I love credit cards so much! v5.0 - 2022 (see first page for add'l details)

[reliev]

Thoughts on next card for us. We have a large tax bill looming, so I might sign up for another card. Our DD is headed abroad this summer, so need a card that she can be an AU on with no foreign transaction fees. We are also going to join her at the end and try to use those Delta Vacations $$$.

We don't have a CSP or CSR right now and I am eligible, but we could get more points with another CIP or CIU. Both below 5/24. Have a real business. What card would you sign up? Looking for travel protections as well as points. Thanks!!

if you want chase ultimate rewards better to get the unlimited at 1.5x csr/csp only going to give you 1x. But if you want the sign up bonus this is the way.

 

[reliev]

Hyatt-
I extended our Key West Hyatt Centric stay next Jan for another night and booked 3 rooms at the Park Hyatt NYC for Mother's Day weekend for DM, SIL/DN, me (did GoH for the 2 rooms I'm not in!) since it will be Mom's first Mother's Day/Dad's birthday since he died. Sadly, that wiped out the majority of my Hyatt points.

Bonvoy-
I booked St Regis Maldives for next Feb/Mar...we'll see if it actually happens but figured why not? Availability was wide open and I was able to book an overwater bungalow and still have almost 200K points in my account remaining which will likely go to boring stays for in law and DD visits lol.

im a fan of the centric, no suites though great bar and vibes.

 

[tink1970]

im a fan of the centric, no suites though great bar and vibes.

and the breakfast has always been very good and plentiful

 

[WaltsMartini]

SFO and LAX are United hubs and currently Chase is offering elevated bonuses for the United credit cards. The best bang for your buck is probably the United Explorer card (60,000 miles for $3,000 spend, then an additional 10,000 miles for $6,000 spend -- you can decide if the 2nd tier is worth it), which has $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95 after the first year. So, effectively you can get 60,000 miles on your budget for no cost. https://www.theexplorercard.com/united-rewards-cards

For hotels, the best bang for your buck is Hyatt, but the Hyatt credit card isn't the best offer. You have the CSP, so you can transfer UR to Hyatt. If you're willing to go a little above your budget (charge the Airbnb to this card), the Chase business credit cards may be within your spending reach (75,000 UR for $7,500 spend). I like the Chase Ink Unlimited since you'll earn 1.5x UR on all spend for both the MSR and daily purchases. https://creditcards.chase.com/busin...nlimited?jp_aid_a=INKU&jp_aid_p=mptarg1/ccsb1

Alternatively, you could pay for the Airbnb on your CSP and use Chase's Pay Yourself Back at 1.25 cents per point, to subsidize that portion of your expense. If you're able to meet the CIU MSR with your spending habits, you could transfer those 75,000 points to the CSP and further reduce your Airbnb cost.

Great advice! Our trip isn’t until 2023 so hoping CSP is still doing PYB at that time. Will look into the United card, we have summer camp to pay for so I think we’ll get to the $6k spend no problem.

 

[reliev]

and the breakfast has always been very good and plentiful

100% can you tell i just caught up after a week in aulani.. lol i noticed i was commenting on old posts.

 

[Arcades]

Great advice! Our trip isn’t until 2023 so hoping CSP is still doing PYB at that time. Will look into the United card, we have summer camp to pay for so I think we’ll get to the $6k spend no problem.

You might want to stop at the $3,000 tier and put the extra spend towards a higher MSR like the CIU or another personal credit card. 10,000 miles for $3,000 spend isn't the best opportunity cost. Up to you though!

 

[sinnika]

ha this is my trip... im going that weekend.
im staying at the park hyatt in dc was 30k points a night. grand hyatt is nice too depending on how much you want to splurge.

Wish I was there now! Cherry blossoms are in full bloom! One of the earliest blooming dates ever. I'm not a splurger. 30K UR gets me a one way flight on United to Germany to see my grandbaby. I think the Hyatt wharf was 18,000 points for my one night stay. I also have a $300 credit if I book a hotel thru the Cap one travel app.

 

[becauseimnew]

Does anyone have a Brevite backpack? if so do you like it? I need a new travel backpack that has the following features
Padding and easy access for my Sony AR7
Water Bottle pocket on the outside
Luggage passthrough
Minimalist style.
The only thing really holding me back from hitting buy is that it looks like an easy access for pickpocketing.
Any other recommendations?

