I love credit cards so much!

[Lain]

DH ordered himself new glasses from Warby Parker last night on our CIP. So a little bit closer to meeting MSR on our CIP. Never mind that I REPEATEDLY told him last month to look at their glasses and order himself a pair before 2/28 because there was an offer on my Marriott visa for Warby Parker.

I'm thinking we should have our MSR done, or close enough to done, by the end of the month that I can apply for CSR/CSP for him. Need to pull his credit report first and make sure that the CSP is gone from where I accidentally added him as an AU when first starting out. Just to double check, are we still in good shape for using middle names/pet's names/etc. for AU cards? I figure I'll want get an AU on both cards so that I can use it to help meet the MSRs, but didn't know if there was anything in particular I needed to look out for.

The CSR has a $75 AF for each AU so I’d do what others have suggested and request a “replacement card” and have you use that one. A replacement card should have the same number as the first card and your husband’s name on it. You can do the same for the CSP.

The CSP has no fee and a 5k UR bonus for adding an AU, so you should definitely do it, but don’t add each other. Personally, I’m wary of using pet names and middle names to AU accounts, and I’m not entirely convinced it doesn’t have any consequences.

 

[peel]

I love the ballpark there, if you're into baseball. There's also a great little food/bar district around 4th street that we made an evening out of exploring.

We are SO not into sports.
We also don't drink, I'm vegetarian, DH is vegan and currently on a really strict regimen, so it's tough to find friendly food. We sound like such outrageously fun people, don't we?
But I do like exploring, and I'll definitely look at what's around 4th Street, even if it's just to wander. Thanks for the tip!

 

[babyready]

Hi everyone. My CIP should arrive today and I'm brainstorming ways to make MS. I have a Disney trip coming up and need to buy about $1400 worth of gift cards to cover the balance. I just want to make sure I'm not missing a savings opportunity using the CIP for this. In other words, using the CIP for this purchase only benefits me by meeting MS, there's no other way to gain rewards correct? Normally I buy gift cards at a grocery store with my Amex BCP for 6% back.....I hope that was clear, haha

If you order through gyft, you will get 3x back and if you buy Walmart gift cards, you can buy discounted from Sam's, if that is an option for you.

DH ordered himself new glasses from Warby Parker last night on our CIP. So a little bit closer to meeting MSR on our CIP. Never mind that I REPEATEDLY told him last month to look at their glasses and order himself a pair before 2/28 because there was an offer on my Marriott visa for Warby Parker.

I'm thinking we should have our MSR done, or close enough to done, by the end of the month that I can apply for CSR/CSP for him. Need to pull his credit report first and make sure that the CSP is gone from where I accidentally added him as an AU when first starting out. Just to double check, are we still in good shape for using middle names/pet's names/etc. for AU cards? I figure I'll want get an AU on both cards so that I can use it to help meet the MSRs, but didn't know if there was anything in particular I needed to look out for.

Are you talking about AU for CSR and CSP? I do believe that there is a $75 fee for a AU on the CSR, just FYI. Otherwise, I think that you can still use whatever for a AU (pet, etc.)

I upvoted too. Hopefully did it right.



Oh, I’ve got this...@lain will be proud...
CIP codes 3x on gyft. Buy Walmart gift cards (3x) and take to sams for discounted Disney cards.

ETA: checkout thru PayPal on Gyft. And do it ahead...my cards seem to be delayed which is super annoying.


Learning...slowly but surely!

Oh! You beat me to this advice! I have been having lots of trouble with gyft, though. Ugh! They keep refusing my orders for "security reasons" and then telling me there will be an explanation emailed. But not email ever comes. So confusing!

 

[trenty]

Discover IT question: Warehouse Clubs still this quarter - Sams Club thru the Discover site is ongoing 5% bonus...so purchasing an item at Sams Club online should be ? ? ? I did notice an online purchase at Sams was categorized MERCHANDISE, not warehouse club too...anyone have any input or experience? TIA

I noticed that my Costco online purchase was categorized as "Merchandise" and not "Warehouse." I sent Discover a SM and they assured me that the purchase will receive 5% even though it is not categorized as "Warehouse." It is hard to tell with Discover the way they post the points in the account. I wish it were like Chase where you can actually see points earned per transaction.

 

[DisneyMandC]

The CSR has a $75 AF for each AU so I’d do what others have suggested and request a “replacement card” and have you use that one. A replacement card should have the same number as the first card and your husband’s name on it. You can do the same for the CSP.

