Do you hoard credit card points? (1 Viewer)

[culdeus]

any of you mega churners know of any good sign up bonuses right now. i'm puling the trigger on a remodel so will have plenty of spend and i haven't gotten a new card in long time. i think i'm outside the 5/24. amex platinum is out

eta: i'm only interested in travel bonuses

I have no idea what this is trying to say.

i haven't gotten a new card in a long time. i don't want to spend $700 for the platinum card. although it might be worth it.

it's funny, i don't understand a lot of your posts on this subject. because you're so knowledgable, a lot of it flies over my head. i wish i knew 25% of what you know.

Usually saying outside 5/24 would mean >5/24 but your text would indicate otherwise.

How much spend you want to land? How many cards will you open biz cards?

 

[SFBayDuck]

any of you mega churners know of any good sign up bonuses right now. i'm puling the trigger on a remodel so will have plenty of spend and i haven't gotten a new card in long time. i think i'm outside the 5/24. amex platinum is out

eta: i'm only interested in travel bonuses

I just got the Alaska Airlines BofA card, 70,000 miles after spending $3K in three months. But I mostly got it as I now live in Oregon and after years of never flying them I will start doing so going forward, so I wanted the miles and perks (free bag, priority boarding, and companion pass). In doing a little research it sounds like their miles are some of the most valuable out there, especially when used on their partner airlines for international, higher-end seats. But I'm no expert, I pretty much just have my main cash back card and a bunch of travel cards to use when booking at those airlines/hotels to get those bonuses.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

any of you mega churners know of any good sign up bonuses right now. i'm puling the trigger on a remodel so will have plenty of spend and i haven't gotten a new card in long time. i think i'm outside the 5/24. amex platinum is out

eta: i'm only interested in travel bonuses

I have no idea what this is trying to say.

i haven't gotten a new card in a long time. i don't want to spend $700 for the platinum card. although it might be worth it.

it's funny, i don't understand a lot of your posts on this subject. because you're so knowledgable, a lot of it flies over my head. i wish i knew 25% of what you know.

Usually saying outside 5/24 would mean >5/24 but your text would indicate otherwise.

How much spend you want to land? How many cards will you open biz cards?

i will easily spend 16-17k 2 players. i don't have a business, but would love to get the business bonuses.

and thanks. i had never heard of plastiq. looks interesting

 

[culdeus]

any of you mega churners know of any good sign up bonuses right now. i'm puling the trigger on a remodel so will have plenty of spend and i haven't gotten a new card in long time. i think i'm outside the 5/24. amex platinum is out

eta: i'm only interested in travel bonuses

I have no idea what this is trying to say.

i haven't gotten a new card in a long time. i don't want to spend $700 for the platinum card. although it might be worth it.

it's funny, i don't understand a lot of your posts on this subject. because you're so knowledgable, a lot of it flies over my head. i wish i knew 25% of what you know.

Usually saying outside 5/24 would mean >5/24 but your text would indicate otherwise.

How much spend you want to land? How many cards will you open biz cards?

i will easily spend 16-17k 2 players. i don't have a business, but would love to get the business bonuses.

and thanks. i had never heard of plastiq. looks interesting

Would just get a chase ink cash on both players and hope the project runs 4 months and get a second on on player 1.

 

[culdeus]

I really don't know why Amex hates money, my NLL ABPs are getting targeted offers to open more NLL ABPs. lols

 

[Gamma1210]

Looking for a new card, probably a travel card, what are people's thoughts on capital one venture vs the united card? I honestly hate united but live in NJ so pretty tied to them for most trips and they really push to get you on the card to have even basic perks like checked bags.

 

[Bogeys]

Looking for a new card, probably a travel card, what are people's thoughts on capital one venture vs the united card? I honestly hate united but live in NJ so pretty tied to them for most trips and they really push to get you on the card to have even basic perks like checked bags.

I guess if you just want the checked bags, but it does have a $95 a year charge. Also will pay for your global entry every 4 or 5 years, I can't remember how long it is good for.

The bad news is all of the big 3 US airlines have really devalued their mileage because everyone and their dog get miles from the credit cards. The international trip in business you used to be able to find for 70,000 - 100,000 miles is now closer to 200,000 on the low end and scarcer. Can still find deals but they are rare.

