I love credit cards so much!

[vanjust14]

I'm with you. It's freaking me out a little to have 3 MSR's at the same time but I'm still putting category stuff on other cards because I just can't not do it But I only opened the cards because I knew I was spending money outside of our normal purchases to meet the bonuses. I'm not in danger of not making it, but it'll be 8 weeks to complete the SPG Biz and I originally figured on 4. If I was just using normal expenses I would probably need the full 3 months because I'd be still throwing stuff on better earning cards as I go.
When we first started discussing playing the bonus game, the other half went all wow 4k in 3 months? that's a lot! And I'm like wow, you need to pay the bills for a while

Hahaha, DH is the same way. He has no clue since I do all the finances. I didn't even tell him the dollar amount of the MSR. He would probably faint!

 

[Calfan]

Is there any requirement about depositing a certain amount of money at opening or within 10 business days or maintaining a certain amount of money in the account in order to get the bonus? If so you need to deposit funds that are new to Chase, in other words money from a different bank (which could totally be gotten by transferring from your savings to your other bank and then transferring that money to your new Chase account).

Btw, easiest way to close the savings is to transfer all the money out after a statement closes and then send an SM asking them to close the account. (And then come back in a few months when you qualify for the Savings bonus!!!) And you've chosen well, Chase has some of the easiest bonuses out there *gets messier with their biz bonuses, still totally attainable but definitely more finky than personal bonuses, alas we'll let you learn to swim first before we push you into the deep end

ETA: Wow, you opened that account fast! Pretty sure there were only a few posts from am going to open to BAM! opened! Cool, sounds like savings was shut down super easy for you in branch, welcome to the bank bonus side! (once you're in, you never leave, it's basically the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror but with free cash )

The only requirement for the bonus is to have a direct deposit of any amount made to the account within 60 days of opening, and I’ve got that set up. I’ll likely miss on next week’s payroll due to timing of adding the direct deposit for the new account, but the one after that will trigger the bonus. I will need to keep at least $1,500 in the account to avoid a monthly fee, but I essentially just swapped our savings account for the checking account. I want to have a small account here in Idaho as a “just in case.” It would definitely be amusing if I get a Chase offer for a savings account now, lol.

 

[calypso726]

YAY!! I feel like I am officially on my way to some free travel! DH has over 90K UR on his first CIP statement. We hit the MSR easily by paying bills and using Plastiq for the ones that I couldn’t charge directly. And I just got my new SPG Biz in the mail and put it to use immediately on a few bills LOL.

Now, the question is - should I pay my cable and phone bills using my new SPG, or continue to use the CIP (for the 3x points). I will have enough expenses to hit the SPG MSR either way within the 3 month period.

If I know I will be able to easily make the spend then only non category spending goes towards MSR. If I know it may be a challenge to meet the spend, then all spending goes on the card. This literally changes from card to card depending on the circumstances. For example, when I was trying to make $30,000 spend on the BA card to hit the 100,000 miles/avios MSR bonus and the companion ticket last year, I happened to be using the card to re-do the bathroom and kitchen when our insurance company paid out on a leak that damaged both. That was easy and I didn’t need to use it and sacrifice bonus category earning from my other cards. There are times when making a $3,000 MSR will be a struggle so all spending goes towards that MSR. If I were in your shoes, I’d be using the CIP for the extra points bonus.

 

[Calfan]

I have such a hard time giving up the better points bonus for MSR....like it pains me to do it, lol. I'm currently working on $7,000 MSR for the SPG biz and I still pay my cable, internet, and cell phone with my CIP. It really killed me to pay my mortgage with Plastiq and incur the fee without getting 3x, but I knew I wouldn't make MSR without doing it. I'm really hoping I will only have to do that once!

I’m just the same. I give up bonus spend for MSR only as a last resort. I’m greedy: I want my bonus spend and MSR too!! Luckily I didn’t need to sacrifice any bonus category spend for either SPG biz or CIP MSRs.

 

[Albort]

wow, 7/1...
even more wow, 32/12...

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

wow, 7/1...
even more wow, 32/12...

That's pretty prolific. At my highest point I was 24/12 personally. If you combined my wife and my cards from Nov 17, 2015 through Nov 16, 2016 we got 32 cards in a 12 month period. Even crazier there is only 1 business card in that 32...Up until Aug 2016 we had never done business cards.

It was absolutely nuts though, At times we were balancing 4 and 5 min. spends. Not really a big deal for me to track with my love of spreadsheets, but it really started to be more work than fun at times.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

That's pretty prolific. At my highest point I was 24/12 personally. If you combined my wife and my cards from Nov 17, 2015 through Nov 16, 2016 we got 32 cards in a 12 month period. Even crazier there is only 1 business card in that 32...Up until Aug 2016 we had never done business cards.

It was absolutely nuts though, At times we were balancing 4 and 5 min. spends. Not really a big deal for me to track with my love of spreadsheets, but it really started to be more work than fun at times.

Wow and looking at the spreadsheet, during those same 12 months we opened 30 bank accounts. No wonder it felt like a job, LOL!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

My 4th grades was accepted in the exchange program next fall (she’ll be a 5th grader), all these points and I’m going to have to pay cash to fly her to/from Spain, won’t even earn miles

omgosh my boys won't even go to sleep away camp 15 mins down the road. You have one very independent young lady! Congrats!

