I love credit cards so much!

[3 DD love princesses]

Can’t remember who but I know a few have said something about getting a Mortage. Just received an email from chase for New Mortage is 75k UR bonus. We can’t transfer ours but thought some of you here might be interested in this.

 

[WDWRook]

Pretend to book a hotel and see if the higher offer shows up just before you are going to check out.

Ahh thanks.

It does in fact do so; then I click the link and it says "page no longer available". The loophole is closing.

 

[Judique]

Heads up on coding for an IHG points and cash transaction: it does not code as Travel for purposes of the CSR. Back story is that we are planning to go to the Cal football game at Oregon State this Fall, partly because we are big Cal fans, but mostly as an opportunity to scout out Oregon State as a potential college choice for my high school DD. The hotel choices are not plentiful in Corvallis, Oregon, lol. I realize we could stay in Portland, but since our focus is on exploring the campus (as well as going to the football game), I thought it would be good to stay in Corvallis itself. There is a Hilton Garden Inn on the actual campus, but for that weekend, room prices were in the $300s per night, which just seemed absurd to me for a Hilton Garden Inn. I also found a Holiday Inn Express that looks like it is in a good location. I did not have enough IHG points to cover both nights, but for $189 and 30k points (which I did have), I could get both nights. $189 for a two-night hotel stay seemed much better than $600+ for the Hilton Garden Inn, so I went for it. It never occurred to me that the $189 I put on the CSR wouldn't code as travel, since it was a purchase from a hotel chain. However, I only received 1x UR on that $189. I SM'ed Chase about it, and they responded that "IHG points and cash categorizes themselves as 'Buying/Shopping Clubs, Services' with Visa and MasterCard, which isn't in the bonus category." Do points purchases at other hotel chains also not code as travel? (This transaction ultimately ended up being a 30,000 points purchase to cover the second night, the way IHG does points and cash). I am pressing the point with Chase to see if they will make a courtesy adjustment to give me the extra 2x points, so I'll report back on whether I'm successful, but I wanted others to be aware of this for any future IHG points and cash transactions.

Yes, with cash and points they basically sell you points, which also means if you cancel there is no cash refund. You then have the points only - no cash back.

Good luck with Chase.

 

[miztressuz]

Ahh thanks.

It does in fact do so; then I click the link and it says "page no longer available". The loophole is closing.

Take a screenshot of the offer page with the 80k. If it's got the stmt credit too on the offer, you can try the link @peel posted for the 60k + $50 and then see if chase may match later? (since it was offered to you but then there was a technical problem)

 

[Texans_loyal]

Glad you are decided. CIP seems like great card for you!

Have you gotten signed up for DISchurners yet? If not, pm @Albort or @SouthFayetteFan to get setup. There are support links for the CIP (if you don’t already have one from your sister or someone else).

Good luck on the approval! If you get a 30-day pending message, don’t panic. It’s pretty common.

Yes, @SouthFayetteFan added me! Looking forward to learning! I have a feeling I will get the message, I will give them a call if it happens.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Late to respond, but with status match getting gold with Starwood is good - doesn't get you much at Starwood, but gets you lounge access/breakfast at Marriotts. Platinum at Marriott doesn't get you much (other than additional points when you stay - they aren't good about doing upgrades in the US) but Platinum with Starwood gets you an upgraded room more often than not. I used to be Marriott Platinum, and I got more value from it at Starwoods than Marriotts because of upgrades (including a suite at the Swan)! I'm traveling a lot less for work than I used to, so I'm only Marriott Gold this year, and will likely drop to (gasp...) Silver next year. That's one of the reasons I just cancelled my Marriott fee card, and am sticking with the SPG. Will start trying to use more Starwood properties in my travels after this year - maybe I can make it back up to Gold. If your DH can pick his hotels, I would recommend getting the SPG and then picking either Starwood or Marriott and getting to as high status as he can (sucks that nights at both don't count for status - you have to pick your poison). If he can do the SPG Biz, then he can at least get immediate lounge access while working on status.

Great insight. Thanks so much!!

I just signed up for Plastiq (someone here should be seeing the referral $ soon!) and used it for the first time. I was nervous about the process, but it was actually super easy! Now I need to refer my DH and have him use his CIP for some more payments.

Question - I used my new SPG Biz card for the payment - this should count towards the MSR, correct?

Well, I took the plunge and set up a plastiq account. I have to say I was really surprised how easy this was. All I set up so far is my Electric bill. I’m planning to pay ahead to meet MS for my SPG.
Used Dis Referral.

I hemmed and hawed about plastiq forever. Then, same as you, did it and wondered why I waited so long!

