I love credit cards so much!

[Albort]

Regarding doubling up on Chase, have you ruled out paying your mtg with Platiq (I think that's the card) for 3 months? To me it seems to be a pretty short term commitment for the value. I know I would not want to hassle with that as a long term plan (but that's because I am paranoid about being accused as MSer) but for the option of doubling up on Chase accounts and bonuses I think I would go for it. Plus you are going to have to purchase the park tickets so if you added one ticket a month it would help meet your spend and spread out the cost a little bit. Of course you wouldn't be getting the 3% from your CSR if you were planning on using Undercover Tourist for your park passes. Anyway just trying to throw out some ideas.

ink cash. get an ink cash. 5x + gyft.com is basically 5x at target and walmart and amazon. its my fastest earning card atm. single guy here on a college income, im able to earn 45k alone.
if you guys are willing to walk the fine line, fake a rental agreement and use radpad to ms. u earn .01%. or u buy points at less than $.01.
or buying visa debit cards...

 

[wisconsinmom]

I need a little help please! My daughter will be getting braces in early May and we'll be paying $3000. We'll pay in full and can use a credit card. I'd like to get another card with a good bonus! We fly SW a lot so transferring UR points works well for us.

Here are the cards I currently have-
Chase Sapphire Reserve (have had for about 3 months)
SW Premium (have had for several years)

I also had the SW Plus but cancelled it about a month ago.

DH has the Chase Sapphire Preferred and I'm an AU on it. He also has a SW plus card.

Can I apply for the Sapphire Preferred if I have the Reserve and am an AU on DH's Preferred?

Is there a better option?

 

[havaneselover]

I need a little help please! My daughter will be getting braces in early May and we'll be paying $3000. We'll pay in full and can use a credit card. I'd like to get another card with a good bonus! We fly SW a lot so transferring UR points works well for us.

Here are the cards I currently have-
Chase Sapphire Reserve (have had for about 3 months)
SW Premium (have had for several years)

I also had the SW Plus but cancelled it about a month ago.

DH has the Chase Sapphire Preferred and I'm an AU on it. He also has a SW plus card.

Can I apply for the Sapphire Preferred if I have the Reserve and am an AU on DH's Preferred?

Is there a better option?

Yes you can get CSP. That's my next card when dd's swim dues are due in the fall. Braces this month are being put on my new spg Amex.

 

[Judique]

Help please, those who purchase from Undercover Tourist. I am a FL resident so we have never used UT. Amex offers has a spend $250 get a $75 statement credit for UT. We are planning to go with my family to MNSSHP this year. Does UT sell the Halloween and Christmas party tickets? Thanks in advance!

Since the party tickets are seasonal, I would call the 1-800 number and ask. UCT has increased it's offerings significantly in the last year. You never know what they might be popping up with.

And, I've been able to use all the UCT amex offers sent me, but didn't get the one you received. I'm guessing it's targeted at Florida Residents.

 

[Albort]

I need a little help please! My daughter will be getting braces in early May and we'll be paying $3000. We'll pay in full and can use a credit card. I'd like to get another card with a good bonus! We fly SW a lot so transferring UR points works well for us.

Here are the cards I currently have-
Chase Sapphire Reserve (have had for about 3 months)
SW Premium (have had for several years)

I also had the SW Plus but cancelled it about a month ago.

DH has the Chase Sapphire Preferred and I'm an AU on it. He also has a SW plus card.

Can I apply for the Sapphire Preferred if I have the Reserve and am an AU on DH's Preferred?

Is there a better option?

i suggest Chase Freedom Unlimited if you apply in branch. 30k points after $500 spendings(if you can get it). $3000 will get u 4500 points.
CSP will work too but since ur DH has one, it will overlap. this card would purely be used for bonus only.

 

[WVMomof3]

@Albort can you tell me more about rent payments? I will be paying my dd's rent starting this summer. As far as I know, landlord is a check in the mail type of guy. Other options?

 

[Judique]

I skipped over this thread for a long time as I've got a wallet full of credit cards and really have no need for any more credit - other than to collect application bonuses. You guys are tempting me - a lot!

And I'm an open book - I opened a new Costco Citi card last year. I have a few chase cards - Disney, Southwest and IHG - the IHG is abut a year and a half old.

I've had the SPG amex for 17 years. I kind of chuckle when people say what a great card it is as I remember when it was an awesome card - there were so many bonuses - I used to love their 'stay 5 nights and earn 2 free weekend nights'. Never see that anymore. I actually completed one of my five nights by checking into a Sheraton 4 Points near here that had a room for $50 on the weekend. Then I used the 'free weekend' at the Westin Times Square on a NYC trip.

