I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

Status
Not open for further replies.
I feel awfully dumb for not being able to figure this out... but I need help. I have a Bonvoy Boundless, got 4-26-18. I’m trying to figure out what to do for other cards, and I’m stumped on what qualifies for lifetime limit vs 24 mo limit vs 30/90 days limit. I love this card-we are committed to working towards Marriott lifetime status, love the priority lounge access, and we use the $300 statement credit and max that 50k certificate. We want more points... and max amount of free “extras”. Is it better for my husband to get a Boundless (but we need one more lounge access for 13 year old child. What’s another good card to look at?) and I get a Brilliant at $95, lower night certificate, no lounge or credit, but 100k points? Can I also get bonuses on business cards and Bold? I’m so confused by the timing requirements for these cards. Help!!!
Don't worry, the Marriott card universe is one of the most confusing systems in the churning world right now. You're not alone.

First off you probably want to take a step back and look at the different cards out there and understand which are Chase and which are AmEx. You seem to have a couple of the names turned around there in your post which probably isn't helping matters. (I.e the Boundless is a Chase Visa card, has a $95 AF, and doesn't have a $300 statement credit, 50k FNC, or lounge access. It sounds like you are describing the AmEx Brilliant there)

AmEx is the company with lifetime bonus language, Chase allows you to be eligible again after 24 months. And then Marriott themselves have a hand in the convoluted matrix that determines card eligiblity based on holding other cards in the universe.

Two links for you to start with, one has a chart that may help determine eligiblity for the card(s) you want -
https://thepointsguy.com/guide/eligibility-chart-marriott-bonvoy-cards/
Two, starts a conversation regarding said chart we had last November -
https://www.disboards.com/threads/i...t-page-for-addl-details.3729982/post-61276222
Don't go just off any charts out there. Use them as a stepping off point and then double check the terms of the card you want to confirm.

I'd start with a list of current and previous Marriott and SPG cards you've had, when you received their bonus and when they were closed. Working off that list you can determine what you are each eligible for and then map out a path that fits your goals. (What's highest priority? Lots of points for a redemption, ongoing FNC, other perks like status, etc etc. Be good to rank that in relation to an upcoming goal)

AmEx has two cards with the potential for the most sign up points but also higher AFs. Chase has two cards but the Bold card comes with a bunch of restrictions and a much lower sign up bonus potential due to the no AF. And since no AF there is no FNC with it and has a lower earning rate on spend. It's almost like Chase really only has one CC since you can't hold both at the same time.

If this helps rather than hurts, here is the list of all Marriott cards both active and discontinued.
https://credit-cards.marriott.com/
 
We're going in September. Hopefully leaving the Thurs/Fri of labor day weekend for 2 weeks, well I think it's 15 hotel nights. I wanted it to be on the warmer side but not peak summer hot and I think school/holiday wise it's a good time. We'll be doing Tokyo, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing with all 3 Asian parks. Plus having 1 holiday on our side to help with vacation days is nice too and part of the reasoning.

Thanks for sharing. I think I want it a bit cooler than summer, but not cold (yeah I sound like Goldilocks now). I would love the see the leaves all red, too. Your trip sounds awesome and far more extensive than what I'm thinking of planning.
 
The more I learn, the more excited I get about the possibilities, and I am not a patient person. Waiting 3 months to do anything - aaahhhh!!! I start looking into bank bonuses and decide to jump on that in the meantime. It's December at this point, and most bonus offers end SOON, so I decide it's a good time to try for 3 bonuses at once; one in my name and two in DW's. No problem, move some money around, change my DD - great! Little did I know that STUPID US Bank does not allow you to set up your online account immediately after opening the account - you need your debit card. I don't have time for a debit card to come in the mail - the offer ends in a week. So, I send DW to the bank to plead for assistance in getting the online account set up and a debit card sooner. We get the account done, I set up a real-time DD from Chase on the last day of the offer...done. We end up with 3 debit cards (???) and as I'm looking at stuff yesterday I realize that the 'real time' DD did not post until the following Monday. 😡 I sent a SM to CS, but I'm pretty sure the answer will be 'no bonus for you'....

Okay, fine, I screwed up one bonus, it happens...but it was the highest and easiest one I applied for.😢
Not sure if I misunderstood, but wanted you to know when you are doing the back bonuses when the offers end all you have to do by that time is open the account. Then going forward you have varying amounts of time to complete the various requirements. So if you have fulfilled the requirements you should get that US Bank bonus. Hope that makes sense. But yes, this game can get confusing. :D
 
Sad conversation with dd this morning. Now that we know where she'll attend university (and when her winter break will be) I asked her where she wants to go next year. She replied "I don't know, maybe just come home". I really feel like I've failed here :sad::sad:.

