man, I would get that card over my delta reserve if it had 1:1 mile exchange with them. as it is, I can get to barbados round trip on 30k delta miles

9/10/2016 8:31:06 AM

United is about the same. Typically 35k (17.5 per segment) for trips like that.

9/10/2016 10:28:40 AM

Quote :

"Hilton properties I've stayed at are generally nice."

Same here but it seems like the lounges abroad are always exponentially better.

9/11/2016 10:51:25 AM

Had a layover at Dulles Sunday and wanted to try out the Priority Pass lounge but didn't have enough time. There's not one in Denver, CLT, or RDU. I'm only familiier with Delta or United lounges. Anyone tried them out? From what I can tell on the website they're usually airline type lounges (like the two at DIA were Airfrance/KLM and British Airways).

9/13/2016 4:53:15 PM

my experience so far w/ PP in europe has been only 3rd party lounges no airline-run ones (FRA, BRE, NCE, VIE, CDG), and the quality of the lounge varies widely (i just got PP in june)

my only PP visit in the US was the alaska air lounge at ANC, it was nice enough

some of the delta skyclubs have really stepped up their game, SFO a few months ago was really nice

spent 5 hrs at the AF la premiere lounge at CDG in july and it was glorious, so my lounge bar has now been seriously elevated

9/14/2016 2:37:36 AM

I want my real Reserve card!!!

9/14/2016 10:11:00 AM

^ you can't get in to the PP lounges without a PP card

Do you have one with another card? I thought they took a few weeks to ship and would arrive after your card. You have to request one on Chase's site as well - it's not automatically sent.

9/14/2016 12:00:37 PM

Oh didn't know that. I assumed I could just use my Reserve card to get in. I'll wait for it to come in (or request it).

You can bring guests with the Chase Reserve card (some exceptions) but apparently not the Amex cards:

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2016/09/05/sapphire-reserve-lounge-benefit/

9/14/2016 12:12:24 PM

Instant approval

9/17/2016 4:01:25 AM

A lot of the nicer cards come with free access to priority pass but you still have to go through the site to receive it.

http://thepointsguy.com/2016/09/9-best-us-priority-pass-lounges/

9/17/2016 11:39:14 AM

^ plan to spend a little time in the ATL one while waiting for my flight to NRT coming up in October - PP card hasn't shown up yet but I 'ordered' it almost 2 weeks ago

9/17/2016 12:10:00 PM

i don't remember exactly how long it took for my PP card to arrive but it was definitely less than two weeks for me (i was traveling at the time, but it arrived before my next trip which was all i cared about)

you can probably use the digital card through the PP app though, i think -- i looked into that when i wasn't sure if my card would come in time, but didn't have to use it in the end so don't have any experience w/ it

i haven't been in the club at ATL yet but the skyclub in the F terminal is pretty good, if that's an option before your flight

9/17/2016 2:00:20 PM

Instant Approval. Just got a UPS notification, card will arrive on Monday. Now time to work to hit that 4K spending.

9/17/2016 2:14:50 PM

I hate you all.

9/17/2016 2:41:50 PM

Sounds like a must get for me. I've just taken a new job and have to buy all new furniture, home goods, etc. So any spend limit is going to be easy to hit immediately.

9/17/2016 9:23:49 PM

Called CSR about not getting the PP card in time for a trip coming up later this week. They said to put the fee for entrance to any PP lounge on my card and they will refund the difference (if you still have travel credit, they will refund you twice).

9/19/2016 1:40:49 PM

Interesting. I'll be in Seattle next week but probably won't get the card yet and would like to try it out. Will give that a try.

9/19/2016 1:45:14 PM

Just got mine in the mail today. Hopefully with the holidays i'll be able to hit the spending limit pretty easy.

I cant find it now, but I thought I remember reading that someone had success in getting the travel credit by buying a gift card on an airlines website (cant remember if it was Delta, AA, etc). Anyone seen anything to confirm this? That'd make things much easier, since I don't know if i'll be ready to buy airline tickets by the end of the year.

^I also remember reading that they will do the entrance thing up to twice a year.

