I love credit cards so much! v6.0 - 2023 (see first page for add'l details)

[amalone1013]

I struggle to keep up now








And also for old times sake

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are new, it is highly recommended that you read the first few comments before jumping in here!


Welcome to the "I Love Credit Cards" Thread!!

This is a continuation from our Original Thread which was followed up by our v2.0 Thread, v3.0 Thread, v4.0 Thread and v5.0 Thread.

If you are NEW to this thread, please read the first few comments on this page to find out a little bit about us. However, after that don't try to read through every page. If you want to get a feel for us maybe peruse the last 10-20 pages. This thread moves very fast and information may become outdated

• IF YOU ARE HERE TO ASK FOR ADVICE ON WHAT CARD TO GET NEXT - PLEASE FOLLOW THE FORMAT IN STICKY #2!!! IT WILL HELP US PROVIDE BETTER ADVICE QUICKER.
• ...AND BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, READ STICKY#3!!! DON'T MAKE YOUR FIRST CARD A FATAL ERROR!!

What is this thread?

• A positive and drama free place to discuss credit card rewards with fellow DISers
• A community of contributors who want to help others travel for free (or at very discounted rates)
• A group of people who are unified in our goal to maximize returns on our purchases but diverse in our goals on what to do with those points
• We have experts in numerous rewards programs frequenting the thread each day including: Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi Thank You Points and virtually every major frequent flyer and hotel rewards program.
• See comment 2 for how to properly ask for advice. Depending on what your travel goals (or financial goals) are, we can assist in creating a customized strategy to generate THOUSANDS of dollars in free travel or cash on your everyday purchases!
• See comment 3 for a caution on why you should ask first and apply later! Don't make an important mistake right out of the gate!!

What isn't this thread?

• This is NOT A place to discuss strategies to pay-down credit card debt, take advantage of balance transfer or 0% interest offers, or anything else related to credit card debt.
• It is HIGHLY recommended to avoid the "churning" game if you currently have or are susceptible to credit card debt. The cards we will advocate for may have exorbitant interest rates and fees. This does not bother us because we DON'T pay interest EVER and the benefits of the cards outweigh any fees.
• There are numerous places on the DIS where qualified and helpful people will give you advice on CC debt, this just isn't one of them
• Even if you are a "credit card debt avoider" please be aware of your spending habits. Some of the cards we will advocate will require spending a large amount in the first 90 days, do not allow this to affect your spending patterns. Free travel is only truly free if you earn it from your regular everyday spend!

Also - a huge shout-out to @FairestOfThemAll37 for creating the original thread. I'm sure she never envisioned in July of 2016 that this simply titled thread would become one of the most prolific in DISboards history! And shout-out to @SouthFayetteFan for keeping us rolling and growing through 5 threads! A man of many passions - Family, Southwest, WDW Free Dining, CC Churning, South Fayette HS football, and the list goes on - he devoted a good deal of time to helping his friends and family here save money or travel more or both... and I've lifted most of his hard work to push us into our 6th year together!

Additional Note: We are like a family here. Some of us have been on the original thread since the beginning and many have been around for well over a year. We know each other's families, travel styles and preferences. The discussion can move fast and furious at times and you may be lost at first. If you ask for advice, don't worry, we will eventually see it and help you! If you don't get a response ask again. And if you see us having fun with each other or making jokes, know that it is ALL out of love!!

I would miss this thread if it went away. I do miss the late night crew, being on the west coast I'm obvs up later than most of the midwest/east coast people. But @wendow @Lain and @SouthFayetteFan and some others I can't remember, would often post late. Good times, then everyone else would wake up to it and I'd have lots to read in the morning

I do hope all that have stopped posting over the years are well and just busy/different place in life.

One day we may need a 6th sticky. Our Benevolent Dictator thought it might be so, and who am I stray from @SouthFayetteFan 's path. And so...

This Space Reserved for the Coolest Trick Ever!

... as soon as we find it...

I am alive and well. Quite busy, still churning, and glad things have continued to thrive here in my absence. Hope you all are doing well! Thanks to @miztressuz for creating the new thread and for all you fabulous peeps for making this the best thread on the DIS! Best wishes for a great 2023 churning year to all of you!

