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

[mmmears]

Thanks for the heads up on the fee-free VGCs at Staples. I went and bought some for the first time today.

I know that VGCs can get hacked and stolen. Can someone here help me find the right article saying how to prevent that from happening? Looking online but I can't find what I'm looking for.

 

[DogCat]

I like milesfeed .com. It's an aggregator that pulls recent posts from several sites like DoC, and it has reddit churning links. It's convenient to access info in one place.

This is really an awesome site! Thanks!

 

[mmmears]

We can't use our VGCs to pay our credit card bills, can we? DH read online that you can use them for that, but we both think that there is no way that we can.

 

[amcc]

For those of you that have the ATT Business Fiber offer on your Amex card, there is a way to use the offer on any ATT product.
I clicked on the link from the offer and opened it in Incognito browser. From the landing page in the upper right corner under Account click pay without signing in which brings up a new tab. I Selected Uverse, entered in my account number. Did not click check balance. Proceeded to pay $50.00. It limits you to 2 of these payments every 24 hours. Pre auth on Amex shows AT&T HSIA BUS E-EVR. My account is residential AT&T Fiber standalone.

I got the Amex email about 48 hours later and the credit posted 5 days later. I just did it on 12/28.

ETA: I did not find this workaround, I learned it from comments on Doc.

Thank you for this great tip. Just did it and immediately got the You've used your offer from Amex email.

 

[lsutigers03]

This was my experience too. I tried opening a Chase business account online but had to do it in branch. I went ahead and did it. It was a little nerve wracking when I was asked about my "business." From the conversation I had with the banker, it sounded like they always make you go to the branch to open business accounts. (I had no problem opening an AMEX business checking account account online.)

Since it was nerve tracking I assume you don’t have a business with an EIN? What questions were you asked? Did they ask for any documentation on your business?

 

[mmmears]

Thank you for this great tip. Just did it and immediately got the You've used your offer from Amex email.

Same here. Thank you!

 

[NewbieMom]

Does your troop use ABC bakers/Smart Cookies or LBB/Digital Cookie?

We're ABC and smart cookies allows the girls to take a girl delivery order via credit card. It's really great for regular sales, since people can put in their order, pay with a card, and then we just drop off. It definitely got the kids a few extra door to door sales because folks would say they didn't have cash and the girls would cheerily confirm that they took cards, too.

For churning, I would track whatever cash sales they did for a week and then make one large order where I "bought" them on my credit card instead. The cookie mom could then see that the cookies were paid via CC in lieu of me giving her cash.

Wow, I never thought to enter a pickup order for myself to "buy" the sold cookies. Thank you! Definitely trying this.

 

[platamama]

Dang, mine is over $800. I'm concerned it doesn't seem to have much coverage for emergency evacuation which is my primary concern.

Can't recall if you have an Amex Plat or not, but the Plat does provide uncapped emergency evacuation, whether you paid for the trip using the Plat or not. Only the Plat and Centurion cards have this no cost benefit; some other Amex cards will help arrange it but not pay for it.

More details are explained on this benefits page https://www.americanexpress.com/con.../policies/pdf/PGA_Benefit_Guide_Rev_09-17.pdf

@platamama quoting you "We were at Andaz for 5 days and kept busy doing several on-site activities (coffee class, latin dance, sound healing, meditation, hike in the forest, pottery painting, stargazing), and we booked a 2hr wave runner tour and that was a blast. Scary! and thrilling. We booked that with the concierge because I wanted to charge it to the room, but I think it might have been the same guys as the ones who hang out at the beach (cheaper through them, but they preferred cash and I didn't bring enough with me). It was $550 for two wave runners for two hours with a guide"

Booking our CR tours and transfers today. So far have transfers from LIR to Andaz and Andaz to Los Altos booked, along with an adventure day including zip lining, tubing and hot springs with a private guide.
For Andaz were there any free activities you did at the resorts or $ for all? Did you book ahead for any or book while at the resort already? I'm trying to figure out if charges for any of those will trigger the CSR travel credit.

