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. honestlee

    honestlee Well-Known Member

    Well you can product change that one to the other version of the Freedom card. Maximize your points.
     
    Baby Boy likes this.
  2. Baby Boy

    Baby Boy Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Clemson TigersAtlanta BravesCarolina Panthers

    Wife has 150k point Amex Platinum targeted offer just found out on Card Match.

    Approved.
     
    #14202 Baby Boy, Jun 6, 2022
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2022
  3. Baby Boy

    Baby Boy Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Clemson TigersAtlanta BravesCarolina Panthers

    Done. Now can be patient and wait on CSP strong offer again while I work on Venture X and wife works on Amex Platinum spends.
     
  4. WC

    WC Bad Company, ‘til the day I die.
    Donor TMB OG
    North Carolina State WolfpackAtlanta BravesCarolina PanthersCarolina HurricanesUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    So the Venture X gives the sign up bonus as soon as the spend is met. Got mine the same day the charge posted that met the spend. It’s my first CapOne card so maybe that’s just their norm, but it’s pretty dope.
     
    Baby Boy likes this.
  5. C A N E

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

    Their app is top notch.
     
    bigjrock and Baby Boy like this.
  6. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    So let's talk about biz cards...

    1 - will cancelling them put personal accounts at risk? For instance, if I get a couple Amex cards business cards and cancel them after a year, will they put me in pop up jail for personal cards?

    2 - can you sign up for the same card under multiple business names (but same SSN) and still get signups? I assume having a business EIN would get around that?
     
  7. BellottiBold

    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    VentureX adding plaza premium.

    Virgin Atlantic clubhouses about to get crowded booooooo lol
     
  8. WC

    WC Bad Company, ‘til the day I die.
    Donor TMB OG
    North Carolina State WolfpackAtlanta BravesCarolina PanthersCarolina HurricanesUnited States Men's National Soccer Team

    feels good to be an X man, tho :badasswolf:
     
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  9. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    Annoying things today.

    Need to book 3 flights. 1 Companion Pass.
    Can't do it all at once.
    Can't book infant son w/ companion pass b/c no sky miles number
    Can't book wife on companion pass b/c then son needs his own ticket and can't book 2 year old single ticket online.

    Only options for 3 seats together on outbound were the "preferred" seats for $19. Well you can't select them at booking with companion pass.
    Finally had to get delta chat rep to book all of these tickets, then no seats selected and had to go in a select seats after book.

    Very convoluted.

    Oh, and tickets to Costa Rica in December are now 1250 vs 900 just a few weeks ago. I was planning on using Amex points for these. Can these flight prices stop?
     
  10. Spontaneous Cumbustion

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

    The delta companion pass is a complete bitch to try and use. So many stipulations make it very annoying.
     
    beist, Jimmy the Saint and Lyrtch like this.
  11. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    going to cancel one of the two delta amex plats i carry because of this
     
  12. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    I've never had an issue before booking them. My biggest issue right now is I have like 5 expiring on 1/31/23
     
  13. Spontaneous Cumbustion

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

    How long should my wife wait to apply for a new CSP card after she downgrades her current one? She's had the card for 4+ years so no worry on that end. Just don't want her to apply to soon and get denied.
     
  14. rv12

    rv12 Cowabunga
    Donor TMB OG
    Tennessee VolunteersAtlanta BravesGreen Bay PackersColorado State RamsSneakers

    I waited a week between downgrading CSR and applying for CSP. I wasn't able to apply in store for some reason so I didn't get the annual fee waived but was able to apply online and had no issue.
     
  15. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    I had an Uber eats order canceled by the restaurant so I just chatted to ask for my Amex credit back. They just said no because it was over 48 sorry.
     
    rv12 likes this.
  16. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    The next person got it fixed. I feel kind of weird arguing about $10, but also they can’t just take money, not give you anything, and also keep the money.
     
  17. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor



    this is cool, if you have one you can just request a replacement to get it. obviously did it.
     
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  18. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    if this is the impetus for you to get a delta reserve let me refer you thx
     
    racer likes this.
  19. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    Looks sick. Wonder how long it’d take for me to lose at a bar.
     
  20. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    They need to bump that sky mile bonus up
     
  21. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    What's funny is the bonus was 125k

    Then dropped to 100k right before they dropped this
     
    Where Eagles Dare likes this.
  22. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    Weird. Before I got the Amex Plat I almost got this one and I swore it was only like 50k.
     
  23. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    Lyrtch what’s your referral offer?
     
  24. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    100k after 5k spend in 3 months
     
    racer likes this.
  25. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    Sounds good, I’ll hit you up if I end up wanting to go that way. Same as my posted offer.
     
  26. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    just shoot me a pm if you want it whenever

    the boeing card is while supplies last if that matters to signing up
     
    racer likes this.
  27. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    delta reserve card really only makes sense if you fly delta a ton and buy first class tickets at least once a year
     
    DuffandMuff likes this.
  28. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    I know I’m deep in the CC game because this description doesn’t match me much at all, but I’m debating it simply off the card.

    What a sucker. Glad I typed this out. Post nut (message board post) clarity.
     
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  29. Det. Frank Bullitt

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

     
    racer likes this.
  30. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    if you can get close to the AF in the first class companion pass its worth it

    but its one of those classic CC conundrums, would you buy a first class ticket regardless or are you only buying one to get the AF? former you're getting 1:1 value, latter not so much
     
  31. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    Yeah I’m weighing out various travel vs point benefits to see what makes the most sense.
     
