What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

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TravelGeek
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by TravelGeek »

likegarden wrote: Sat Sep 22, 2018 3:39 pm I have no Credit Card Rewards Strategy, only own 2!
Do those two cards earn you any rewards, though? If so, you do have a strategy, and not necessarily a bad one (though I disagree with your reasoning for it). But if you leave the 2% you can earn without any effort on the table, then yes, you don't have a strategy and might want to rethink :)
novemberrain
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by novemberrain »

Nice!
Last edited by novemberrain on Sun Dec 20, 2020 1:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
vtMaps
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by vtMaps »

novemberrain wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 1:26 am There is a $95 annual fee. But I get back almost $1000 by using miles to book united tickets.
<snip>
I do rack up about $60k to $80k every year on my credit cards.
2% cashback on $60k to $80k is $1200 to $1600.

--vtMaps
"Truly, whoever can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities" --Voltaire, as translated by Norman Lewis Torrey
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nps
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by nps »

novemberrain wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 1:26 am I do rack up about $60k to $80k every year on my credit cards. So I get about 60k to 80k miles which is good for a hawaii vacation flight cost for my family of 4
60k to 80k miles for four tickets to Hawaii? Unless you are talking about flights that begin and end in Hawaii I think your numbers are off.
ge1
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by ge1 »

Capital One Venture for every day purchases (2% miles on all purchases).

AA Aviator and Delta Amex to get one-time miles and get perks like preferred boarding and one bag free. We had AA Citi to get the miles bonus, which we cancelled once we got the miles and now we have the Aviator cards. Will probably change back to AA Citi whenever I qualify for the miles again.

Just opened a Wells Fargo card to get the $200 sign up bonus.
mtbouchard
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by mtbouchard »

My strategy is similar to others: I have a Chase Sapphire Reserve for all travel and dining, the Citi Double cash for all other purchases, but also the Chase United Explorer card because it is worth the $95 fee for the increased awards availability and baggage (but will likely drop this after I have status).

I'd like to participate in a hotel card as well, for the bonus and the increased earnings now that I do some travel for work: Do people prefer Hyatt (which has a 60k bonus) or the new SPG/Marriott set of hotels (it has a 100k bonus). I think the bonuses are fairly close relative to awards costs, so the question is about hotel preference (Im not knowledgeable).

Cheers,
Matt
TravelGeek
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by TravelGeek »

mtbouchard wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:42 am I'd like to participate in a hotel card as well, for the bonus and the increased earnings now that I do some travel for work: Do people prefer Hyatt (which has a 60k bonus) or the new SPG/Marriott set of hotels (it has a 100k bonus). I think the bonuses are fairly close relative to awards costs, so the question is about hotel preference (Im not knowledgeable).
There are a lot more Marriott properties to choose from. I used to be a Hyatt Diamond, but it was often difficult to find a Hyatt property where I wanted to go on vacation. My home town has four Marriott brands to choose from... and the nearest Hyatt is a hundred miles away.

That said, both cards offer a free night that essentially covers the cost of the AF... so I have both. I use neither for daily charges, though.
novemberrain
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by novemberrain »

Nice!
Last edited by novemberrain on Sun Dec 20, 2020 1:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
novemberrain
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by novemberrain »

Nice!
Last edited by novemberrain on Sun Dec 20, 2020 1:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
BeneIRA
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by BeneIRA »

ge1 wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:02 am Capital One Venture for every day purchases (2% miles on all purchases).

AA Aviator and Delta Amex to get one-time miles and get perks like preferred boarding and one bag free. We had AA Citi to get the miles bonus, which we cancelled once we got the miles and now we have the Aviator cards. Will probably change back to AA Citi whenever I qualify for the miles again.

Just opened a Wells Fargo card to get the $200 sign up bonus.
I have to ask, why the Capitol One Venture? It has a $59 annual fee and at the higher point, you get 2% back on travel purchases. Why not grab a Double Cash or something to get 2% on everything regardless of what it is?
mtbouchard wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:42 am My strategy is similar to others: I have a Chase Sapphire Reserve for all travel and dining, the Citi Double cash for all other purchases, but also the Chase United Explorer card because it is worth the $95 fee for the increased awards availability and baggage (but will likely drop this after I have status).

I'd like to participate in a hotel card as well, for the bonus and the increased earnings now that I do some travel for work: Do people prefer Hyatt (which has a 60k bonus) or the new SPG/Marriott set of hotels (it has a 100k bonus). I think the bonuses are fairly close relative to awards costs, so the question is about hotel preference (Im not knowledgeable).

Cheers,
Matt
We need more information than that. The Hyatt points are worth more than the Marriott Points are worth, but not by too much. Do you want to take advantage of status and not care about the annual fee? Then maybe you would like the SPG Luxury card or the Hilton Aspire card with a $450 annual fee, but with the latter, you get top tier Diamond Status and with the former, a mid-tier status. The new IHG card, with an $89 annual fee, isn't as much of a definite keeper as the old card, but to me, it is still worth a sock drawer status due to the platinum elite status and the one free night a year, even if it is capped. Having platinum elite status even at Holiday Inns has been helpful.

