I love credit cards so much!

[SouthFayetteFan]

So should I still be considering the SPG and Marriott personal cards? I think I am running out of time though as I am knee deep in the SPG Biz spend and I think it will take me the full 3 months, which puts me to beginning of June. I just went to 4/24, my next plan was CIP and then was thinking the Marriott personal that my DH can refer me to. I think his annual fee is due in June and I am planning on cancelling his, so I guess I need to change my mind or move up the timeline somehow. I was thinking I could get the SPG personal after the Marriott since I will be over 5/24 anyway at that point. Trying to load up on Marriott/Spg points though I have no immediate plans for them right now.

I think you have a good plan and the CIP opportunity goes away if you get another personal card. Do you know the exact date your husband applied for the Marriott card? If he applied in June then the AF may not show until July 1 which would buy you a little more time. I'm hoarding lots of Marriott/SPG points right now too - It's really nice to never worry about paying for a hotel when short trips come up.

 

[Judique]

I want to share this just in case anyone can use the discount. 'Cardcash' just announced a flash sale on Toysrus egift cards, 30.5% off. My daughter just bought a Nintendo Switch. Wish she had waited as a store near us had them in stock.

 

[WVMomof3]

I think you have a good plan and the CIP opportunity goes away if you get another personal card. Do you know the exact date your husband applied for the Marriott card? If he applied in June then the AF may not show until July 1 which would buy you a little more time. I'm hoarding lots of Marriott/SPG points right now too - It's really nice to never worry about paying for a hotel when short trips come up.

He applied under the 100,000 point offer last year that did not have the fee waived. It posted on June 1 last year. I think he applied end of May.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

He applied under the 100,000 point offer last year that did not have the fee waived. It posted on June 1 last year. I think he applied end of May.

Yeah - then it will post June 1 again. I've never had them give a retention on that card either (multiple tries on multiple cards) because of that free annual night.

The refer a friend offer on that card is 20,000 points...it could actually make sense to pay the $85 so he could still refer you in July/August (plus he could get another free night in May of 2019 then).

 

[miztressuz]

So which hotel card is currently considered the best? I have only UR cards currently, we don't stay in hotels a ton (besides Disney), but I'm hoping to change that a bit and to start taking more mini vacations. SPG? Marriott? Radisson? Hyatt?

Unfortunately it's a little subjective I'd check a few places that you'd like to visit and see what brand has the most likely options you'd be willing to stay at. We started out with IHG and Marriott a while ago because that's where we tended to stay anyway. It was kind of a no brainer to pick up the cards then. And so far, knock on wood, it's been rare not to find one or the other wherever we've wanted to go.

If you have preferences on what level of comfort you'd enjoy, then it would help to check out what's available at each type within a brand and see which has more options you'd likely use. I also don't need much in a hotel room, I actually prefer HIE's; I've been to a couple that I liked more than some of the Marriott brands we've stayed. But I probably wouldn't ever get the Wyndham card because there's not a lot of mid-range places in their line that I'm willing to stay at - the higher end nice ones are more than I'm willing to spend and I try to avoid their low end ones.

Also doing a little scouting will help figure out the point values for the sign up bonuses. Even with IHG being 80k bonus, if where you're looking is all 40k and up redemptions then it might not be as lucrative as, say the Hilton, for 20k redemptions on the 100k bonus. (I made up numbers off the top of my head, I have no idea where in the country you'd find IHG at 40k and Hilton for 20k in the same area )

 

[Calfan]

We had a similar issue outside Atlanta in January, when DH used his CSP at a gas station. We were on our way to the airport and topped off the gas tank of the rental car before returning it. A couple hours later, while at the gate waiting to board, he got a fraud alert text asking if he had just made a charge for $500. Um, NO. And by the way, this is the same card that was just compromised again last week. So he's now on the third account number for the CSP.

