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

[calypso726]

Well I decided to scrap Costa Rica next year, so I cancelled the WA, Andaz and Tabacon reservations I made. I'm thinking I'd rather bank that week of vacation and possibly head to Milan/Lake Como later on next year instead.

In the meantime, I have been trying to shore up my Scotland trip for next summer. We secured my favorite guide for the week to tour us around next year. We found out he'd sold his company but in negotiations retained the right to keep some of his repeat guests and we are named in the contract as such. NGL that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. We are traveling with friends who have never done the travel hacking thing so we got them schooled on what to do for the flights and they already had a good stash of hotel points for part of the trip.

Our flights are booked. I was really hoping for a BA transfer bonus but sadly that did not happen. So we wound up getting our seats in business class each way for the full Avios. We transferred MRs for those. Knowing we'd be doing some BA bookings through London this year, we picked up the Chase BA card for the 85k bonus and are looking forward to $200 statement credit for each reservation off the taxes and fees. That takes a bit of the sting out on the blasted taxes. We also decided it would be easier to get 4 seat in J on BA at schedule open too.

After 5 years of collecting excel spreadsheet dust, we were finally able to deplete our Radisson Rewards stash of hotel points. We kept them on the International side after the split in the program. We were able to book a couple of rooms for one night each in Inverness and also in Stonehaven for us and our friends with Radisson rewards. I'm glad to have them gone and not looking to see how or if I can use them on a future trip anymore. That said, I will always miss the Club Carlson card and what it brought to the table for quite a few years.

Looking forward to spending some time in Edinburgh before we meet up with our guide. Not certain where I am staying yet there. I'll make decisions once the availability opens up. We plan to see Puffins this next round and hopefully hike the Quiraing again. The hotel I want to stay at again in Portree isn't open for booking yet so that is still on the to do list. I am so looking forward to returning to Scotland, it has been way too long.

 

[georgina]

How long are folks waiting after closing INK card before applying to others? I feel like the denials people were seeing this year have me worried. I used to close one and then reapply in a few days

How many do you have now? I had similar thoughts but I decided to keep my older CIU open when I recently applied for another. I have since closed it. I also have a CIP and a CIC (carrying a balance on the CIC at 0% through the end of the year.) I also have 4 Chase personal cards.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

How many do you have now? I had similar thoughts but I decided to keep my older CIU open when I recently applied for another. I have since closed it. I also have a CIP and a CIC (carrying a balance on the CIC at 0% through the end of the year.) I also have 4 Chase personal cards.

I have closed several in the past, and closed one CIC $3K CL today. Currently have a SW Biz (want to keep) and 2 CICs still open. One of these was the most recent app from January 2024, so needs to stay open. The other CIC is a year old and I was thinking I should close it to free up $6K in CL before applying for CIP in about a week. That way, I will have reduced my Chase CL by $9K. My personal CLs I had trimmed back in January. I feel like I've waiting long enough and have trimmed enough? Not sure how long to wait between closing cards and the new applicaiton, though.

 

[georgina]

I have closed several in the past, and closed one CIC $3K CL today. Currently have a SW Biz (want to keep) and 2 CICs still open. One of these was the most recent app from January 2024, so needs to stay open. The other CIC is a year old and I was thinking I should close it to free up $6K in CL before applying for CIP in about a week. That way, I will have reduced my Chase CL by $9K. My personal CLs I had trimmed back in January. I feel like I've waiting long enough and have trimmed enough? Not sure how long to wait between closing cards and the new applicaiton, though.

I think if you are closing a CIC and applying for a CIP a few days is fine, as it is not the same card. It's always a bit of a guess what causes a denial.

I usually transfer my biz credit to another card and close it with $1000 CL on it. I forgot I opened a CSP in May, so I have 5 personal. My CIC currently has a $21,000 CL on it (and a 6500 balance), my new Ink 11,000 CL (approved with 6000 CL and I transferred over another 5000 from other biz cards).

 

[afan]

Already reports on r/Amex of loading the dunkin app with your gold card crediting.

For those not familiar, you need to add dd card under the management cards, it's the tab that opens when you select manage card. You can do just the $7 by putting it in other which is what I did since there aren't any around here.

Can also use it for Baskin Robbins that are attached to a dunkin but not known if you can do it at stand alone ones. Not sure they have the ability to read the app code. I'll be keeping an eye on this or trying it myself as it's the only way for me to use it if it works outside of traveling.

