I love credit cards so much!

[mom2elal]

I didn't get the Lowes offer on any of my Amex cards!

 

[mom2elal]

So, I'm an AU on dh's CF (acquired before the dreaded 5/24). I downloaded the Chase Pay app, but when I sign on to my account, it only gives me my Slate as an option to pay with. Can only the primary card holder pay with the CF? I didn't see anywhere to add a card. Should I log onto dh's account on my phone, or is that going to get me in trouble?

And another Chase question...We are in the middle of applying for a HELOC with Chase, and they told me to unfreeze Experian for the application. Am I safe in assuming that is the same bureau they will pull when dh applies for a SW card once the HELOC closes?

 

[wendow]

So, I'm an AU on dh's CF (acquired before the dreaded 5/24). I downloaded the Chase Pay app, but when I sign on to my account, it only gives me my Slate as an option to pay with. Can only the primary card holder pay with the CF? I didn't see anywhere to add a card. Should I log onto dh's account on my phone, or is that going to get me in trouble?

And another Chase question...We are in the middle of applying for a HELOC with Chase, and they told me to unfreeze Experian for the application. Am I safe in assuming that is the same bureau they will pull when dh applies for a SW card once the HELOC closes?

It's the same for me. My dh has the Freedom in his name and I've been an AU'er for 12 years. I can't get any of his cards to show up for me in Chase Pay, which makes sense b/c they don't show up when I login to Chase with my ID. I'm not sure if there is a way to add them but it is frustrating when you want to use Chase Pay and earn 5% on the Freedom. I've not logged in as him on my phone but that is mostly cause he likes really long and complicated passwords lol. He's an IT guy

Chase pulls from different agencies depending on the state. In CO, they pull Experian. I'm guessing since they told you to unfreeze Experian, that is an indication they may be pulling from Experian.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Bummer - no retention for me on my SPG personal. $95 fee just posted...I was really hoping they'd give me a retention that made it easier to justify keeping open. I know that just 1 "support click" would pay for that fee - but unless they do an increased 35k offer I won't be advising anybody (online, friends, etc.) to apply using a link since the incognito offer is 5k better for the same spend. Why can't SPG give some sort of free night or something, lol.

I have a couple more weeks to decide whether to cancel or not...and I do plan to HUCA on the retention but with $0 spend since I met my MSR, I'd be shocked they give me anything.

 

[wendow]

Bummer - no retention for me on my SPG personal. $95 fee just posted...I was really hoping they'd give me a retention that made it easier to justify keeping open. I know that just 1 "support click" would pay for that fee - but unless they do an increased 35k offer I won't be advising anybody (online, friends, etc.) to apply using a link since the incognito offer is 5k better for the same spend. Why can't SPG give some sort of free night or something, lol.

I have a couple more weeks to decide whether to cancel or not...and I do plan to HUCA on the retention but with $0 spend since I met my MSR, I'd be shocked they give me anything.

If they don't give you a retention offer, is there any reason to keep? It stinks that the incognito offer is higher than using a link. It pained me not to use a link from DISchurners when applying for my dh the spg personal.

 

[wendow]

I don't know how you do it. I am on the verge of giving up. Hawaii is super complicated to me. Or at least figuring out the flights is.

Agree. Just waiting for SW to begin their routes and then should be easy-peasy

 

[Lain]

So, I'm an AU on dh's CF (acquired before the dreaded 5/24). I downloaded the Chase Pay app, but when I sign on to my account, it only gives me my Slate as an option to pay with. Can only the primary card holder pay with the CF? I didn't see anywhere to add a card. Should I log onto dh's account on my phone, or is that going to get me in trouble?