I still do love this card and stay SPG wherever it works out.

And, last year I got a tip off the Million Miles guy about entering the IHG contest - I won 56000 IHG points.

So, now you all have inspired me to get a Club Carlson card. It looks like a winner for me as I drive to Disney and often use Country Inn and Suites.

I will just have to time the AP to when I am ready to pay my insurances so it will be August. That way I can get the 85K and get the minimum spend over in about a month. I easily spend 2500 in 3 months on CC's but I like my Citi card for Costco and right now that's my best value.

Could do the Marriott card now. Hotel points are most appealing for me.

I'll have to do myself a time line I guess.

 

[Lain]

Regarding doubling up on Chase, have you ruled out paying your mtg with Platiq (I think that's the card) for 3 months? To me it seems to be a pretty short term commitment for the value. I know I would not want to hassle with that as a long term plan (but that's because I am paranoid about being accused as MSer) but for the option of doubling up on Chase accounts and bonuses I think I would go for it. Plus you are going to have to purchase the park tickets so if you added one ticket a month it would help meet your spend and spread out the cost a little bit. Of course you wouldn't be getting the 3% from your CSR if you were planning on using Undercover Tourist for your park passes. Anyway just trying to throw out some ideas.

I need to look more at Plastiq for paying my mortgage. I looked way back in the fall but never revisited the idea b/c I opened a bank account to meet the min spend quickly instead. If I had something like that, I could do both cards. Just depends on the fees. My mortgage is $2100 so the fees could offset my earnings pretty quickly if too high.

It appears "Rent, Mortgage, and Real Estate" payments on Plastiq now code as "Travel" on the CSR and earns 3x UR points.

I saw a post about this on Reddit over the weekend, but the post disappeared. A blogger on BoardingArea just posted about this yesterday: http://outandout.boardingarea.com/chase-sapphire-reserve-plastiq-3x/, and it seems to work. As @Albort suggested, RadPad already codes "Rent" payments funded by CSR and Apple/Android Pay as travel, but RadPad processes only rent, not mortgages. RadPad's credit card fee is 2.99% vs. Plastiq's 2.5%. So Plastiq could be a big deal for meeting minimum spends and quickly earning UR points if it codes rent, mortgage payments (and presumably property taxes?) as "travel."

The way I look at it, rent or mortgages have to be paid regardless if you want to keep the roof over your head. Cash, checks and direct debits don't earn you anything. So is the 2.5% processing fee that Plastiq charges worth 3x UR points on the principal payment and the processing fee? Using @wendow's mortgage of $2,100, a 2.5% fee is $52.50; 3x UR points on $2,152.50 is 6457.5 UR points. Is it worth it to spend an extra $52.50 to earn 6457.5 UR points? You're essentially buying 1 UR point at 0.8¢. By comparison, I've seen UR points valued at 1.5-2.2¢. It's worth enough that I'm going to try this next month.

As always, when trying something new, you may want to make a small payment to test how the charge codes before making a full payment.

 

[Lain]

@Albort can you tell me more about rent payments? I will be paying my dd's rent starting this summer. As far as I know, landlord is a check in the mail type of guy. Other options?

@WVMomof3, I did a little bit of comparison between Plastiq and RadPad in my prior post. They both offer services that accept and process any credit or debit card charge for rent, and then send a check to the landlord on your (or DD's) behalf. The landlord doesn't need to be signed up for either service, as they just have to receive and accept a check. Just set up or schedule recurring payments ahead of time, because you'll want to allow about a week for the check to cut, be sent, and arrive in time.

Both services have apps that you can download onto your iPhone or Android; Plastiq has a website too (not sure about RadPad). RadPad's business is focused on rentals, and they offer rental payments as part of their service. You don't have to rent through RadPad to use their rental payment service, but they only process rents (not mortgages). Plastiq's business is broader; they'll accept a credit card for any kind of bill or payment you might have (e.g. rent, mortgage, tuition, student loans, contractors, swim lessons, etc.) -- which is useful when the payee doesn't otherwise accept credit cards as a form of payment. You input the payment information with RadPad or Plastiq, and they'll send a check (or sometimes electronic payment) to the payee, usually delivered within a week. RadPad charges a credit card processing fee of 2.99%; Plastiq charges 2.5%. Both services have offered lower promotional rates in the past.