 

[afan]

Wow! @speedyfishy @amalone1013 and @SouthFayetteFan in the same day! We don't use them often enough any more since on phones, at least mine, it's hidden behind 3 dots and I just forget.



And a little

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I struggle to keep up now



View attachment 729674




And also for old times sake

Congratulations

 

[pinkxray]

I am thinking of branching out from Chase and Amex. Looking at the Capital One Venture card with the $95 annual fee. 75,000 miles plus $200 avelo credit(flying them this year) plus TSA pre check credit (need to renew 3 this year)

Are capital one miles easy to use?

 

[Judique]

I'm guessing you mean the Disney Debit card? Can you explain the email from her card that pays $100 in Disney rewards? I'm curious.

I did go ahead and get the Chase Disney card (with Tink image) since I can use the $300 credit towards our Disney trip.

I already replied to this regarding the first question.

Just wanted to swing back by and make the point for others that it's an actual statement credit. In the past maybe 6 to 12 years ago I have received a gift card or Disney rewards - I've done this card maybe 6 times. As a statement credit it works to buy Disney gift cards or any other travel related purchases so you are not necessarily 100% locked into using the funds for Disney.

For example, I may do the MSR by paying utilities and my car insurances - 3 cars so can spend a $1000 easily. I usually do the MSR immediately after getting the card so I'm ready for my bonus. It doesn't always post to wipe out the initial purchases immediately but it doesn't take long. Worst case scenario is 2nd statement for me.

After the initial MSR, the card is usually sock drawered unless a good 'offer' comes along. An offer that's good for me would be at least 10%. It's not a daily driver. I use a 2% card as a daily driver. I also watch cards for 5% quarterly offers that work for me.

I stay 'small' in my credit card churning mostly because I don't have a huge amount of bills to get through. I'm retired and divorced so house is paid for and other expenses are minimal, so I work with what I have. If I know I have something bigger such as 10K for a new heating system, I get a new card. That's when I'll go for the $4k MSR's. I may even do a higher MSR if I have all my purchasing strategy planned ahead to make it successful. No 'impulse' buying if I can avoid it.

Most families with 3 or 4 people will be working in that higher expense range all the time. For me, I'm utilizing insurance, taxes and large purchases in addition to utilities.

On an ongoing basis I buy fee free Visa/MC gift cards to provide a trickle of UR's and spend the gift cards on groceries and other day to day necessities.

Everyone is different. No one is necessarily wrong in deciding what's going to work for them. If my final 'profit' over the course of a year is $2500, I'm very happy.

Some do much better, some do much less. This board tolerates all of us and we try to keep it that way. You will get tips that will put a dollar in your pocket here if you pay attention.

And, in addition you will encounter a wide range of income/spend variations. Know that there is a place for you wherever you fall on that spectrum. Nobody is wrong, only the individual that can't open their mind.

 

[Judique]

I struggle to keep up now



View attachment 729674




And also for old times sake

We understand! She is adorable!

 

[EACarlson]

I am thinking of branching out from Chase and Amex. Looking at the Capital One Venture card with the $95 annual fee. 75,000 miles plus $200 avelo credit(flying them this year) plus TSA pre check credit (need to renew 3 this year)

Are capital one miles easy to use?

Are you eligible for Navy Fed? Their Flagship card offers a $49 AF and a Pre/GE credit for not only the primary card holder but each authorized user as well. It's also a 2% minimum card with some categories higher. I've added a couple people to my account just to allow them to get Pre.

Cap1 had a huge issue a few months ago where you couldn't book anything through their portal for two weeks.

 

[Psychodisney]

I am thinking of branching out from Chase and Amex. Looking at the Capital One Venture card with the $95 annual fee. 75,000 miles plus $200 avelo credit(flying them this year) plus TSA pre check credit (need to renew 3 this year)

Are capital one miles easy to use?

VERY easy to use. You make your purchase/charge and then, as long as it codes as travel, you click to redeem points for purchases. Credit happens almost immediately. They are not as liberal with what codes as travel. For examples, parking is not travel. I have redeemed for hotel, airlines, and rental car without difficulty.

