I love credit cards so much!

[PolyRob]

They are infamous for canceling them.

Good to know! Between that and the weird issue where my Starbucks account initially reloaded with my Disney Visa via Chase Pay EVEN though my CSR is the default/primary card under settings, I may need to make some additional $25 purchases.

 

[wendow]

Thinking about it. I have about 85k MRs but would like a few more too. I think the BBP and rose gold make sense but not sure what order to go in. Like get Platinum first and then do those to avoid a pop up?

If you can either get the 100k offer for the platinum or self refer and triple-dip the airline credit, I’d definitely do that first.

 

[Haley R]

I did not book direct. It was a TA I can't mention. Disney had YC for $279 for my Jan dates direct, with the disney visa discount. I've never checked UCT!! Will do!

Well that’s even better! I know parts of January are usually pretty slow but I think this year was a fluke.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

If you can either get the 100k offer for the platinum or self refer and triple-dip the airline credit, I’d definitely do that first.

I guess my hesitation is taking on that AF with the Schwab AF

 

[GlamMistress]

The Sams Club one day sales (the big one before Black Friday) is happening now - online and in stores when they open. Got some good gift card deals. Stacks with the Amex offers $5 back off $15 from samsclub.com

United Mileage Shopping is only offering 1 extra mile per dollar, but it's better than nothing. Didn't check the other portals.

 

[usakiwi]

The Sams Club one day sales (the big one before Black Friday) is happening now - online and in stores when they open. Got some good gift card deals. Stacks with the Amex offers $5 back off $15 from samsclub.com

United Mileage Shopping is only offering 1 extra mile per dollar, but it's better than nothing. Didn't check the other portals.

There's also RMN $2 cash back on $25 online purchase for sam's, just FYI in case that helps anyone.

 

[amalone1013]

The Sams Club one day sales (the big one before Black Friday) is happening now - online and in stores when they open. Got some good gift card deals. Stacks with the Amex offers $5 back off $15 from samsclub.com

United Mileage Shopping is only offering 1 extra mile per dollar, but it's better than nothing. Didn't check the other portals.

For some reason I was thinking this was next Saturday and several of the gift cards I wanted are gone. First world problems.

 

[amalone1013]

Playing around with this concert trip idea for DH for Christmas. We could fly to MCO Thursday night for 9k RR points each. I have ~30k left currently between my account and DHs, so I could easily book us each separatley on the chance that his CP would come through and I could cancel my ticket and add me as the companion. It will probably depend on the statement closing dates. The last nonstop flight back on Sunday is $273 or 19k RRs Really, the only flights that Sunday that go below $200 / 14kish RRs are ones with layovers that leave before 10am. I'd rather spend a bit more for the full day. Then what's left of Disney hotels is high, cheapest being Sports at $500 for 3 nights (plus no URs ) And the DS hotels are high or booked. Was thinking of burning our Hilton points becuase the DS ones are 44k/50k a night, but we have zero plans for them (thanks, hail damage!) but then thought, the concert is in Downtown Orlando so that's far for the first night... hey, Uni hotels! Well @SouthFayetteFan's Hilton (as I always think of it ) is 30k points a night, for a room that would be $750 for the weekend. Closer for the concert, we have Uni APs, we could uber for Disney time. Just leaves those pesky flights home... I could move 9k URs over, that would mean I could book DH home with SW and hope CP comes through. Frontier has flights that night for $99, they aren't on the UR portal but I could make it work with either cash or cashing out.

Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm... now how do I tell DH not to have anything going that Friday so he can take it off work? And what do I give him Christmas morning?

 

[AmyAnne]

For some reason I was thinking this was next Saturday and several of the gift cards I wanted are gone. First world problems.

Same here. I do wonder how an online store can run out of gift cards -- does Sam's have some sort of quota of Papa John's gift cards that they get to sell? It's not like singing Elmo where they can only make or ship or stock so many . . . these are little pieces of plastic.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Same here. I do wonder how an online store can run out of gift cards -- does Sam's have some sort of quota of Papa John's gift cards that they get to sell? It's not like singing Elmo where they can only make or ship or stock so many . . . these are little pieces of plastic.

I wanted First Watch and they are out too. I did get steak n shake. My kids always want that for their bdays. Works for me...all 6 of us and my parents usually eat for $40. ha!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I was just able to change my SW flights for after our Dec cruise to a nonstop getting in only 30 mins later for about 25 more RR per person. Weird thing is the cash price went down but the RR went up minimally.

So now I need ideas on what to do once off the ship for a couple hours. Flight isn't until 4pm in TPA. We will head straight there to ward off any unforeseen traffic delays. So something in that area would be best.