The CSP has no fee and a 5k UR bonus for adding an AU, so you should definitely do it, but don’t add each other. Personally, I’m wary of using pet names and middle names to AU accounts, and I’m not entirely convinced it doesn’t have any consequences.

I had forgotten about the CSR fee, thanks! I'll definitely do replacement card for that. I don't know what to do about CSP... we don't have kids or anything so I can't add them, and I already have a CSP and don't want to mess up 5/24 status since I'll be going for CIP later this year. Maybe I'll just add DH's CSP to my Apple Pay. Either that or I'll try to time calling them to expedite the cards around the same time they e-mail him that the card is on its way like I did for my Marriott card.

 

[FredtheDuck]

We head out tonight to Cali! I’m having major anxiety over this log flight, past bedtime, with a 2 year old.

DH is taking the boys skiing at big bear lake tomorrow. We are staying in San Bernardino for 2 nights. Any way to get me and dd2 to DL for the day? They will have the rental car to get to the ski place. I didn’t plan ahead on DL because I have no idea how she will be with the time change and all the travel, but I’d like to go if I can. I also see it is supposed to rain though. Of course, I come from “rains more than Seattle nashville” and bring the rain with me to sunny Southern California.

I fly with my toddler quite a bit (including cross-country, our family is all in CA). If yours is anything like mine, she'll sleep in tomorrow and be a little off her regular schedule, but hopefully you've got some time and can let her sleep, then go on your merry way. The bonus is that it means you'll be able to stay out a little later if you decide to go that route. I will warn you that it's a bit of a trek to DLR from San Bernadino, though... so that's something to factor in.

If it were me, I'd totally do it!

 

[Lain]

Hi everyone. My CIP should arrive today and I'm brainstorming ways to make MS. I have a Disney trip coming up and need to buy about $1400 worth of gift cards to cover the balance. I just want to make sure I'm not missing a savings opportunity using the CIP for this. In other words, using the CIP for this purchase only benefits me by meeting MS, there's no other way to gain rewards correct? Normally I buy gift cards at a grocery store with my Amex BCP for 6% back.....I hope that was clear, haha

Travel is 3x with the CIP - so it may actually be more beneficial to pay Disney directly, rather than buying gift cards (unless you can get gas points, discounted Dis Cards etc. that are non-credit card rewards that are better than 3x).

Oh, I’ve got this...@lain will be proud...
CIP codes 3x on gyft. Buy Walmart gift cards (3x) and take to sams for discounted Disney cards.

ETA: checkout thru PayPal on Gyft. And do it ahead...my cards seem to be delayed which is super annoying.


Learning...slowly but surely!

I was just thinking of this @disneymagicgirl! Great advice!

True that the CIP earns 3x UR on travel, so one could charge all expenses to the room, pay off all charges at the hotel to have it code as “travel” and earn 3x.

However, the Gyft gift card app also earns 3x UR on any gift cards purchased using PayPal checkout and the CIP selected as the payment method. Gyft sells Walmart eGift cards. Walmart gift cards can be used at Sam’s Club. Sam’s Club sells Disney Gift Cards at a slight ~4% discount. That’s a little more money you’re saving. [This may or may not be as lucrative as using the BCP for 6% cash back at grocery stores, but you have a MSP to meet on the CIP so this should help get the most value out of that.]

If you need tickets, you could buy them directly from Disney using Disney Gift Cards from above, or you could buy them from Undercover Tourist or Last Minute Travel, which offer a small discount vs the price from Disney, and both code as travel earning 3x UR.

ETA: Didn't see the great advice from @babyready, too, while I was typing this!

 

[FredtheDuck]

We are SO not into sports.
We also don't drink, I'm vegetarian, DH is vegan and currently on a really strict regimen, so it's tough to find friendly food. We sound like such outrageously fun people, don't we?
But I do like exploring, and I'll definitely look at what's around 4th Street, even if it's just to wander. Thanks for the tip!

Oh, then maybe a stroll around Lakewood park and lunch or dinner there? Surprising density of veg/vegan eateries there (no judging here, we were veg/vegan for years and still eat mostly veg), and the park is super pretty.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I had forgotten about the CSR fee, thanks! I'll definitely do replacement card for that. I don't know what to do about CSP... we don't have kids or anything so I can't add them, and I already have a CSP and don't want to mess up 5/24 status since I'll be going for CIP later this year. Maybe I'll just add DH's CSP to my Apple Pay. Either that or I'll try to time calling them to expedite the cards around the same time they e-mail him that the card is on its way like I did for my Marriott card.

