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I love credit cards so much! v4.0 - 2021 (see first page for add'l details)

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staceychev said:
Hi everyone - I wanted to introduce myself. I've just started reading through this thread. I'm eager to start maximizing using credit cards for benefit. I spent much of my life with credit card debt - and am still paying it off on some cards - but with the help of YNAB, have spent the last year and a half using my Chase Disney card to earn points for a trip. We're taking a trip to Disneyworld in the fall this year, and I think that in a couple of months I'm going to stop using my Disney card and start focusing on something else. I'd like to take a summer trip to Europe in 2023 to celebrate my oldest daughter's HS graduation. If at all possible, a trip out west would be great, too, but there's nothing in the works.

Recent cards -
01/21 - Citi Double Cash (for a balance transfer)

That's the only recent card, but I have -
Chase Freedom, Chase Disney, Chase Amazon, Amex Everyday - pay the balance monthly
BoA, Discover - still paying off the debt
  • What amount of spend would you put on a card monthly (i.e. groceries, gas, insurance, cable, cell phone, other expenses)? - minimum $2000, some months as high as $3000 or $3500
  • Do you currently payoff your CCs in full every month or do you carry any balances/pay any interest? - some of each - see above
  • What airport(s) do you typically fly out of? - PHL for domestic, EWR/JFK for international
  • Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? - I currently have miles with American
  • Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport? - yes
  • Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? - no
  • Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? (if so, which programs and how much) - 472 Chase Disney, 423 Amex
  • What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? (i.e. Disney World Trip, Cruise, European Trip, Cash Back to pay-off a mortgage or student loans, etc. - you can have multiple goals too!) - European trip
  • When do you plan to take these trips? (Keep in mind that it can be difficult to earn points/miles to cover imminent travel...it's best to plan far in advance, especially with regards to international travel) - 2023
  • Who does your travel party consist of? (Spouse, Kids (& ages), other relatives/friends) - spouse and two daughters - in 2023, they will be 18 and 13
Click to expand...
Since you already have some of the no AF feeder cards, I would look into the higher end of travel cards, either the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Gold. Unless you travel a lot, then possibly the Platinum. If you already have 423k MR from the Everyday I would focus there. Personally I think the Gold has a better earning structure, but the Platinum has some nice perks if you travel a lot.
 
EACarlson said:
Since you already have some of the no AF feeder cards, I would look into the higher end of travel cards, either the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Gold. Unless you travel a lot, then possibly the Platinum. If you already have 423k MR from the Everyday I would focus there. Personally I think the Gold has a better earning structure, but the Platinum has some nice perks if you travel a lot.
Click to expand...
Thanks - I don't travel a ton.
So - do I contact Amex and say I want to upgrade my Everyday to a Gold? Or do I apply for a Gold separately?
 
wanderlust7 said:
Here's a chart if you want other ideas:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/hand...y-which-cards-can-be-used-for-which-payments/
I think the categories are still current, but the fee has gone up to 2.85%. Chase is making changes to their terms for what will be treated as a cash advance. I don't think we know yet if Plastiq will be affected. Seems people are getting different effective dates (maybe depends on the card?), ranging from late March to mid April. I don't plan to make payments after late March until I know how this will shake out.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Looks like I can try HOA payments, so I will look into that as we have rather large fees being in a townhome.
 
@staceychev you would apply for a new card for the sign up bonus, that is where the majority of us obtain our points. The sign up bonuses tend to be the most lucrative. To clarify have you only applied for 1 card in the last 24 months? That would make you 1/24, this number is important for chase. Chase will not approve you unless you are under 5/24. Amex typically is easier to get approvals early on, but then wants to see ongoing spend, otherwise you may end up in a situation where they will approve you but not with a sign on bonus (something referred to as pop up). Given the Chase rule typically we steer new people to start with chase. I know others on our thread have churned with credit card debt and they may have some additional pointers. Paying interest on credit card debt can negate the positives of earning credit card rewards.

I would stick around and continue to read before you apply for a card. Coming up with a plan for applications for the next year would be helpful. Also doing some research in what currency will be most beneficial for your travel plans. A good start is going through your cards and start using cards that get the best return for your type of spend (like the 5% categories for freedom and discover).
 