For your DD, you may find that some rentals -- especially large rental communities, or buildings owned or run by property management companies -- allow rent payments by credit card through their community portals, and the processing fee might be lower or even a flat rate. The big deal about Plastiq and RadPad is that it appears, at least currently, using a Chase Sapphire Reserve (and possibly other Chase cards) to pay rent through these services triggers the "Travel" bonus category, which earns you 3x Ultimate Reward points on your CSR. Depending on how you value UR points, the UR points you earn on 3x would more than offset the processing fee on rent (or mortgage).

 

[platamama]

After I asked for advice and received good advice, I was set on opening a Marriott personal card. Now I am second guessing what to do...I have room for a Chase card so feel I should go with Chase...even though I really want to get started on earning SPG points so we can stay at Swolphin (we need two rooms everywhere so if we can save on hotel, I am thrilled!!).

But back to Chase...I am at 4/24 so focus on Chase, right?? We always fly SWA to MCO. Would it be more beneficial to get another SW card? We have a lot of points right now but would still need to cover a couple of airfares next time we go. Getting another 50k would cover airfare completely. I could definitely get a bonus on the Plus and I think I am just past 24 mos for when I last received a bonus on the Premier.

As enticing as the Marriott card is, I am not sure if it makes sense. We fly SWA. My kids love staying onsite. We've never stayed offsite. If I got the Marriott card, I'd probably hoard the points for Hawaii in 2019. So, it makes sense to do what helps with the 2018 trip first...which is to WDW for my ODD's graduation...and that either needs to be SWA points or UR points.

To use SPG points at Swolphin, you'd need 10K points per night for a 2 dbl bed room OR 5K points and $75 (subject to availability being the caveat of course, lots of dates are unavailable so you have to check your dates). Depending on the dates, 10K would be worth $150-$290 for a night. The Marriott 100K offer would net you 35K SPG points which would get you 3 nights (1 room, not 2 rooms) worth based on points or [7 nights + $525 OOP if paying cash+points]. OR if you can get to 40K SPG points, then you get a 5th night free when you redeem points.

SW 50,000 pts gives you about $715 worth of airfare - and no blackout dates. You can apply for both the Plus and Premier (goal: Companion Pass) on the same day by loading applications on different browsers - this was a trick used before and I don't know if it still works... but submit the app first on the one card you want most, then switch to the other browser and submit that app. I've also heard that Chase has a 2cc/30days rule so that might play a part in your credit card application/approval. The minimum spend requirements can be a challenge but if you have the money to pay off the balances, you can always just buy gift cards or make tax payments to reach your min spend as you reach your 90 day deadline.

One advantage to redeeming SW points over SPG points is you don't have to worry as much about award availability. I would price out Swolphin for the dates you're going and then check Starwood to see if awards are even available on those dates. And even if they're available now, they may or may not be by the time you've accumulated your points (they're not bookable until you have the points in your account).

Since I find it easier to find hotel deals (dozens of choices) vs. flight deals (I'm in CO too) I prioritize getting UR points above all but that's because I already have a Companion Pass (love love love).

 

[Albort]

It appears "Rent, Mortgage, and Real Estate" payments on Plastiq now code as "Travel" on the CSR and earns 3x UR points.

I saw a post about this on Reddit over the weekend, but the post disappeared. A blogger on BoardingArea just posted about this yesterday: http://outandout.boardingarea.com/chase-sapphire-reserve-plastiq-3x/, and it seems to work. As @Albort suggested, RadPad already codes "Rent" payments funded by CSR and Apple/Android Pay as travel, but RadPad processes only rent, not mortgages. RadPad's credit card fee is 2.99% vs. Plastiq's 2.5%. So Plastiq could be a big deal for meeting minimum spends and quickly earning UR points if it codes rent, mortgage payments (and presumably property taxes?) as "travel."

The way I look at it, rent or mortgages have to be paid regardless if you want to keep the roof over your head. Cash, checks and direct debits don't earn you anything. So is the 2.5% processing fee that Plastiq charges worth 3x UR points on the principal payment and the processing fee? Using @wendow's mortgage of $2,100, a 2.5% fee is $52.50; 3x UR points on $2,152.50 is 6457.5 UR points. Is it worth it to spend an extra $52.50 to earn 6457.5 UR points? You're essentially buying 1 UR point at 0.8¢. By comparison, I've seen UR points valued at 1.5-2.2¢. It's worth enough that I'm going to try this next month.

As always, when trying something new, you may want to make a small payment to test how the charge codes before making a full payment.

