I love credit cards so much!

[elgerber]

Does anyone else have the $50 back on $100 grocery delivery from Shipt on their AMEX? Target uses it now and they are offering a two week free trial. Wondering if I should try it for half price groceries for a couple of weeks.

 

[Judique]

I am not upset that I got DH the IHG card. We probably wouldn't stay at many hotels above 40k points, since my goal is to use these nights for when we need overnight stays for driving trips (visiting family, mostly). We love Holiday Inn Express for these types of nights because of the free breakfast. So $49 per night is still a great savings on a $150 room.

You are absolutely correct! I have been making out with it, by using it for rooms that would cost $400 plus, but I will still not lose a penny by keeping this card as I can still find 40K or less redemptions that make sense in summer close to my area.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Anyone ever had hotels.com try to take back one of your collected rewards nights from your account? I know most people here stick to specific brand chains, but I had collected two nights from a stay in March and noticed today that one of the nights was missing from my tracker. Hotels.com claims that I was refunded for that night (I was not) and therefore only completed a one night stay. They're apparently calling the hotel now to confirm that I stayed two nights. Not sure if this is hotels.com's faults or the hotel's fault (it was a crappy hotel).

Woah. Weird. Pessimist in me wonders if the hotel was trying to pull a fast one and cut hotels.com out of their commission for night 2?

 

[WVMomof3]

I have had an Amex since 2003 and have only used the 4 numbers on the front.

I only ever had to use those 3 numbers once - was an Amex fraud verification call.

Pretty much, I've only ever used it when talking to AmEx. I think that's the only use for them is internal.

I now remember I did use it online last week and it worked. I definitely would have put the back the 3 numbers in for security code because I didn't realize there was 4 numbers in the front. Should I go change my recurring charges with the 4 digit number instead of the 3?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

SO, many of you know how much I love the Amex BCP. I think 6% back on groceries for a family of our size who eats at home 99% of the time is just a great savings. I have maxed out the allowed 6k both years I have had the card. However, I now am at a place where I have not been without a MSR since last Oct. And these have been big MSR's to where I have to use groceries as part of the spend, which means, I've put very little on the BCP. I think I am just over $100 for 2018 and that has only been cause my teen picks things up for me here and there and she uses that card.

I'm questioning the point of the AF version. So, my question is, do I call and drop it down now to the 3% no AF version and if so, will I receive any prorated AF back? OR should I wait until June when my AF hits again, call and say I want to cancel and see if they offer a retention bonus?

I can't speak to the prorated AF (although my gut says you'll get nothing back so wait until June) - I'd definitely try for a retention first too. I downgraded our BCP to BCE after 1 year. I figured if I was ever without a spend bonus I could PC back up to the BCP and just pay the fee, also sometimes they'll give you a bonus/incentive to upgrade (I passed on it the last time they offered since I had significant MSR to meet at the time).

 

[DisneyMandC]

Woah. Weird. Pessimist in me wonders if the hotel was trying to pull a fast one and cut hotels.com out of their commission for night 2?

I don't know what's going on but I'm now seriously irritated. The hotels.com rep called the hotel and they claimed that they have no record of me ever staying there even though I was charged $140 for the room. I'm so mad. Hotels.com is escalating my complaint and I just sent them a copy of my Chase statement showing the charge. I told them they could either refund me in full for that amount or award me the two nights for my stay.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Seeing @SouthFayetteFan's response reminded me that I started a response to you and got sidetracked and forgot Sorry bout that. I was going to suggest one of the Freedom cards as well. He could also double dip them and get both bonuses which would be a pretty sweet deal.

Glad to see we were on the same page with advice to @AmyAnne. I think on here we get so used to steering people away from CF and CFU initially because of the more lucrative bonuses out there...we can forget that it's a FANTASTIC starter card. To a younger student, getting $150 for spending $500 would probably feel pretty awesome and the card's benefits overall aren't half bad either. Plus at that stage somebody doesn't want to have 5+ cards trying to remember which is best for Gas, which is for groceries, etc.

 

[miztressuz]

Kind of a serious question...

What do you tell people when they mention the negatives of having credit cards?

I have co-workers here at my job that are somewhat light churners and always ask me for some advice on what card to go for next. I'll give them some suggestions, but occasionally I'll have another co-worker chime in with "credit cards are bad" and "I can't believe you guys pay those crazy interest rates." I'll mention that you don't pay interest on credit cards if you pay your balance in full every month but I don't think they quite get it.

It's also the same with my family (not married). I never ever share any financial info with them about how much I make and they see me traveling all the time. They don't quite get the idea/process of churning and always give me a mini lecture about compound interest and how it's bad for you.

Anybody else been in this situation?

