I love credit cards so much!

[peel]

This thread is hoppin’! I’ve been so busy in the last week, I’ve been checking and keeping up but not joining in as much as I would have liked.

Here’s my latest points win:
DH and I are going down to WDW with DM, and my mother snores. LOUD. When I go with her and share a room I don’t sleep. So two rooms it is.

Hotel: We decided we were comfortable using 60K UR for hotel costs, and I was able to book two rooms at AS Sports through the Chase portal for 58K points. Not my favorite hotel choice, but we wanted to cover DM's room and be on-site, so this was our only option.
Flights: SW covered by RR miles and a companion pass. DM has her own RR miles, so she’s flying for free, too.
Tickets: Going to get Disney GC at Walmart with the Freedom for 5x UR, and use those to purchase park tickets.
Meals: Covered by DM in return for getting her room for nothing.

After booking everything, we found out that a band we really like is playing an anniversary show in Athens, GA at the legendary 40 Watt the day after we leave FL. So I modified DH and my flights to fly into ATL instead of home so we could be in Athens for a couple of days, then booked one way flights from ATL home.

Flights: SW with RR and companion pass.
Rental Car: Booked National through Chase portal for 5K UR, and with CSR will have Executive status.
Hotels: One night near the airport with Hilton points, and one night in Athens with Hilton points (free breakfast both days).
OOP Costs: $30 for concert tickets and a few cheap meals.

Not as glamorous as an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora! But our aim is to do things we want to do without spending much money, and we're huge live music fans.

 

[havaneselover]

I just bought my first couple Gift of College gift cards yesterday and everything went smoothly. The hardest part was finding them in stock. I profited $38 from contributing $1000 into DD's 529 account, by using my AX BCP to buy 2 x $500 VGC at the grocery store and then using the VGC to buy the GoC cards ($60 cash back minus all the card purchase fees). I don't always have a lot of leftover spend in the 6% cb grocery category, but with that category showing up in Chase Freedom 5x and my getting groceries from Costco, I have more to spend before reaching my $6000 annual cap. I certainly want to maximize my highest cash back category. Speaking of which, DoC notes today that Kroger stores have a $5 off a $50 VGC/MCGC digital coupon on Sat. 11/11 ONLY (log into your Kroger loyalty account to load the coupon), redeemable up to 5 times in one transaction. And also Office Depot/Max $15 off of $300 VGC from 11/19-11/25 --- awesome for 5x on Ink (I have Ink Cash).

I've also been on a crazy rampage with Discover Savings account bonuses. If all goes well (fingers crossed) I'll get $1200 by 12/1. If all doesn't go well, then at least I parked money in higher yielding accounts. My unicorn would be high yield savings linked to an investment account with low trading fees. Has anyone seen my unicorn?

Where did you buy the gift of college gift cards?

 

[platamama]

I ended up buying them at a Babies R Us. Nationally, they're carried at TRU/BRU, with some Best Buys rumored to carry them (not the ones I visited though, sadly, bc I was hoping to use my AMEX Best Buy offer), and apparently HEB in TX (not where I live, but a great score for someone with a BCP card). FrequentMiler has more detailed posts on GoC cards.

 

[havaneselover]

I ended up buying them at a Babies R Us. Nationally, they're carried at TRU/BRU, with some Best Buys rumored to carry them (not the ones I visited though, sadly, bc I was hoping to use my AMEX Best Buy offer), and apparently HEB in TX (not where I live, but a great score for someone with a BCP card). FrequentMiler has more detailed posts on GoC cards.

Thank you! I've been looking for them at BB since you would earn Rewards Points with them but haven't seen them there yet.

ETA: I do need Marriott points, so maybe I should just start buying mine at TRU using my SPG Amex.

 

[wendow]

I forgot not all states allow PNC. You can fund a BMO account for 1000 with a credit card and can open one every 30 days I think. I haven’t done that yet, but it’s on my list for my next card.

BMO is not in my state either! Hard to find bank bonuses that are available to the western states. I think I definitely need to move!

