Credit Card Thread - Now with a Beginner's Guide to free travel/FAQ

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by blind dog, Apr 10, 2015.

  1. Name P. Redacted

    Name P. Redacted I have no money and I'm also gay
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    Kansas State WildcatsSeattle Kraken

    They always give you the cash equivalent in points.
     
  2. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    Colorado BuffaloesOakland RaidersFulhamLos Angeles Angels of AnaheimUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Automatically credits
     
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  3. THF

    THF BITE THE NUTS, THUMB IN THE ASS!
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    Arkansas RazorbacksSan Francisco GiantsOklahoma City ThunderDallas CowboysSan Francisco 49'ersMontreal Impact

    Ok, can someone bring me up to speed?

    I am a regular traveler, and use my Amex SPG card for everything except for flights which I use my American Airlines Citi card.

    It seems everyone is getting the CSR card for the points.

    However the $450 fee is a little much for me, I mean I pay like $75 today. However I am also only getting 1 point per dollar except for hotels where I get 3. AA i Get two per dollar per flight.

    Can someone give me the cliff notes on why I would spend $450 for the 100k points?
     
  4. Jimmy the Saint

    Jimmy the Saint The future is a benevolent black hole
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    Penn State Nittany LionsGreen Bay PackersChelseaHartford WhalersPhoenix Rising

    You get a $300 travel credit annually so it's effectively $150. You'll get 3x points on travel and dining out which it sounds like you spend a lot on. The 100,000 points is $1,500 in travel if you book it through the Chase portal.

    There are a bunch of other perks and benefits but that's the meat of it.

    If you fly AA all the time I'm sure you have status and get almost all of the card perks anyway. I only keep my AA Aviator card because they keep waiving the annual fee.
     
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  5. EMAW FC

    EMAW FC Proud Smucker
    Donor
    Kansas State WildcatsKansas City RoyalsKansas City ChiefsFulhamSporting Kansas CitySneakers

    automatic for anything travel related like flights, ubers, tolls, taxis, etc.
     
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  6. beist

    beist Hyperbolist
    Donor

    At bare minimum, the sign up bonus points points are worth $1,000 cash. So if you do everything in the least efficient way possible, you will come out $550 ahead (actually more like $590). If at least $300 of your spend is on travel, then make that $850 and change. Then spend $300 on travel again after January first, and you are at over $1150 in net cash benefit before your second annual fee is incurred.

    The value only goes up from there when you redeem the points for travel instead of cash, and when you factor in the 3x points for dining and travel, and a few other benefits.

    Literally anyone who is capable of spending $4,000 in 3 months should get this card.
     
  7. THF

    THF BITE THE NUTS, THUMB IN THE ASS!
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    Arkansas RazorbacksSan Francisco GiantsOklahoma City ThunderDallas CowboysSan Francisco 49'ersMontreal Impact

    I would love to be able to not put 4k on a credit card in 3 months actually lol.

    I pay for everything with my card for the points, so this shouldn't be an issue.

    What are the main perks of the card besides the points in 3 months and travel credits.
     
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  8. beist

    beist Hyperbolist
    Donor

    The main benefit beyond that is that you can redeem the points for travel via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. When doing this points are worth 50% more than their cash equivalent, so the sign-up bonus alone is worth $1,500. You can get even more value out of the points by transferring them directly into hotel/airline loyalty programs, but that's a more convoluted approach and I suspect anyone who would do that has already applied for this card. You also get reimbursed for Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check registration fees, and there are a few more perks I'm forgetting because they are irrelevant to me but worth looking into. The unlimited 3x points on travel and dining is nice in and of itself too.
     
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  9. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    If you can do the $4,000/3 months nothing else should be needed to persuade. Looking a gift horse in the mouth at that point
     
  10. beist

    beist Hyperbolist
    Donor

    My first draft of that response was "$1,000>$450," but it seemed a little flippant.
     
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  11. THF

    THF BITE THE NUTS, THUMB IN THE ASS!
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    Arkansas RazorbacksSan Francisco GiantsOklahoma City ThunderDallas CowboysSan Francisco 49'ersMontreal Impact

    So get it, use it, and then cancel it is the recommendation?
     
  12. THF

    THF BITE THE NUTS, THUMB IN THE ASS!
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    Arkansas RazorbacksSan Francisco GiantsOklahoma City ThunderDallas CowboysSan Francisco 49'ersMontreal Impact

     
  13. beist

    beist Hyperbolist
    Donor

    I would say get it, use it to get the bonus, and then you have one year until your next annual fee hits to decide if its something you want to keep long term. If you are a frequent traveler and spend a lot of money on dining, I think you will find it is worth keeping despite the high annual fee.
     
