I love credit cards so much!

[disneymagicgirl]

The DIS*earners have been going to town this week and it has been quite entertaining.

My tidbit to share is: make a Chart to keep track of your Credit Cards.

aka .. log/chart/document/spreadsheet

I went a couple of years before I put together a chart ~ it really does help a lot.

Hopefully someone will share their format ~ mine is very basic compared to others.

Here are some of the categories I use:

Name of Card ~ Card Number (last four) ~ Date Opened ~ Bonus ~ Bonus Date*

Status (open or closed) ~ Fee ~ Card Drop Off Date (regarding 5/24) ~ etc

**********************************************************
Collecting Cards always seemed too good to be true ~ but in fact it can be done.

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I've been a FlyerTalk member since 2001 but I did not start my Quest until 2011

Back in the old days (2 years ago) Churning was applying for the same card and getting

it approved multiple times. Example: Citibank Hilton Honors Visa

a top HH churner had 20+ cards approved ~ It wasn't me but I do believe it

smileyface

I did this earlier today actually...just a handwritten version.
I also mapped out 2018 and what I want to accomplish each month for this hobby so I can stay on track.

So when does a *\24 fall off...the day of application + 24mths?

Also, bonus points every 24mths are from date of app or date points posted?

 

[SBWB48]

On the topic of returns, and this could very well be YMMV as well, but I've 'found' a method that seems to work for those who are concerned with returns counting for/against min spend requirements. Within the last two months, between CapOne and Chase, whenever I've had to return an item that was put on a card that I am working on the MSR for, I would apply the return to a DIFFERENT card at the store. Now obviously, this only works assuming the store's POS doesn't require the same card used for the purchase; I've made returns at Under Armour, Express, and Dick's Sporting Goods, all of which the cashiers would ask if I "had the same card I used", to which I said "sure" and would pull out a different card and process the return on (just putting the card in the chip reader). Other places like Macy's where the return gets processed automatically to the card without requiring a card, this wouldn't work and I wouldn't rely on this process to make the min spend, but again, for those concerned about returns, this is one way around it since the return never ends up back on the card you are working on.

 

[pillow]

damn. If you never said that, i wouldnt have known. thanks. I put my parking fee on my amex... i should have posted it on my reserve.
I did find out out room charge comes into your account separately. I did take 3 deal where its triple points on your stay. They put the charge separately and i didnt get 3x on that. it was a $100 food charge too... I guess ill find out what happens with my last stay. Thanks!

We had 2 rooms + the SPG Amex offer (spend $300 get $60 credit) on both DH's and my SPG cards (both business and personal cards). Our total bill was just over $900, so we split that between 3 cards to maximize the Amex offer. It was super confusing trying to figure out what we got SPG points for and what we didn't. It was fine though since we had the Amex offer. Lucky timing.

And not really related, but it boggles my mind how our resort bill was over $900 with "free" rooms! Things add up quickly!!

 

[wendow]

I did this earlier today actually...just a handwritten version.
I also mapped out 2018 and what I want to accomplish each month for this hobby so I can stay on track.

So when does a *\24 fall off...the day of application + 24mths?

Also, bonus points every 24mths are from date of app or date points posted?

I do a handwritten version too Glad I am not the only pencil/paper person left on the planet lol!

For */24, I do the month after the date I applied. So, if I applied on 3/10/16, I would make 4/1/18 the date that card 'falls off'. Not sure if that is right or not, but it's how I have it figured.

For the bonus, I count 24 mos from the date the bonus points were posted.

 

[Albort]

We had 2 rooms + the SPG Amex offer (spend $300 get $60 credit) on both DH's and my SPG cards (both business and personal cards). Our total bill was just over $900, so we split that between 3 cards to maximize the Amex offer. It was super confusing trying to figure out what we got SPG points for and what we didn't. It was fine though since we had the Amex offer. Lucky timing.

And not really related, but it boggles my mind how our resort bill was over $900 with "free" rooms! Things add up quickly!!

yeah, mine just coded down. 350 points for my room. which is basically the base rate of my roomx2 nights... but ill have to find out if it gets 2x on payment :\ i did get 2000 points from a promo though from that 1000 per night promo. I guess that makes it up? haha. some reason, their hold on the room triggered something, im guessing its the $300 spent. im not sure why/how.

 

[Louie7080]

Help me understand this or point me in the right direction, please!!!

I am mostly a noob when it comes to using credit cards for rewards. I have read some posts here and feel totally lost. Where can I go to learn about this all? Is there a good primer on CC churning? You all seem to have an understanding of how this works and communicate in a way that is above my head! Would love to do what you all can do with CCs.

