I love credit cards so much!

[SBWB48]

So for those that have done the Discover bank bonus, how long did it take for your opening deposit to show up? I'm being impatient...

I did the SPG Biz 35k/$10k offer in 10/17, but Player 2 did the SPG Biz 35k/$7k offer in 3/18, and I did the SPG personal 30k offer in 4/18. So yeah, basically the same cards in order and timing!

You probably know that the Amex Hilton Biz comes with complimentary HH Gold status. We always book the lowest cash rate because we’re always upgraded to a higher floor, often enough with a view, because of our Gold status. (That, and when we’re staying at the Hilton Anaheim, we’re really there to spend the day at the parks anyway.)

We’re also offered complimentary breakfast as HH Gold guests, but we always decline at check-in and get extra HH points instead because we'd rather open up Disneyland and eat in the parks or DTD.

There's also a special line for HH Gold and Diamond members at the Starbucks in the lobby, which is nice when it’s busy and most everyone else is in the long line.

I think HH Gold members also get a bonus on the base points earned from stays and things like free WiFi.

With Amex cards that give complimentary hotel status, just allow about a week’s time from receiving the card and activating that benefit to actually receiving confirmation that your hotel status is activated.

You must be lucky, I've been HH Gold for some 12+yrs now, Earned the old fashion way of stays from my previous job's travel and hardly ever see any upgrades. I did get lounge access at a Hilton hotel in Turkey but never room upgrades. Come to think of it I have not stayed much the past two years and have over 400k points but they have not taken away my gold status, online shows Gold status but I have not gotten a new card in ages. I've always been welcomed as gold and gotten free water bottles and free breakfast.

Is there a good Hilton near WDW? Guess I should start using some of those points and some time look into Hilton CC's. We stayed at Hilton Vacation Club on points back in 2010 near SeaWorld but I regret that for all the time share calls even tho we never did the meetings or expressed any interest in their time shares.

It could be tight. I don’t know what the delivery times on the Hilton Biz are looking like, but if they’re anything like the SPG Biz cards then it could take about 7-10 days to arrive.

If you can set up an Amex account for the Hilton Biz before the card arrives, you can activate the HH Gold benefit even without the card in hand. I just checked and did the same thing for my MB Plat: Approved on 4/2, was able to set up a new account while waiting for the card, activated the HH Gold benefit that day, and received email confirmation of status enrollment on 4/5.

Back to indecision after this recent chatter about the Hilton Anaheim...

We're booked at the Hyatt House up on Harbor from 6/25-6/29 for the LA/DL of our Cali trip...I've been thinking about getting the Amex Plat if I can pull the 100K offer, which I believes gets you HH Gold Status. Originally debated on holding off on the Plat until after our trip to give it some more thought, but if I could use the additional perks of status AND the Centurion Lounge at SFO, it may make sense, esp. since I want to try to go for CP later this year/early 19, so the earlier I get the Plat, the sooner the clock starts in terms of cards dropping off in the future as well

We chose the Hyatt House since it's closer up Harbor and newer, but if HH Gold has a few perks in the name of a potential upgrade (though, @DaveL didn't seem to get as lucky as @Lain), free breakfast (we may or may not use, but Hyatt House has this so it puts them on an even playing field), and a short SB line for DH, this might be worth thinking about. I see the lowest cash rate being $124...

 

[speedyfishy]

Thank you both! I read there is no early termination fee. How long did you keep the account open?

I just got the bonus last week so I have a $1 sitting in there still. I’ll probably close in a few months.

 

[SBWB48]

Thank you both! I read there is no early termination fee. How long did you keep the account open?

I'm doing this as well, and originally I was going to keep it open for 2-3 months since there's no ETF, but with a 1.6% rate, I might keep it as another secondary hub account. I keep a few that are low maintenance since they could be useful in terms of serving as a direct deposit trigger, as long as there aren't maintenance requirements that require a ton of work since CC churning is enough work on its own

 

[mmmears]

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome. I feel overwhelmed just thinking about all of this, TBH. I guess I'll have to ask a bunch and take baby steps and see how it goes. If my questions get annoying, just let me know.

Hi, it is overwhelming at first, but if you want to join in let us know how many cards you have gotten in the last 24 months, where you want to travel to, and who’s in your travel party. Would you be willing to sign up for multiple cards get the bonus and move on to a new card? Most of us do that, but if you are looking for 1-2 cards we can recommend some for you too.

