I love credit cards so much!

[Albort]

Yes, the no fee Amex Blue Biz Plus is a full MR earning card and allows for transfers. The points are just pooled in to your main MR account, even though it's a business account. Amex is very lenient in approval for business cards as well.

man, im really tempted to go all in into amex haha. I am considering an Amex SPG Business card right now though. Seems like its just like a personal SPG but a lot more functions to it for the same fee...

 

[wendow]

My dh opened an IHG in Sept 2015. He closed the card early 2016 and has never used any of the points. I just checked his IHG account and he still has all his points. How can I make sure they still stay active until we want to use them?

 

[Judique]

My dh opened an IHG in Sept 2015. He closed the card early 2016 and has never used any of the points. I just checked his IHG account and he still has all his points. How can I make sure they still stay active until we want to use them?

Make a reservation using points and cash for a small amount of points. Later, cancel the reservation.
You will be charged a lower fee for the points than the usual 13$ per thousand. I think the highest is $7 so you might spend $35. Look for a points and cash where you need the least amount of points....this used to be 5000. (I haven't checked this summer.) This will count as activity on your account. You can use any credit card.

I am editing this to be very specific:

Holiday Inn Express - Orlando - Davenport - just south of Disney is a 15000 point room. Cash and points offer is 10k points plus $35. Essentially you would be buying the 5000 additional points, so that when you cancel the reservation, your 10K points go back in your account and instead of getting your $35 back, you get 5000 additional purchased points put into your account. So $7 per thousand instead of $13 through points.com.

I guess you could also just buy a 1000 pts as well but I haven't looked to see if they have a minimum purchase.

 

[calypso726]

If I could have unlimited AmEx credit cards, this would definitely be the thing to do. My problem is that there is a limit of 4. Currently in addition to the Hilton card I have the Simply Cash Plus, which I am keeping for sure; the SPG Business which I might or might not keep long-term but seems a better keeper card than Hilton, even with the $95 AF; and the Delta Gold, which I can't get rid of at the moment (for reasons unrelated to the card itself). The reason I signed up for the Hilton card was for points for a specific stay, but in general I don't have a great need for Hilton points. I do however have a continual need for MR points.

You can have a max of 4 credit cards and 4 charge cards. I have 4 credit cards, Everyday no fee, SPG business, Delta Platinum personal, Delta Platinum business and I have 2 charge cards, Amex Plat personal and Amex plat business. I've also read that YMMV on this rule.

Get the new Amex Blue Business Plus. 2x MR on all spend. It's a business card and won't take up a slot. No AF. I have it and use it daily.
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/05/amex-blue-business-plus-news/

This is news to me. Is this card exempt from the 4/4 max of Amex cards?

does non AF cards allow transfers to partners for amex?

Not all. The new business Blue does and so does the Everyday card.

man, im really tempted to go all in into amex haha. I am considering an Amex SPG Business card right now though. Seems like its just like a personal SPG but a lot more functions to it for the same fee...

DH and I both had the personal then got the business one and kept it instead. Better perks and better Amex offers.

My dh opened an IHG in Sept 2015. He closed the card early 2016 and has never used any of the points. I just checked his IHG account and he still has all his points. How can I make sure they still stay active until we want to use them?

If you earn or burn IHG points it will reset the clock. Some options other than buying points or using them for a hotel stay would be IHG dining rewards network, an E-rewards survey and I also read that making an award booking that decreases your balance and then cancelling said booking will reset the clock.

 

[GlamMistress]

You can have a max of 4 credit cards and 4 charge cards. I have 4 credit cards, Everyday no fee, SPG business, Delta Platinum personal, Delta Platinum business and I have 2 charge cards, Amex Plat personal and Amex plat business. I've also read that YMMV on this rule.



This is news to me. Is this card exempt from the 4/4 max of Amex cards?



Not all. The new business Blue does and so does the Everyday card.



DH and I both had the personal then got the business one and kept it instead. Better perks and better Amex offers.



If you earn or burn IHG points it will reset the clock. Some options other than buying points or using them for a hotel stay would be IHG dining rewards network, an E-rewards survey and I also read that making an award booking that decreases your balance and then cancelling said booking will reset the clock.

There are lots of YMMV data points that Amex will now allow 5 cedit cards. If you want a 5th card and get auto denied you can call 800-266-1260 (not regular recon). Remember the 2/90 rule - you can only get approved for 2 credit cards within a 90 day window with Amex.

 

[Alexle2007]

If I misplaced my Priority Pass Select membership card, do I just contact Chase to receive a replacement? Will they allow access just by showing my CSR or do I need the actual membership card?

 

[Lain]

If I misplaced my Priority Pass Select membership card, do I just contact Chase to receive a replacement? Will they allow access just by showing my CSR or do I need the actual membership card?