 

[Psychodisney]

Cap1 had a huge issue a few months ago where you couldn't book anything through their portal for two weeks.

With the Capital One Venture card, no reason to book through the portal. Book your travel directly with the merchant.
The VentureX has the $300 perk tied to the portal. IMO, makes it a little harder to use.

 

[AndreaDM]

LOL I'm in the middle of a "fight" with Chase. I had a 10% back offer for Kate Spade (outlet or surprise). Back in Nov. I bought a purse from Kate Spade Surprise for $140ish, so should have gotten $14 back. I didn't appear so I sent them a SM and after back and forth for a while, they are claiming my purchase was made from the Kate Spade regular site, not the surprise. Well, first of all, I'm too cheap to pay full price for almost anything! My latest response yesterday included a screenshot of my order where it clearly states surprise. I should probably let it go, but now it's the principle of it because I am not wrong! LOL! I let one go last year when my daughter got an oil change at Valvoline, should have got around $20 back but never did. I know it's only $14, but I specifically used that card because it had the offer, grrrr!

 

[DisneyMandC]

@amalone1013 and @DisneyMandC are still on the debt dumpers thread

@speedyfishy was who I couldn't remember. Anytime I read about someone hitting the amex cards hard it reminds me of her.

I'm still around I lurk some but can't keep up here anymore with my current workload. I did take several nice trips last year though, including Hawaii, Colorado, three weekends in NYC, and Disneyland

 

[gottalovepluto]

I am thinking of branching out from Chase and Amex. Looking at the Capital One Venture card with the $95 annual fee. 75,000 miles plus $200 avelo credit(flying them this year) plus TSA pre check credit (need to renew 3 this year)

Are capital one miles easy to use?

Miles are very easy to use. Make a travel charge on the card, apply points to erase the purchase.

A few months ago a 100k offer was showing for select people via the cap1 pre-approval tool. Might be dead but worth a look just in case.

 

[FrannyFrogs]

Hi there! I'm a lurker with a request for advice. I don't think my DH and I have either of us applied for a new credit card in 2 years. We currently hold:

DH
AmEx Platinum
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Freedom Unlimited

Me
Chase Freedom
Disney Visa premium
AmEx Delta
Also, I'm an authorized user on his two Chase cards

Anyway we're hoping to fly our family of 4 round trip from Boston to Paris this summer and I would really like to fly nonstop. JetBlue is supposedly going to start flying that route this summer, but nothing is out yet. Air France has pretty great point rates available right now... For 4 people, 132k + $800 round trip (or $6500 cash).

Currently sitting at 60k Chase URs, 50k AmEx MRs (both can transfer to JetBlue or Air France) and 20k JetBlue points.

What's my best move here? Willing to get one new card for sign up bonus. Do I wait for JetBlue schedule to come out? Air France card? Another Chase card?

 

[michiganmom616]

Good morning! I'm looking for advice on a travel rewards credit card. We took our "once in a lifetime" family trip to Disney in December, and they got us hooked . I would love to find ways to contribute to a more budget friendly trip back. Here's my info, I appreciate your help.

1) First off, we are going to want you to list ALL credit cards you were approved for in the last 24 months.

08/22 - American Express Hilton Honors (which I actually haven't yet used, see why I need help )

2) Secondly we'll want to know a little bit about you. Specifically - what you spend, and what you want to earn!

• Spend at least $2000/month in groceries/expenses
• Pay off in full each month, never pay interest
• Flew out if Kalamazoo, MI with Avelo this year and would do again. Grand Rapids, MI (GRR) would be more closer, but generally we would always pick a direct flight for the best price or dates we need.
• Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? NO
• Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport? YES
• Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? We stay at Hilton's a few nights a year, normally, but not a strong preference.
• Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? NO
• What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? Disney Trip, November 2023. We'll also take a smaller trip or two this year, planning on spending $2000+ during spring break, most likely at Kalahari.
• Who does your travel party consist of? Myself, Husband & 3 kids (2 teenagers, 1 elementary school age)

 

[Judique]

Are you eligible for Navy Fed? Their Flagship card offers a $49 AF and a Pre/GE credit for not only the primary card holder but each authorized user as well. It's also a 2% minimum card with some categories higher. I've added a couple people to my account just to allow them to get Pre.