With that said - I applied and got 2 chase cards (Disney and United) roughly a year ago, 2 amex cards (both gold/delta branded) roughly a year ago and a Target red card. So I can still apply for Chase cards correct? Or does the 5/24 rule count other cards besides Chase too? I did a survey type thing through creditcardtuneup dot com and it said I should get a British Airways CC for the most rewards but I mostly fly United and Frontier (they have the most non-stop/cheap flights out of Denver to get to WDW and Disneyland) so I don't think that CC would be good for me, right? The next recommend cards were Amex SPG and Capitol One Venture card for the most rewards (tie). The Venture cards seems like a very straight foward card that doesn't involve a lot of strategizing or am I totally wrong about that?

 

[Albort]

Help me understand this or point me in the right direction, please!!!

I am mostly a noob when it comes to using credit cards for rewards. I have read some posts here and feel totally lost. Where can I go to learn about this all? Is there a good primer on CC churning? You all seem to have an understanding of how this works and communicate in a way that is above my head! Would love to do what you all can do with CCs.

With that said - I applied and got 2 chase cards (Disney and United) roughly a year ago, 2 amex cards (both gold/delta branded) roughly a year ago and a Target red card. So I can still apply for Chase cards correct? Or does the 5/24 rule count other cards besides Chase too? I did a survey type thing through creditcardtuneup dot com and it said I should get a British Airways CC for the most rewards but I mostly fly United and Frontier (they have the most non-stop/cheap flights out of Denver to get to WDW and Disneyland) so I don't think that CC would be good for me, right? The next recommend cards were Amex SPG and Capitol One Venture card for the most rewards (tie). The Venture cards seems like a very straight foward card that doesn't involve a lot of strategizing or am I totally wrong about that?

have u read some posts from @calypso726 ?
i would start >here< and >here< and >here< and >here<. Its a bit more gears towards another person but its good info.
If you want more information >here< is also a good place to read.
a link written by someone who does this full time >here<

To answer your questions, its advisable to apply for Chase cards due to the 5/24 rule. if you have applied for 2 chase cards, 2 amex card and a red bird card, you are at 5/24. It would be a good idea to wait to get chase cards... but thats not a rule, you can continue applying whatever you think you will use. Chase's benefit is its quadfecta, which 4 cards can earn a single points system and the categories combined coverage is quite big. it makes it easier to earn and redeem.

Some more questions to answer... specifically from Q3-Q7 >here<

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Help me understand this or point me in the right direction, please!!!

I am mostly a noob when it comes to using credit cards for rewards. I have read some posts here and feel totally lost. Where can I go to learn about this all? Is there a good primer on CC churning? You all seem to have an understanding of how this works and communicate in a way that is above my head! Would love to do what you all can do with CCs.

With that said - I applied and got 2 chase cards (Disney and United) roughly a year ago, 2 amex cards (both gold/delta branded) roughly a year ago and a Target red card. So I can still apply for Chase cards correct? Or does the 5/24 rule count other cards besides Chase too? I did a survey type thing through creditcardtuneup dot com and it said I should get a British Airways CC for the most rewards but I mostly fly United and Frontier (they have the most non-stop/cheap flights out of Denver to get to WDW and Disneyland) so I don't think that CC would be good for me, right? The next recommend cards were Amex SPG and Capitol One Venture card for the most rewards (tie). The Venture cards seems like a very straight foward card that doesn't involve a lot of strategizing or am I totally wrong about that?

Ok - first off any "quiz-like" site recommending credit cards is probably making money off the cards they recommend and doesn't really care about what would actually benefit you. Basically the only ways to make a good decision are to read and educate yourself or consult with knowledgeable people who are unbiased (like us).

You said you got both Amex gold/delta cards...exactly which 2 cards did you get? Was one of them a business card? Also define "roughly a year ago" - what month and year did you get APPROVED for each of the 4 cards?

EDIT: actually month and year for all 5 cards (Target too lol)

 

[calypso726]

Help me understand this or point me in the right direction, please!!!

I am mostly a noob when it comes to using credit cards for rewards. I have read some posts here and feel totally lost. Where can I go to learn about this all? Is there a good primer on CC churning? You all seem to have an understanding of how this works and communicate in a way that is above my head! Would love to do what you all can do with CCs.

With that said - I applied and got 2 chase cards (Disney and United) roughly a year ago, 2 amex cards (both gold/delta branded) roughly a year ago and a Target red card. So I can still apply for Chase cards correct? Or does the 5/24 rule count other cards besides Chase too? I did a survey type thing through creditcardtuneup dot com and it said I should get a British Airways CC for the most rewards but I mostly fly United and Frontier (they have the most non-stop/cheap flights out of Denver to get to WDW and Disneyland) so I don't think that CC would be good for me, right? The next recommend cards were Amex SPG and Capitol One Venture card for the most rewards (tie). The Venture cards seems like a very straight foward card that doesn't involve a lot of strategizing or am I totally wrong about that?