[Edited on September 19, 2016 at 6:17 PM. Reason : ]

9/19/2016 6:17:23 PM

lol I used up all the $300 travel credit within the first 48 hours of having the card. Uber, lightrail, plane ticket. I think I even got reimbursed for my whisky and coke on a United flight.

Someone mentioned this in a forum but if you can't spend $300 on travel then this travel credit card isn't for you.

9/19/2016 6:37:09 PM

It's a little trickier if it can't be used for actual tickets.

I used United's MileagePlus X to get amz gift cards.

9/19/2016 7:15:51 PM

It can be used for anything travel. Easiest travel credit on a credit card ever.

I just had my $50 Sunpass reload automatically reimbursed on the same day.

9/19/2016 7:55:43 PM

For simplicity, I really only want one active credit card, and I can't help but feel like a sucker if I am paying an annual fee.

I am trying to figure out if I should switch from Chase Freedom (which I've had for years - 5% quarterly rotating categories) to Chase Freedom Unlimited (1.5% flat). Chase Freedom was great when it came out because they used to have a deal where you could redeem $200 worth of cash back / points for a $250 check. That was like 50 extra dollar bucks for free! That's long gone, of course, and their 5% reward categories seem to be getting more and more obscure / sucky. They just announced 4th quarter categories for 2016, and no Amazon.com this year. I don't typically change my spending habits much to hit in the categories (except historically for Amazon), but lately it's for things my regular spending never even touches.

I know I could apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited and have both cards and get the sign-up bonus (because I am no where near their card limit), but I really don't want to go through the hassle of changing all of my auto-billing stuff. They can just change my card type without having to reapply or change card numbers (but no sign-up bonus, of course).

Anybody else in the same boat? What should I do, TWW?!

9/19/2016 9:20:29 PM

Just run the numbers. If your category bonuses don't outweigh the extra .5 % spending on non categories, then don't switch.

9/19/2016 10:27:05 PM

Quote :

"and I can't help but feel like a sucker if I am paying an annual fee."

Really you're a sucker for not getting all the free "dollar bucks" available by using multiple cards

You can get 5% back on every purchase from Amazon. 5%+ on gas. 6% on groceries. 5% restaurants etc and 2% on everything else, year-round...to say nothing of all the sign up bonuses you're missing out on.

Quote :

"I really don't want to go through the hassle of changing all of my auto-billing stuff"

It takes like 2 minutes max, and if you're using the same banking portal (eg: Chase) it only involves checking a checkbox as your banking info is already stored there.

And if you're set on just carrying one card, why not get a 2% card like Fidelity's? I think Chase has one too right?

9/19/2016 10:27:31 PM

I guess there are varying degrees of being a sucker. I know I CAN do all those things, but it's not worth it to me. Most would consider my overall spending level minimal.

Plus, I don't want my wallet looking like this:



It would take a lot longer than two minutes to update all of my automatic billing. I know because I have to do it every couple of years when I get a replacement card with a new expiration date and CVV code.

I don't have a relationship with Fidelity. I do almost all my financial stuff through Vanguard, but they don't offer branded credit cards. Not aware of a Chase card at 2%. Fidelity, yes. Citi, yes.

9/20/2016 12:05:32 AM

Quote :

"It's a little trickier if it can't be used for actual tickets."

It works on tickets too.

Quote :

"For simplicity, I really only want one active credit card, "

I think I have 11 open ones right now. Although closing 2 EOM.

My first in wallet will be the Reserve card but I have a BB for BestBuy, an Amazon for Amazon. I had a Banana Republic card that saved me a bunch on a couple suits (closing that soon though). Marriott for Marriott stays (extra 5 points for 20 total per $1 spent). REI card for REI (extra 5% back for 15% total cashback on all purchases).

I get the annual fee thing but sign-up bonuses + point accumulation more than make up for the annual fees of these cards.

9/20/2016 11:29:03 AM

Quote :

"Plus, I don't want my wallet looking like this:"

I've got 20+ open cards, but only carry 2-3 at a time, so I don't have that problem. To that point, there are cards you can benefit from without having to carry around...Amazon (5% back) and Chase Bold Ink (5% on utilities/phone/cable/etc) come to mind.

