I love credit cards so much!

[WaywardMemphian]

Chase Freedom sign up bonus is at 15,000 UR I think. I wouldn't waste a Chase app on such a small bonus. My recommendation wold be for your DH to open a CSP and for you to open a CSR. It's another 50K UR points each. If pressed on a recon call as to why you'd want both cards simply state that you's like to use the new card for business expenses you'd like to keep those expenses separate from your personal card but wanted to have similar benefits as your current card. Then, I'd product change which ever one you don't want to keep after a year for the Freedom and PC the other for a CFU. You can transfer your UR points from CSP and CSR to SW airlines. After these two cards then I'd go for the SW airlines cards.

No they cannot. SW card points are not UR points they are Rapid Reward SW points and cannot be transferred to UR. The only cards that earn UR points and can be transferred between each other UR card accounts are CSR, CSP, Chase Sapphire no fee (no longer available) Freedom, CFU, Ink+ (no longer available). Ink Cash, Ink Preferred, Ink Bold (no longer available).

Southwest points are southwest points.

What I have done in the past is to book hotels via Southwest but pay with my CSR.

We are going to DC in three weeks, I got 7 nights at a Marriott Residence Inn with 30,000 Rapid Rewards as a bonus upon completion of the stay. They count toward the Companion Pass as well. I then paid via CSR and got the 3% back in UR. This also keeps your RR account active.

Make sure you double check the room price to make sure the Bonus is actually worth it. My room was just a couple of dollars more than any other price I found but others I looked at were a bit marked up or even rack rate.

This is the route I'm using for a stay at Uni's Cabana Bay to take in Volcano Bay before our Spring Break Cruise negating any reason to pay insane Atlantis rates . They are offering 6,000 RR points via Southwest and the rate is the same as thru Universal's site last I checked


Also there is this if you have any Sapphire Card:

https://thepointsguy.com/2017/05/chase-100k-bonus-for-mortgage/

 

[eeyoresmom]

Thanks @calypso726 and @WaywardMemphian . The SW companion Pass is also on my list of things I should figure out. Like I said, we fly SW a lot! Do you have to have a SW Visa to get a companion pass? I remember looking into how many flights were needed to earn one and thought it wasn't worth it but there must be other ways to earn towards it. I will look for a companion pass for dummies article What was the advantage of booking the hotel through Southwest but paying with the CSR?

 

[WaywardMemphian]

Thanks @calypso726 and @WaywardMemphian . The SW companion Pass is also on my list of things I should figure out. Like I said, we fly SW a lot! Do you have to have a SW Visa to get a companion pass? I remember looking into how many flights were needed to earn one and thought it wasn't worth it but there must be other ways to earn towards it. I will look for a companion pass for dummies article What was the advantage of booking the hotel through Southwest but paying with the CSR?

No, but the sign up bonus usually jumpstarts the process. Some apply for personal and business and that gets you really close to it.

Timing is key too, it's good for rest of the rest you get it AND the following year. If you rime getting g the cards in December, make sure you wait to hit the MS bonus after the 31st. If the sooner you hit 110,000 in a year, the longer the pass is good for it could be as long as 23 months that way but if you hit the 110,000 mark in December, It's only good for a little over 12 months. Timing is key.

 

[peel]

https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/sapphirereserve/travel

It says in the link above that pre-existing conditions are specifically excluded under the terms of the travel insurance, so I have continued to purchase traditional travel insurance within two weeks of making a trip deposit to ensure there are no issues with coverage of my kiddo with food allergies. He hasn't had anaphylaxis since he was diagnosed 3 years ago, but I don't want to have to argue about whether having an epi pen prescription refill at his well child counts as treatment that would be within the timing for the exclusion.

Have you actually made a claim under the CSR travel policy related to your condition? How did it work out?

Ah, thanks for pointing that out. No I haven't filed a claim. I imagine there may be ways to "get around" the exemption, but that's good info to keep in mind and investigate further!

 

[Albort]

Chase Freedom sign up bonus is at 15,000 UR I think.

do you think 30k UR after $500 spendings is worth a hard pull? i told a friend to apply for it haha... not sure if that was a good idea.

 

[Ava]

If you chat or call them up, they should be able to upgrade your card! I love my Blue Cash Preferred!

