I love credit cards so much!

[Lain]

As my love for Chase continues to dwindle with the likely death of the DD, my love for Amex continues to grow...the $300 credit from the LUX just posted following my purchase of a $300 giftcard at a local Courtyard. So that's $360 back for $300 in future spend; granted I lump the $300 as money gone from the AF, but the $60 is kind of nice

Oh, I wish I could have done this to take advantage of the $60 credit on $300 Marriott spend or even the $100 credit on $500 Ritz spend, but my SPG Lux did not get targeted for either offer. In other bad news, I’ve been waiting on a Saks Amex Offer to stack with my MB Plat’s $50 Saks credit, and there’s one out there but my MB Plat was not targeted. It’s like Amex knows!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Welp, that sucks about the Chase Sapphire DD being dead.... I'm a newbie on the churning journey, and am about halfway done with my MSR on the CIP (opened less than a month).

I was planning to do the DD 11/18, should I just do the CSR, and refer P2 to CIP 2/18?

For reference, I'm at 1/24 with the CIP, P2 is still at 0/24.

Also - my Chase CIP account doesn't have a statement close date yet (says it is "undefined")... there's a due date listed though... is that normal?

As far as the statement...the CSR I opened 8/16 has the same info...a due date but no statement closing date

As far as the applications...I’ve been staggering applications with my husband...I opened the CIP in May...saw the spend would be met the end of June..referred my husband 6/15...so we’d have the card in hand when the spend was met on mine.

 

[FloridaNative8]

CIP date is normal since you haven't had a statement yet.

I'd weigh the CSR vs. the CSP and figure out which one is better for you. In most cases the CSR is the better card. And I'd continue on the plan just without the double dip. After the 2nd CIP maybe consider looking at CIC and CIU next

You could refer to a CSR for Player 2 quickly...but I'd try to wait that out a year. No sense in having two CSRs now. Refer player 2 in month 11 of yours and that's even better!

Thank you! I like what the CSR has to offer, I could use the Pre-Check credit for my P2/DH, and use his for one of the kiddos down the road. At the point of getting the CSR in month 11, would I PC my CSR? I'm obviously a planner and like to keep my spreadsheet updated for the next few years

Edited because proofreading is fundamental!

 

[FloridaNative8]

As far as the statement...the CSR I opened 8/16 has the same info...a due date but no statement closing date

As far as the applications...I’ve been staggering applications with my husband...I opened the CIP in May...saw the spend would be met the end of June..referred my husband 6/15...so we’d have the card in hand when the spend was met on mine.

That's likely what we'll do also... my DH is a bit jealous that I have a shiny new card (and he's an "employee" ) - he's itching to get started.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Thank you! I like what the CSR has to offer, I could use the Pre-Check credit for my P2/DH, and use his for one of the kiddos down the road. At the point of getting the CSR in month 11, would I PC my CSR? I'm obviously a planner and like to keep my spreadsheet updated for the next few years

Edited because proofreading is fundamental!

Yep - in that plan you’d PC yours to a Freedom after double dipping your travel credit!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

That's likely what we'll do also... my DH is a bit jealous that I have a shiny new card (and he's an "employee" ) - he's itching to get started.

Lol...my husband wasn’t too happy about being an “employee”either.....then 2 months later I was...He’s actually jealous of the CSR card since it’s metal....I had to get a “replacement” card for him...

 

[Judique]

As my love for Chase continues to dwindle with the likely death of the DD, my love for Amex continues to grow...the $300 credit from the LUX just posted following my purchase of a $300 giftcard at a local Courtyard. So that's $360 back for $300 in future spend; granted I lump the $300 as money gone from the AF, but the $60 is kind of nice

Just an FYI, my $450 annual fee posted yesterday. Since I'm trying to make it to $5K it didn't make a whole lot of impact on me. Just wish they would give me some more usable offers on this card. I got the $60 and $10 off $50 for Gap. So that is $70 off the $150 - now my 'free' room is at $80 and possibly falling if better offers come along. Does anyone else rationalize away their annual fees?

