I love credit cards so much!

[schmass]

I'm going to go in a completely different direction. I'd log in on a different browser and try it again. You didn't actually apply so have nothing to lose.

I did it in an incognito browser because at first I couldn't even get the offer to come up while doing a dummy booking. Maybe I will try again though...

Somewhat relevant DP from 2 days ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/99ce24/comment/e4o9az1?st=JL880TNN&sh=d0503148

This is interesting. I think I'll just give it a little time.

I haven't had a chance to catch up on the thread since early this morning, and I have to run off to lunch, but I wanted to share my experience when trying to apply for an Amex biz card this morning:

I tried to apply for the Amex Blue Biz (10k MR after $3k MSR), and received the popup message saying I didn’t qualify for the bonus due to prior bonuses received. Sorry- can’t remember the exact message, I did a screenshot but it’s at home and I’m at work. Next I tried to apply for the Delta biz gold because I thought I remembered co-branded cards are not as scrutinized as MR cards, but received the same message. Stats – I currently have the SPG biz (rec’d bonus in Apr I believe) and the Hilton biz (received the bonus in July) .


I went and looked up the stmt balances on each card:

SPG:

Mar $2500

Apr: $2500

May: $45

Jun: $327

Jul: $838

Aug: had 0 end balance but did have activity.


Hilton:

Jun $3050

Jul: $193

Aug $38


I was kind of surprised because it’s only my 3rd amex biz card, and it’s not like I haven’t had any spending at all on my cards. I’m wondering if this is just a fluke or if it’s a sign of Amex cracking down on churners? Not sure where to go from here, I guess I’ll try to put some spend on the cards to try to get back in Amex’s good graces, while putting most big spend on my DH’s CSP while I’m waiting to try for the CIP in Nov when I go under 5/24. Any thoughts or suggestions?

I'm sorry that you got the same message I did earlier today. We can commiserate together!

 

[MrsAlexis]

Hilton Biz app instantly approved!! My first business card, I'm excited LOL. This will/should hold me over until I go for CIP, which will be October or November depending on when I finish spend on this new card.

For the DPs related to AMEX denying the welcome bonus, I am not a good DP because I only have one AMEX personal card, that I opened in 2014 and use quite a bit.

I was asked if I wanted access to card number right away, and saw discussion earlier today about always requesting access in case it times out. Well, mine timed out and says "Currently, our systems are not responding". How do I go about requesting a consolation of sorts? I think someone mentioned points or credit?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Hilton Biz app instantly approved!! My first business card, I'm excited LOL. This will/should hold me over until I go for CIP, which will be October or November depending on when I finish spend on this new card.

For the DPs related to AMEX denying the welcome bonus, I am not a good DP because I only have one AMEX personal card, that I opened in 2014 and use quite a bit.

I was asked if I wanted access to card number right away, and saw discussion earlier today about always requesting access in case it times out. Well, mine timed out and says "Currently, our systems are not responding". How do I go about requesting a consolation of sorts? I think someone mentioned points or credit?

@striker1064 seemed to have some knowledge on that one...

 

[gottalovepluto]

Ok. I just chatted with AMEX. Here is the text of the chat:

Hi David, how can I help you today?
Virtual Assistant - Aug 24, 2018 8:57 AM
Hi. I was just approved for the Premier Gold. I just want to verify the offer requirements for the card.
You - Aug 24, 2018 8:57 AM
You will be connected within 1 second.
Please add any relevant information below.
Nem has joined the conversation
Hi David.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 8:58 AM
Congratulations!
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 8:58 AM
Let me check your account. Please allow me a moment.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 8:58 AM
Thank you for waiting, David.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:00 AM
No problem
You - Aug 24, 2018 9:00 AM
I see that it's your newly opened account so the complete offer informations are not yet loaded. Please stay with me so that I can check it with my manager on his system.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:01 AM
Ok. Thanks.
You - Aug 24, 2018 9:01 AM
Thank you so much.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:03 AM
Got it.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:03 AM
Through your new card : You can earn: •75,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after $1,000 or more in eligible purchases are made on the Card within the first 3 months (92 days) of Card Membership. •A $50 statement credit after the first purchase is made on the Card within the first 3 months (92 days) of Card Membership
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:03 AM
But this isn't a Hilton Honor Card. It should be 50,000 MR's with $1,000 in purchases. That is the prequalified link I clicked on.
You - Aug 24, 2018 9:04 AM
You have selected PRG card right now.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:05 AM
May I know the last 5 digits of your account?
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:05 AM
51000
You - Aug 24, 2018 9:05 AM
The above offers is for your 5100 0 card.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:05 AM
You have 75000, you want less bonus offer ?
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:06 AM
Let me check your account. Please allow me a moment.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:06 AM
No. But you said it was Hilton Honors Points. But this is not a Hilton Honors Card. It is a Premium Rewards Gold.
You - Aug 24, 2018 9:06 AM
Okay.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:07 AM
I'll certainly check this for you. Please allow me a moment.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:07 AM
For your new Premier Rewards Gold card : through this offer can get 50,000 Membership Rewards points after $1,000 in eligible purchases are made on the Card within in the first 3 months (92 days) of Card Membership. To meet the purchase requirement, eligible purchases can be made by the Basic Card Member and any Additional Card Members on the account. The introductory annual fee for the Premier Rewards Gold Card will be waived for the first year of Card Membership. After the first year, the annual fee is $195 for the Basic Card and $0 for up to 5 Additional Cards. The annual fee for 6 or more Additional Cards is $35 for each Card.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:07 AM
Great. That is what I thought. I just wanted to confirm that this offer was attached to the card. I know there were a few different offers out there and wanted to make sure it was this one.
You - Aug 24, 2018 9:08 AM
Sounds perfect, David. Thank you for opening a new account with us today.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:08 AM
Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:08 AM
That will be it. THanks.
You - Aug 24, 2018 9:09 AM
You're most welcome.
Nem - Aug 24, 2018 9:09 AM
Customer Care Professional is typing...
Low Connection.
Code cannot be sent in this window.

to send" rows="3">


So, sounds like the offer is on my card right?

Personally I would do the spend and hope for the bonus. If the bonus is not awarded contact Amex and you can use a copy of your chat to back you up. Unfortunately, at the end of the day the agreement you signed when getting the card allows Amex to not give you the bonus so do not count on getting those MRs until they actually show up in your account. As you can tell from your above chat, their chat reps are idiots. What they say is worth nothing more than a hail mary if you need to fight for the bonus.

I'm sorry your the unwilling DP on this but we're definitely all pulling for you!

 

[Happy814]

Hey there - thanks for coming out of "lurkdom"! I have some scattered thoughts for you:

• Even though you have no definite travel plans - it's always better to earn points ahead of time! Ultimate Rewards (for example) don't expire so earning them now and using them later is possible!
• I would not expect a better sign on bonus with CSR/CSP. They have been VERY steady at 50k points for a long time. I'd guess you've been reading alot about "double dips" and if anything, my long term concern is that someday the double dip could go away.
• As far as how many points are required to book a mod resort - that's difficult to answer. Are you traveling in late January, Spring Break, Early September, Christmas? As you are probably aware, hotel rates vary greatly based on time of year.
• Let's assume for a minute you're booking a $300 / night room - for 7 nights that would be $2,100. IF you have a CSR card you could book that with 140,000 UR points. If you only had a CSP or CIP it would be 168,000 points.

I would recommend the following ideas:

• Have your husband refer you to a CIP
• Consider doing a CSP/CSR double dip for you OR husband
• Then have the other spouse do that later (and refer them)

You could earn a LOT of points here for that next awesome trip pretty quickly!

Also - if you've lurked awhile, you're probably aware of DISchurners - do you want to join our private group?

Thank you so much! This is so helpful and has sparked a few thoughts.

• I understand what you're saying about the amount of points needed to book a WDW room is variable. But this gives me a good general idea. 150,000-200,000 points seems VERY attainable. I am almost positive we will head to WDW within the next 12-18 months, so the idea of an almost "free" trip sounds very tempting, regardless of our other travel plans.
• The double dip seems slightly intimidating as a first-timer, although I definitely see the appeal! I'm also balking a little at the $450 fee with the CSR, although I definitely realize the value in the travel credit... I still have that mental block! Aside from not obtaining all the bonuses at once, what would be the harm in applying for a CSP, eventually downgrading to a CFU and THEN applying for a CSR?
• I would love to join the private group, although it seems like I'm going down the rabbit hole to the dark side

 

[elgerber]

Probably just ID verification.