For me, I have the Hyatt card as well since I value the free night at over $75 (now $95) for the annual fee and Discoverist Status, which you get with the card, is worth something. With the SPG card gone, Hyatt points are worth the most if you are looking for a card for everyday spend, but I would probably get a Chase Freedom Unlimited/Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve combination instead of using the Hyatt as my daily driver since the latter has more flexible Ultimate Rewards points.
Jags4186
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by Jags4186 »

novemberrain wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 6:28 pm
nps wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 5:17 am
novemberrain wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 1:26 am I do rack up about $60k to $80k every year on my credit cards. So I get about 60k to 80k miles which is good for a hawaii vacation flight cost for my family of 4
60k to 80k miles for four tickets to Hawaii? Unless you are talking about flights that begin and end in Hawaii I think your numbers are off.
Check it out yourself. Go to united.com and search for mileage plus award travel from SFO<->KOA in mar 2019, there are nonstop tickets available for 22500 miles per person or 90k miles for 4 people.

Not to mention, I get 2 free checked backs (worth $100 for a rountrip $25x4) as well as priority boarding (meaning my carryon is never checked in involuntarily)
It’s 22,500 each way. Certainly a good United redemption at slightly over 2cpp, those flights are approximately $936 round trip each, but you are getting the same 2% earn and you forgo earning miles from buying the flight. Now if you were earning 1.5x, 3x, or 5x miles per $1 spent via your Chase UR earning cards then I would definitely say great redemption. But earning 1 United mile per $1 spent is a little lame.
ge1
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by ge1 »

BeneIRA wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:15 pm
ge1 wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:02 am Capital One Venture for every day purchases (2% miles on all purchases).

AA Aviator and Delta Amex to get one-time miles and get perks like preferred boarding and one bag free. We had AA Citi to get the miles bonus, which we cancelled once we got the miles and now we have the Aviator cards. Will probably change back to AA Citi whenever I qualify for the miles again.

Just opened a Wells Fargo card to get the $200 sign up bonus.
I have to ask, why the Capitol One Venture? It has a $59 annual fee and at the higher point, you get 2% back on travel purchases. Why not grab a Double Cash or something to get 2% on everything regardless of what it is?
mtbouchard wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:42 am My strategy is similar to others: I have a Chase Sapphire Reserve for all travel and dining, the Citi Double cash for all other purchases, but also the Chase United Explorer card because it is worth the $95 fee for the increased awards availability and baggage (but will likely drop this after I have status).

I'd like to participate in a hotel card as well, for the bonus and the increased earnings now that I do some travel for work: Do people prefer Hyatt (which has a 60k bonus) or the new SPG/Marriott set of hotels (it has a 100k bonus). I think the bonuses are fairly close relative to awards costs, so the question is about hotel preference (Im not knowledgeable).

Cheers,
Matt
We need more information than that. The Hyatt points are worth more than the Marriott Points are worth, but not by too much. Do you want to take advantage of status and not care about the annual fee? Then maybe you would like the SPG Luxury card or the Hilton Aspire card with a $450 annual fee, but with the latter, you get top tier Diamond Status and with the former, a mid-tier status. The new IHG card, with an $89 annual fee, isn't as much of a definite keeper as the old card, but to me, it is still worth a sock drawer status due to the platinum elite status and the one free night a year, even if it is capped. Having platinum elite status even at Holiday Inns has been helpful.

For me, I have the Hyatt card as well since I value the free night at over $75 (now $95) for the annual fee and Discoverist Status, which you get with the card, is worth something. With the SPG card gone, Hyatt points are worth the most if you are looking for a card for everyday spend, but I would probably get a Chase Freedom Unlimited/Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve combination instead of using the Hyatt as my daily driver since the latter has more flexible Ultimate Rewards points.
With the Capital One Venture you get Double miles on all your purchases, not just travel. We travel a lot, so for me this is like 2% cash back on all spending.
novemberrain
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by novemberrain »

Nice!
Last edited by novemberrain on Sun Dec 20, 2020 1:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jags4186
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by Jags4186 »

novemberrain wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 8:46 pm
Jags4186 wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:36 pm
novemberrain wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 6:28 pm
nps wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 5:17 am
novemberrain wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 1:26 am I do rack up about $60k to $80k every year on my credit cards. So I get about 60k to 80k miles which is good for a hawaii vacation flight cost for my family of 4
60k to 80k miles for four tickets to Hawaii? Unless you are talking about flights that begin and end in Hawaii I think your numbers are off.
Check it out yourself. Go to united.com and search for mileage plus award travel from SFO<->KOA in mar 2019, there are nonstop tickets available for 22500 miles per person or 90k miles for 4 people.

Not to mention, I get 2 free checked backs (worth $100 for a rountrip $25x4) as well as priority boarding (meaning my carryon is never checked in involuntarily)
It’s 22,500 each way. Certainly a good United redemption at slightly over 2cpp, those flights are approximately $936 round trip each, but you are getting the same 2% earn and you forgo earning miles from buying the flight. Now if you were earning 1.5x, 3x, or 5x miles per $1 spent via your Chase UR earning cards then I would definitely say great redemption. But earning 1 United mile per $1 spent is a little lame.
very good catch. But it is still >2% earn though for each and every dollar I spend, right? The forgoeing of earning miles does get balanced out by free checked bags, priority boarding and other perks.

I think I gave a bad example though with Hawaii (I haven't yet booked the tickets for the Hawaii trip for this december). These are better examples from past trips I have taken.
- Last december, I travelled from SFO to CLT one way ; and the prices were around $450 one way each person. I booked through miles and it was 12.5k miles one way per person. That was 3.6% earn.
- Last month, I travelled from SFO to IAD round trip. The tickets on expedia (other airlines) were going for $1200 round trip for flights with perfect timings (nonstop, and no red eye or very early morning flights). United had tickets for 25k miles round trip (again with perfect timings). That was 4.8% earn.
I agree that you can get outsized rewards with miles, you can just do better by getting Chase UR cards.
BeneIRA
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by BeneIRA »

ge1 wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:49 pm
BeneIRA wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:15 pm
ge1 wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:02 am Capital One Venture for every day purchases (2% miles on all purchases).