Interesting DP on /r/churning today: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/c...central_thread_week_of_april_05_2018/dwuvyuf/

Someone applied for the CIP under the 80k UR offer, SMed Chase to be matched to 100k UR because he's in a state with no physical Chase branches and therefore no access to BRM/in-branch offer. Chase actually said ok!

I am apping for DH today so I am going to try this! Will prob hit the spend in a month so then moving onto the SPG biz for him. whoop! love having a plan in place!

 

[miztressuz]

Can’t remember who but I know a few have said something about getting a Mortage. Just received an email from chase for New Mortage is 75k UR bonus. We can’t transfer ours but thought some of you here might be interested in this.

That's pretty good. Mine's only 25k, but maybe because I only have a Freedom with them (for now).

 

[Calfan]

Yes, with cash and points they basically sell you points, which also means if you cancel there is no cash refund. You then have the points only - no cash back.

Good luck with Chase.

I'm fine with that, but the points + cash transaction wasn't explained well up front. It wasn't until after I confirmed the transaction that it was crystal clear that what I was doing was buying 30,000 points. But I did understand that I wouldn't get cash back if I cancelled. I'd just get 30,000 points. We've already got nonrefundable air for the weekend, so we aren't planning to cancel. And if something unexpected comes up that prevents us from going, I'm ok getting 60,000 points back from the cancelled transaction.

Chase did make a courtesy adjustment that I already see in my UR account to give me the extra 2x points, so it's all good. Now I know for future reference not to expect 3x on that kind of transaction. And, even better, the cash amount was actually $178, not $189

 

[wendow]

Yes, @SouthFayetteFan added me! Looking forward to learning! I have a feeling I will get the message, I will give them a call if it happens.

Awesome! This thread moves so fast. I miss things

So, if you do get the pending message and decide to call, make sure you feel very comfortable talking about your "business"...unless you have a very legit business lol...Chase biz recon calls can be long and grueling so just be aware of that. Some are super comfy with these calls and others (like me!!), not so much.

ETA: I always want to tell you how much my dd17 would love your avatar. Belle is her fav and she loves the Astros. I'm from TX (and have family all over the Houston area) so we are stros fans Went to a game this past summer!

 

[babyready]

Ack! Quick help, even though I know that I should know the answer. DH used my referral link to apply for the CIP. He got the message to call and then the 30 day message in his email. Is this the call where they are probably going to check his info or will they ask him questions about his "business?"

 

[Lain]

Heads up on coding for an IHG points and cash transaction: it does not code as Travel for purposes of the CSR. Back story is that we are planning to go to the Cal football game at Oregon State this Fall, partly because we are big Cal fans, but mostly as an opportunity to scout out Oregon State as a potential college choice for my high school DD. The hotel choices are not plentiful in Corvallis, Oregon, lol. I realize we could stay in Portland, but since our focus is on exploring the campus (as well as going to the football game), I thought it would be good to stay in Corvallis itself. There is a Hilton Garden Inn on the actual campus, but for that weekend, room prices were in the $300s per night, which just seemed absurd to me for a Hilton Garden Inn. I also found a Holiday Inn Express that looks like it is in a good location. I did not have enough IHG points to cover both nights, but for $189 and 30k points (which I did have), I could get both nights. $189 for a two-night hotel stay seemed much better than $600+ for the Hilton Garden Inn, so I went for it. It never occurred to me that the $189 I put on the CSR wouldn't code as travel, since it was a purchase from a hotel chain. However, I only received 1x UR on that $189. I SM'ed Chase about it, and they responded that "IHG points and cash categorizes themselves as 'Buying/Shopping Clubs, Services' with Visa and MasterCard, which isn't in the bonus category." Do points purchases at other hotel chains also not code as travel? (This transaction ultimately ended up being a 30,000 points purchase to cover the second night, the way IHG does points and cash). I am pressing the point with Chase to see if they will make a courtesy adjustment to give me the extra 2x points, so I'll report back on whether I'm successful, but I wanted others to be aware of this for any future IHG points and cash transactions.

@Albort and I were talking about something like this with buying Starpoints through points .com, which does not code as travel on the CSR. However, interestingly, points .com does earn 3x UR on the CIP.

 

[Judique]

I'm fine with that, but the points + cash transaction wasn't explained well up front. It wasn't until after I confirmed the transaction that it was crystal clear that what I was doing was buying 30,000 points. But I did understand that I wouldn't get cash back if I cancelled. I'd just get 30,000 points. We've already got nonrefundable air for the weekend, so we aren't planning to cancel. And if something unexpected comes up that prevents us from going, I'm ok getting 60,000 points back from the cancelled transaction.

