I love credit cards so much! v6.0 - 2023 (see first page for add'l details)

[Sheree]

United Travel Bank
I know it was here that I even saw to get that credited. (not sure which cc!) since I usually book flights with miles, I haven't been able to use it. doesn't seem to come up as a payment method for baggage. maybe seat upgrade?

I've had amex hilton for 20 years and surpass for at least 5 and have never seen an upgrade to aspire. and I seem to regularly charge 40k a year on it1

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

FreeDiningFanatic - I can't seem to reply directly to your post, it keeps getting flagged as spam --
Thank you! Yes, I stay home so we are pretty frugal to keep costs down. I think I'm willing to give the biz cards a go, but I really only make about $500 or so a year, is that too small of a number? Will I need a separate log-in for that, or does it show up on my personal chase account? Is the only difference between the CIC and CIU the rewards categories or are there any other pros/cons to them? Thank you so much for all the advice!

You already received good advice from the group, so I won't duplicate it. When comparing the CIU and the CIC, this might be helpful:
CIU, 1.5x on everything.
MSR 6,000x1.5= 9,000 + SUB 75,000= 84,000 UR

CIC, 5x on office supply stores. So if you can maximize the whole $6,000 buying gift cards at an office supply store:
MSR 6,000x5= 30000 + SUB 75,000= 105,000 UR

That's 21,000 extra UR with the CIC, if the gift card thing makes sense for you. I'd value that as worth nearly an extra $263 in rewards. I personally tend to do the CIU unless, say, I knew I was going to need $3k in AirBNB gift cards or something like that. I just don't love the hassle of dealing with GCs if I don't have to. Plus you mentioned you're pretty rural, so idk if you would love running to the office supply store for gcs. But a lot of other people go the GC route and do it very successfully.

And on average, try to stay around a 90 day velocity with Chase. Good luck!

In CC news, I'm excited to see the Hilton offers. I just sent my BF a referral link so we can earn a FNC for Mexico. I think I'll have him do the Hilton Honors since he's not a huge fan of annual fees. And 70k is almost enough for the free night in Mexico.

DoC has a link for the Hilton no fee for 80k + FNC if he runs into any popup issues with your support link. No support, but it's 10k higher than the public offer.

 

[lsutigers03]

I closed DW’s AMEX gold before the Grubhub credit posted. Will it post with the card closed or will I need to pay the balance?

 

[Haley R]

Dh was on the chase portal today and saw a flash deal for a rental car for our Germany trip. He was able to get a car for $128 for 2 weeks! It’s free cancellation, booked on chase through hertz. We were previously paying $700. Idk how or why it is being priced at $9/day but we booked it. We’ve read everything possible and don’t see anything weird that would make it so cheap. I’m still skeptical lol

 

[mmmears]

United Travel Bank
I know it was here that I even saw to get that credited. (not sure which cc!) since I usually book flights with miles, I haven't been able to use it. doesn't seem to come up as a payment method for baggage. maybe seat upgrade?

I've had amex hilton for 20 years and surpass for at least 5 and have never seen an upgrade to aspire. and I seem to regularly charge 40k a year on it1

AFAIK, the Amex credits can only be used for incidentals. When you put the money into the United Travel Bank, they can now only be used for actual tickets, not for incidental expenses like baggage or upgrades. We have tried to use Points Bank money to upgrade seats a few times and have never been successful.

 

[IFlossU]

I closed DW’s AMEX gold before the Grubhub credit posted. Will it post with the card closed or will I need to pay the balance?

You should pay the balance. Then do a chat or call if you want the refund.

 

[disneylover81]

I see 0% APR for 18 months, but I don't know if that's only for new accounts.

If the card does nothing for you, maybe you want to product change to something else. I have the Cash+ from my pre-churning days. It has 5% cashback categories you can choose every quarter that has included utilities for several years now (could change at any time though). It's one of the few things I don't put on a MSR card. SUB is low, so not a card I would choose to use a 5/24 slot on.

It actually hasn’t done anything for me since it was a Gymboree card and I had a small daughter that let me dress her cute! it’s been just sitting in the drawer and was never even activated. I’ll look into product changing for it and see if there’s any good perks for me.

 

[disneylover81]

The 0% APR is an introductory offer only. US Bank has also changed their policies and no longer allows credit limit transfers between cards, so unused cards are largely pointless with them. I generally close any USB card I'm not using as they factor in existing credit when providing a credit limit on new applications. Their Triple Cash/Business Connect/Leverage cards are all decent offers for the spend if you're tapped on Amex/Chase biz applications and they have become more lax in approvals (no longer rejecting for inquiries as harshly as they used to).

@disneylover81

Good to know. Thanks. I don’t typically apply for US Bank cards. So you’d suggest closing the account or just leaving it sitting with a zero balance and the fact that we’ve had it since 2006 for longevity? It doesn’t affect our Chase apps does it?? It’s my husband’s account and I’m an AU on it. We really only use/apply for Chase cards with the exception right now that I have an old Discover It card that I only just pulled out the drawer after years of not being used because they are offering 5% cash back on dining and Sam’s this quarter. Then back in the drawer it’ll go. I was happy to have it last week when Sam’s had the $200 Disney gift cards for $185, plus the 5% Discover cash back. So I got 2 of them! I’m ahead of the game this year for my DVC dues using discounted gift cards. I paid for last year’s dues OOP because I didn’t spend my time wisely buying discounted gift cards throughout the year. I will not be making that mistake again!