 

[GlamMistress]

Plus AMEX has once per lifetime rules which are way worse than Chase's 24 month

All that said, it's a very strange churning world we operate in now. I think I'm ready to embrace SLOW churner mode.

I will say that I successfully churned the Delta Gold 60,000 mile offer in under two years BUT I used a targeted mailer. I realize that is very YMMV but I suspect there is more leeway at Amex for cobrands than their own MR earning cards.

I think we should talk more about SLOW Churning. I actually just have the exact opposite thought. We're no longer in a marathon - we're in a full out sprint and we need to run as a fast as possible as far as bonuses are concerned.

Tell me how you would work the slow angle. I'm definitely intrigued!

 

[Albort]

I will say that I successfully churned the Delta Gold 60,000 mile offer in under two years BUT I used a targeted mailer. I realize that is very YMMV but I suspect there is more leeway at Amex for cobrands than their own MR earning cards.

I think we should talk more about SLOW Churning. I actually just have the exact opposite thought. We're no longer in a marathon - we're in a full out sprint and we need to run as a fast as possible as far as bonuses are concerned.

Tell me how you would work the slow angle. I'm definitely intrigued!

i consider myself a slow churning, ive only hit 3 cards last year, making earning and MS my top priority.
This year however, ive up to 3 cards +1 upgrade, im hoping for 1 one card towards the end of the year... i still may have started being more churner than slow churner this year, but MS is still at its full for me.

 

[GlamMistress]

i consider myself a slow churning, ive only hit 3 cards last year, making earning and MS my top priority.
This year however, ive up to 3 cards +1 upgrade, im hoping for 1 one card towards the end of the year... i still may have started being more churner than slow churner this year, but MS is still at its full for me.

Yeah so let's talk about MS a little more. That's something I've been thinking about more and more, especially with our board here. Should we make a private thread on dis churners for that discussion? I think MS is going to become even more important going forward. Kind of like, pick a bank just go hard and if you get shutdown by them, oh well, move on.

I must be way different than so many on this board. I feel like I burn through points SO FAST. I am getting a new card (and DH too) probably every 3 months, although we've slowed way down this year just because of fatigue on my end. I'm always marveling how everything is making their UR last. Maybe I just book too many trips (I do) and I don't want pay for anything if I can avoid it (I'm cheap). Maybe I've been doing this all wrong.

 

[Haley R]

I just went through something similar to this with SW. the only way the agent could correct a first or last name misspelling was to cancel my flight, refund my taxes and rebook the flight. (DH and I both had our 1st name misspelled despite booking online.) Then when the agent corrected DH’s, his middle initial was incorrect. For the middle initial, she could correct without having to rebook everything. The other option she gave me was to wait and have it corrected when I checked in since they can manually correct. Um, no. We had an early flight and I wasn’t going to trying to correct last minute. Hope you have better results!

It was fixed but I was not happy about sitting for an hour on the phone. They did the same for us: cancelled just dh’s ticket, refunded the taxes, and booked him a new one with us paying his taxes again.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I will say that I successfully churned the Delta Gold 60,000 mile offer in under two years BUT I used a targeted mailer. I realize that is very YMMV but I suspect there is more leeway at Amex for cobrands than their own MR earning cards.

I think we should talk more about SLOW Churning. I actually just have the exact opposite thought. We're no longer in a marathon - we're in a full out sprint and we need to run as a fast as possible as far as bonuses are concerned.

Tell me how you would work the slow angle. I'm definitely intrigued!

I'll probably be sharing some thoughts on my SLOW churn strategy as I formulate it. I do forget my "churner privilege" though since I have large point balances which allows me to be less aggressive on the earning side than others...

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

My current dilemma...I have about $2,200 left on my CSR MSR... With all this scrutiny around double dips...should I just hit that MSR ASAP before I get a card closed, lol. I hope they won't go back a month and cancel cards of folks like that...but you never know.

 

[striker1064]

Yeah so let's talk about MS a little more. That's something I've been thinking about more and more, especially with our board here. Should we make a private thread on dis churners for that discussion? I think MS is going to become even more important going forward. Kind of like, pick a bank just go hard and if you get shutdown by them, oh well, move on.

