I love credit cards so much!

[speedyfishy]

You are a brave soul with all of these gift cards. Is there no other option besides Walmart for getting a MO?

Unfortunately the grocery stores near me have been asking to see the card. I may have to drive out into the suburbs to find new locations.

 

[Lain]

Is the fee $5.95 for a Walgreens $500 card? If so . . .

$505.95 = 2,530 UR = $25.30 cash back or $37.95 at 1.5x for travel

Even without the Plastiq promo, you could use your $500 card to pay a bill worth $487.80.

In that scenario, your fees would be $18.15 ($12.20 Plastiq + $5.95 gift card fee).

You're coming out ahead, so you might as well go for it as long as you have enough Plastiq bills to pay (property taxes coming up?). You could use RMN for another $10 back at Walgreens.

True. But I’d be floating that money for at least 3 months, because I have the next 2-3 months worth of Plastiq payments earmarked for MSRs (with a few more new cards in mind), and we still have well over $1k in VGCs we’re trying to spend down, several hundred in Amazon GCs from RMN/Chase Pay/SB deals, and the potential to buy more GCs with the 10% off Lowe’s Amex Offer; CIC 5x UR at office supply stores anytime, or waiting for VGC/MCGC deals; PRG 4x MR at supermarkets after 10/4; and with the CF 5x UR categories for Q4 including Chase Pay and warehouse clubs, that’s either more GCs at Best Buy/Walmart, or money spent at Costco directly on the CF instead of on VGCs. I feel better that the $600 left to max out our CF this quarter isn’t a huge opportunity lost. (P.S. thanks for mathing it out!)

 

[1st*toright]

Man, I really really want a Freedom. But I'm probably going to PC one of our CSRs to get one, rather than applying, so the earliest I can do that is February. The category FOMO is getting to me!

Never mind - feeling a little less left out now - got an email that I can get 1000 URsfor using chase pay at shoprite ($50 purchase), plus 1500 URs for using my CSR in ChasePay 5 times in the quarter.

 

[hsmamato2]

I think he wants to apply with the old 50,000 offer but get the new pink card.

I missed this...there's more than one offer?

 

[eeyoresmom]

No, the MSR for the Biz is $3K and $1K for the Plus. Hopefully we'll see a bonus increase soon.

So that means he he has to do an additional $6000 in spending to earn the CP right? So we have to spend $4000 within the 3 months to earn those sign up bonuses and have to make sure that happens. If we are slower on the additional 6k spend it just delays earning the CP correct, we dont lose anything but time with the CP?

 

[Albort]

You are a brave soul with all of these gift cards. Is there no other option besides Walmart for getting a MO?

some groceries stores does... u have to try it to see.

 

[Albort]

Well... I am just now noticing that Marriott and Ritz GCs cannot be used at (former) SPG properties, soooo that is annoying.

my guess is that the marriott spg merger isnt 100% complete. When i checked in on the night of the merger, they front desk said they would be running both the old system and new system at the same time.
Also noticed that when ur looking at SPG hotels, the page still looks like the old pages, which makes me wonder if the booking system is also not integrated with Marriott fully.

hopefully, by end of the year, everything will really come together.

 

[Alexle2007]

So that means he he has to do an additional $6000 in spending to earn the CP right? So we have to spend $4000 within the 3 months to earn those sign up bonuses and have to make sure that happens. If we are slower on the additional 6k spend it just delays earning the CP correct, we dont lose anything but time with the CP?

Don’t forget that all of the 110k points need to be earned in the same calendar year. So if you do $2k spend now that 2k in points would be in 2018 and you would to make up those 2k in points in 2019.

 

[AmyAnne]

I missed this...there's more than one offer?

Yes -- read back a few pages and there are some posts about how to get different offers from AmEx. Mostly people are looking for the 100K or 75K for the Plat, but there is also a 50K for the PRG that can be accessed (by some) through an assortment of processes.

 

[Lain]

I think he wants to apply with the old 50,000 offer but get the new pink card.

@hsmamato2 - and not have my wife have to call in for the new card.

 

[AmyAnne]

Unfortunately the grocery stores near me have been asking to see the card. I may have to drive out into the suburbs to find new locations.

Yikes.

 

[miztressuz]

This is for everyone with a CF? Not targeted? No email for me yet.

