I love credit cards so much!

[WVMomof3]

I tried to search but can not find the answer. When can DD change her PNC account to a student account so she does not get charged a fee for too little of a balance? I thought someone just posted 45 days but went back to double check and can not find a post about it so maybe I made it up. And would that be from opening account? Or when she got the bonus deposited? I am hoping changing is doable.

 

[happ]

I tried to search but can not find the answer. When can DD change her PNC account to a student account so she does not get charged a fee for too little of a balance? I thought someone just posted 45 days but went back to double check and can not find a post about it so maybe I made it up. And would that be from opening account? Or when she got the bonus deposited? I am hoping changing is doable.

I don't know if the rules for the student account are the same as for others, but it was 45 days from opening before I could downgrade a performance select account.

 

[speedyfishy]

I am curious about the math on this. How much in GC fees would you end up paying? (I am a wannabe MSer, and occasionally take advantage of the Office Depot or Staples deals, but otherwise it seems that the fees eat up about half of the points.)

I go through a portal for GCM that gives me cashback. Swagbucks, ebates or even the an airline portal at Giftcards.com gives at least 1% so it’s really just the shipping fee so I try to do big orders. And pay $10 in shipping. The MO fees are .49-99 cents but I frequently use Ibotta and submit for any item for .10-50 cents back on the MO fee.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Not sure if this happens at your Costco, but our gas is open before our store opens. I think as early as 6am. Busiest gas lines are when the store is open.

Good Idea..Thanks....I’ll look on my way to work

 

[farmerswife]

2019 Goals...figure out how to maximize grocery shopping. We spend a ton of money at the grocery store - probably $10k a year. I don't think I'm maximizing my return. We have a CSR, CSP, CIC, and Disney Premium. Disney gets the best return at 2% for groceries. We use Hannaford for groceries. Staples does not have gift cards for Hannaford.

 

[havaneselover]

2019 Goals...figure out how to maximize grocery shopping. We spend a ton of money at the grocery store - probably $10k a year. I don't think I'm maximizing my return. We have a CSR, CSP, CIC, and Disney Premium. Disney gets the best return at 2% for groceries. We use Hannaford for groceries. Staples does not have gift cards for Hannaford.

Amex Gold, BCE, and BCP are my recommendations. I have all three. Gold is my current favorite.

 

[speedyfishy]

2019 Goals...figure out how to maximize grocery shopping. We spend a ton of money at the grocery store - probably $10k a year. I don't think I'm maximizing my return. We have a CSR, CSP, CIC, and Disney Premium. Disney gets the best return at 2% for groceries. We use Hannaford for groceries. Staples does not have gift cards for Hannaford.

If you don’t want any new cards does Staples sell your grocery store giftcards. That’s 5x with the CIC.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

2019 Goals...figure out how to maximize grocery shopping. We spend a ton of money at the grocery store - probably $10k a year. I don't think I'm maximizing my return. We have a CSR, CSP, CIC, and Disney Premium. Disney gets the best return at 2% for groceries. We use Hannaford for groceries. Staples does not have gift cards for Hannaford.

I'd highly recommend an AMEX Blue Cash Preferred (BCP) in that scenario. You earn 6% back on up to $6,000 in grocery purchases. There is a $95 annual fee but if you max the $6k you still get 4.4% back net. The public sign-up bonus on that is $200 for spending $1,000 but you should find links on DISchurners with a $250 back for $1,000 offer. (Keep in mind the AF is not waived the first year.

So with this card and $6k in grocery expenses you could get $515 back net at 8.6% in the first year (and essentially 4.4% ongoing into the future).

 

[mom2elal]

I'd read more here (and look at the most recent comments at the bottom): https://www.doctorofcredit.com/is-b...s-similar-to-524-contribute-data-points-here/

The speculation is 6/24 would get you denied but it seems this isn't a hard rule.

My sixth card falls off on 1/1. I wonder if it would be okay to apply after that date, but not wait until 2/1 the way I would with Chase?

 

[platamama]

2019 Goals...figure out how to maximize grocery shopping. We spend a ton of money at the grocery store - probably $10k a year. I don't think I'm maximizing my return. We have a CSR, CSP, CIC, and Disney Premium. Disney gets the best return at 2% for groceries. We use Hannaford for groceries. Staples does not have gift cards for Hannaford.

Like @havaneselover, I'd also recommend the Amex Gold and BCE. Someone earlier on this thread pointed out that the BCP earns 4.4% on the first $6K of groceries after accounting for the AF, so I downgraded our BCP to the no AF BCE to leave the 3% option open to me, but I will likely try to max out the Amex Gold. ETA: I'm planning on getting a Schwab Amex eventually, so I look at the 4xMR the equivalent of 5 cpp if I end up cashing out thru Schwab.

Building on @speedyfishy's comment, if Staples doesn't sell your grocery store giftcards, get the MCGC/VGCs when Staples (or OD/OM) are running specials on them (no fee or money off) with the CIC for 5xUR. You'd get 7.5 cpp value applied for travel through your CSR.