Cap1 had a huge issue a few months ago where you couldn't book anything through their portal for two weeks.

For those who are eligible as military or family of military, this is an excellent card. It also paid our Prime membership this past year (as an offer - not always available). The SUB varies from time to time. As an introductory card I got 50K points which is $500 that you can deposit into your NFCU savings account. Right now it's 30K, but add on the precheck/global entries and any other perks and the value rises.

 

[becauseimnew]

Hi there! I'm a lurker with a request for advice. I don't think my DH and I have either of us applied for a new credit card in 2 years. We currently hold:

DH
AmEx Platinum
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Freedom Unlimited

Me
Chase Freedom
Disney Visa premium
AmEx Delta
Also, I'm an authorized user on his two Chase cards

Anyway we're hoping to fly our family of 4 round trip from Boston to Paris this summer and I would really like to fly nonstop. JetBlue is supposedly going to start flying that route this summer, but nothing is out yet. Air France has pretty great point rates available right now... For 4 people, 132k + $800 round trip (or $6500 cash).

Currently sitting at 60k Chase URs, 50k AmEx MRs (both can transfer to JetBlue or Air France) and 20k JetBlue points.

What's my best move here? Willing to get one new card for sign up bonus. Do I wait for JetBlue schedule to come out? Air France card? Another Chase card?

Hi there and welcome.

With your current URs and MRs, you'll be 22K points short. We flew AirFrance to Paris this Thanksgiving and have no complaints.
I've seen the Amex Gold Card sign up bonus at 90K points for $4K MSR. You should use DH's support link, which will earn him 15K MRs within the week. So, you'll only be 7K miles short. The sooner you can earn and book those flights the better because prices do change.

I'm not sure how many points you'll need to fly Jet Blue, but 132K points for 4 round trip tickets is awesome.

 

[FrannyFrogs]

Hi there and welcome.

With your current URs and MRs, you'll be 22K points short. We flew AirFrance to Paris this Thanksgiving and have no complaints.
I've seen the Amex Gold Card sign up bonus at 90K points for $4K MSR. You should use DH's support link, which will earn him 15K MRs within the week. So, you'll only be 7K miles short. The sooner you can earn and book those flights the better because prices do change.

I'm not sure how many points you'll need to fly Jet Blue, but 132K points for 4 round trip tickets is awesome.

Thank you for this response. I like the AmEx Gold idea. Let me go try and sign up!

I do prefer having URs and MRs over Air France specific points. This way, if Air France significantly raises the point cost of my flights while I'm earning the SUB, I'll still have the option to transfer all my points into JetBlue. I can't imagine that JetBlue will let me fly 4 round trips for 132k points buuuuut even if I can book 2 of us on points it will cut the flight cost significantly!

 

[FrannyFrogs]

Thank you for this response. I like the AmEx Gold idea. Let me go try and sign up!

I do prefer having URs and MRs over Air France specific points. This way, if Air France significantly raises the point cost of my flights while I'm earning the SUB, I'll still have the option to transfer all my points into JetBlue. I can't imagine that JetBlue will let me fly 4 round trips for 132k points buuuuut even if I can book 2 of us on points it will cut the flight cost significantly!

Hmm. I tried the referral to AmEx Gold (through DH's link), but it said I'm not eligible for the signup bonus. I'm not sure why. The only AmEx cards I've ever held are the Delta one (current) and a Marriott Bonvoy one (canceled like a year ago). Both of us have 800+ credit scores.

 

[GZanta77]

Thank you for this response. I like the AmEx Gold idea. Let me go try and sign up!

I do prefer having URs and MRs over Air France specific points. This way, if Air France significantly raises the point cost of my flights while I'm earning the SUB, I'll still have the option to transfer all my points into JetBlue. I can't imagine that JetBlue will let me fly 4 round trips for 132k points buuuuut even if I can book 2 of us on points it will cut the flight cost significantly!

You never know...........JetBlue international can be all over the place points wise - a few months ago I managed to secure return flights BOS-LHR for 18000pts + $195. Yep thats just 9,000 points each way......and that was flying over Christmas week. I booked that about 11 weeks out.