I love credit cards so much!

[JC0712]

I don't think you've messed up anything long term - but your plan isn't far enough out to actually answer that If you're currently 1/24 you can still probably get 1 more Chase Biz card and 5 more Chase personal cards (assuming a double dip at slot 5)...So you've now used one of those personal slots on an SPG personal. To know if you've "messed up" you'd need to have a strategy that shows what your 6th most important Chase card is because that's the one you just gave up. Your strategy only lists 2 more cards, lol.

You probably didn't mess up though, unless you can quickly rattle off 6 Chase cards that were super important to you.

I know you're right. It's just that I had told myself that I wouldn't get any personal cards until I had all of the Chase cards I wanted. But we have to adapt to changes and it will all work out. I really don't know what I want to get after the CSR/CSP other than a Chase Freedom, but I have plenty of time to think about it while I spend $10,000 over the next three months. Good thing I have a trip to Disney in May.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Just want to double check- so the SPG personal & Biz will now both come with an anniversary night but the night will only be valid up to a select category?

 

[Lain]

DoC has a rumor the sign up bonus will change to a $200 statement credit. Says his source says this could happen anytime from tonight to the next two weeks. https://www.doctorofcredit.com/should-you-sign-up-for-the-american-express-spg-cards-now/

I just applied and was approved for the SPG personal. I got the 30,000 incognito offer. I used a 5/24 slot for the application. I was 1/24 but with three Chase cards since September 2017, so I don't want to apply for any Chase cards until I'm ready to try the CSR/CSP double dip in October or November of this year. I've been thinking about this card a lot. I view it as taking the place of a Marriott card. Here is my 5/24 status and future plans.

1/24 SW Plus (Sept 2017)
x/24 CIP (Oct 2017)
x/24 SW Business (Mar 2018)
x/24 SPG Business (Mar 2018) 35K offer
2/24 SPG Personal (Apr 2018) 30K offer

3/24 CSR (Oct/Nov 2018) double dip
4/24 CSP (Oct/Nov 2018) double dip

At that point I will have applied for 5 Chase cards in a little over a year, so I will definitely wait a while before I try for another.

What do y'all think? Hope I haven't messed things up long term.

Ok, I did it! They even gave me my cc number on the spot.

So now we have to meet $5k CIP (will knock it out with our may mortgage and few small expenses.)
DH SPG Biz $5k
My SPG personal $3k
---------------------------all approx next 90 days. You know how I love those amex min spends too. Good news is we have a bunch of URs and SPG points on the way!

I'm also surprised (and super happy!) that the 30k offer in incognito is pulling up for everyone today!

WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!

I just applied for Amex SPG Personal 30k offer, and got approved instantly for a crazy high credit limit (and my card number)!

I still have about $1,4k MSR left on DW's SPG Biz, about $4k MSR left on my MB Platinum from the start of this month, and now a $3k MSR on my SPG Personal. $8,5k MSR on all Amex cards?!?! What the hell am I thinking?

I was pulling up 25k SPG all afternoon; but when I got home and opened incognito on my home computer, I pulled up 30k SPG right away. Total impulse took over and I applied. Even with the nerf in earning effectively 3 Marriott Rewards points to 2 Marriott points on everyday $ spend effective 8/1/18, 30k SPG > $200 statement credit. I'll just sock drawer these cards after July.

I was at 3/24 today. My MB Plat and SPG Personal will probably report sometime in May, probably after the first statement; but 1 other card drops after 4/20/18. So when all is said and done, I should be at 4/24 next month.

 

[Jax1023]

WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!

I just applied for Amex SPG Personal 30k offer, and got approved instantly for a crazy high credit limit (and my card number)!

I still have about $1,4k MSR left on DW's SPG Biz, about $4k MSR left on my MB Platinum from the start of this month, and now a $3k MSR on my SPG Personal. $8,5k MSR on all Amex cards?!?! What the hell am I thinking?

I was pulling up 25k SPG all afternoon; but when I got home and opened incognito on my home computer, I pulled up 30k SPG right away. Total impulse took over and I applied. Even with the nerf in earning effectively 3 Marriott Rewards points to 2 Marriott points on everyday $ spend effective 8/1/18, 30k SPG > $200 statement credit. I'll just sock drawer these cards after July.

I was at 3/24 today. My MB Plat and SPG Personal will probably report sometime in May, probably after the first statement; but 1 other card drops after 4/20/18. So when all is said and done, I should be at 4/24 next month.

I seriously considered it. But I’m only $1800 into my spg biz spend and I don’t think I could add on the personal spend.

Unless I look into plastiq for daycare. We pay weekly at my daycare and it’s normally just autodebited from my checking account. But I could knock out a lot of minimum spends if I added in 1400 a month in daycare.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I seriously considered it. But I’m only $1800 into my spg biz spend and I don’t think I could add on the personal spend.

