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

I guess I did back in June but it credited back a bunch of stuff that wasn't travel at all. They gave me credits for purchases at Aldi, Meijer, Costco, and a couple gas stations, not sure why.

 

Think I'm going to cancel my Amex Platinum next month when the AF hits. I barely touched the $200 airline credit this year and the Centurion Lounges are closed.

Has anyone else called and canceled? I don't really see any offer they could make me that would result in me staying with the card.

 

I haven't but am planning the same especially since I'll just open the Schwab platinum when travel resumes and can get the signup bonus for the card again.

 

COVID. They loosened that credit

 

How to see if you’ve used your travel credit
If you’ve lost track of whether you’ve used up your Sapphire Reserve annual travel credit, you can easily figure it out by logging into the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal and checking the dashboard for your Reserve card. This will also tell you when next year’s credit becomes available, so you know to use up this year’s credit before then.

and yeah, they added a whole bunch of new things to that credit during COVID Bc they knew people wouldn’t be traveling

 

Hey man. About to apply for the Surpass. You have a referral?

 

There isn’t a Sapphire Reserve referral right?

 

Chase Freedoms got boosted to 3x back at Drug stores & Dining (brings it up to par with CSR) and 5x UR on travel bookings via the Chase UR Portal.

Frankly, I'm thinking seriously about downgrading the CSR to CSP with this change.

 

Correct

 

I wonder if we see any changes to the CSR now that the 3% on dining out is something you can get for free.

 

Got the 125k points deal if I spend $2000 in the first three months.

 

I thought about the same, but the lower redemption rate gave me pause. However, it takes a decent chunk of points to make that extra 0.25 redemption cover the $455 price gap between the two (before credits)

 

Can someone post a Saphire Preferred referral? My brother is getting it and I don't have that one, so I don't get any bonus.

Free $ to first responder.

 

Do we have a post with the FAQ on travel? I know I've seen it before, but i haven't been in this thread before. The first page only has churning info.

 

When can I cancel chase business cards? I already downgraded them, but I just want them off my account if it won’t hurt my relationship with chase.

 

nope, what do you need to know?

 

https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6a/IUAGDSGGBY

 

Who has an Amex Platinum and stayed at a Fine Hotels & Resorts spot? Looking at staying a night or two at one of the nearby hotels for my bday and wondering how the benefits have been.

 

I've priced it at about 2-3 times and nice options and instead just gone through the hotel.

For me the individual property benefits were not worth it. I want to say that I wouldn't have gotten loyalty program benefits as a Hilton Diamond, and obviously Diamond includes some perks that clash with FHR (like free breakfast)

 

I've done some more research and it looks like you get the best return for a short one or two night stay.

I found a boutique hotel (no loyalty program) about 15 minutes away for $225 this Sunday. I'll use the $200 hotel credit and points for the remainder. The hotel looks relatively empty so hopefully I get a decent upgrade and can check in at noon. Hang out at the pool all day. I get a $100 credit to use at the hotel (poolside drinks). Then there's breakfast for two and this spot is supposed to have a pretty good restaurant for breakfast.

4PM checkout, so relax by the pool and get some work done before heading home. Pretty good return for essentially zero dollars out of pocket.

I found some nicer properties further north along the coast in Laguna, but can't justify $600+ for just one night so I can get a couple benefits.

 

Question for the thread:
We put all purchases big and small on our credit card and just pay it off every week or so, essentially use it like a debit card. We currently have the Citi double cash which we use for everything except groceries and gas, for which we use the Amex Blue cash. I’ve been doing this for 6 or 7 years and get a pretty good amount of cash back but was curious if there is anything better out there. I haven’t read much of the thread but it seems to be primarily travel based at a glance. We like to travel but definitely don’t get to do as much of it as we would like to due to our work. Probably fly once or twice a year, more often we will take a weekend trip somewhere in a 4ish hour range and just drive. I probably put 40-50k on the cards in a normal year not counting big purchases and I’ve got great credit so I think I’d qualify for most of them. I guess I’d be primarily interested in better cash back options but if there is some great deal that isn’t cash back based I’d be interested in that too. Likes will be awarded, tia

 

I called back around April and got a 300 statement credit

 

Maybe already posted, but seeing screenshots of 80k bonus for CSP

 

Spent down my 400k UR points and am looking at a trip with American. What is the best American card?

 

If it's just the bonus you're looking for then these.


If you're ok getting a business card.

https://cards.barclaycardus.com/banking/cards/aadvantage-aviator-business-mastercard/

If you are not then this

https://cards.barclaycardus.com/banking/cards/aadvantage-aviator-red-world-elite-mastercard/

 

I would prefer a business card. Can you use your SSN for the business ID similar to chase?

 

Yup, that's all I did.

 

Awesome. Do they have referral links?

 

No, unfortunately.

 

BBVA Select CC bonus posted the next day after I hit the minimum spend. In the sock drawer it goes.

 

Sapphire annual fee just hit and I’ve gone from spending $5k+ a month on travel expenses to $0 with no change in sight. Pains me but should I downgrade? I think I got it 4 years ago so maybe I could do the preferred?

 

If I were you I would downgrade to the new Freedom Flex and then open the CSP to get the bonus

 

Does the downgrade to the flex qualify you for the 5% back in groceries? That seems like a pretty big swing on the value of that card if it does/doesn't

 

What other cards to you have? And what is your 5/24 status?

 

Believe so, yes

 

2/24 and I’ve spent all my 200k URs on groceries at 1.5x redemption during the pandemic.

 

Like ohhaithur said, the new Freedom Flex is probably your best downgrade option (assuming you qualify for the grocery bonus), since it will replace the 3% dining of the CSR.

I'd follow his advice, or get the new CSP now while the bonus is sky high then apply for the flex or unlimited in a few months for an extra 20k points, since you have plenty of room for more chase cards.

 

Can't have two Sapphire products so he needs to downgrade first

 

Here’s a CSP referral if anyone needs one:

https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6a/Y6WIA809Q5

 

It's 80k now so referrals are a dead-end

 

Good catch

 

Been looking, can't find any confirmation you get the 5x on groceries with the downgrade.

 

Thanks for ruining my grift. You owe me at least 15k UR points

 

I will instead continue giving you advice for free when asked. Deal?

 

Nothing that indicates it would be excluded

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/chas...r-product-changes-working-from-sapphire-card/

 

first statement I got for CSR was October 2016. So should I wait a few weeks to apply for new CSP to get the 80k?

 

I gotta cure covid so I can unload 600k Hilton points and drop the Aspire

Even though it has been an excellent card

 

I would do it literally the last day possible. We don't know what they'll do with regards to calling it "when you received your bonus"

 

Did they announce when they're taking the 80k points away? I haven't seen that but could have missed it.

 

Not yet, but they almost always have a "just one month left" push to try to drive more people