I love credit cards so much!

[snugglebug]

good areas are all in texas.

Would love to know where. Last time I tried to buy a legit MO with a legit debit card I had to argue with the guy, he wanted my id and card, then told me I couldn't use it because it had a Visa logo on it. It was a Navy Fed issued Visa checkcard and I just needed to pay my rental deposit. I've been too scared to even attempt anything since.

 

[Calfan]

I know a lot of folks are gun shy about the personal Amex Platinum and its $550 AF, and of course everyone's situation is different in terms of what benefits of the card they will be able to utilize, but I just wanted to share that we are only slightly over half way through the calendar year, and I am already ahead $51.76 on that AF. This is through a combination of using my airline incidental fee credit ($200 in SW gift cards that have long been used), use of Uber credits so far (with every likelihood that I will use the remaining credits for Aug. through the end of the year), using various offers on my card for $$ off certain purchases and savings on Amazon via offers applicable to accounts with linked Amex MR cards. Most recently, I have saved $130 buying Albertsons gift cards on Amazon (using Amazon gift cards that I bought at Walgreens at 5x on my CF). For some reason, the first time I clicked through on the recent Amazon/Amex offer, I got $30 off a $100 Albertsons gift card. Today, I got $20 each off the purchase of an additional $500 in Allbertsons gift cards for a $100 savings. All in all, I've purchased $600 in Albertsons gift cards for a total of $470. These calculations of being ahead on the AF for the Amex Platinum don't even try to value the three lounge visits we have made already this year (Centurion at Seattle and Houston and Escape in Oakland). Needless to say, I really do love my Amex Platinum and get more value out of it than the high AF.

 

[amalone1013]

Ok... Any hope of getting a personal Platinum expedited?

 

[platamama]

No, her account was about sixty days old when I started the transfer. The customer service rep stated that it had been refused because I'd already bought miles in my account this year and thus couldn't receive any bought miles in my account. I pushed back a little and said I don't believe this was the case any more, but she wasn't having any of it. I'm Marriott gold so hopefully that will help as well. I think what I'll do just to make sure is call and make sure I can do it before transferring points. I may ask them to stay on the phone with me while I transfer to then complete the Air Package while I have that same person on the phone. Thanks so much. Between Walgreens and this, frustrating week for me on miles/credit card points!

That's frustrating and weird. As a DP, 8 days ago I transferred DH's Starpoints into my account (took two business days), and both of us purchased 30K Starpoints for each of our accounts this year back in March. So that doesn't make any sense. Try speaking to another rep? Good luck!

I think the $10 fee for transfer is waived if the person pushing the Marriott points to you is the one with Marriott Gold or higher status.

About Walgreens, there's a lot of YMMV, and unfortunately I think it's a lot of trial and error to find out what will work for you. I'm hoping you won't try to complain to Walgreen's about how spotty their "consistent" policy is because that might end up killing it for the rest of us. I haven't tried the Walgreens around me yet, so I might even be in the same situation as you, but I've long accepted that what works in one location doesn't necessarily work somewhere else.

 

[tink1970]

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

No, for Amex travel as well as Delta and American today, July 10 you can book through June 6th, 2019. With United it's June 11th (internationally anyway). This is important if you're using miles because the lower priced seats go quickly especially on Delta (if they have any at all). If you're going to book with skymiles on delta you have to be ready to JUMP on the lowest fare because they will go up. If you're paying cash via CSR UR or Amex MR then the price difference isn't as stark.

 

[Albort]

Would love to know where. Last time I tried to buy a legit MO with a legit debit card I had to argue with the guy, he wanted my id and card, then told me I couldn't use it because it had a Visa logo on it. It was a Navy Fed issued Visa checkcard and I just needed to pay my rental deposit. I've been too scared to even attempt anything since.

could be a fluke. try again. Most of texas is good, a friend of mine pushes through a few thousand at a time.
Currently switched over to gift card MS. H-E-B is apparently a gold mine...

Ok... Any hope of getting a personal Platinum expedited?

Amex Plat is expedited automatically apparently...

edit: oops, thats your question on reddit... XD

 

[SBWB48]

Ok... Any hope of getting a personal Platinum expedited?

Even better, I got my card number instantly upon approval. Not sure if you need the physical card for what you are paying? The car repairs?

 

[amalone1013]

Amex Plat is expedited automatically apparently...

edit: oops, thats your question on reddit... XD

Even better, I got my card number instantly upon approval. Not sure if you need the physical card for what you are paying? The car repairs?

Yeah... but instantly is great too because I have a few things I could throw on there towards MSR too. The cars will be split up so at least $2k from mine can go on it, I haven't taken it in yet.

 

[Lain]

Ok... Any hope of getting a personal Platinum expedited?

If you tell Amex you have travel plans in the next few days and would like to utilize the card’s benefits (e.g., lounges, status, airline fee credits, Uber credits), Amex might do it.

