I love credit cards so much!

[SouthFayetteFan]

I wonder if she can cancel it real quick and it will never show up on CR, other than a HP?

I don’t think so. But I have no real knowledge on that one.

 

[Ava]

Just got instant approval on the SPG Lux! No pop up so I assume I am good for the 100K bonus. I also self-referred from my SPG Personal card for the extra 20K. Hopefully that works!

I was also able to get my card number right away, so I can change all my bill pays to it to help with the MSR. Too bad my rent payment just charged to my CIP on 8/22; I let it go through despite the 3X being dead because I had FFDs to use. Oh well, ~2 months of my recurring bills will just about knock out the $5,000 MSR.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I don’t think so. But I have no real knowledge on that one.

I know we did that when I app'd for DH a SW Visa on closing day for our house back in 2013. The lender wasn't happy. Oops. Who knew!? All I knew is it was the last day for 50k points.

Anyway, he (I) app'd and closed the account all in the same day. It isn't on his CR.

 

[Lain]

I am 5/24 and my first card will
Not drop off until Aug2019 so I went ahead and applied for the Hilton bussiness with 125K and $100 credit back and I got instant approval. This is only my 2nd Amex card.

Congratulations!
​

Solid offer and actually a pretty decent card.

With all these welcome bonus denials popping up, remember to put some regular spend on your Amex cards. The Hilton Biz earns 6x at restaurants, gas stations, shipping, cell phone bills, and (since there was so much talk about it today) car rentals. It also earns 12x at Hilton hotels and gets you automatic Gold status, which earns you another 18 points/$ on stays.

 

[Lain]

Just got instant approval on the SPG Lux! No pop up so I assume I am good for the 100K bonus. I also self-referred from my SPG Personal card for the extra 20K. Hopefully that works!

I was also able to get my card number right away, so I can change all my bill pays to it to help with the MSR. Too bad my rent payment just charged to my CIP on 8/22; I let it go through despite the 3X being dead because I had FFDs to use. Oh well, ~2 months of my recurring bills will just about knock out the $5,000 MSR.

Congratulations!

​

I'm glad you didn't get the dreaded pop up, and we're seeing some good news out of Amex today.

 

[tink1970]

Thanks for the info. Have you ever booked through National cars through Chase UR and then used the Emerald/Executive Aisle? I just wondered if there were any issues since it is so nice to just walk out to the cars. I have the AmexBiz Plat, but it is my DH that rents all the cars. He lost his Executive status since he takes uber most of the time now. If he didn't have 5 AmEx already, he could apply for AmexBiz Plat.

Sorry, no, I haven't used the UR portal- I just use DH's CSR to reserve and pay since it has primary coverage. Hopefully someone who has rented through the portal can chime in!

 

[Alexle2007]

All this hotel card and AmEx talk has me thinking about my strategy for dh, reluctant P2 who won't do business cards.

My plan going forward (currently 1/24 with a CF as of 7/18)
9/18 CIP
12/18 a SW personal card (finishing spend in 2019)
2/19 SW business (for CP 2019-2020)
6/19 CIC or CSR or CSP/CSR double dip

And then dh (1/24 with CSP as of 7/18)
9/18 CF, referred from me (assuming Q4 bonus categories can be maxed out, otherwise will wait until Dec or Jan)
??????

I assume he should stick with Chase cards first bc of 5/24 and he won't do business cards. So that leaves the Hyatt, the new Marriott, and the United cards, right? If you were just starting out with no co-branded hotel or airline cards, what would you do?

Reminder---looking to Australia in fall 2020; youngest at school in a town with Hyatt/Hilton/Marriott properties; fly SW domestically from BWI and PHL; DVC; v limited business travel. Free-with-annual fee hotel nights would be handy for domestic travel to visit kiddo or relatives and on our hiking/national parks trips. Gathering hotel points via sign up bonuses for a couple nights in Sydney would be great, too.

Thanks again. I hope one day I'll be able to help answer questions here

I hope you are doing more than a “couple of nights nSydney” when you go to Australia from the East Coast. DH and I did 3 weeks in Australia for our honeymoon and it was simply amazing! We flew from BWI to LAX on SW, grabbed our luggage and checked in for our 12 hr flight on Quantas to Sydney. Landed in Sydney and spent the night close to the airport. Rented a car and drove to the “wine country” for what was supposed to be 2 nights. Since we were there at the beginning of July, their “winter”, the Area was COLD so we checked out after the 1st night. From there, we headed towards Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We did a couple of nights there, there went about to 2 hours north of Brisbane to Coffs Harbour and back to Brisbane for a coupe of nights. Flew from Brisbane to Cairns where we explored the Great Barrier Reef and went 2 hours north to the rainforest for a couple of nights and then flew from a Cairns to Sydney where we had the most AMAZING unobstructed view of the Sydney Opera House. we explored Sydney for a few days before taking the return flights in the same manner. Quantas to LAX to SW to BWI. It was there incredible trip! I can’t wait to show DS11 one day. It’s just trying to figure out “When” since our summer is their winter and school schedules to accommodate 3+ weeks out of the country. This time we probably straight over night in LAX. 20 hours of travel going and 19 returning is rough!