5/24 refers to all open credit cards regardless of brand. If you Red card is a Visa and can be used at other stores you are at 5/24.

The Venture card is a card that allows you to get a statement credit with your points on travel purchases. The points are worth .01 each.

Which cards your should get depend completely on your travel goals. If you fly United a lot then earning Chase Ultimate Rewards may be in your best interest. UR points that are in a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Ink Preferred account can be transferred 1:1 to United. If were to purchase travel through the Chase UR portal your points are worth more than Cap one points. When these points are in a Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred account they are worth 1.25 cents, if they are in a Reserve account they are worth 1.5 cents. UR points can also be earned faster than Cap One points. The Freedom card has rotating categories that are 5x and those points can be transferred to the account of one of the premium cards.

Not only are the UR points worth more than Cap One points on statement credits, you can also get a better value for them. I will share one of my own examples. I needed to book a flight to fly from Paris back to Miami. The flight I wanted was over $7,000. If I were to pay for that flight with Cap One points I would have needed 700,000 points. If I were to have paid that amount with the points in my Chase Sapphire Reserve account it would be 466,000 UR points. However, United had that flight as a saver award for 50,000 United miles. I transferred 50,000 UR points to United and booked the flight. Cap One points can not be transferred to any airline.

Many of the travel hacker bloggers have a beginners section. Some of the ones I like to recommend are The Points Guy, Million Mile Secrets, Frequent Miler, One Mile at a Time and View From the Wing.

The first order of business though is to have a plan and set goals. Everyone here has different goals and different areas of "expertise" when it comes to getting our travel for less. Our interests on this thread run a broad range from travel as close to free for as few points and miles as possible to international flights in first class lie flat seats (that would be me). Please ask questions, everyone here is very helpful and welcoming

 

[wendow]

Help me understand this or point me in the right direction, please!!!

I am mostly a noob when it comes to using credit cards for rewards. I have read some posts here and feel totally lost. Where can I go to learn about this all? Is there a good primer on CC churning? You all seem to have an understanding of how this works and communicate in a way that is above my head! Would love to do what you all can do with CCs.

With that said - I applied and got 2 chase cards (Disney and United) roughly a year ago, 2 amex cards (both gold/delta branded) roughly a year ago and a Target red card. So I can still apply for Chase cards correct? Or does the 5/24 rule count other cards besides Chase too? I did a survey type thing through creditcardtuneup dot com and it said I should get a British Airways CC for the most rewards but I mostly fly United and Frontier (they have the most non-stop/cheap flights out of Denver to get to WDW and Disneyland) so I don't think that CC would be good for me, right? The next recommend cards were Amex SPG and Capitol One Venture card for the most rewards (tie). The Venture cards seems like a very straight foward card that doesn't involve a lot of strategizing or am I totally wrong about that?

Welcome

From what I am reading, you are at 4/24 or maybe 5/24 (depending on that Target card...). Chase counts all cards, not just their own. If you are maxed out with Chase, you will either need to 1) sit tight until you fall under 5/24, 2) take advantage of business cards or 3) forget about Chase for now and dive into other cards.

I am in Denver also. I cannot imagine why they would recommend a BA card?!? Not a huge fan of Frontier But I LOVE Southwest and I'd go for the SW card if you can. You may need to wait a bit and maybe explore the business cards if that is an option. The Amex ones will not count against your 5/24. The Chase ones won't either and if you are 4/24, you would be ok. Do you have any kind of home-based business? Selling through eBay, CL, FB, Offer Up?

 

[calypso726]

To answer your questions, its advisable to apply for Chase cards due to the 5/24 rule. if you have applied for 2 chase cards, 2 amex card and a red bird card, you are at 5/24.

I had blissfully forgotten about redbird. Now I'm in mourning again. Thanks @Albort

 

[Louie7080]

have u read some posts from @calypso726 ?
i would start >here< and >here< and >here< and >here<. Its a bit more gears towards another person but its good info.
If you want more information >here< is also a good place to read.
a link written by someone who does this full time >here<

To answer your questions, its advisable to apply for Chase cards due to the 5/24 rule. if you have applied for 2 chase cards, 2 amex card and a red bird card, you are at 5/24. It would be a good idea to wait to get chase cards... but thats not a rule, you can continue applying whatever you think you will use. Chase's benefit is its quadfecta, which 4 cards can earn a single points system and the categories combined coverage is quite big. it makes it easier to earn and redeem.

