I love credit cards so much!

[GlamMistress]

SO...I am now 6/24. It will be 6/2018 until I am under 5/24 again. Curious what others do when they reach this point. Do I just sit tight until I am under Chase's rule so I can get additional Chase cards or go crazy getting other cards?

Dh will be 4/24 this month and then 3/24 in Oct. I want to get the CIP for him so I will use this time to get it.

Just curious what others do. We all must reach a point when Chase is no longer an option. But do you wait them out or just forget about them all together??

When I hit the point that Chase wasn't an option anymore, I shrugged my shoulders and went headfirst into Amex. They have tons of great cards and great customer service. No regrets.

 

[havaneselover]

When I hit the point that Chase wasn't an option anymore, I shrugged my shoulders and went headfirst into Amex. They have tons of great cards and great customer service. No regrets.

Yeah, but Amex only allows you to have four credit cards and limits bonuses to once per lifetime, correct?

 

[GlamMistress]

Yeah, but Amex only allows you to have four credit cards and limits bonuses to once per lifetime, correct?

Yes, and you are allowed an unlimited number of charge cards at any given time. The rule with Amex is to only apply when you can get the historical high offer because of the once in a lifetime language.

Most data points I've seen online seem to imply a lifetime is really 7 years. YMMV.

Amex has so many cards, it would take a while to cycle through them all. If you're going in order, you can cycle all good Chase, all good Amex then all good Citi and throw in a Barclays here and there and be fine for years I'd say.

Granted I don't do 8-10 cards a quarter like the big bloggers. That's just too much for me to manage.

 

[Albort]

dont forget to tweet 360ft to @NFL @Marriottrewards + using tag #RewardsPoints #MembersGetIt for 1000 marriott points.

 

[AmyAnne]

dont forget to tweet 360ft to @NFL @Marriottrewards + using tag #RewardsPoints #MembersGetIt for 1000 marriott points.

Speaking of Marriott rewards and Twitter, I did just yesterday start to get the points from the instructions @Jen and Ashwin posted the other day. I'm thinking I should sign up DH's old account that has 0 points at present, but with all the Twitter points, he might amass enough points for some kind of benefit.

 

[wendow]

They have tons of great cards and great customer service. No regrets.

I have the BCP and have my eye on the SPG card. What Amex cards would you recommend?

 

[wendow]

So, does this basically mean if we book 2 nights, we'd have the QS dining plan for those 2 nights?
I'm trying to squeeze out as much use of our APs as we can. We got them in June when we stayed at POR. We have a trip coming up the first week in October and I'm planning another for March/April next year. If we can do this Christmas trip that would be amazing! I've never seen Disney at Christmas time. I know my son would flip!!

Yes, you would have it for those two nights.

Disney at Christmas is so magical. Hope you can make it happen!

 

[mhartman09]

Yes, you would have it for those two nights.

Disney at Christmas is so magical. Hope you can make it happen!

Thanks wendow! I've tried a few times to search online about half board, but all the information I see is for Disneyland Paris, with nothing referring to WDW. I honestly want to do the trip regardless simply because of the experience at Christmas time. At work we are blocked out for vacation beginning the Monday of Thanksgiving week all the way through the end of the year, so it's super hard for us to really do any trips to anywhere at that time. However, with Christmas Day falling on a Monday this year, we could do the 3 day weekend without me having to take any extra time off. With our SW CP, I'd be able to snap round trip flights for us for about 24000 points + $33.60 cash, which I think is pretty great considering it's a holiday.

As far as the resort, I am seeing that the taxes and fees are really high, so I'm guessing that's how they are covering that cost. Just have to decide if I think it's worth it to blow that many URs on a 2 night stay at a value. I suppose we could just do the room and go the gift card route to pay for OOP food like we've done for all our other trips. Might be the better option for us. I got really excited when I saw the half board option, but then checked the total after taxes and fees and it was about double the room rate.

 

[Alexle2007]

dont forget to tweet 360ft to @NFL @Marriottrewards + using tag #RewardsPoints #MembersGetIt for 1000 marriott points.[/QUOTE
Glad we got back from Hersheypark to check the forum That was an easy 1000 points that posted almost immediately.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I got the points for that but when I set up the retweet thing that @Jen and Ashwin educated us about, I got an email from Twitter saying I violated its code

ETA. I figured out my error & fixed. Now tweeting appropriately. Got 100 points already plus the aforementioned 1000. Yay!

 

[ejcraft]

can someone repost or give me the page number for the post on the marriott and twitter, I can't find it anywhere, please

 

[DisneyMandC]

can someone repost or give me the page number for the post on the marriott and twitter, I can't find it anywhere, please

Page 361. Just finished doing it!