 

[Ava]

I wish Marriott would get their sh*t together and fix their website. My stay that I booked prior to the merger is showing very incorrect points balance due. I hope it fixes itself and I don't have to call. I booked a points upgrade to an Ocean View room in Puerto Rico; when I booked, it was an extra 15K points TOTAL for the upgrade. Now it's showing almost double the points PER NIGHT for the upgrade. The standard City View room is showing the updated points cost (it went from 40K/night down to 35K/night after the merger), and the cash upgrade is $30/night which is what it was before. But the total with a points upgrade is now showing 295K points for a 5-night stay!
It says the same whether I am looking at my reservation or pulling up a new reservation. It should be 155K (140K for the base room + 15K for the upgrade). Do we think these things will work themselves out? Or is Marriott also messing with the points required for upgrades, etc? I'd like an Ocean View room but it's not worth almost double the points!

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

I hope you are doing more than a “couple of nights nSydney” when you go to Australia from the East Coast. DH and I did 3 weeks in Australia for our honeymoon and it was simply amazing! We flew from BWI to LAX on SW, grabbed our luggage and checked in for our 12 hr flight on Quantas to Sydney. Landed in Sydney and spent the night close to the airport. Rented a car and drove to the “wine country” for what was supposed to be 2 nights. Since we were there at the beginning of July, their “winter”, the Area was COLD so we checked out after the 1st night. From there, we headed towards Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We did a couple of nights there, there went about to 2 hours north of Brisbane to Coffs Harbour and back to Brisbane for a coupe of nights. Flew from Brisbane to Cairns where we explored the Great Barrier Reef and went 2 hours north to the rainforest for a couple of nights and then flew from a Cairns to Sydney where we had the most AMAZING unobstructed view of the Sydney Opera House. we explored Sydney for a few days before taking the return flights in the same manner. Quantas to LAX to SW to BWI. It was there incredible trip! I can’t wait to show DS11 one day. It’s just trying to figure out “When” since our summer is their winter and school schedules to accommodate 3+ weeks out of the country. This time we probably straight over night in LAX. 20 hours of travel going and 19 returning is rough!

Wow, that sounds like a great trip! We're planning on Sydney, Uluru, and something for the Great Barrier Reef----at a minimum! Probably 3 weeks including the travel days. Dh has always wanted to take the long-distance train between Sydney and Perth (he's a train nut) but that is serious $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Lain]

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?

While only two DPs (you and myself, although perhaps others can chime in since @schmass confirmed she has only had an Amex since March 2018), it seems length of relationship MAY have some bearing, along with ongoing spend. I was JUST approved for the SPG Lux, which makes it the 6th Amex card I've been approved for since March. You and I have been on a near identical trajectory with Amex while others who haven't hit Amex nearly AS hard are getting the pop-up instead. You have a seven year relationship with Amex while I have nine years (now, opening the ED back in college seems like a grand idea ).

Coolbreeze_coys on r/churning got approved for a PRG with no pop up after getting BCE, SPG, SPG Biz, BRG, BBP, BGR, Biz Plat, Schwab Plat all since last November. Haven't canceled any of these cards as they're all less than a year old. Amex thanks him for his "long relationship with them." See https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/99whae/daily_discussion_thread_august_24_2018/e4rhjnn. I asked him for length of his Amex relationship.

Someone else commented they got the SPG, SPG Biz, Hilton Biz, BGR, PRG and Biz Plat all in the last 8 months or so; the last 3 within the last month. They've had the BCP and BCE for ~5 years.

 

[SBWB48]

Coolbreeze_coys on r/churning got approved for a PRG with no pop up after getting BCE, SPG, SPG Biz, BRG, BBP, BGR, Biz Plat, Schwab Plat all since last November. Haven't canceled any of these cards as they're all less than a year old. Amex thanks him for his "long relationship with them." See https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/99whae/daily_discussion_thread_august_24_2018/e4rhjnn. I asked him for length of his Amex relationship.

Someone else commented they got the SPG, SPG Biz, Hilton Biz, BGR, PRG and Biz Plat all in the last 8 months or so; the last 3 within the last month. They've had the BCP and BCE for ~5 years.

Perhaps we're seeing a 'trend' emerge, but would be hard to pinpoint where the "break" is as far as how long of a relationship do you need to have with Amex before the relationship deems you worthy of hubby/wifey status and not non-marriage material (i.e. avoiding the dreaded pop-up)...mainly because churners are likely to earn and move on, particularly with Amex's 5 card rule, essentially forcing you to close to open. Absent those who got the ED/BCE (and their AF counterparts) early on and elected to make them keeper cards...

 

[Lain]

RoomiPay, which is a service that takes credit cards to send payments your landlord and uh... sometimes "landlord," is coding as travel for 3x UR on cards like the CSR and CIP: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/99whae/daily_discussion_thread_august_24_2018/e4r5svn

Unlike Plastiq, RoomiPay's service is supposedly limited to the payment of rent, charges a 2.9% fee for using credit cards, does not send checks -- ACH payments only -- so requires you to obtain the ACH information of your "landlord." Apparently, RoomiPay is now set up as "a company that books accommodation" in order to code transactions as "Travel Agencies and Tour Operators" for that sweet 3x UR.

