I love credit cards so much!

[amalone1013]

Why is SW not giving me the option to refund my taxes/fees on a points book? It's just telling me they'll be held for future use

 

[1st*toright]

How does this work? Does just the organizer get status or everyone that attends? Could we set up a big group and all chip in? Even if we get 10 interested I’d be willing to pay $50 for status.

I think the orgizer gets the 10 elite nights. I was reading up on it last night. If I can find a room for $50 I think I might do it. Easier than trying to squeeze in the last 5 nights I need to earn platinum.

Yep- the 10 elite nights can't be split among different accounts, it all goes to the organizer. I've had 2 meetings this year that I was able to be the organizer for (for work). Both times I had to poke the hotel several times before I actually got the nights credited. The person who posted about it on Reddit clearly lucked out and had a cooperative hotel. In my experience, booking several individual meetings over a few days would generally be considered one "event" and would only get 10 nights.

 

[elgerber]

Saw this AMEX offer, nice if you have one!

Spend $5 or more, get $5 back. Up to 3x
QuikTrip Stores
https://www.quiktrip.com/Locations

LOL, I got excited then noticed the Q, ours is KwikTrip.

 

[Judique]

I was referred here by @kmc8826 since I am looking at a direct DVC purchase from Disney in the (hopefully near) future. I am on a waitlist for a sold out resort and wanted to start my game plan to maximize savings.

I have not opened a new card since January of 2016 (sadly it was a Disney Visa) and do not have a business of any kind. I fly roundtrip about 4x per year for personal trips. I do travel one in a while for work, but I have to use my corporate Amex.

I have been reading the past few pages for days and it seems like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and American Express Platinum cards are some of the best options. I have two Citi Cards so the Prestige was an option in my mind, but it does not seem to have as many benefits as the other cards.

Any insight into which card may be better or if I missed one? Thanks!

On the waitlist for DVC: Having the Disney Visa may be a good thing. You could put your down payment on it and get no interest for a while, I believe. Which resort are you waitlisted for?

I've been DVC since 2000.

 

[miztressuz]

Quoting myself since this was already approximately 1,000 pages ago from Monday evening.

I got approved for the CIP!


Now, to get it expedited? And I remember reading that you need to set up a new log in for your business card? Any good cheat sheets?

Thanks everyone!

Woohoo



Chase seems to be having a glitch where your phone number and email isn't connected to your account, even though it's on the application. So if you don't have a biz login already, you'll have to call in during the process for a security code to create it. If I recall correctly that means you can't create it without the CC.

 

[jhoannam]

Have your elite nights credited yet?

Yes, they were credited yesterday. applied Friday.

 

[MrsAlexis]

If you're leaning toward the DoubleTree then go for it...use CSR and get 3X UR (is his work reimbursing him/you?) and status AND UR are so very flexible. Win...win...

AFAIK co-branded cards take longer for Amex (I won't say how many I have...) so expediting is probably not possible.

Sounds like you have lots of fun decisions to make

Do you have an estimated timeline on when co-branded AMEX would arrive? I am thisclose to going forward with AMEX Hilton (not biz) for DH to use for our upcoming road trip. I would need it by next week though before we leave. Is this possible?

 

[1st*toright]

Why is SW not giving me the option to refund my taxes/fees on a points book? It's just telling me they'll be held for future use

Yeah, pretty sure that goes into your "travel bank" and you can use it next time you book. Make sure you note the confirmation number its associated with - you will need that and the name of the traveler (has to be the same traveler name) and you will be able to apply the funds to a future reservation (within a year, I think). Not the easiest system, but at least you can cancel and rebook.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Reports on a DoC the multi-tab trick isn’t working and for those who get it to work the offer then disappears on all cards but the first card for SSN. Make sure you put the offer on the card you most want it on FIRST just in case these are true. I haven’t had time to add myself yet, just throwing out a heads up.

 

[hsmamato2]

I have a PP question regarding the restaurant credit.... if I get $28 credit with my PP,and I have two family members with me, will I automatically get $28x3 credit off the bill? Or do I need to do something special for the three of us?