Thanks so much. No new cards. DH locked up our credit after the big breach. We are going to Europe this summer. I doubt he'd want me messing too much with our credit, but we're open to thinking about other cards. I know he's read the points guy and others online discuss which cards people think are the best. Not willing to part with the AMEX at this point. We are getting a lot of use out the Centurion lounges, Uber deal, and no foreign transaction fee. I'm pretty sure that we will have that fee with our other cards. Our big expense for the trip is hotels, and I know they take AMEX. We have 3 of them on the same account so we are getting a decent amount of points on it, no business, and only one income (so I guess only one person who can really apply for them).

​

It's always a good idea to reevaluate your wallet and ask, do I have the right credit cards that are earning me the most for my dollar? Am I missing out on better credit card rewards at places where I shop and eat? Am I missing out on huge bonuses from signing up for a new credit card? Rewards and bonuses on money you're spending already that could go towards free, discounted, or upgraded travel!

We’re all friendly people who help each other with tips and strategies to take advantage of credit card signup bonuses and bonus spending categories, and other savings opportunities, to earn points and miles towards our Disney and other vacations!

We'd love for you to join in with questions and comments, too; there are so many helpful people here ready to give you excellent advice. This thread doesn't always move so fast, but it's easy to fall behind. We'll keep you covered while you're getting up to speed.

Thanks so much! I'll try to keep up since I'll start to pick up the lingo and abbreviations that way. And yes, we often question our other cards. The AA one I only have because I have over 100k miles with AA and I'm not ready to let them just expire.

Welcome! I see others have already pointed you in the direction of info that would be needed for the group to point you in the right churning direction. It is exciting and overwhelming but very addictive!

And as for amex....not everyone takes them like you said. You will see just how frustrating that is when you start trying to knock out multiple amex MSRs here in the near future. On the other hand, they are great for keeping you busy while you let your chase portfolio cool off.

Thanks! It does sounds like people here are having fun doing this. At this point it feels stressful to me, but perhaps once I understand it more it'll make sense.

 

[Gwmw1210]

I just got the bonus last week so I have a $1 sitting in there still. I’ll probably close in a few months.

So no required minimum to keep it fee free?

 

[gottalovepluto]

Thank you both! I read there is no early termination fee. How long did you keep the account open?

I intend to close next month when i get around to it

 

[Ngwira]

This is very nice! My dh has always had 22-25 vacation days but it's always included sick time. He's never had separate sick days. You are blessed!!

Just checked and I get 16 paid holidays, 18 vacation, 6 personal and 13 sick days each year. We also get 5 days bereavement leave (death of close relative including uncles and aunts) and paid jury duty. It's interesting to see what people get each year.

 

[speedyfishy]

So no required minimum to keep it fee free?

No requirement.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Anyone else heard anything on this? Citi AA no longer offering 10% back on mile bookings according to this article https://theshortfinal.com/heads-up-...ard-no-longer-gives-10-redeemed-miles-rebate/ and what I’m seeing as the listed benefits online no longer lists the 10% back up to 10k. Barclays Aviator still lists it. Citi really snuck this in!

 

[amalone1013]

YES! DH gets 24 (combined with sick days which means he isn't allowed to get sick), and its not enough. And I realize that sounds terribly spoiled!

I get 24 days, combined personal/sick time. DH gets 10 days of PTO and 2 sick days.

Ok, well small update...ally shows the money transferred sometime yesterday. I checked around this time yesterday and that wasn't the case, so must've been late in the day. Discover has no sign of it. Maybe it will show pending there tomorrow.

Hmmm... mine showed as transferred out of Ally on Friday

 

[trenty]

I stumbled upon this thread because I'm trying to think about our CCards and if we have the right ones for our upcoming trip, and I just have to say... WOW! I've been reading this morning and can't keep up! You are all amazing at figuring this stuff out. (And I was pleased with myself that I got our summer air on points - clearly I'm a novice). We have an AMEX that we use whenever possible (love the perks) but not everyone takes AMEX and our other cards (AA MC and a free Disney Visa) aren't that great.