 

[Desert_Power]

Looking for a new card, probably a travel card, what are people's thoughts on capital one venture vs the united card? I honestly hate united but live in NJ so pretty tied to them for most trips and they really push to get you on the card to have even basic perks like checked bags.

If you're going to use United so much, grab the United card for checked bags and then a better card that earns points you can transfer to united like the Sapphire Preferred

 

[bcat01]

Looking for a new card, probably a travel card, what are people's thoughts on capital one venture vs the united card? I honestly hate united but live in NJ so pretty tied to them for most trips and they really push to get you on the card to have even basic perks like checked bags.

If you're going to use United so much, grab the United card for checked bags and then a better card that earns points you can transfer to united like the Sapphire Preferred

Sapphire Preferred has 80,000 points right now. Going to be going back to 60,000 soon.

 

[culdeus]

Looking for a new card, probably a travel card, what are people's thoughts on capital one venture vs the united card? I honestly hate united but live in NJ so pretty tied to them for most trips and they really push to get you on the card to have even basic perks like checked bags.

Get Sapphire Reserve and Preferred same day. CSP should reduce back to 80k soon. If you need a referral code for either make sure to ask here, if you don't have one to refer.

Stay away from branded airline mile cards. United Biz isn't terrible but United is in the middle of a stealth deval and others are following.

 

[Gamma1210]

Thanks. Will look into the chase cards. Makes sense. I don’t mind avoiding the united card if there are better options.

 

[fruity pebbles]

Thanks. Will look into the chase cards. Makes sense. I don’t mind avoiding the united card if there are better options.

Not sure if you want airline points or hotel stays. If hotel is an option the Marriott Bonvoy is pretty great when they offer the five free nights. We basically stayed in Honolulu in a boutique resort for free.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Have to book a couple of tickets ($2k or so) on American soon, out of a nearby airport that I rarely fly out of. Will probably do this flight every couple of years, but otherwise American doesn’t really figure in at my home airport. I’m typically United, SW, and Alaska and have those cards. What’s the best card for generic travel that I can transfer to one of my main three airlines (or Bonvoy or Hilton). Thinking I could take advantage of a bonus outside of my current set of cards.

 

[culdeus]

Have to book a couple of tickets ($2k or so) on American soon, out of a nearby airport that I rarely fly out of. Will probably do this flight every couple of years, but otherwise American doesn’t really figure in at my home airport. I’m typically United, SW, and Alaska and have those cards. What’s the best card for generic travel that I can transfer to one of my main three airlines (or Bonvoy or Hilton). Thinking I could take advantage of a bonus outside of my current set of cards.

I mean if you are super casual and not churning then chase preferred is nearly always the answer.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Have to book a couple of tickets ($2k or so) on American soon, out of a nearby airport that I rarely fly out of. Will probably do this flight every couple of years, but otherwise American doesn’t really figure in at my home airport. I’m typically United, SW, and Alaska and have those cards. What’s the best card for generic travel that I can transfer to one of my main three airlines (or Bonvoy or Hilton). Thinking I could take advantage of a bonus outside of my current set of cards.

I mean if you are super casual and not churning then chase preferred is nearly always the answer.

Kind of what I figured. This whole thing is super intriguing to me, just don’t have the bandwidth to really play the game, while also not wanting to miss out on an easy opportunity for some bonus value.
Thanks!

ETA: if referral links are a thing for that card, DM away!

 

[Northern Voice]

Any cards really offer much for Vegas? Seems like generally Marriott Bonvoy would be what suits my travel needs best but not really many options for Vegas stays/rewards from what I can see.

MGM card seems pretty useless.

 

[jm192]

Any cards really offer much for Vegas? Seems like generally Marriott Bonvoy would be what suits my travel needs best but not really many options for Vegas stays/rewards from what I can see.

MGM card seems pretty useless.

Acutally, yes.

Look at the Wyndham Rewards Business Earner card.

You get Automatic Wyndham Diamond Status by having the card, which you can match to Caesar's Diamond status. There's a lot of benefit to the Caesar's diamond status--save on resort fees, priority check-in/check-out lanes, etc. There's even a free stay at the Atlantis in the Bahamas.

