I love credit cards so much!

[hsmamato2]

Hmm. I might have to apply then. We wanted to wait because DH wants that card. All the URs (that we can use to transfer to Hyatt) are in his account. And all of our previous (and upcoming) Hyatt stays have been booked with his Hyatt membership number. I was hoping he could get it when he drops to 4/24 but it looks like we can't wait if we want it. I can get it in my name, but it just makes things complicated.

and again.they keep sending me that email offer.... I'm over 5/24 and don't qualify but I want it!

 

[striker1064]

Woooo... 0.4cpp and that's if I switch to the non-view room to save 3k points per night Paying I'd earn almost 11k points between Gold status, Hilton CC, and their new promo. One one hand, I like free and had no idea what I'd use these Hilton points for when I got the Hilton Biz, on the other it does make me a bit sad to use them for that... it's like my $3k spend got me a $320 room plus 25k Hilton Points

Be careful not to fall into the "not valuable enough" trap. It's happened to me too many times, especially back in the days when I was reading The Points Guy or FlyerTalk too much. Now I try to use points pretty much always if I can for whatever I can. Actual money in my bank account is more important than giving a big company like Hilton more cash. #FrugalGirl

I second this. Why get the points if you won't use them? If it's not valuable enough to use points now, what good would earning another 11k on a paid rate do for you?

0.4-0.5cpp is unfortunately pretty standard for a lot of Hiltons I've found, so you have to be ok with a "bad valuation" in exchange for a free stay (and isn't that what we're all here for?).

 

[hsmamato2]

I think she may want to try the discover card first. I believe @wendow told me to get DD that one for a year and then the CFU as that was how her DD did it.

my Ds was denied a discover for the same reason... he got the BoA cashback card and amex bce instead as starters

 

[punkin]

Just as a data point to those who were interested. My $100 credit on amex for buying an American airlines gift card just posted. It took 4 days after I bought it.

 

[hsmamato2]

So, DH applied and got the SW plus while on-board a SW flight earlier this month. We just got the card but no promotional material came with it. Would you recommend he call to make sure the bonus is 50,000 pts or do you think thats overkill? Also, the MS is $1,000 in 3 months correct? That's what I'm finding on the Chase site. I wish this info was included in the material sent with the card.

Pretty sure this offer is 2k/50k

 

[WVMomof3]

It's XN space. Your United account should recognize you as a cardholder as long as you used your United number when signing up for the card. Log out and log back in.

You can also tell because where it lists the flight it will say something like “this is available to you specially since you are a member” or something along those lines. So sometimes the same flight is available regardless of whether I am logged in or not, but when I’m not logged in it will be at, for example, 20k but then when I log in it drops down to, again for example, 12.5k. It’s been a really useful feature for us in the past, so even if it doesn’t seem to be helping in this instance it may be helpful for future flights!

ETA Realized that I didn’t exactly answer your question by mistake. It might just take a few days for the account to recognize that you are now a card holder? I can’t remember if it has been instant for us in the past or not. I’m sorry that’s not very helpful right now.

Thanks for the replies. I am not seeing anything different. Maybe I have to wait a few days. Would the extras be on just random days? Or would most days have extra because of the card? And what is XN space?

 

[GlamMistress]

Thanks for the replies. I am not seeing anything different. Maybe I have to wait a few days. Would the extras be on just random days? Or would most days have extra because of the card? And what is XN space?

Sorry for TPG link

https://thepointsguy.com/2015/06/award-availability-united-cards/

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Woooo... 0.4cpp and that's if I switch to the non-view room to save 3k points per night Paying I'd earn almost 11k points between Gold status, Hilton CC, and their new promo. One one hand, I like free and had no idea what I'd use these Hilton points for when I got the Hilton Biz, on the other it does make me a bit sad to use them for that... it's like my $3k spend got me a $320 room plus 25k Hilton Points

I was super excited to see the new promo yesterday. They had the same mid year last year and we racked up. When DH stays in the same town more than one night I have him move hotels so it becomes 2k/night. Whoop!

