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

[wanderlust7]

AmEx has typically posted the points within a few days of meeting MSR. You'd probably see them within a week but most likely 2-3 days.

Thank you! Since it's fast, think I'll spread out the MSR over 2 billing cycles. Statement close is in 2 weeks, so I'll do half now, then half right after the statement closes.

 

[hsmamato2]

Just checking in during our WDW trip to say to everyone who has a trip coming up bring warm clothes. You don’t want to have to pay Disney prices for clothes that aren’t as warm as ones you could bring from home anyway. Today was better but yesterday morning it was 33 on the temperature and felt like 31. COLD! And it never really warmed up all day. I only have the pair of leggings I wore on the plane and another pair I intended to sleep in. No jeans as my denial ran deep about the weather. Thank goodness the girls have a couple pair of pants. It does seem colder with the humidity. I am taking solace in fact that it is at least better than the 8 inches of snow we had yesterday at home.

The parks have been pretty busy but maybe it is the holiday weekend and will start getting better for you all. A lot of Brazil tourists though and I imagine that is only going to continue.

Sole credit card news is amount still pending not posted on P2’s Arrival Plus and the bonus is already there. So that is nice...one less thing.

been there,done that in the this type of cold before(we went during the legendary year when temps were in the 30's at times) and I noteiced one thing.... a t shirt is pricey in Disney, but a pair of gloves,or socks,or a sweatshirt was ASTRONOMICAL to buy.....they know their market well. I had that 12.00 pair of sweatsocks for YEARS after that....(and this was 10+ years ago!) I learned on that trip to always pack for layers,and warm stuff if needed. For me personally, thin dollar store gloves,a solid warm sweater and light scarf are always packed for wdw....

 

[havaneselover]

So scary! How did they even get my account information? Do these people ever end up getting caught?

I don't know on one but the woman who got my checks last year and wrote over $4000 off my account was caught. I was very proactive about it and worked with local police departments (several involved) and they worked with Target & 7-eleven to get photos of the person passing my checks. She also had my drivers license. Anyway, she was involved in another terrible case (mugging an 80 year old at Kroger) that got a lot of news so they linked her to my crime. But had I not reported the bad checks to the local police departments she probably would not have been charged for using them.

ETA: Thankfully, Target was very understanding when they came after me for writing $4,000 of checks on a closed account. They were never rude to me even though I was basically dealing with collections. My life was a complete nightmare for a while because even after my account was closed by Wells Fargo they kept clearing checks because they had linked my closed account to my new account.

 

[hsmamato2]

For those going to WDW next week, it's snowing at DLP now so at least it's not that cold Plus you've never lived until you've ridden a coaster in sub 30 temps it's way more invigorating. Always fun to go look at the Christmas light display and ride the rides at the local amusement park when it's super cold

oh.... this makes me think of our DL trip a couple of years back in December..... our WoC party night was around 38 degrees...... we must bring it with us I swear!

 

[MrsAlexis]

Just checked CK and my score for Equifax is......not where I want it to be. I am showing 11 inquiries and only 4 will drop off by the END of this year. 2 of the 11 relate to a refi of our mortgage, 3 relate to auto purchase (all dated same day), and 1 relates to bank account opened for a non-profit that I am treasurer for. So 5 are credit card related. How big of an issue is this?

 

[elgerber]

So scary! How did they even get my account information? Do these people ever end up getting caught?

When something happened to me, like 20 years ago, not sure if they did anything or not. But they had all they needed to get her.
I got a call from Wells fraud telling me someone was writing large checks from a stolen checkbook and cashing them through my account. They closed my account (resulting in bounced checks, but that wasn't the biggest deal). This woman used a drivers license every time she ran a stolen check through my account. Wells actually sent me a copy of it. She had gotten a MN drivers license with all of my info, and her photo! They and the police had no idea who she was. I went through my bank history and found a check to local quick Italian place we ate at, hadn't been cashed in the last couple months. I figured someone there pocketed the check to have all of my info. My husband took that drivers license down there, and they recognized her right away and told him she had been fired. They also gave him her name, so we gave that to the police. We did pretty much all their work for them, and I have no idea if they ever actually did anything after that.