Unless I look into plastiq for daycare. We pay weekly at my daycare and it’s normally just autodebited from my checking account. But I could knock out a lot of minimum spends if I added in 1400 a month in daycare.

It took me awhile to get onboard with plastiq but I am loving it now for min spends and mtg on CIP to rack up URs. I just started sending dd’s preschool too. Had a bunch of deposits to send them for summer and fall sessions so I did those on plastiq as well.

 

[Lain]

I seriously considered it. But I’m only $1800 into my spg biz spend and I don’t think I could add on the personal spend.

Unless I look into plastiq for daycare. We pay weekly at my daycare and it’s normally just autodebited from my checking account. But I could knock out a lot of minimum spends if I added in 1400 a month in daycare.

I put my DD's preschool tuition through Plastiq. Really helped with the MSRs.

 

[Jax1023]

I put my DD's preschool tuition through Plastiq. Really helped with the MSRs.

The owner of my daycare is older and I’m not quite sure what her reaction to it would be. Do you have the checks mailed to you or the school? And doing it weekly seems annoying. I asked once abor giving her a check for a month and she seemed annoyed. You’d think having money 3 weeks in advance would be a good thing.

 

[Lain]

The owner of my daycare is older and I’m not quite sure what her reaction to it would be. Do you have the checks mailed to you or the school? And doing it weekly seems annoying. I asked once abor giving her a check for a month and she seemed annoyed. You’d think having money 3 weeks in advance would be a good thing.

Checks are sent directly to the payee (“Recipient”). Plastiq actually has a policy against sending payment to yourself. It literally is a paper check mailed in an envelope. Nothing special. All the owner has to do is deposit it at the bank. When you set up payment, you can schedule recurring payments and when they need to arrive. If your payments are a set rate, setting up a schedule should be simple and you don’t have to think about it every week.

 

[Lain]

2 just in our house. I was just contemplating the personal for DH tonight too, but that might be a bit overboard.

I just can’t do the personal SPG for my wife. It’s just too much spend on Amex cards for the next 3 months. And I’m still eyeing a personal Amex Plat with a $5k spend a little closer to summer.

 

[Calfan]

With the Starriott announcement, has anyone heard what happens to the Amex Platinum benefit that gives Gold SPG status? I'm Gold at SPG and Gold Elite at Marriott due to the Amex Platinum. I'm curious if this benefit stays and, if so, what the status will be post-combination in August.

 

[Albort]

With the Starriott announcement, has anyone heard what happens to the Amex Platinum benefit that gives Gold SPG status? I'm Gold at SPG and Gold Elite at Marriott due to the Amex Platinum. I'm curious if this benefit stays and, if so, what the status will be post-combination in August.

not much is known but gold status with the new program seems pretty basic.

 

[Lain]

I seriously considered it. But I’m only $1800 into my spg biz spend and I don’t think I could add on the personal spend.

Unless I look into plastiq for daycare. We pay weekly at my daycare and it’s normally just autodebited from my checking account. But I could knock out a lot of minimum spends if I added in 1400 a month in daycare.

I just wanted to add that Plastiq’s 2.5% fee translates to $75 on $3000 (the SPG personal’s MSR). If 25k/30k SPG is worth $75 to you, Plastiq could be worth it. Also, if you’re new to Plastiq, sign up through a support link for $500 “fee free dollars” after you spend your first $500. That means after you’ve spent your first $500, Plastiq will waive the 2.5% fee on your next $500, which is worth a $12.50 discount.

 

[3 DD love princesses]

@SouthFayetteFan leaving for dw tomorrow so there should be about 50+pages when I get back in a week.

 

[mom2elal]

I'm interested in getting the new Marriott card with the 100k bonus when it comes out, but I'm also hoping to get the new SW card with the rumored 70k bonus (is that just a rumor at this point? I can't remember for sure), and I need to get a CSR for our DW trip next summer, plus wanted the Hilton Aspire, lol. So....how far would I need to spread out these three Chase cards plus the Amex to not risk getting shut down? I haven't gotten a new Chase card in I believe 3 years and right now I'm 5/24 and 1/12 for all new cards (fifth/24 will drop off end of this month).

Before this Marriott announcement, my plan was to get the CSR in May, the Hilton around August and the SW at the end of year (assuming it's out by then). What should my new plan be?

 

[Ava]

I still look back at miles/churning moves I made even a year ago and think "Stupid!" when I realize I could have done X or Y and gotten a better deal. It's definitely live and learn. Everyone here is so helpful that if you throw out where you are going and with what points you will get some good tips. I also use either https://www.awardhacker.com/ or https://www.travelcodex.com/award-maximizer/ .

Thank you for that second link! I've looked at Award Hacker which is helpful for deciding which program to use but I really need the step-by-step instructions for how to actually find/book the awards.