    THF likes this.
  14. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    No, it's the best card on the market arguably

    One could easily justify signing up without the 100,000 bonus points
     
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  15. allothersnsused

    allothersnsused Wow that’s crazy
    Donor
    Virginia CavaliersAtlanta BravesAtlanta HawksWashington Football TeamChelsea

    So I now have a Freedom, Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve. At this point the Preferred is useless so I have two questions:

    1. Can I downgrade the Preferred if I already have a Freedom and, if so, is there any point in doing so?
    2. If I cancel the Preferred, will I get a prorated rebate on the annual fee (I paid in July), or should I just keep it open until the annual fee is due again?

    I only ask because all of my credit is outstanding except that I didn't open my first card until I was 25, so my history is limited. As best I can tell, that's the only thing dragging me down. I already cancelled my Delta Amex when I was approved for the Reserve so I don't know if it will hurt my credit to close out another card.
     
  16. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    downgrade to freedom unlimited. you're probably SOL on the fee
     
  17. Big Apple Duck

    Big Apple Duck Craving a chimichanga
    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    get it now and use the $300 travel credit before the year ends. then you get another $300 travel credit on Jan 1. Next year when the fee comes due, downgrade to a no fee card. The 100k points are worth a lot, especially if you're savvy. I recently got a $300/night room at Hyatt for 8k points. The Park Hyatt in Tokyo is 25k points/night during peak season, or $1400. Not that one would stay there otherwise, but that's still close to $6k in value for those points.

    There are many extra benefits; just google it and read one of the articles. there are no fewer than 20 million. The Points Guy has a great overview. My favorite is trip delay insurance. If your trip is delayed more than 6 hours or you have to spend the night, Chase will reimburse you up to $500 per ticket that you purchased with the card. So you can drive to your hotel in a limo and order steak and champagne for room service and it'll be reimbursed.
     
  18. THF

    THF BITE THE NUTS, THUMB IN THE ASS!
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    Arkansas RazorbacksSan Francisco GiantsOklahoma City ThunderDallas CowboysSan Francisco 49'ersMontreal Impact


    Appreciate it, sorry I have been using my SPG card for years and just recently started looking at other options. Thanks for the insight. I do appreciate it.
     
    beist likes this.
  19. allothersnsused

    allothersnsused Wow that’s crazy
    Donor
    Virginia CavaliersAtlanta BravesAtlanta HawksWashington Football TeamChelsea

    What is the advantage of the Freedom Unlimited over the regular freedom, and is there a reason to have both?
     
  20. EMAW FC

    EMAW FC Proud Smucker
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    Kansas State WildcatsKansas City RoyalsKansas City ChiefsFulhamSporting Kansas CitySneakers

    1.5% for all purchases w/ the freedom unlimited vs. 1% cash back for all non-bonus purchases w/ the regular freedom

    so you'd use the freedom for bonus categories and freedom unlimited for everything else (if you don't have CSR or CSP)
     
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  21. gordon bombay

    gordon bombay magician's alliance enthusiast
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    Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsAtlanta BravesAtlanta HawksAtlanta Falcons

    While true, I would be very hesitant to do something like this. From what I have read, Chase will basically blackball you from ever getting another card should you do this.
     
  22. Lip

    Lip Well-Known Member
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    Michigan State SpartansDetroit LionsGeorge Washington Colonials

    STOP ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS. READ THE FUCKING THREAD.
     
    wolfpck, Doc Louis, Arkadin and 5 others like this.
  23. Big Apple Duck

    Big Apple Duck Craving a chimichanga
    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    Or google it. There are a million articles on it.
     
  24. pratyk

    pratyk Arsenal FC, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
    Rutgers Scarlet KnightsArsenal

    doctorofcredit.com

    all your questions have been answered there at some point
     
  25. C A N E

    C A N E Let justice be done though the heavens fall
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    Miami HurricanesMiami Heat

    Hey guys what's the best credit card right now?
     
  26. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    Credit cards are for suckers
     
    Det. Frank Bullitt and beist like this.
  27. Name P. Redacted

    Name P. Redacted I have no money and I'm also gay
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    Kansas State WildcatsSeattle Kraken

    use google mothafucka
     
    THF likes this.
  28. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    If you can pay with cash, do it. Credit cards are the gateway to debt.