 

[spacerangerqueen]

Two (maybe not so) quick thoughts:

1. Plastiq charges a lower 2.5% fee to use a credit card to pay bills, and they'll send out the checks on your behalf. HOA associations should be fine if you're using an Amex or Visa, because they are in the nature of a membership due (you'd select the "Clubs" category) rather than a real estate-related debt. If your payment is set up for next month, you probably have time to cancel your tentative payment and set up a payment through Plastiq (allow 7-10 business days in advance for time to process and deliver the checks).

2. Value. If you had a CIP, Plastiq would be an easy call because you'd earn 3x UR back on the payment and the 2.5% fee, which actually makes you more money back than what you paid in fees.

Keep in mind that effective today, 8/1/18, the SPG cards no longer earn Starpoints (which will be converted to 3 Marriott points later this month); the SPG cards now earn only 2x Marriott points per $1 in everyday spend. So the value of putting spend on the SPG cards has been effectively devalued.

I don't think it's worth putting your HOA fees on the Disney, CIC, CSP, or JetBlue cards. For example, the CIC or CSP will earn you 1x UR for everyday spend (which I value more than JetBlue or Disney Rewards), assuming you get back 313 UR, that's worth $3.13 in cash, or $3.91 (1.25x multiplier) when redeemed for travel on the CSP, against a $9 fee.

Whether you should put the HOA fees on the Hilton Biz kind of depends on whether you can meet the MSR on that card without the HOA fees (and incurring a 2.5-2.9% fee). The value of the big welcome bonus would help offset the credit card fees, but if you can hit the MSR with spend that doesn't incur any fees, you're probably getting better value. It would just kill me that ~$300 of spend is going out in cash and earning no rewards, but it also doesn't make sense to pay good money to earn less back in rewards.

Thanks for the great analysis!
I had been looking at my accounts and realized that this and the water bill are the only things I don't have on cards. Well, and the mortgage.
I can definitely meet the MSR on my Hilton Biz without this. While it is definitely a bummer to not get points on about $300 of spend each month I think I will leave it as an ACH until I get a CIP. Just add this as one more reason to get one!

 

[Judique]

Nice! This is good news for me, and I'm glad the better offers came out 8/1 rather than waiting to roll out with the Lux. This means I can just keep with the SPG line and I don't need to cross over into Marriott. The SPG personal is the same offer as the Marriott PP but first year AF is waived so a bit better right now. I'm not seeing an end date to the offer off the bat.

@Judique I hope you waited!

No. I didn't wait.

I applied and was approved last night!

This morning I went to the website and saw the new offers, which I obviously didn't expect before August 26th. I guess this is Amex's little time to gather a few extra card holders before they are blocked by the existing Marriott cards.

Anyway, I was momentarily unhappy. So, I got up and took a shower. Cooled off, so to speak, lol!!

But, in the long run, I really don't care that much as I'm turning into the free night certificate queen! The extra points are momentary and could be blown on one or two redemptions, but my free (deeply discounted) nights will keep coming for years. I will have 4 Starriott nights per year at a cost of $378. That's a bargain as the rooms are usually in the $300 range for 1 night.

And, I will now have 45ish nights towards platinum status. I'm going to go around the corner and see if I can book a meeting...…..

 

[amalone1013]

Yeah, pretty sure that goes into your "travel bank" and you can use it next time you book. Make sure you note the confirmation number its associated with - you will need that and the name of the traveler (has to be the same traveler name) and you will be able to apply the funds to a future reservation (within a year, I think). Not the easiest system, but at least you can cancel and rebook.

Normally I get a drop down to choose either refund or hold for future use, but it's not giving me that option this time.

I have a PP question regarding the restaurant credit.... if I get $28 credit with my PP,and I have two family members with me, will I automatically get $28x3 credit off the bill? Or do I need to do something special for the three of us?