ETA: I can suggest some good hilton hotels for ya'll to do 5 nights to max your points if you want. Not sure how many you have though. Love the Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort, Hilton Marco Island (though they just remodeled and it shot up in price), or stay in downtown charleston for a long weekend. The one by DTD is great too if you are fine with offsite and I hear people like the bonnet creek property.

 

[miztressuz]

Well I just sent a SM asking to change from the Slate to the CFU. I kept going back and forth on the CF vs CFU. In the end everything I read said overall you come out with more using the CFU unless you 100% max every 5% category. And I don't think I would necessarily do that.

Unless my numbers are wrong, I don't think that's necessarily accurate. I've had the CF for years and I had consistently generated close to 20k UR each year; and until Q1 this year, I had never maxed out a 5% category (and haven't since!). Now, that spend this year got split onto new cards so my numbers don't look the same as before, but I mathed out a CF vs CFU a few months ago and this is what I came up with:

I feel that if you can utilize at least 2 quarters of categories the CF is probably the better option. Here's an example with a random amount of annual spend on the card:
$3000 on the CFU at 1.5% gets $45 cashback (4500 UR)
$3000 on the CF with half being 5% and half at 1% gets $90 cashback (9000 UR)
So even if you don't max out the quarters, if you can get at least 15% of that spend at the higher return you'll come out ahead with the CF.
($450 @ 5% + $2550 @ 1% = $48)​

Again, this is all going to depend on if you can utilize the categories and what % of your spend is going to that card. If you think the categories won't be used, then the CFU is a solid earner. The ideal is to have a CF and CFU so you don't even have to think about 1% earn on anything again, but depending on where you are in the journey that's probably not advisable to take a 5/24 slot on a CFU It's hard to know now with Chase not releasing the full year calendar anymore, but Q1 is Gas Stations, Tolls, and Drugstores. Most likely you can make a nice dent in that with one or more of those. As if you didn't have enough already, just something to think about if they don't complete the PC from the SM.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Quick reminder on this: you have to have points available for all 5 nights, but then you get the 5th night free right?

They average the savings over the cost of the trip, so you need points for 4 nights. So 90k/night WA Maui is 360k to book for 5 nights.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I'm going to assume all of you with multiple cards have a billtracker app. If not I recommend getting one. For nearly 22 years my ex handled all the finances. Then I had to put my big girl undies on and do it. I got an app and it saves me! I also had to figure out how to balance due dates. Gone were the days of one of us getting paid every week. So I wrote down every pay day I had for the next year so I could balance when my CC's we due vs my mortgage, etc.

Adulting is fun, LOL.

I just pay them all off on the 30th, regardless of when they are due.

 

[StephPlum]

Our next house will be a ranch, my knees can’t take the stairs

Our current house is a 2 story. 2 years ago, I hurt my knee gardening. Did rehab (no surgery needed yet). But it made me painfully aware that when we retire in about 10 years we'll move to a ranch. DH loves 2 stories but he has come around seeing how my knee does on steps every now and then.

Just went to update my long term plan tab in my spreadsheet and had to remove the CSR/CSP double dip

Yeah, I had to update my spreadsheet in September. I was just 2 weeks from my double dip when it went away.

We’ve survived the Drake passage and were lucky it was mild

Gorgeous! Have a great trip.

I'd calculate the price per point based on the cash rate ($320) you'd otherwise be paying. In this case, unless I wanted the trip to be free specifically, I'd go with the cash rate.

This is me as well. I have a vacation budget (not $0) and will use that if the price per point is not good. I was just looking for a hotel in San Jose. With a AAA hot deal, it was $90 a night or 35K points on Marriott or 25K points on the Chase portal. That one was cash all the way. Same trip the lodge in Sequoia NP was on the Chase portal for decent rate and paid with points. I guess I treat my points like cash. Only spend if it makes sense.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Absolutely agree!! this goes along with earn and burn for me. But occasionally I will balance out and use cash to buy 'within my budget' meaning that I'm not putting out money that I wouldn't otherwise put out.