It's the same for me. My dh has the Freedom in his name and I've been an AU'er for 12 years. I can't get any of his cards to show up for me in Chase Pay, which makes sense b/c they don't show up when I login to Chase with my ID. I'm not sure if there is a way to add them but it is frustrating when you want to use Chase Pay and earn 5% on the Freedom. I've not logged in as him on my phone but that is mostly cause he likes really long and complicated passwords lol. He's an IT guy

Same. I don't see any AU cards on my Chase Pay account. You could log into DH's Chase Pay account and use the cards and QR codes generated from that account. Once you're logged in, there's no name or other identifying information that a cashier can make you show. I always log into DW's Chase Pay account during promos to spare her a trip to Best Buy, etc. I believe Chase Pay has Touch ID on its iPhone app, so you could log into DH's account, then go into settings to activate Touch ID so you only need a fingerprint or passcode to log in next time.

 

[calypso726]

So, you picked up the Alaska card now for CP in 2020? How does that work? Renting dvc is probably my best (and least expensive) option I know my kids want this badly so I'd like to make Aulani a part of the trip. Do you know if it would be less expensive to do two studios or a 2-bedroom?

I picked it up now because I had nothing else that was remotely interesting at the moment for me. AS isn't part of an alliance and has a lot of awesome transfer partners. If SPG airline transfer partners become a thing of the past after the merger is complete and we get a heads up on it, I will transfer all of our SPG points over to AS. The card is also somewhat churnable. It's been on my radar for years. Plus, I also figured I'd likely want to go to the west coast between now and then and maybe want to bring friends or family too. This way, I could offer them to use our CPs since DH and I wouldn't be flying in economy. The AS CP doesn't require that we be on the flight to use the CP so you can gift it to someone else. It just requires that the card holder pays for the flight with a card in their name. The current offer is 30K AS miles for $1,000 in 3 months and the first year you get a free CP without paying taxes and fees. So, when you purchase an economy ticket your companion flies for free. We offered it to our friends to use to come with us to Dapper Days in DLR if the flight schedules and price on AS worked for them. I've taught our cruise buddies to travel hack so they are all using points and miles to come with us instead

A 2 bedroom would be more points. Here is the 2019 points chart.

I don't know how you do it. I am on the verge of giving up. Hawaii is super complicated to me. Or at least figuring out the flights is.

@disneymagicgirl - Tell me what type of points you are trying to use, what airline you are trying to fly and where you are coming from, and where you are trying to go, tag me on the thread and I will try to help. I likely might not be able to answer until later in the day or early evening since I'm teaching forklift safety classes and fire safety classes today and that doesn't afford me the luxury of perusing my favorite thread while I've got a video playing. Work always gets in the way of fun

I didn't get the Lowes offer on any of my Amex cards!

Boo! I'm sorry. May the Amex Offers gods bestow you with an amazing offer that beats Lowe's!

If they don't give you a retention offer, is there any reason to keep? It stinks that the incognito offer is higher than using a link. It pained me not to use a link from DISchurners when applying for my dh the spg personal.

If you already have the SPG business card or are planning to get it, then no. DH and I cancelled our personal SPG cards after we got the business card since we did not get a decent retention offer. However, I would not be without an SPG card so long as they have all those airline partners.

 

[jhoannam]

I don't know how you do it. I am on the verge of giving up. Hawaii is super complicated to me. Or at least figuring out the flights is.

We live in the middle of the country, no awesome Hawaii flights to be had. I’ve been able to find some KE on delta metal but most of those flights go through ATL and it’s 24 hours of travel. Yes, it’s 25k URs but when traveling with 2 kids that just not worth it. I’ve decided just to book United, it’s 45K round trip but the travel time is closer to 15 hours.
United has plenty of Saver availability. If you book 9 months in advance.

 

[jhoannam]

I didn't get the Lowes offer on any of my Amex cards!

Me either

 

[amalone1013]

Ahh makes sense. So if I’m trying to book flights on the morning of a flight schedule release date, would it make more sense to transfer to SW points and then book myself? Is Chase Travel even open that early in the morning?