It will be $28x3

 

[1st*toright]

Normally I get a drop down to choose either refund or hold for future use, but it's not giving me that option this time.

Huh. I've never seen that option - maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention! Now I'm grumpy too - could have not had to deal with travel bank silliness a few times.

 

[SBWB48]

Normally I get a drop down to choose either refund or hold for future use, but it's not giving me that option this time.


It will be $28x3

Did you do a change/rebook (vs cancel/rebook) and thus, made the flight non-refundable? That would be the only reason I can think of that converted the dropdown with a refund option to strictly travel funds?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Marriott – what are you playing at with all these new restrictions and moving dates on mergers, credit cards and offers?!

Tagging @Judique, @jhoannam, @miztressuz, @wendow, @kidsfirsttrip, @disneymagicgirl, @elgerber, @DisneyMandC, and everyone else I may be forgetting who’s been looking at their Starriott options lately.

American Express Personal SPG Card: 75,000 Point Bonus (Marriott Points) - DoC

American Express Business SPG Card: 100,000 Point Bonus (Marriott Points) - DoC

The SPG Luxury card was (maybe still is) supposed to come out 8/1/18, too; but there’s nothing yet, and some bloggers like DoC think the SPG Lux may release after the merger date of 8/18, maybe 8/26 when the new rules go into effect. (The Marriott Biz is also set to become the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Business on 8/26 too.) So there was some thought that the SPG Personal and Biz cards may not see points offers until 8/26 either.

(I’m sorry @ jhoannam, I know DH just applied. But I don’t see the 5 elite nights credit on this offer.)

I think if you’re considering applying for any of the Starriott cards before 8/26, you need to consider whether you’ll be disqualified from that card after 8/26 based on the cards you have, signed up for, or bonuses you’ve received, and whether applying for a new card now will lock you out of any other card after 8/26:

New Restrictions Coming for Marriott and Starwood Credit Card Bonus Approval - VFTW

It looks like having or getting any of the SPG cards could limit what Marriott cards you can get, and vice versa, after 8/26.

Crap. Gonna have to read in detail later. Traveling today. Might have to pick up Biz card for DH but also working on CitiBiz and have until 8/31 to upgrade Hilton card for 75 k point. Yikes, might have to learn to MS

 

[miztressuz]

No. I didn't wait.

I applied and was approved last night!

This morning I went to the website and saw the new offers, which I obviously didn't expect before August 26th. I guess this is Amex's little time to gather a few extra card holders before they are blocked by the existing Marriott cards.

Anyway, I was momentarily unhappy. So, I got up and took a shower. Cooled off, so to speak, lol!!

But, in the long run, I really don't care that much as I'm turning into the free night certificate queen! The extra points are momentary and could be blown on one or two redemptions, but my free (deeply discounted) nights will keep coming for years. I will have 4 Starriott nights per year at a cost of $378. That's a bargain as the rooms are usually in the $300 range for 1 night.

And, I will now have 45ish nights towards platinum status. I'm going to go around the corner and see if I can book a meeting...…..

LOL, the meeting is definitely better than spend for the rest of the nights

$200 in statement credits aren't bad in exchange for the nights. All about perspective.

 

[marsh0013]

Normally I get a drop down to choose either refund or hold for future use, but it's not giving me that option this time.


It will be $28x3

I think southwest changed it in the past year or so. You used to be able to get the $5.60 refunded but now the only option is hold for future use.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Why is SW not giving me the option to refund my taxes/fees on a points book? It's just telling me they'll be held for future use

That option has always been there for me...the option was not there once when I made a change to the reservation when the points when down...lession learned...if the points go down I cancel the reservation and rebook.

 

[Judique]

Option B. If I can time it right, since I'd be getting a SPG instead of Marriott, and I'm having a hard time finding an end date for the SPG offer, I could wait on that card, cancel my SW card now, pick it up again in a few months for the sign up bonus and then hit AmEx for the SPG after. This puts me at 6/24 and I'm out until after 11/19.

The 100K biz spg offer ends 10/31.