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. PJP3

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

    That seems pretty high for just upgrading, but you can get more signing up for the platinum separately and then if you dont want it just close the gold. But that comes w the spend requirement
     
    mal630 likes this.
  2. BellottiBold

    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

  3. mal630

    mal630 Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Ohio State BuckeyesTiger Woods

    I just got mine yesterday. I was worried about that language as well, but they tell you your point offering before you "apply" for the card so you can back out if they gave you a shitty one. I was offered the 175k.
     
    Lip and BellottiBold like this.
  4. GoodForAnother

    GoodForAnother the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Kansas State WildcatsKansas City RoyalsKansas City ChiefsSporting Kansas CityTottenham HotspurBig 8 ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceCoors Light

    bigjrock likes this.
  5. EMAW FC

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

    got my $1k reimbursement today finally
     
    Sportfan likes this.
  6. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    25k pts for 3k spend on amex plat retention

    they keep juuuuust stringing me along
     
  7. Menelaus

    Menelaus The Red-Haired King
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideReal Madrid

    Did you just call and threaten to leave?
     
  8. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    online chat

    but yeah I really just go "what's my retention offer" as its programmed into their system
     
    Menelaus likes this.
  9. Tommy Jefferson

    Tommy Jefferson Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Nebraska CornhuskersKansas JayhawksKansas City RoyalsKansas City Chiefs

    I’m very tempted to dip my toes into the business card game. Still have a year before I can apply for sapphire preferred. Already did Amex gold and have no interest in the annual fee for the platinum. Have both the Hyatt and Hilton cards now that I’ll probably downgrade at least one of.

    Anyone have a hot referral or other suggestions?
     
  10. Menelaus

    Menelaus The Red-Haired King
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideReal Madrid

    Going to give this a whirl
     
  11. Menelaus

    Menelaus The Red-Haired King
    Donor
    Alabama Crimson TideReal Madrid

    Well that was easy. Haha I’ll take 25k thank u very much
     
    Lyrtch and Tommy Jefferson like this.
  12. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    I started with the business cards earlier this year. Went with the Ink Business Preferred then the Unlimited. The Preferred has a 90k sign up bonus with a $95 annual fee. Good place to start IMO.

    Earn 90,000 bonus points with the Ink Business Preferred® card or up to $1,000 bonus cash back with the Ink Business Premier℠ card, Ink Business Unlimited® card or Ink Business Cash® card. I can be rewarded if you apply here and are approved for the card.
    https://www.referyourchasecard.com/21s/7TI6KGVEEQ
     
    bigjrock and Tommy Jefferson like this.
  13. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    i've been wanting to cancel but i've gotten one every year for like 3 years now
     
  14. BellottiBold

    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    Significantly better than my last one :feelsbadman:
     
  15. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
    Staff Donor

    i'd have cancelled if it was lower than this, was expecting 35k, their computer knows my behavior too well
     
  16. Lip

    Lip Yes; this is a photo of me
    Donor
    Michigan State SpartansDetroit LionsDetroit Red WingsGeorge Washington ColonialsDetroit Tigers

    they tried to send me to a real chat person and I got scared
     
    milquetoast likes this.
  17. LSU90

    LSU90 Well-Known Member

    No reason not to. Im on my like 14th or 15th ink biz card. Wife started a legit LLC last year so I stopped using her for cards but before that she had like 10.
     
    Sportfan and Tommy Jefferson like this.
  18. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    Does Chase ever offer an upgrade bonus to go from Sapphire Preferred to Reserve?
     
  19. Sportfan

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

    Looking for recommendations for the next card in my set up. Assuming it’s Capital One time?
    • Just completed Chase business Ink preferred 120k point bonus.
    • Prior bonus was Sapphire Preferred
    • Have the AmEx platinum and will be asking for a retention bonus.
    • Have the premium southwest card as that’s my main airline.
    • Daily grocery/gas card is Amex blue cash preferred.
    • Don’t have a dedicated/preferred hotel chain. Stayed 20 nights in Marriott’s this year.
     
  20. Tommy Jefferson

    Tommy Jefferson Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Nebraska CornhuskersKansas JayhawksKansas City RoyalsKansas City Chiefs

    Where are you on the 5/24 count? When was your last sapphire bonus?

    r/churning has a flow chart that I’ve started following because without it I’m too scatterbrained to stay organized. I appreciate that I can just go there and not have to do too much thinking. They pointed me to the United Explorer which comes with 2 passes for lounge access- enough for me, but you may travel more than I do. Let me know if you want a referral.
     