 

[hsmamato2]

If the higher 4k spend isn't a problem, then go with the Biz card first because it doesn't eat up a 5/24 slot for Chase. If 5/24 doesn't concern you because you don't get that many new cards in a 2 year period, Surpass is worth considering because it adds the 6x multiplier on groceries (and you can buy a lot of gift cards at the grocery store to expand that for things like Amazon, Apple, Airbnb, etc.)

thanks..... I can really only "play" twice a year with a new SUB so I have to choose carefully

 

[Sheree]

AFAIK, the Amex credits can only be used for incidentals. When you put the money into the United Travel Bank, they can now only be used for actual tickets, not for incidental expenses like baggage or upgrades. We have tried to use Points Bank money to upgrade seats a few times and have never been successful.

thanks
i know it wasn't from amex. possibly venture x. or csp, ciu etc!

 

[punkin]

Stupid question... how do I find out how much is in my united travel bank?

 

[georgina]

thanks
i know it wasn't from amex. possibly venture x. or csp, ciu etc!

Ours are from the IHG premier. I have never used them. Found this on Nerdwallet -

One of the unexpected ways to get United TravelBank credits is through select IHG credit cards. IHG Rewards Premier and IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card customers can enroll to get up to $50 in TravelBank Cash each calendar year. Cardholders get one deposit of $25 in early January of each year and another $25 deposit in early July.
However, these funds work differently from purchased TravelBank funds. Instead of having five years of validity, you only have a little over six months to use these funds before they expire. The $25 deposited in early January expires on July 15 of the same calendar year, and the $25 funded in July will expire on Jan. 15 of the next year.
During the two-week crossover period, you could have up to $50 in active TravelBank funds from this IHG credit card benefit. That's probably not going to be enough to cover an entire flight, but at least it can save you some out-of-pocket cost on your next United flight.
Eligible cardholders can go to ihg.com/united to register to start receiving this new card benefit. You'll need to log into your IHG One Rewards account and then provide your United MileagePlus number and last name to complete registration. The terms and conditions note that it may take up to two weeks after registration before you receive your first $25 TravelBank deposit.

 

[disneylover81]

We are thinking about going to Aulani next September and I’m trying to get a budget in mind using this September’s prices as a starting point. As of now it’s me, DH, DS, his girlfriend and my grandson. My daughter isn’t on board right now, but will prolly change her mind when the time comes. Then she has an infant also that may or may not go.
We fly SWA from Memphis normally, but there’s no flight options. So I’m assuming we will have to fly from Memphis to another airport, then from that airport to HNL, but how do we know what’s the best option? Or would a different airline completely be better? We are clueless of how to go about planning this trip and I am feeling overwhelmed.
We plan on using DVC points, but it’s pretty high per night so my son thinks I should save my points and rent somewhere else with cash like an AirBNB. I bought DVC to not have to spend cash is what I am trying to explain to him. I understand his logic being that we can go longer if we pay cash and I can use my points at WDW later on, but I really only plan on going 5 nights no matter how we pay and Aulani has been on my list of places to stay for many years. I just need any kind of help or advice anyone has!

 

[IFlossU]

We are thinking about going to Aulani next September and I’m trying to get a budget in mind using this September’s prices as a starting point. As of now it’s me, DH, DS, his girlfriend and my grandson. My daughter isn’t on board right now, but will prolly change her mind when the time comes. Then she has an infant also that may or may not go.
We fly SWA from Memphis normally, but there’s no flight options. So I’m assuming we will have to fly from Memphis to another airport, then from that airport to HNL, but how do we know what’s the best option? Or would a different airline completely be better? We are clueless of how to go about planning this trip and I am feeling overwhelmed.
We plan on using DVC points, but it’s pretty high per night so my son thinks I should save my points and rent somewhere else with cash like an AirBNB. I bought DVC to not have to spend cash is what I am trying to explain to him. I understand his logic being that we can go longer if we pay cash and I can use my points at WDW later on, but I really only plan on going 5 nights no matter how we pay and Aulani has been on my list of places to stay for many years. I just need any kind of help or advice anyone has!

First, it’s great you’re thinking ahead. Getting that many people to Hawaii can be challenging especially if you’re looking to use points. I would start by looking at Google Flights to get an idea of the airlines that fly from Memphis. SW may not be the best option. Once you have an idea of which carriers are available start looking at current flight times and routes and decide which airlines have the most ideal route for you without a lot of hassle. It will definitely require some research, but not too much once you know which specific airlines to focus on.

As far as DVC only you can decide if it’s worth it to use points or stay elsewhere. If Aulani is the reason you want to go then I think you should follow your heart. Sometimes it’s not the best financial decision, but it’s worth it for the experience.