I thought the same! My kid won’t stay at grandma’s.

I started doing overnight camp in 4th grade and loved it. I went to 8 weeks in the summers for several years. I probably would have loved an exchange program! I think it really depends on the kid.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Wow and looking at the spreadsheet, during those same 12 months we opened 30 bank accounts. No wonder it felt like a job, LOL!

We are balancing 4 cards and 3 bank bonuses right now with the plan to open another 1-2 cards and do another 1-2 bank bonuses in the next month. And that feels pretty insane to me.

 

[wendow]

I started doing overnight camp in 4th grade and loved it. I went to 8 weeks in the summers for several years. I probably would have loved an exchange program! I think it really depends on the kid.

Same! I went away from home for most of the summer starting really early. Took my very first airplane ride all by myself at 7yo. SWA I was very independent. I was always so puzzled by the kids at camp who cried for their parents lol. Now I have four kids who would all cry if they were going away from me for very long!

 

[chattadisser]

I don't post often but just a data point for everyone...I called yesterday to cancel my SPG personal as the AF just posted. I had planned on cancelling before all of the merger info had come out since I don't really use the card often and I also have the Marriott. I explained that I don't use it often blah, blah, blah and asked if there were any retention offer and the rep explained that since I had gotten a retention offer last year, there were none available to me. She tried to hedge and say something might come up next month in terms of a retention offer. I said no thanks and closed the card. I did get a 10K retention offer the previous year and my plan is to possibly get the new personal card that may come out of the merger. Time will tell, either way, I didn't use the card much and the Am Ex offers haven't been that great lately.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I am planning to apply for the CIC in the next month, before the promo ends. I got the CIP a little less than two months ago. I have no plans to keep the CIP long term, since I have a CSR and the only other bonus I would use on the CIP is the internet/phone/cable, which is also on the CIC. So I plan to get rid of the card when the annual fee hits next year. What would be the options? If I cancelled, that could free up a spot for a different Chase business card. Since I would (hopefully) also have CIC, I don't see much point in downgrading to another CIC. I doubt we would use more than the $25k in bonus categories. Any thoughts?

 

[StephPlum]

For everyone getting a CIC when you already have the CIP: are you applying with a different business or "business"? I would need to apply with SSN as sole owner. I just got the CIP in February. I was planning to downgrade to CIC in a year but if I can get the 50k bonus that seems like a great deal. I am just worried I'll be denied for two business cards. Ugh just remembered that darn IHG card. I need to check the date to make sure it will be 30 days ago.

 

[speedyfishy]

For everyone getting a CIC when you already have the CIP: are you applying with a different business or "business"? I would need to apply with SSN as sole owner. I just got the CIP in February. I was planning to downgrade to CIC in a year but if I can get the 50k bonus that seems like a great deal. I am just worried I'll be denied for two business cards. Ugh just remembered that darn IHG card. I need to check the date to make sure it will be 30 days ago.

SO got both the CIP and the CIC a little more than 30 days apart. SO has a “business.” We used the same “business” for both applications. We don’t have an EIN either so we used his SSN.

 

[hsmamato2]

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ymmv...redit-no-lifetime-language-personal-business/
Delta Gold Personal, ymmv, no lifetime language & looks to be just a $1K spend requirement!

how is delta for redeeming points? I;ve never flown them but this sounds so easy to get

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

SO got both the CIP and the CIC a little more than 30 days apart. SO has a “business.” We used the same “business” for both applications. We don’t have an EIN either so we used his SSN.

That’s great! How recent was that? What was his 5/24 count before applying?

 

[speedyfishy]

That’s great! How recent was that? What was his 5/24 count before applying?

CIP application was end of February took him until approximately March 18th to get approved. We had to send papers to verify our new address. CIC application was Thursday and he got approved yesterday.

He is at 2/24. He got a Freedom Unlimited about a year ago and the Marriott card in December. He also got the SPG Biz after the CIP approval.

 

[hsmamato2]

when booking airfare thru UR portal- I see it's non refundable. (arg) I can't get a clear picture of the points cost though- if I'm searching round trip, it looks like a certain # of points (like 20k) each way, but then at end when checking out it shows that amount (20k) for the purchase,does that mean it's the amount for r/t ,or each way is that amount? I'm confused by the page.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

CIP application was end of February took him until approximately March 18th to get approved. We had to send papers to verify our new address. CIC application was Thursday and he got approved yesterday.

He is at 2/24. He got a Freedom Unlimited about a year ago and the Marriott card in December. He also got the SPG Biz after the CIP approval.

Thanks so much. I am hoping there’s more clarity on whether the 50k CIC is going away 5/20. I don’t want to do a CIP/CIC back to back that close, but it’s good to know it’s possible

 

[GlamMistress]

That's pretty prolific. At my highest point I was 24/12 personally. If you combined my wife and my cards from Nov 17, 2015 through Nov 16, 2016 we got 32 cards in a 12 month period. Even crazier there is only 1 business card in that 32...Up until Aug 2016 we had never done business cards.

It was absolutely nuts though, At times we were balancing 4 and 5 min. spends. Not really a big deal for me to track with my love of spreadsheets, but it really started to be more work than fun at times.

I did 4 spends at once - one time and I vowed never again. That stressed me out. I'm pretty sure I lost of year of life over those 3 or so months.