Whoops, wasn't thinking that my 3 AMEX personal credit cards counted also, so I already had 5. Closed my Hilton Ascend while on the phone, was going to do that anyway as my annual fee will be coming soon.
My Hilton Biz will be here by Tuesday at the latest

 

[Happy814]

Hi and Welcome....Have you considered having your husband refer you for a CIP...there are lots of us here with “businesses” who apply as sole proprietors using our name and SS if you sell on eBay etc, babysit etc you can apply.
This way you get another 80,000 points on your card and you get 20,000 on your husbands for the referral

The SW CP is worth getting..but it sounds like your better off waiting a bit...also apply at the beginning of a year so you get the CP for almost 2years

Keep asking away...everyone here is very helpful

Thank you so much! Having DH refer me for a CIP is definitely something to consider. I could theoretically do a little consulting on the side as a business venture...

 

[trenty]

@Lain So I used MPX for the first time today in a store (I have been using it for online purchases only so far). The MPX gift card purchase worked. However, the gift card did not have a bar code. The cashier had to manually input the numbers. Is there a way to generate bar codes?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Thank you so much! This is so helpful and has sparked a few thoughts.

• I understand what you're saying about the amount of points needed to book a WDW room is variable. But this gives me a good general idea. 150,000-200,000 points seems VERY attainable. I am almost positive we will head to WDW within the next 12-18 months, so the idea of an almost "free" trip sounds very tempting, regardless of our other travel plans.
• The double dip seems slightly intimidating as a first-timer, although I definitely see the appeal! I'm also balking a little at the $450 fee with the CSR, although I definitely realize the value in the travel credit... I still have that mental block! Aside from not obtaining all the bonuses at once, what would be the harm in applying for a CSP, eventually downgrading to a CFU and THEN applying for a CSR?
• I would love to join the private group, although it seems like I'm going down the rabbit hole to the dark side

So you can't send a PM here yet (since you don't have 10 posts yet). To join DISchurners - you need a Reddit username. If you have one, just tell me what it is.

IF you don't have one, register at reddit.com (many people use a similar name to their DIS name there). Then tell me that name, you can just do it in a reply right here. I'll get you all setup then!

 

[Lain]

@Lain So I used MPX for the first time today in a store (I have been using it for online purchases only so far). The MPX gift card purchase worked. However, the gift card did not have a bar code. The cashier had to manually input the numbers. Is there a way to generate bar codes?

Nope, some e-gift cards show up with barcodes, others only have numbers/pin that the cashier has to manually enter.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

REMINDER: If you use a DISchurners link, send a PM to that person telling them you used their link. They'll get a chance to thank you, and it always makes for a nice interaction!

I get a decent number of thank you PMs for creating DISchurners from folks here, and many speak about getting "surprise" points because nobody PMed them. While they get the points either way, I'm sure everybody would prefer to know who used their link and thank them properly

 

[Lain]

Whoops, wasn't thinking that my 3 AMEX personal credit cards counted also, so I already had 5. Closed my Hilton Ascend while on the phone, was going to do that anyway as my annual fee will be coming soon.
My Hilton Biz will be here by Tuesday at the latest

Ah yeah, the 5 credit card limit will kick it to pending and you'll need to close one before Amex approves you for another. Glad it worked out!

 

[trenty]

Nope, some e-gift cards show up with barcodes, others only have numbers/pin that the cashier has to manually enter.

Do you know if the ones without a barcode can be used with the NFC terminals?

 

[Lain]

Do you know if the ones without a barcode can be used with the NFC terminals?

Not to my knowledge. I don't believe MPX is NFC-enabled. I'm not even sure you can add an MPX gift card to a digital wallet.

 

[gottalovepluto]

@magickingdomprincess Personally I wouldn't stay at Springhill Suites Maingate. It is nowhere near the Maingate for what it's worth. I think people try to walk to Mickey and Friends and take the tram? I would definitely get that part thoroughly researched prior to committing to a stay there with a family. If someone here doesn't have experience ask on the DL board. Do y'all fit at the courtyard I see on that handy marriott map? ( https://www.hotelsbypoints.com/updated-marriott-starwood-map ) Looks to by Hyatt Place which I know is near the Toy Story Parking Lot so you could take that bus to the park...

 

[liloca]

Thank you so much! This is so helpful and has sparked a few thoughts.