But to answer your original question again, get a 2% card if you're only going to use one. If you don't "have a relationship" with Fidelity you can start one in about 10 minutes. You'll net way more getting 2% on everything than you did from the occasional 5% purchases.

9/20/2016 11:35:09 AM

Just got approved for the Sapphire Reserve, gonna put that bad boy to use quite quickly. Should be able to redeem that travel credit in the first week as I uber around while I'm waiting to get a car in Chattanooga and hit the required spend when I buy furniture.

^Yeah, I have quite a few cards as well, most only receive occasional use. I have an amazon rewards card that I use for my amazon.com purchases, I have a Chase Freedom which I use for most normal purchases, I have a Delta gold Amex which I will be dropping or switching which was secondary daily card and whose benefits I have more or less exhausted.

As long as your aren't dumb about them and cary a bunch of balances it's a good idea to have multiple cards and reap the rewards. I'm nowhere near as diligent about this as many on this thread but I try to take advantage of offers I think I can maximize.

[Edited on September 20, 2016 at 1:29 PM. Reason : sdfsd]

9/20/2016 1:24:18 PM

Quote :

"It works on tickets too."

The comment to which he originally referred was directed toward the Citi Prestige Credit, not the Amex Plat.

Quote :

"For simplicity, I really only want one active credit card"

Quote :

"I don't want my wallet looking like this:"

I have 30+ active cards and even though I get several every quarter I usually only "work" on one card at a time.
I carry two cards in my wallet and that's usually just b/c one is an amex which some places don't accept.
I leave my the auto billing for my phone/internet/tv alone since it goes to a 5% card.
The power bill usually gets prepaid by $500-$1000 if I'm ever short on a spend requirement.

9/20/2016 7:56:39 PM

He was talking about the CSR.

9/20/2016 11:26:26 PM

^^whoa, I never thought of prepaying utilities. Is there a maximum for that? Any other downside?

Got my CSR today, but it was plastic and in a boring UPS envelope. I actually complained about it being plastic to my roommate (who doesn't know anything about churning) and immediately felt like the world's biggest asshole.

I activated the PP online, but good to know about them comping the fee if the actual card doesn't arrive in time.

I saw that the purchase protection increased from $500 (CSP) to $10,000 (CSR) per claim. That's pretty awesome. Has anyone here ever used any of these purchase benefits (on any card)? https://www.chase.com/card-benefits/sapphirereserve/purchase

9/21/2016 1:40:36 AM

Obv depends on your provider(s)

9/21/2016 8:09:44 AM

Mine came in the boring UPS envelope, but ended up being metal. I was kind of bummed I didn't get the cool box, but still happy I got a metal one instead of plastic.

9/21/2016 1:08:26 PM

Maybe mine IS metal - it definitely is not the traditional plastic card, but I was expecting something heavier than my CSP.

9/21/2016 2:06:08 PM

It should be exactly the same as your CSP card.

9/21/2016 2:56:27 PM

The big difference is with the plastic temporarily cards the CC number is on the front. If it's the actual metal card the CC number is on the back.

9/21/2016 2:58:08 PM

Thank you for the recommendations.

To be clear, I'm not down on any of these methods. Again, I'm pretty aware of what CAN be done, but I'm not personally going to be able to spend my way to savings. I am satisfied with about 2% average total return on my minimal purchases, and no annual fee. I'm impressed with juggling 30 cards and the respective requirements, and I'm also all for gaming the system where possible / practical, but there is no way I am personally going to approach that level. I consistently spend just over $5000 per year on a personal credit card. Therefore every 0.5% of additional return on spending nets me a whopping $25 annually. It's not worth it to me to juggle all this, but I certainly can see how it us for people in other situations and with other spending habits. Another reason I don't care to extensively spread out my exposure is the proliferation of personal information and junk mail. I get all kinds of unwanted garbage pre-approved stuff as it is from frequent traveler programs and such despite opting out where possible. I know there are several cards with great travel rewards and perks, but I don't really do any personal travel at this point. I am required by policy to use a corporate AMEX card for all business travel and spending, so that also eats into the would-be attractiveness of these strategies.