 

[LynnTH]

My question is, should I apply for the SPG Amex at the same time as the CIP (March) so I can bank 25k Starwood points which would give me about 2-3 nights at the Delfina hotel in Santa Monica (provided they still have points rooms available in June -- my trip is Aug 20.)

Another option is to get the SPG Amex Business. I did this for DH (and I will be getting it also). Their Business cards don't show up on your credit report and therefore do not affect 5/24.

 

[vanjust14]

I transferred money from my capital one account instead of doing direct deposit and got the pnc bonus.

Depending on the bank certain bank transfers will work. Doctor of Credit usually has good datapoints for what works. Savings accounts often have no direct deposit. I opened a discover account for $200 by depositing 20k. They also have $150 for 15k. You can take the money out right away. I waited about a week though.

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately my state isn't on the PNC list. I will check out Doctor of Credit for datapoints, thanks!

 

[Lain]

I decided to reactivate my SPG account. I had a long conversation with someone in customer service and without asking at the end of the call she made me a gold member! She also encouraged me to apply for the SPG Amex, but I am not going to depart from the plan of CSR / CSP application for husband in Dec. Then in March the CIP for myself.

My question is, should I apply for the SPG Amex at the same time as the CIP (March) so I can bank 25k Starwood points which would give me about 2-3 nights at the Delfina hotel in Santa Monica (provided they still have points rooms available in June -- my trip is Aug 20.)

Thanks as always for your advice!

PS: I was also encouraged heavily to get the Amex Charge card for ongoing Hilton Honors gold status, as well as SPG Gold status and $200 travel credit, 60k membership rewards points, lounge access -- this looks redundant with the CSR card.

Have you ever held an Amex SPG personal or business card? Amex Card bonuses are generally limited to once per lifetime per card, so if you’ve had these cards before or currently have them, you likely won’t get a bonus from opening them again.

If you’ve never had and don’t have an Amex SPG personal or business card, you may want to consider waiting for a historically high offer because, as I mentioned above, Amex generally limits signup bonuses to once per lifetime per card, so if you sign up for one of these cards at their current offer, you’re foreclosing yourself from getting a higher offer later. Amex doesn’t match better offers after you’ve signed up, but they may give you courtesy points to make up some of the difference.

The Amex SPG personal and business cards both have public offers of only 25,000 Starpoints right now. The historical highs for these cards are 35,000 Starpoints. Unfortunately, you just missed the 35,000 Starpoints offer on the SPG business card that ended on 11/1/17, which carried a combined $10,000 minimum spend in 6 months. I believe you can try to get yourself targeted for a 30,000 Starpoints offer on the SPG personal card right now. Even though the SPG personal offers a potentially higher bonus if you can get targeted, I would not apply for the SPG personal if you want to still focus on Chase cards because the SPG personal will show up on your credit report in about 2 months and add to your 5/24 count.

Another option is to get the SPG Amex Business. I did this for DH (and I will be getting it also). Their Business cards don't show up on your credit report and therefore do not affect 5/24.

@LynnTH is right, if you really really want those Starpoints, but don’t want to add to your 5/24 count with Chase, go for the SPG business because Amex business cards will not appear on your personal credit report and won’t count against a 5/24 slot with Chase.

Another option is to go for the 125,000 [CORRECTION: 120,000] points Marriott Rewards card from Chase. This offer just came out yesterday. This is a Chase Visa card subject to 5/24 (so you have to be under 5/24 to be approved) and will count against a 5/24 slot. (So consider how many slots you’ll have left for the CIP. You have to be under 5/24 to be approved for the CIP, but the CIP won’t add to your 5/24 count. So decide whether you should apply for the Marriott offer before or after you get the CIP.) Marriott points can be transferred to SPG at a 3:1 ratio. The Marriott card carries a $12,000 minimum spending requirement, so with 125,000 [correction: 120,000] bonus points and 12,000 points from spending, that’s 137,000 [correction: 132,000] Marriott points or 45,666 [correction 44,000] Starpoints.

Note that the future of the Marriott and SPG rewards programs is up in the air due to the Marriott and SPG merger, and it’s expected that at some point they’ll be combined into one program.