 

[georgina]

Stupid question... how do I find out how much is in my united travel bank?

I just googled it to check mine. From the united travel bank page, I clicked on 'fund my travel bank', had to sign in to my mileage plus account, then had to click on 'fund my travel bank' again, and it asked me to sign in again, but when I clicked on that it took me to the page that shows I have the $25 from the IHG card.

 

[emilymad]

We are thinking about going to Aulani next September and I’m trying to get a budget in mind using this September’s prices as a starting point. As of now it’s me, DH, DS, his girlfriend and my grandson. My daughter isn’t on board right now, but will prolly change her mind when the time comes. Then she has an infant also that may or may not go.
We fly SWA from Memphis normally, but there’s no flight options. So I’m assuming we will have to fly from Memphis to another airport, then from that airport to HNL, but how do we know what’s the best option? Or would a different airline completely be better? We are clueless of how to go about planning this trip and I am feeling overwhelmed.
We plan on using DVC points, but it’s pretty high per night so my son thinks I should save my points and rent somewhere else with cash like an AirBNB. I bought DVC to not have to spend cash is what I am trying to explain to him. I understand his logic being that we can go longer if we pay cash and I can use my points at WDW later on, but I really only plan on going 5 nights no matter how we pay and Aulani has been on my list of places to stay for many years. I just need any kind of help or advice anyone has!

Only you can really decide on your DVC points but Aulani is fabulous. We went a million years ago now but we didn't spend the additional points for a better view. I am not sure what you were looking at but maybe save a few points that way.

 

[wanderlust7]

Stupid question... how do I find out how much is in my united travel bank?

I just googled it to check mine. From the united travel bank page, I clicked on 'fund my travel bank', had to sign in to my mileage plus account, then had to click on 'fund my travel bank' again, and it asked me to sign in again, but when I clicked on that it took me to the page that shows I have the $25 from the IHG card.

You can also see it on the United site after you log in. Click your name and you'll see it towards the bottom. It's also under My United, which has more detailed expiration info.

 

[wanderlust7]

We are thinking about going to Aulani next September and I’m trying to get a budget in mind using this September’s prices as a starting point. As of now it’s me, DH, DS, his girlfriend and my grandson. My daughter isn’t on board right now, but will prolly change her mind when the time comes. Then she has an infant also that may or may not go.
We fly SWA from Memphis normally, but there’s no flight options. So I’m assuming we will have to fly from Memphis to another airport, then from that airport to HNL, but how do we know what’s the best option? Or would a different airline completely be better? We are clueless of how to go about planning this trip and I am feeling overwhelmed.
We plan on using DVC points, but it’s pretty high per night so my son thinks I should save my points and rent somewhere else with cash like an AirBNB. I bought DVC to not have to spend cash is what I am trying to explain to him. I understand his logic being that we can go longer if we pay cash and I can use my points at WDW later on, but I really only plan on going 5 nights no matter how we pay and Aulani has been on my list of places to stay for many years. I just need any kind of help or advice anyone has!

Do you want to stop at DLR on the way? The Grand Californian is awesome with a private entrance into California Adventure. Nothing like that at WDW.

There are lots of flights to HNL from the LA area on SW (as well as other airlines). Another airline to get to LA would be better though as I see there are no nonstop flights from Memphis on SW. I like to use this list to figure out where SW flies nonstop. Link

 

[disneylover81]

First, it’s great you’re thinking ahead. Getting that many people to Hawaii can be challenging especially if you’re looking to use points. I would start by looking at Google Flights to get an idea of the airlines that fly from Memphis. SW may not be the best option. Once you have an idea of which carriers are available start looking at current flight times and routes and decide which airlines have the most ideal route for you without a lot of hassle. It will definitely require some research, but not too much once you know which specific airlines to focus on.

As far as DVC only you can decide if it’s worth it to use points or stay elsewhere. If Aulani is the reason you want to go then I think you should follow your heart. Sometimes it’s not the best financial decision, but it’s worth it for the experience.

You’re right. We may need to branch out from SWA. Honestly we’ve never taken a longer flight than 3 hours so flying somewhere for 10 hours is foreign to us. I have lots of SWA points, but we don’t have to use those for this trip, as we fly to WDW a good bit and I’ll just use them for that. I guess once we narrow down an airline for Hawaii, I can look at a new airline card, but will prolly need to get on that now so I can start earning miles, if that’s the route we are going.
For me, Aulani is the only reason I’m going, but my son on the other hand just wants to go to hawaii in general. We have different wants for this trip. Sightseeing is fun, but I’m happy just to stay at the resort.

 

[disneylover81]

Only you can really decide on your DVC points but Aulani is fabulous. We went a million years ago now but we didn't spend the additional points for a better view. I am not sure what you were looking at but maybe save a few points that way.

I’m looking at the different view options, and I just want some kind of ocean view. I’m okay with a partial view and I saw where a lot of people only paid for an island garden view, but still had a great ocean view. I just know for sure I don’t want to be looking at a parking garage or something terrible. Which view did you use your points for?