I cannot recommend RoomiPay the same way I recommended Plastiq. RoomiPay has been sketchy as heck from the start. When they first started payments processing, they did offer checks but the checks were all handwritten. But people used their service because each month, they'd offer limited amounts of no fee payments. Although RoomiPay's services are supposed to be limited to rent payments, there's a lot of blatant MSing through their service, with people sending payments to their spouse or relatives, claiming them as landlords. I'm not sure what's the current status of RoomiPay verifying any of the payments they're processing.

Edit: fixed link

 

[SBWB48]

RoomiPay, which is a service that takes credit cards to send payments your landlord and uh... sometimes "landlord," is coding as travel for 3x UR on cards like the CSR and CIP: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/99whae/daily_discussion_thread_august_24_2018/e4r7ky9

Unlike Plastiq, RoomiPay's service is supposedly limited to the payment of rent, charges a 2.9% fee for using credit cards, does not send checks -- ACH payments only -- so requires you to obtain the ACH information of your "landlord." Apparently, RoomiPay is now set up as "a company that books accommodation" in order to code transactions as "Travel Agencies and Tour Operators" for that sweet 3x UR.

I cannot recommend RoomiPay the same way I recommended Plastiq. RoomiPay has been sketchy as heck from the start. When they first started payments processing, they did offer checks but the checks were all handwritten. But people used their service because each month, they'd offer limited amounts of no fee payments. Although RoomiPay's services are supposed to be limited to rent payments, there's a lot of blatant MSing through their service, with people sending payments to their spouse or relatives, claiming them as landlords. I'm not sure what's the current status of RoomiPay verifying any of the payments they're processing.

Almost feels like they smell blood from the Plastiq-CIP shutdown...

 

[Lain]

Almost feels like they smell blood from the Plastiq-CIP shutdown...

I don't expect this to last long.

Plastiq also coded rent/real estate payments as Travel (something to do with "lodging") for about 3 months last summer, earning 2x UR on the CSP and 3x UR on the CSR/CIP, before Visa made them change their MCC.

RoomiPay does not seem to have nurtured or care about their relationships with the credit card issuers and networks, since they don't seem to have any of the safeguards (aka restrictions) that Plastiq has in place to make them happy. It seems like the only people who used RoomiPay were MSers and people trying to hit MSR for their no or low fee promotions, because otherwise there was Plastiq.

 

[Lain]

Perhaps we're seeing a 'trend' emerge, but would be hard to pinpoint where the "break" is as far as how long of a relationship do you need to have with Amex before the relationship deems you worthy of hubby/wifey status and not non-marriage material (i.e. avoiding the dreaded pop-up)...mainly because churners are likely to earn and move on, particularly with Amex's 5 card rule, essentially forcing you to close to open. Absent those who got the ED/BCE (and their AF counterparts) early on and elected to make them keeper cards...

I wonder if my wife can piggyback off my “long” relationship with Amex. She got her first Amex card in her own name only this year, but her Member Since is the same as mine because I added her as an AU to my PRG when I first got it.

 

[SBWB48]

I wonder if my wife can piggyback off my “long” relationship with Amex. She got her first Amex card in her own name only this year, but her Member Since is the same as mine because I added her as an AU to my PRG when I first got it.

I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. I think that was how it worked with Discover as well because my relationship with them is listed as “since 1992” and I was only 4 at the time

And technically, even as an AU, she still began the relationship with Amex at the same time I hope for your sake, that’s the case lol.

 

[trstno1]

If I add my wife as an AU to my oldest AmEx card, one that is well over 24 months old, will it still count against her 5/24?

 

[wendow]

Does anyone know...I never created a Marriott account. I only had spg. Dh has both. I opened the Marriott biz in my name recently and met the spend already. I have no idea how to check my points since I never actually had an account with marriott. If I go to create an account, do I use my spg account number?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

OFF topic...but since my name is @SouthFayetteFan...

Tonight the South Fayette Lions lost 34-33 to a team one class up. It was a GREAT game. But it ends our 57 game regular season winning streak. To put some perspective on it...the last time SF lost was Oct 2011 and I had only 3 Credit Cards!

At any rate, this is a non-conference game that means nothing to the overall season and the team played very well coming back in the second half so I'm encouraged they'll have a great season!

...Ok - back to your regularly scheduled Churning conversation!

 

[calypso726]

Anybody have thoughts on Hong Kong Disneyland? My impression is the park can be done in one full day or two leisurely days (I lean toward leisurely travel )

Background: I'm looking at using my 7 night cert for a week in Hong Kong and then I remembered HKDL exists and thought about a day trip but now I'm considering adding a night or 2 there before leaving town. (The indoor pool is particularly appealing as it reminds me of pictures of fancy indoor pools that I will never be able to actually swim in- but this one you CAN!)
View attachment 345842

We were just there a couple of months ago. Two leisurely days is perfect.