The card also has REALLY good earn rates. You get 8x back on gas. You get 5x back on utilities. Of course, some Utilities charge a fee for using a Credit card, so be mindful of that sort of thing.

You can get good redemption value through the Wyndham properties. But if you plan to go to Vegas a fair amount--you can transfer your Wyndham rewards points to Caesar's Rewards at a 1:1 rate. Caesar's points are basically 1 cent each. And you can use them towards room, meals, etc.

Caesar's Diamond Status Matches to several other hotel groups in Vegas. MGM used to give gold, but they recently downgraded it.

 

[Chadstroma]

I hoard Speedway points.

In the past I haven't used much... maybe treating the kids to a slushie. The other day though it came in handy as I left for my sons coaching session and the dingbat forget to bring water or a sports drink (my bad for not double checking before we left) and so I pulled into a Speedway only to find out I left my wallet. We were too far to turn and get home and he can't go an hour of hard work without something to drink as that isn't healthy. So, I went into the rewards hoping it would have a free Gatoarade option or something. It didn't but it did have gift cards, so I did a $5 gift card and then turned around and bought the sports drink. Day saved!

For all my credit card rewards, I pretty much just cash them out on the statements. I would like to get the family on more vacation trips so I might turn my attention to getting a good travel card and then hoard points there for future trips.

 

[Desert_Power]

Any cards really offer much for Vegas? Seems like generally Marriott Bonvoy would be what suits my travel needs best but not really many options for Vegas stays/rewards from what I can see.

MGM card seems pretty useless.

MGM and Marriott just announced a new partnership, so I would expect more details on that to come out around the Marriott points at each property. They use dynamic pricing through so wouldn't expect too much awesome deals.

 

[gianmarco]

Look into the AMEX Marriott Brilliant card if going to do Marriott.

They have a huge bonus now that expires soon.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

Any cards really offer much for Vegas? Seems like generally Marriott Bonvoy would be what suits my travel needs best but not really many options for Vegas stays/rewards from what I can see.

MGM card seems pretty useless.

Acutally, yes.

Look at the Wyndham Rewards Business Earner card.

You get Automatic Wyndham Diamond Status by having the card, which you can match to Caesar's Diamond status. There's a lot of benefit to the Caesar's diamond status--save on resort fees, priority check-in/check-out lanes, etc. There's even a free stay at the Atlantis in the Bahamas.

The card also has REALLY good earn rates. You get 8x back on gas. You get 5x back on utilities. Of course, some Utilities charge a fee for using a Credit card, so be mindful of that sort of thing.

You can get good redemption value through the Wyndham properties. But if you plan to go to Vegas a fair amount--you can transfer your Wyndham rewards points to Caesar's Rewards at a 1:1 rate. Caesar's points are basically 1 cent each. And you can use them towards room, meals, etc.

Caesar's Diamond Status Matches to several other hotel groups in Vegas. MGM used to give gold, but they recently downgraded it.

FYI I've had issues trying to get Caesar's to status match me this year, I just found this https://frequentmiler.com/trouble-matching-wyndham-to-caesars-heres-a-solution/ and hopefully it'll work.

 

[Redwes25]

Have to book a couple of tickets ($2k or so) on American soon, out of a nearby airport that I rarely fly out of. Will probably do this flight every couple of years, but otherwise American doesn’t really figure in at my home airport. I’m typically United, SW, and Alaska and have those cards. What’s the best card for generic travel that I can transfer to one of my main three airlines (or Bonvoy or Hilton). Thinking I could take advantage of a bonus outside of my current set of cards.

I mean if you are super casual and not churning then chase preferred is nearly always the answer.

I agree Chase cards are way to go in your situation. While you can't transfer them to American you can use their points to purchase travel through the Chase Travel portal which is basically expedia. Your point is worth a cent and quarter with Chase Preferred so you can figure out how many points you need to buy the ticket. Also, when you end up flying you actually earn miles on American because from American's view you just purchased a ticket through Expedia.

I would add that you mention that you do fly United and chase points can get transfered to United on a 1 to 1 basis.

 

[Northern Voice]

Thanks for the responses so far. It looks like me being Canadian will be a complicating factor. As far as I can tell, I flat out can't get a Wyndham card of any sort.