 

[Lain]

Wow that's a lot of changes to take in right now, I guess the Marriott T&C fine print won't be the only thing making my head hurt today. Of course, I knew the SPG card would come up before March. Was hoping they'd be a little slower on it since I'm 4/24 until May. If I grab it as my Feb card(instead of a Chase card) that really throws off my modified roadmap... we'll have to move to option D or E and I haven't come up with those yet since Bonvoy has been so all over the place. gah.

But offhand
"SPG Personal spending bonus. For those who opened the SPG Amex before 1/23/19, you can register to earn up to 100,000 bonus points — 25,000 points for every $25,000 you spend on the card, for up to 100,000 points through the end of the year."


Sounded good until you hear you have to spend 100k to make 100k (albeit it's on top of the 200k+ you'd make on the card, but still, hysterical. ) I guess spending has drastically reduced after the program changes and they are desperate to get the numbers back.

I dismissed this right away and debated even highlighting it (certainly didn’t bother bolding it).

You’re right about the devaluation, since base spend on the SPG cards is now only 2 Marriott points when they used to be 1 Starpoint worth 3 Marriott points. So this gimmick promotion looks like it brings base spend back on par with the old bonus structure, but it really doesn’t because you have to spend in $25k increments in order for the extra points to vest; a penny less and no dice.

 

[schmass]

I don't know on one but the woman who got my checks last year and wrote over $4000 off my account was caught. I was very proactive about it and worked with local police departments (several involved) and they worked with Target & 7-eleven to get photos of the person passing my checks. She also had my drivers license. Anyway, she was involved in another terrible case (mugging an 80 year old at Kroger) that got a lot of news so they linked her to my crime. But had I not reported the bad checks to the local police departments she probably would not have been charged for using them.

ETA: Thankfully, Target was very understanding when they came after me for writing $4,000 of checks on a closed account. They were never rude to me even though I was basically dealing with collections. My life was a complete nightmare for a while because even after my account was closed by Wells Fargo they kept clearing checks because they had linked my closed account to my new account.

When something happened to me, like 20 years ago, not sure if they did anything or not. But they had all they needed to get her.
I got a call from Wells fraud telling me someone was writing large checks from a stolen checkbook and cashing them through my account. They closed my account (resulting in bounced checks, but that wasn't the biggest deal). This woman used a drivers license every time she ran a stolen check through my account. Wells actually sent me a copy of it. She had gotten a MN drivers license with all of my info, and her photo! They and the police had no idea who she was. I went through my bank history and found a check to local quick Italian place we ate at, hadn't been cashed in the last couple months. I figured someone there pocketed the check to have all of my info. My husband took that drivers license down there, and they recognized her right away and told him she had been fired. They also gave him her name, so we gave that to the police. We did pretty much all their work for them, and I have no idea if they ever actually did anything after that.

So crazy...

I honestly can't even remember the last time I wrote a check out of my account. Usually when I send a check it comes from Plastiq!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

CIP is 3x on venmo???

Yep, most recent:

 

[hsmamato2]

Marriott Overhauls Cobranded Cards, Last Chance to Grab SPG Amex (or Marriott Biz) - TPG

@Albort alluded to changes coming to the Starriott cards over the weekend, and TPG confirmed major changes to the cards in this article posted today.

Highlights to save you the click (you may want to click anyway as there's a lot of info and new card design art):

• Amex and Chase are announcing updates to their respective lineups of SPG and Marriott cards. New branding is being announced today, but you won’t see it reflected on Amex and Marriott marketing until mid-February. If you’re an existing card holder, you’ll receive the updated cards starting in March.
  
• Cards across both issuers are getting Bonvoy branding and hideous new designs (bonvoy, SPG purple!),
  
• Amex SPG personal card will be closed to new applications after 2/12/19, will become the Marriott Bonvoy Amex. The Marriott Bonvoy Amex will retain its existing perks for card holders who are approved before the 2/12/19 cutoff, and the $95 annual fee remains. SPG Amex cardholders will get a new limited-edition card design, with an abstract, city-inspired motif, by artist Tony “Rubin” Sjöman. This design will be available starting in May, and existing card members will automatically receive the new design at that point.
• SPG Personal spending bonus. For those who opened the SPG Amex before 1/23/19, you can register to earn up to 100,000 bonus points — 25,000 points for every $25,000 you spend on the card, for up to 100,000 points through the end of the year.
  