 

[leeniewdw]

Thank you. I think everyone is just glad that she is at peace now. She deteriorated quickly at the end. No one wanted her to suffer longer than she had to. No one can say that she didn't live a good, long life already at 99 years and 358 days.

I appreciate the link. Looks like we will just let the 9000 miles go. I'm not sure that I have the energy to call or contact CS, especially since we are not re-booking on Delta. I am glad we paid with points and not $ originally. Lesson learned that maybe the lowest fare isn't always the way to go.

I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my 96 yo Mom earlier this month and what you describe at the end was our experience.

As far as changes to booked airfare. My sister had a very serious diagnosis and surgery last spring, followed by chemo that landed her in the hospital very ill leading up a to pre-diagnosis booked trip in September. They couldn't travel on their original date and I don't think they had travel insurance (they travel very seldom). Anyway, my bro-in-law called American to no avail (something like $2600 to change their domestic tickets). So he actually drove to the local airport and talked to the people at the desk and they rebooked them with no fees. I realize yours is a bit different, but I was impressed that they helped them.

 

[wanderlust7]

I just opened a Disney visa account. I have a major purchase to make next month. There is a 300.00 reward you get with over 1,000 purchase in first 3 months right? How long does it take to show the reward?

I don't have the card. But in general, Chase bonuses post after statement end.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

How long are folks waiting after closing INK card before applying to others? I feel like the denials people were seeing this year have me worried. I used to close one and then reapply in a few days

I waited a week, but not sure if it’s necessary…..wasn’t in a rush so figured why not wait

 

[SleepyatDVC]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Looks like the redeposit fee for Delta basic economy is 9900 miles, which would make no sense for you. Link But I wonder if a sympathetic agent would be able to waive that for you.

Thank you. I think everyone is just glad that she is at peace now. She deteriorated quickly at the end. No one wanted her to suffer longer than she had to. No one can say that she didn't live a good, long life already at 99 years and 358 days.

I appreciate the link. Looks like we will just let the 9000 miles go. I'm not sure that I have the energy to call or contact CS, especially since we are not re-booking on Delta. I am glad we paid with points and not $ originally. Lesson learned that maybe the lowest fare isn't always the way to go.

Good news. I canceled online and the 9000 miles were credited to her account. I think it was because Delta is waiving a bunch of change and cancellation fees up to 8/4/2024 because of their outage, etc. We just lucked out because of it!

 

[SleepyatDVC]

I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my 96 yo Mom earlier this month and what you describe at the end was our experience.

As far as changes to booked airfare. My sister had a very serious diagnosis and surgery last spring, followed by chemo that landed her in the hospital very ill leading up a to pre-diagnosis booked trip in September. They couldn't travel on their original date and I don't think they had travel insurance (they travel very seldom). Anyway, my bro-in-law called American to no avail (something like $2600 to change their domestic tickets). So he actually drove to the local airport and talked to the people at the desk and they rebooked them with no fees. I realize yours is a bit different, but I was impressed that they helped them.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm still lucky to have my Mom.

Great news about your BIL not giving up. I hope your sister has a full recovery.

We got our 9000 miles back probably because Delta was doing a blanket waiver. So, lucky us without having to do anything extra.

 

[afan]

Just got a hilton fnc, should be from the Aspire upgrade I did mid June. The anniversary for it is late August. Took about 6 weeks from upgrade. Now I can call to use my two fnc. I wish the one from the sub showed up on my account like the anniversary one does.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Just got a hilton fnc, should be from the Aspire upgrade I did mid June. The anniversary for it is late August. Took about 6 weeks from upgrade. Now I can call to use my two fnc. I wish the one from the sub showed up on my account like the anniversary one does.

Your SUB fnc doesn't show on your account? That's quirky. All my SUB fncs have always shown. I think someone else mentioned one of their fnc not showing but they knew they had it from the email.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Hi...(insert timid entrance into thread here....)

I am looking to replace my SW Visa card (not sure specifically which one it is, but it has a $69 AF) with another card that will offer the best rewards that I can redeem towards flights on ANY airline. I have used up almost all of my RR points and so it is really time to cut the cord with SW. I have no issue with them, but because I always seemed to have RR points, it was always cheaper to fly SW. Now that my points are almost gone, I would like to get a CC that will allow me to at least consider other airlines.