 

[tink1970]

I have the BCP and have my eye on the SPG card. What Amex cards would you recommend?

I think the first to consider is how you use your Amex; ie are you a hilton, SPG or DL loyalist? This will affect whether their co-brand is important to have.
Like an idiot I cancelled my SPG card and regret it now, realizing I prefer SPG to Marriott properties (usually).

The current Hilton offer is for points not nights so that has been considered to be a downgraded initial offer but still useful if you're a regular customer.

If you're a Delta flyer, then depending on how rich your blood is, the Skymiles has now 4 cards-Blue, Gold, Platinum and Reserve. I actually have both the Platinum Skymiles as well as the Reserve...in a year or so will have to decide which is more useful to me. This year I've already booked my companion ticket with my Skymiles Plat award and waiting for my renewal with the Reserve to book another companion trip (this can be done for first class as well as economy). Neither are great for redemptions-1X skymiles for everything except Delta (and I use my Amex Platinum for that) but the MQM earning as well as initial skymiles offered when I first obtained them were helpful. Again, if you're not shackled to Delta I wouldn't recommend either.

If you value Membership Rewards then the Everyday or Everyday Preferred is pretty good; although I see you have the BCP which is a lot like EDP except obviously you earn cash back with BCP not MR. Honestly if we bought a lot of groceries I'd probably have the BCP and use my $6K on that then move on to ED or EDP (depending on whether the fee and the "game" of using it 20 v. 30 times a month is worth it to you).

I love love love my Amex Platinum card-large annual fee BUT I enjoy the small perks with being automatically gold with Marriott and SPG; entrance to SkyClub; the $200 credit with my chosen airline (yep, DL of course but there are others!); 5X flights. It's also nice and heavy (I know, roll eyes) and feels substantial. There are other benefits such as concierge, etc that I don't take advantage of (but should). Membership Rewards transfer to several airlines as well as some hotels but THERE IS A SURCHARGE for US carriers which I didn't know until I started converting MR to Skymiles (I believe it's $0.006/mr point with a max of $99-Amex passes along the excise fee IF it's a domestic carrier).

Amex has business cards under similar branding and TPG and others have blogged about the Business Gold Rewards card which he likes, as well as doubling the initial bonuses and earned MQMs if you have both a business and personal skymiles/SPG branded cards. Unfortunately, I can't speak to business cards but I'm sure there are some who can.

Finally, American Express usually has some decent "offers" and I have saved so far this year almost $500 a year plus earned an extra 14,000 MR (so depending on how much you value those...) and while often the same offers are shown, sometimes only 1 is on a specific card so having more than one Amex can increase the odds of having a targeted (read:good) offer.

In a perfect wallet, I would have the Amex Platinum, the Amex Platinum Skymiles, EDP, BCP and SPG for reasons above. The current thought is Amex limits most customers to 4 charge (like amex plat; gold card reserve, green card, etc) and 4 credit cards, although there are data points with some exceptions. I also go to Doctor of Credit's spreadsheet to gage whether the current offer is the historical highest before getting a card since there's the once a lifetime (usually) language.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I think the first to consider is how you use your Amex; ie are you a hilton, SPG or DL loyalist? This will affect whether their co-brand is important to have.
Like an idiot I cancelled my SPG card and regret it now, realizing I prefer SPG to Marriott properties (usually).

I think even if you are a Marriott fan, the SPG card makes it easier to accrue points. If you spend $1000 on SPG Amex, you get 1000 Starpoints which you can convert to 3000 Marriott points. If you spend $1000 on Marriott card, you get 1000 Marriott points (or 333 Starpoints).
For the most part, I prefer SPG, but having both SPG and Marriott cards, I choose SPG card every time, even when staying at Marriott properties

 

[calypso726]

SO...I am now 6/24. It will be 6/2018 until I am under 5/24 again. Curious what others do when they reach this point. Do I just sit tight until I am under Chase's rule so I can get additional Chase cards or go crazy getting other cards?

Dh will be 4/24 this month and then 3/24 in Oct. I want to get the CIP for him so I will use this time to get it.

Just curious what others do. We all must reach a point when Chase is no longer an option. But do you wait them out or just forget about them all together??

I have the BCP and have my eye on the SPG card. What Amex cards would you recommend?

