20k. DPs on FT are 10k, so I'm happy about it.