Yeah, I should give them a call. We can easily spend $6K in a year at the grocery store. I'd just want to make sure it'd still show that account as being open for the 16 years because it's my oldest card.

When my toddler turned 2 and started needing her own seat, I signed her up for United's and Hawaiian's mileage programs. I figured if we're paying for her ticket, she should get the miles. Hawaiian makes it very easy (and free) to transfer miles, but keeping her miles with United active when we're not flying with them every year is tricky and transferring the miles is expensive! But you're right -- don't want to leave miles on the tarmac.

I did the same with my kids. They both have JetBlue & Delta FF accounts, and an Amtrak Guest Rewards account. I figure if I'm paying for their tickets they should get the miles/points! I love that you can easily pool points from the whole family on JetBlue.

 

[calypso726]

Thanks @calypso726 and @WaywardMemphian . The SW companion Pass is also on my list of things I should figure out. Like I said, we fly SW a lot! Do you have to have a SW Visa to get a companion pass? I remember looking into how many flights were needed to earn one and thought it wasn't worth it but there must be other ways to earn towards it. I will look for a companion pass for dummies article What was the advantage of booking the hotel through Southwest but paying with the CSR?

You're welcome. Fortunately, we have a lot of folks who post here that very well versed on Southwest and getting the SW companion pass. I'm not one of them though SW is one of the few Chase cards I have never gone after. My travel hacking goals are geared to scoring international first class flights with points and miles. I will agree with @WaywardMemphian though timing is key from what I have read. It is for the companion pass I'm working on now. I'm working on a British Airways companion pass. To earn it I have to spend $30,000 in a calendar year on the Chase British Airways Visa. Once I do, I get a companion pass that is good for 2 years. I intend to spend all but $500 or so on it with a kitchen/bathroom remodel we are doing which is why I got the card. Then, I will wait until December and make the final spend so that my ticket will be good for 2 years from December.

do you think 30k UR after $500 spendings is worth a hard pull? i told a friend to apply for it haha... not sure if that was a good idea.

Yes, without a doubt. That is a nice chunk of UR for a small amount of spend. Given the choice between that offer and a PC of an existing card, I'd go for the offer.

 

[laceltris3]

I have an AmEx Blue Cash card with no annual fee that gives 3% back at grocery stores on up to $6,000 per year, 2% back at gas stations, and 1% on everything else. There's also a version with a $95 annual fee that gives you 6% back on up to $6,000 in grocery and 3% back at gas stations. (I've had this card for over 15 years; if I were getting one now I'd spring for the version with the AF.) These are just cash back cards though, they don't earn MR points.

I have an old legacy Amex Blue Cash that gives an unlimited 5% cash back on groceries, gas, and drug stores and 1.5% back on everything else. When I first got it, it also gave 5% back on home improvement (like Home Depot and Lowes) and 1.5% on everything else and it had a fixed 9.9% interest rate. Sigh. Those were the days.

I spend way more than $6K/year at Kroger since I load up on $500 Disney gift cards for my DVA when they are doing 4X fuel points. And feed a family of 5 too.

 

[WaywardMemphian]

I have an old legacy Amex Blue Cash that gives an unlimited 5% cash back on groceries, gas, and drug stores and 1.5% back on everything else. When I first got it, it also gave 5% back on home improvement (like Home Depot and Lowes) and 1.5% on everything else and it had a fixed 9.9% interest rate. Sigh. Those were the days.

I spend way more than $6K/year at Kroger since I load up on $500 Disney gift cards for my DVA when they are doing 4X fuel points. And feed a family of 5 too.

I just have an an addiction to steak and seafood on the weekends. The Sam's in NWA carry usda prime at the same price Kroger wants for Choice grade back home in Memphis. But 6,000 a year is about right.

 

[Ava]

I was approved for the CSR. Now I just have to wait for my card so I can start working on the spend! I may pay my rent next month via Plastiq so I can get it done more quickly, and not have to worry about not making it. I'll pay a 2.5% fee but the bonus point value will more than make up for that.

I also assume that if I have travel expenses that are reimbursed, that amount won't count towards the minimum spend, correct?

 

[WaywardMemphian]

I was approved for the CSR. Now I just have to wait for my card so I can start working on the spend! I may pay my rent next month via Plastiq so I can get it done more quickly, and not have to worry about not making it. I'll pay a 2.5% fee but the bonus point value will more than make up for that.