Chase did make a courtesy adjustment that I already see in my UR account to give me the extra 2x points, so it's all good. Now I know for future reference not to expect 3x on that kind of transaction. And, even better, the cash amount was actually $178, not $189

When you are doing cash and points with IHG if you have time on your hands you can shop around for the points by doing dummy bookings to find 'cheaper' points at other locations. The lowest I've found lately is 5.75 a thousand. The best deal I found was when they were selling them a couple of weeks ago directly from points.com and I bought at $5 a thousand. You can use this method to get the higher cash rooms at a better price, which is what I will do with my summer booking. When you buy and cancel, the points are in your account instantly. If you can turn it into an all points booking, you also avoid the taxes.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I just had a sinking feeling I put my bday instead of my husband's on his CIP app. I sure hope not. It wouldn't let me scroll up and look after I hit submit.

SOOOOO frustration today is that I paid for $1800 worth of summer camps. Guess how much of that went towards my SPG biz MSR? Well, only $219 that I was able to send a paper check thru plastiq for. And even that cost me the fee! SOOOOOO ANNOYING that no one takes AMEX!

 

[GlamMistress]

Had the sudden realization that I booked a 6:00 a.m. flight to MCO for October. Ugh.

Booked a night at the airport Doubletree so I don't have to get up at 3 a.m. (the airport isn't near my house).

30,000 points but whatever.

The bad news is that I'm pretty sure I'm going to eat 50,000 points because I have a room reserved in New Orleans for next month... and I've resigned myself to not going. There's a no-cancellation policy on that room. So that sucks.

I need more Hilton points. The Aspire is next up on deck, but I have to wait a couple months. I hope the bonus doesn't change.

 

[Lain]

Thanks! I just tried this. I’ll see if it works.

I am apping for DH today so I am going to try this! Will prob hit the spend in a month so then moving onto the SPG biz for him. whoop! love having a plan in place!

Good luck! Definitely worth a shot. The standard response to requests to be matched to 100k seems to be you need(ed) to talk to a BRM, but if you don't have a Chase branch in your state then how could you (have)?

 

[peel]

Ack! Quick help, even though I know that I should know the answer. DH used my referral link to apply for the CIP. He got the message to call and then the 30 day message in his email. Is this the call where they are probably going to check his info or will they ask him questions about his "business?"

Yes. They may just ask for address verification or something easy like that, but they may also want to grill you about your business (or "business"). The general suggestion is to not make the call unless you feel very comfortable discussing every aspect of the business. Take it from someone who was put through the wringer, it's not fun.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I just had a sinking feeling I put my bday instead of my husband's on his CIP app. I sure hope not. It wouldn't let me scroll up and look after I hit submit.

SOOOOO frustration today is that I paid for $1800 worth of summer camps. Guess how much of that went towards my SPG biz MSR? Well, only $219 that I was able to send a paper check thru plastiq for. And even that cost me the fee! SOOOOOO ANNOYING that no one takes AMEX!

The AMEX thing is apparently a bigger issue than I realized. We have been almost exclusively with AMEX since Oct 2016. 15 of our 21 cards over the past 18 months have been AMEX... Somehow our expenses must just work better with AMEX, I feel bad for all of you trying to hit high spends with all the "no-amex" merchants out there.

We cured some of it by buying Visa Gift Cards at our grocery store. We incurred some fees on those cards but luckily they were offset by the fuel perks we get.

 

[wendow]

SOOOOO frustration today is that I paid for $1800 worth of summer camps. Guess how much of that went towards my SPG biz MSR? Well, only $219 that I was able to send a paper check thru plastiq for. And even that cost me the fee! SOOOOOO ANNOYING that no one takes AMEX!

Why couldn't you send the entire $1800 through plastiq?

 

[speedyfishy]

SO’s CIP points are pending. The spend was hit with 4k PNC funding and $500 from giftcards.com. The other $500 was my bar fees they didn’t take Amex lol.

 

[WDWRook]

Well, looking around and thinking a bit I'd guess anywhere we will go will have a Marriott/Sheraton brand hotel or a Holiday inn. Marriott/SPG can book the Swan and Dolphine which could come in handy and there is a Marriott in Detroit we would stay at occasionally. So, I think I'll get one of the Marriott or SPG cards and start collecting points. IHG is interesting as our "dream" trip is to return to French Polynesia where we stayed at the Intercontinental; but that's a few years off.

The cards that I need to get are:

- Marriott or SPG (probably SPG)
- CIP (but not in a real hurry for it as we still have plenty of URs)
- Delta as our airport is a Delta Hub.
- Maybe IHG, not sure it needs to be now.

Delta has a current increased offer. Does that offer come around often or should I jump on it?
Chase UR's can transfer to Marriott, right? Can I then use then for an SPG hotel given their new partnership? It seems the belief is SPG card is better then Marriott given the transfer rates?

FYI - I'm at like 3/24 and tWife is 2/24. All Chase cards so far.