Yeah this is me. If I have no intended use for points I will blow them at a lame value (ie marriott points next week for 2 night stay near my parents), but if I know I will otherwise use them at a better value (hilton for resort stays) sometime in the next 12 months then I hoard them. I am trying to hoard hilton for our normal fave places in the near future while also building enough up to stay at the WA Maui for 5 nights sometime in the next few years (2 rooms). So in that case, I just used some for a $400/nt room near the outdoor hockey game at Notre dame for DH and boys, but I'm not using them for the $88 room near the youth hockey rink later this month. It is all about balancing value without blowing the budget for me.

 

[StephPlum]

I'm going to assume all of you with multiple cards have a billtracker app. If not I recommend getting one. For nearly 22 years my ex handled all the finances. Then I had to put my big girl undies on and do it. I got an app and it saves me! I also had to figure out how to balance due dates. Gone were the days of one of us getting paid every week. So I wrote down every pay day I had for the next year so I could balance when my CC's we due vs my mortgage, etc.

First thing I do with my new credit card is set up auto pay (except for Aviator Biz since I never figured out that website). Then I don't have to worry about missing a due date. Also all my bills I can put on the CC as auto pay are there or auto bill pay/drafted from my checking if they don't take a CC. Makes it very stress free for me.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I just noticed this- my swa AF is due in a couple of days(was gonna call to cancel) saw in my acct on 12/5 I got 3k points for 'credit card' and then on 12/11 got another 3k points for 'action based bonus'..... what is the 2nd 3k? (I'll keep another year if I get another retention offer tho)

Did you shop online through the RR shopping portal ?

 

[StephPlum]

So, DH applied and got the SW plus while on-board a SW flight earlier this month. We just got the card but no promotional material came with it. Would you recommend he call to make sure the bonus is 50,000 pts or do you think thats overkill? Also, the MS is $1,000 in 3 months correct? That's what I'm finding on the Chase site. I wish this info was included in the material sent with the card.

I've never gotten any bonus info with the material they send with the card. Chase is very easy though, just SM and ask for the sign-up bonus details for your new card. I do this for every Chase card, just to verify the date, MSR and sign-up bonus.

 

[trenty]

I'm going to assume all of you with multiple cards have a billtracker app. If not I recommend getting one. For nearly 22 years my ex handled all the finances. Then I had to put my big girl undies on and do it. I got an app and it saves me! I also had to figure out how to balance due dates. Gone were the days of one of us getting paid every week. So I wrote down every pay day I had for the next year so I could balance when my CC's we due vs my mortgage, etc.

Adulting is fun, LOL.

I have 4 cards that I regularly use and DH has 2. I log on to each account every day and pay off whatever is posted to each account. No due dates to remember this way. The money comes out of our checking on a regular basis so no big surprise hits to the checking account.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I have 4 cards that I regularly use and DH has 2. I log on to each account every day and pay off whatever is posted to each account. No due dates to remember this way. The money comes out of our checking on a regular basis so no big surprise hits to the checking account.

I do the same weekly...every Friday pay off any balances

 

[schmass]

DH was just approved for the SW Priority! His credit limit is nearly 5x the cl for the SW Biz, which seems crazy to me!

 

[elgerber]

Quick help. I have a Master Card Gift Card for $200 that I have been holding onto, that I got from Dish this year. I just looked and it expires 1/19, yikes, so now I have to spend it asap. I know I could buy some target/chipotle etc gift cards (at least I think I can??), but would it work to buy another Visa gift card with this, so I can not have to decide right now what way to spend it? I know the $200 balance won't cover the fee, is there a way/place I could buy this way, and use another card to cover the fee?

Thanks!