I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[Psychodisney]

About to purchase UT 5dPH before their price catches up with Disney’s increase. Does UT code as travel for the CIP? Any other tipster? Should I get the hard ticket or the eticket?

UT has coded as travel for me in the past! I prefer a hard ticket...just in case and especially if you aren't using magic bands.

 

[miztressuz]

I've never applied for an Amex for him, but I just checked Credit Karma for my account and it appears that Amex must pull Experian for me, because neither of my Amex cards show up under Equifax or Transunion. Chase exclusively pulls Equifax for us. So I'm thinking we should be good to go so long as it stays the same?

AmEx doesn't do a lot of HPs, especially if you're an existing customer, they SP you a lot and usually rely on that. So you might not be seeing them because they just don't exist either. For a new customer it's hit or miss, there were reports of getting the SPG cards without a HP even if it was first card. So you could luck out or even if they do the HP, I don't think Chase is that inquiry sensitive that one would matter.

 

[ski_mom]

I just logged into DH's Chase business account and his 2nd CIP is showing and they did lower the credit limit on it. He only got a $5,000 credit limit. I'm planning on using it as soon as we receive it to pay a $4,000 medical bill, so I'll probably log in to pay it off after it posts, so there's enough room to continue working toward the $5,000 minimum spend.

 

[wendow]

Initially, I read "Booking fees will be replaced" and thought "oh good," because those tend to be $3.49 to $4.99 here. To avoid the fee, I usually won't order unless Uber runs some kind of promo that waives the fee or gives me some $ off delivery (which are frequent enough), or I'll order from restaurants that aren't charging the fee because I'll be sharing a driver. Then I read "15% [service fee] of an order’s subtotal and then additional delivery fees on top of that," and I started doing some math in my head. If I order anything more than $33, the 15% service fee is worse than the $4.99 that Uber already charges, and that's not counting the additional delivery fee. These fees cut into the value of the Amex Platinum's Uber credit. Because if you're paying $5+ in fees on a $15/month credit, that leaves you maybe $10 worth of food. I don't know about elsewhere, but it's hard to find a decent bite to eat from UberEats in SF for $10. And let's not forget tipping your driver, which a lot of people will feel pressed to do on top of all these fees (I mean, am I wrong to wonder if either the "service" fee of 15% -- the same as many tip -- or the "delivery" fee goes to the driver, or is Uber just making up all these fees to pad their bottom line ahead of their IPO?). I'll be waiting for more promos before using my credits, thank you.

Our delivery fees are $5.99-8.49 around me. Crazy how when I got my plat last oct and started ordering from Uber for the first time, I had a few places with no fee and a few for 1.99. Now they go up AGAIN??? Plus a service fee? I’ll be waiting for a promo too.

I think they're usually available to be activated on the 15th, but I thought they usually were released a couple days beforehand. Actually, I thought we had usually gotten them by now...

Now that you say that, it does seem we typically know them a few days before the 15th.

 

[wendow]

About to purchase UT 5dPH before their price catches up with Disney’s increase. Does UT code as travel for the CIP? Any other tipster? Should I get the hard ticket or the eticket?

They do code as travel. I bought hard tickets but wishing I’d done e tix. Two different purchases. For some reason they shipped one needing a signature. I didn’t know so we werent here when the mail carrier tried to deliver. We set up redelivery for this past Monday. Never came nor on Tuesday. Went in the system last night and it says the package doesn’t exist. So now I’ve got to deal with that. Other set of tix said 7 biz days. That is today. We have a blizzard today so no mail. But hopefully those arrive okay. I will only buy E tix from now on. Get a number, link to our MDE and done.

 

[DisneyMandC]

AmEx doesn't do a lot of HPs, especially if you're an existing customer, they SP you a lot and usually rely on that. So you might not be seeing them because they just don't exist either. For a new customer it's hit or miss, there were reports of getting the SPG cards without a HP even if it was first card. So you could luck out or even if they do the HP, I don't think Chase is that inquiry sensitive that one would matter.

Thanks!! My Hilton Biz was my first Amex card last May, so I figure I probably have a HP somewhere. DH has had an Amex since either 2011 or 2012 though, so maybe he won't get one for Bonvoy Biz (man I hate that name). I'll probably apply for both in two weeks just to put a little more distance in there on the CIP for my own peace of mind.