 

[amalone1013]

Same here. I do wonder how an online store can run out of gift cards -- does Sam's have some sort of quota of Papa John's gift cards that they get to sell? It's not like singing Elmo where they can only make or ship or stock so many . . . these are little pieces of plastic.

Exactly! I wanted to grab Old Chicago, Chilis, and Spaghetti Factory. I did get Smashburger, Buca di Beppo, and Gordon Biersch. I figured Gordon Biersch will pair nicely with some AMEX offers we got

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Playing around with this concert trip idea for DH for Christmas. We could fly to MCO Thursday night for 9k RR points each. I have ~30k left currently between my account and DHs, so I could easily book us each separatley on the chance that his CP would come through and I could cancel my ticket and add me as the companion. It will probably depend on the statement closing dates. The last nonstop flight back on Sunday is $273 or 19k RRs Really, the only flights that Sunday that go below $200 / 14kish RRs are ones with layovers that leave before 10am. I'd rather spend a bit more for the full day. Then what's left of Disney hotels is high, cheapest being Sports at $500 for 3 nights (plus no URs ) And the DS hotels are high or booked. Was thinking of burning our Hilton points becuase the DS ones are 44k/50k a night, but we have zero plans for them (thanks, hail damage!) but then thought, the concert is in Downtown Orlando so that's far for the first night... hey, Uni hotels! Well @SouthFayetteFan's Hilton (as I always think of it ) is 30k points a night, for a room that would be $750 for the weekend. Closer for the concert, we have Uni APs, we could uber for Disney time. Just leaves those pesky flights home... I could move 9k URs over, that would mean I could book DH home with SW and hope CP comes through. Frontier has flights that night for $99, they aren't on the UR portal but I could make it work with either cash or cashing out.

Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm... now how do I tell DH not to have anything going that Friday so he can take it off work?

And what do I give him Christmas morning?

Is the concert at the Dr Phillips center ...if so have you thought about hotels downtown, you could walk to the concert and if you haven’t been downtown Orlando has lots of great restaurants and at Christmas time things going on around the lake too

 

[kmc8826]

Yup, the vanilla Plat, Biz Plat, and BBP have 15k MR referrals. But note that each card is capped at 55k MR in referral bonuses per calendar year, so that gets you only 3 full 15k referrals and then a 10k (aside from the enhanced 20k MR referral from the Biz Plat over the summer).

Okay. I am thinking of a new plan. The calling in and trying to get the Biz Plat and making the 10k in spend in 3 months is feeling a little daunting since we still have about 3k on spending on 2 other cards (SPG Lux upgrade and my Personal Gold).

I keep trying to pull the 100k Vanilla Plat offer for either myself or P2 in the next week. If I can’t get it, I apply and have him get the BBP. He has 3 cards with Amex (the 2 Delta Platinums and the SPG Lux). Hopefully get approved for the BBP have him start on that spend and then use it to refer me to the Vanilla Plat. Only at 60k but then at least we get the 15k for referral. Then we work on the spend on both through December. Just before the deal ends on the Personal Gold (I think 1/9) have P2 self refer and get the Gold.

What do you all think? I have been trying to put spend on the all the Amex’s at least the ones that are more recent within the last couple of years (not so much the Delta Platinum I have had since 2009). So hopefully no pop ups. I realize it is still just as much in spend with Amex but at least it is a little more spread out and not all at once.

 

[GlamMistress]

For some reason I was thinking this was next Saturday and several of the gift cards I wanted are gone. First world problems.

I just went into the store and was able to buy more giftcards - the ones I wanted that were already sold out online were still available in store but the in store deals will be gone soon. People were buying stacks of gift cards.

 

[kmc8826]

And one more question. I guess I am credit card obsessing even more than usual today.

Has anyone had any luck trying for and getting a retention offer on the CSR? I was going to wait to product change DH’s travel credit etc, but I really don’t want to mess with it at this point since the credit won’t reset until next month and the fee is due on the 26th. Plus, with the category of warehouse clubs I am almost tapped out on my Freedom and can easily max it out on another one between now and the end of the year. That is quite a few UR’s compared to the hardly anything I would get on DH’s CSR.

Am I right that either way he needs to call to product change it and have the AF taken off? They don’t let you do it by secure message?

 

[tink1970]

What do you all think? I have been trying to put spend on the all the Amex’s at least the ones that are more recent within the last couple of years (not so much the Delta Platinum I have had since 2009). So hopefully no pop ups. I realize it is still just as much in spend with Amex but at least it is a little more spread out and not all at once.

I think it sounds good, especially if YOU are happy with that plan Spreading out the spend (especially over the holidays) feels less painful!

Am I right that either way he needs to call to product change it and have the AF taken off? They don’t let you do it by secure message?