Sounds fun! At Andaz, the only free thing we did was stargazing (two guys set up their telescopes at the Jardin location, and pointed out some constellations). Down by the beach, there are free kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkeling equipment as well as life jackets (but no lifeguards) that you can borrow to explore the area on your own. Transportation to the other beach where the Andaz Beach House is located, or on the Peninsula shuttle (go to other resorts like Four Seasons on the Papagayo peninsula) is also free. Andaz has e-bikes you can borrow to ride around too and that's also free...and is different than the mountain e-biking offered by Papagayo Explorers which is a paid for activity.

I booked most activities online just a couple days before arrival. https://andazpuravida.com/ is the main website to check out the weekly schedule of activities offered on property. You can click on Things To Do>>Book Your Activities Here to see costs. As an example, you'll see a guided snorkeling tour is $25/hr per person but you're welcome to do that for free on your own without a guide.

Anything offered by Andaz can be charged to your room, including purchases at the gift shop. I put a Hyatt* personal cc down as the default payment method. Then on a couple different days, I went to the front desk (functionally speaking, but it's really just a person standing behind a podium so it's not a traditional lobby area) and made two separate one time payments to a Biz WoH cc to make use of the (2) $50 credits that come with that card. They were helpful with that and my credits posted as anticipated. Paying on your CSR for your room charges will code as travel. It shows up as Hotel Hyatt Andaz Papagayo.

Tagging @reliev and @FreeDiningFanatic in hopes this information helps. Sorry if I forgot other travelers who are planning on going here!

*All charges earned 4x WoH points on the credit card. But 5x WoH points from staying there only counted on Andaz items, i.e. not tax and not service charges, nor the waverunner tour I booked that showed up as Swiss Travel.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Can't recall if you have an Amex Plat or not, but the Plat does provide uncapped emergency evacuation, whether you paid for the trip using the Plat or not. Only the Plat and Centurion cards have this no cost benefit; some other Amex cards will help arrange it but not pay for it.
View attachment 730587
More details are explained on this benefits page https://www.americanexpress.com/con.../policies/pdf/PGA_Benefit_Guide_Rev_09-17.pdf

Sounds fun! At Andaz, the only free thing we did was stargazing (two guys set up their telescopes at the Jardin location, and pointed out some constellations). Down by the beach, there are free kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkeling equipment as well as life jackets (but no lifeguards) that you can borrow to explore the area on your own. Transportation to the other beach where the Andaz Beach House is located, or on the Peninsula shuttle (go to other resorts like Four Seasons on the Papagayo peninsula) is also free. Andaz has e-bikes you can borrow to ride around too and that's also free...and is different than the mountain e-biking offered by Papagayo Explorers which is a paid for activity.

I booked most activities online just a couple days before arrival. https://andazpuravida.com/ is the main website to check out the weekly schedule of activities offered on property. You can click on Things To Do>>Book Your Activities Here to see costs. As an example, you'll see a guided snorkeling tour is $25/hr per person but you're welcome to do that for free on your own without a guide.

Anything offered by Andaz can be charged to your room, including purchases at the gift shop. I put a Hyatt* personal cc down as the default payment method. Then on a couple different days, I went to the front desk (functionally speaking, but it's really just a person standing behind a podium so it's not a traditional lobby area) and made two separate one time payments to a Biz WoH cc to make use of the (2) $50 credits that come with that card. They were helpful with that and my credits posted as anticipated. Paying on your CSR for your room charges will code as travel. It shows up as Hotel Hyatt Andaz Papagayo.

Tagging @reliev and @FreeDiningFanatic in hopes this information helps. Sorry if I forgot other travelers who are planning on going here!

*All charges earned 4x WoH points on the credit card. But 5x WoH points from staying there only counted on Andaz items, i.e. not tax and not service charges, nor the waverunner tour I booked that showed up as Swiss Travel.

Thanks so much. No Plat here, only CSR and Hyatt personal.

 

[reliev]

i think everyone has gone there now except me the hotel told me the stuff i booked from the tour would be to the room so well see.

Thanks so much. No Plat here, only CSR and Hyatt personal.

yeah I have platinum but it won't cover say I need or my family needs medical treatment abroad, I know it's rare but I've heard mixed things about the cost of care abroad for foreigners, trip delay/cancelation a given I think 25% or more of my flights had this happen so I figure once I max out my platinum or if I occur more then 500 it will pay for itself. Im on the fence tbh.