I feel like I'm about to have a couple MSR heavy months. Still have about $1500 on Citi AA Biz and $2500 left on Hyatt to finish, but I have ample time left to meet both MSRs (unti August for Hyatt!). I'll make a $2500 payment towards WDW when I get the CIP. I'll have a large Marriott reservation to make on the Bonvoy for a work trip. I actually hope this Freedom quarter isn't great for us so I won't use it much lol.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Gah! I can't keep up. But I do read the recaps. I saw people are getting higher offers on the Delta Gold by referring themselves. So that begs the question. Can I generate a referral link, close my Delta personal Gold, and then use the link for the biz? I know my personal then loses the referral though. UGH! Why does Amex only let you have 5 cards! And why must all 5 of my slots be taken? I don't want to close out the personal Hilton Ascend card as I'm grandfathered into the free night every year (no spend req). But that one is just sitting there unused because I have the Aspire (for now).

 

[1st*toright]

Just reduced my CLs on my chase Biz cards - going to give it a couple of days and go for CIP #2 for me. Clincher was that we found out yesterday that our cheap, convenient and awesome summer day camp won't be running this summer - the building is going to be renovated, and they won't be able to find an alternate space and get it certified quickly enough to have a program this summer. So, I'm going to spend 3x as much on summer camp as I had planned. Will kill the last of the MSR on DH's United Biz by the end of this week!

The lesson here is that I should always over budget for summer camp - either something cool will pop up at the last minute (like a program I'm considering telling my older one about that seems awesome but super $$$$), or our plans get changed and we have to spend more money! I hate moving funds from my "savings" line to an "expense" line (I get less cranky when I know how money is getting spent when it comes in - if I think its adding to my savings bucket, I want it to stay that way!).

 

[GZanta77]

Gah! I can't keep up. But I do read the recaps. I saw people are getting higher offers on the Delta Gold by referring themselves. So that begs the question. Can I generate a referral link, close my Delta personal Gold, and then use the link for the biz? I know my personal then loses the referral though. UGH! Why does Amex only let you have 5 cards! And why must all 5 of my slots be taken? I don't want to close out the personal Hilton Ascend card as I'm grandfathered into the free night every year (no spend req). But that one is just sitting there unused because I have the Aspire (for now).

I feel your pain on the Amex 5 credit card rule. I am at the max, and need to close something - problem is that the only card I don't want at the moment is my oldest credit card - which I don't really want to close for aging purposes. Think I'm going to have to bite the bullet on that one though and take the hit to my score.

 

[platamama]

I took the $100 Kroger GC I bought at Lowe's this weekend with the 10% back Amex deal to Kroger this morning for the 4x fuel points promo. Picked up a $100 Disney GC at self-checkout with no issues at all! Other than what DH buys in plants for spring planting, I'll definitely be maxing my Lowe's offers on two cards this way. Even if using a Kroger GC dies, I shop there anyways so it's no loss to me just to use the GCs to purchase regular groceries. Really glad someone mentioned this!

My local Kroger store used to allow that but that method died off around 4 years ago here. I'm surprised yours still does that, and makes me wonder if Kroger went back to allowing it? Guess I'll have to do my own experiment. Maybe it's the self-checkout that's the key. I do love buying variable vgcs through the self-checkout (after learning that I can mute the speaker so that it's not announcing that I'm buying a $500 gc!).

 

[miztressuz]

Thanks!! My Hilton Biz was my first Amex card last May, so I figure I probably have a HP somewhere. DH has had an Amex since either 2011 or 2012 though, so maybe he won't get one for Bonvoy Biz (man I hate that name). I'll probably apply for both in two weeks just to put a little more distance in there on the CIP for my own peace of mind.

I feel like I'm about to have a couple MSR heavy months. Still have about $1500 on Citi AA Biz and $2500 left on Hyatt to finish, but I have ample time left to meet both MSRs (unti August for Hyatt!). I'll make a $2500 payment towards WDW when I get the CIP. I'll have a large Marriott reservation to make on the Bonvoy for a work trip. I actually hope this Freedom quarter isn't great for us so I won't use it much lol.

I think it's highly unlikely that he'll get a HP then. It was well over 10 years since the last AmEx card app when I went for the SPG Biz last year and no HP. Same for hubby, he had an even longer time between AmEx apps and no HP on any of his 3 cards last year. But can't hurt to stagger it a little either. Good luck with all that!

 

[DisneyMandC]

My local Kroger store used to allow that but that method died off around 4 years ago here. I'm surprised yours still does that, and makes me wonder if Kroger went back to allowing it? Guess I'll have to do my own experiment. Maybe it's the self-checkout that's the key. I do love buying variable vgcs through the self-checkout (after learning that I can mute the speaker so that it's not announcing that I'm buying a $500 gc!).