  32. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    somehow i talked myself into a regular Plat and a Delta reserve make sense, but it's borderline
     
  33. JacobPalmer

    Donor
    Nebraska CornhuskersGreen Bay PackersPoker

    My Mom has a Citi-American Airlines card with a $99 annual fee and I'm an authorized cardholder. Don't really fly American anymore and she wants to convert it to a cash back/rewards card. 1. They can do this right? 2. There shouldn't be another hard pull on her or my account? 3. How will it affect my/our score? 4. If the answer to #3 is minimal, should I advise her to just cancel the Citi card and sign up for something else with a good sign up bonus?

    Seems like their double cash and custom cash would be decent options
     
  34. colonel_forbin

    colonel_forbin Well-Known Member
    Donor

    I used to have one that I converted to a Citi Double Cash. No new credit pull/account. Just called Citi and got it converted.
     
    JacobPalmer likes this.
  35. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    I called CapOne to try and product change my QuicksilverOne that I got back when I was just starting my credit rebuild to a $0 AF and/or better earning card. I’m preapproved for any of their cards as a new card, but VentureOne is the only thing they’ll do a straight up product change to. Kind of frustrating.
     
  36. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    Bumping JUUUUST in case anyone had any insight.
     
  37. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
    Donor
    Auburn TigersAtlanta BravesWashington Football TeamAtlanta United

    And are there really many/any places in the US where it's really worth flying 1st class and paying for it?
     
    BellottiBold likes this.
  38. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    if you live on the coasts it's pretty valuable, transcon flights aren't short

    we do it occasionally because often the difference between a main cabin ticket and first is really marginal. just for curiosity i looked and it's about ~500 from here to Houston in main cabin and ~686 for first.
     
    BellottiBold likes this.
  39. TAS

    TAS 20_ _ TMB Poster of the Year
    Donor

    Are you at or over 5/24? If not, product change to any annual fee card and then sign up for a better card.

    As a rule of thumb, you almost never want to product change into a good/better card, because it deprives you of the chance to earn the signup bonus for said card.
     
    Baby Boy likes this.
  40. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    I got spoiled flying free first class as an airline employee. I haven’t really been in a position to afford it at cost until very recently, but I’m starting to price it into trips moving forward. The space is the biggest benefit to me, being relatively tall and universally hefty.
     
    EMAW FC likes this.
  41. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    I mainly wanted to nix the annual fee because I don’t use it anymore. There’s not really a card outside of VentureX from them that I actually want or feel is worth opening new for me. I’ve opened 2 in the last 48-60 months, so I know that I’m not at 5/24. I’m assuming it’s a decision/policy aimed at generating new lines from people wanting to step out of that entry/rebuilding tier.
     
  42. TAS

    TAS 20_ _ TMB Poster of the Year
    Donor

    I would downgrade Cap 1 card to no AF card, put it in a sock drawer, then open a new Amex/Chase/Citi card.

    Citi Premiere has a fat 80k signup bonus that is great if you can utilize the transfer partners
     
    racer likes this.
  43. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
    Donor TMB OG
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishChicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksDemocrat

    Doing exactly this, I haven't carried a CC since college because I nuked my credit back then, just picked up the QuicksilverOne with a $300 limit just to use for car costs (gas, oil changes, etc.). I'm on track to get an Apple card next month, should I kill that idea?

    I'll be lurking this thread through this experiment.
     
    #14243 NilesIrish, Jun 18, 2022
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2022
    racer likes this.
  44. C A N E

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

    Just came back from CR. If you're renting a car, get something with bigger tires and wheels. Roads are tough in some places. We went to Tamarindo, La Fortuna, and Santa Teresa (didn't like ST at all).

    Also, if you're using a credit card with primary rental car coverage: call visa infinite services/card benefit services and ask them to email you a letter stating you have coverage (it was easy and they'll ask for it). You MUST have liability coverage from the rental car agency.
     
    EagleDuck likes this.
  45. C A N E

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

    i've cancelled lots of amex cards (personal and biz) and never seem to have an issue with getting new bonuses. just signed up for the hilton business card when it had the 150k points plus free night.

    truth be told, outside of the first annual fee they charge, i never find value in keeping any of my amex cards past one year with the exception of the Gold.

    and no... one bonus per ssn per lifetime (some say 7 years).
     
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  46. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
    Donor
    Iowa HawkeyesKansas City ChiefsLas Vegas Golden KnightsWatfordOlympicsFormula 1

    NilesIrish I’d give that card a bit of time and build habits before you snag another so quickly. Looking back I got a little rewards happy and opened another card about a year later. Took 4-5 years to get to a good and consistently responsible place re:spend/payments.
     
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  47. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
    Donor TMB OG
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishChicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksDemocrat

    This was my thought, I signed up for the Cap1 card and like 2 days later got an email that I was "on track" for the Apple card. I had forgotten I had even signed up for their program 6 months ago.
     
    racer likes this.
  48. C A N E

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

    I’d get cards from chase first but obviously when you’re ready. Might want a few months of good payment history.

    Try and pay most of your balance off before the statement cuts. Leave a little there so a balance due and subsequent payment posts to your report.
     
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  49. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
    Donor TMB OG
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishChicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksDemocrat

    Being so small I had planned to basically "pay it off" weekly, I should leave a small balance?
     
  50. TAS

    TAS 20_ _ TMB Poster of the Year
    Donor

    Don't pay the balance until the statement posts. It's how the credit reporting agencies "know" you can make your payments and will up your credit score.

    If you pay off the balance before the statement posts, it's will appear to the CRA that you didn't even use your card that month.

    And I wouldn't waste time paying it weekly, or paying off portions of your balance before the statement date, unless you have some extenuating circumstances that basically require such a process
     
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