I love credit cards so much!

[SBWB48]

Thanks for the info! Do I get these at Customer Service or the regular checkouts?

It's at customer service or what WM calls the "Money Center" as well. Don't forget each MO also carries a $0.88 fee, as you calculate your giftcard balances

 

[amalone1013]

i have an offer of 100k platinum card.

Is this 100k for $5k spend? That's the best offer out there on that card, and can be hard to get.

 

[peel]

I just noticed that Chase increased my new IHG limit from 13K to 15K, putting me at 75% of my total household income with them, not including my CIP. Baffling.

 

[wendow]

This deal? Not really.

Refurbished Fire HD 8 16GB tablets seem to be selling for $50-65 on eBay, shipped, but sometimes significantly less. Then you have to factor in roughly 13% of your sale price will go to eBay and PayPal fees, and shipping on these tablets will run you about $7. You might break even; or if you count the 4% back from Ebates and 5x UR on Amazon gift cards used to pay, you might even make a few bucks. It’s really up to you to decide if it’ll be worth the time.

I have resold new Kindles and Fires for better margins when I’m able to combine an Amazon price drop with an Amex deal, 4% Ebates on Amazon devices, 5x UR on CF or CIC for Amazon gift cards, paying eBay seller fees and shipping through CIP for 3x UR. Kindles and Fires do sell pretty well on eBay (but I’ve only sold new), and they’re really easy to ship.

$39.99 to buy a Fire HD 8 direct from Amazon, factory refurbished with warranty (albeit 90 days), is a good deal for personal use.

ETA: I'll also add that Amazon has a trade-in program for Kindles and Fires. If you trade in an old Kindle or Fire, even if it's not working, Amazon will provide you with a prepaid shipping label to send it in, Amazon will appraise it, then send you an Amazon gift card for its value (I believe the minimum is $5 even for non-functional devices) and apply a 25% coupon to your account good towards a current generation Kindle or Fire (whichever device you traded in). So what some people do is buy a cheap, non-functional Kindle or Fire off eBay, trade it in, essentially, for the 25% off coupon. The trade-in process takes about 2 weeks.

Fore more info:
https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Trade-In/b?ie=UTF8&node=10825010011
https://www.amazon.com/Tablet-Trade-In/b?ie=UTF8&node=10825011011

Tagging @wendow too.

Life got too busy yesterday and I could never get a chance to chat with my dd about the deal going yesterday. We have a pile of old Fire devices though lol...I have one of the first gen of Fires. And pretty much every gen after

 

[wendow]

It was a $100 statement credit offer for the SW premier. Think @speedyfishy got the same thing. Very happy with a free 6,000pts, referral pts hopefully in a few months, and $1 profit for a 10min phone call lol.

I'm hoping to refer my dh end of this year also which is the only reason I'm keeping the card so hopefully, I'll get the same offer

 

[Disneyonmymind]

It's at customer service or what WM calls the "Money Center" as well. Don't forget each MO also carries a $0.88 fee, as you calculate your giftcard balances

Thanks!!! And does any type of GC work or should I look for certain types (US bank, Visa vs MC, etc). Cause I need to use the PIN code, correct? Sorry , I’m such a nervous Nellie, lol.

 

[EC0323]

Is this 100k for $5k spend? That's the best offer out there on that card, and can be hard to get.

Yes that is the offer. I assume since I got it there is a high probability I would be approved. I read if I apply for other Amex this offer goes away. It has such a high bonus I hate to lose it but that $550 is a killer. I can justify for 450 on CSR due to 300 travel credit. Struggling with justifying this one.

 

[striker1064]

Yes that is the offer. I assume since I got it there is a high probability I would be approved. I read if I apply for other Amex this offer goes away. It has such a high bonus I hate to lose it but that $550 is a killer. I can justify for 450 on CSR due to 300 travel credit. Struggling with justifying this one.