It's funny you mention the speaker because I went to Kroger at 7:45 this morning and was the only person in self-checkout with one attendant nearby. I swear that speaker was on FULL VOLUME and loudly announced that I was purchasing a $100 GC. I actually though to myself that it didn't seem safe to have it that loud announcing it to everyone- what if somebody wanted to rob you on the way out the store? But anyways, I missed the fact that it said "gift card" under the "Card" option, so I selected the "Other" option and then had to have the attendant come over. I told her I had a GC to use and she gave me a look like I was kind of dumb for not seeing the GC option under Card. Oh well though, it worked and she didn't say anything about it!

 

[havaneselover]

My local Kroger store used to allow that but that method died off around 4 years ago here. I'm surprised yours still does that, and makes me wonder if Kroger went back to allowing it? Guess I'll have to do my own experiment. Maybe it's the self-checkout that's the key. I do love buying variable vgcs through the self-checkout (after learning that I can mute the speaker so that it's not announcing that I'm buying a $500 gc!).

Ours did to then stopped (at least I was told it wasn't allowed--I'm not sure I ever tried after I was told it was no longer permitted) and allows it again. I know they changed their systems over about a year ago (the computer at self checkout is different).

 

[Oscar Madison]

I took the $100 Kroger GC I bought at Lowe's this weekend with the 10% back Amex deal to Kroger this morning for the 4x fuel points promo. Picked up a $100 Disney GC at self-checkout with no issues at all! Other than what DH buys in plants for spring planting, I'll definitely be maxing my Lowe's offers on two cards this way. Even if using a Kroger GC dies, I shop there anyways so it's no loss to me just to use the GCs to purchase regular groceries. Really glad someone mentioned this!

Just so I'm clear, even though the Lowe's offer says no gift cards, it still triggers for AMEX? And then turning that Kroger GC into a Disney Gc at self checkout triggers the 4X fuel rewards?

 

[Happy814]

I took the $100 Kroger GC I bought at Lowe's this weekend with the 10% back Amex deal to Kroger this morning for the 4x fuel points promo. Picked up a $100 Disney GC at self-checkout with no issues at all! Other than what DH buys in plants for spring planting, I'll definitely be maxing my Lowe's offers on two cards this way. Even if using a Kroger GC dies, I shop there anyways so it's no loss to me just to use the GCs to purchase regular groceries. Really glad someone mentioned this!

FOMO I need an AMEX.

If my math is right, that's a 24% savings!!

 

[amalone1013]

My local Kroger store used to allow that but that method died off around 4 years ago here. I'm surprised yours still does that, and makes me wonder if Kroger went back to allowing it? Guess I'll have to do my own experiment. Maybe it's the self-checkout that's the key. I do love buying variable vgcs through the self-checkout (after learning that I can mute the speaker so that it's not announcing that I'm buying a $500 gc!).

OMG YOU CAN MUTE THE SPEAKER???? I hate that so much. Please mug me!
I might try this, or like a small Disney GC with the $2 Kroger GC I have, just to see. You're CO area right? I have trouble keeping track; I'm no @Lain.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Just so I'm clear, even though the Lowe's offer says no gift cards, it still triggers for AMEX? And then turning that Kroger GC into a Disney Gc at self checkout triggers the 4X fuel rewards?

Yup, my $10 back already posted.

 

[amalone1013]

Just so I'm clear, even though the Lowe's offer says no gift cards, it still triggers for AMEX? And then turning that Kroger GC into a Disney Gc at self checkout triggers the 4X fuel rewards?

We bought lots of Kroger GCs last fall when this offer was around. This time we used it all on VGCs at Lowe's, all credits have posted already.

 

[DisneyMandC]

FOMO I need an AMEX.

If my math is right, that's a 24% savings!!

I'm never able to max the fuel amount, though I do have a 5 gallon gas can I could bring next time I fill up since we're getting close to gas cutting season. But either way, I routinely put 16 gallons of gas in my car so at .40 cents off a gallon (for a $100 GC purchase), that's $6.40 in fuel savings, plus the $10 back, so I figure I'm getting 16.6% savings which I'm still very happy with

 

[platamama]

OMG YOU CAN MUTE THE SPEAKER???? I hate that so much. Please mug me!
I might try this, or like a small Disney GC with the $2 Kroger GC I have, just to see. You're CO area right? I have trouble keeping track; I'm no @Lain.

Yep, in CO. When you go through self-checkout, and start your purchase, you should see an icon in the lower right hand corner for the speaker/volume (2nd one in from the right side?). Touch it once or twice to mute the speaker (you'll see the icon change each time you touch it to indicate the new volume setting). Please share how it goes for you!