Some more questions to answer... specifically from Q3-Q7 >here<

i started reading some of those posts per your recommendations - lots to absorb but thank you for the links! Will have to look up quadfecta. Is quadfecta a way Chase keeps holders from canceling cards once rewards are used?

edit: to mean "once sign up rewards are used"

 

[calypso726]

i started reading some of those posts per your recommendations - lots to absorb but thank you for the links! Will have to look up quadfecta. Is quadfecta a way Chase keeps holders from canceling cards once rewards are used?

edit: to mean "once sign up rewards are used"

Quadfecta is just a nickname for having 4 of the Chase UR earning cards: My quadfecta includes the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Freedom, Chase Ink Plus and Chase Freedom Unlimited.

 

[Albort]

i started reading some of those posts per your recommendations - lots to absorb but thank you for the links! Will have to look up quadfecta. Is quadfecta a way Chase keeps holders from canceling cards once rewards are used?

edit: to mean "once sign up rewards are used"

pretty much. most chase holders still continue to hold these cards because its easier to earn.
CSR - 3x on travel and dining
Freedom - 5x on rotating cat(q1- gas, q2 - grocery, q3 - restaurants, q4 - random)
Freedom Unlimited - 1.5x on everything
InkC - 5x on office depot(basically gift cards for everywhere), cell/cable service | InkP 3x on advertisement, gift cards,

ive started 2.5 years ago, have earned around 200k in organic spendings.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

i started reading some of those posts per your recommendations - lots to absorb but thank you for the links! Will have to look up quadfecta. Is quadfecta a way Chase keeps holders from canceling cards once rewards are used?

edit: to mean "once sign up rewards are used"

Just to reiterate - it's very important to know exactly which AMEX cards you opened (the names of each) and the dates you were approved for all 5 cards. That information may render the Chase "quadfecta" moot to you as you may not be eligible for any of them. Also without that information our advice will be based on some guesses and may not actually be your best course of action.

 

[Louie7080]

Wow! thank you all for giving me some one on one advice! Lots still for me to understand but thank you for being open to explaining it to me.

 

[Louie7080]

Welcome

From what I am reading, you are at 4/24 or maybe 5/24 (depending on that Target card...). Chase counts all cards, not just their own. If you are maxed out with Chase, you will either need to 1) sit tight until you fall under 5/24, 2) take advantage of business cards or 3) forget about Chase for now and dive into other cards.

I am in Denver also. I cannot imagine why they would recommend a BA card?!? Not a huge fan of Frontier But I LOVE Southwest and I'd go for the SW card if you can. You may need to wait a bit and maybe explore the business cards if that is an option. The Amex ones will not count against your 5/24. The Chase ones won't either and if you are 4/24, you would be ok. Do you have any kind of home-based business? Selling through eBay, CL, FB, Offer Up?

The site didn't ask place of residence, etc.... it just asked monthly spends on about 15 to 20 categories. I have read/heard about the SW card but didn't go for it last year since it seemed a bit too complicated at the time and other offers were kind of just offered to me without researching things. Plus I spent the past year going to California and the Southwest fares seemed much more expensive than United or Frontier even with a companion pass. Frontier has been good to me but I know they get bad reviews compared to the other airlines. I am now switching coasts so am looking at ways to fly and/or stay there for free or at a discount with rewards. I have sold on ebay before and thought of selling a few things this coming year so will look into business cards. I didn't know that business cards wouldn't count towards the 5/24 - thanks!

edit to add: I was getting 80 dollar RT tickets through Frontier to SNA. Only once was a flight delayed significantly and they gave everyone $200 flight vouchers. The seats are less comfy than other airlines but flights to California are short so I didn't mind and probably wouldn't mind too much going to Florida even though a longer flight.

 

[Albort]

my last SPG stay sent me my final bill. It says $0. I can dispute this with my credit card charge right?

sorry, bad joke...

 

[Lain]

my last SPG stay sent me my final bill. It says $0. I can dispute this with my credit card charge right?

sorry, bad joke...

Sure, but I don’t think you’re gonna get any money back.

 

[hsmamato2]

Got a $450 credit of AF on CSR today! Used TC after reset, then 12/29 DH called and PC'd to CF. AF had posted 11/1.
Total reaped: TC x3, 100k signup bonus, one AF paid! Paid for most of a trip to Disneyland, plus part of upcoming Grand Canyon trip.

So...Dh AF just posted....I'm almost afraid to try(silly I know) but it's probably the right time to retry that SM and ask for the PC??? Today,or wait for regular business weekday hours?