100k/$5k is an uncommon offer that will disappear if you wait or get another Amex card. I agree, the $550 AF is high. Here are the benefits of the card. Up to you if you can make them work and justify the fee:

• I have been cashing out MRs via Schwab (you need a Schwab brokerage account and the Schwab Platinum to do this) for 1.25cpp. That means 100k MRs are worth $1,250 at a minimum. You can get a higher cpp (if that sort of thing is important to you) by transferring to airline partners. MRs are particularly good for international flights.
• You get a $200 Uber credit annually, spread out as $15/month for 11 months + $35 in December.
• You'll get a $50 Saks Fifth Avenue credit every 6 months (seriously). It's brand new so unknown if buying GCs and reselling is an option.
• You get a $200 airline incidentals credit annually. Great if you have legit uses! Or you can buy GCs. I like AA eGCs because they work consistently and they can easily be sold for 80-85%.

I understand not everyone will value the Uber and Saks credits. In our case, we already use Uber a lot (living in DC), so the $15 was rideshare funds we were going to spend anyway. I sold the AA GCs for about $160, and I'll do it again next year when the credit resets. That all helps offset the AF, so anything else I get out of the card is gravy.

However... all that being said, while 100k is a great offer, it's easy-ish to pull up 75k/$5k incognito. An extra 25K is worth it, especially because everything else is still equal on the 75k offer ($550 AF included), but if you just can't pull the trigger right now and change your mind later, you're not losing a ton of value (25k MRs = $312.50 via Schwab).

EDIT: And yes, since you got the offer, you will be approved. Amex is easily the least sensitive big bank out there.

 

[Judique]

Amazon's 20% off when you shop with Amex Membership Rewards points promo is targeted. It's not limited to Prime accounts. Check if you qualify here: https://amzn.to/2lQ99MQ

Apparently I qualified! I ordered the $500 worth of Safeway gift cards as I can do partial for Disney gift cards (if this works at my store) and since this store is my go to other than Costco, Aldi's, Trader Joes and Whole Foods, the cards can be used for groceries or even gas.

Also, it triggered my 2000 MR when you spend $50 on Amex!

Thank you so much for the link!

 

[Lain]

Ugh. I still need points for my Alaska 2019 trip. I am in Atlanta. I am at 3/24 (csr, marriot, and bjs) but just according to my credit report recieved my Marriott card. So is it too soon to apply for a new card? I actually have had 2 billing cycles.

The other issue is I am in Atlanta. Delta is King. I need delta points to fly. But i havent maxed out chase. I know next to nothing about Amex except my dh card never gets the deals you all post. i have an offer of 100k platinum card. Would I get those deals? Also i cant believe it $550. Delta card is only 195 but I don't see any good mileage offers out there. *sigh

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Yes that is the offer. I assume since I got it there is a high probability I would be approved. I read if I apply for other Amex this offer goes away. It has such a high bonus I hate to lose it but that $550 is a killer. I can justify for 450 on CSR due to 300 travel credit. Struggling with justifying this one.

It sounds to me like you're a Delta hostage in ATL who needs SkyMiles, which would steer you towards Amex, but you're still under 5/24 with Chase, and you're not sure if it's too soon/too fast to go for another Chase card now or use up a slot (or more) on Amex cards.

I'm not a Delta flyer, so maybe others can opine.

I'll just add that you could sign up for an Amex Delta business card when the signup bonus goes back up. As you know, Amex business cards don't show up on your personal credit reports and don't count against Chase's 5/24 rule. The current YMMV offers are not historic highs, and bonuses on Amex cards tend to be once per product per lifetime, so if you go for a lower than best offer now you likely won't be eligible for another offer on the same card if it goes up later (and don't count on Amex "matching" a higher offer):

(YMMV) American Express Delta Gold 60,000 Miles + $50 Statement Credit, No Lifetime Language (Personal & Business)
(YMMV) American Express Delta Platinum 45,000 Miles + $100 Statement Credit & 15,000 MQM, No Lifetime Language (Personal & Business)

compared with

American Express Delta Platinum – 70,000 Miles + $100 Statement Credit + 10,000 MQM (Personal & Business) (Expired 4/11/18)
American Express Delta Gold 60,000 Mile Offer + $50 Statement Credit (Personal & Business Offers) (Expired 4/11/18)
American Express Delta Platinum – 70,000 Miles + $100 Statement Credit + 10,000 MQM (Personal & Business) (Expired 1/31/18)