GusGus16 said:
Chase will not approve you unless you are under 5/24. Amex typically is easier to get approvals early on, but then wants to see ongoing spend, otherwise you may end up in a situation where they will approve you but not with a sign on bonus (something referred to as pop up). Given the Chase rule typically we steer new people to start with chase. I know others on our thread have churned with credit card debt and they may have some additional pointers. Paying interest on credit card debt can negate the positives of earning credit card rewards.
Click to expand...
I've moved all of our debt to our lowest interest rate cards. I put anything that I'd buy anyway (utilities, groceries, gas) on credit cards that earn points. I'm not a big spender because of trying to pay down the debt, but we still spend a good deal every month because we live in a somewhat high COL area. If I only I could pay my mortgage on a credit card!

GusGus16 said:
I would stick around and continue to read before you apply for a card. Coming up with a plan for applications for the next year would be helpful. Also doing some research in what currency will be most beneficial for your travel plans. A good start is going through your cards and start using cards that get the best return for your type of spend (like the 5% categories for freedom and discover).
Click to expand...
Definitely planning to read and strategize before applying for anything. Thank you for your response!
 
So I’m still trying to decide whether or not to go for the 90,000MR offer for gold biz for DH. It’s just that $295 AF that’s holding me back. It’s hard to pass up the offer though. I feel like he should take advantage of it while he can because you never in now when you’ll end up in Amex pop up jail. Anyone have thought on the best way to cover or recoup some of that AF? The benefits just don’t seem that strong and now that Amex offers are limited to one card per account there’s not necessarily a benefit to having so many cards.
 
Minnie368 said:
So I’m still trying to decide whether or not to go for the 90,000MR offer for gold biz for DH. It’s just that $295 AF that’s holding me back. It’s hard to pass up the offer though. I feel like he should take advantage of it while he can because you never in now when you’ll end up in Amex pop up jail. Anyone have thought on the best way to cover or recoup some of that AF? The benefits just don’t seem that strong and now that Amex offers are limited to one card per account there’s not necessarily a benefit to having so many cards.
Click to expand...

I decided to go for it this morning when the offer appeared upon logging in to my account - instant approval. :) I am in a situation where I need to lay off personal cards (and Chase) for a bit so this offer with minimum $900 value for $295 seems good enough in itself without needing further justification. I also have some medical bills and property taxes to pay which sadly makes hitting the 10k MSR relatively easy.

Also, whilst it is true that Amex offers are limited to one redemption per person, it is also true that not all cards get the same offers all the time.
 


GZanta77 said:
I decided to go for it this morning when the offer appeared upon logging in to my account - instant approval. :) I am in a situation where I need to lay off personal cards (and Chase) for a bit so this offer with minimum $900 value for $295 seems good enough in itself without needing further justification. I also have some medical bills and property taxes to pay which sadly makes hitting the 10k MSR relatively easy.

Also, whilst it is true that Amex offers are limited to one redemption per person, it is also true that not all cards get the same offers all the time.
Click to expand...
Congrats! It’s a hefty MSR but since you’re able to hit it, I think this is a great move!!
 
staceychev said:
Thanks - I don't travel a ton.
So - do I contact Amex and say I want to upgrade my Everyday to a Gold? Or do I apply for a Gold separately?
Click to expand...
It would have to be a new application. You are not allowed to PC a credit card to a charge card. I used my SUB from my Gold to get my family of 4 flights to WDW last year. I now have enough to get my wife and I to Paris whenever that becomes a viable option again.
 
staceychev said:
Hi everyone - I wanted to introduce myself. I've just started reading through this thread. I'm eager to start maximizing using credit cards for benefit. I spent much of my life with credit card debt - and am still paying it off on some cards - but with the help of YNAB, have spent the last year and a half using my Chase Disney card to earn points for a trip. We're taking a trip to Disneyworld in the fall this year, and I think that in a couple of months I'm going to stop using my Disney card and start focusing on something else. I'd like to take a summer trip to Europe in 2023 to celebrate my oldest daughter's HS graduation. If at all possible, a trip out west would be great, too, but there's nothing in the works.