    *my dad for the first 23 years of my life
     
    ohhaithur likes this.
  29. tjosu

    tjosu This is kind of like the breakfast club, huh?
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    Oklahoma State CowboysHouston AstrosHouston TexansTiger Woods

    **My parents, still

    :bang:
     
  30. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
    Donor

    Yeah holy fucking shit
     
  31. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
    Donor

    Thread title change

    Credit Card Thread - Just Get The Fucking CSR Already
     
    BB3, Sportfan, beist and 2 others like this.
  32. EMAW FC

    EMAW FC Proud Smucker
    Donor
    Kansas State WildcatsKansas City RoyalsKansas City ChiefsFulhamSporting Kansas CitySneakers

    don't know if this is the right thread for it, but the SPG/Marriott merger is active. You can link your accounts and transfer points between the two. 3 Marriott points = 1 SPG point

    automatic status match as well
     
  33. Lip

    Lip Well-Known Member
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    Michigan State SpartansDetroit LionsGeorge Washington Colonials

    But the $450 fee seems expensive. You sure it's worth it?
     
  34. Jimmy the Saint

    Jimmy the Saint The future is a benevolent black hole
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    Penn State Nittany LionsGreen Bay PackersChelseaHartford WhalersPhoenix Rising

    I cleared out most of my Starpoints already but I had almost enough points left with both SPG and Marriott for a night at a bottom category hotel in each. Now I can actually combine and redeem them for something. Nifty.
     
  35. beist

    beist Hyperbolist
    Donor

    It's their own damn fault if they didn't see that coming. Its not really even a loophole its so obvious.
     
  36. 49ers169

    49ers169 Administrator
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Boston BruinsMichigan State SpartansBoston Red SoxSan Francisco 49'ers

    I am sure they won't be irate, just will document and keep you from getting future cards that have insane bonuses attached to them. Which according to the Bloomberg article seems like it is already in development. Granted that may be a card that winds up being for the uber elite who knows, they thought that would be for the Reserve as well.
     
  37. GGCD

    GGCD The most wasted of days is one without CUM
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    Ohio State BuckeyesChicago CubsChicago BullsChicago Bears

    Made my girlfriend get the CSR.

    After weeks of explaining she finally relented.

    She was really excited to get the card in the mail today.

    And she got a METAL card, I got plastic, what gives, Chase?????

    I take a closer look at the card and it's CSP, not CSR. She is dumb.
     
  38. C A N E

    C A N E Let justice be done though the heavens fall
    Donor
    Miami HurricanesMiami Heat

    Get the sign up bonus for both and then downgrade CSP
     
  39. texasraider

    texasraider thanks
    Donor
    Texas RangersKansas City ChiefsDallas Mavericks altTexas Tech Red Raiders alt

    Got an email saying I have a new card coming. I assume it's the metal replacement
     
  40. Baseballman86

    Baseballman86 Well-Known Member
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesAtlanta Falcons

    Would any of you kind CC experts care to audit my current rewards setup? I'm going to get a new card (likely CSR) for everyday expenses but want to see if I'm missing an obvious way to combine points for extra value. I'm all over the place right now.

    Current Cards:
    Gold Delta AMEX (had for like a decade, use for flights)
    Chase Marriott Rewards (use only for hotels)
    Barclays Arrival (use for everyday stuff)
    Chase Slate (don't use at all)

    Current rewards:
    77K delta skymiles
    63K Marriott points plus 2 free nights
    ~10K Hiltonhonors points
    ~10k Barclaycard miles
    Couple thousand American Airlines and Hyatt, not enough to really consider
     
  41. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
    Donor TMB OG
    Texas LonghornsManchester United

    Another idea (hadn't seen posted) for those of you CSR holders with limited extra travel before end of 2016:

    Even if you have preexisting/prepaid travel on other cards, use the CSR for either gift cards or upgrades from Econ to Econ plus or various other fees(ideal).

    They should all be coded as travel (ymmv) but it worked for me on a flight I bought months before the CSR was opened, but still consumed some of my $300 travel credit.

    I'm trying to avoid having to buy gift cards at the end of the calendar year because I think that's more likely to be scrutinised by chase.
     
  42. Spontaneous Cumbustion

    Spontaneous Cumbustion Well-Known Member
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    Ohio State BuckeyesCincinnati RedsCincinnati BengalsXavier MusketeersFC CincinnatiTottenham HotspurUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    Recently I've been pre planning a trip I'm going to make next fall to Europe. We're not going until next September so I can't even book the trip yet but I've been seeing how much things cost when I book our trip 4+ months out. It is a much better deal to transfer your UR points to one of their airline partners then to book through the UR portal. Just last night for two people on an almost two week trip with multiple flights it was going to cost 190,000 United points or 390,000 UR points through their trip booking. Not sure if booking a hotel through their portal is a better deal or just as bad but something I thought I'd share.
     