Keep in mind that there are people here who practice this hobby on all different levels. While I am sometimes in awe of the heavy churners, I don't think I could ever come close to accomplishing what they do. I am much more cautious and move much more slowly. But that is what works for me. Others move quickly and rack up the points at mega speed. I personally stick with just a few cards and while I could be working on a MSR year-round, I choose not to. If you want to venture into this a bit more, without opening many cards and paying high AF it can be done. If, once you get your feet wet, you are comfortable with more, there is a wealth of knowledge here.

I focus on earning Chase URs with the CSP ($95AF) and CF ($0AF).
I earn MR with just one Amex card - the Amex Everyday Card (0$ AF).
I also earn cash back with Discover IT.
I earned the CP for SW last year by opening both personal cards (can't do that anymore) and I have the Disney no fee card that I hardly ever use. I did close one of my SW cards after the AF hit, and will close the other one later this year with the AF hits and I get my bonus points.

I do plan to get more cards, but not until the end of this year or even early next year. I am not comfortable venturing into the world of getting business cards at this point and tend to gravitate towards no AF cards or low AF cards.

Even by being cautious, I earn enough points to book free flights (other than the 5.60 fee) for my family and plan to continue to do so.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with what others do. It is important to do what is right for you and your lifestyle.

 

[miztressuz]

I get 24 vacation days, 13 sick/family care days, 7 holidays and 4 "season days" between Christmas and New Years. So all combined, it is like having 2 months off each year.

But DH, who works at the same University, doesn't have the same classification as me and so he only gets 12 vacation days (other things are the same). It can put a cramp on things, especially since he doesn't have much banked up. He started his job 1.5 years ago and took most of his vacation days and ended up spending all but one of his sick days for this year over the past few months when DD and I were having health issues. I couldn't imagine if he didn't have those 13 sick days. I feel blessed.

That is an awesome amount of sick time. Most places I know that still have sick time is generally limited to 5 days. Hubby is close to your stats except for sick time, he's in the 40 hours crowd, but I think they have theirs on a banking system because as soon as he uses some he starts accruing it again so within a couple pay periods he's usually maxed out again. So he has used more than 5 sick days in the same year, and I feel very fortunate they let him bank any time so you don't have to worry about emergencies or extended illnesses. I got 25 days PTO total, use it or lose it. So it's a struggle trying to plan how much time to save for an unplanned PTO day Especially before we got the longevity bonuses and only had like 15 or 20 days for the year.
Also glad you guys seem to be doing better

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome. I feel overwhelmed just thinking about all of this, TBH. I guess I'll have to ask a bunch and take baby steps and see how it goes. If my questions get annoying, just let me know.



Thanks so much. No new cards. DH locked up our credit after the big breach. We are going to Europe this summer. I doubt he'd want me messing too much with our credit, but we're open to thinking about other cards. I know he's read the points guy and others online discuss which cards people think are the best. Not willing to part with the AMEX at this point. We are getting a lot of use out the Centurion lounges, Uber deal, and no foreign transaction fee. I'm pretty sure that we will have that fee with our other cards. Our big expense for the trip is hotels, and I know they take AMEX. We have 3 of them on the same account so we are getting a decent amount of points on it, no business, and only one income (so I guess only one person who can really apply for them).

You can use household income to apply for cards. We only have DHs income but I have more cards than him. So, you and DH can both apply, for the same card even. Just make sure you refer each other for those extra points and don't ever add each other as AUs because that counts towards 5/24 with Chase.

Thanks so much! I'll try to keep up since I'll start to pick up the lingo and abbreviations that way. And yes, we often question our other cards. The AA one I only have because I have over 100k miles with AA and I'm not ready to let them just expire.



Thanks! It does sounds like people here are having fun doing this. At this point it feels stressful to me, but perhaps once I understand it more it'll make sense.

Do you have a side business at all...dog sitting, selling clothes your kid outgrew, a real business, anything?

The CIP (chase ink preferred) is a great card. You would get 80k points for the bonus. Then the spouse could refer the other spouse for another 80k bonus plus 20k referral bonus.

Another option is the double-dip CSR/CSP. Those are personal cards and have to be app'd for all in one day. You could each get both.

A combo on the CSR with either/both of the other 2 cards is a great way to go. Eventually you'll want CFs too.
All of the above give you URs, which can be used to transfer to travel partners or book on the chase portal at an increased rate (discount).

What is the first goal you' like to accomplish, travel-wise?

ETA: there is a note in red inside the actual quote as well. have to expand to see it.