It looks like I can get a Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card with the following offer

• 50, 000 welcome points if I spend $1500 in the first three months (won't be a problem with the Vegas trip)
• Earn 5 points for every dollar in eligible Card purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
• Earn 2 points for every $1 in all other Card purchases
• Receive an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide every year after your first anniversary
• No annual fee on Additional Cards
• Redeem points for free nights with no blackout dates at over 7,000 of the world’s most desired hotels
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status membership
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card. These can be used towards attaining the next level of Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program
• Enjoy an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card each year or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your card
• American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. Conditions apply

Seems good on the surface but again Marriott doesn't have a ton of places in Vegas, particularly on the strip, so might depend on the details of the MGM partnership

 

[gianmarco]

Thanks for the responses so far. It looks like me being Canadian will be a complicating factor. As far as I can tell, I flat out can't get a Wyndham card of any sort.

It looks like I can get a Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card with the following offer

• 50, 000 welcome points if I spend $1500 in the first three months (won't be a problem with the Vegas trip)
• Earn 5 points for every dollar in eligible Card purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
• Earn 2 points for every $1 in all other Card purchases
• Receive an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide every year after your first anniversary
• No annual fee on Additional Cards
• Redeem points for free nights with no blackout dates at over 7,000 of the world’s most desired hotels
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status membership
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card. These can be used towards attaining the next level of Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program
• Enjoy an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card each year or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your card
• American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. Conditions apply

Seems good on the surface but again Marriott doesn't have a ton of places in Vegas, particularly on the strip, so might depend on the details of the MGM partnership

Look at this card/offer instead.

It's $650 vs $120, but....

You get $25/month back if you use the card at any restaurant each month. That's $300 that everyone spends.

Now it's $350 vs $120.

The extra 100K points is worth $700-$1000 alone.

You get more perks (Platinum Marriott status, free TSA pre-check, free priority pass/lounge access, higher rewards, annual free night up to 85,000 instead of 35,000)

 

[Northern Voice]

Thanks for the responses so far. It looks like me being Canadian will be a complicating factor. As far as I can tell, I flat out can't get a Wyndham card of any sort.

It looks like I can get a Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card with the following offer

• 50, 000 welcome points if I spend $1500 in the first three months (won't be a problem with the Vegas trip)
• Earn 5 points for every dollar in eligible Card purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
• Earn 2 points for every $1 in all other Card purchases
• Receive an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide every year after your first anniversary
• No annual fee on Additional Cards
• Redeem points for free nights with no blackout dates at over 7,000 of the world’s most desired hotels
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status membership
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card. These can be used towards attaining the next level of Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program
• Enjoy an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card each year or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your card
• American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. Conditions apply

Seems good on the surface but again Marriott doesn't have a ton of places in Vegas, particularly on the strip, so might depend on the details of the MGM partnership

Look at this card/offer instead.

It's $650 vs $120, but....

You get $25/month back if you use the card at any restaurant each month. That's $300 that everyone spends.

Now it's $350 vs $120.

The extra 100K points is worth $700-$1000 alone.

You get more perks (Platinum Marriott status, free TSA pre-check, free priority pass/lounge access, higher rewards, annual free night up to 85,000 instead of 35,000)

Doesn't look to be available in Canada

 

[gianmarco]

Thanks for the responses so far. It looks like me being Canadian will be a complicating factor. As far as I can tell, I flat out can't get a Wyndham card of any sort.

It looks like I can get a Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card with the following offer

• 50, 000 welcome points if I spend $1500 in the first three months (won't be a problem with the Vegas trip)
• Earn 5 points for every dollar in eligible Card purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
• Earn 2 points for every $1 in all other Card purchases
• Receive an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide every year after your first anniversary
• No annual fee on Additional Cards
• Redeem points for free nights with no blackout dates at over 7,000 of the world’s most desired hotels
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status membership
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card. These can be used towards attaining the next level of Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program
• Enjoy an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card each year or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your card
• American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. Conditions apply

Seems good on the surface but again Marriott doesn't have a ton of places in Vegas, particularly on the strip, so might depend on the details of the MGM partnership

Look at this card/offer instead.

It's $650 vs $120, but....

You get $25/month back if you use the card at any restaurant each month. That's $300 that everyone spends.

Now it's $350 vs $120.

The extra 100K points is worth $700-$1000 alone.