 

[Albort]

@Walt

This board steered me well before and I need more advice!

05/21 - Chase Sapphire Rewards
No other apps in past 24 months; just closed long-held SW card before annual fee hit.

Spend $1k/ month for daycare, $800 for groceries, $200 for gas, rest consumer spending and utilities hit husband’s cards.

Allegiant, Frontier, United, Delta, AA fly out of home airport. Can travel to get to airport with SW

Sapphire Rewards card open and has 33,813 points; can use for hotel on Trip 1 (below) or can take the cash and close prior to next annual fee date May 1.

Looking to take two trips next year:

Trip 1: flight to Sacramento or SFO to visit family. From there, flight to LAX to visit more family. Then flight home from LAX to either Philly, BWI, or Harrisburg.

Need hotel in Fairfield CA for 2 nights; will get Air BnB in LA. Will go to Disneyland for two days.
Travelwith family of four, 2 adults 2 children 7 and 5 at time of travel. Looking to travel June 2023.

Trip 2: flight to DEN for wedding in August 2023. Two adults, will also need rental car. Prefer to fly out of Harrisburg but willing to travel to BWI or Philly if prices are great.

Contemplating the Amex Blue for $300 and 6% back on groceries to get enough cash rewards to pay part of AirBnB for Trip 1. But not sure what airline card would be best.

Thanks for taking the time to read!

I dont quite recommend an airline card unless u plan to fly that airline pretty constantly. those cards are great for the free baggage and benefits that come with it, its a pretty terrible earner and the sub isnt that great.
LAX--SFO is a pretty busy route from many different airlines, im sure u can find a cash route for that one pretty easily. almost every airline has some sort of route between the 2 cities.

I think it really depends on how much work your willing to put, domestically, i think whats works the best for traveling family is still the SW companion pass. it does have a pretty huge spendings to reach, perhaps you can wait for a promo where the card sign up will give u a companion pass for the rest of the year(this just ended for SW cards).

id say, buff of your URs with ink cards as state previously.

 

[reliev]

Wish I was there now! Cherry blossoms are in full bloom! One of the earliest blooming dates ever. I'm not a splurger. 30K UR gets me a one way flight on United to Germany to see my grandbaby. I think the Hyatt wharf was 18,000 points for my one night stay. I also have a $300 credit if I book a hotel thru the Cap one travel app.

I'm hoping to catch a baseball and a half-smoke, grand Hyatt used to be 15k now it's 18k if you aren't trying to splurge I like the wharf also. also the centric in old town Alexandria is nice also.

 

[georgina]

Wish I was there now! Cherry blossoms are in full bloom! One of the earliest blooming dates ever. I'm not a splurger. 30K UR gets me a one way flight on United to Germany to see my grandbaby. I think the Hyatt wharf was 18,000 points for my one night stay. I also have a $300 credit if I book a hotel thru the Cap one travel app.

Yep, went with DD and baby grandson to see them this morning. This is our first year living here, so I can't say what they will be like in 2 weeks.

Gotta update my avatar, it's a tidal basin cherry tree from November.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I try not to float. I only buy enough for the month, $600 for Costco, $400 for utilities, and $400 for insurance. I would rather miss out on points than on losing cash.

Same…if I buy them and liquidate with serve…it’s done within the hour

 

[ElizaDoesDisney]

I don't know how some of you manage to juggle all these VCGs! I've been floating balances on a few cards and now that I have my tax return I'm trying to pay off things, and get back to not carrying anything month to month. I have the $750 in virtual VGCs I bought last week, $500 I just managed to load on my serve last week. $400 I need to put on my serve, and $200 I'm waiting on getting back from OD from the gift card fiasco. I finally started a google doc to try tracking all of these.

I use a google docs spreadsheet to keep track of all my gift cards and balances, including whatever V/M GCs I have. I'm way too scatterbrained to do this without a written record. Probably does introduce some cyber-risk, but I'd go insane trying to manage everything on paper.

 

[lsutigers03]

I’m looking at my Venture X rewards and a travel charge from January 30 is showing up as eligible to cover with points. The charge was for $336.92 and it triggered the $300 travel credit on February 4. If I choose to cover the charge with points does it put a credit to my balance even though most was “paid” with the travel credit?

