I love credit cards so much!

[Kbmas0n]

i think there is a certain place u need to buy the annual pass with... like a DVC account or something like that. I never buy tickets, haha. ill shut up on this subject now...

Don't shut up!! Do tell!

 

[Kbmas0n]

My card actually arrived in the mail today. Pretty happy because I called about it last Monday and got it approved, so it took 7 days.

Mine was waiting when I got home today!!!

 

[Albort]

Don't shut up!! Do tell!

haha, its only what i read from this thread. I get my tickets for free so i dont need to buy them... i know ppl say to buy your tickets from undercovertourist which will code 3x with CSR. i think calyso said something about buying them via DVC. she would know better.

 

[wendow]

haha, its only what i read from this thread. I get my tickets for free so i dont need to buy them... i know ppl say to buy your tickets from undercovertourist which will code 3x with CSR. i think calyso said something about buying them via DVC. she would know better.

How do you get tickets for free, Albort? Super curious

 

[Albort]

How do you get tickets for free, Albort? Super curious

i used to work there, i just ask my friends to sign me in...

 

[Lain]

DH should be getting his CSR any day now. Will he be charged right away with the AF? If we decide to charge his Disney annual pass to the CSR will it show up as a statement credit?

The AF on my and DW's CSRs each posted before the end of our first statements.

If you buy tickets -- and presumably APs -- directly from Disney, they'll post as "Amusement Parks, Circuses, Carnivals, Fortune Tellers" and won't qualify as "travel," 3x points, or towards the $300 travel credit.

Per TPG via DoC:

“When TPG used his Chase Sapphire Preferred to purchase Disney World Park tickets, the transaction was categorized as “Amusement Parks, Circuses, Carnivals, Fortune Tellers,” so it wasn’t eligible for the 2x rewards for travel”

Undercover Tourist does code as "travel," again per comments from TPG:

"Purchase of walt disney world tickets on undercovertourist .com was coded as travel for me (and I got the $300 credit)."

And as we've discussed recently in this thread, funding a DVA with your CSR also codes as "travel," which qualifies for the travel credit, and you can then use the account to pay for your APs.

 

[AmyAnne]

And as we've discussed recently in this thread, funding a DVA with your CSR also codes as "travel," which qualifies for the travel credit, and you can then use the account to pay for your APs.

It should also code as travel if you charge it to your room at WDW, although I don't know if you can do that.

One quick question about the DVA. I understand that the account has to be open for 120 days in order to qualify for the 2% bonus. I also found on the DVA website that the minimum to open an account is $10. But I have not come across any info that says that only funds that have been in the account for 120 days qualify. So, if I opened an account today with $10, and then next March decided to make a WDW reservation, could I put $1000 in the DVA in March and then get the 2% bonus right away?

 

[AmyAnne]

Honestly, I really love that Marriott and SPG are now one, at least for now with the separate rewards programs. We will see what happens in 2018 when they merge. For our cruise in May, I needed 2 nights hotel in Copenhagen. There are no SPG hotels, but I was able to transfer SPG points to book at the Copenhagen Marriott hotel for 0.75 cents per Marriott point (2.25 cents per SPG point) for the first night. I got the second night at a rate of 1.18 cents per Marriott point (3.54 cents per SPG point). Definitely good value and saved me over $800 on this trip. I am happy to transfer back and forth, depending on what is most beneficial.

I have been trying to make sense of the SPG/Marriott points and I'm wondering, how do you accumulate points other than a sign-up bonus? Looking at a Marriott hotel in London that is 45,000 points per night. I could get 80,000 points by signing up for the Chase Business Marriott (assuming it's not under Chase's 5/24 rule) but then how to get the other 10,000 points for a two-night stay? I guess in theory I could spend $10,000 dollars but in reality that's not going to happen. I think I could also purchase them for $125, but I'm not sure that makes economical sense.

 

[Albort]

I have been trying to make sense of the SPG/Marriott points and I'm wondering, how do you accumulate points other than a sign-up bonus? Looking at a Marriott hotel in London that is 45,000 points per night. I could get 80,000 points by signing up for the Chase Business Marriott (assuming it's not under Chase's 5/24 rule) but then how to get the other 10,000 points for a two-night stay? I guess in theory I could spend $10,000 dollars but in reality that's not going to happen. I think I could also purchase them for $125, but I'm not sure that makes economical sense.

If i were to get the Marriott Card, i probably just get the 100k(or 80k) and probably just use it only if im staying at marriott and for the free night annually. I think using the higher categories on the Quadfecta, then transferring UR points to Marriott points would be a better choice.