 

[mom2elal]

I just applied for the Arrival + and instant approval! I am 6/24. I’ve had the Barclays Choice Privileges card for a long time though but I haven’t used it in a couple of years. CreditKarma let me know they checked TransUnion.

Thanks, that gives me hope! I have a super old Barclay Upromise card that we put one charge on a month.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

My sixth card falls off on 1/1. I wonder if it would be okay to apply after that date, but not wait until 2/1 the way I would with Chase?

We actually have folks in the thread saying they were approved at 6/24 so it seems that this "isn't a hard rule" is holding up. I'm hesitant to give you advice as there just aren't a ton of DPs on how to get approved for this card. You could maybe go for it now...waiting until 1/1 if possible isn't a bad idea. Of course 2/1 is your safest bet but that's a long way from now (unless you could get a biz card to distract you for the next couple of months).

 

[mom2elal]

I was recently approved for the arrival+ at 6/24.

Awesome! Maybe I don't have to wait until Jan, lol. Of course I'm afraid that 70k offer is going to end.

 

[mom2elal]

We actually have folks in the thread saying they were approved at 6/24 so it seems that this "isn't a hard rule" is holding up. I'm hesitant to give you advice as there just aren't a ton of DPs on how to get approved for this card. You could maybe go for it now...waiting until 1/1 if possible isn't a bad idea. Of course 2/1 is your safest bet but that's a long way from now (unless you could get a biz card to distract you for the next couple of months).

I may go for it soon. We recently finished up the spend on the cards we got in Sept, so I'm ready for a new card! Do you happen to know, if they deny me, do I have to wait a certain amount of time before applying again?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

2019 Goals...figure out how to maximize grocery shopping. We spend a ton of money at the grocery store - probably $10k a year. I don't think I'm maximizing my return. We have a CSR, CSP, CIC, and Disney Premium. Disney gets the best return at 2% for groceries. We use Hannaford for groceries. Staples does not have gift cards for Hannaford.

Like @havaneselover, I'd also recommend the Amex Gold and BCE. Someone earlier on this thread pointed out that the BCP earns 4.4% on the first $6K of groceries after accounting for the AF, so I downgraded our BCP to the no AF BCE to leave the 3% option open to me, but I will likely try to max out the Amex Gold.

Building on @speedyfishy's comment, if Staples doesn't sell your grocery store giftcards, get the MCGC/VGCs when Staples (or OD/OM) are running specials on them (no fee or money off) with the CIC for 5xUR. You'd get 7.5 cpp value applied for travel through your CSR.

I also would agree that AMEX Gold is a possible card. What I don't know is what @farmerswife's plan would be for MRs. If you have no use for them towards travel and cashback is your plan this could come at a steep cost. You would need a Schwab Plat to cash out. So you'd have a $550 AF with the Schwab Plat and a $250 with the Gold Card to get 5% on your groceries. Lots to think about there, lol. (Of course that $250 and $550 can be partially offset by numerous credits and programs if you look into that).

 

[platamama]

I also would agree that AMEX Gold is a possible card. What I don't know is what @farmerswife's plan would be for MRs. If you have no use for them towards travel and cashback is your plan this could come at a steep cost. You would need a Schwab Plat to cash out. So you'd have a $550 AF with the Schwab Plat and a $250 with the Gold Card to get 5% on your groceries. Lots to think about there, lol. (Of course that $250 and $550 can be partially offset by numerous credits and programs if you look into that).

I just went and amended my comment to reflect my plan for the Schwab Plat, I realized I should have mentioned that. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Ngwira]

Thought I'd post a couple snippets while P2 gets ready for the day:

The St. Regis is beautiful. We are absolutely blown away. The front desk was going to give us an upgrade to a Deluxe room because of P2's Platinum status, but they had a Madison suite available for the weekend and gave us that instead. It's way way more than we need and we won't even spend that much time in here, but it's so luxurious we almost feel out of place. It's wild.

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-rooms/details/nycxr-the-st-regis-new-york/onbe/

Also, Wicked was incredible. The merchandise stand was selling a snow globe of the Defying Gravity end scene and I was far too tempted to buy it.

Summer hull of the points guy just did a review of the st Regis nyc.

 

[wendow]

Awesome! Maybe I don't have to wait until Jan, lol. Of course I'm afraid that 70k offer is going to end.

I was afraid of that too. I actually had just PC’ed my arrival + from last year only about 6 weeks before applying. I was thinking I would not get approved based on that and being 6/24 but, yay, I did! Good luck with your app!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I just went and amended my comment to reflect my plan for the Schwab Plat, I realized I should have mentioned that. Thanks for clearing that up.

LOL - I think we all just assume the Schwab Plat sometimes and forget we have to educate, I do it too! I wish AMEX didn't make it so complicated to cash-out MRs at a reasonable rate (but of course that's their strategy, to make it complex so people do stupid things with their points which makes AMEX money)

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I’m already 20 pages behind and won’t be catching up for another week, but wanted to say “see ya real soon” from the Disney Fantasy, to my dischurners friends, who helped me make this trip possible. Xoxo