I hope you guys can understand this. No criticism whatsoever about the strategies proposed and playing the game to maximize personal benefit as you perceive it, but my question pertained to my specific situation. My goal is basically to automate everything financial and never think about it. I never carry a balance, and I save and invest aggressively. Everything that can be paid by credit card (including property taxes, insurance, etc.), I pay by card, and everything where payments can be automated, I automate. However, when a new card is issued every copy of years (new expiration date and CVV code), I have to update the credit card info with all billers. In some cases this is easy, but with others I end up having to miss an automated billing cycle because of their card update procedures (Charter cable for internet). Difficult for me to conceive of doing this for up to 30 cards, but I'm truly impressed, nonetheless.

If I got a second personal card, it probably would be the Amazon card from Chase. That one kind of makes sense for me. Respectfully, I'm not going to open accounts with Fidelity just to get an extra $25 per year in rewards. In fact, since my county just started charging a "convenience fee" for paying via credit card that more than offsets the cash back I could get, my total credit card spend and cash back potential looks poised to drop more in coming years.

9/21/2016 11:27:09 PM

k

9/22/2016 8:17:25 AM

^^i'm certainly no expert and am closer to your approach than the juggling a dozen cards approach. i have citi double cash. 2% on all purchases. no annual fee. i'm happy with that as a simple, everyday use card.

9/22/2016 8:45:35 AM

Quote :

"but I'm not personally going to be able to spend my way to savings."

It's not "savings," it's free money And you don't have to actually "spend" the money. It's not about your $5k/year spending: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=manufactured%20spending We typically do that kind of stuff just to get sign-up/initial spend bonues, but some push it further. We don't overspend to get rewards nor do we carry any balances : /

Quote :

"I have to update the credit card info with all billers...Difficult for me to conceive of doing this for up to 30 cards"

That's not how it works. My auto-bills never change (outside of a replacement card, like you).


But yeah with only $5000 annual [actual] spending you're not gonna net too much more with a 2% card. As you observed an Amazon card might be good for you, but then you mentioned you ramp up your spending when you have that reward to be careful

I think the Chase Amazon card only gives you 3% right? Amazon offers one that does 5% as long as you're a Prime member. https://www.amazon.com/iss/credit/marketingauth?pr=conplcc&ref=storecard_van&plattr=storecard_van

9/22/2016 10:55:53 AM

OIC. THX!

What I was suggesting, perhaps incorrectly is that with more total cards, renewals / replacements will be more frequent and spread out over time, so if multiple cards are used for auto-billing or simply loaded on PayPal and Amazon, then more frequent updates will also be required. I'm probably making too big a deal about it. It obviously works well for a lot of folks who have the patience to manage it. I just kind of value the simplicity, I suppose. I would prefer not to be financially entangled with a bunch of companies. Russia is just going to hack our info anyway!

But I do appreciate the recommendations. I will investigate.

9/23/2016 6:49:41 AM

Quote :

" I consistently spend just over $5000 per year on a personal credit card."

Damn, that must be nice. Even in college my cost of living wasn't that low.

9/23/2016 9:53:31 AM

i didn't read all of the history - is that due to being heavy on cash or using debit for the most part?

9/23/2016 10:51:06 AM

He said

"Everything that can be paid by credit card (including property taxes, insurance, etc.), I pay by card"

9/23/2016 11:21:01 AM

Quote :

"You can get 5% back on every purchase from Amazon. 5%+ on gas. 6% on groceries. 5% restaurants etc and 2% on everything else, year-round...to say nothing of all the sign up bonuses you're missing out on."

what card is this?

9/23/2016 1:16:08 PM

cards...for me that would be 4 different cards, but it's 5 for most. I was just listing the max available that I know of.

9/23/2016 1:33:22 PM

which card is 6% on groceries?

9/23/2016 3:13:21 PM

Amex Blue Cash? 6% at grocery stores. 3% on gas and select department stores.

9/23/2016 3:28:00 PM

Also I'm an idiot. I have prime and the Amazon card but never activated the 5% credit back. Just activated it.

9/23/2016 3:28:27 PM

-5 churn points for neodata

9/23/2016 6:30:50 PM