Bit of good news though. We were looking at where she can do her study abroad and Waseda University (in Shinjuku {Tokyo}) is one of her options. She has to rank her top 5 choices and can get any of her choices. Engineering choices are limited, but she can apply to the UK (U of Edinburgh and U St. Andrews), Sweden (Lund and Upppsala Universities), a few in New Zealand and a handful in Australia. Those would her top destinations (given the somewhat limited options). So at least I'll have a trip in 2021 / 22 to look forward to!
My sister did her study abroad at Waseda!
 


We're back from our quick Fri-Sun at Universal! 2 nights at Portofino Bay with real money (RPR wasn't available), SW flights with RR and CP, CSR Lyft deal to the resort and Amex Uber credit back to the hotel.

What we liked:
  • Express Passes!
  • Hagrid's (we did single rider yesterday afternoon and waited 40 minutes; regular line was 120 min at that point)
  • Escape from Gringott's
  • all of Diagon Alley's theming was just phenomenal
  • Forbidden Journey
  • King Kong
  • Mummy
  • the ambiance of the hotel
  • the lounge at the hotel down by the water--sat outside Fri night and inside yesterday, nice drinks and staff
  • walking to and from the parks
What was just eh:
  • Transformers (I am definitely not the target audience lol)
  • Men in Black (I remember enjoying it more in the past)
  • Spider-Man (same)
  • the datedness of our room (everything was very clean and in good repair but it definitely needs the scheduled refurb)
What we didn't like:
  • Fast and Furious
  • that so many rides rely on screens, which means that our younger dd wouldn't be able to ride much with her motion sickness
  • almost all of the women's restrooms were dirty, even within the first hour of the park being open--staffing issue or guest issue?
  • eleventy bazillion South American tour groups clogging up the walkways (all polite, no clapping or chanting) AND a zillion Christian youth groups there for Rock the Universe at USF Fri and Sat
We will return once Hagrid's is accepting Express Pass. I'd love to take our girls for a couple days just for all the Harry Potter stuff, so that would working around uni/grad school and work schedules.
 
That's so cool! Did she like it?

Even if she ranks Waseda as her top choice there's no guarantee she'd get it, but if she got the UK, Sweden (not in the winter lol), Australia or New Zealand that would be fine too.
She did! She had the opportunity to live with a host family which really helped her Japanese.
 


My payments are often very low since I pay them off so frequently. Sometimes just a few dollars; sometimes in the thousands. I NEVER get close to my credit limit since I basically treat my credit cards like debit cards.
I believe you do have to keep the credit line and your total spending in mind even when you make multiple payments. I have some of my Chase limits set especially low to keep my total credit line with them down. If my limit on a card is 5k and within one billing cycle I spend 1k, pay that off, and then spend another 4k, pay that off, and then spend again, I would have technically exceeded my credit limit during that cycle and that would be a problem.
 
Not sure if I misunderstood, but wanted you to know when you are doing the back bonuses when the offers end all you have to do by that time is open the account. Then going forward you have varying amounts of time to complete the various requirements. So if you have fulfilled the requirements you should get that US Bank bonus. Hope that makes sense. But yes, this game can get confusing. :D

I'm so glad you said something! US Bank's seemed so easy, but convoluted at the same time. I went back and looked at the actual offer, and I think I got my notes confused. This is the text from the offer:

You must use the promotion code listed on this offer when you apply. A minimum deposit of $25 is required to open a U.S. Bank consumer checking account. To earn the $300 bonus offer, you must open a new U.S. Bank consumer checking account (excluding Student Checking and Safe Debit Account) online by December 8, 2019. Additionally, you must complete recurring direct deposits of two or more that total $2,000 or more within 60 days of account opening, and be enrolled in either U.S. Bank online banking or the U.S. Bank Mobile App by December 13, 2019.

I opened the account on 12/7, and we got the online account set up a few days later, in time for me to set up the first DD on 12/13. So the online account was set up by the 13th. I've deposited $500 each in 4 different transfers from Chase, with two more coming in the next week or so for good measure. I was thinking the first deposit was required by the 13th.. maybe it's okay after all?? Fingers crossed!
 
I believe you do have to keep the credit line and your total spending in mind even when you make multiple payments. I have some of my Chase limits set especially low to keep my total credit line with them down. If my limit on a card is 5k and within one billing cycle I spend 1k, pay that off, and then spend another 4k, pay that off, and then spend again, I would have technically exceeded my credit limit during that cycle and that would be a problem.
Yes. You are most likely correct. I have very high limits compared to what I am paying off each month. I am not even coming close to exceeding my credit limit. All of my limits are above $5000 (some above $10k). The most I might spend on any given card in any given month is around $2000. But it is good to know this info, especially for people who may have lower credit limits and higher spends.
 