I don't think it's targeted. It's got the same T&C as the Best Buy/eBags Chase Pay offer from this month that's not targeted.

Do you have Chase Pay installed? I'm starting to wonder if I never got notices before because I didn't have the app installed - even though you'd think that'd be a great way to market it by telling existing customers the app exists, ya know? I installed it earlier this year for a Freedom category but until a couple weeks ago had never been notified of anything about it, so I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

 

[MrPTato]

Well I got denied at Walmart with buying a MO with a giftcard. This is the second time this has happened the day after buying $2500 in giftcards. I think I’ll do one at a time from now on lol.

Same person cut you off?

 

[speedyfishy]

Same person cut you off?

This was a different person. I’m going to try later today and tomorrow morning. Maybe late at night will work too.

 

[Lain]

I missed this...there's more than one offer?

The current, standard public offer on the Premier Rewards Gold (PRG) card is 25k MR/$2k/3 months.

The best, targeted offer on the PRG is 50k MR/$1k/3 months.

The next best incognito offer on the PRG is 50k MR/$2k/3 months.

The more than rumor, but not quite official news is Amex is rebranding the PRG to add $120 in select dining credits, increase the restaurants and supermarket bonus categories to 4x MR, and remove the 2x MR gas category. The updated product will be called the Gold Card, and come as a redesigned gold or rose gold metal card. This is supposed to happen on 10/4/18.

The rumored signup bonus on the updated Gold Card is just 25k MR with an up to $100 statement credit (20% back from spending $500 at restaurants). I think the MSR might still be $2k?

It’s unknown whether the 50k MR offers will still be available on the updated card on or after 10/4. The new benefits are supposed to be available to new applicants and roll out to existing cardholders or the PRG. So, a lot of people are signing up for the PRG now under the 50k MR targeted or incognito offer because they value the extra 25k MR > possible $100 statement credit.

 

[miztressuz]

I really do not understand how points are earned on Marriott stays. SPG was so straightforward.

We stayed 6 nights on points, so we paid $189 in resort fees. Then we had $254 we charged to the room from the restaurants and gift shops.

I earned 2,496 Points = 1,597 Base + 399 Elite (25% for gold) + 500 Extra (assume this is welcome bonus)

So I earned points on $159.70 worth of charges?

You don't earn points on resort fees and probably not the gift shop. Also not on taxes or gratuities, possible even alcohol if your total still isn't adding up right.

 

[Lain]

I don't think it's targeted. It's got the same T&C as the Best Buy/eBags Chase Pay offer from this month that's not targeted.

Do you have Chase Pay installed? I'm starting to wonder if I never got notices before because I didn't have the app installed - even though you'd think that'd be a great way to market it by telling existing customers the app exists, ya know? I installed it earlier this year for a Freedom category but until a couple weeks ago had never been notified of anything about it, so I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

I have Chase Pay installed but my wife and I never get notifications of these promos.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

DPs indicate that a gift card purchased from the front desk of a Marriott hotel will trigger the $300 credit.

But Marriott GC not usable at SPG properties.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

right..... but I want a gc I can use at swolphin, so that would have to be SPG brand(for now) and if the t&C says either brand, I'm wondering about the credit if I can track down a SPG brand gc

Why do you need a GC? Why not just spend at Swolphin and get the credit? I’m missing something.

 

[Lain]

I finally got my 75k Marriott points from the Marriott Premier Plus! Posted to my Marriott account this morning.

I got approved for the card in early August, met MSR on or about 8/16, statement closed on 8/24, but the bonus got caught up in the Chase bonus delays. One statement close later, my points are there.

I’m a little relieved, because there was some FUD on Reddit that the new restrictions might apply to cards opened before 8/26, but the MSR was not met or the bonus wouldn’t post until after 8/26. This, paired with DPs that folks who applied for the SPG Lux during that 3-day window, before the new restrictions made them ineligible, are seeing their bonuses post is good news. I’m glad I was right and got the MPP and SPG Lux when I did. (I wish I had jumped on the Marriott Premier when it was still offering 15 elite nights, or the MPP when the bonus was 100k, but hindsight is 20/20.) We’ll have a very healthy stash of Marriott points when the SPG Lux bonus posts. And P2 still hasn’t gotten the SPG Personal or Lux bonuses yet.