I also assume that if I have travel expenses that are reimbursed, that amount won't count towards the minimum spend, correct?

No, it counts toward you minimum spend, you just get it back.

 

[Lain]

I was approved for the CSR. Now I just have to wait for my card so I can start working on the spend! I may pay my rent next month via Plastiq so I can get it done more quickly, and not have to worry about not making it. I'll pay a 2.5% fee but the bonus point value will more than make up for that.

I also assume that if I have travel expenses that are reimbursed, that amount won't count towards the minimum spend, correct?

No, it counts toward you minimum spend, you just get it back.

Congratulations!

Interestingly, if you use Plastiq to pay your rent and it codes as travel, it'll apply towards the CSR's $300 travel credit.

 

[Ava]

No, it counts toward you minimum spend, you just get it back.

Oh, good to know! I thought since it's pretty much an instant credit it'd count as a return or some such and not go towards the spend.

Congratulations!

Interestingly, if you use Plastiq to pay your rent and it codes as travel, it'll apply towards the CSR's $300 travel credit.

Thank you! Very interesting about Plastiq. I've never used it before but now I'm tempted to do it just to see how it codes.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Congratulations!

Interestingly, if you use Plastiq to pay your rent and it codes as travel, it'll apply towards the CSR's $300 travel credit.

Personally I wouldn't want my rent or mortgage to count for my $300 travel credit. Instead of letting random travel expenses count for my travel credit, I bought an airline gift card which triggered the credit. Then spent as usual to meet $ for bonus.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

DH Applied for CSP this week and got the 30 day message. Is all hope lost? Not clear why it wasn't approved since DH has CSR and is 2/24.

 

[Lain]

Thank you! Very interesting about Plastiq. I've never used it before but now I'm tempted to do it just to see how it codes.

All recent data points I've seen say Plastiq still codes rent and mortgage payments as "travel" when paying with the CSR, CSP, CIP, and USB AR as long as you select the "Rent, Mortgage, and Real Estate" category for your payee. This should earn you 3x UR points on the total amount of your rent plus the 2.5% fee, which makes this a good deal. But I think a lot of us have been around enough to know that good things can end unexpectedly.

Personally I wouldn't want my rent or mortgage to count for my $300 travel credit. Instead of letting random travel expenses count for my travel credit, I bought an airline gift card which triggered the credit. Then spent as usual to meet $ for bonus.

Money is fungible, right? Either way, looks like @Ava will recoup $300 of the annual fee fast.

 

[wendow]

DH Applied for CSP this week and got the 30 day message. Is all hope lost? Not clear why it wasn't approved since DH has CSR and is 2/24.

I do not think all hope is lost. I got the 30-day message for my latest app and then was approved a week later.

 

[MrPTato]

Yeah, I should give them a call. We can easily spend $6K in a year at the grocery store. I'd just want to make sure it'd still show that account as being open for the 16 years because it's my oldest card.


I did the same with my kids. They both have JetBlue & Delta FF accounts, and an Amtrak Guest Rewards account. I figure if I'm paying for their tickets they should get the miles/points! I love that you can easily pool points from the whole family on JetBlue.

Mine kept its age...started off as the BCE and then I upgraded 16ish months after I signed up.

 

[Albort]

DH Applied for CSP this week and got the 30 day message. Is all hope lost? Not clear why it wasn't approved since DH has CSR and is 2/24.

tell DH to call and ask!

 

[hsmamato2]

Southwest points are southwest points.

What I have done in the past is to book hotels via Southwest but pay with my CSR.

We are going to DC in three weeks, I got 7 nights at a Marriott Residence Inn with 30,000 Rapid Rewards as a bonus upon completion of the stay. They count toward the Companion Pass as well. I then paid via CSR and got the 3% back in UR. This also keeps your RR account active.

Make sure you double check the room price to make sure the Bonus is actually worth it. My room was just a couple of dollars more than any other price I found but others I looked at were a bit marked up or even rack rate.

This is the route I'm using for a stay at Uni's Cabana Bay to take in Volcano Bay before our Spring Break Cruise negating any reason to pay insane Atlantis rates . They are offering 6,000 RR points via Southwest and the rate is the same as thru Universal's site last I checked

where on swa site do you find these?