I love credit cards so much!

[jhoannam]

So I have come up with my game plan to pay for my Disney hotel charges with URs. My goal is to buy discount Disney gift cards and then just take statement credits for those gift card purchases.

Is it a lofty goal to buy $2075 worth of gift cards for only $1660? That's how many UR's I would have used if the Chase was playing nice with Disney.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

So I have come up with my game plan to pay for my Disney hotel charges with URs. My goal is to buy discount Disney gift cards and then just take statement credits for those gift card purchases.

Is it a lofty goal to buy $2075 worth of gift cards for only $1660? That's how many UR's I would have used if the Chase was playing nice with Disney.

That’s similar to my goal

 

[mamathompson]

Do you have a CIP? Will the DVC member accept Venmo? Venmo is owned by PayPal, is a similar P2P payment service to PayPal, charges a 3% fee for credit card payments, but earns 3x UR on the payment and fee when using a CIP.

No, I have a CSP and Capital One Venture that we are working on. (I probably applied for the wrong cards starting out. I'm a newbie at this .

Were you trying to pay a broker, like David's, or was the plastiq payment to an individual? I don't think plastiq allows any payments to individuals.

There would have been a fee with plastiq too, right? You just need to decide how beneficial getting this spend towards a MSR would be, and if the paypal fee is worth that. If you are limited in ways to meet the MSR, the paypal fee may definitely be worth it.

I am paying an individual. The problem is I think I get charged extra for using PayPal in addition to my % for using my card. I'm thinking the extra cost won't be worth it. It is a large amount.

 

[mmmears]

I’m not familiar with Amex...so I’ll leave that to others..

for Chase...I like your plan to get P2 the CIP...the 80,000URs are a great start for booking hotel rooms....

Random thoughts to earn you more URs
would P2 be open to closing the CIP after a year...so he could get the 50,000 UR bonus opening up a new CIC ?

Would you be willing to open a CIP from P2s referral....this would give you an additional 100,000URs

I thought it was bad to close cards too quickly. Otherwise, no issue with closing them. I might be open to it. We are going to fill P2's slots and then see how it works.

Just a few quick notes:

1. I thought P2 (DH?) just got an Amex Gold that'll make him 5/24 in less than two months (unless I got my count wrong)?

2. If P2's 4/24 includes the new Amex Gold, then:

a. The CIP would not add to P2's */24 count. The CIP has a $5k MSR, which could keep you busy for a month or two.

b. If P2 applies for the SPG Lux 125k offer in early December, that's another $5k MSR. Amex will not report the SPG Lux until the close of the second monthly statement. While the SPG Lux will add to P2's */24 count, it probably won't show up and make him 5/24 until early February 2019.

c. Now P2 is at 5/24, but with the store card dropping off just a month or two later and bringing him back down to 4/24 in March/April 2019. This could open up the possibility of another one of Chase's 5/24-rule cards.

d. P2 could bide his time at 5/24, waiting to drop back down to 4/24, with an Amex business card (subject to whatever has a best offer at the time) or with P1 (you) taking your turn at a new card, and then when he's back at 4/24, could go for the CIC for 50k UR, if that offer is still available. You mentioned P2 possibly downgrading his CIP to CIC. Downgrading will save you another annual fee, but won't get you another signup bonus. Applying for the CIC directly will get you a signup bonus, and you can just close the CIP if you want when its year is up (or product change that to a CIU).

e. Then get the Chase Hyatt sometime over 5/24.​

A few more thoughts.

1. In planning out your cards, look at it as a roadmap with enough flexibility for detours. New cards come out, other cards are discontinued, signup offers go up to historical highs, and drop back down again.