One cool thing in all this is that the new # for our CFU showed up in my online Chase account almost immediately after getting off the phone with Chase. Because I have the offer to use the CFU 5 times during April with Apple Pay to get 1,000 bonus UR, I was a little bummed that there would be a delay in getting this wrapped up by charging my daily latte from my work cafe to,the CFU via Apple Pay. Out of curiousity, I checked Apple Pay, and it had the new last 4 for the CFU. So did Chase Pay when I checked that. So I just tried my latte purchase with Apple Pay using the CFU, and it went through!! I don’t even know the full 16-digit number for the replacement card yet, lol. And I can’t remember if you need to activate a replacement card, so I really wasn’t sure if the charge would go through. Good to know there is the ability to use Apple and Chase Pay immediately with a replacement card even before receiving the physical card or knowing the full card number.

 

[Lain]

haha, im also worrying about my bonus with SPG as well. i made my first 5k leap for the bonus and i still havent received it yet. if i get disqualify, this could mean bad news for Plastiq users... :\ 1/3 of the $5k spendings were met with plastiq.

but if the rep said u made it, im sure ur okay. I think my 2nd portion of the SPG biz bonus came in a week later for me.

Is this the 25k SPG/$6k, 10k SPG/$4k offer from October? The first 25k SPG are supposed to post after hitting $6k, not $5k. Anyway, I mixed in several months of Plastiq payments on mine and I'm sure they counted.

 

[kmc8826]

All transactions posted for my SPG on April 2nd and I hit the 7k in minimum spend. My points haven’t posted yet, but the statement doesn’t close until the 18th. An Amex chat agent confirmed I met the spend and said it could take 6-8 weeks. I thought with my delta card it was instant. I also have the points for the spend, but not the bonus yet. Should I be worried yet? This was pretty much all MS at 711, Giant, and memory bank.

I really hope they post for you! It makes me nervous that they gave you the 6-8 week language. That was my experience exactly with DH's Delta Platinum Amex. I asked. They said I had met the spend and to wait 6-8 weeks and it never posted. Even now I am in a fight with them to get the referral bonus. It was only when I went to twitter that the bonus posted. At that point it was about 10 weeks. With my Delta Amex (same card where he referred me) the bonus miles were there even before the charge that put me over the minimum spend had posted.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

@WDWRook - I should've also mentioned Hilton. There are a number of Hilton cards so you can earn big points there as well. The running joke with Hilton though is the points aren't worth anything...and there is some truth to that joke.

 

[Albort]

Is this the 25k SPG/$6k, 10k SPG/$4k offer from October? I mixed in several months of Plastiq payments on mine and I'm sure they counted.

October. $6k for 25k, $4k for 10k. met that with 80% Plastiq.

Current is $5k for 5k points. Ive met that a 2 weeks ago, no point post. will wait for statement closing to hopefully get that bonus. 65% met with Plastiq.

Edit: also... Welcome to Chase Innovation Community...
edit2: i get the feeling its gonna ask me a lot about the Marriott line...

 

[WDWRook]

To start with, we need a room near Cape Canaveral for a Disney Cruise (and hopefully annually if the Wife enjoys the trip). I'll dig around otherwise.

I also need to get the CIP. Wife has one so I can get a refer a friend bonus. I assume the 100k in branch offer cannot be piggy backed with the refer a friend?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

To start with, we need a room near Cape Canaveral for a Disney Cruise (and hopefully annually if the Wife enjoys the trip). I'll dig around otherwise.

I also need to get the CIP. Wife has one so I can get a refer a friend bonus. I assume the 100k in branch offer cannot be piggy backed with the refer a friend?

correct - can't refer AND do in branch. Therefore refer is probably easier since you don't have to talk to a person, lol!

EDIT: I stand corrected, perhaps a match to 100k is possible through sending an SM

 

[Lain]

October. $6k for 25k, $4k for 10k. met that with 80% Plastiq.

Current is $5k for 5k points. Ive met that a 2 weeks ago, no point post. will wait for statement closing to hopefully get that bonus. 65% met with Plastiq.