You get more perks (Platinum Marriott status, free TSA pre-check, free priority pass/lounge access, higher rewards, annual free night up to 85,000 instead of 35,000)

Doesn't look to be available in Canada

Then I'd move.

 

[Redwes25]

Thanks for the responses so far. It looks like me being Canadian will be a complicating factor. As far as I can tell, I flat out can't get a Wyndham card of any sort.

It looks like I can get a Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card with the following offer

• 50, 000 welcome points if I spend $1500 in the first three months (won't be a problem with the Vegas trip)
• Earn 5 points for every dollar in eligible Card purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
• Earn 2 points for every $1 in all other Card purchases
• Receive an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide every year after your first anniversary
• No annual fee on Additional Cards
• Redeem points for free nights with no blackout dates at over 7,000 of the world’s most desired hotels
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status membership
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card. These can be used towards attaining the next level of Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program
• Enjoy an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card each year or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your card
• American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. Conditions apply

Seems good on the surface but again Marriott doesn't have a ton of places in Vegas, particularly on the strip, so might depend on the details of the MGM partnership

I have the Visa version of this card and it is a great card. The annual night free award allows it to pay for itself. Given this I don't use it for anything other than pure Marriott spend and with work travel I easily do 10 nights a year and with the 15 night credits I get to gold status very easily. Silver status doesn't really get you much.

I personally would not get the highend Marriott card. if you are going to spend 500 to 600 dollars on a card get either the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Platnimum they are the best premium cards. Given the bonvoy card ends of being free if you use the night reward thing I view it as no expense card.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Have to book a couple of tickets ($2k or so) on American soon, out of a nearby airport that I rarely fly out of. Will probably do this flight every couple of years, but otherwise American doesn’t really figure in at my home airport. I’m typically United, SW, and Alaska and have those cards. What’s the best card for generic travel that I can transfer to one of my main three airlines (or Bonvoy or Hilton). Thinking I could take advantage of a bonus outside of my current set of cards.

I mean if you are super casual and not churning then chase preferred is nearly always the answer.

I agree Chase cards are way to go in your situation. While you can't transfer them to American you can use their points to purchase travel through the Chase Travel portal which is basically expedia. Your point is worth a cent and quarter with Chase Preferred so you can figure out how many points you need to buy the ticket. Also, when you end up flying you actually earn miles on American because from American's view you just purchased a ticket through Expedia.

I would add that you mention that you do fly United and chase points can get transfered to United on a 1 to 1 basis.

I see that I can't use the points I earn on American flights, but just confirming I can still book/buy American flights (with the card) via their travel portal?

 

[SFBayDuck]

Well never mind, I got declined for the Sapphire. 800+ credit score not good enough? Or is it that I already have 3 Chase cards and am an authorized user on another? I thought the number was 5?

 

[gianmarco]

Well never mind, I got declined for the Sapphire. 800+ credit score not good enough? Or is it that I already have 3 Chase cards and am an authorized user on another? I thought the number was 5?

LOOK AT ME!!!

Chase is a 5/24 rule (can't have 5 new cards, ANY cards, in last 24 months). But, could also be if you have your credit frozen (that's happened to me).

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Have to book a couple of tickets ($2k or so) on American soon, out of a nearby airport that I rarely fly out of. Will probably do this flight every couple of years, but otherwise American doesn’t really figure in at my home airport. I’m typically United, SW, and Alaska and have those cards. What’s the best card for generic travel that I can transfer to one of my main three airlines (or Bonvoy or Hilton). Thinking I could take advantage of a bonus outside of my current set of cards.

I mean if you are super casual and not churning then chase preferred is nearly always the answer.

Kind of what I figured. This whole thing is super intriguing to me, just don’t have the bandwidth to really play the game, while also not wanting to miss out on an easy opportunity for some bonus value.
Thanks!

ETA: if referral links are a thing for that card, DM away!

This. Do we have a non-fanatic, strategy?

I’d like to use points for vacations. Now what?

 

[Desert_Power]

Well never mind, I got declined for the Sapphire. 800+ credit score not good enough? Or is it that I already have 3 Chase cards and am an authorized user on another? I thought the number was 5?

5 cards in the last 24 months, but if you have an authorized user throwing you over you can call reconsideration.