Recent cards -
01/21 - Citi Double Cash (for a balance transfer)

That's the only recent card, but I have -
Chase Freedom, Chase Disney, Chase Amazon, Amex Everyday - pay the balance monthly
BoA, Discover - still paying off the debt
  • What amount of spend would you put on a card monthly (i.e. groceries, gas, insurance, cable, cell phone, other expenses)? - minimum $2000, some months as high as $3000 or $3500
  • Do you currently payoff your CCs in full every month or do you carry any balances/pay any interest? - some of each - see above
  • What airport(s) do you typically fly out of? - PHL for domestic, EWR/JFK for international
  • Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? - I currently have miles with American
  • Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport? - yes
  • Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? - no
  • Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? (if so, which programs and how much) - 472 Chase Disney, 423 Amex
  • What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? (i.e. Disney World Trip, Cruise, European Trip, Cash Back to pay-off a mortgage or student loans, etc. - you can have multiple goals too!) - European trip
  • When do you plan to take these trips? (Keep in mind that it can be difficult to earn points/miles to cover imminent travel...it's best to plan far in advance, especially with regards to international travel) - 2023
  • Who does your travel party consist of? (Spouse, Kids (& ages), other relatives/friends) - spouse and two daughters - in 2023, they will be 18 and 13
Click to expand...
The only thing I'd emphasize here among the other answers... is try to amend your budget as best you can to pay off your current card balances ASAP. I understand wanting to accrue more rewards while continuing to pay off others, but there is no 5x reward that's going to offset the finance charges on paying a balance..... and the thing that happens with a big new card that has a minimum spend to get that bonus is you try to throw more spend on that new card to reach that bonus... be VERY careful that this trap doesn't catch you,as the best return on your spend right now is applying off all the other balances in full.
Once you get onto the merry go round of 'new card'new spend' while struggling to pay off old debt, this can become a real problem. I know it's happened to me, limited budget, big MSR for a new bonus, it takes an amount of discipline to make this work well. Just adding that,as it's true for us all.
 
Judique said:
Anybody get a credit for cell phone or restaurants on the 'new' credits yet?
Click to expand...

Replying to myself:

1st credit showed up - $20 credit on my restaurant purchase on February 2nd on my Brilliant. Posted as Feb 13, but I didn't see it last evening, so it posted after 7pm.

My take away is use these credits early each month.
 
hsmamato2 said:
The only thing I'd emphasize here among the other answers... is try to amend your budget as best you can to pay off your current card balances ASAP. I understand wanting to accrue more rewards while continuing to pay off others, but there is no 5x reward that's going to offset the finance charges on paying a balance..... and the thing that happens with a big new card that has a minimum spend to get that bonus is you try to throw more spend on that new card to reach that bonus... be VERY careful that this trap doesn't catch you,as the best return on your spend right now is applying off all the other balances in full.
Once you get onto the merry go round of 'new card'new spend' while struggling to pay off old debt, this can become a real problem. I know it's happened to me, limited budget, big MSR for a new bonus, it takes an amount of discipline to make this work well. Just adding that,as it's true for us all.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I definitely hear you - especially about the finance charges - and that's definitely something that is always on our radar and always on my attack list. That being said, I feel confident in doing this because for the first time in my life I've been totally running my personal finances through YNAB for a year and a half and it's taught me so much about budgeting and living within my means. I have been putting all of my expenses on my Chase Disney for over a year, and paying in full every month. My hard and fast rule is that I don't ever put anything on a credit card if I don't already have the cash sitting in my checking account! 😃
 
staceychev said:
Hi everyone - I wanted to introduce myself. I've just started reading through this thread. I'm eager to start maximizing using credit cards for benefit. I spent much of my life with credit card debt - and am still paying it off on some cards - but with the help of YNAB, have spent the last year and a half using my Chase Disney card to earn points for a trip. We're taking a trip to Disneyworld in the fall this year, and I think that in a couple of months I'm going to stop using my Disney card and start focusing on something else. I'd like to take a summer trip to Europe in 2023 to celebrate my oldest daughter's HS graduation. If at all possible, a trip out west would be great, too, but there's nothing in the works.

Recent cards -
01/21 - Citi Double Cash (for a balance transfer)

That's the only recent card, but I have -
Chase Freedom, Chase Disney, Chase Amazon, Amex Everyday - pay the balance monthly
BoA, Discover - still paying off the debt
  • What amount of spend would you put on a card monthly (i.e. groceries, gas, insurance, cable, cell phone, other expenses)? - minimum $2000, some months as high as $3000 or $3500
  • Do you currently payoff your CCs in full every month or do you carry any balances/pay any interest? - some of each - see above
  • What airport(s) do you typically fly out of? - PHL for domestic, EWR/JFK for international
  • Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? - I currently have miles with American
  • Does SOUTHWEST Airline service your airport? - yes
  • Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? - no
  • Do you currently have travel points or miles in any program? (if so, which programs and how much) - 472 Chase Disney, 423 Amex
  • What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? (i.e. Disney World Trip, Cruise, European Trip, Cash Back to pay-off a mortgage or student loans, etc. - you can have multiple goals too!) - European trip
  • When do you plan to take these trips? (Keep in mind that it can be difficult to earn points/miles to cover imminent travel...it's best to plan far in advance, especially with regards to international travel) - 2023
  • Who does your travel party consist of? (Spouse, Kids (& ages), other relatives/friends) - spouse and two daughters - in 2023, they will be 18 and 13
Click to expand...
:welcome:

EACarlson said:
Since you already have some of the no AF feeder cards, I would look into the higher end of travel cards, either the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Gold. Unless you travel a lot, then possibly the Platinum. If you already have 423k MR from the Everyday I would focus there. Personally I think the Gold has a better earning structure, but the Platinum has some nice perks if you travel a lot.
Click to expand...
Agree, I like these choices too.

staceychev said:
Thanks - I don't travel a ton.
So - do I contact Amex and say I want to upgrade my Everyday to a Gold? Or do I apply for a Gold separately?
Click to expand...
In order to get the Sign Up Bonus (SUB), always make a new application. After you've had an Annual Fee (AF) card for a year, you can Product Change (PC) most cards down to a no-AF card, if the benefits don't provide enough continued value.
And, it is a good idea to keep older cards active (by using once or twice a year), rather than closing them. This helps your credit report with a larger average age of accounts.

GusGus16 said:
@staceychev you would apply for a new card for the sign up bonus, that is where the majority of us obtain our points. The sign up bonuses tend to be the most lucrative. To clarify have you only applied for 1 card in the last 24 months? That would make you 1/24, this number is important for chase. Chase will not approve you unless you are under 5/24. Amex typically is easier to get approvals early on, but then wants to see ongoing spend, otherwise you may end up in a situation where they will approve you but not with a sign on bonus (something referred to as pop up). Given the Chase rule typically we steer new people to start with chase. I know others on our thread have churned with credit card debt and they may have some additional pointers. Paying interest on credit card debt can negate the positives of earning credit card rewards...
Click to expand...
Well said! GusGus16 packed a lot of good info concisely in here. Feel free to ask us if you don't understand something, because it's all valuable.

I would suggest the Chase Sapphire Preferred. The Sapphire line only allows a SUB once every 4 years, so you could get that clock started.
Chase Sapphire Preferred 60k URs + $50 grocery bonus after $4k spend in 3 months (2x Dine, Travel, Grocery/Apr, $60 Peloton. 1.25x Portal $95 AF)

Then, use the Pay Yourself Back (PYB) option to spend URs to cancel grocery, restaurant, and home improvement bills at 1.25x bonus, and use the savings to pay off your existing credit card balances. So if you spend $1000 on groceries this month, you can use 80,000 URs to pay the $1k grocery bill. This program is ending soon (not sure exactly when though). I did this when I started here to pay off an existing credit card balance I was carrying, but the PYB program wasn't going on then, so I only cashed out URs at 1x.
 
Last edited:
Hoosier John said:
I would suggest the Chase Sapphire Preferred. The Sapphire line only allows a SUB once every 4 years, so you could get that clock started.
Chase Sapphire Preferred 60k URs + $50 grocery bonus after $4k spend in 3 months (2x Dine, Travel, Grocery/Apr, $60 Peloton. 1.25x Portal $95 AF)

Then, use the Pay Yourself Back (PYB) option to spend URs to cancel grocery, restaurant, and home improvement bills at 1.25x bonus, and use the savings to pay off your existing credit card balances. So if you spend $1000 on groceries this month, you can use 80,000 URs to pay the $1k grocery bill. This program is ending soon (not sure exactly when though). I did this when I started here to pay off an existing credit card balance I was carrying, but the PYB program wasn't going on then, so I only cashed out URs at 1x.
Click to expand...

Whoa! My head is spinning! So - can I explain this back to you to make sure I understand? I had always thought of just gaining points to apply directly to travel, but what you're saying here is something different.
  1. I apply for CSP and spend $4K in 3 months, which I can totally do
  2. I end up with 60K rewards points SUB, which I use to pay my statement balance, instead of using them for travel
  3. Then, whatever I had put aside in my budget to actually pay that statement balance, I instead push towards another credit card that I'm trying to pay down
But, you said 80K UR, so I know that I missing a step with that 1.25. What am I missing?

Thanks so much!
 
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