We're going in September. Hopefully leaving the Thurs/Fri of labor day weekend for 2 weeks, well I think it's 15 hotel nights. I wanted it to be on the warmer side but not peak summer hot and I think school/holiday wise it's a good time. We'll be doing Tokyo, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing with all 3 Asian parks. Plus having 1 holiday on our side to help with vacation days is nice too and part of the reasoning.
The one bad part of September is the typhoons.
 
Has anyone who did the pnc bonus in 2019 get a 1099 yet? I was able to get my Wells Fargo one online but since I closed PNC I can’t log on.
 
It's December at this point, and most bonus offers end SOON, so I decide it's a good time to try for 3 bonuses at once; one in my name and two in DW's. No problem, move some money around, change my DD - great! Little did I know that STUPID US Bank does not allow you to set up your online account immediately after opening the account - you need your debit card. I don't have time for a debit card to come in the mail - the offer ends in a week. So, I send DW to the bank to plead for assistance in getting the online account set up and a debit card sooner. We get the account done, I set up a real-time DD from Chase on the last day of the offer...done. We end up with 3 debit cards (???) and as I'm looking at stuff yesterday I realize that the 'real time' DD did not post until the following Monday. 😡 I sent a SM to CS, but I'm pretty sure the answer will be 'no bonus for you'....
First off, congratulations on your accomplishments so far! I get the excitement of working to a goal, and throw in the whirlwind of the refi to boot, and it's easy to miss out on the little details. But if I were you, I'd want to take a breath now and relook at some of the things you put in motion.

Regarding your bank bonus adventures, you may still be able to salvage them. You say it was at the end of the offer terms but usually the date listed for the promotion is the last date to open the account. Then starting from open date you have X days to complete the requirements. There are exceptions that have exact dates, but I don't believe USBank is one of them. If that's the case, then you should relook at the requirements and see if your DDs still have time to work.

Second, you mentioned contacting customer service. Was that to see if your Chase "DD" qualified? If the terms of the bonus want a Direct Deposit rather than a normal deposit, then when human eyes look at it they'll likely tell you that you don't qualify. Transfers can trick automated systems but not usually if you get eyes on the account. We don't advise contacting the bank when you haven't met the conditions of the bonus legitimately. Also with the Chase transfer, the real time option doesn't usually trigger bonuses because it's not an ACH transaction, IIRC. Would have to look that up for USBank to confirm, see what the DPs say.

Fingers crossed for you that you can salvage it without too much trouble!
 
Thanks for sharing. I think I want it a bit cooler than summer, but not cold (yeah I sound like Goldilocks now). I would love the see the leaves all red, too. Your trip sounds awesome and far more extensive than what I'm thinking of planning.

We figured if we were going to go all that way to do TDL that we might as well do the other 2 since they are relatively close. Then because we'll already be there and it's relatively close we need to see the great wall, hence beijing and we'll do the forbidden city and that's probably it. It'll be a quick stop on the end before heading back to Tokyo for our return flight.

The one bad part of September is the typhoons.

Yes and hurricanes are an issue when I plan WDW in August and November yet we still go. It's the time of year that works best, we'll have travel insurance and if something happens, then something happens. The possibility isn't going to keep me from going at the time that works best for us. There could be a huge earthquake here tomorrow or one when we're at DLR in March, the threat of them happening doesn't keep me from going. I can't control the weather or the earth so you just roll with it. I don't like traveling places when it's cold, which is why I don't go to WDW in Jan/Feb.
 
I decided to see what type of value I would be getting out of my BonBlah points for the new Al Maha reservation we made. We are doing 5 nights with the 5th night free. The dynamic pricing for the room was 100k per night so 400,000 BonBlah points. Since it is also during a peak time of year the cash price for the room is over $2,000 per night :scared1: 5 nights is pricing at $10,209.64. Which means we are getting a 2.6 cpp value for the BonBlah points. Even TPG's generally over inflated cpp values have Marriott points at .8 cpp. This makes wiping out my BonBlah stash far less painful. Another Al Maha stay was really the only reason I was collecting BonBlah points at all.
 
So excited for you!

I’m terrible in getting hotel reviews and photos up, but I’ll make it a point after our trip over spring break! Fingers crossed you score some good flights! 🤞 I totally get how major free checked bags are with kids, especially when flying to Hawaii for a week.

Thanks! I can't wait to hear all about your trip!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts

Top