I am having some FOMO over here about the SPG Personal card but I cannot add $3K more in spend to my plate. I'm only ~$1K into my SPG Biz spend, and still have to knock out the last ~$1K on the Marriott Biz. (Will use bank account funding for the Marriott, just haven't gotten around to doing it yet.) I just said to my wife that I wish we had more expenses so I could sign up for more cards. She (rightfully) looked at me like I was nuts.

I am intrigued by the anniversary free night being added to the current SPG Biz & Personal cards, though. Will people who have had their cards for more than one year automatically get a free night cert on whatever date this change goes into effect? I just got my card last month so I won't get a cert until next year but am curious how this is going to be implemented. I also wonder if free night certs issued from both the SPG and Marriott cards in 2019 will be able to be used at any hotel (within the eligible categories) in the combined portfolio? I have 2 coming, one from Marriott Biz and one from SPG Biz, so that'd be great to combine them for a 2-night stay since I probably won't be able to get any more of the current card offerings from either brand.

I'm also curious what, if any, changes are going to roll out for the free night certs issued with the current Marriott cards. Will they stay Cat 1-5 (effectively holding the same value as the new SPG certs that are good for up 35,000 points), even though the new Cat 5 is the same number of points as the old Cat 7? Or will they change to Cat 1-4 so the points value is capped at the same 25,000 points that it was on the old chart? Of course none of this really matters until we see which hotels fall into which categories on the new chart.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

@SouthFayetteFan leaving for dw tomorrow so there should be about 50+pages when I get back in a week.

Haha - this thread is moving suddenly. This announcement has certainly injected some energy into things, hasn't it??

 

[gottalovepluto]

Considering how many of us are stretched to our limit on spend we’re screwed if a new CSR-type bonus comes out in the next 3 months...

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I'm interested in getting the new Marriott card with the 100k bonus when it comes out, but I'm also hoping to get the new SW card with the rumored 70k bonus (is that just a rumor at this point? I can't remember for sure), and I need to get a CSR for our DW trip next summer, plus wanted the Hilton Aspire, lol. So....how far would I need to spread out these three Chase cards plus the Amex to not risk getting shut down? I haven't gotten a new Chase card in I believe 3 years and right now I'm 5/24 and 1/12 for all new cards (fifth/24 will drop off end of this month).

Before this Marriott announcement, my plan was to get the CSR in May, the Hilton around August and the SW at the end of year (assuming it's out by then). What should my new plan be?

So you say you "want" the Hilton Aspire. I would ask what specific use you have for those points or benefits that come with that card? It seems like that is the card you can wait on.

I think that's the question all around - which points and benefits do you need first? It sounds like you want to have the CSR so that you can book that Disney trip for next summer. I would assume that means you are sitting on a chunk of URs to use for that too. I'd say you stick with CSR first because you don't want to jeopardize your chance of getting approved for that card. Then from there just rank the other cards in terms of use and importance. If you got the CSR in May you would have more clarity on the Southwest situation (which is still a rumor) hopefully by July.

 

[kmc8826]

I'm interested in getting the new Marriott card with the 100k bonus when it comes out, but I'm also hoping to get the new SW card with the rumored 70k bonus (is that just a rumor at this point? I can't remember for sure), and I need to get a CSR for our DW trip next summer, plus wanted the Hilton Aspire, lol. So....how far would I need to spread out these three Chase cards plus the Amex to not risk getting shut down? I haven't gotten a new Chase card in I believe 3 years and right now I'm 5/24 and 1/12 for all new cards (fifth/24 will drop off end of this month).

Before this Marriott announcement, my plan was to get the CSR in May, the Hilton around August and the SW at the end of year (assuming it's out by then). What should my new plan be?

If you haven’t got a Chase card for 3 years I think you are fine with currently plan. Maybe just see what Marriott is when it comes out and then you can reassess? I would get the Reserve sooner rather than later though. I love my Reserve. I love it so much DH has his own we have kept too. Even though the sign up bonus isn’t as much as it was when I signed up it is still a keeper card. 3 times points adds up. I guess we spend a lot on restaurants/travel!

 

[kmc8826]

I have Amex personal SPG. Year annual fee posted this weekend. I was going to call and cancel unless they had a decent retention offer. Is that a good plan? Or should I just cancel at this point? Or keep it and not bother to call?

AND I never did get Amex SPG business. Should I jump on it now? Now 5/24 until September. Realistically though I don’t see that I am getting any more credit with Chase without cutting lines or cards. There are also not any cards from Chase I really want other than the Marriott maybe. The whole reason for that or the SPG biz would be for airline transfer partners. I also do no have any membership reward cards. I have been thinking that I should leave Amex spots open for that....but maybe it can wait since the SPG biz is going to be gone soon?!?

Thanks for letting me think it out. Any input welcome.