    BellottiBold, Sportfan and WC like this.
  21. $P1

    $P1 Ball-knower, Poster, Trusted Agent
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Michigan WolverinesChicago CubsLos Angeles LakersChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksBorussia DortmundWest Ham UnitedBall State CardinalsOlympics

    If you go that route, here you go:

    Venture X (75k after 4k spend in 3 mos) - https://i.capitalone.com/J48lqwO8f

    Venture (same) - https://i.capitalone.com/J8lTagzoU
     
    Sportfan likes this.
  22. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    Unless I have a strategy or need for a specific card, I'm just looking for the elevated bonuses. Love my Venture X for the 2x everywhere but your BCP probably takes care of most of the misc gas/grocery spend.

    If you are hotel agnostic, Amex has elevated offers for Hilton Surpass and Aspire.

    Here’s my Amex referral link. Use it and we could both earn rewards if you are approved and get a Card. Check out offers and Card benefits. https://americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/hilton-honors?ref=JEREMjR0OX&xl=cp15

    I think Citi Strata also has an elevated offer right now if anyone has a referral link.
     
    steamengine and Sportfan like this.
  23. Bankz

    Bankz Well-Known Member
    Donor TMB OG
    MilanFormula 1

    So I have a Chase Freedom Unlimited card that we do all of our basic spending on. Next month my promo of no interest runs out. Should I reach out and ask if they have a retention plan? Should I apply for a new card, if so what is the best on the market right now. Cash back is the thing I'm looking for as I don't travel much (maybe once or twice a year) and I need to transfer over a balance to the new card to avoid getting hit with a fee on the current chase.
     
  24. GoodForAnother

    GoodForAnother the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Kansas State WildcatsKansas City RoyalsKansas City ChiefsSporting Kansas CityTottenham HotspurBig 8 ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceCoors Light

    for straight cash back the freedom is prob about as good as you can find. maybe a venture card. You could also do an ink card and get more sign up bonuses for chase points.
     
    Bankz likes this.
  25. NoNatty

    NoNatty Keyboard Cowboy
    Donor
    Oregon DucksPortland Trail BlazersSan Francisco 49'ersManchester UnitedPortland Timbers

    I doubt chase is going to offer you anything on a no fee card that has 0% interest.
     
    DuffandMuff and bigjrock like this.
  26. blind dog

    blind dog wps
    Donor
    Arkansas RazorbacksGreen Bay PackersWu-tangCoors Light

    I'm sick of current credit card so shopping for a new one. Could be personal or business. I pay off my balance every money and have excellent credit. Fly maybe 2-4 times a year. Have always done cash back but open to a travel card (and wife is hoping if we go that route we will travel more often). If I got a specific airline card it would have to be American as it's the only one that currently flies out of my local airport

    Is there a board consensus on which one is best?
     
  27. Sportfan

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

    Probably the Sapphire Reserve when it has really good bonuses. VentureX is also a good option.

    If you want the biggest possible cash back type bonus the chase business cards are where it’s at.
     
    blind dog likes this.
  28. tjsblue

    tjsblue I was right at the time
    Donor

    Same thing they tell me every time I try to get a reservation at a nice restaurant.
     
    NoNatty likes this.
  29. Sportfan

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

    tjsblue, bigjrock and B-Boy $P1 like this.
  30. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    American is interesting. The major transferrable points cards don't transfer to American. Both Citi and Barclays currently have AA branded cards, but it was just announced that starting in 2026 they are going exclusively with Citi. The non-branded Citi card points don't transfer to AA currently, but that MIGHT change in the future.

    Citi's Business AA card currently has an elevated bonus, but you may want to get the Barclays which only requires a single purchase to get 60k AA points. And the Barclays card is going to go away within the next year.
     
    blind dog likes this.
  31. BellottiBold

    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    Keep in mind that it's never as simple as "can't transfer to AA" because you can transfer to AA's partners (which can then be used for AA redemptions, pending availability.)
     
    bigjrock likes this.
  32. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    Good call.
     
  33. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    For those who churn Chase Biz cards, do you use the same data for every application?
     
  34. NoNatty

    NoNatty Keyboard Cowboy
    Donor
    Oregon DucksPortland Trail BlazersSan Francisco 49'ersManchester UnitedPortland Timbers



    The Alaska announcement today suggests that the benefits in this post are not correct and there will be a “Global Companion Award Certificate.” If that is included, that’s a great deal. If there are catches or that isn’t include, this seems like a rip off.

    Also if you sign up for the card release notification it’s a free 500 miles.
     