• Marriott Biz will also be ending applications after 2/12/19. Existing cardholders will keep benefits and the same $99 annual fee. The signup bonus will remain 75,000 Marriott points after $3,000 MSR.
• A new no-fee Marriott Bonvoy card will launch this summer (Chase’s mass consumer card?)
• Marriott Premier Plus card will be rebranded the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card on 2/28/19. Benefits and annual fee to remain the same. New card design.
  
• SPG Lux to be rebranded as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant. New METAL card design. New $100 luxury credit for eligible stays at St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton properties coming to the SPG Lux and Ritz-Carlton cards on 3/28/19. You must book a stay of two nights or longer and use a special rate code to get the credit; room rates are explicitly excluded.
• SPG Biz and Marriott Biz. Addition of the ability to earn a second (35k points) free award night on both business cards after spending $60,000/year. Annual fee increase to $125 on the SPG Biz, which is being rebranded as the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex.
• Limited-time 100,000-point welcome bonuses will be available for the three cards (SPG Lux, SPG Biz, and Marriott Premier Plus) that are remaining open to new applicants beyond February.
• SPG Lux and SPG Biz will have a 100k Marriott points welcome bonus after $5,000 MSR for signups between 2/13/19 to 4/24/19.
• Marriott Premier Plus will have a 100k Marriott points signup bonus after $5,000 MSR starting on 2/28/19.

Key Dates:

• 2/12/19: Last day to sign up for the SPG Amex and the Marriott Biz.
• 2/13/19: Marriott Bonvoy branding officially live; 100k points offers available on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex (SPG Lux) and Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex (SPG Biz) through 4/24/19.
• 2/28/19: 100k points offer available on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card (Marriott Premier Plus) from Chase
• 3/28/19: $100 luxury credit available on Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant (SPG Lux), free night after $60k in spend available on the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex (SPG Biz), Bonvoy Business Amex annual fee increasing to $125
• 4/24/19: 100,000-point offers end on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex (SPG Lux) and Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex (SPG Biz).

Some personal thoughts:

• Obviously, FOMO. We knew when news came out that Chase was getting the mass consumer and premium consumer cards, and Amex was getting the small business and super premium consumer cards in a merged Marriott, that meant the Marriott Biz and SPG Personal would at some point no longer fit in Chase's and Amex's lineup and they'd be discontinued. We now have a date. This is your last chance to get the Marriott Biz or SPG Personal cards before they're gone for good after 2/12/19.
• Remember, effective 8/26/18, new restrictions limit getting Starriott cards across Chase and Amex. You likely have to choose a lane. If you've gotten a Chase Marriott card or bonus in the past 24 months, generally you will be ineligible for Amex's SPG cards, and vice versa. See Navigating Marriott’s Byzantine Credit Card Rules.
• I'm really debating tempting the Amex RATs and having my wife try for the SPG Personal card before 2/12/19. Last chance at an easy(ish) 75k Marriott points and another 35k FN cert eventually. We'll see if she gets a pop up.
• It's not clear from the article, but I'm guessing the SPG Biz AF will remain waived for the first year if you apply before 2/13/19, and the $95 AF may possibly be grandfathered in for the second year and increased to $125 AF after that. But if you apply for the SPG Biz before 2/13/19, then you're taking a smaller welcome offer: 75k Marriott points after $3k MSR. From 2/13/19, the SPG Biz becomes the Bonvoy Biz with a 100k Marriott points offer after $5k MSR, but likely with a $125 AF not waived.

ARGGGGGG classic me..... I just closed the SPG personal ,intending to keep the biz. stupid choice I now see... I'm not paying $125 to keep the biz for a measly 35k night!(stupid stupid) my only question now is do I bother trying for the lux offer which would net me 3 50k nights (in effect) for the 5k spend? is it even worth it? OR should I just cut my losses and focus on Hilton/Hyatt/IHG now?

 

[miztressuz]

Well then. A non-alcoholic mint julep sounds... unappetizing.