As for the 100k Membership Rewards (MR) offer on the Amex Platinum card (that's the personal, not business card, right?), it's a really good deal, even with a $5k MSR and $550 AF. By comparison, the public offer is only 60k MR. A lot of people try really hard to get targeted for the 100k offer; and often, once you let the offer slip, you might never see it again. So from that view, a lot of people think it's worth a */24 slot to get the Platinum. (Amex typically takes 2 statements cycles to report the opening of the Platinum to the credit bureaus, so practically, you've got about 2 months after you get the Platinum before Chase sees the new card on your credit reports and counts it against your */24.) Aside from the big signup bonus, there's a lot of benefits that help to offer the high $550 AF.

One of the real money benefits of the Platinum is its $200 airline fee credit per calendar year. You pick the airline, including Delta, that you plan to use the credit on. Then, to qualify for the credit, the charge has to be one that Amex recognizes is an airline fee; so eligible fees include: checked baggage fees, itinerary change fees, pet fees, seat assignment fees, in-flight amenities and entertainment. What works is buying gift cards on Delta (in $50 increments in different transactions), American (in $100 increments in different transactions), and Southwest (up to $200) if you’ve selected to use your credit on those airlines. If you planned to spend money on those airlines anyway, the credit offsets the AF; and if not, then sell them on a gift card exchange and get ~85% of the face value back to offset the AF.

The airline fee credit is a calendar year benefit, which means you could use up the $200 credit this year if you get the Platinum in 2018, and again after 1/1/19 when the benefit resets for another $200 credit before your second year AF posts and you can decide to keep the card or cancel it (but before you do, call Amex to see if they’ll give you a retention offer to keep the card another year). This is approximately $400 in value in the first year of holding the Platinum, which is a huge part of offsetting the $550 AF.

Amex recently added a $100 statement credit for shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue to the Platinum, divided into 2x $50 credits for purchases between January and June and again between July and December. Although the terms exclude gift card purchases, data points say you can go in store (not online) to buy a $50 Saks gift card and it'll credit. If you don't shop at Saks and can't use this benefit, you can likewise sell the gift card through a reseller for about ~85% of the face value to help offset the AF.

Another real dollar benefit on the Platinum is $200 worth of Uber credits doled out at $15 each month and $35 in December. However, if you don’t use one month’s credit, they expire at the end of the month. I don’t know if you use Uber. I usually don’t, so I end up using them for UberEATs, which is a terrible value because UberEATs here charges a $4.99 booking fee and I’ll tip my driver, which eats up that $15 credit quick. There's also an up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

One of the perks I love most about the Platinum is access to their Centurion airport lounges, which are a step up from most domestic airport lounges. Unfortunately, there is no Centurion Lounge at ATL. The Platinum does offer access to Priority Pass lounges, which are far more widespread, for the cardmember and two guests, but you already get that with your CSR. The Platinum also gives complimentary access to the Escape Lounge network, which again is not at ATL. If you're flying through an airport that has one of these lounges, it's nice to be able to spend time before, between, and even after flights in one of Amex's network of lounges. The Platinum does offer complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs when traveling on same-day Delta operated flights, but guest access is another $29 per person. I’m not sure if the Delta cards offer the same or better Delta lounge benefits.

The Platinum also gets you automatic Gold status at Hilton and SPG/Marriott hotels.

As for what to do with all the MR points? You can transfer MR points directly to Delta SkyMiles at 1:1 in increments of 1,000. [Edit probably not a good deal, B]eginning 8/1/18, you can transfer MR points to Marriott points at 1:1 (likely, again in increments of 1,000). Marriott points will be transferrable to Delta SkyMiles at [3]:1, but you'll get an extra 5,000 mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred to Delta.

 

[Lain]

Life got too busy yesterday and I could never get a chance to chat with my dd about the deal going yesterday. We have a pile of old Fire devices though lol...I have one of the first gen of Fires. And pretty much every gen after

Not sure if you can have more than one 25% coupon applied to an account at a time, but pretty sure you can use up the coupon and do a trade-in multiple times. Might be good for resell opportunities.