2. Your plan for P2 assumes certain offers will remain available. For example, the Hilton Aspire is up to 150k Hilton Honors points, but not too long ago it was offering only 100k and will probably drop back down to 100k at some point. When you're ready to apply, the 150k offer may not be available. And because Amex welcome offers are generally once per lifetime, you'll want to apply only when the offer is at or near its historical best. Similarly, I've seen at least one DP recently where someone said they called in for the Biz Plat offer and was told the 100k MR offer wasn't available, only a 75k MR/$20k MSR offer was available (I don't know if they called into some general call center, or a direct line into the Phoenix call center that was giving out the 100k MR offers). If these cards aren't available with their historical high offers, what then? Keep an eye out for alternatives that fit into your overall strategy.

3. I see P2 is missing the SPG Personal card, which I mentioned is rumored to be discontinued in early 2019. If P2 goes for the SPG Lux and earns those 125k Marriott points, what then? That's 2-3 award nights at a decent to nice Starriott hotel. If you'd like to build your Marriott points stash, think about going all in with the SPG Personal before it's discontinued, and the SPG Biz (as long as the offer is at or about 100k Marriott points). The SPG Biz will not add to P2's */24 count and will keep you guys busy for a while with its $5k MSR. The SPG Personal will add to P2's */24 count, but again Amex will typically take about 2 months to report the opening of this new account, so if you have any business with Chase you can work that delay in reporting into your plans.

Yes. I forgot to put down that part. He is technically at 5/24 with the gold card that arrived yesterday. So that would mean he would need to apply for the CIP before it hits his credit report, I believe? And yes, I think that plus another card would carry him happily into 2019 when the cards will start to drop off.

I hear you on the SPG Lux maybe needing to come into play later, but he has a good offer right now and I worry that one will drop down if we wait too long.

ETA - I will be reading this and rereading it again and again until I can process it all and work on a plan.

 

[wendow]

Thanks y'all! So far, a little rain and some wind gusts but nothing like what they're showing on the news. Unfortunately, the area where it made landfall is close to DH's work and where he lives throughout the workweek so we have no idea what he'll return to next week. I am sick when I think of everything his co-workers may experience over the next several weeks to months (post Ivan it took our area a good year or more to recover). I have friends working in a shelter in Tallahassee and am concerned about them, too. Prayers help!

Glad to hear you are doing ok. Hopefully things around your dh’s work aren’t too bad. It’s so weird how hurricanes destroy some places and completely spare others. My family got hit By Harvey last summer. But it was weird. My grandma had no water in her house and yet the very next neighborhood over had water to the rooftops. My cousins house flooded but my aunt, a couple streets over, did not.

I have a friend in Crawfordville and I’ve not been able to get an update. Guessing they are without power.

 

[jhoannam]

That’s similar to my goal

I still haven't used all of my 10% credit at lowes and staples, but I don't know how to maximize that. Any tips?

 

[cinnaminny]

Oh dear. I was looking at travel credit cards, holidays are coming up, so it seemed like a good idea to get one. How am I supposed to read 2761 pages?? lol I guess one page at a time.

 

[wendow]

I am paying an individual. The problem is I think I get charged extra for using PayPal in addition to my % for using my card. I'm thinking the extra cost won't be worth it. It is a large amount.

I don’t think there is an extra fee above the credit card fee. You’d just need to figure that out and add it to your payment. I haven’t done a lot of credit card payments to individuals so someone correct me if that’s wrong!!

 

[georgina]

FYI on Chase AU bonuses (New CSP applicants especially)...

I know the application page for CSP doesn't show the AU bonus any more. That said, I still think it's worth trying because 5,000 URs for nothing is awesome.

My application page DID show the AU bonus so I can't specifically comment on that. I earned my 5k AU bonus by adding my wife to her own card without her middle initial.

Example:
Cardholder Name: Sally B Smith
Authorized User: Sally Smith
(same birthdate)

It worked - I got my 5k points! @have2getaway, @babyready, @georgina, @Missyson, @danjoealexis3006, - I recall that you all recently applied for CSP cards. IF you didn't yet attempt to earn the 5,000 AU bonus I'd do what I describe above and put one purchase on the new card and see if you get the points (You technically could even put the purchase on your existing card but why not follow it to the letter of the law, lol).