 

[speedyfishy]

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome. I feel overwhelmed just thinking about all of this, TBH. I guess I'll have to ask a bunch and take baby steps and see how it goes. If my questions get annoying, just let me know.



Thanks so much. No new cards. DH locked up our credit after the big breach. We are going to Europe this summer. I doubt he'd want me messing too much with our credit, but we're open to thinking about other cards. I know he's read the points guy and others online discuss which cards people think are the best. Not willing to part with the AMEX at this point. We are getting a lot of use out the Centurion lounges, Uber deal, and no foreign transaction fee. I'm pretty sure that we will have that fee with our other cards. Our big expense for the trip is hotels, and I know they take AMEX. We have 3 of them on the same account so we are getting a decent amount of points on it, no business, and only one income (so I guess only one person who can really apply for them).



Thanks so much! I'll try to keep up since I'll start to pick up the lingo and abbreviations that way. And yes, we often question our other cards. The AA one I only have because I have over 100k miles with AA and I'm not ready to let them just expire.



Thanks! It does sounds like people here are having fun doing this. At this point it feels stressful to me, but perhaps once I understand it more it'll make sense.

Sounds like you have the Amex Platinum which is a great card for travel if you are looking to keep one card that’s not a bad choice.

If you want to “churn” and start applying for cards just for the bonus that’s where you really maximize rewards.

Also, if you and your DH live together, are over 21 and rely on that one income for support you can use your household income for both of you. My SO is the only one working now and I apply for cards using his income. Chase asked me where my salary was coming from and I explained that we live together and his checks get deposited into a joint account to pay our bills and it wasn’t a problem.


Also, my “business” was just getting started in November and I had $5 in revenue and got a business card.

Let us know if you decide if you want to join. If I was in your position and only wanted one card I’d be between the Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Citi Prestige. So I think your Amex is a good choice.

 

[GZanta77]

Anyone else heard anything on this? Citi AA no longer offering 10% back on mile bookings according to this article https://theshortfinal.com/heads-up-...ard-no-longer-gives-10-redeemed-miles-rebate/ and what I’m seeing as the listed benefits online no longer lists the 10% back up to 10k. Barclays Aviator still lists it. Citi really snuck this in!

If true - that would be the final nail in the coffin for my Citi AA card. It has only survived this long with annual fee waivers.

ETA: Just checked my Citi AA benefits page - it is still listed as a benefit - so maybe this change is for new applications only.

 

[Haley R]

Just checked and I get 16 paid holidays, 18 vacation, 6 personal and 13 sick days each year. We also get 5 days bereavement leave (death of close relative including uncles and aunts) and paid jury duty. It's interesting to see what people get each year.

I'm a substitute teacher so I get lots of vacation lol

 

[Lain]

We chose the Hyatt House since it's closer up Harbor and newer, but if HH Gold has a few perks in the name of a potential upgrade (though, @DaveL didn't seem to get as lucky as @Lain), free breakfast (we may or may not use, but Hyatt House has this so it puts them on an even playing field), and a short SB line for DH, this might be worth thinking about. I see the lowest cash rate being $124...

It's a tough call; both on what cards and which hotel.

I'll add that Hyatt House has a Starbucks located in a ground floor retail space fronting Katella (there's also a Blaze Pizza for very affordable make to order pizza and a Walgreens). I'm not sure if that Starbucks is a franchise location or not -- I wasn't able to pull it up on the Starbucks app to order ahead -- but it didn't seem to get too crowded even in the mornings.

 

[Ngwira]

I'm a substitute teacher so I get lots of vacation lol

LOL...We have a unionized workforce here although I am part of administration. So we get whatever the unions get.

 

[Haley R]

LOL...We have a unionized workforce here although I am part of administration. So we get whatever the unions get.

I recently graduated and I'm waiting for an opening at my preferred district. I do love the flexibility of subbing, though. I am currently doing a long term for kindergarten and did a long term last fall for 1st grade.

 

[DisneyMandC]

We chose the Hyatt House since it's closer up Harbor and newer, but if HH Gold has a few perks in the name of a potential upgrade (though, @DaveL didn't seem to get as lucky as @Lain), free breakfast (we may or may not use, but Hyatt House has this so it puts them on an even playing field), and a short SB line for DH, this might be worth thinking about. I see the lowest cash rate being $124...

Hey, don't steal that low rate from me!