I love credit cards so much!

[gottalovepluto]

Woah! I was just able to upgrade to extra legroom seats on AA milesaver tickets. I was not able to do that last year! *sigh* although now it will be harder to Disney math my way into adding that on-site day. Need another bank bonus...

 

[elgerber]

PNC appears to be only for certain states, have you found that to be true?

 

[calypso726]

PSA and DP: Both DH and I were offered a bonus of 10k points after one purchase for upgrading our personal Marriott to the Marriott Premier Plus. We both took the bonus offer and each of us has received the card. Yesterday, DH received a mailer stating he would get 20K Marriott points if he upgraded his card I had him SM Chase and ask to be matched to the better offer. I also figured my mailer must have been lost in the mail (it happens) so I sent an SM too. We both received word back that our accounts were eligible for the 20K offer and we would each receive 10k this statement and another 10k on the next one.

 

[speedyfishy]

PNC appears to be only for certain states, have you found that to be true?

You can open it from any state for the funding and there have been reports of people getting the bonus without being in a target state but it is YMMV.

 

[WVMomof3]

I just SM Chase on DH's account and asked if his Freedom could be upgraded to a CSR (was downgraded from this originally). Going to book a cruise with UR's and the AF will offset what we save plus get the $300 travel credit. They said he was eligible to do this but needs to call. He will be so happy to have to call....

So, then I will be transferring all the UR points to his account before booking the cruise. Can I call and
book or does he have to since the points will be linked to his account. He has no idea on anything that goes on with any of this...

I was not able to talk to Cruise dept at all when we used DH CSR. Was a pain in the rear because he had to call back twice while at work and didn’t know the answers to questions. He may be able to tell them you have permission to talk to them.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

Sunday begins Discover's restaurant 5%. Any ideas on how to max it out without business meals or family/friend group meals w reimbursement?

We don't normally eat out much because the girls have multiple food allergies and intolerances. Older dd will be moving out this summer (graduated last May; saved $$) and younger dd will be starting college in mid-August. I have dreams of eating out once a week after that lol

 

[WVMomof3]

Does anyone here know of any good deals on Kindle Fires? I know there were some not too long ago but I didn't pay attention (weren't needing one) but my dd15 left hers at the Hyatt House we stayed at in Carlsbad (along with unopened polaroid film, her journal, a pillow, her chargers and all her most precious Disney jewelry ). She cannot replace many of the items but was hoping to find a Fire for a good deal.

Oh no! I always double and triple check as the last one out of the room I’m so paranoid about leaving stuff. Did you call the hotel? I would think they would send everything to you. If not, I recall @Lain had some on his eBay store awhile back.

 

[afan]

Does anyone here know of any good deals on Kindle Fires? I know there were some not too long ago but I didn't pay attention (weren't needing one) but my dd15 left hers at the Hyatt House we stayed at in Carlsbad (along with unopened polaroid film, her journal, a pillow, her chargers and all her most precious Disney jewelry ). She cannot replace many of the items but was hoping to find a Fire for a good deal.

Prime Day is in a few weeks and they always put their stuff at low prices then if you can wait. Otherwise I'd keep checking in case they put them on sale early. Not sure you can do price protection to a Prime Day deal or not.

 

[miztressuz]

Sunday begins Discover's restaurant 5%. Any ideas on how to max it out without business meals or family/friend group meals w reimbursement?

We don't normally eat out much because the girls have multiple food allergies and intolerances. Older dd will be moving out this summer (graduated last May; saved $$) and younger dd will be starting college in mid-August. I have dreams of eating out once a week after that lol

If you find any, let me know. I've been researching that myself and haven't come up with anything ground breaking. The most prolific advise is to buy gift cards for future meals. We don't eat at a lot of chains regularly, our take out is mom and pop stuff that doesn't really do gift cards. So we're kind of resigned to not maxing this one out unless you all find something awesome

 

[wendow]

Oh no! I always double and triple check as the last one out of the room I’m so paranoid about leaving stuff. Did you call the hotel? I would think they would send everything to you. If not, I recall @Lain had some on his eBay store awhile back.

I usually do too but after telling us our rooms would be right next door (no connecting ones), at check-in, they gave us rooms down the hall from each other. The going back and forth and packing up for 6 people was a lot, and I think that is why these items got missed

I called the hotel within two hours, as soon as we realized, and they said nothing was found. Called back that night, and twice more since. Same answer...which is a bunch of hooey, cause there is no question that we left them there. I have asked twice for the manager to call me but she won't return my calls. Emailed her this morning. This was our first, and last, Hyatt House stay.