I'm at 11/24 at the moment. I'd have to wait until April of 2018 to be under 5/24 again. That's not likely going to happen. I'd only sit tight if I didn't already have all the Chase cards that are subject to 5/24 that I need. I have the CSR, CF, CFU, Ink+, Marriott and United cards. I've never applied for the Southwest cards as they wouldn't benefit me. If there is a Chase card you don't have an would benefit you then wait. I was willing to wait and fall under 5/24 for the CSR when it came out. Fortunately I was able to get it without waiting until I was below 5/24. If Chase came out with something as amazingly beneficial to me as the CSR, I'd wait for it.

I'd focus on Amex. I wait for the high bonus offers to come out before applying due to their once per lifetime bonus rule. Right now the personal plat card is at 60k. I'd hold out until it was 100k. SPG card has been our non category spend card for a few years now. I've recently switched that to the CFU. My big fear is that the SPG card goes away or the points aren't as valuable due to the merger and potential changes. I would hope we get a heads up and that things don't happen from one day to the next. SPG is a keeper card for us assuming nothing changes. I like the Everyday card there is a fee and no fee version and it earns full MR points.

Citi American Airline cards are useful if you fly AA and of course Citi Thank You Points.

 

[wendow]

Thanks wendow! I've tried a few times to search online about half board, but all the information I see is for Disneyland Paris, with nothing referring to WDW. I honestly want to do the trip regardless simply because of the experience at Christmas time. At work we are blocked out for vacation beginning the Monday of Thanksgiving week all the way through the end of the year, so it's super hard for us to really do any trips to anywhere at that time. However, with Christmas Day falling on a Monday this year, we could do the 3 day weekend without me having to take any extra time off. With our SW CP, I'd be able to snap round trip flights for us for about 24000 points + $33.60 cash, which I think is pretty great considering it's a holiday.

As far as the resort, I am seeing that the taxes and fees are really high, so I'm guessing that's how they are covering that cost. Just have to decide if I think it's worth it to blow that many URs on a 2 night stay at a value. I suppose we could just do the room and go the gift card route to pay for OOP food like we've done for all our other trips. Might be the better option for us. I got really excited when I saw the half board option, but then checked the total after taxes and fees and it was about double the room rate.

I think this is something really new that WDW is trying out with offering the 'half board' so there isn't a lot of info about it yet. I think many are not even sure what it is. Essentially what you are seeing with the high taxes and fees is Disney covering the cost of the QS dining plan. This is in regards to our dates back in late Aug-early Sept but the only resort I saw that did not add a ton of taxes and fees was AoA. If that is available for your dates, it might still be a great deal like it was for our dates. We are just too big of a family to comfortably fit there so I passed. It was really tempting though!

 

[wendow]

I think the first to consider is how you use your Amex; ie are you a hilton, SPG or DL loyalist? This will affect whether their co-brand is important to have.
Like an idiot I cancelled my SPG card and regret it now, realizing I prefer SPG to Marriott properties (usually).

The current Hilton offer is for points not nights so that has been considered to be a downgraded initial offer but still useful if you're a regular customer.

If you're a Delta flyer, then depending on how rich your blood is, the Skymiles has now 4 cards-Blue, Gold, Platinum and Reserve. I actually have both the Platinum Skymiles as well as the Reserve...in a year or so will have to decide which is more useful to me. This year I've already booked my companion ticket with my Skymiles Plat award and waiting for my renewal with the Reserve to book another companion trip (this can be done for first class as well as economy). Neither are great for redemptions-1X skymiles for everything except Delta (and I use my Amex Platinum for that) but the MQM earning as well as initial skymiles offered when I first obtained them were helpful. Again, if you're not shackled to Delta I wouldn't recommend either.

If you value Membership Rewards then the Everyday or Everyday Preferred is pretty good; although I see you have the BCP which is a lot like EDP except obviously you earn cash back with BCP not MR. Honestly if we bought a lot of groceries I'd probably have the BCP and use my $6K on that then move on to ED or EDP (depending on whether the fee and the "game" of using it 20 v. 30 times a month is worth it to you).

I love love love my Amex Platinum card-large annual fee BUT I enjoy the small perks with being automatically gold with Marriott and SPG; entrance to SkyClub; the $200 credit with my chosen airline (yep, DL of course but there are others!); 5X flights. It's also nice and heavy (I know, roll eyes) and feels substantial. There are other benefits such as concierge, etc that I don't take advantage of (but should). Membership Rewards transfer to several airlines as well as some hotels but THERE IS A SURCHARGE for US carriers which I didn't know until I started converting MR to Skymiles (I believe it's $0.006/mr point with a max of $99-Amex passes along the excise fee IF it's a domestic carrier).

Amex has business cards under similar branding and TPG and others have blogged about the Business Gold Rewards card which he likes, as well as doubling the initial bonuses and earned MQMs if you have both a business and personal skymiles/SPG branded cards. Unfortunately, I can't speak to business cards but I'm sure there are some who can.