  35. GoodForAnother

    GoodForAnother the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Kansas State WildcatsKansas City RoyalsKansas City ChiefsSporting Kansas CityTottenham HotspurBig 8 ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceCoors Light

    you can just use your name and SSN each time. basically just imagine you run different businesses and the cards are for each one
     
    bigjrock likes this.
  36. bigjrock

    bigjrock Pillsbury Geauxboy
    Donor
    LSU TigersNew Orleans PelicansNew Orleans Saints

    I didn’t know if there were any data points about pro/con of being consistent with type of business, income, etc. from application to application.
     
  37. g8r

    g8r Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsBoston Red Sox

    Anyone have a referral for Amex sky mile platinum OR have a better card option for delta?
     
  38. wolfpck

    wolfpck haters gonna hate
    Donor
    North Carolina State Wolfpack

    Delta reserve referral if you go that route. I live in Atlanta so it’s been a good card for me.

    Here’s my Amex referral link. Use it and we could both earn rewards if you are approved and get a Card. Check out offers and Card benefits.
    https://americanexpress.com/en-us/r...american-express-card?ref=CLIFTFC51A&XL=MIANS
     
  39. g8r

    g8r Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsBoston Red Sox

  40. —

    Well-Known Member
    Donor

    We are going on three big international trips this year and looking for a credit card to use without fees overseas, rack up points, etc.

    Top choices are Chase sapphire reserve or preferred, capital one venture card. Amex platinum? This is so annoying and confusing when trying to make apples to apples comparisons
     
  41. GoodForAnother

    GoodForAnother the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Kansas State WildcatsKansas City RoyalsKansas City ChiefsSporting Kansas CityTottenham HotspurBig 8 ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceCoors Light

    probably the reserve imo
     
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  42. Baseballman86

    Baseballman86 Well-Known Member
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesAtlanta Falcons

  43. —

    Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Now it’s down to Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture X, and Saphire reserve in that order but my mind will probably change in 5 mins based on the next Reddit post I see
     
  44. Zap Branigan

    Zap Branigan I suffer from a very sexy learning disability.
    Donor
    Florida State SeminolesOrlando MagicCarolina PanthersTampa Bay LightningArsenal

    Also have a link for the AMEX Delta Platinum. Never given any out before tbh but I've had this card since 2014 and used it for companion flights + miles many times. Not sure the reserve is worth it unless you travel ton.

    Here’s my Amex referral link. Use it and we could both earn rewards if you are approved and get a Card. Check out offers and Card benefits. https://americanexpress.com/en-us/r...erican-express-card?ref=TIMOtGrFXx&XLINK=MYCP
     
  45. g8r

    g8r Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Florida GatorsBoston Red Sox

    Will you PM me another referral? I clicked through yesterday but got distracted...it had a 90,000 mile offer, today it was down to 60,000.
     
  46. Baseballman86

    Baseballman86 Well-Known Member
    Alabama Crimson TideAtlanta BravesAtlanta Falcons

    Incoming
     
  47. BellottiBold

    Donor
    Oregon Ducks

    I mean those are the big 3 premium travel rewards cards rn. Gotta ask yourself what you value, really. The Platinum has the highest annual fee and has the most annual credits - but you have to use them to recoup the considerable cost (and/or get lucky with the coupon clipping angle of the program.)
    If I were starting fresh the VX would be really tempting due to the lower AF, authorized user perks, and the apparent quality of the C1 lounges.
     
    Lip and like this.
  48. GoodForAnother

    GoodForAnother the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for
    Staff Donor TMB OG
    Kansas State WildcatsKansas City RoyalsKansas City ChiefsSporting Kansas CityTottenham HotspurBig 8 ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceCoors Light

    the companion pass is crazy valuable with the delta cards. redeemed one for $650 and another for $800 in value so far.
     
  49. DuffandMuff

    DuffandMuff Well-Known Member
    Tampa Bay LightningSan Diego Padres

    Also depends how much you travel and at which airports IMO.

    I’ve had the venture x since it was first released and get great value from it. I fly thru Denver and DFW somewhat frequently, so get use out of the lounges there.

    However, a chase sapphire lounge just opened up at my home airport and I’ll be eligible for a SUB this year, so I may switch.
     
    and BellottiBold like this.
  50. —

    Well-Known Member
    Donor

    Ultimately went Amex because a lot of the fringe benefits pay for stuff we already subscribe to/use which goes a long way in eating into that big ass annual fee. Also was able to get 175k point SUB which will be very nice for some euro flights this fall.
     
    Lip, The_Baumer and BellottiBold like this.