AA Aviator and Delta Amex to get one-time miles and get perks like preferred boarding and one bag free. We had AA Citi to get the miles bonus, which we cancelled once we got the miles and now we have the Aviator cards. Will probably change back to AA Citi whenever I qualify for the miles again.

Just opened a Wells Fargo card to get the $200 sign up bonus.
I have to ask, why the Capitol One Venture? It has a $59 annual fee and at the higher point, you get 2% back on travel purchases. Why not grab a Double Cash or something to get 2% on everything regardless of what it is?
mtbouchard wrote: Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:42 am My strategy is similar to others: I have a Chase Sapphire Reserve for all travel and dining, the Citi Double cash for all other purchases, but also the Chase United Explorer card because it is worth the $95 fee for the increased awards availability and baggage (but will likely drop this after I have status).

I'd like to participate in a hotel card as well, for the bonus and the increased earnings now that I do some travel for work: Do people prefer Hyatt (which has a 60k bonus) or the new SPG/Marriott set of hotels (it has a 100k bonus). I think the bonuses are fairly close relative to awards costs, so the question is about hotel preference (Im not knowledgeable).

Cheers,
Matt
We need more information than that. The Hyatt points are worth more than the Marriott Points are worth, but not by too much. Do you want to take advantage of status and not care about the annual fee? Then maybe you would like the SPG Luxury card or the Hilton Aspire card with a $450 annual fee, but with the latter, you get top tier Diamond Status and with the former, a mid-tier status. The new IHG card, with an $89 annual fee, isn't as much of a definite keeper as the old card, but to me, it is still worth a sock drawer status due to the platinum elite status and the one free night a year, even if it is capped. Having platinum elite status even at Holiday Inns has been helpful.

For me, I have the Hyatt card as well since I value the free night at over $75 (now $95) for the annual fee and Discoverist Status, which you get with the card, is worth something. With the SPG card gone, Hyatt points are worth the most if you are looking for a card for everyday spend, but I would probably get a Chase Freedom Unlimited/Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve combination instead of using the Hyatt as my daily driver since the latter has more flexible Ultimate Rewards points.
With the Capital One Venture you get Double miles on all your purchases, not just travel. We travel a lot, so for me this is like 2% cash back on all spending.
But to get the 2% cash back, you need to redeem it on travel purchases. Meanwhile, the Citi Double Cash is a no fee 2% cash back card. If you travel a lot, it would seem there are much better cards out there than the Venture.
ge1
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by ge1 »

BeneIRA wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:52 am

But to get the 2% cash back, you need to redeem it on travel purchases. Meanwhile, the Citi Double Cash is a no fee 2% cash back card. If you travel a lot, it would seem there are much better cards out there than the Venture.
Fair point, the Citi Double Cash sounds like a good deal. I'm honestly too lazy to keep changing cards all the time, so given that I know I can use the miles, I don't feel like I'm losing much with the Venture card. Thanks for pointing it out though.
Allixi
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by Allixi »

Now that I have the Amex SPG card (first Amex card ever), I have to say that I like the Amex website interface more than Chase. The service seems more professional too.

The problem is, I don't know what to do with MR points. Specifically, how to deal with Amex's mish-mash of airline transfer partners. I live in the Midwest so it seems like I'd have to deal with a lot of positioning flights to the East/West Coast. My wife refuses to fly Delta for irrational reasons so that's out.

Meanwhile, transferring Chase to United is instant and easy, even if the point value isn't quite as good (though still > 1.5 cpp)
TravelGeek
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by TravelGeek »

Allixi wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:07 am Now that I have the Amex SPG card (first Amex card ever), I have to say that I like the Amex website interface more than Chase. The service seems more professional too.

The problem is, I don't know what to do with MR points. Specifically, how to deal with Amex's mish-mash of airline transfer partners.
What do you mean by MR - Membership Rewards (Amex' proprietary points) or Marriott Rewards?

The Amex SPG card gets you Marriott points. The SPG airline transfer program was highly regarded, and I think the transfer partners didn't actually change much with the merger with Marriott.
michaeljc70
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by michaeljc70 »

I got a thing in the mail for a Capital One Savor card with a $500 cash bonus. I think I am going to take that. I think I am locked out of the AA/UAL that I typically recycle for a while.
Allixi
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by Allixi »

TravelGeek wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 11:31 am
Allixi wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:07 am Now that I have the Amex SPG card (first Amex card ever), I have to say that I like the Amex website interface more than Chase. The service seems more professional too.

The problem is, I don't know what to do with MR points. Specifically, how to deal with Amex's mish-mash of airline transfer partners.
What do you mean by MR - Membership Rewards (Amex' proprietary points) or Marriott Rewards?

The Amex SPG card gets you Marriott points. The SPG airline transfer program was highly regarded, and I think the transfer partners didn't actually change much with the merger with Marriott.
I mean Membership Rewards points from Amex cards.
TravelGeek
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by TravelGeek »

Allixi wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 3:07 pm I mean Membership Rewards points from Amex cards.
Ok, so to reiterate, your SPG Amex doesn't get you those.