I did the middle name trick on a few Chase cards (i.e. if I'm the cardholder add one in MY middle name) and it didn't cause any issues. I plan to do that when I get a CSP later this year to earn the AU points.

 

[peel]

Oh, then maybe a stroll around Lakewood park and lunch or dinner there? Surprising density of veg/vegan eateries there (no judging here, we were veg/vegan for years and still eat mostly veg), and the park is super pretty.

That sounds nice. Wade Memorial Chapel inside Lake View Cemetery is on my list, since I've been dabbling in stained glass recently, and all the chapel windows were designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. I'm looking forward to that. We are going at the beginning of May, so hopefully the weather will be decent enough for some outdoor time. (As I type this on the first day of spring, watching the snow fall and expecting 8-10" of snow later.)

To keep it on topic, I booked my SW flights last night with points and a CP, so taxes and Early Bird were my only out of pocket expenses. And there was a spring sale, so the airfare was lower than when I looked a couple days ago!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Chase Freedom Q1 Question...So I haven't put any spend on either of my Freedom cards this quarter. I see "Apple Pay" is one of the 5% categories...can I just send money to my wife using Apple Pay Cash? I know I'll get hit with 3% fee...so I figured I send $1,456.31 (get hit with a $43.69 fee) and then we put the money into our checking account. For doing this I earn 7,500 URs which is worth a min. of $75 cash and of course I plan to hold on to them and use them towards travel once I have a CSR so that makes them worth $112.50. Basically I can make $68.81 doing this (or alternatively you could say I bought 7,500 URs for $43.69.

Will this work? I'm not really into the whole apple pay, chase pay, etc. world so I didn't want to make a mistake...

 

[1GoldenSun]

I need to get working on the minimum spend for my new CIP. Unfortunately, I used up most of my big purchases on the last two cards, so it may take me the full three months for this one. I need to buy a Florida resident four-day pass for my mom for a trip we're taking in May. Would I be better off buying it directly from Disney--would this be travel and I'd get 3x points?--or should I buy Disney gift cards at Costco to purchase it with? I don't know what the Disney gift card discount is at Costco. I don't even have a Costco membership, but I plan on getting one now that I have the Chase card.

I'm focusing mainly on meeting minimum spends right now but I really need to learn about what cards earn the most rewards in which situations, etc.

 

[1GoldenSun]

What is Chase pay? For that matter, what is Apple pay? When/why would you use these? Seriously, the more I learn on this board the more I realize how much I still need to learn!

 

[vanjust14]

I upvoted too. Hopefully did it right.

Oh, I’ve got this...@lain will be proud...
CIP codes 3x on gyft. Buy Walmart gift cards (3x) and take to sams for discounted Disney cards.

ETA: checkout thru PayPal on Gyft. And do it ahead...my cards seem to be delayed which is super annoying.


Learning...slowly but surely!

Yes! Thanks to @Lain I have been using Gyft to earn 3x on purchases I normally would not have. I just bought a Best Buy Gift card yesterday for an external hard drive I was needing. I do have a lag in approval by a couple of hours though...not sure why.

I was just thinking of this @disneymagicgirl! Great advice!

True that the CIP earns 3x UR on travel, so one could charge all expenses to the room, pay off all charges at the hotel to have it code as “travel” and earn 3x.

However, the Gyft gift card app also earns 3x UR on any gift cards purchased using PayPal checkout and the CIP selected as the payment method. Gyft sells Walmart eGift cards. Walmart gift cards can be used at Sam’s Club. Sam’s Club sells Disney Gift Cards at a slight ~4% discount. That’s a little more money you’re saving. [This may or may not be as lucrative as using the BCP for 6% cash back at grocery stores, but you have a MSP to meet on the CIP so this should help get the most value out of that.]

If you need tickets, you could buy them directly from Disney using Disney Gift Cards from above, or you could buy them from Undercover Tourist or Last Minute Travel, which offer a small discount vs the price from Disney, and both code as travel earning 3x UR.

I purchased my WDW tickets discounted through Undercover Tourist and used my CIP for 3x. When I did the math out, this even beat out buying Disney Gift Cards at BJ's with my DiscoverIt for 5% back ( doubled in the first year).