I had no luck with a retention offer-so many people love their CSR and Chase is losing so much more money than they planned I think they are happy when you close it
Yes, your DH will have to call in, the SM doesn't work to close (or downgrade)...this is why DH has had the CSR for an extra year-he hates calling in

 

[palhockeymomof2]

And one more question. I guess I am credit card obsessing even more than usual today.

Has anyone had any luck trying for and getting a retention offer on the CSR? I was going to wait to product change DH’s travel credit etc, but I really don’t want to mess with it at this point since the credit won’t reset until next month and the fee is due on the 26th. Plus, with the category of warehouse clubs I am almost tapped out on my Freedom and can easily max it out on another one between now and the end of the year. That is quite a few UR’s compared to the hardly anything I would get on DH’s CSR.

Am I right that either way he needs to call to product change it and have the AF taken off? They don’t let you do it by secure message?

Haven’t heard of any retention offers on the CSR....and yes he needs to call to product change....odd since they will close a card via SM


And wow 3,000 pages

 

[Lain]

Thinking about it. I have about 85k MRs but would like a few more too. I think the BBP and rose gold make sense but not sure what order to go in. Like get Platinum first and then do those to avoid a pop up?

Two broad points:

1. You may want to slot the Schwab towards the end of your MR run. There are so many MR earning cards, biz and personal, charge and credit, which you could go through before cashing out via Schwab. Have you gotten the vanilla Platinum or Biz Plat yet? That's potentially 90k to 100k from the vanilla Plat and 100k from the Biz Plat you're leaving on the table. What about the Greens? That's potentially 25k per card. There are the EveryDay cards too. Do you intend to hold the Schwab Plat long term, or cancel after a year? Because you need the Schwab Plat to cash out, so if you haven't hit up all the MR cards you plan to before getting the Schwab or during the year that you have the Schwab open, then you're in a situation where you're leaving MR bonuses on the table or with no way to cash them out unless you re-up the Schwab until you can.

2. Note that the Schwab Plat does not earn 15k MR referrals, if any at all, or a 75k MR incognito offer. So if you start out with the Schwab, you won't be able to use it to refer for 15k bonuses each to the BBP or Rose Gold. A better way might be

(Self refer with your highest referral bonus card or use a DISchurners link for) BBP 10k MR/$3k MSR >

(15k MR self-referral to) Amex [Rose] Gold 50k MR/$2k MSR + up to $100 statement credit

or

(15k MR self-referral to) Amex Platinum in an incognito window to pull up the 75k MR/$5k MSR incognito offer (keep trying until you pull it up, because 75k MR is better than the standard 60k MR offer)

I think you should start out with the BBP first because of its ability to generate 15k MR self-referrals to either the Amex Gold or Platinum. We're approaching the window for a triple dip of the Gold's $100 airline fee credit and the Platinum's $200 airline fee credit, so if you can meet the BBP's $3k MSR and still slot in the Gold and/or Platinum between say 11/20-12/20, then that's great timing. But if you intend to keep the Gold or Platinum, then timing a triple dip doesn't have much value.

I personally think both the BBP and Gold are keeper cards, and getting these two early on might be a good idea because the BBP earns 2x MR on all ("everything else") purchases up to $50k/calendar year and the Gold earns 4x MR at supermarkets and restaurants, which makes these two cards daily drivers. With Amex looking for ongoing spend on cards beyond the signup bonus, continued spending on the BBP and Gold with their solid bonus categories will help to keep you in Amex's good graces, and *fingers crossed* avoid the dreaded pop up.

But if you plan to go for the Platinum and cancel it after one year (then go for the Schwab Plat), it probably make sense to get the BBP, self-refer for a 15k MR bonus to the vanilla Plat, and try to use your referral link in an incognito window to pull up the 75k MR/$5k MSR incognito offer. That's net 90k MR, even if you're not targeted for the 100k MR CardMatch/Mailer/Pre-qualified offer. This way you get more value out of a triple dip of the $200 airline fee credit, the $50 bi-annual Saks credit, and the $20 extra Uber credit in December.

 

[Limes96]

I’ve decided on Southwest for P2’s Amex Plat airline credit. I logged on to his acct to choose the airline and the page wouldn’t come up. There’s not typically a problem with choosing your airline this late in the year is there? I’m hoping this won’t be a hassle. I’m doing this on my iPad so I’ll try again on the desktop. Probably better that way anyhow.

I read somewhere (might have been here?) about waiting 72 hours or so after choosing your airline before buying gift cards to get the airline credit. Did I read that right or is that regarding something else? Don’t want to mess up when it comes to spending $200. I haven’t seen any negative dp’s on SW getting the credit on a $200 gc so if you’ve seen any please let me know!