But to answer the broader question of what to do with Amex Membership Rewards points: they have many transfer partners other than Delta (which doesn't work for you). What they don't have is some of the larger domestic airlines (United, American, Alaska, Southwest). But there is often a workaround: for example, British Airways is a transfer partner (and often with bonuses). And BA Avios points can be used to book domestic awards on AA or Alaska. Similarly, MR points can be transferred to Air Canada's Aeroplan or Singapore's Krisflyer, and you can then book UA awards with those "foreign" points. You need to work out what program partnerships exist and see if the award cost is reasonable (e.g., how much does Krisflyer charge you for a UA domestic roundtrip) to see if that's a viable strategy.
vasu100
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by vasu100 »

I have my Priceline (Barclay's Bank) card from ~10 years. 2% cash-back on everything, no annual fees. Used to have Captain Kirk's picture on it, but recently when my chip stopped working they mailed me a replacement and it no longer has Kirk on it. Bummer. This used to be my go-to card for "everything" until the Costco card came along.

Now I use my Costco Visa for Gas, Personal travel & dining (and of course at Costco). 4% on Gas, 3% on travel/dining, 2% at Costco.

I got the Chase Sapphire a couple of years back. I use it for all my work related expenses (I don't carry the company AMEX card, just use the Chase card for all work related travel & dining). The lounge access helps as well when I am flying (makes it worth the 450-300=150 annual fee).

Recently I added my daughter as authorized user for Chase Sapphire ($75 annual fee, but she gets the Priority Pass lounge access included). She just turned 23, and is in grad school and traveling to conferences (and sometimes to home). Apparently she thinks having lounge access and getting a free martini at the airport lounge is the height of sophistication (she loves her unusual birthday present, loves taking 2 friend with her to the lounge for free when her group travels for conferences - and I do not have to figure out what clothes she might like !). She is under instructions to only use the lounge access and not charge anything to Daddy's card. Lets see if that works (I doubt it !).

Just got a bunch of direct-mail offers from Cap-One, so succumbed. Co-signed for a QuickSilver card for my 20-year old son (1.5% cash back, no annual fee, 150 sign-on bonus). And signed up for the Venture card in my wife's name (60K bonus miles and global entry fee) - not sure if we will renew it next year though.

I had not played the "credit card game" in a few years. But now that I seem to have restarted, I will be on the lookout for more sign-on bonus offers. I doubt I can ever bring myself to splurge on the $550-fee AMEX though.
Bfwolf
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by Bfwolf »

Allixi wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:07 am Now that I have the Amex SPG card (first Amex card ever), I have to say that I like the Amex website interface more than Chase. The service seems more professional too.

The problem is, I don't know what to do with MR points. Specifically, how to deal with Amex's mish-mash of airline transfer partners. I live in the Midwest so it seems like I'd have to deal with a lot of positioning flights to the East/West Coast. My wife refuses to fly Delta for irrational reasons so that's out.

Meanwhile, transferring Chase to United is instant and easy, even if the point value isn't quite as good (though still > 1.5 cpp)
I have made quite a bit of use of Amex points to fly business class to Europe on Star Alliance carriers by transferring the Amex points to Aeroplan. You do have to avoid the airlines that will pass on significant fuel surcharges (Lufthansa, Air Canada, and Austrian are the big watch outs) but if you can find availability on United, SAS, Brussels, Swiss, or LOT, you are in good shape. Aeroplan only charges 55K miles from the US to Western Europe and 57.5K to Eastern Europe so it's really a good deal.
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nps
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by nps »

vasu100 wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:06 am Recently I added my daughter as authorized user for Chase Sapphire ($75 annual fee, but she gets the Priority Pass lounge access included). She just turned 23, and is in grad school and traveling to conferences (and sometimes to home). Apparently she thinks having lounge access and getting a free martini at the airport lounge is the height of sophistication (she loves her unusual birthday present, loves taking 2 friend with her to the lounge for free when her group travels for conferences - and I do not have to figure out what clothes she might like !). She is under instructions to only use the lounge access and not charge anything to Daddy's card. Lets see if that works (I doubt it !).
As an authorized user she should be able to get in with her own Priority Pass card, no need to have her carry the actual credit card.
Freefun
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by Freefun »

nps wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:47 am
vasu100 wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:06 am Recently I added my daughter as authorized user for Chase Sapphire ($75 annual fee, but she gets the Priority Pass lounge access included). She just turned 23, and is in grad school and traveling to conferences (and sometimes to home). Apparently she thinks having lounge access and getting a free martini at the airport lounge is the height of sophistication (she loves her unusual birthday present, loves taking 2 friend with her to the lounge for free when her group travels for conferences - and I do not have to figure out what clothes she might like !). She is under instructions to only use the lounge access and not charge anything to Daddy's card. Lets see if that works (I doubt it !).
As an authorized user she should be able to get in with her own Priority Pass card, no need to have her carry the actual credit card.
Priority pass also now has digital cards.
Remember when you wanted what you currently have?
MikeG62
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by MikeG62 »

Freefun wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 6:03 am
nps wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:47 am
vasu100 wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:06 am Recently I added my daughter as authorized user for Chase Sapphire ($75 annual fee, but she gets the Priority Pass lounge access included). She just turned 23, and is in grad school and traveling to conferences (and sometimes to home). Apparently she thinks having lounge access and getting a free martini at the airport lounge is the height of sophistication (she loves her unusual birthday present, loves taking 2 friend with her to the lounge for free when her group travels for conferences - and I do not have to figure out what clothes she might like !). She is under instructions to only use the lounge access and not charge anything to Daddy's card. Lets see if that works (I doubt it !).
As an authorized user she should be able to get in with her own Priority Pass card, no need to have her carry the actual credit card.
Priority pass also now has digital cards.
Yup I have used the DC many times. However, not all PP lounges are set up to accept the DC (although I have not personally encountered one yet). Just check before you go.
Real Knowledge Comes Only From Experience
Jags4186
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by Jags4186 »

Allixi wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 3:07 pm
TravelGeek wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 11:31 am
Allixi wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 9:07 am Now that I have the Amex SPG card (first Amex card ever), I have to say that I like the Amex website interface more than Chase. The service seems more professional too.