ETA: I bought my tickets after the price increase but UT was still selling the older price tickets.

Yesterday, we went to Lowes and bought 2 $50 GC on the Amex cards with $10 statement credit offers, then went to Shop Rite and eventually bought a $100 Lowes GC to get the $20 shopping voucher using the Freedom with Chase Pay for 5x. I say eventually because it took 3 people and 2 registers to get Chase Pay to work. To quote Cashier #1, "We take Chase Pay but I've literally never had anyone want to use it", and Cashier #2, "Chase Pay is not normal."
Anyway, $200 of Lowes purchases for $160 plus 500 UR. We need new ceiling fans.

I tried the Starbucks Chase Pay deal for 300 stars and the barista could not figure out how to use Chase Pay at all. She kept scanning my QR code and saying it "wasn't taking it". I eventually gave up and used my Starbucks app as the line was forming behind me.

 

[DisneyMandC]

What is Chase pay? For that matter, what is Apple pay? When/why would you use these? Seriously, the more I learn on this board the more I realize how much I still need to learn!

Chase Pay is an app you have to download and you can link a Chase personal card to. It works at a VERY limited number of places, and even then doesn't always work correctly. I've only used the app twice. It sounds like it has worked fairly well at Best Buy, but I haven't tried mine there. Most cashiers do not know what Chase Pay is our how to use it.

Apple Pay/Samsung Pay is more generic and will be standard on your phone if you have a newer model iPhone or Samsung. You can add your credit card of choice to your wallet in your settings and then hold your phone over certain credit scanners to pay with your credit card on your phone. Sometimes Apple Pay is also available on websites to use (Airbnb is one). They were part of the 5% category this quarter for the Chase Freedom. Unless they are part of a specific deal on one of your credit cards, I don't know of any other reason to use it that would give you any benefit. Other than it's fun to wave your phone around and pay with your fingerprint on the iPhone

 

[Lain]

Oh! You beat me to this advice! I have been having lots of trouble with gyft, though. Ugh! They keep refusing my orders for "security reasons" and then telling me there will be an explanation emailed. But not email ever comes. So confusing!

I had this happen to me frequently when I first started using the app, but cards come almost instantly now and my orders haven't been held for security for a long time. Fingers crossed. Maybe you just need to establish a spending pattern or history?

 

[Judique]

I need to get working on the minimum spend for my new CIP. Unfortunately, I used up most of my big purchases on the last two cards, so it may take me the full three months for this one. I need to buy a Florida resident four-day pass for my mom for a trip we're taking in May. Would I be better off buying it directly from Disney--would this be travel and I'd get 3x points?--or should I buy Disney gift cards at Costco to purchase it with? I don't know what the Disney gift card discount is at Costco. I don't even have a Costco membership, but I plan on getting one now that I have the Chase card.

I'm focusing mainly on meeting minimum spends right now but I really need to learn about what cards earn the most rewards in which situations, etc.

I don't know of any Costco stores that have Disney cards or tickets. Have you seen them in store?

 

[miztressuz]

... (As I type this on the first day of spring, watching the snow fall and expecting 8-10" of snow later.) ...

Yes, what the heck? It was a little incongruous going to Rita's for the First Day of Spring free ice in hoodies and boots to keep off the wintery mix that fell all last night.... on the plus side there was no waiting in line
But really it's putting a crimp on my CC spending, it's hard to have contractors come out to bid on exterior work when it's all covered in snow! I was hoping to have narrowed down the field to a couple and to be a couple credit cards in by now knocking off MSR with the deposits. I'm not even half way through the first one so I'm holding off applying until I know for sure how much more is needed.

Which brings me to a question I've wondered about. The wording on most of the cards is tied to the bonus being earned, like chase's time frame is based on when the bonus is earned not when you applied. If I got the card but failed to earn the bonus, am I good to cancel it and then just try again later? Amex seems a little crazy as I was reading comments from people who were denied bonuses just because they had the card before.. they didn't earn a bonus but somehow where ineligible. Does AmEx have new cardholder (ever) language too?

 

[1GoldenSun]

Other than it's fun to wave your phone around and pay with your fingerprint on the iPhone

Oh that does sound like fun! Magic! Almost like you're not spending any money at all, haha!

 

[1GoldenSun]

I don't know of any Costco stores that have Disney cards or tickets. Have you seen them in store?

Oh I thought that people bought them discounted there. Maybe I'm thinking of somewhere else.