 

[speedyfishy]

Thanks!!! And does any type of GC work or should I look for certain types (US bank, Visa vs MC, etc). Cause I need to use the PIN code, correct? Sorry , I’m such a nervous Nellie, lol.

You should get a MetaBank Visa Giftcard. Others can work like certain Mastercards but you have to hit the cancel button right after you swipe so MetaBank VISA is best if you are nervous. They are also super common at grocery stores.

Also, WM only sells MOs for $1,000 so you will have to do one for a $1,000 and another for $300.

ETA for MetaBank the pin should be the last four digits of the card number. Check the packaging to confirm.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

You should get a MetaBank Visa Giftcard. Others can work like certain Mastercards but you have to hit the cancel button right after you swipe so MetaBank VISA is best if you are nervous. They are also super common at grocery stores.

Also, WM only sells MOs for $1,000 so you will have to do one for a $1,000 and another for $300.

So for the $1,000 one, I’d need 3 swipes cause 500+500+ 0.88 (yikes)

 

[speedyfishy]

So for the $1,000 one, I’d need 3 swipes cause 500+500+ 0.88 (yikes)

Yeah, unless you want to do one for 999.12 and the other for 301.76. Or you can pay the fee in cash. Or maybe just do three separate money orders if you are nervous. I tried two swipes once and got turned away. I’m in NOVA tho so it’s harder here. I found a Walmart that doesn’t ask questions but I’m too nervous to push my luck with multiple swipes. It’s my one location that I haven’t burned lol

 

[platamama]

As for what to do with all the MR points? You can transfer MR points directly to Delta SkyMiles at 1:1 in increments of 1,000. For an even better deal, beginning 8/1/18, you can transfer MR points to Marriott points at 1:1 (likely, again in increments of 1,000). Marriott points will be transferrable to Delta SkyMiles at 1:1, but you'll get an extra 5,000 mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred to Delta.

Actually, Marriott points will be transferrable but 60,000 Marriott points will get you 25,000 Delta Skymiles including the 5,000 mile bonus. Not 65,000 Skymiles. I don't fly Delta so I don't know what the value of a Skymile is.

 

[elgerber]

Actually, Marriott points will be transferrable but 60,000 Marriott points will get you 25,000 Delta Skymiles including the 5,000 mile bonus. Not 65,000 Skymiles. I don't fly Delta so I don't know what the value of a Skymile is.

25k SkyMiles will maybe get you a round trip flight if you are lucky. I have found some cheaper the last year or so, but generally that is one round trip, and often they are higher, more like 30k.

 

[Judique]

You can transfer MR points directly to Delta SkyMiles at 1:1 in increments of 1,000. For an even better deal, beginning 8/1/18, you can transfer MR points to Marriott points at 1:1 (likely, again in increments of 1,000).

Now I know what to do with my very small, maybe 5K, batch of MR's from Amex, if I need any additional Marriott points. Last time I just bought a couple of gap gift cards for the girls.

 

[platamama]

25k SkyMiles will maybe get you a round trip flight if you are lucky. I have found some cheaper the last year or so, but generally that is one round trip, and often they are higher, more like 30k.

Ok, that's similar to what I've seen for AA and UA award tickets for domestic flights on saver awards.

 

[Albort]

So for the $1,000 one, I’d need 3 swipes cause 500+500+ 0.88 (yikes)

what city and state are u in?

 

[EC0323]

Actually, Marriott points will be transferrable but 60,000 Marriott points will get you 25,000 Delta Skymiles including the 5,000 mile bonus. Not 65,000 Skymiles. I don't fly Delta so I don't know what the value of a Skymile is.

Just curious. If it is an one to one transfer why is it only 25k

Yall have given me lots to think about. I am nervous but I will probably just go for the 100k bonus. I looked at the flights for Vancouver and Fairbanks. It looks like I have a choice of Delta or Unted and in that case this card gives me options for both.

With Csr I have to wait till 9 month mark to book with points. Is it the same with Amex?

Thank you for your replies and help!!