The problem is, I don't know what to do with MR points. Specifically, how to deal with Amex's mish-mash of airline transfer partners.
What do you mean by MR - Membership Rewards (Amex' proprietary points) or Marriott Rewards?

The Amex SPG card gets you Marriott points. The SPG airline transfer program was highly regarded, and I think the transfer partners didn't actually change much with the merger with Marriott.
I mean Membership Rewards points from Amex cards.
Your SPG card is earning Marriott Rewards points, not Membership Rewards. You can transfer Marriott rewards points to airlines at a ratio of 60,000 Marriott points to 25,000 airline miles at most airlines. You actually get a slight boost when transferring to United so you’ll get 27,500 United miles for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred. The list of transfer partners is much more extensive with Marriott than with Membership Rewards, at the cost of needing to earn many more points to get the redemption you want.

Of course you can use Marriott Rewards to stay at Marriott hotels.

Don’t get discouraged though, if you have paid Marriott stays you can earn points quickly. Say you spend $3250 for a weeks vacation with your SPG card at a Marriott property. You will earn 60,150 points which will get you 27,500 United miles. You get 10pts/$ for staying at Marriot, 2.5pts/$ for being a Gold Elite member vi your SPG card, and you get 6pts/dollar from Marriott spend on your SPG card.
mapplebum
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by mapplebum »

I'm sure I could get more bang for my buck with Chase Sapphire but still can't wrap my head around the annual fee. Both husband and I use a Citicard for 99% of purchases. On a long enough timeline it generates enough points to serve its purpose.

I use points as my first line of defense when unexpected expenses arise. Last minute travel, hotels/flights for funerals or a room during peak holidays.Or say, the purchase a new phone when my Samsung died by coffee. Most recently I used points to book rooms for myself and sister's family when it became clear she couldn't afford one. It was an easy out to claim I wasn't paying for it either.
Allixi
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by Allixi »

Jags4186 wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:12 am Your SPG card is earning Marriott Rewards points, not Membership Rewards.
I know that the Amex SPG earns Marriott points :wink: . What I meant was (obviously it wasn't clear) was that I don't have any other Amex cards for now (Platinum, PRG, EDP, etc) that would earn Membership Rewards points because I don't know what to do with them. While I understand the principle of redeeming on partner airlines, practically speaking it's a bit of hassle that I'm not sure is worthwhile for me.
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ResearchMed
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by ResearchMed »

Allixi wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:42 am
Jags4186 wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:12 am Your SPG card is earning Marriott Rewards points, not Membership Rewards.
I know that the Amex SPG earns Marriott points :wink: . What I meant was (obviously it wasn't clear) was that I don't have any other Amex cards for now (Platinum, PRG, EDP, etc) that would earn Membership Rewards points because I don't know what to do with them. While I understand the principle of redeeming on partner airlines, practically speaking it's a bit of hassle that I'm not sure is worthwhile for me.
Even with our AAdvantage (American Airlines) points, we get the best "bang for the point" using them on partner airlines, so it's not much different from redeeming Amex MR points.
In some cases, with the Amex MR, we need to transfer the points to the partner airline program, and - this IS important - the points can NOT be re-banked with Amex. But those points could then be used with either the partner airline, or one of their partners, which is often what our goal was initially anyway.

We find the premium cabins on some top international airlines are so much better (comfort, physical setup, and service) than the US-flagged airlines.

RM
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THY4373
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by THY4373 »

AAdvantage has a number of issues depending on your purposes. TATL it can be hard to avoid BA and their insane YQ fees on tickets plus you have to deal with Heathrow. Iberia is sometimes better but much more limited gateways from US. And if you need to connect to another US domestic airport to catch your long haul flight AA domestic un-aavailability can be a real problem. Etihad can be a remarkably good use of AA miles (I loved my Etihad A380 apartments experience) but it is always an adventure to book it and if Emirates and Etihad merge one wonders if this relationship will survive. TPAC AA is definitely much better with a number of good options.
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by TravelGeek »

vasu100 wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 1:06 am
I got the Chase Sapphire a couple of years back. I use it for all my work related expenses (I don't carry the company AMEX card, just use the Chase card for all work related travel & dining). The lounge access helps as well when I am flying (makes it worth the 450-300=150 annual fee).

...

I had not played the "credit card game" in a few years. But now that I seem to have restarted, I will be on the lookout for more sign-on bonus offers. I doubt I can ever bring myself to splurge on the $550-fee AMEX though.
Just like the CSR's annual fee, the Amex Plat $550 fee is also just a nominal fee since you can get $200 in airline "incidentals" credit + $200 in Uber credits. Now, the $200 aren't quite as easy to use as the CSR's $300 travel reimbursement, but like many I just buy a bunch of gift cards and apply those to my ticket purchases. Requires a bit of research on FT to see what gets reimbursed with different airlines, but the information is well organized. The Uber credit comes in monthly installments and is, of course, only useful if you actually use Uber. I very rarely do, but Uber Eats is now available in my town and supposedly also gets covered by the credit. There is also now a $50 Saks credit - I basically got some free undies out of that :)