This is what I'm thinking too, I must be missing something. AFAIK a mint julep is bourbon with light syrup and mint, without the bourbon it's just sugar water and mint. I guess they substitute iced tea for the bourbon maybe? I could see the appeal for that I guess. But since I usually don't like any of the three original ingredients to start with the only appeal for me is the alcohol anyway, if I'm desperate or being a gracious guest, which is usually the only reason why I drink them now

 

[amalone1013]

Argh Uber, what the heck. Last Uber back to MCO last Monday my balance was $5 short of the ride cost, so I set it to use my CSR. I then tipped $5. For some reason they went back and charged (just yesterday) the tip to my Freedom???? My Freedom is only in there for the Uber cash thing. In Q3 when rideshare was the 5 category we used Lyft because we had a promo for $2 off a bunch of rides.

 

[Albort]

Well, we all thought there was no way Marriott's naming could get even worse than "Bonvoy." We were wrong. Boundless! Brilliant!

I eagerly await until DW and I can apply for the SPG Lux or whatever they call it at that point but we're still a year away.

ironically, i took a survey on this and boundless was my first choice of calling the card. Bonvoy was also one but i put that on the last of few words.

All of this talk about Shake Shack has been debating whether to go there for lunch today to use my Gold credit or still to my original plan to go to Cheesecake Factory on Fri for dessert and cocktail after dinner at PF Chang's with DS since we have our free dessert coupons we need to use.

have u tried using it on grubhub? that opens to a lot of stores. if you dont like it being delivered, i order through yelp.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I don't see a lot of talk about the Costco Citi Visa on this board. Why is that?

No sign up bonus for one thing. But I carry it and use it for gas, unless gas is a CF cat like now. I have had it for years though (back when it was amex), so I didn't mess up my */24 count to get it or anything.

It is also good for extra rebates when you book travel through costco.

 

[punkin]

Did you make other dining purchases. I thought the same thing when I got a $20+ dunkin donuts credit for a $2 purchase, but turns out they combined the credit for 2 other restaurant purchases into one and just labeled the credit as dunkin donuts.

I have to double check, but I think every other credit adds up to 20%. This is the only one.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

OMG someone from my bank just called me and asked if I recently wrote out two large checks from my account. I had no idea what he was talking about and logged into my bank app to see that my account is negative by several hundred dollars! I clicked on the image of the checks and someone actually printed out fake checks and wrote them out. I am seriously freaked out now! Thankfully my bank caught this and contacted me but this is pretty scary.

oh my word. what!? That is terrifying!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

thank you!! I am going to send her this exact map!

quoting myself to say I sent this to my mom:

She replied: "do you have a recent picture of me? You will need it for the missing persons poster."

Poor thing. This trip is completely out of her comfort zone, but she will do anything to be present for her 1st grandbaby's milestones.

 

[miztressuz]

OMG someone from my bank just called me and asked if I recently wrote out two large checks from my account. I had no idea what he was talking about and logged into my bank app to see that my account is negative by several hundred dollars! I clicked on the image of the checks and someone actually printed out fake checks and wrote them out. I am seriously freaked out now! Thankfully my bank caught this and contacted me but this is pretty scary.

This is terrible! I'm so sorry this is happening to you. This happened to my Dad but many years ago and it was such a fight with the bank to have it corrected. But so far it sounds like your bank is on top of this and you may have an easier time now. Unfortunately fraud being so more frequent now I actually think it's easier to correct now than before with banks being more flexible. When it happened to my Dad it was suspected to be an inside job, like someone from the bank possibly giving out or selling account details, but I forget all the whys to how it pointed to that. However, the bank pushed back during the investigation and wanted to make it sound like it was my Dad's fault all these fake checks were getting cashed, to the point where I think he went into the bank with all his checkbooks to show he has all his stuff and nothing was lost or stolen! And it wasn't just a couple checks, the bank kept cashing the fake ones after it was reported that they were fake and the account was supposed to have been closed down. It was insane but eventually they put it all to rights.

I hope everything goes smoothly for you getting your cash back. Just confirms for me my pseudo strategy of not keeping money in my checking accounts is still a good idea. That is a scary situation.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

@wendow or @amalone1013 and whomever else is a colorado person...

any ideas how to save on breck lift tickets? Does costco carry the GC in your local stores or any other ideas?

 

[liloca]

Well since I am 12 pages behind at 3pm

DD GOT HER DCP ASSIGNMENT!!!!! She is working at Tomorrowland terrace...which I think means lots of dessert parties. Can you imagine looking up at the fireworks from your job!? What? Dream come true!

That is amazing!!!! So cool!