I know I'm late, but I would agree with everyone and transfer them. I love how easily you can rebook if the price goes down and get your points back. They show up instantly when you transfer from ur, so you could see how many you need for your flights, transfer them, and then book - may need to refresh a couple times or log in/out for them to show

Bummer - no retention for me on my SPG personal. $95 fee just posted...I was really hoping they'd give me a retention that made it easier to justify keeping open. I know that just 1 "support click" would pay for that fee - but unless they do an increased 35k offer I won't be advising anybody (online, friends, etc.) to apply using a link since the incognito offer is 5k better for the same spend. Why can't SPG give some sort of free night or something, lol.

I have a couple more weeks to decide whether to cancel or not...and I do plan to HUCA on the retention but with $0 spend since I met my MSR, I'd be shocked they give me anything.

I wish you luck! A free night would be nice haha, right now the two SPG hotels in paying for oop started at $94 and $110 for rates... they're each 10k starpoints so I couldn't being myself to do that. I judge all SPG redemptions by the Dolphin

Last yeear I never called for a retention on either of ours bc we were busy, and amex offers had saved us $300ish on each card, all on gift cards, cell phone bill, and suitcases bc we had zero luggage when we started wedding/honeymoon planning. This year, I've saved $35 on my card (all on the biz tho, no personal) and I don't think anything on his.... though we did get the Lowe's offer. And now we both have biz cards.

 

[miztressuz]

Bummer - no retention for me on my SPG personal. $95 fee just posted...I was really hoping they'd give me a retention that made it easier to justify keeping open. I know that just 1 "support click" would pay for that fee - but unless they do an increased 35k offer I won't be advising anybody (online, friends, etc.) to apply using a link since the incognito offer is 5k better for the same spend. Why can't SPG give some sort of free night or something, lol.

I have a couple more weeks to decide whether to cancel or not...and I do plan to HUCA on the retention but with $0 spend since I met my MSR, I'd be shocked they give me anything.

Exactly I went for the biz because I can actually meet that spend at the moment that I might not be able to later. But it's not normally something I'd grab right now because I don't have an immediate use for something the card gives me, other than the bonus. I'd really like something in the next year to wow me into keeping it because without that tangible (free night, anniversary points) or an exact plan I can tie that $95 to it's hard to justify. When I was explaining to hubby what we'd get with it for why I got it, it was basically "points?" Good points, since we have the Marriott I was planning to do it just to increase those, but there's nothing immediate like with the Marriott or IHG getting increased status in the program. There's access to the Sheraton Club Lounge and the premium internet.... both of which I don't think we'd ever use. And we're just not in the league to put 30k on a card in a year to get Gold status... I can barely max out quarterly categories

 

[peel]

I got both and they stacked! We got $35 off dinner tonight

OMG! That's amazing!!!

 

[Lain]

Reminder: Today, 3/16/18 is the last day to buy Starpoints at 35% off (or 2.28¢ per point) from Points dot com. You'll earn 2x Starpoints on the purchase when you pay with an Amex SPG card. You could also earn some cash back through TopCashBack or GivingAssistant shopping portals.

I made a purchase on DW's new SPG Biz this morning, but the purchase is "pending" and "will be processed in the next 48 hours." I hope we won't have any problems. My prior purchases using my SPG Biz went through almost instantaneously.

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting on my 300 Stars from the Chase Pay Starbucks deal. Made a purchase with Chase Pay on 3/13, terms say it can take 5 days for the Stars to post. Did the deal yesterday for DW's account. Starbucks deal ends 3/19/18.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Sounds like we're doing something similar . . . we're flying RIC to LGA in June direct on Delta (round trip). We have cheapo economy tickets, but I don't care since its such a short flight. I paid 10,800 UR points for each one, and I thought that was great!

Nice!! I've been checking to see if anymore flights are added from RIC for my dates. I figure if I can get direct flights from RIC for around $175 or so and the times work out right, I'll fly out of here instead so I don't have to drive to DCA.

