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

[Oscar Madison]

I just checked my CIP again. Doesn't show the tracker. Maybe Chase is like "hey, this guy is so close. Lets not even bother rolling it out to him"

Shows on my CIU, but not CIP.

 

[Breck]

[QUOTE="palhockeymomof2, post:
If he used a different business name and actual EIN Chase may be asking for documentation. If he’s willing to call in Since he has an actual business he could do so, if not the letter should arrive next week.

It wouldn’t hurt to lower the CSP credit limit, if you don’t need it that high[/QUOTE]

He used his business name and SS# as he's a sole proprietor. HE does have an EIN though.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

He used his business name and SS# as he's a sole proprietor. HE does have an EIN though.[/QUOTE]



@Breck ....Since he used a business name, Chase might be asking for documentation on the name...

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Agreed! I’m surprised this is even allowed. I think I would be too nervous to do it.

Just so you’re aware - we would actually advise people on the thread to do this. I do not find it “shady”. It works and I’d challenge somebody to point out in the T&Cs where it is not allowed. In my experience on r/churning I’d say thousands of people have doubled up on the Travel credit (some even tripled when that used to be possible) with no adverse action. I can also say that some of the most upstanding and ethically responsible people I know on this thread have done this.

Basically, don’t create rules in your mind where they don’t exist.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I think the shutdowns occur for those that get too many cards too fast. For example, you are trying to decide between 3-4 cards and are carefully weighing you decision for which card to get. Somebody else might get all 3-4 cards in a few months. They would likely be shutdown. Most of us here are relatively slow churners. We tell people to pace about 3 months in between Chase cards. If you do that, you should be good.

@have2getaway - I have a Master’s Degree in Chase Shutdowns. LOL! (I’m only half joking...seriously, ask people here - I’ve spent hours and hours studying it).

You are at no risk of getting “shutdown” and any articles you read are likely full of sensationalized stories and misleading statements meant to scare you from pursuing this game and the scores of points you can earn from it.

If you absolutely don’t want shutdown then just put 3 months between each card you get. You can get 4 cards a year forever with no risk. And mind you, with your husband getting cards, that means you can get 8 cards combined a year...you are nowhere near that pace

(Of course, to stay under 5/24, some of those cards would have to be business cards as 8 personal cards in 2 years - 4 per yr - wouldn’t work).

 

[Ngwira]

Currently booking a flower and garden trip for Memorial Day weekend. This will be our last opportunity to use our annual passes. Fast pass window opens tomorrow. Securing our flights using points and gift cards. Pass holder rate at the Grand Floridian wasn’t too bad but holiday weekends are super expensive.

 

[Lain]

You asked earlier about using the second year's travel credit before cancelling, you get 30 days to cancel or PC after the AF posts, during that time you could make travel charges that the credit would be applied to then PC or cancel the card. To me this is incredibly shady and I would hope that Chase would at the very least clawback the credit.

Agreed! I’m surprised this is even allowed. I think I would be too nervous to do it.

Just so you’re aware - we would actually advise people on the thread to do this. I do not find it “shady”. It works and I’d challenge somebody to point out in the T&Cs where it is not allowed. In my experience on r/churning I’d say thousands of people have doubled up on the Travel credit (some even tripled when that used to be possible) with no adverse action. I can also say that some of the most upstanding and ethically responsible people I know on this thread have done this.

Basically, don’t create rules in your mind where they don’t exist.

I'm in complete agreement with @SouthFayetteFan.

When banks offer benefits on their credit cards, they set their own rules and timeframes, subject to applicable law. For many cards with benefits, banks will charge you an annual fee, so if you are not taking full advantage of the card's benefits within the framework that the banks themselves set up, you are leaving money on the table. Don't feel bad for the banks; they're counting on breakage, i.e., you or their other customers not utilizing benefits. If you, as a customer, do not use a card's benefit, that's money in the bank's pocket at your expense because you did not use benefits that were available to you.

As a general matter, I find it a little amusing when the term "shady" is applied to the other party when dealing with banks, considering where we were just ten years ago.