Thanks, but I can't bring myself to do it. I think 12 years of Catholic school has caused me too much anxiety. I don't want to add myself because I am planning to open my own in 2019 through referral from DH, I don't want to add any of my kids because they all have their own accounts now. There's this disclaimer on the AU page -

When you tell us to add a user to your account, you're confirming that you have a relationship with the person or people whose name(s), address(es) and date(s) of birth you've told us, that all their information is correct, and that you have their consent to add them. If we determine you've given us fraudulent name, address or date of birth information, or did not have such consent, we can close this account.

 

[mmmears]

Thanks y'all! So far, a little rain and some wind gusts but nothing like what they're showing on the news. Unfortunately, the area where it made landfall is close to DH's work and where he lives throughout the workweek so we have no idea what he'll return to next week. I am sick when I think of everything his co-workers may experience over the next several weeks to months (post Ivan it took our area a good year or more to recover). I have friends working in a shelter in Tallahassee and am concerned about them, too. Prayers help!

I'm glad it's better than what they were reporting. Please stay safe.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I thought it was bad to close cards too quickly. Otherwise, no issue with closing them. I might be open to it. We are going to fill P2's slots and then see how it works.



Yes. I forgot to put down that part. He is technically at 5/24 with the gold card that arrived yesterday. So that would mean he would need to apply for the CIP before it hits his credit report, I believe? And yes, I think that plus another card would carry him happily into 2019 when the cards will start to drop off.

I hear you on the SPG Lux maybe needing to come into play later, but he has a good offer right now and I worry that one will drop down if we wait too long.

ETA - I will be reading this and rereading it again and again until I can process it all and work on a plan.

I know I'm not in this conversation...but as I follow along, I'm not sure why we're talking about closing a CIP to apply for a CIC?? You can apply for both

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Thanks, but I can't bring myself to do it. I think 12 years of Catholic school has caused me too much anxiety. I don't want to add myself because I am planning to open my own in 2019 through referral from DH, I don't want to add any of my kids because they all have their own accounts now. There's this disclaimer on the AU page -

When you tell us to add a user to your account, you're confirming that you have a relationship with the person or people whose name(s), address(es) and date(s) of birth you've told us, that all their information is correct, and that you have their consent to add them. If we determine you've given us fraudulent name, address or date of birth information, or did not have such consent, we can close this account.

But Sally B Smith does have a relationship with Sally Smith...they are the same person If ever pressed on it, I'd just say I wanted a 2nd card to keep in my other wallet. (Which actually was the truth...My wife has a CSP and I had one in my wallet too lol!)

 

[marsh0013]

Oh dear. I was looking at travel credit cards, holidays are coming up, so it seemed like a good idea to get one. How am I supposed to read 2761 pages?? lol I guess one page at a time.

Don't start from the beginning, so much has changed!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Oh dear. I was looking at travel credit cards, holidays are coming up, so it seemed like a good idea to get one. How am I supposed to read 2761 pages?? lol I guess one page at a time.

Haha - don't start at the beginning, a lot has changed in this game over that time.

We'd be happy to help you but you need to give us some information:

• Where do you want to travel? (General ideas is fine)
• What Credit Cards do you currently have open?
• Please list the Month and Year you were approved (and card name) for ANY cards you applied for in the past 24 months (including closed cards)
• Do you have a side hustle or business that would qualify you for a business card? (Think Ebay Sales, Piano Lessons, Selling cookies, Mowing lawns, etc.)
• Do you have allegiances to any specific Airline or Hotel Chain (and if so, why)?

That would give us a start to give you some recommendations.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I thought it was bad to close cards too quickly. Otherwise, no issue with closing them. I might be open to it. We are going to fill P2's slots and then see how it works.



Yes. I forgot to put down that part. He is technically at 5/24 with the gold card that arrived yesterday. So that would mean he would need to apply for the CIP before it hits his credit report, I believe? And yes, I think that plus another card would carry him happily into 2019 when the cards will start to drop off.

I hear you on the SPG Lux maybe needing to come into play later, but he has a good offer right now and I worry that one will drop down if we wait too long.

