I love credit cards so much!

[wendow]

Maybe barista error, but I am seeing some DPs on DoC indicating others having problems with the QR code scanning too, so who knows. I'm not sure I'll try it again. And yes, I usually get a peppermint mocha and am now regretting my decision not to!

I went this morning, and the barista used the scanner to scan my QR code. She had to do it a couple of times but it went through and my card was charged. However I do not have 300 stars I activated the offer and linked CP to my starbucks account last night. Not sure what happened but I'm so bummed.

 

[Calfan]

I went this morning, and the barista used the scanner to scan my QR code. She had to do it a couple of times but it went through and my card was charged. However I do not have 300 stars I activated the offer and linked CP to my starbucks account last night. Not sure what happened but I'm so bummed.

Bummer! Maybe it takes a little while for the stars to "post"? I loaded this offer yesterday and was planning to hit Starbucks sometime this week, but I'm wondering if it is worth the effort?

 

[Judique]

Nice! This is sad, but seems like the norm for those living in the area. We are in MD, but being that close to DC, you'd think we'd be there more often. Think we've only done Cherry Blossoms once in the last 5-6 years...yet people like yourself planned trips just to come see them! They are beautiful though, especially when you catch them during peak season. Hope your trip was funded in some way with points/miles

I've gotten stuck in the traffic a couple of times in recent years, so not an actual trip to see them, but it accomplished the same thing. They are worth seeing! Last spring I was over in Northern Virginia and decided to come across via 66 and the Mall area, completely forgetting it was Cherry Blossom season - hours of traffic!

The National Park Service has revised their peak bloom prediction now to March 27 to 31, due to the cold snaps we've had.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I know it's not on topic for us but apparently Disney confirmed parking costs at their resorts now: For Reservations made AFTER MARCH 21: Value = $13/nt; Moderate = $19/nt; Deluxe = $24/nt. Won't affect us as we are DME all the way but still seems very strange to me.

That stinks. Doesn’t affect us either but if I was driving, I’d seriously be looking more offsite, especially since they recently extended other privileges to Disney Springs hotels.

 

[wendow]

Bummer! Maybe it takes a little while for the stars to "post"? I loaded this offer yesterday and was planning to hit Starbucks sometime this week, but I'm wondering if it is worth the effort?

I'd wait to see unless you just normally go by Starbucks. I already had a 'mom coffee' scheduled so it was fine to try it. My teen was going to stop by on her way home though and I texted her and told her to wait. She gets the $5 foo-foo drinks and she's broke so she needs to wait until she knows this works

 

[wendow]

I know it's not on topic for us but apparently Disney confirmed parking costs at their resorts now: For Reservations made AFTER MARCH 21: Value = $13/nt; Moderate = $19/nt; Deluxe = $24/nt. Won't affect us as we are DME all the way but still seems very strange to me.

I'm completely and utterly shocked at that pricing. They want people to pay $500 night for a room that is not anywhere close to a $500 night hotel, AND now pay $24 on top of that!?! Craziness. Are they just trying to push people offsite? And yet, watch, crowds will somehow increase...

 

[Calfan]

Thanks to everyone for the kitty condolences. This is the first time in 28 years that we haven't had a cat in the house. We had 6 at one point (yes, I'm one of THOSE) many years ago. This particular cat began visiting us back in 2007 - and usually on the coldest of nights. He would wander onto our deck and gaze through the french doors into our warm cozy house. The kids would go out and pet him and give him food (he was a sweet boy, and it was obvious he owned humans at one time). He would go away and come back to visit every few weeks. This went on for months (I forget how many). Finally, on a cold night in February, when DH was away on business, I awoke at 4:00am to a faint scratching sound. I peeked outside and saw this cat sitting on 2 inches of sleet on our deck with puss filled eyes while scratching the door to come inside. After a trip to the vet, we learned he had feline HIV, plus what appeared to be BB's or bird shot underneath his skin, PLUS an eye infection. This cat was one tough dude! After half heartedly trying to find him another home, he became a fixture in ours. He adored DH and would run to greet him at the door. Best. Cat. Ever.

Sniff sniff, now back to the regularly scheduled programming . . .

Just wanted to (belatedly) offer my condolences as well. I've always been a cat person. We had two different cats in my family when I was growing up, and I got my own kitten at age 25 shortly after graduating law school and moving into my own studio apartment. I can't tell you have devastating it was to have to put that cat down 19 years later. I shouldn't even admit this, but I think I cried more over the loss of that cat who had been constant companion for 19 years than I did when my 91 year old grandmother passed away. By the time I put Lucy down, I was married with two kids. We waited a year and then adopted two new rescue kittens. They are five now and our male orange tabby is quite the handful, but I love having them in the house.