I must be way different than so many on this board. I feel like I burn through points SO FAST. I am getting a new card (and DH too) probably every 3 months, although we've slowed way down this year just because of fatigue on my end. I'm always marveling how everything is making their UR last. Maybe I just book too many trips (I do) and I don't want pay for anything if I can avoid it (I'm cheap). Maybe I've been doing this all wrong.

If it makes you feel better, I churn like you churn. We hold very few points, instead using them almost as soon as we're able (partially also because of possible devals). I sign up for new cards every, I dunno, month?

 

[Tikitoi]

Not sure if this has been discussed but I saw that Discover now has a business card . Anyone have one or going to be applying for this card? Just wondering how are they with a "business"? Kind of easy going like Chase?

Got some unexpected hospital bills so not sure if I should go for this or a Sapphire.

 

[Albort]

Yeah so let's talk about MS a little more. That's something I've been thinking about more and more, especially with our board here. Should we make a private thread on dis churners for that discussion? I think MS is going to become even more important going forward. Kind of like, pick a bank just go hard and if you get shutdown by them, oh well, move on.

I must be way different than so many on this board. I feel like I burn through points SO FAST. I am getting a new card (and DH too) probably every 3 months, although we've slowed way down this year just because of fatigue on my end. I'm always marveling how everything is making their UR last. Maybe I just book too many trips (I do) and I don't want pay for anything if I can avoid it (I'm cheap). Maybe I've been doing this all wrong.

i think all my MS groups are in private, not public locations for various reasons...

 

[GlamMistress]

My current dilemma...I have about $2,200 left on my CSR MSR... With all this scrutiny around double dips...should I just hit that MSR ASAP before I get a card closed, lol. I hope they won't go back a month and cancel cards of folks like that...but you never know.

I would hit it as fast as possible, personally.

 

[mmmears]

I was definitely trying to do this slowly, and perhaps paid the price for it. I've been trying to think about our long term goals so I could map out a plan, but with everything changing so quickly maybe that isn't the way to play this?

Oh, I wish I could have done this to take advantage of the $60 credit on $300 Marriott spend or even the $100 credit on $500 Ritz spend, but my SPG Lux did not get targeted for either offer. In other bad news, I’ve been waiting on a Saks Amex Offer to stack with my MB Plat’s $50 Saks credit, and there’s one out there but my MB Plat was not targeted. It’s like Amex knows!

I feel your pain. I'm waiting to use that Saks credit too but don't have anything. And they seem to not know me at all, since I keep getting offers to travel to Vegas (hate it there) and so many wine offers (and I don't drink). Oh well.

 

[Lain]

I will say that I successfully churned the Delta Gold 60,000 mile offer in under two years BUT I used a targeted mailer. I realize that is very YMMV but I suspect there is more leeway at Amex for cobrands than their own MR earning cards.

I think we should talk more about SLOW Churning. I actually just have the exact opposite thought. We're no longer in a marathon - we're in a full out sprint and we need to run as a fast as possible as far as bonuses are concerned.

Tell me how you would work the slow angle. I'm definitely intrigued!

I’m inclined to agree.

Plastiq 3x kept me slow because I could count on a steady stream of 10k-15k UR every month from my CIP. That died. The addition of 48 month language on the Sapphire cards meant I won’t be able to PC my CSR in a few months and re-up with a Sapphire DD that would’ve netted me another 100k UR. Now the DD is dead. Chase is trying to improve their bottom line by reducing their rewards liability. These changes all make it harder to earn URs, and Chase also appears to be delaying the posting of bonuses, which makes spending URs harder too. So far, Chase is making cuts here and there; I dread the day they take an ax to the whole UR system and restrict card and household transfers.

Get what you need to get, or can still get from Chase, and move on.

 

[tink1970]

I feel your pain. I'm waiting to use that Saks credit too but don't have anything. And they seem to not know me at all, since I keep getting offers to travel to Vegas (hate it there) and so many wine offers (and I don't drink). Oh well.

Me, too! Fortunately Amex occasionally sends DH or DM something useful ($ off groceries, dept stores, etc) and since I keep all the AU cards, I can still try to get back a little of the AF.