  43. Det. Frank Bullitt

    Det. Frank Bullitt God Bless Texas
    Donor TMB OG
    Texas LonghornsManchester United

    Always love to get a shower in before or especially after a flight, even short ones.

    Here are some locations I've seen that are listed as offering shower amenities via the included Priority Pass membership with your CSR. Sure beats the ~$30 that some places will charge in the airport.

    Not going to make the titanic effort of linking them, but here is the main page.
    • Atlanta GA International (International Terminal/Concourse F) THE CLUB AT ATL
    • Dallas TX - DFW International (Terminal D) THE CLUB AT DFW
    • Las Vegas NV International (Terminal 3) THE CLUB AT LAS
    • Los Angeles CA - LAX Intl (Terminal 2) AIR CANADA MAPLE LEAF LOUNGE
    • Los Angeles CA - LAX Intl (Tom Bradley International Terminal) KAL LOUNGE
    • Miami FL International (Concourse F) CLUB AMERICA
    • Miami FL International (Concourse J South) VIP LOUNGE MIAMI
    • New York NY JFK International (Terminal 1) AIR FRANCE LOUNGE
    • New York NY JFK International (Terminal 1) KAL BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGE
    • Orlando FL International (Terminal B) THE CLUB AT MCO
    • San Jose CA Mineta Intl (Terminal A) THE CLUB AT SJC
    • Washington DC Dulles Intl (Midfield Terminal) AIR FRANCE - KLM LOUNGE
    • Washington DC Dulles Intl (Midfield Terminal) BRITISH AIRWAYS GALLERIES LOUNGE
    INT'L (WIP) only really included the cities/airports I've been to or that are on my radar. Lots of terms and fine print for access to Int'l lounges, esp re desination (eg Schengen or non Schengen destination)
    • Amsterdam Schiphol (Terminal 2) ASPIRE LOUNGE (NO.41)
    • Barcelona El Prat (Terminal 1) SALA VIP MIRO
    • Barcelona El Prat (Terminal 1) SALA VIP PAU CASALS
    • Dublin International (Terminal 2) DUBLIN AIRPORT EXECUTIVE LOUNGE
    • Frankfurt Main (Terminal 1) LUXXLOUNGE
    • Frankfurt Main (Terminal 2) SKY LOUNGE
    • Hamburg Fuhlsbuettel (Airport Plaza) AIRPORT LOUNGE
    • London Heathrow 6 of 7 lounges w/ showers
    • London Stansted THE ESCAPE LOUNGE
    • London Luton ASPIRE LOUNGE
    • Madrid Barajas (Satellite Terminal) NEPTUNO LOUNGE
    • Madrid Barajas (Terminal 2) SALA PUERTA DE ALCALA
    • Munich Franz-Josef Strauss (Terminal 1) ATLANTIC LOUNGE
    • ??? Paris Charles de Gaulle STAR ALLIANCE LOUNGE. Terms seem to exclude showers/conf rooms.
    • Prague Vaclav Havel 4 of 4 lounges with showers.
    • Vienna Schwechat (Check-in 1 or 2 (Plaza)) JET LOUNGE
    • Vienna Schwechat (Check-in 3) SKY LOUNGE
    • Zurich SWISS BUSINESS LOUNGE D
    • Zurich SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES LOUNGE
     
  44. Sportfan

    Sportfan From Six to Dumptime
    San Antonio SpursHouston TexansNew Mexico State AggiesTexas AandM Aggies

    Great post everyone make sure to activate the pass under Benefits
     
  45. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
    Donor

    where the hell are you going that you're planning on spending 6 grand in flights?
     
  46. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
    Donor

    Has anyone booked a rental car with the reserve yet? was curious what discounts get applied and if i should use that or just do kayak like normal
     
  47. Louis Holth

    Louis Holth but we also just might be those motherfuckers
    Donor
    South Carolina GamecocksAtlanta BravesCarolina PanthersTottenham Hotspur

    I'd also like to know this.
     
  48. Sportfan

    Sportfan From Six to Dumptime
    San Antonio SpursHouston TexansNew Mexico State AggiesTexas AandM Aggies

    I was looking on the site last night I think National and Avis have nice discounts.