 

[Calfan]

I'd wait to see unless you just normally go by Starbucks. I already had a 'mom coffee' scheduled so it was fine to try it. My teen was going to stop by on her way home though and I texted her and told her to wait. She gets the $5 foo-foo drinks and she's broke so she needs to wait until she knows this works

Yeah. I'll hold off a bit. I need to do a short drive to get to a Starbucks, and it's not part of my daily routine, but I hit Starbucks a lot when traveling and sometimes after an Orangetheory class on a weekend morning, so if the promo works to get a couple of free coffees, I don't mind a quick driving during my lunch hour. But I'd be bummed if I did that and then didn't get the stars.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

DH just called to tell me he had a similar experience this afternoon. They didn't even know what Chase Pay was. They wanted him to hold his phone over the machine too, but he insisted that they scan his QR code instead, and it worked. They did specifically say they took Apple Pay, and thought he was confused when he was using the term "Chase Pay". They were surprised the payment went through.

It really astounds me that at most places we've tried to use Chase Pay, the cashiers and even managers didn't know their store accepted it, let alone how to process the payment, even when there are signs clearly stating that it's an option. Chase needs to do a much better job at monitoring and training when they roll it out into new stores.

No one around here has Chase Pay. I’ve not tried Starbucks yet, but the only places listed on my Chase Pay app are Starbucks and Best Buy. I have used Apple Pay quite a bit. The other day, the young (late teen/early 20’s) cashier asked me how to use Apple Pay since he wanted to try it out. Of course I obliged but had to laugh since I’m old enough to be his grandma, showing him how to use technology. Lol. My 9year old is usually teaching Grandma how to do stuff on her iPad.

 

[babyready]

I just called to cancel my Barclay Arrival Plus before the AF hits at the end of the month. The lady I spoke with tried to talk me into downgrading to the Arrival or Barclay rewards. No AF and then the 5000+ points I have racked up on the Arrival Plus (worth over $50 but can't cash out until 10,000 pts.) would be transferred and apparently you can cash out at 2,000 points instead of 10,000? This is a tricky one. It is killing me to throw all those points away but I haven't been spending on it since got the original statement credit because we have been working on hitting MSR on other cards.

The only downside I really see is that I would not be able to get the signup bonus on the other cards (and I don't even know what those are...need to look into that...) but we're really Chase focused at the moment and at this point, don't have my eye on any other Barclay cards...

 

[CyndiLouWho]

For more traditional Chinese cuisine that’s not dim sum, I’m a big fan of R&G Lounge in Chinatown.

In the Westfield mall off Union Square under the old Emporium dome, there’s also M.Y. China, which is a collaboration between Martin Yan and the owners of Koi Palace (a very popular Chinese restaurant in Daly City). I hesitated recommending M.Y. China because of Martin Yan’s fake “Chinese” accent and persona, and the price point is higher than other Chinese restaurants, but the food is actually quite good, especially the wild boar scissor cut noodles and Chinese egg puff donuts.

Not fair. Now I’m hungry for Chinese. And there is nothing good nearby. Loved SF Chinatown but we were there like 20 years ago. Looking forward to visiting Vancouver’s Chinatown next year.

 

[afan]

@afan, @Lain, @Angrose, and others, what's the best way/avenue to buy tickets for Alcatraz?

Unless it's changed there's only one company that goes to Alcatraz. I would but direct with them and do the guided audio tour it's worth it for the stories and info.

 

[mhartman09]

Thanks to everyone for the kitty condolences. This is the first time in 28 years that we haven't had a cat in the house. We had 6 at one point (yes, I'm one of THOSE) many years ago. This particular cat began visiting us back in 2007 - and usually on the coldest of nights. He would wander onto our deck and gaze through the french doors into our warm cozy house. The kids would go out and pet him and give him food (he was a sweet boy, and it was obvious he owned humans at one time). He would go away and come back to visit every few weeks. This went on for months (I forget how many). Finally, on a cold night in February, when DH was away on business, I awoke at 4:00am to a faint scratching sound. I peeked outside and saw this cat sitting on 2 inches of sleet on our deck with puss filled eyes while scratching the door to come inside. After a trip to the vet, we learned he had feline HIV, plus what appeared to be BB's or bird shot underneath his skin, PLUS an eye infection. This cat was one tough dude! After half heartedly trying to find him another home, he became a fixture in ours. He adored DH and would run to greet him at the door. Best. Cat. Ever.

Sniff sniff, now back to the regularly scheduled programming . . .

So sorry about your kitty! He sure sounds like a tough little guy.

I'm thinking:

Recipient Name, maybe "CU Members Mtg." (Other abbreviations for Mortgage are Mtge. or Mortg.) Or "Mtg./Mtge./Mortg. Servs." for Mortgage Services. I don't like the Mtge. or Mortg. abbreviations as much, even if they're more accurate, because they're also more obvious.

Recipient Street Address: "2626 West Freeway"

Apt, Suite, Bldg: "Attn: Payment Processing"

City and State as usual. For ZIP, use only 76102; don't include the last four digits (Plastiq seems to have a problem with that).

Thank you!! I'll try this.