I think it's the two schools of thought on what a credit card is/how it should be used. There's the kind of old-school thought that credit cards are for big purchases or emergencies or basically used only for things you can't pay off in a month. If you could pay it off in a month, you used a charge card or cash. The newer thought process uses credit cards for everything (.50 pack of gum? charge it!) to either consolidate monthly bill payments/track spending and/or get the rewards for it (I'm not even sure there should be an OR in there but I do know some people with CC's that don't really earn rewards... that's just a waste of wallet space IMO)
Some people just get stuck into the "old" way of thinking I think. For me, when I first got credit, it took me a while to realize that some people actually carried balances on the CC's. When they talked of paying off a credit card it didn't hold the same idea to me since I paid mine off every month (I could barely afford what I was spending let alone interest, couldn't do it otherwise ) but they, unfortunately, had to use credit to float things they needed they didn't have the cash for. So when a co-worker was lamenting about putting diapers on a credit card because she left her cash at home, it took me a bit to realize that she still had a small balance to pay off and now her $20 box of diapers was going to be charged interest until they paid it off later that month. I was only using it to build credit, so everything I could charge I did and then paid it off at the end of the month.
My mom still does this old way occasionally and it kills me. It made sense, kinda, if you made a large purchase and didn't want to immediately deplete your savings for it just in case something else came up that required cash... but she's got a nest egg going so when I hear her talking about her CC interest rates I'm in my head screaming "You shouldn't even KNOW what your interest rates are! Why are you paying interest?!?" Then we have "the talk" about paying interest and does she need money and the answer is always no, she just didn't want to move it from the savings yet or some other tomfoolery After the talk she realizes she's silly and is good for a while but I'm sure in a year or two she'll fall off the wagon again on some random purchase. (I know she has the money, it's not white lies or old age, she just boggles me sometimes.) It puts me on the fence about getting her into the churning as I know she'd benefit since she's retiring soon and wants to travel after she downsizes the house; but it's not a benefit if she's going to leave a balance occasionally for no reason.

When I'm talking about rewards we've used, I always mention that we pay no AF and no interest so it was absolutely free money for doing something I was already going to do anyway (buying gas, groceries, heating oil, clothes, etc etc). Until recently, I didn't really pay AF's. I counted my IHG AF as a $49 hotel stay and $99 SW AF as buying SW points/flight, so both fees came out of the trip budget when it got used. So if anyone asked I would explain it doesn't cost anything extra except time and self-control to do it. If they mention paying interest is bad or negates the rewards, I say "yep, that's why I don't pay any "

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I'm sorry It makes me angry and sad for y'all. At least there is one year you can get the unrestricted certificate. I'd get all I could from it. I'm also hoping maybe there will be some good backlash at Chase over this and they will do something different. Not sure how likely that is though.

Unfortunately for those that applied recently, they won't get an annual certificate until 1 year from now...after this change goes into affect.

 

[wendow]

Unfortunately for those that applied recently, they won't get an annual certificate until 1 year from now...after this change goes into affect.

On no, really?!? I thought they'd at least get one year from it. Major bummer.

 

[wendow]

Glad to see we were on the same page with advice to @AmyAnne. I think on here we get so used to steering people away from CF and CFU initially because of the more lucrative bonuses out there...we can forget that it's a FANTASTIC starter card. To a younger student, getting $150 for spending $500 would probably feel pretty awesome and the card's benefits overall aren't half bad either. Plus at that stage somebody doesn't want to have 5+ cards trying to remember which is best for Gas, which is for groceries, etc.

The Freedom card was our first chase card some 10 plus years ago. Still a fan of that card. It's a great starter and keeper card! Totally agree with you!

 

[miztressuz]

Glad to see we were on the same page with advice to @AmyAnne. I think on here we get so used to steering people away from CF and CFU initially because of the more lucrative bonuses out there...we can forget that it's a FANTASTIC starter card. To a younger student, getting $150 for spending $500 would probably feel pretty awesome and the card's benefits overall aren't half bad either. Plus at that stage somebody doesn't want to have 5+ cards trying to remember which is best for Gas, which is for groceries, etc.

Plus I'd think this is the time to pick up the "keeper" cards so in 2 years or so when you're at a point when you want more cards, you already have the solid earner without wasting a slot on it or waiting to downgrade another card. Kind of a pyramid, build the base with cheap/free consistent earners and then throw on specialty cards on as you work to the top.

 

[CoP Luv]

This might be a little premature, but I applied and got approved for IHG only a few days ago. I haven't even received the card yet. Would it be a good idea to cancel it right away? I checked the reward chart for where we would most likely travel and no hotel that we would consider is below 40k points. So to me, this updated "perk" is useless.

What will this do to my credit? While we are not looking to move anytime soon or get a car loan, I don't want to do anything that could possibly jeopardize any future decisions.

This application put my at 3/24.

 

[JKalai]

Ha! My mother loves to chime in periodically with some comment about the ridiculous amount of money I must spend on vacations and how silly it is to get into debt. I have tried pointing out that 90% of my US domestic flights have been "free" and much of my international travel has "free" hotels etc - but she won't believe that there isn't a catch somewhere.

It is certainly more than my life is worth to try to get her into the churning game.

Just yesterday with family. Older daughter and myself will definitely churn credit cards. Son doesn't get it. Youngest daughter is caught in the middle. All of us have great credit, no balances. He was advising youngest daughter (his sister) not to get caught up in churning.

This may be the absolute best way for him to think and process, with a healthy fear of credit cards. Churning is not suitable for everyone and if this negative feeling keeps him out of credit card debt at the cost of a few hundred in freebies, that is important in the long run.