Yes, you can send a SM to Chase to request a new card. You cannot gain entry by showing your CSR; you need to have your PP card. PP does have an app for iOS and Android that allows you to carry a digital membership card, but they warn that not all lounges accept the digital card and to carry your physical card with you when traveling. Some people used to just charge the PP entry fee to their CSR and seek reimbursement, but I've seen DPs that say Chase has changed this policy to a once per lifetime courtesy.

 

[hsmamato2]

What is GoC? also- trying to plot my next moves now that Chase has had enough of me I'm trying to stay coordinated here.... maxed out on SPG, All things Chase..... what next? most of my spend monthly is groceries,and I have 3 upcoming trips,which all have misc. expenses I am hoping to negate with cards. What's your best advice ? Barclays for the credit? Amex for the groceries? any other points systems that are useful generically,or that you like?
Oh BTW, I Sm'ed about the 1k/2k offer for IHG and got the 'hit the spend and contact us' reply- is it really that simple?
....

 

[hsmamato2]

Barclay Arrival+ is 50K points for $3,000 spend. It can be used as a $500 statement credit for travel expenses. You get 2x on all purchases so coupled with the min spend, it comes out to a $560 statement credit.

Capital One Venture card is the same deal, except it's only 40K points, a also 2x on all purchases, so works out to $460 statement credit.

I'm interested in the the actual credit options now- both of these are statement credits after travel spend?

 

[havaneselover]

What is GoC? also- trying to plot my next moves now that Chase has had enough of me I'm trying to stay coordinated here.... maxed out on SPG, All things Chase..... what next? most of my spend monthly is groceries,and I have 3 upcoming trips,which all have misc. expenses I am hoping to negate with cards. What's your best advice ? Barclays for the credit? Amex for the groceries? any other points systems that are useful generically,or that you like?
Oh BTW, I Sm'ed about the 1k/2k offer for IHG and got the 'hit the spend and contact us' reply- is it really that simple?
....

Gift of college (gift cards to drop in 529, for example).

 

[Alexle2007]

Yes, you can send a SM to Chase to request a new card. You cannot gain entry by showing your CSR; you need to have your PP card. PP does have an app for iOS and Android that allows you to carry a digital membership card, but they warn that not all lounges accept the digital card and to carry your physical card with you when traveling. Some people used to just charge the PP entry fee to their CSR and seek reimbursement, but I've seen DPs that say Chase has changed this policy to a once per lifetime courtesy.

Thanks! We are headed to Orlando soon and on the return we have a late departure. Although we are flying SW so the lounge is not in our terminal.

 

[Angrose]

I'm interested in the the actual credit options now- both of these are statement credits after travel spend?

Yes!

 

[Lain]

Thanks! We are headed to Orlando soon and on the return we have a late departure. Although we are flying SW so the lounge is not in our terminal.

Then make the request today! Because iirc, the last time I misplaced my PP card and asked for a replacement, it took over a week, maybe about 2 weeks? to arrive.

 

[hsmamato2]

Then make the request today! Because iirc, the last time I misplaced my PP card and asked for a replacement, it took over a week, maybe about 2 weeks? to arrive.

where is the PP lounge in MCO? is it just cardholder allowed in, or family(3) also?

 

[Alexle2007]

where is the PP lounge in MCO? is it just cardholder allowed in, or family(3) also?

It looks like there are 2 of them- Terminal A, Concourse 1 and Terminal B, Concourse 4. Children 12 and under are admitted free. DH and I both have them so we are good and DS is 10. It does say that the digital card is accepted there.

 

[hsmamato2]

It looks like there are 2 of them- Terminal A, Concourse 1 and Terminal B, Concourse 4. Children 12 and under are admitted free. DH and I both have them so we are good and DS is 10. It does say that the digital card is accepted there.

thanks- we're SWA also, how do you plan to use the lounge while flying SWA? I've never gone into a lounge before

 

[Alexle2007]

thanks- we're SWA also, how do you plan to use the lounge while flying SWA? I've never gone into a lounge before

On flight home from MCO doesn't leave until 10:50 pm so my thought was if we are tired of hanging out at the hotel, we could get to the airport early and just see what it is like since we have actually never used this perk before.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

On flight home from MCO doesn't leave until 10:50 pm so my thought was if we are tired of hanging out at the hotel, we could get to the airport early and just see what it is like since we have actually never used this perk before.

Every time I have tried to enter a lounge with PP, they have told me they were not accepting anyone into the lounge with PP because it was too full. I have yet to find much value with the PP. *sigh*

 

[peel]

On flight home from MCO doesn't leave until 10:50 pm so my thought was if we are tired of hanging out at the hotel, we could get to the airport early and just see what it is like since we have actually never used this perk before.

Make sure to check the hours of operation before you go...I've seen some reports of lounges being closed during periods you'd think would be prime travel times, or else they're open but not for PP holders.

 

[wendow]

If you earn or burn IHG points it will reset the clock. Some options other than buying points or using them for a hotel stay would be IHG dining rewards network, an E-rewards survey and I also read that making an award booking that decreases your balance and then cancelling said booking will reset the clock.

How long do IHG points stay active before you lose them?