• I understand what you're saying about the amount of points needed to book a WDW room is variable. But this gives me a good general idea. 150,000-200,000 points seems VERY attainable. I am almost positive we will head to WDW within the next 12-18 months, so the idea of an almost "free" trip sounds very tempting, regardless of our other travel plans.
• The double dip seems slightly intimidating as a first-timer, although I definitely see the appeal! I'm also balking a little at the $450 fee with the CSR, although I definitely realize the value in the travel credit... I still have that mental block! Aside from not obtaining all the bonuses at once, what would be the harm in applying for a CSP, eventually downgrading to a CFU and THEN applying for a CSR?
• I would love to join the private group, although it seems like I'm going down the rabbit hole to the dark side

So chase has a rule that you can only have one Chase Saphire card at a time and you can only get the Bonus every 24 months. So if you apply for the CSP only you will need to wait 24months before you can get the 50k bonus.
I thought double dip was scary as well and had to prepare myself before applying, but luckily was able to get approve for both instantly!
Now I have both CSR and CSP and my plan will be to refer my DH next year and downgrade mine so we always have a CSR for the 1.5x UR redemption.
I think starting with your DH referring you for CIP will be the best to get you feet wet and more comfortable with this game before going for the double dip!

 

[Lain]

@LynnTH, @schmass, @magickingdomprincess, and I think @AmyAnne was interested: AmEx Bonus Denial Reports Data Collection Thread

 

[SBWB48]

So funny enough, I have a Costco reservation (I have like 8 cars reserved right now for our Nov trip in total).

I used to be a Costco member, but let it lapse back in February. Have no use for it...so I was wondering what happens if I show up and check in for my Costco reservation (which is the cheapest I have by about $15) without an active membership. Reports online are mixed but some indicate I'd be fine, lol.

Just my dp...I’ve never been asked for my card

Nor have I, and I have used the Costco code several times.

Also never been ask for my Costco card. Just had the reservation number in hand and that is generally all they ask for. I too had about 8-9 reservations going back in June, as placeholders until we could decided

I haven't had a chance to catch up on the thread since early this morning, and I have to run off to lunch, but I wanted to share my experience when trying to apply for an Amex biz card this morning:

I tried to apply for the Amex Blue Biz (10k MR after $3k MSR), and received the popup message saying I didn’t qualify for the bonus due to prior bonuses received. Sorry- can’t remember the exact message, I did a screenshot but it’s at home and I’m at work. Next I tried to apply for the Delta biz gold because I thought I remembered co-branded cards are not as scrutinized as MR cards, but received the same message. Stats – I currently have the SPG biz (rec’d bonus in Apr I believe) and the Hilton biz (received the bonus in July) .


I went and looked up the stmt balances on each card:

SPG:

Mar $2500

Apr: $2500

May: $45

Jun: $327

Jul: $838

Aug: had 0 end balance but did have activity.


Hilton:

Jun $3050

Jul: $193

Aug $38


I was kind of surprised because it’s only my 3rd amex biz card, and it’s not like I haven’t had any spending at all on my cards. I’m wondering if this is just a fluke or if it’s a sign of Amex cracking down on churners? Not sure where to go from here, I guess I’ll try to put some spend on the cards to try to get back in Amex’s good graces, while putting most big spend on my DH’s CSP while I’m waiting to try for the CIP in Nov when I go under 5/24. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Since DPs seem to be all over the map, and myself and @Lain probably being more serious "offenders" you would think IF the velocity were an issue (yet we put additional spend on our cards post-MSR), but have to wonder if length of relationship with Amex makes a difference? @Lain how long is your relationship with Amex? According to my homepage, myself and Amex have a nine-year (and counting) love affair . @schmass, @LynnTH , and @magickingdomprincess?

 

[gottalovepluto]

Since you two have experience with this - figured I'd ask (and anybody else please chime in too)...

I'm going to use URs through my CSR to rent a car for our Sea World trip in November.

• Do they deduct the URs immediately when you book the car?
• Can you continue to monitor the price and "rebook" your car to save points if a cheaper price comes out?
• If you cancel the car do you get your points back?
• What is the interaction like at the rental car company - is it clear that you don't owe any other money or are they weird about it?
• I've found articles online that clearly indicate that using URs through a CSR gives you the rental car coverage, so that is cool!
• Anything else I'm not thinking about here that I should be asking?

I sound like such a newb, lol - I've never used URs before since the last time I had some was early 2016 and I transferred them all to Southwest!

Rented from National twice with URs. (I was managing my fam's car rental for 2 trips. My father only rents through National- wasn't the best deal but he was firm and they were his URs anyway!) Yes, yes, yes (check the terms when you book to make sure it's refundable), no issues with National, yes it's laid out in the T&Cs of the benefits brochure too now, don't think so!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Thank you! SUPER helpful info Now I'm torn...I just thought now that I could pay with my CSR and instead of using the points I could get a chunk of my travel credit that way...Hmmmm

Personally I know that in the course of one year I will use the $300 on charges I can't cover with points so I would use URs for a car rental.