Now the SPG, i thought about if its worth doing my average use. I was debating what to do after i finish completing the sign in bonus. I find that SPG would probably be my daily 1x earner. my thought is, its technically a 3x card. If i were to transfer to Marriott, i earn 3 points per 1spg point.

idk, thats just a thought i had.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

UR point transfers are virtually instantaneous. MR or SPG transfer can take days to a week or so.

Do you mean SPG to Marriott Transfer or MR to SPG transfer? I have always had transfers between SPG and Marriott take just a few minutes. I have never transferred MR to SPG, just to Delta and if I remember, that took a day or so.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I have been trying to make sense of the SPG/Marriott points and I'm wondering, how do you accumulate points other than a sign-up bonus? Looking at a Marriott hotel in London that is 45,000 points per night. I could get 80,000 points by signing up for the Chase Business Marriott (assuming it's not under Chase's 5/24 rule) but then how to get the other 10,000 points for a two-night stay? I guess in theory I could spend $10,000 dollars but in reality that's not going to happen. I think I could also purchase them for $125, but I'm not sure that makes economical sense.

The Marriott card is offering 100,000 points right now. Also, if you add an authorized user and they spend on the card, then you get another 5k. The minimum spend is 5k, so you are at least up to 110,000 points in the first 3 months (or more if you spend in bonus categories as I am planning to do).

If I am understanding you correctly, the rooms you are looking at are only $125 a night? That isn't a great use of 90,000 Marriott points. At that point, I would pay out of pocket. I will be using 70,000 SPG points (equivalent of 210,000 Marriott points) for 2 nights hotel, but the hotel stay would have cost $2500 out of pocket.

I accumulate more points for SPG/Marriott by staying at hotels for work. I accumulate points at a pretty decent rate (2-4k SPG points per stay) because they often run promotions that give you double or triple points for a stay. I also opt of housekeeping if I can for additional points (extra 500 per night) and my gold status gives me a welcome bonus (250 SPG points) plus an extra 25% points bonus. It is by far the fastest way to earn. I am staying at a Marriott for 4 nights next week and am excited to see how much I earn from that stay.

You can transfer SPG points from Amex MR, but it is not a 1:1, so the redemption isn't great. You can also spend on the Marriott card, but without using the bonus categories, it is a bad value.

 

[calypso726]

Do you mean SPG to Marriott Transfer or MR to SPG transfer? I have always had transfers between SPG and Marriott take just a few minutes. I have never transferred MR to SPG, just to Delta and if I remember, that took a day or so.

Neither. I was referring to the variable awards transfer points. MR = Membership Rewards.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Neither. I was referring to the variable awards transfer points. MR = Membership Rewards.

I have never had MR points take a week to show up upon transfer to a partner. But then again, I think I have only transferred to Delta.

 

[calypso726]

haha, its only what i read from this thread. I get my tickets for free so i dont need to buy them... i know ppl say to buy your tickets from undercovertourist which will code 3x with CSR. i think calyso said something about buying them via DVC. she would know better.

It was the DVA that we purchase our AP and every other Disney vacation purchase.

It should also code as travel if you charge it to your room at WDW, although I don't know if you can do that.

One quick question about the DVA. I understand that the account has to be open for 120 days in order to qualify for the 2% bonus. I also found on the DVA website that the minimum to open an account is $10. But I have not come across any info that says that only funds that have been in the account for 120 days qualify. So, if I opened an account today with $10, and then next March decided to make a WDW reservation, could I put $1000 in the DVA in March and then get the 2% bonus right away?

This has been our experience. The account has to be open for 120 days. The funds don't need to be there for 120 days.

I have been trying to make sense of the SPG/Marriott points and I'm wondering, how do you accumulate points other than a sign-up bonus? Looking at a Marriott hotel in London that is 45,000 points per night. I could get 80,000 points by signing up for the Chase Business Marriott (assuming it's not under Chase's 5/24 rule) but then how to get the other 10,000 points for a two-night stay? I guess in theory I could spend $10,000 dollars but in reality that's not going to happen. I think I could also purchase them for $125, but I'm not sure that makes economical sense.

The Marriott personal card is under 5/24 but the business card is not.

If i were to get the Marriott Card, i probably just get the 100k(or 80k) and probably just use it only if im staying at marriott and for the free night annually. I think using the higher categories on the Quadfecta, then transferring UR points to Marriott points would be a better choice.

Now the SPG, i thought about if its worth doing my average use. I was debating what to do after i finish completing the sign in bonus. I find that SPG would probably be my daily 1x earner. my thought is, its technically a 3x card. If i were to transfer to Marriott, i earn 3 points per 1spg point.

idk, thats just a thought i had.