 

[wendow]

Prime Day is in a few weeks and they always put their stuff at low prices then if you can wait. Otherwise I'd keep checking in case they put them on sale early. Not sure you can do price protection to a Prime Day deal or not.

That's a good idea! She can wait.

 

[Lain]

Hm, what does that mean? I still haven't pulled the trigger, lol! I was about to go back and do it... I recently signed up as a Young Living (essential oils) distributer (MLM type business) so I feel comfortable saying I have my own business, but I am just getting started with it, so I was just going to be honest about the revenue and hope that I get approved. But I would be putting lots of non-business related charges to meet the MSR so this post makes me nervous!!

I’m not familiar with all of Budzooka’s particular credit history or banking relationships, but a google search of that reason for closure of an account results in everything from Chase mistaking ones identity to one of Chase’s affiliates (e.g. a bank or financial services company they acquired) having had terminated one of your accounts previously for risk or other unsatisfactory relationship. He’s planning to contact Chase to see what that’s all about.

Chase shutdowns tend to happen because they view you as a risk, whether because you very suddenly take your good credit and start applying for a ton of cards in a very, very short period of time (that’s why we advise you to space out new cards); you start adding AUs of unrelated persons to your cards so they can piggyback off your good credit; depositing lots of money orders into your account; you engage in behavior that abuses your credit lines, like buying A LOT of cash equivalents (think $10s of thousands in Visa gift cards/month) from office supply stores to maximize a category spending bonus and you cycle through your credit limit multiple times per statement cycle to do it (making it look like you’re spending multiples of your income/ability to pay your balance off). You don’t get shut down for mixing in some personal spend on a business credit card.

I’m not trying to push you to do something you’re not comfortable doing. There are risks, and we do our best to advise what they are and how to avoid them, but you have to decide what you’re comfortable with. Good luck!

 

[platamama]

Woah! I was just able to upgrade to extra legroom seats on AA milesaver tickets. I was not able to do that last year! *sigh* although now it will be harder to Disney math my way into adding that on-site day. Need another bank bonus...

Did you have to pay a little extra for those seats, or were they just available with milesaver tickets?

 

[georgina]

Excellent to know!! I had an awful time figuring out if that was even still a benefit with Alamo and we have a rental in FL we can really use a second driver in.

If you mean the free second driver for Insiders, I don't know about that, I get it free through Costco. I was just confirming you can check in online and add the 2nd driver.

 

[platamama]

Hm, what does that mean? I still haven't pulled the trigger, lol! I was about to go back and do it... I recently signed up as a Young Living (essential oils) distributer (MLM type business) so I feel comfortable saying I have my own business, but I am just getting started with it, so I was just going to be honest about the revenue and hope that I get approved. But I would be putting lots of non-business related charges to meet the MSR so this post makes me nervous!!

Lain gave you a great detailed reply, but I'll add in my 2cents from my CIP app from yesterday ( that I was approved for today, so that's a really recent DP) - I put in $500 as income figuring that surely I will be selling some of DD's old stuff as I'm decluttering this summer, and have almost no non-business related charges planned. I don't think many folks on here have a lot of business related charges. I've had an Ink Cash card for 9 years, and have only put non-business related charges on it for years...and when I got that one I had no actual business income, just an intent to have a business. All that said, you have to do what's comfortable for you. No one is coming after you for charging items on your CIP.

ETA: I have 4 personal and now 2 business Chase cards, so for me the concern is over how many more cards Chase will extend to me.

 

[vanjust14]

PNC appears to be only for certain states, have you found that to be true?

I live in a state that is normally excluded and I just received the bonus. Check out this post on DOC https://www.doctorofcredit.com/pnc-up-to-300-checking-bonus-no-state-restriction/

 

[vanjust14]

I usually do too but after telling us our rooms would be right next door (no connecting ones), at check-in, they gave us rooms down the hall from each other. The going back and forth and packing up for 6 people was a lot, and I think that is why these items got missed

I called the hotel within two hours, as soon as we realized, and they said nothing was found. Called back that night, and twice more since. Same answer...which is a bunch of hooey, cause there is no question that we left them there. I have asked twice for the manager to call me but she won't return my calls. Emailed her this morning. This was our first, and last, Hyatt House stay.

Wow, so sorry about DD's lost belongings. I can't believe they haven't even returned your call, that's unacceptable!