I read the stickies so I am going to try and provide as much info as I can....
First, I have not applied for any credit CARDS in the past 24 months.
Second, I currently have the following cards (monthly average spend included)

1. Apple Card ($3500)
2. Chase Disney Visa ($1000) *this is the card with the longest history...21 years.
3. Chase Disney Visa ($500) *This card can be closed after my next trip in October, once I use the points
4. SW Visa *$69 AF ($1500)
5. AMEX Blue Sky ($0...only use it if there is a reward available)...second-oldest card with a 20-year history
6. Target RedCard ($300...not sure if I was supposed to include this one or not)
7. BestBuy Visa (There is currently a balance of about $1200 on this card at 0% that will be paid off before the end of the promo) *This card is only used to make major purchases (currently paying off an iPad and iPhone) and only at 0% paid in full before interest accrues.

Third, my DH is not a fan of the number of CC's we have. We accumulated $50K in CC debt due to an uninsured disaster at our home in 2013. We used some of his retirement fund to pay it off in its entirety in 2018. Since then, we have never carried a balance and pay everything in full every month. That being said, DH is the primary "shopper" in the household and he will only use the Apple Card. I am not willing to close the bolded cards. I would prefer to keep the AMEX, but if there is a valid reason to close it, I am open to suggestions.

• What airport(s) do you typically fly out of? GRR is about 10 minutes from home. DTW is a little over 2 hours and we would spend the night before any flight to avoid any driving delays/mishaps
• Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? No...I have <500 Delta SkyMiles and about 2500 RR points.
• Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport? Yes, both GRR and DTW, but nothing non-stop and usually terrible times
• Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? Marriott/Bonvoy, but not enough travel to justify a co-branded card
• Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? *See above*
• What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? I don't really want to "churn". I just want to have a dedicated card that I can use to put the rewards towards my airfare expenses.
• When do you plan to take these trips? I typically take one trip per year to WDW and/or HHI. DH and I do not travel much as I am still working full-time. We both consider travel as a "luxury" so I make sure that we have the money in the bank for the trip BEFORE we travel. I try to maximize my "cash" cost by utilizing as much "free" money (from rewards/rebate programs) as possible.
• Who does your travel party consist of? Typically, I am travelling to WDW with my friend. Sometimes, I will go with one of my daughters, but now that they are 21 (working full time) and 18 (starting college in the fall), I don't see more trips with them in the future...at least none that I am paying for.

Another tidbit to add...I have a DVC membership (100 AKV, 50 HHI) so lodging is not an expense that I have to worry about when paying for my trips. When we travel to HHI (once every three years), we stay in Marriott properties along the way since we drive. I also make a few overnight trips to Detroit during the summer to watch my Tigers play baseball so I earn a few rewards with those stays. I have never reached 10 nights in a year.

I do not particularly want an AF, but since I would be replacing a card that has a $69 AF, I would consider it *IF* the benefits are worth it to me.

If it matters, my credit score is >800...

Welcome! All of us here subscribe to the same mentality of never accruing interest. I'm sure many of us would raise our hands about previous credit card debt long ago, which in turn, makes so many of us so very diligent about paying in full each month. This group also loves free money and rewards. So I can understand your husband's hesitation with credit cards. Here are some things you could consider doing to make him more comfortable with you opening a new card:

-Keep those oldest cards open; they're good for account age on your credit report
-There's no reason to close any of your cards, but if you/he feels more comfortable doing that, you certainly can
- For the cards you keep open, you could consider lowering their credit limit, if that would help DH feel more comfortable. You can also toggle off many cards, meaning you aren't able to charge to them if they are locked.

It would be a shame if that $3500 monthly spend couldn't go to a better earning card than the Apple Card. Do you have any ideas what might shift your husband's mindset about switching that card out to a different card? Or is it just a hard no?

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

@leeniewdw Wow, what a long life. I am sorry for the grief you must be experiencing now. Sending hugs your way.

 

[hsmamato2]

My guess is your free year is up and they're charging the prorated AF until they charge the full AF at the set time for the account (related to when you opened the card originally).

Amex doesn't change the AF date when you upgrade/downgrade. But since you've never had an AF on the account, you won't know what day that is. Based on the amount you were charged, I'd guess in 2 months you'll be charged the full AF.

Yikes! So when should I PC? in the next 30 days,or wait till the full AF appears?

 

[afan]

Your SUB fnc doesn't show on your account? That's quirky. All my SUB fncs have always shown. I think someone else mentioned one of their fnc not showing but they knew they had it from the email.

Nope and I expected it to but all I ever got was the email with the number. My acct shows the points from that sub so I don't know what happened. All it shows is the 2 I have reserved for Sept and the one I got last night. I'll call later today, I need them to book Versailles for next May.