 

[Albort]

In the midst of planning my trip to LA / DLR in August. I was encouraged to look into AirBnB instead of hotels for the LA portion. After much thought and research I have decided just as I have never been a B and B type person (I love big, nice hotels with poolside bars, etc., rather than the quaint inn type places) and I am really not a home rental person either. I like the amenities of nice hotels. Therefore, I am looking at a couple of hotels on the beach in Santa Monica. One of them is the Delfina (Starwood) so I decided to reactivate my SPG account. I had a long conversation with someone in customer service and without asking at the end of the call she made me a gold member! She also encouraged me to apply for the SPG Amex, but I am not going to depart from the plan of CSR / CSP application for husband in Dec. Then in March the CIP for myself.

One thing thats concerns me is will you be able to make all those minimums at once? I know you have an 18k bill but they dont take CCs... ur looking at like 11k to make in 3 months with CSR/CSP and Amex SPG.

BMO is not in my state either! Hard to find bank bonuses that are available to the western states. I think I definitely need to move!

im in the same boat as you. i did do one called Consumer Credit Union. it was $1000 with CC and after 12 transactions, it gives u a 3% interest rate. not bad!

 

[jhoannam]

My question is, should I apply for the SPG Amex at the same time as the CIP (March) so I can bank 25k Starwood points which would give me about 2-3 nights at the Delfina hotel in Santa Monica (provided they still have points rooms available in June -- my trip is Aug 20.)

Another option is to get the SPG Amex Business. I did this for DH (and I will be getting it also). Their Business cards don't show up on your credit report and therefore do not affect 5/24.

As long as you can meet the minimum spend I don't see why not. I think you need to apply for the CIP first.

 

[wendow]

My question is, should I apply for the SPG Amex at the same time as the CIP (March) so I can bank 25k Starwood points which would give me about 2-3 nights at the Delfina hotel in Santa Monica (provided they still have points rooms available in June -- my trip is Aug 20.)

Another option is to get the SPG Amex Business. I did this for DH (and I will be getting it also). Their Business cards don't show up on your credit report and therefore do not affect 5/24.

Where are you at with 5/24?

 

[Happy_2_B]

deleted for content

 

[kayteekt]

@kayteekt Any word on your dh and his CIP?

We called, it went through! Yay! Will wait a few weeks I think on the other two...I need to look over the spend requirements.

 

[wendow]

We called, it went through! Yay! Will wait a few weeks I think on the other two...I need to look over the spend requirements.

Yay!!! Congrats Yeah, between the 5k for dh's CIP and the 8k combined for the CSR/CSP, that is a lot of spend!

 

[Lain]

We called, it went through! Yay! Will wait a few weeks I think on the other two...I need to look over the spend requirements.

Congratulations!!! I love reading about CIP approvals!

 

[Lain]

Who's up for travel hacking a trip to Puerto Rico in January 2019 to see Lin-Manuel Miranda reprise his role as Hamilton?

https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/928280307438153728

 

[mefordis]

One thing thats concerns me is will you be able to make all those minimums at once? I know you have an 18k bill but they dont take CCs... ur looking at like 11k to make in 3 months with CSR/CSP and Amex SPG.



im in the same boat as you. i did do one called Consumer Credit Union. it was $1000 with CC and after 12 transactions, it gives u a 3% interest rate. not bad!

The 18k landscaping job was over the summer so that is completely paid for and history at this point. Lesson learned. So, as far as spending to make my minimums I'm looking at:

Nov - Jan: United Explorer 2k
Dec - Feb: CSR 4k
Dec - Feb: CSP 4k

This will take careful attention to accomplish. I'm going to switch my auto pay to my CSR for everything I auto pay (gymnastics, activities, Verizon) Unfortunately my husband's parking garage only takes checks! That's $395 per month. That hurts!

Looking this min spend goal over, I won't get another card until March, when my min spends above are met.

 

[Lain]

Unfortunately my husband's parking garage only takes checks! That's $395 per month. That hurts!

Plastiq.

 

[mefordis]

Plastiq.

I"m going to look into this tonight! As always, thank you so much!

 

[Albort]

JetBlue just came out with a 60k...

oh man, its like christmas!