 

[peel]

I just read the comments on DoC's post about the 300 stars at Starbucks. Someone said, "Per their support this is only valid in Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania. I forwarded the email to Chuck and Will." Apparently it doesn't say this in the T&C. I don't know if this is accurate, but I thought I'd point it out.
Also, points are not instantly awarded, it could take up to 5 days according to the promotion.

 

[SBWB48]

I just read the comments on DoC's post about the 300 stars at Starbucks. Someone said, "Per their support this is only valid in Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania. I forwarded the email to Chuck and Will." Apparently it doesn't say this in the T&C. I don't know if this is accurate, but I thought I'd point it out.
Also, points are not instantly awarded, it could take up to 5 days according to the promotion.

I'm in MD and will try it tonight and let people know if/when I see the stars post.

 

[Judique]

No one around here has Chase Pay. I’ve not tried Starbucks yet, but the only places listed on my Chase Pay app are Starbucks and Best Buy. I have used Apple Pay quite a bit. The other day, the young (late teen/early 20’s) cashier asked me how to use Apple Pay since he wanted to try it out. Of course I obliged but had to laugh since I’m old enough to be his grandma, showing him how to use technology. Lol. My 9year old is usually teaching Grandma how to do stuff on her iPad.

My oldest DD was able to use it at Potbelly sandwich shop this week and also got the 10$ off first use promo so free lunch.

 

[miztressuz]

I’ve used a gift card at BP. You just put it in the credit card slot. Look on your preferred gas station websites for more info

ETA: Are there other gift cards you could use, like restaurants, etc? Or are you including that in your BJ’s purchases. Speedway sells restaurant GCs, Kohl’s, stuff like that.

Thanks! I tried Sunoco and the bot text on the search page said I could use it at the pump but when I clicked on the link it didn't say it anywhere! And then Speedway was just confusing at first so I figured I check with you guys as I was sure someone said they bought gift cards to use on gas before - even if I had to use another brand to do it. After reading through Speedway's page again I think I know what I'm looking for there now. We're pretty stocked on other gift cards and we don't spend a ton on gas to make up the difference, so I thought maybe I could pre-pay our gas for a while with gift cards from the gas stations.
I really don't often step inside the stores so I had no idea Speedway sold so many gift cards until I looked through the site! I'll tuck that tidbit away for the future.

 

[Livelovedance]

Hi everyone! I follow this thread but never post (I think my first & last posts might’ve been this past summer when I received the excellent advice to get the CSP!). I love the card and use it for all of our travel expenses!

I was looking though my Chase account online and noticed they “picked an offer for me” for the CFU. The current sign on bonus is $150 after spending $500 in the first 3 months. I don’t really need a new card, but I’m slightly considering applying and just having an extra card to earn URs on.

I currently have the CSP, CF, AMEX Blue Cash, TD Cash, and the Barclay Upromise (worthless card but I’ve been using it if I don’t want to add to a different card). The only one I’ve applied for in the past 24 months is the CSP.

Should I apply for the CFU? Is the sign on bonus a good one, or have you seen better ones that I should hold out for? Like I said, I don’t need it (or any new cards really), but I could easily spend the $500 without losing out on bonuses elsewhere.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Angrose]

There were no DVC rooms available for Dapper Days weekend when I decided we’d be going. Fortunately, we had 2 free Marriott nights to use so we are nearby but off property for the cost of our Marriott AF.

Are you referring to WDW or DLR? I didn't think there were any Marriotts in Anaheim where one could use the free night certs. All the ones near the parks are at least Category 7. Did you work some magic?

 

[Calfan]

Hi everyone! I follow this thread but never post (I think my first & last posts might’ve been this past summer when I received the excellent advice to get the CSP!). I love the card and use it for all of our travel expenses!

I was looking though my Chase account online and noticed they “picked an offer for me” for the CFU. The current sign on bonus is $150 after spending $500 in the first 3 months. I don’t really need a new card, but I’m slightly considering applying and just having an extra card to earn URs on.

I currently have the CSP, CF, AMEX Blue Cash, TD Cash, and the Barclay Upromise (worthless card but I’ve been using it if I don’t want to add to a different card). The only one I’ve applied for in the past 24 months is the CSP.

Should I apply for the CFU? Is the sign on bonus a good one, or have you seen better ones that I should hold out for? Like I said, I don’t need it (or any new cards really), but I could easily spend the $500 without losing out on bonuses elsewhere.

Thanks in advance!

The $150 (or 15k UR) after $500 spend is the standard bonus for the CFU. I believe some are seeing targeted pre-approvals for $300 (or 30k UR) after $500 spend, so you might hold off for a bit to see if you can get that one to pop up. I'm not sure the public offer ever goes higher.

 

[hsmamato2]

might be too late but have u looked into Korean airlines? a friend of mine recently got lax to hnl for 25,000 UR points .

I already booked lax-ogg for 25k avios each...I'm thrilled with that! but thankse