For me the SPG is a 1.25 earning card since I get a 5,000 point bonus for transferring 20,000 points to an airline. Depending on the property, I'd use SPG points at an SPG property, I am looking into taking advantage of the nights and flights benefit too. I haven't found a scenario where I'd willingly transfer to Marriott for the 1:3 transfer. I imagine there is more be but I haven't found it yet. If anyone has found an amazing aspirational Marriott property that makes the transfer more palatable for those of us who value the airline transfer please share.

 

[calypso726]

I have never had MR points take a week to show up upon transfer to a partner. But then again, I think I have only transferred to Delta.

I was referring to both programs across all transfer partners. MR can take 4-5 days on some. Delta and a few others are instant with MR. Spg can take as long as 7 - 10 days on some partners.

 

[AmyAnne]

If i were to get the Marriott Card, i probably just get the 100k(or 80k) and probably just use it only if im staying at marriott and for the free night annually. I think using the higher categories on the Quadfecta, then transferring UR points to Marriott points would be a better choice.

Now the SPG, i thought about if its worth doing my average use. I was debating what to do after i finish completing the sign in bonus. I find that SPG would probably be my daily 1x earner. my thought is, its technically a 3x card. If i were to transfer to Marriott, i earn 3 points per 1spg point.

idk, thats just a thought i had.

I didn't think about transferring the UR points to Marriott. That could work. The problem is that the hotel I am looking at is 45,000 points per night, and the signup bonus is 80,000 points. (I can't get the 100,000 points because, if I understand correctly, the personal card is under the 5/24 rule.) I guess I could use 45,000 points and save 35,000 but that seems inefficient.

 

[AmyAnne]

The Marriott card is offering 100,000 points right now. Also, if you add an authorized user and they spend on the card, then you get another 5k. The minimum spend is 5k, so you are at least up to 110,000 points in the first 3 months (or more if you spend in bonus categories as I am planning to do).

If I am understanding you correctly, the rooms you are looking at are only $125 a night? That isn't a great use of 90,000 Marriott points. At that point, I would pay out of pocket. I will be using 70,000 SPG points (equivalent of 210,000 Marriott points) for 2 nights hotel, but the hotel stay would have cost $2500 out of pocket.

I accumulate more points for SPG/Marriott by staying at hotels for work. I accumulate points at a pretty decent rate (2-4k SPG points per stay) because they often run promotions that give you double or triple points for a stay. I also opt of housekeeping if I can for additional points (extra 500 per night) and my gold status gives me a welcome bonus (250 SPG points) plus an extra 25% points bonus. It is by far the fastest way to earn. I am staying at a Marriott for 4 nights next week and am excited to see how much I earn from that stay.

You can transfer SPG points from Amex MR, but it is not a 1:1, so the redemption isn't great. You can also spend on the Marriott card, but without using the bonus categories, it is a bad value.

Unfortunately I can't apply for the personal Marriott with the 100,000 point bonus because (I believe) it is under the 5/24 rule.

The $125 is what I could pay Marriott to purchase 10,000 points. The hotel that is 45,000 points per night is 293 British pounds per night. For the business card, the bonus spending is only x2 and only for travel (airlines, rental cars) which I hope not to pay for but if I did, it seems like it would be better to use CSR for x3.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Unfortunately I can't apply for the personal Marriott with the 100,000 point bonus because (I believe) it is under the 5/24 rule.

The $125 is what I could pay Marriott to purchase 10,000 points. The hotel that is 45,000 points per night is 293 British pounds per night. For the business card, the bonus spending is only x2 and only for travel (airlines, rental cars) which I hope not to pay for but if I did, it seems like it would be better to use CSR for x3.

Ok, makes much more sense to me now. I would say that after your minimum spend, you would need just 5k points, so maybe spending $75 to buy the points is the best option (using your CSR for 3x possibly?).

 

[calypso726]

Unfortunately I can't apply for the personal Marriott with the 100,000 point bonus because (I believe) it is under the 5/24 rule.

The $125 is what I could pay Marriott to purchase 10,000 points. The hotel that is 45,000 points per night is 293 British pounds per night. For the business card, the bonus spending is only x2 and only for travel (airlines, rental cars) which I hope not to pay for but if I did, it seems like it would be better to use CSR for x3.

Are there other hotels in the area that are appealing besides Marriott? Would you consider a split stay? Maybe a different hotel chain's card might give you better options.

Have you used the CSR travel credit yet? 293 GBP is roughly $366. I believe it would be 24,400 UR points through the UR portal to pay for the one night stay if you've already used the travel credit and you'd earn points for that night.

 

[Ngwira]

Just received my new metal Amex platinum card. It's just like the CSR...looks and feels great.