 

[DisneyMandC]

To all those tags originally in this: @Haley R, @amalone1013, @speedyfishy, @DisneyMandC - sorry, I'm sure you've all been trying hard but it's over...

LOL my DH would probably disagree

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

LOL my DH would probably disagree

 

[apollodi]

I just checked my CIP again. Doesn't show the tracker. Maybe Chase is like "hey, this guy is so close. Lets not even bother rolling it out to him"

No tracker appeared for my CIP either. And I met the spend requirement yesterday, but no bonus points showing pending yet. Hopefully they will show pending soon!

 

[have2getaway]

Just so you’re aware - we would actually advise people on the thread to do this. I do not find it “shady”. It works and I’d challenge somebody to point out in the T&Cs where it is not allowed. In my experience on r/churning I’d say thousands of people have doubled up on the Travel credit (some even tripled when that used to be possible) with no adverse action. I can also say that some of the most upstanding and ethically responsible people I know on this thread have done this.

Basically, don’t create rules in your mind where they don’t exist.

That’s good to know it’s not specifically spelled out as not permitted. I assumed it was when I said I agreed it was shady. My guess is Chase may also be aware it is going on and, if they haven’t stopped it by now, my guess is they are okay with it. I guess I was just more surprised that it wasn’t a problem but, I suppose Chase is getting you to use the higher fee card again for those purchases and so may be making out when cardholders do this.

 

[have2getaway]

I'm in complete agreement with @SouthFayetteFan.

When banks offer benefits on their credit cards, they set their own rules and timeframes, subject to applicable law. For many cards with benefits, banks will charge you an annual fee, so if you are not taking full advantage of the card's benefits within the framework that the banks themselves set up, you are leaving money on the table. Don't feel bad for the banks; they're counting on breakage, i.e., you or their other customers not utilizing benefits. If you, as a customer, do not use a card's benefit, that's money in the bank's pocket at your expense because you did not use benefits that were available to you.

As a general matter, I find it a little amusing when the term "shady" is applied to the other party when dealing with banks, considering where we were just ten years ago.

I’m still a newbie at this and will admit I have a lot to learn. Thanks for the explanation. What you said makes complete sense.

 

[afan]

Just so you’re aware - we would actually advise people on the thread to do this. I do not find it “shady”. It works and I’d challenge somebody to point out in the T&Cs where it is not allowed. In my experience on r/churning I’d say thousands of people have doubled up on the Travel credit (some even tripled when that used to be possible) with no adverse action. I can also say that some of the most upstanding and ethically responsible people I know on this thread have done this.

Basically, don’t create rules in your mind where they don’t exist.

I'm in complete agreement with @SouthFayetteFan.

When banks offer benefits on their credit cards, they set their own rules and timeframes, subject to applicable law. For many cards with benefits, banks will charge you an annual fee, so if you are not taking full advantage of the card's benefits within the framework that the banks themselves set up, you are leaving money on the table. Don't feel bad for the banks; they're counting on breakage, i.e., you or their other customers not utilizing benefits. If you, as a customer, do not use a card's benefit, that's money in the bank's pocket at your expense because you did not use benefits that were available to you.

As a general matter, I find it a little amusing when the term "shady" is applied to the other party when dealing with banks, considering where we were just ten years ago.

I agree with this. Plus when you look at all the potential things you could use the card for, travel delays, price protection before they took it away, GE/Pre check etc, doubling up on the credit could end up being less than other things.

The only thing I did use was the PP lounges and I doubled the credit before I PC'd to a CSP. I already had a nexus card so I don't need GE/Pre Check and if I was going to convince my mom to get anything it'd be a nexus card. And I'm not nice enough to pay for any of my friends that don't already have one or the other Never used any of the other stuff, so in some ways they got off easy with only $600. Granted the travel delay/insurance and price protection etc aren't going to happen for everyone but think of the person that has utilized that stuff, gotten GE and used the travel credit. They've cost them more (though I'm would imagine some of that stuff is through a backside insurance co that we don't see rather than actually out of Chase's pocket). Either way they're making bank, and there's probably far more people that cancel or PC without doubling the credit than do. Or those that just keep on paying the AF because they don't churn etc (shh...I have a friend that does this and with the amount she makes/spends she could easily be churning or at least better maximizing the cards she uses. She knows what I do and I'm pretty sure she has friends that probably do because she had the CSR within the first 3 months of it being out because of them )

 

[have2getaway]

@have2getaway - I have a Master’s Degree in Chase Shutdowns. LOL! (I’m only half joking...seriously, ask people here - I’ve spent hours and hours studying it).