I do exactly what you did and say I don’t pay any interest & always pay on time. Beyond that I say NOTHING! NOTHING! Those people are not cut out for credit cards, so they should stay far away from this hobby.

As for family- I help them a bit with churning Chase but not intensely and it’s more guidance. I wouldn’t push it with your fam, if they’re curious or concerned and say something you can give the mini I travel on points and always pay my credit cards in full answer, or if they don’t say anything to you just don’t say anything to them. Keep it simple

Will some people silently/not so silently judge you for being what they see as so irresponsible? Yep. Can you change their minds? No. Their mind is made up- I do remember one story of a person who got their co-worker to “see the light”, co-worker then blamed said person when they went into debt You can push all of it out of your mind on the beach, mountain, theme park, national park, desert, plane, train or boat trip that you’ll enjoy solely because so many other people out there can’t wrap their heads around this and/or be fiscally responsible.

Wow, I'm definitely not alone. Thanks.

I have always separated family and financials and will continue to. I guess some will continue to have a negative opinion of credit cards even if you explain it to them or not. I moved in with my girlfriend last year and luckily she has grasped the concept and is very frugal with her money (in a good way). She is still a very light churner, but I'm thankful I have a player 2 since we are planning to go to Tokyo Disney either at the end of this year or early next.

 

[Tikitoi]

Congrats!!!!!

Thank you. Already putting the bills aside for when I receive the card...Lol

 

[Lain]

Plus I'd think this is the time to pick up the "keeper" cards so in 2 years or so when you're at a point when you want more cards, you already have the solid earner without wasting a slot on it or waiting to downgrade another card. Kind of a pyramid, build the base with cheap/free consistent earners and then throw on specialty cards on as you work to the top.

I really like this analogy!

 

[trenty]

Glad to see we were on the same page with advice to @AmyAnne. I think on here we get so used to steering people away from CF and CFU initially because of the more lucrative bonuses out there...we can forget that it's a FANTASTIC starter card. To a younger student, getting $150 for spending $500 would probably feel pretty awesome and the card's benefits overall aren't half bad either. Plus at that stage somebody doesn't want to have 5+ cards trying to remember which is best for Gas, which is for groceries, etc.

I know that there are better bonuses out there for the true churners. But for those of us taking churning slow, the CF and CFU are awesome if you want to maximize earning URs without constantly meeting a minimum spend. For everyday spending when not meeting a minimum spend, the 5X the CF gets is tough to match. I use it for things I would buy anyway, and I don't ever MS. I do not have the CFU, but it will be my next card. My thinking is to use it for categories I am not earning 5X with the CF, 2X on the CSP, Amex, or Discover IT 5x cash back categories. I won't get any new cards until I have had the Discover It for a year - trying to maximize the double cash back they offer so most of my spending goes on that right now. When the year is up I will only use the Discover It for the 5x categories.
Now if I churned like some of you do here, of course, CFU would be a card I would not be eager to get. I just can't stomach always trying to meet a minimum spend or MSing to meet a minimum spend. I give you all a lot of credit. But for me, taking it slow is the only way I could play this game.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Plus I'd think this is the time to pick up the "keeper" cards so in 2 years or so when you're at a point when you want more cards, you already have the solid earner without wasting a slot on it or waiting to downgrade another card. Kind of a pyramid, build the base with cheap/free consistent earners and then throw on specialty cards on as you work to the top.

I think this is a great point! That base of Discover, Cap1, CF will be cards you never close that will prop up the AAoA forever. I have a Discover card opened in 2002, I'm never closing that baby hahaha!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I know that there are better bonuses out there for the true churners. But for those of us taking churning slow, the CF and CFU are awesome if you want to maximize earning URs without constantly meeting a minimum spend. For everyday spending when not meeting a minimum spend, the 5X the CF gets is tough to match. I use it for things I would buy anyway, and I don't ever MS. I do not have the CFU, but it will be my next card. My thinking is to use it for categories I am not earning 5X with the CF, 2X on the CSP, Amex, or Discover IT 5x cash back categories. I won't get any new cards until I have had the Discover It for a year - trying to maximize the double cash back they offer so most of my spending goes on that right now. When the year is up I will only use the Discover It for the 5x categories.
Now if I churned like some of you do here, of course, CFU would be a card I would not be eager to get. I just can't stomach always trying to meet a minimum spend or MSing to meet a minimum spend. I give you all a lot of credit. But for me, taking it slow is the only way I could play this game.

This is a great point. AND we've recently discussed how having multiple freedom's is awesome - the easiest way to get multiple freedoms is to apply for one, then downgrade a CSP, CSR later. In 2 player mode you can actually end up with a CFU and 6 Freedoms pretty easily:
P1: CF, CFU (keep as CFU), CSP (downgrade to CF), CSR (keep as CSR)
P2: CF, CFU (PC to CF), CSP (downgrade to CF), CSR (downgrade to CF)
Boom! 6 Freedoms, a CSR and a CFU, haha!

 

[mom2elal]

Well, crud! My next anniversary night posts on 5/8. We were planning to use them for the Venetian or Palazzo this year.