All that said, I will re-evaluate the Plat card when it comes up for renewal. In previous years I used the Centurion lounge benefit quite often, but travel patterns shifted this year and so I need to rethink how much I am willing to pay for that benefit.
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by TravelGeek »

Allixi wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:42 am While I understand the principle of redeeming on partner airlines, practically speaking it's a bit of hassle that I'm not sure is worthwhile for me.
What you are touching on here is that the award travel game can be time consuming, which is why I am often saying that for many people a straight 2% cashback card (or the Uber card) with no AF may be the best choice if they can't or don't want to invest a bit (or lot) of time into making award optimization a new hobby ;)
Freefun
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by Freefun »

TravelGeek wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 12:25 pm
Allixi wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:42 am While I understand the principle of redeeming on partner airlines, practically speaking it's a bit of hassle that I'm not sure is worthwhile for me.
What you are touching on here is that the award travel game can be time consuming, which is why I am often saying that for many people a straight 2% cashback card (or the Uber card) with no AF may be the best choice if they can't or don't want to invest a bit (or lot) of time into making award optimization a new hobby ;)
It doesn't have to be time consuming.

1. Get some cards. Start with Chase, amex for flexible points. Then airlines. No shortage of experts / recommendations here (and flyertalk).
2. Pay a service $50-$200 to find and book award flights for you. You can of course do this yourself but this can be the time consuming part. Also it takes knowledge of all airlines programs to get the best use of your points / miles.

YMMV of course. If you're only traveling a little , or domestic, then perhaps not worth it. For more frequent travel or long haul or biz / first class you can save $
Remember when you wanted what you currently have?
azanon
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by azanon »

ge1 wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:18 am
BeneIRA wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:52 am

But to get the 2% cash back, you need to redeem it on travel purchases. Meanwhile, the Citi Double Cash is a no fee 2% cash back card. If you travel a lot, it would seem there are much better cards out there than the Venture.
Fair point, the Citi Double Cash sounds like a good deal. I'm honestly too lazy to keep changing cards all the time, so given that I know I can use the miles, I don't feel like I'm losing much with the Venture card. Thanks for pointing it out though.
ge1 - Trust me it's not (a good card). If you're idea of a good credit card is for them to lock up a transaction if it's over $1000, or doesn't fit your normal spending pattern (read; god forbid you buy something expensive), then the citi double cash is for you. Or if you go out of state, and buy ... gosh... anything, prepare for the card not to work! If that doesn't sound good, avoid it like the plague.

I had this card and that's what they did to me all the time. And they won't lessen the restrictions. It's an absolutely terrible card, and you'll earn that 2% cash back in frustration, and negative reviews that you'll write everywhere that you can. Anyone that truly owns this card, and did the same things I described knows everything I'm saying is true.

NONE of my other cards do this to me.
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nps
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by nps »

azanon wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:51 pm
ge1 wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:18 am
BeneIRA wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:52 am

But to get the 2% cash back, you need to redeem it on travel purchases. Meanwhile, the Citi Double Cash is a no fee 2% cash back card. If you travel a lot, it would seem there are much better cards out there than the Venture.
Fair point, the Citi Double Cash sounds like a good deal. I'm honestly too lazy to keep changing cards all the time, so given that I know I can use the miles, I don't feel like I'm losing much with the Venture card. Thanks for pointing it out though.
ge1 - Trust me it's not (a good card). If you're idea of a good credit card is for them to lock up a transaction if it's over $1000, or doesn't fit your normal spending pattern (read; god forbid you buy something expensive), then the citi double cash is for you. Or if you go out of state, and buy ... gosh... anything, prepare for the card not to work! If that doesn't sound good, avoid it like the plague.

I had this card and that's what they did to me all the time. And they won't lessen the restrictions. It's an absolutely terrible card, and you'll earn that 2% cash back in frustration, and negative reviews that you'll write everywhere that you can. Anyone that truly owns this card, and did the same things I described knows everything I'm saying is true.

NONE of my other cards do this to me.
It hasn't been true for me. I routinely do those things and have never had a problem with charges going through on this card.
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by vshun »

Unfortunately we had nothing but negative experiences with Citi Double Cash - went from VA to SC/Myrtle Beach i.e. just 2 states, went to Aldie - transaction $50 denied and card immediately cancelled on the spot. Replacement card received after call in 3 weeks. In addition login to account was disabled for the heck of it - cannot get those rewards now.
Tried to connect card to Android Pay - received "Have to call a bank" message so this is hopeless as well.
Chase and many other banks are so much head and shoulders over this pitiful service.
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by DrivingFun »

vshun wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 6:05 pm Unfortunately we had nothing but negative experiences with Citi Double Cash - went from VA to SC/Myrtle Beach i.e. just 2 states, went to Aldie - transaction $50 denied and card immediately cancelled on the spot. Replacement card received after call in 3 weeks. In addition login to account was disabled for the heck of it - cannot get those rewards now.
Tried to connect card to Android Pay - received "Have to call a bank" message so this is hopeless as well.
Chase and many other banks are so much head and shoulders over this pitiful service.
I had this card on Android Pay without issues. Citi has extremely sensitive fraud detection, this can be both good and bad.
Allixi
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by Allixi »

I don't remember having these problems with the Double Cash card. Just in August, I used it for the first time in a month, while traveling in a state I'd never been to since I began using credit cards. Purchase was approved with no issue.

But I also don't use it for everyday purchases.
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by vasu100 »

mapplebum wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:30 am I'm sure I could get more bang for my buck with Chase Sapphire but still can't wrap my head around the annual fee. Both husband and I use a Citicard for 99% of purchases. On a long enough timeline it generates enough points to serve its purpose.