 

[happ]

We can't use our VGCs to pay our credit card bills, can we? DH read online that you can use them for that, but we both think that there is no way that we can.

I've read there's a way to do it over the phone with Citi. I tried it once but it didn't work. I think I wasn't using the right type of GC. The only other way I think is to do the money order thing.

 

[mmmears]

Anyone buy yearly travel insurance?

Looking at Allianz.

Haven't done it so far, because there were never any "cancel for any reason" coverage in the packages but I think I need to look at it again. It's not that I want to cancel on a whim, but more that I worry about aging parents and things like that.

Also the med-evac, since I have a friend who needed that after a fall and had it, and have another friend who needed it and did not have it, but it seems like the Plat card may cover that part.

 

[mmmears]

I've read there's a way to do it over the phone with Citi. I tried it once but it didn't work. I think I wasn't using the right type of GC. The only other way I think is to do the money order thing.

I figured that would just be way too easy but I figured I'd check just in case. I think we can find bills to use the cards on. It will just take some time and effort. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Maryrachel713]

Wow, I never thought to enter a pickup order for myself to "buy" the sold cookies. Thank you! Definitely trying this.

I do the same with my twins. Thanks for the reminder to start putting in the orders. It's actually way easier on the cookie mom too. My friends troop only does this; no submission of cash at all.

 

[wisconsinmom]

I'm having a hard time deciding what to do about keeping and changing cards.

Unless I get a really good retention offer I think I'm going to cancel my Platinum card. I like having it and I like the free Audible with the streaming credit, and the free Clear but I just don't think I get enough value to justify $695.

I am thinking about upgrading my CSP to the CSR. It would give me the lounge access that I'll lose with the Platinum. It will also give me the ability to cash out points for travel bookings at 1.5 vs 1.25. I will easily use the $300 travel credit. I can also use the monthly Instacart credit. If I'm going to upgrade, I feel like I should do it asap before I book our Airbnb in Mallorca. It would be better to get 3X points than 2X for travel. I'm just having a hard time pulling the trigger.

I also think I should apply for an Ink card while it still has the 90,000 bonus... I will have a $4000 insurance payment due next month so that will take care of 2/3 of the MSR. DH is about $1600 away from meeting his Ink MSR.

 

[Best Aunt]

Question about using the prepaid gift cards:

Does anybody know if you can use them at Walmart or Target if the amount on the gift card is less than the amount of your total purchase? Can you use the gift card as partial payment, and then pay the rest with a credit card?

 

[Alexle2007]

I figured that would just be way too easy but I figured I'd check just in case. I think we can find bills to use the cards on. It will just take some time and effort. Thanks for your reply.

Not so much credit cards but I do use them to pay my electric, propane and private school tuition. I made a special trip this afternoon to pick some up for tuition and my propane bill.

 

[IFlossU]

I figured that would just be way too easy but I figured I'd check just in case. I think we can find bills to use the cards on. It will just take some time and effort. Thanks for your reply.

VGC can be used like a regular debit card to pay bills. You need to go to the website listed on the packaging and register the card with your name and address, and then you’re good to go. I’ve used them successfully to pay just about every utility company, and just general online shopping. I know those of us here use them in some unusual ways, but they truly are just a debit card and can be used as such.

 

[Alexle2007]

Question about using the prepaid gift cards:

Does anybody know if you can use them at Walmart or Target if the amount on the gift card is less than the amount of your total purchase? Can you use the gift card as partial payment, and then pay the rest with a credit card?

Do you mean the Visa gift cards? Yes, they drain at Target and Walmart.

 

[chattadisser]

VGC can be used like a regular debit card to pay bills. You need to go to the website listed on the packaging and register the card with your name and address, and then you’re good to go. I’ve used them successfully to pay just about every utility company, and just general online shopping. I know those of us here use them in some unusual ways, but they truly are just a debit card and can be used as such.

I've never registered any VGC and I've used probably a hundred of them over the years. I think if you were in a situation where you needed to run it as a debit and have PIN then you might need to register them. I always run them as credit, the majority of the time online.