 

[Lain]

Does anyone here know of any good deals on Kindle Fires? I know there were some not too long ago but I didn't pay attention (weren't needing one) but my dd15 left hers at the Hyatt House we stayed at in Carlsbad (along with unopened polaroid film, her journal, a pillow, her chargers and all her most precious Disney jewelry ). She cannot replace many of the items but was hoping to find a Fire for a good deal.

You just missed some awesome deals just before Father’s Day!

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/targeted-amazon-fire-tablets-from-19-99-for-prime-members/

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amaz...count-amazon-discount-kindle-as-low-as-19-99/

Amazon is frequently discounting Kindles and Fires and if you stack it with targeted Amex MR offers (paying just $0.01 in MR = 1 MR point), then it’s a further discount. Prices are back up to MSRP right now, but they’ll go down again.

A few extra tips:

- Ebates pays 4% cash back on Amazon devices, including Kindles and Fires.

- If you’re targeted for Amex’s pay with MR discount, you have to select your qualifying Amex MR card, select pay with points, input only $0.01 = 1 point. Anything more is a terrible redemption value.

- For the Amex discount to apply, the remaining balance is supposed to go onto your Amex card. However, you can pay with an Amazon gift card balance under a very specific situation. Your Amazon gift card balance has to be less than the total order amount before the Amex pay with points discount is applied, then you should be able to apply your gift card balance to the remaining order amount even if that amount is later fully covered by gift cards after the Amex discount is applied.

- Amazon gift cards can be purchased at office supply stores for 5x UR on CIC, grocery stores this quarter for 5x UR on CF, and Walgreens next quarter for 5x UR on CF.

 

[Albort]

I’m not familiar with all of Budzooka’s particular credit history or banking relationships, but a google search of that reason for closure of an account results in everything from Chase mistaking ones identity to one of Chase’s affiliates (e.g. a bank or financial services company they acquired) having had terminated one of your accounts previously for risk or other unsatisfactory relationship. He’s planning to contact Chase to see what that’s all about.

Chase shutdowns tend to happen because they view you as a risk, whether because you very suddenly take your good credit and start applying for a ton of cards in a very, very short period of time (that’s why we advise you to space out new cards); you start adding AUs of unrelated persons to your cards so they can piggyback off your good credit; depositing lots of money orders into your account; you engage in behavior that abuses your credit lines, like buying A LOT of cash equivalents (think $10s of thousands in Visa gift cards/month) from office supply stores to maximize a category spending bonus and you cycle through your credit limit multiple times per statement cycle to do it (making it look like you’re spending multiples of your income/ability to pay your balance off). You don’t get shut down for mixing in some personal spend on a business credit card.

I’m not trying to push you to do something you’re not comfortable doing. There are risks, and we do our best to advise what they are and how to avoid them, but you have to decide what you’re comfortable with. Good luck!

Budzooka's shut down is a rather strange one simply because it was only the business card shut down vs a all out shut down. His personal cards are still okay. I honestly think this is just some freak action where he was caught by some kind of algorithm. I honestly am clueless on why though.

edit: @Angeliki19 If you were concerned about this shut down, dont. it sounds more like a bad rare bad fluke. out of the 1000s of datapoints out there, this is one of of kind. lets just put it at there.

 

[wendow]

You just missed some awesome deals just before Father’s Day!

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/targeted-amazon-fire-tablets-from-19-99-for-prime-members/

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amaz...count-amazon-discount-kindle-as-low-as-19-99/

Amazon is frequently discounting Kindles and Fires and if you stack it with targeted Amex MR offers (paying just $0.01 in MR = 1 MR point), then it’s a further discount. Prices are back up to MSRP right now, but they’ll go down again.

A few extra tips:

- Ebates pays 4% cash back on Amazon devices, including Kindles and Fires.

- If you’re targeted for Amex’s pay with MR discount, you have to select your qualifying Amex MR card, select pay with points, input only $0.01 = 1 point. Anything more is a terrible redemption value.

- For the Amex discount to apply, the remaining balance is supposed to go onto your Amex card. However, you can pay with an Amazon gift card balance under a very specific situation. Your Amazon gift card balance has to be less than the total order amount before the Amex pay with points discount is applied, then you should be able to apply your gift card balance to the remaining order amount even if that amount is later fully covered by gift cards after the Amex discount is applied.

- Amazon gift cards can be purchased at office supply stores for 5x UR on CIC, grocery stores this quarter for 5x UR on CF, and Walgreens next quarter for 5x UR on CF.

Thanks, Lain. If I used the Amex $30 off $60 a couple of months ago, can I get that again, or was that a one time deal?