 

[Lain]

Amex Plat is expedited automatically apparently...

edit: oops, thats your question on reddit... XD

This has not been my experience. My most recent MB Plat took over a week to arrive. (I also didn’t get a temporary card number.) It did come in a fancy package with the nice wood smartphone stand though. I don’t recall my first personal Plat was expedited either; but when Amex upgraded the card to metal, and I called in to request a metal card, they asked if I had any upcoming travel plans and if they could expedite the card for me. And yes, yes they did.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Just found out Jingle Bam is starting Nov. 8 at HS and I'll be in the park on Nov. 9! Looking forward to seeing the decorations and show!

 

[Judique]

Well apparently I just needed to complain because I pulled up the AMEX site in incognito...

And got AMEX Platinum 75k MRs for $5k spend.

And I finally tricked the system to check for prequalified offers for myself, and got Premier Rewards Gold 50k MRs for $1k

I've gotten 2 mailers for the PRG (one last night) for 50K and they want me to spend 2K !!! It's also listed in my Amex offers. Not biting yet....

 

[amalone1013]

I've gotten 2 mailers for the PRG (one last night) for 50K and they want me to spend 2K !!! It's also listed in my Amex offers. Not biting yet....

I kind of really want to go for both. I'm now feeling FOMO on MR Amazon offers

But PRG would set me back a couple months on getting a CIP, from October to December...

 

[Judique]

I know a lot of folks are gun shy about the personal Amex Platinum and its $550 AF, and of course everyone's situation is different in terms of what benefits of the card they will be able to utilize, but I just wanted to share that we are only slightly over half way through the calendar year, and I am already ahead $51.76 on that AF. This is through a combination of using my airline incidental fee credit ($200 in SW gift cards that have long been used), use of Uber credits so far (with every likelihood that I will use the remaining credits for Aug. through the end of the year), using various offers on my card for $$ off certain purchases and savings on Amazon via offers applicable to accounts with linked Amex MR cards. Most recently, I have saved $130 buying Albertsons gift cards on Amazon (using Amazon gift cards that I bought at Walgreens at 5x on my CF). For some reason, the first time I clicked through on the recent Amazon/Amex offer, I got $30 off a $100 Albertsons gift card. Today, I got $20 each off the purchase of an additional $500 in Allbertsons gift cards for a $100 savings. All in all, I've purchased $600 in Albertsons gift cards for a total of $470. These calculations of being ahead on the AF for the Amex Platinum don't even try to value the three lounge visits we have made already this year (Centurion at Seattle and Houston and Escape in Oakland). Needless to say, I really do love my Amex Platinum and get more value out of it than the high AF.

And, you haven't even been to Sak's yet!

I think the Amex offers pretty much take care of all my annual fees across all my cards. I do try to keep them in line with items I would buy anyway or will use.

 

[Judique]

Ok... Any hope of getting a personal Platinum expedited?

I'm guessing instant approval?

 

[amalone1013]

I'm guessing instant approval?

Still debating...

 

[Judique]

I kind of really want to go for both. I'm now feeling FOMO on MR Amazon offers

But PRG would set me back a couple months on getting a CIP, from October to December...

I also want to get the CIP but I want to wait until mid October to apply as that will work with expenses I have through Xmas. Meanwhile, when I finish my Marriott Biz I will be considering a nice little Amex Biz card. I'm almost there - 1K to go.

Editing: I did get a MR offer after I placed my gift card order for $40 off a fire using mr's. Looking at a kid one for my grand daughter for xmas, maybe. Older GD uses a Samsung tablet and won't let younger one have it.

 

[Calfan]

And, you haven't even been to Sak's yet!

I think the Amex offers pretty much take care of all my annual fees across all my cards. I do try to keep them in line with items I would buy anyway or will use.

True that on Saks And I do shop at Saks, so I have no doubt I will be using that benefit as well! I was very excited to see that addition to the platinum card's benefits. And totally agree that I only use the Amex offers on things I was planning to buy anyway. In the case of the Albertsons gift cards, I probably wouldn't have bought $600 worth in short succession, but given that Albertsons is my employer and pretty much the only place we do our grocery shopping, these will absolutely get used in the ordinary course of our grocery shopping.

 

[platamama]

Well apparently I just needed to complain because I pulled up the AMEX site in incognito...

And got AMEX Platinum 75k MRs for $5k spend.

And I finally tricked the system to check for prequalified offers for myself, and got Premier Rewards Gold 50k MRs for $1k

Nice on both! As a comparison, DH's Biz Plat got 100K MR but for $10K spend (it was actually 150K MR on $20K spend but no way was I going to spend another $10K for additional 50K MR). Both those offers together get you 125K MR for $6K spend? That's pretty sweet.

 

[Judique]

True that on Saks And I do shop at Saks, so I have no doubt I will be using that benefit as well! I was very excited to see that addition to the platinum card's benefits. And totally agree that I only use the Amex offers on things I was planning to buy anyway. In the case of the Albertsons gift cards, I probably wouldn't have bought $600 worth in short succession, but given that Albertsons is my employer and pretty much the only place we do our grocery shopping, these will absolutely get used in the ordinary course of our grocery shopping.

The $500 I bought won't last very long even if I have to use them for groceries and gas. One Safeway is right by Costco so they match their gas prices most of the time.