 

[FredtheDuck]

I agree. Having been to both the Caribbean and Hawaii, I prefer the Caribbean. My dh & kids haven’t been to either. I trying to sway them away from Hawaii. I’m pushing for Grand Cayman

Ditto to preferring the Caribbean over Hawaii. Partly because it's easier to get to from the east coast, partly because I typically find it to be more diverse in terms of things to see/do/eat/experience. Bonus points for it being a little cheaper (at least where were).

There are volcano evacuation route signs not far from where I live.

When I was living in LA, I was walking our dogs and noticed brand new tsunami evacuation route signs on our street. Jarring, to say the least!

The current offer is 30K AS miles for $1,000 in 3 months and the first year you get a free CP without paying taxes and fees. So, when you purchase an economy ticket your companion flies for free.

FYI, still have to pay some fees, but it's under $20. I used mine (from the same offer) back in December. DH and I both still have this card because even though we'll pay for the companion fare ($122) in the future, we have a kid, and I'd rather pay $122 bucks than $400+ when we go to see the grandparents on the other side of the country a couple of times a year. Most of our flying these days seems to be on AS/Virgin (we do a lot of transcon flights) so between the free bags and the companion fare, we get a lot of value out of these cards.

I made a purchase on DW's new SPG Biz this morning, but the purchase is "pending" and "will be processed in the next 48 hours." I hope we won't have any problems.

Check your SPG account, they posted there super quickly (within 5 minutes of purchase), before I got notification that the transaction had been processed. Mine was done on a personal SPG, but I'd be surprised if that mattered.

 

[DisneyMandC]

We looked at doing the train too, but surprisingly, it wasn't that much cheaper + it really eats into touring time if you're making just a quick trip. Would it be worth paying a bit more to fly out of RIC? Driving up to DC can be so harrowing.

Did you also look at Newark? Whenever DH has to fly to NYC for business (a few times a year) he prefers to fly into Newark -- he says public transportation (train I think) is much easier from Newark than either JFK or LaGuardia.

I hadn't thought of that, thank you! I just checked and there are some good flights out of RIC to EWR on United. It looks like you can get them sometimes for about $170, which I would be willing to pay to not have to drive to DC. I put a price tracker on them so I'm going to keep an eye out for those too

 

[peel]

Can someone point me toward a Gyft primer? I signed up last night and downloaded the app to my iPhone. I have many questions.

I made a test purchase for a $5 Dunkin Donuts GC. I payed with my Freedom using Apple Pay. I should get 5x for that, since Apple Pay is a 5x category until the end of the month, right? Then on April 1, I should use my Freedom with PayPal to get 5x? And when PayPal and Apple Pay are no longer 5x earners I should use my CIP with PayPal for 3x?

And what are my options for using the GCs once I purchase them? With the Dunkin GC, can I add it to my existing balance within my DD app as well as paying within the Gyft app by having the DD clerk scan the QR code that Gyft generates? How do you use other GCs? I know some of you buy them when you're already in a store...do all stores have the ability to scan the QR code in the Gyft app?

I don't know why I'm having such a hard time deciphering this. I need to be totally comfortable with it before I ask DH to participate. Thanks in advance!

 

[WaywardMemphian]

Been procrastinatin on excursions in Nassau, Atlantis is so darn expensive tI'll this morning.

Taking advantage of the Comfort Inn hack, I decided to check if Comfort Inn was listed on Southwest Air's hotel booking site Bingo! A one day room for our party of 4 was 300 bucks. Oh, it came with points as well. I paid via my Sapphire Reserve for 3x UR points. Figuring that's up to 150 bucks toward Southwest fare in points, the total for us all will but about 50 bucks each plus 9,000 (8,000 Southwest, 1,000 chase) points earned in total.

 

[pillow]

I hadn't thought of that, thank you! I just checked and there are some good flights out of RIC to EWR on United. It looks like you can get them sometimes for about $170, which I would be willing to pay to not have to drive to DC. I put a price tracker on them so I'm going to keep an eye out for those too

Also don't forget to check cab/Uber fare from each airport and factor that in. I think LGA was the closest/cheapest when I looked.