I use points as my first line of defense when unexpected expenses arise. Last minute travel, hotels/flights for funerals or a room during peak holidays.Or say, the purchase a new phone when my Samsung died by coffee. Most recently I used points to book rooms for myself and sister's family when it became clear she couldn't afford one. It was an easy out to claim I wasn't paying for it either.

I was lured in by the 100K points signon and the 100 reimbursement for global entry 2 years ago. I though “let’s do it for a year and then cancel”. Then last year we planned a family trip to India. 4 people, 4 airport lounges seemed worth the 150 fee on its own (all the lounge access on my other trips was gravy). When Chase decided to limit lounge access to 2 free guests instead of unlimited I decided I would cancel this year. But then I got seduced into thinking lounge access for my daughter was a good birthday present so I renewed for one more year. So basically they have me trapped.

Obviously it has been worth it. I echo comments about points making it easier to pay for trips with siblings. Last year when my sister visited I paid for her trips inside US using Sapphire points and she was fine with it (she would never have accepted me paying out of pocket). And this year I am paying for my daughter’s boyfriend to visit us at Thanksgiving. He is penniless and hopes to have the privilege of 4 years of medical school debt hanging over him soon - he would never have accepted me paying g in cash, but somehow paying in points is easy to accept.
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by michaeljc70 »

vasu100 wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:36 pm
mapplebum wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:30 am I'm sure I could get more bang for my buck with Chase Sapphire but still can't wrap my head around the annual fee. Both husband and I use a Citicard for 99% of purchases. On a long enough timeline it generates enough points to serve its purpose.

I use points as my first line of defense when unexpected expenses arise. Last minute travel, hotels/flights for funerals or a room during peak holidays.Or say, the purchase a new phone when my Samsung died by coffee. Most recently I used points to book rooms for myself and sister's family when it became clear she couldn't afford one. It was an easy out to claim I wasn't paying for it either.

I was lured in by the 100K points signon and the 100 reimbursement for global entry 2 years ago. I though “let’s do it for a year and then cancel”. Then last year we planned a family trip to India. 4 people, 4 airport lounges seemed worth the 150 fee on its own (all the lounge access on my other trips was gravy). When Chase decided to limit lounge access to 2 free guests instead of unlimited I decided I would cancel this year. But then I got seduced into thinking lounge access for my daughter was a good birthday present so I renewed for one more year. So basically they have me trapped.

Obviously it has been worth it. I echo comments about points making it easier to pay for trips with siblings. Last year when my sister visited I paid for her trips inside US using Sapphire points and she was fine with it (she would never have accepted me paying out of pocket). And this year I am paying for my daughter’s boyfriend to visit us at Thanksgiving. He is penniless and hopes to have the privilege of 4 years of medical school debt hanging over him soon - he would never have accepted me paying g in cash, but somehow paying in points is easy to accept.
That seems like a big overstatement. You want the benefits, so you pay the fee.
ND Fan 1
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by ND Fan 1 »

Allixi wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:42 am
Jags4186 wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:12 am Your SPG card is earning Marriott Rewards points, not Membership Rewards.
I know that the Amex SPG earns Marriott points :wink: . What I meant was (obviously it wasn't clear) was that I don't have any other Amex cards for now (Platinum, PRG, EDP, etc) that would earn Membership Rewards points because I don't know what to do with them. While I understand the principle of redeeming on partner airlines, practically speaking it's a bit of hassle that I'm not sure is worthwhile for me.
You can open a Schwab brokerage/checking account combo and get a $100 bonus. Then open a Schwab Platinum card for a 60K MR bonus. Then you can redeem MR points into your Schwab brokerage account at 1.25 cpp. One of the best deals for redeeming points for straight Cash.

I hit Amex hard know I basically had 1 year to accumulate a ton of MR points and redeem at Schwab. I have done 8 MR earning cards and cashed out around $4500 worth of MR points. If you open up your Platinum card in Late November you can triple dip the airline credit. Pays for the $550 annual fee
helloeveryone
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by helloeveryone »

WSJ has interesting article about these rewards credit cards. I thought I would share. Its an interesting read.

I dont know how to share a wsj link because it came up on my apple news app and typically the links dont open the entire article.

“Shoppers Love Rewards Credit Cards. Retailers Hate Them.”
azanon
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by azanon »

nps wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:33 pm
azanon wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:51 pm
ge1 wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:18 am
BeneIRA wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:52 am

But to get the 2% cash back, you need to redeem it on travel purchases. Meanwhile, the Citi Double Cash is a no fee 2% cash back card. If you travel a lot, it would seem there are much better cards out there than the Venture.
Fair point, the Citi Double Cash sounds like a good deal. I'm honestly too lazy to keep changing cards all the time, so given that I know I can use the miles, I don't feel like I'm losing much with the Venture card. Thanks for pointing it out though.
ge1 - Trust me it's not (a good card). If you're idea of a good credit card is for them to lock up a transaction if it's over $1000, or doesn't fit your normal spending pattern (read; god forbid you buy something expensive), then the citi double cash is for you. Or if you go out of state, and buy ... gosh... anything, prepare for the card not to work! If that doesn't sound good, avoid it like the plague.

I had this card and that's what they did to me all the time. And they won't lessen the restrictions. It's an absolutely terrible card, and you'll earn that 2% cash back in frustration, and negative reviews that you'll write everywhere that you can. Anyone that truly owns this card, and did the same things I described knows everything I'm saying is true.