ETA - I will be reading this and rereading it again and again until I can process it all and work on a plan.

Yes you’d have to apply for the CIP before the gold card hits his credit report....

As far as closing,the CIP...you wouldn’t close it before the year is up...just if you didn’t want it after the annual fee hits next year....I’ve been opening and closing SW Chase cards for years now to get the companion pass and my credit score has stayed the same....

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I still haven't used all of my 10% credit at lowes and staples, but I don't know how to maximize that. Any tips?

I'm looking at a Chase Ink Unlimited and layering that signup on my Grocery Store Fuel Perks Program.

CIU = 54,500 URs for $3,000 MSR = $545 cash = 18% Return. Our Fuel Perks program is worth 12% off Gift Cards at the right times. Combine the 2 and I can earn 30% off Disney Gift Cards.

 

[mmmears]

I know I'm not in this conversation...but as I follow along, I'm not sure why we're talking about closing a CIP to apply for a CIC?? You can apply for both

Please join in. All ideas are welcome. I'm new at this. DH was thinking that CIP was better short term, CIC better for spend long term, so we could turn the CIP into a CIC. Bad idea? I keep saying we don't want too many cards, but we keep adding more anyway.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Please join in. All ideas are welcome. I'm new at this. DH was thinking that CIP was better short term, CIC better for spend long term, so we could turn the CIP into a CIC. Bad idea? I keep saying we don't want too many cards, but we keep adding more anyway.

CIP nor CIC will hit your credit report as accounts. They're merely inquiries alone. Opening a CIP won't help your utilization or score, BUT closing one won't hurt it either. I plan to open a CIP, CIC and CIU for both me and my wife. As long as I space out the applications, no big deal. And as far as closing them goes, who cares - the credit agencies didn't know they existed in the first place

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I have a question...the CSR has a perk for membership in the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. I’d like to use this next summer for a hotel on a road trip to Quebec. Can I use UR’s to pay for this (2 nights) or do we have to book through the Luxury portal and pay with the CSR?

looked once at that collection...didn’t think I saw an option to pay with URs....

 

[DrFacilier]

So I know you are familiar with what it takes to earn the companion pass. I would still recommend you read this post on reddit about all the things that can go wrong: https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/9h4yc0/applying_for_southwest_cards_cp_late_in_the_year/

A few follow up thoughts:

• You state that you are hoping to earn as early as possible...when do you first plan to fly and use the CP?
• You are definitely good to apply for a card now, you probably were fine in July actually (not that applying then would've helped with the CP at all though, haha)
• I would apply for the SW Biz card as soon as you wish (but again be careful with your MSR and all the ways you could accidentally mess up - detailed in my link above). As previously stated by @palhockeymomof2, there is no referral for this card.
• There is no reason to apply for both cards at the same time. As a matter of fact, if you applied on the same day, one may be shut down. I would apply for SW Biz and start working towards your MSR.
• Then once 2 months have passed since that application, I would apply for the Plus card using the referral offer. Perhaps at some point the offer will increase to 50k too then while you wait.
• Keep in mind that spend in 2018 towards these MSRs won't count...so if earning the CP quickly is your goal, you're actually better off to wait and see if a 50k or 60k personal comes along! Otherwise you'll still need to spend $10k in Jan 2019 to hit the CP.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the link. Some good information there.

I would like the CP to use for a flight on 3/16 but would love to get it as early as possible without being too risky. Earning the CP is definitely my goal.

As others said, no Biz referral. I'd start with that, then if the Plus offer hasn't gone higher just pull the trigger. If it goes higher during your minimum spend period, you should be able to call or SM Chase to match the new offer. This seems to work about 98% of the time.

If I can call chase to match the offer would it make sense for me to get the Plus right now (at 40k points) and then get the Biz in a couple of months? My fear would be that I get the Biz card today and then the Plus goes to 50k tomorrow. I would miss the window and have to stick with the regular 40k bonus. Does this make sense or am I getting it wrong?