You are at no risk of getting “shutdown” and any articles you read are likely full of sensationalized stories and misleading statements meant to scare you from pursuing this game and the scores of points you can earn from it.

If you absolutely don’t want shutdown then just put 3 months between each card you get. You can get 4 cards a year forever with no risk. And mind you, with your husband getting cards, that means you can get 8 cards combined a year...you are nowhere near that pace

(Of course, to stay under 5/24, some of those cards would have to be business cards as 8 personal cards in 2 years - 4 per yr - wouldn’t work).

@SouthFayetteFan, I am the OCD, paranoid type LOL. I think I just needed reassurance that what I’m doing is okay. I think you are right about the scare tactics. Regardless, it was an old article and I’m guessing Chase has already taken measures to limit UR SUB’s anyway.

 

[MKTokyo]

Just wanted to let others know that the Amex $10 back for Sam's Club does NOT work for a new membership. I'm not mad because we still got the $45 off on an order for signing up and $20 from Dosh, but that $10 would'be been nice. I guess I didn't read the fine print close enough on the offer.

My Amex offer tracked (the $25 off $45 for new memberships one) but Dosh did not & they have been ignoring my email for almost a week

I signed up solely to be able to buy Disneyland tickets. I can't even make use of the membership for anything else so I'll be super annoyed if it never goes through.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I'm in complete agreement with @SouthFayetteFan.

When banks offer benefits on their credit cards, they set their own rules and timeframes, subject to applicable law. For many cards with benefits, banks will charge you an annual fee, so if you are not taking full advantage of the card's benefits within the framework that the banks themselves set up, you are leaving money on the table. Don't feel bad for the banks; they're counting on breakage, i.e., you or their other customers not utilizing benefits. If you, as a customer, do not use a card's benefit, that's money in the bank's pocket at your expense because you did not use benefits that were available to you.

As a general matter, I find it a little amusing when the term "shady" is applied to the other party when dealing with banks, considering where we were just ten years ago.

You identify 2 key forces at work here:
1) The Bank - and their promotions, marketing teams, restrictions, benefits, etc. And it's worth pointing out that the computer systems that are running behind the scenes at most of these banks are probably very old, and limited in their ability to handle complex promotions and restrictions (which is good for us)
2) The Government (i.e. applicable law) - and the government LOVES To put regulations on banks. These regulations are often to prevent discrimination and other things we all would say are good but the implementation of those things can often have fringe benefits to people like churners (which is also good for us)

As somebody who actually works at a bank, I get to see a lot of theses "forces" at work, and a lot of training on being an ethical and legal banker (oh yay)...

At any rate, as churners, I recognize that we often will take full advantage of the bank's policies and procedures. The bank sets some of these on their own, and some things are to comply with regulations that are in place to basically protect consumers. We aren't the typical customer however, and so we find a way to maximize our benefit. We absolutely don't need to take up a collection for the bank. We also are all welcome to decide where that "ethical" line is. I don't want to shame anybody who doesn't think "double dipping" (on travel credits) is a bad thing. BUT I personally think it's pretty clearly ok - here is the T&Cs on this benefit from Chase's application:

$300 Annual Travel Credit
A statement credit will automatically be applied to your account when your card is used for purchases in the travel category, up to an annual maximum accumulation of $300. Annual means the year beginning with your account open date through the first statement date after your account open date anniversary, and the 12 monthly billing cycles after that each year. Call the number on the back of your card to see when you are eligible for your next $300 Annual Travel Credit. Purchases are when you, or an authorized user, use a card to make purchases of products and services. Buying products and services with your card, in most cases, will count as a purchase; however, the following types of transactions won't count: balance transfers, cash advances, travelers checks, foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers or similar cash-like transactions, lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, race track wagers or similar betting transactions, any checks that access your account, interest, unauthorized or fraudulent charges, and fees of any kind, including an annual fee, if applicable. We do not determine whether merchants correctly identify and bill transactions as being of a certain type. For more information about Chase rewards categories, see chase.com/RewardsCategoryFAQs. Statement credit(s) will post to your account the same day your travel category purchase posts to your account and will appear on your monthly credit card billing statement within 1-2 billing cycles. The Annual Travel Credit will be issued for the year in which the transaction posts to your account. For example, if you pay for baggage fees, but the airline does not post the transaction until after the current annual period ends, the cost of the baggage fees will be allocated towards the following year's Annual Travel Credit maximum of $300.
​

I see no mention of paying the annual fee to get this benefit. There are of course other things we could discuss in this same vein. Things like buying gift cards to trigger the AMEX credits, reducing CLs to avoid AFs and even bank account funding. I welcome anybody to consult the thread if you're concerned something you're doing is beyond the norm or "not ok". The odds are though, that we'll side with the customer because if there isn't something specific preventing it, then you're probably fine.

Of course we could also then discuss AMEX's intentionally vague language and the RAT - but that's another whole issue. And their vagueness and inconsistent application of "rules" is frustrating so I also side with the customer there!

 

[Lain]

That’s good to know it’s not specifically spelled out as not permitted. I assumed it was when I said I agreed it was shady. My guess is Chase may also be aware it is going on and, if they haven’t stopped it by now, my guess is they are okay with it. I guess I was just more surprised that it wasn’t a problem but, I suppose Chase is getting you to use the higher fee card again for those purchases and so may be making out when cardholders do this.

Chase is absolutely aware of double dipping the travel credit on the CSR, but 98% of CSR cardholders likely don't even realize it can be done. Again, breakage. How much cost is Chase going to sink into limiting the redemption of this benefit, if most of their cardholders are not double dipping and may not even be using up one full year's benefit? It used to be possible to triple dip the travel credit when it was a calendar year benefit, e.g., redeem three calendar years' worth of travel credits on one annual fee. Chase changed the travel credit to a cardmember year benefit, but it's still possible to double dip the credit on one year's annual fee. If Chase really wanted to limit use of the travel credit to once per annual fee, it could reset the annual fee only after you've had to pay another year's annual fee and it's too late to cancel the card for a refund (but that wouldn't preclude product changing to a no fee card afterward). The cost benefit to you in double or triple dipping a benefit assumes you cancel or product change a card after one year, i.e., you pay only the one annual fee. In many cases, a cardholder may decide to keep the card beyond one year, keep paying the annual fee, because they see ongoing value in the card's benefits. Many of us keep one CSR in the household because of the 1.5x redemption value. If that's the case, the value of another year's travel credit gets rolled into the cost of another year's annual fee each time you renew.

 

[magickingdomprincess]

Re Amex Biz increased annual fees: I was just charged my AF on 3/18 and was only charge $95. Not sure if that helps.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

After 45 minutes on the phone with Hilton (and forwarding the CS agent the e-mail), they are saying it looks like a scam. They have sent an e-mail to the GM at the property just to make sure that the booking is intact and I don't need to send them a payment directly.

Scary as they had all my info -- dates, reservation number, name and e-mail address. What they didn't have was the fact that I booked 2 rooms and they were only trying to collect payment for 1 -- that was a red flag for me. That and why would I need to pay the hotel directly when I already input my cc info into the Hilton website. I have to call them back on Thursday to see what the GM of the property said (he has 3 business days to respond).

I didn't think that seemed right, but rarely have we booked prepaid rooms, so I didn't want to voice much of an opinion. When we have booked prepaid, Hilton charged our card directly from the initial reservation. Glad you knew not to fall for it.

 

[lorilclevelandrn]

Anyone use points from Capital One Venture card and if so, best way to utilize towards Disney vacation?