 

[Redwes25]

Well never mind, I got declined for the Sapphire. 800+ credit score not good enough? Or is it that I already have 3 Chase cards and am an authorized user on another? I thought the number was 5?

LOOK AT ME!!!

Chase is a 5/24 rule (can't have 5 new cards, ANY cards, in last 24 months). But, could also be if you have your credit frozen (that's happened to me).

I would think this is why you got denied.

 

[Redwes25]

Have to book a couple of tickets ($2k or so) on American soon, out of a nearby airport that I rarely fly out of. Will probably do this flight every couple of years, but otherwise American doesn’t really figure in at my home airport. I’m typically United, SW, and Alaska and have those cards. What’s the best card for generic travel that I can transfer to one of my main three airlines (or Bonvoy or Hilton). Thinking I could take advantage of a bonus outside of my current set of cards.

I mean if you are super casual and not churning then chase preferred is nearly always the answer.

I agree Chase cards are way to go in your situation. While you can't transfer them to American you can use their points to purchase travel through the Chase Travel portal which is basically expedia. Your point is worth a cent and quarter with Chase Preferred so you can figure out how many points you need to buy the ticket. Also, when you end up flying you actually earn miles on American because from American's view you just purchased a ticket through Expedia.

I would add that you mention that you do fly United and chase points can get transfered to United on a 1 to 1 basis.

I see that I can't use the points I earn on American flights, but just confirming I can still book/buy American flights (with the card) via their travel portal?

Yup you can use points for any travel through their portal that you could with Expedia. I last used it to book an awesome hotel in Paris.

 

[culdeus]

Well never mind, I got declined for the Sapphire. 800+ credit score not good enough? Or is it that I already have 3 Chase cards and am an authorized user on another? I thought the number was 5?

What did denial letter say

 

[Desert_Power]

Any cards really offer much for Vegas? Seems like generally Marriott Bonvoy would be what suits my travel needs best but not really many options for Vegas stays/rewards from what I can see.

MGM card seems pretty useless.

Acutally, yes.

Look at the Wyndham Rewards Business Earner card.

You get Automatic Wyndham Diamond Status by having the card, which you can match to Caesar's Diamond status. There's a lot of benefit to the Caesar's diamond status--save on resort fees, priority check-in/check-out lanes, etc. There's even a free stay at the Atlantis in the Bahamas.

The card also has REALLY good earn rates. You get 8x back on gas. You get 5x back on utilities. Of course, some Utilities charge a fee for using a Credit card, so be mindful of that sort of thing.

You can get good redemption value through the Wyndham properties. But if you plan to go to Vegas a fair amount--you can transfer your Wyndham rewards points to Caesar's Rewards at a 1:1 rate. Caesar's points are basically 1 cent each. And you can use them towards room, meals, etc.

Caesar's Diamond Status Matches to several other hotel groups in Vegas. MGM used to give gold, but they recently downgraded it.

FYI I've had issues trying to get Caesar's to status match me this year, I just found this https://frequentmiler.com/trouble-matching-wyndham-to-caesars-heres-a-solution/ and hopefully it'll work.

They denied me on the Wyndham Business Earner at first, but the match went through pretty easily once it went through.

 

[Desert_Power]

Thanks for the responses so far. It looks like me being Canadian will be a complicating factor.

Not sure if you would find this Canada specific sub useful: https://www.reddit.com/r/churningcanada/

 

[Zigg]

Hey Northern Voice, fellow Canadian here. We are able to get American Amex cards, but you need an American bank account(not just a USD account in a Canadian bank, but an actual American bank account. All Canadian banks have an American affiliate to use, I use CIBC) and an American address.

I was turned down for Bonvoy Brilliant, presumably because I have no credit history in the States. However, I was able to get the Amex Magnet cash card as a starter card with no annual fee to build credit. Also had a $200 bonus for $2000 spend which isn’t too bad and 1.5% cash back. I will apply for either the green card or brilliant again after six months because I believe that’s when I get a Fico score.

For all other American cards we need an ITIN(individual tax info number). I plan on applying for this soon. You need to fill out a W-7 form I believe.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Well never mind, I got declined for the Sapphire. 800+ credit score not good enough? Or is it that I already have 3 Chase cards and am an authorized user on another? I thought the number was 5?