Edit: also... Welcome to Chase Innovation Community...

Ah, spending bonus? I think those post with the statement. [Edit - Actually, I don't think that's right. My last spending bonus on the PRG posted anywhere from days to 2 weeks after hitting the spending threshold.]

What Chase product were you invited to survey?

 

[wendow]

I am also sick of paying for groceries and getting 1%, so advice there would be good.

Also, primer on Plastiq? I realize I am paying mortgage, association dues, etc straight from my bank account. It's time to step up my game.

For groceries, as @platamama posted, you cannot be the Amex BCP. You earn 6% back, up to 6k of grocery spend. There is a $95 AF but when I solely use the card for groceries, I earn that back in 3-4 mos. I'm at a point, I'm not using the card as much right now due to trying to meet high MSR's and needing to put all my spend, including groceries, on my new card. However, when I'm not in that mode, the BCP is my 'go to' for grocery spending. It also earns 3% back at gas stations. There are $250 back on $1000 spend links on the DISchurners group.

Unless you have the CIP, which I didn't see in your 'wallet' or you are trying to meet a high MSR, plastiq just doesn't make sense. The fee is 2.5%. The reason so many of us use it is we have the CIP and all payments are coding 3x through plastiq so we are making money on the deal. I also am using plastiq for payments that are costing me money because I cannot meet the MSR on my new card without those payments, and the places I am paying do not accept credit cards.

 

[miztressuz]

One cool thing in all this is that the new # for our CFU showed up in my online Chase account almost immediately after getting off the phone with Chase. Because I have the offer to use the CFU 5 times during April with Apple Pay to get 1,000 bonus UR, I was a little bummed that there would be a delay in getting this wrapped up by charging my daily latte from my work cafe to,the CFU via Apple Pay. Out of curiousity, I checked Apple Pay, and it had the new last 4 for the CFU. So did Chase Pay when I checked that. So I just tried my latte purchase with Apple Pay using the CFU, and it went through!! I don’t even know the full 16-digit number for the replacement card yet, lol. And I can’t remember if you need to activate a replacement card, so I really wasn’t sure if the charge would go through. Good to know there is the ability to use Apple and Chase Pay immediately with a replacement card even before receiving the physical card or knowing the full card number.

Yep little freaky isn't it? I found out the last 4 of my replacement Freedom from Google Pay before the Chase site had it up!

 

[Judique]

So which hotel card is currently considered the best? I have only UR cards currently, we don't stay in hotels a ton (besides Disney), but I'm hoping to change that a bit and to start taking more mini vacations. SPG? Marriott? Radisson? Hyatt?

You might first want to figure out where your mini vacations will take you and then check for hotels in that area.

For instance, I go to Ocean City, Md in summer for a couple of weekends. An SPG would do me no good!
No Sheratons or Westins for many miles!

Some cards work better than others just because of location, even if the program is better with other cards.

 

[Lain]

I think you'd really benefit ramping up your UR balance by product changing one of your other Chase cards (Amazon? Disney?) to either Chase Freedom (5% rotating categories [and Q2 is GROCERIES]) or Chase Freedom Unlimited (1.5% everywhere). Since you're over 5/24, that would be your only way of getting one of those cards until you have other cards fall off your rolling 24 months.

Unfortunately, @Eeyore2142 can't product change a co-branded Chase card like Amazon or Disney to a Chase product like Freedom or Freedom Unlimited.

 

[Albort]

What Chase product were you invited to survey?

Marriott Premier. its got that Marriott Symbol on top...

 

[Lain]

Marriott Premier. its got that Marriott Symbol on top...

I love it! They've gotta be testing feedback for their upcoming Marriott cards.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Marriott Premier. its got that Marriott Symbol on top...

I love it! They've gotta be testing feedback for their upcoming Marriott cards.

Ok you know the drill...LARGE signup bonuses...AF waived year 1...Free Night annual bonus...GO!