 

[calypso726]

Hi...(insert timid entrance into thread here....)

I am looking to replace my SW Visa card (not sure specifically which one it is, but it has a $69 AF) with another card that will offer the best rewards that I can redeem towards flights on ANY airline. I have used up almost all of my RR points and so it is really time to cut the cord with SW. I have no issue with them, but because I always seemed to have RR points, it was always cheaper to fly SW. Now that my points are almost gone, I would like to get a CC that will allow me to at least consider other airlines.

I read the stickies so I am going to try and provide as much info as I can....
First, I have not applied for any credit CARDS in the past 24 months.
Second, I currently have the following cards (monthly average spend included)

1. Apple Card ($3500)
2. Chase Disney Visa ($1000) *this is the card with the longest history...21 years.
3. Chase Disney Visa ($500) *This card can be closed after my next trip in October, once I use the points
4. SW Visa *$69 AF ($1500)
5. AMEX Blue Sky ($0...only use it if there is a reward available)...second-oldest card with a 20-year history
6. Target RedCard ($300...not sure if I was supposed to include this one or not)
7. BestBuy Visa (There is currently a balance of about $1200 on this card at 0% that will be paid off before the end of the promo) *This card is only used to make major purchases (currently paying off an iPad and iPhone) and only at 0% paid in full before interest accrues.

Third, my DH is not a fan of the number of CC's we have. We accumulated $50K in CC debt due to an uninsured disaster at our home in 2013. We used some of his retirement fund to pay it off in its entirety in 2018. Since then, we have never carried a balance and pay everything in full every month. That being said, DH is the primary "shopper" in the household and he will only use the Apple Card. I am not willing to close the bolded cards. I would prefer to keep the AMEX, but if there is a valid reason to close it, I am open to suggestions.

• What airport(s) do you typically fly out of? GRR is about 10 minutes from home. DTW is a little over 2 hours and we would spend the night before any flight to avoid any driving delays/mishaps
• Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? No...I have <500 Delta SkyMiles and about 2500 RR points.
• Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport? Yes, both GRR and DTW, but nothing non-stop and usually terrible times
• Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? Marriott/Bonvoy, but not enough travel to justify a co-branded card
• Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? *See above*
• What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? I don't really want to "churn". I just want to have a dedicated card that I can use to put the rewards towards my airfare expenses.
• When do you plan to take these trips? I typically take one trip per year to WDW and/or HHI. DH and I do not travel much as I am still working full-time. We both consider travel as a "luxury" so I make sure that we have the money in the bank for the trip BEFORE we travel. I try to maximize my "cash" cost by utilizing as much "free" money (from rewards/rebate programs) as possible.
• Who does your travel party consist of? Typically, I am travelling to WDW with my friend. Sometimes, I will go with one of my daughters, but now that they are 21 (working full time) and 18 (starting college in the fall), I don't see more trips with them in the future...at least none that I am paying for.

Another tidbit to add...I have a DVC membership (100 AKV, 50 HHI) so lodging is not an expense that I have to worry about when paying for my trips. When we travel to HHI (once every three years), we stay in Marriott properties along the way since we drive. I also make a few overnight trips to Detroit during the summer to watch my Tigers play baseball so I earn a few rewards with those stays. I have never reached 10 nights in a year.

I do not particularly want an AF, but since I would be replacing a card that has a $69 AF, I would consider it *IF* the benefits are worth it to me.

If it matters, my credit score is >800...

Hi and you will find we have a very nice group of people that post on this thread. The group is also very diverse in their travel styles and goals as well as how we go about reaching them. I, along with other on this thread made mistakes when it came to credit cards and debt. Lessons learned, I moved on to using credit responsibly and paying in full each month and the last 12 years have been playing the travel hacking game. I think we are fortunate to have such a diverse group when it comes to travel goals, styles and methods of travel hacking. Sharing our methods, goals, thought process and experiences is beyond valuable because allows for different perspectives that can actually be a game changer. I know I have learned quite a bit from folks who do things differently than I do with different travel goals that have been super helpful to me and my goals just because it allowed me to see it from a different angle. So, I'm going to add my two cents in case it helps you as you begin looking at your options to get the most bang for your buck. There may be a few cards and card combos from different banks that would provide a better return and options for your normal annual spending.