Finally, American Express usually has some decent "offers" and I have saved so far this year almost $500 a year plus earned an extra 14,000 MR (so depending on how much you value those...) and while often the same offers are shown, sometimes only 1 is on a specific card so having more than one Amex can increase the odds of having a targeted (read:good) offer.

In a perfect wallet, I would have the Amex Platinum, the Amex Platinum Skymiles, EDP, BCP and SPG for reasons above. The current thought is Amex limits most customers to 4 charge (like amex plat; gold card reserve, green card, etc) and 4 credit cards, although there are data points with some exceptions. I also go to Doctor of Credit's spreadsheet to gage whether the current offer is the historical highest before getting a card since there's the once a lifetime (usually) language.

Thank you, tink! This is so helpful!

I'm not sure how I value MR because I have never accrued them. If they are anything like UR, I am interested in accruing lots of them lol.

We never fly Delta...almost exclusively Southwest people...so not sure that card would be too beneficial for me.

I really want the SPG and I could see the benefit of a Hilton.

Definitely gonna start looking at the cards you recommended. Thanks again

 

[wendow]

I'm at 11/24 at the moment. I'd have to wait until April of 2018 to be under 5/24 again. That's not likely going to happen. I'd only sit tight if I didn't already have all the Chase cards that are subject to 5/24 that I need. I have the CSR, CF, CFU, Ink+, Marriott and United cards. I've never applied for the Southwest cards as they wouldn't benefit me. If there is a Chase card you don't have an would benefit you then wait. I was willing to wait and fall under 5/24 for the CSR when it came out. Fortunately I was able to get it without waiting until I was below 5/24. If Chase came out with something as amazingly beneficial to me as the CSR, I'd wait for it.

I'd focus on Amex. I wait for the high bonus offers to come out before applying due to their once per lifetime bonus rule. Right now the personal plat card is at 60k. I'd hold out until it was 100k. SPG card has been our non category spend card for a few years now. I've recently switched that to the CFU. My big fear is that the SPG card goes away or the points aren't as valuable due to the merger and potential changes. I would hope we get a heads up and that things don't happen from one day to the next. SPG is a keeper card for us assuming nothing changes. I like the Everyday card there is a fee and no fee version and it earns full MR points.

Citi American Airline cards are useful if you fly AA and of course Citi Thank You Points.

Thanks, calypso! I have the CF, CSP, CSR, CIP, and SW premier. I plan to PC my CSR to a CFU and my CIP to a CIC. Not sure if I am keeping my CSP. Dh has a CSR we will keep. I think the only Chase card I might want that is subject to 5/24 is the Marriott. My dh will be 3/24 in Nov so maybe I should just focus on his cards until June 2018 so I can get a Marriott. I think once I get the Marriott, I can move on from Chase and not look back.

I am excited to jump more into Amex cards. So, if I have the BCP, I can only have three other Amex?

I haven't flown AA in about 20 years

 

[Lain]

List of "department stores" that qualify for Chase Freedom's 5% bonus in Q4: https://creditcards.chase.com/freedom/merchants

IIRC, Sears and JCPenney sells Amazon gift cards for those who would've preferred Amazon as the Q4 bonus category. No activation fee unlike buying a Visa gift card at Walmart to load to Amazon.

 

[calypso726]

Thanks, calypso! I have the CF, CSP, CSR, CIP, and SW premier. I plan to PC my CSR to a CFU and my CIP to a CIC. Not sure if I am keeping my CSP. Dh has a CSR we will keep. I think the only Chase card I might want that is subject to 5/24 is the Marriott. My dh will be 3/24 in Nov so maybe I should just focus on his cards until June 2018 so I can get a Marriott. I think once I get the Marriott, I can move on from Chase and not look back.

I am excited to jump more into Amex cards. So, if I have the BCP, I can only have three other Amex?

I haven't flown AA in about 20 years

You've got a good set of Chase cards and good plan for PC. Try to time you and your DH getting the Marriott cards for the same Anniversary month if you both get the card down the line.

You can have up to 8 Amex cards as long as 4 are credit cards and 4 are charge cards. I have 6. My Amex credit cards are SPG biz, Delta Plat biz, Delta Plat, Amex Everyday. My Amex charge cards are the Amex Platinum and the Amex Business Platinum.?

Ok I guess AA might not seem like it's going to do you much good LOL But, other Oneworld partners might. I've never flown Alaska Airlines. I will be picking up one of their credit cards or two. They have good partners and I'm sure the points will come in handy down the line. You never know.