 

[AndreaDM]

My Amex gold AF posted the other day so I chatted with retention today and got an off of 30K points for a 3K spend in 3 months. I accepted.

 

[mom2febgirls]

My DD21 would like a new credit card. She is an AU on many of ours and her credit score is 789. Her income is low, though. Is it true that she can use my income for her application?

I was thinking of referring her to the CSP, is that a good idea? She has a car loan and 1 credit card in her name only. What are the chances she can get approved?

 

[Arcades]

My DD21 would like a new credit card. She is an AU on many of ours and her credit score is 789. Her income is low, though. Is it true that she can use my income for her application?

I was thinking of referring her to the CSP, is that a good idea? She has a car loan and 1 credit card in her name only. What are the chances she can get approved?

If its her first card with Chase, she may have to start that the CF Flex/CFU tier (she can try for CSP, but usually Chase likes to see a year of credit history before giving out their premium cards -- maybe her one existing card is enough). I would only suggest her using your income if she lives under your roof and you fully support her. If she has her own job and/or a separate address she should use her own income.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

For the Amex Business bonus that needs 10 transactions, do my deposits count? I did 4 seperate ones. Just curious. I plan on doing some Amazon loads to get the rest of the transactions done. Maybe a small purchase.

I try not to float. I only buy enough for the month, $600 for Costco, $400 for utilities, and $400 for insurance. I would rather miss out on points than on losing cash.

Maybe that should be my strategy moving forward, LOL. I normally bought them, loaded them on serve and moved along. But I bought a huge chunk in Nov/Dec to hit a MSR and for taxes. And then it snowballed, LOL. My VGC spend used to only be on the Hilton Surpass for the $15k FNC. But now having 2 CICs I feel I need to maximize across all cards, LOL. My Hilton spend is already at $7k thanks to my run at the $8k FNC offer. So I'm not too worried about meeting that spend this year.

But I feel like I often have a MSR I'm trying to meet too, so I put my spend on that card for everything vs using VGC.

I don't like to keep VGC hanging around. I convert immediately to money orders and use for mortgage or deposit in one of two bank accounts. Only exception is I sometimes keep one in my wallet for Costco but I rarely go to Costco these days.

Same…if I buy them and liquidate with serve…it’s done within the hour

I normally try to get them onto my serve ASAP. But the FDs near me almost always are at the daily max when I stop (and they aren't close). I try and load when I'm at a WM, but like this weekend I was waiting in line and apparently the only cashier who knew how to load them decided to go on break when I was next. The other 3 had no clue. WM isn't super convenient either. And the MC closes at like 4pm now. Which makes it real fun to try and race afterschool if I want to do it. Since WM isn't fun to deal w/ using the Staples VGCs, I try to only load the OD "everywhere" cards there now. I can get $400 done in 1 transaction. Maybe if DS stays with his current hockey team, I'll do more Staples VGC loads as there's a FD on the way to his rink, and I don't think many MS there, LOL.

I use a google docs spreadsheet to keep track of all my gift cards and balances, including whatever V/M GCs I have. I'm way too scatterbrained to do this without a written record. Probably does introduce some cyber-risk, but I'd go insane trying to manage everything on paper.

I just finally started a google doc listing the cards I bought and which credit card and when I put them into serve and transferred the money, so I can remember to go pay them off, LOL. I was doing good before, but now I have like 4 cards I'm buying from and I can't remember. Getting older sucks, LOL.

 

[Psychodisney]

My DD21 would like a new credit card. She is an AU on many of ours and her credit score is 789. Her income is low, though. Is it true that she can use my income for her application?

I was thinking of referring her to the CSP, is that a good idea? She has a car loan and 1 credit card in her name only. What are the chances she can get approved?

When my DD23 was in college, she first had a Discover and then a year later was approved for CF and then a CSP. She was denied a SW card before the CF.
What is the credit card she has in her own name?

 

[wanderlust7]

Free 2500 Avios by signing up for Qatar. DoC details Points posted right away. Must be 18+ or I would have signed up the kids too.

Birthdate is Month-Day-Year format. Seems to be a common mistake.

ETA: Oops! Meant Day-Month-Year! At least I did it correctly on the sign-ups lol.