Personally, I find variable points that can be transferred to airlines or certain hotels (Chase UR, Amex MR, Citi TYP etc) to be more valuable than cash back and I like to have options and not be trapped with one program. This of course is directly due to my personal travel goals. I like international flights in lie flat seats and I like bougee hotel/resort experiences too. Cash back earned each year on our spend won't pay for hotels that are over $1500 a night or flights that are over $10K a few times a year and quite frankly, neither will I I bring this up because I am forced to assign a potential value range on my points. Cent per point value is subjective but my bare minimum with variable points that can be transferred to airlines or hotels is generally 1 cent per point if I were to use my points for a statement credit. I would never do that, but it's a rough minimum and I gotta start somewhere. Then, I factor in what would I likely use those points for (flights or resorts) and how much can they purchase for me. Next, I need to factor in how many points I am spending each year on flights and hotels, replacing those points as I go and having enough points in enough programs to switch gears should my plans for booking a specific trip a certain way not fall in place. This has happened a few times With that in mind, my strategy is to be working on an MSR for a new bonus most of the time. Failing that, maxing out bonus categories on existing cards. I shoot for 5x. Looking at your travel goals and desire not to churn or carry many cards, I would suggest looking at one or two cards that earns more than 1x on all spend or bonus spend that has no AF and one variable point earning card to pair with it with an AF that allows for your no AF card points to be transferred or combined into that account.

On a yearly basis you are likely getting $840~ in cash back on the Apple card, $180 in Disney rewards, 18,000 SW RR (worth about $270) miles adding in the spend for the Target card which earns 1% out side of Target that's $36 a year. It's roughly over $80k spend per year. So you are earning about $1340ish back each year with some of it trapped in Disney, Target and SW.

Some suggestions:

The Amex Blue Business Plus card. It has no annual fee and earns 2x on up to $50k in spend each year. Those points can be directly transferred to these airlines and hotels. It's an easy one card with no AF strategy. You can qualify for a business card for just about anything. You would apply as a sole proprietor, your ss# instead of an EIN and using your name and that would also be your business name. If you have ever held a garage sale, sold things on Ebay or FB marketplace then congrats, you have a business. If you sign up for Rakuten and earing MRs you can use that shopping portal to earn extra MRs online.




If you are not comfortable with a business card or more comfortable with the Chase ecosphere and ability to transfer to SW RR then I would suggest a Chase Sapphire Preferred at $95 AF which is 3x on dining and travel with pretty decent travel protections, $50 hotel credit if booked through Chase travel portal, and transfers to the following. Pair this with the Chase Freedom Unlimited that has no AF and allows 1.5x on all spend and the Chase Freedom Flex with no AF and has 5x quarterly rotating categories. If you are in fact comfortable with a business card, then the Chase Ink Cash with no AF and earns 5x on Office Supply stores, internet, cable and phone up to $25k annually is a good bet. You can purchase gift cards at office supply stores for other stores/merchants where you shop and are then getting 5x on that spend. If you purchase through the Ultimate rewards portal using those merchant gift cards you can earn extra UR points.






Next up would be the Citi TYP ecosphere. A Citi Double cash card has no AF and effectively earns 2x on spend. Pair that with a Citi Strata card that has the $95 AF to combine points. Double cash points combined are only good for 90 days once you transfer them to the Strata TYP so keep them in the double cash account until you are ready to use them for a transfer. The Strata earns 10x on hotels, cars and attractions booked through Citi travel. It also earns 3x on dining, groceries, gas, EV stations, hotels and air travel. Transfer partners below.



Hope this helps you out with your journey

 

[CyndiLouWho]

App’d DH for CapOne Venture this morning after ‘pre approval’ in website. It went pending, needed ID uploaded, which I did.
Any idea how long before approval confirmed? Also will CapOne expedite cards?

 

[wanderlust7]

Yikes! So when should I PC? in the next 30 days,or wait till the full AF appears?

I think it doesn't matter that much since you'll get a prorated refund. If my guess is right, then you're already paying an AF. Something like $0.26/day.

If you took an upgrade bonus, you'll want to make absolutely sure that it's been over a year since Amex will clawback.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I have almost blown through the SUB for dd's recent CIP (July 4th) -- more expenses than I realized. I can easily cover the $2k MSR for my AmEx HH card and am contemplating applying for another AmEx HH for dd (for a total of 3, maybe 4 FNCs -- if I get 1 from the upgrade from my basic to Aspire). Why is life so expensive? With Hilton adding SLH recently I shouldn't have any issue using 4 FNCs.