NONE of my other cards do this to me.
It hasn't been true for me. I routinely do those things and have never had a problem with charges going through on this card.
I wonder why they confirmed with me those things are their policy. My credit score is about 820. Maybe they don't trust Arkansans?

It ended up turning out being no loss for me though since I now have the USAA 2.5% cash back card.
TravelGeek
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by TravelGeek »

azanon wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:49 am I wonder why they confirmed with me those things are their policy. My credit score is about 820. Maybe they don't trust Arkansans?
Who would? ;)

Jokes aside, I don’t have a DC card, but I have had other Citi cards for years and never had these problems. I can’t quite imagine that their fraud algos are significantly different for the DC card compared to, say, my Premier card.

That said, I always travel with multiple cards issued with multiple banks, and if I ran into a situation like you describe I wouldn’t be significantly impacted (but certainly annoyed). I know my wife is still recalling the day when her $10 purchase at an airport store in LAS was declined and the card locked. That was with Chase... and not her first purchase in Vegas that weekend. I had to “bail her out” and now she carries more than one card, too.
BogleMelon
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by BogleMelon »

mapplebum wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:30 am It was an easy out to claim I wasn't paying for it either.
Actually you still pay for for it. You fall in the trap of mental accounting here. It doesn't matter how did you get the money/points. Once you get the money (whether free or not), it is yours. Spending it regardless of the source, still qualifies as spending your money.
"One of the funny things about stock market, every time one is buying another is selling, and both think they are astute" - William Feather
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by BogleMelon »

Freefun wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 12:41 pm 2. Pay a service $50-$200 to find and book award flights for you. You can of course do this yourself but this can be the time consuming part. Also it takes knowledge of all airlines programs to get the best use of your points / miles.
Can you please recommend a business who does that? I never heard of one!
"One of the funny things about stock market, every time one is buying another is selling, and both think they are astute" - William Feather
BogleMelon
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by BogleMelon »

vshun wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 6:05 pm Unfortunately we had nothing but negative experiences with Citi Double Cash - went from VA to SC/Myrtle Beach i.e. just 2 states, went to Aldie - transaction $50 denied and card immediately cancelled on the spot. Replacement card received after call in 3 weeks. In addition login to account was disabled for the heck of it - cannot get those rewards now.
Tried to connect card to Android Pay - received "Have to call a bank" message so this is hopeless as well.
Chase and many other banks are so much head and shoulders over this pitiful service.
I decided to stop making my Citi Double is my daily card when I was trying to book a flight on Expedia ($2200 for tickets) and Expedia failed to process the transaction. I called Expedia, they said it is your bank, called Citi, they said we cleared the transaction (Obviously not!). I then used Chase Amazon card to re-book the flight with no issues. Since then I started to look into travel cards, Opened a CSP and plan to upgrade it to CSR next year. Also CSP treated me well while travelling in a country where usually credit cards get declined all the time for no reason! I even remember one cashier looked at the card, weighted it (since it is a metal heavy card), and he was like "What kind of banks issue a card like that!!" He gave me a good laugh that day and a sense of being proud to hold an American card in a country that has poor banking systems!
"One of the funny things about stock market, every time one is buying another is selling, and both think they are astute" - William Feather
azanon
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by azanon »

TravelGeek wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 8:54 am
azanon wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:49 am I wonder why they confirmed with me those things are their policy. My credit score is about 820. Maybe they don't trust Arkansans?
Who would? ;)

Jokes aside, I don’t have a DC card, but I have had other Citi cards for years and never had these problems. I can’t quite imagine that their fraud algos are significantly different for the DC card compared to, say, my Premier card.

That said, I always travel with multiple cards issued with multiple banks, and if I ran into a situation like you describe I wouldn’t be significantly impacted (but certainly annoyed). I know my wife is still recalling the day when her $10 purchase at an airport store in LAS was declined and the card locked. That was with Chase... and not her first purchase in Vegas that weekend. I had to “bail her out” and now she carries more than one card, too.
That's probably it. I've had other citi cards and haven't noticed that problem either. To be clear to all, I'm specifically referring to the Citi Double Cash Credit Card.

Scan the reviews here: https://wallethub.com/d/citi-double-cash-card-121c/ Literally the 2nd one from the top (not me) is complaining about the same thing.
azanon
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Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

Post by azanon »

BogleMelon wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:05 am
vshun wrote: Wed Sep 26, 2018 6:05 pm Unfortunately we had nothing but negative experiences with Citi Double Cash - went from VA to SC/Myrtle Beach i.e. just 2 states, went to Aldie - transaction $50 denied and card immediately cancelled on the spot. Replacement card received after call in 3 weeks. In addition login to account was disabled for the heck of it - cannot get those rewards now.
Tried to connect card to Android Pay - received "Have to call a bank" message so this is hopeless as well.
Chase and many other banks are so much head and shoulders over this pitiful service.
I decided to stop making my Citi Double is my daily card when I was trying to book a flight on Expedia ($2200 for tickets) and Expedia failed to process the transaction. I called Expedia, they said it is your bank, called Citi, they said we cleared the transaction (Obviously not!). I then used Chase Amazon card to re-book the flight with no issues. Since then I started to look into travel cards, Opened a CSP and plan to upgrade it to CSR next year. Also CSP treated me well while travelling in a country where usually credit cards get declined all the time for no reason! I even remember one cashier looked at the card, weighted it (since it is a metal heavy card), and he was like "What kind of banks issue a card like that!!" He gave me a good laugh that day and a sense of being proud to hold an American card in a country that has poor banking systems!
Ex.... actly. Want 2% back? Get ready to earn it.
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