I'm at school so this reply will be short. plastic does not code as Travel, Radpad via apple/android pay does. I have so far done a month of it.

if u have a citi typ card, they code down as travel too.

there is one card that might code as 3x for plastic but it's not available

Edit: there's also a trick around paying tuition with a credit card as well. fees is like 2-3% as well. .

I'm not sure about plasiq now...

 

[wendow]

@Lain thank you for sharing about plastic coding as travel. I am willing to give that a try and see!

@platamama thanks for your good advice and sharing your knowledge. A CP would be awesome for us too. It is better to try for that towards the end of the year, is that right? So it hits early the following year and then you'd have for two years. We have never had it so not sure how that works.

 

[calypso726]

Is that a new offer? I've only got the $30 off $150, which isn't useful for me. $75 off a 6 or 7 day hopper is almost 20% off with little effort.

I think the Amex offers are targeted. I got the $30 off $150 also but would.much prefer Calypso's offer

Since the party tickets are seasonal, I would call the 1-800 number and ask. UCT has increased it's offerings significantly in the last year. You never know what they might be popping up with.

And, I've been able to use all the UCT amex offers sent me, but didn't get the one you received. I'm guessing it's targeted at Florida Residents.

Ok the comments made me go check my spreadsheet with my loaded Amex offers and compare them. I have the UT $150 get $30 off too. I inadvertently placed the ticket city offer of $250 get $75 off under UT and the UT offer under ticket city dot com. Thanks for helping me realize I made a mistake.

 

[Albort]

@Lain thank you for sharing about plastic coding as travel. I am willing to give that a try and see!

Plastiq DOES NOT code as travel. Radpad via Apple pay/android pay does. if u do move forward with this solution(Plastiq) highly recommend dropping ur cash advance down to zero.

edit: I was told it doesn't. I may be wrong. will need to double check.

 

[Lain]

plastic does not code as Travel, Radpad via apple/android pay does.

It appears Plastiq is now coding "Rent, Mortgage, and Real Estate" payments as travel. Not clear if Plastiq as a merchant in general is coding all payments made through them as travel, or if the coding is specific to rent, mortgage, and real estate category payments. I know Plastiq did not previously code for travel, but if there's been a change then it's a recent one. No disagreement RadPad codes as 3x travel on CSR/Apple Pay/Android Pay. (I have to assume Plastiq is aware RadPad is processing rent payments again and coding for 3x travel, and could have seen a large drop-off in those kind of payments this month.) As I said, I saw a thread about this pop up (and disappear) on the churning subreddit over the weekend, and again at the posted link. I'm going to try a few payments for different expenses later this month to see how Plastiq codes.

Edit: The reddit post was edited due to confusion between CSR and CapitalOne. Like @Albort said... need to look into CSR further. DoC posted about this so the DPs in the comments should be interesting.

 

[platamama]

[USER=230448]@platamama thanks for your good advice and sharing your knowledge. A CP would be awesome for us too. It is better to try for that towards the end of the year, is that right? So it hits early the following year and then you'd have for two years. We have never had it so not sure how that works.[/USER]

That's actually an important point, and you're totally right. To get a CP for two full years, you need to apply for SW cards with their high RR bonuses toward the END of the calendar year (mid-Oct on) but not complete your minimum spend on those cards until the BEGINNING of the next calendar year. Example: 10/15/17 apply for both SW cards as long as they're offering 50K pts, hit minimum spend on each card in the beginning of Jan 2018 several days before your statement closing date (to ensure transactions post) then you'll have CP for all of 2018 and 2019. If you end up with both cards now and do your minimum spend, your CP will be good for the rest of 2017 and terminate 12/31/2018.

 

[Lain]

Doctor of Credit picked up on Plastiq coding rent/mortgage payments as lodging/travel for 3x UR points using CSR: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/plastiq-coding-purchases-lodging-earning-3x-csr/

 

[Albort]

yeah, I just saw it today. something new today. probably will wait for more DP.

 

[Albort]

Doctor of Credit picked up on Plastiq coding rent/mortgage payments as lodging/travel for 3x UR points using CSR: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/plastiq-coding-purchases-lodging-earning-3x-csr/

so far one DP with airbnb. but my question is, wouldnt airbnb code as travel anyways with CSR? it makes me wonder if the codings are passed on similar to mileagePlus X.

 

[Angrose]

I used Plastiq for the first time last month to pay rent and meet my spend on the AMEX SPG card. It did NOT code as travel for that card.