What did denial letter say

It said I would receive a letter in the mail in 7-10 days. So not too helpful.

Well never mind, I got declined for the Sapphire. 800+ credit score not good enough? Or is it that I already have 3 Chase cards and am an authorized user on another? I thought the number was 5?

LOOK AT ME!!!

Chase is a 5/24 rule (can't have 5 new cards, ANY cards, in last 24 months). But, could also be if you have your credit frozen (that's happened to me).

I would think this is why you got denied.

My score is too high?

 

[culdeus]

Well never mind, I got declined for the Sapphire. 800+ credit score not good enough? Or is it that I already have 3 Chase cards and am an authorized user on another? I thought the number was 5?

What did denial letter say

It said I would receive a letter in the mail in 7-10 days. So not too helpful.

Well never mind, I got declined for the Sapphire. 800+ credit score not good enough? Or is it that I already have 3 Chase cards and am an authorized user on another? I thought the number was 5?

LOOK AT ME!!!

Chase is a 5/24 rule (can't have 5 new cards, ANY cards, in last 24 months). But, could also be if you have your credit frozen (that's happened to me).

I would think this is why you got denied.

My score is too high?

Just call recon. If authorized users got you you'll approve instantly

 

[Keerock]

I hoard Speedway points.

In the past I haven't used much... maybe treating the kids to a slushie. The other day though it came in handy as I left for my sons coaching session and the dingbat forget to bring water or a sports drink (my bad for not double checking before we left) and so I pulled into a Speedway only to find out I left my wallet. We were too far to turn and get home and he can't go an hour of hard work without something to drink as that isn't healthy. So, I went into the rewards hoping it would have a free Gatoarade option or something. It didn't but it did have gift cards, so I did a $5 gift card and then turned around and bought the sports drink. Day saved!

For all my credit card rewards, I pretty much just cash them out on the statements. I would like to get the family on more vacation trips so I might turn my attention to getting a good travel card and then hoard points there for future trips.

Me too! I get a $100 Speedway card about every 3-4 months

 

[Keerock]

Just now finding this thread. I'm a CC whore... and try to take every advantage of benefits, offers, points, etc.

My current lineup:

1. AmEx Platinum* (annual fee $695)
   • Free entry into Delta Sky Club and many other airline clubs
   • $240 digital credit. You get $20/month. It's used for things like Sirius, Peacock, Disney bundle (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+). Depends on if you use those or not, obviously.
   • $200 airline credit. This isn't for tickets and it's only on a few airlines, but it's basically for upgrades, baggage fees, etc. You can change the airline each year.
   • $200 Uber Cash -- You get $15 month to use for Uber or Uber eats. In December you get a little extra
   • $200/year credit for AmEx hotel partners
   • Free cell phone insurance when paying monthly bills with card
   • Free CLEAR membership. $189/year
   • $100 Saks credit/year
   • $156 -- Walmart + membership -- $12.95/month. This then also gets you Paramount+ since you get that with Walmart+.
   • $85-$100 -- TSA pre-check or Global Entry fee covered every 4 years.
   • Many rotating merchant offers
2. Delta AmEx Platinum (annual fee $250)
   • Free checked baggage
   • Annual companion ticket for domestic flights
3. Sam's Club Mastercard
   • 5% cash back on Fuel
   • 3% cash back on Dining
4. Capital One Savor
   • 3% cash back on Dining, Groceries and Entertainment
5. Chase Freedom Unlimited
   • 1.5% cash back on anything
   • Many offers from merchants that provide cash back
   • Occasional rotating 5% cash backs on various categories (currently on fuel and groceries)
6. CitiBank Double Cash
   • 2% back on anything
7. US Bank Cash+
   • 5%/2% on quarterly categories (I use this to autopay utilities)
8. Discover
   • 1.5% cash back on everything
   • 5% cash back on rotating categories (currently fuel and digital wallet)

Might seem like a lot, but I average about $300/month in rewards/cash back, so well worth it to me.

* stole some of this AmEx info from a @gianmarco post in another thread

 

[Chadstroma]

I hoard Speedway points.

In the past I haven't used much... maybe treating the kids to a slushie. The other day though it came in handy as I left for my sons coaching session and the dingbat forget to bring water or a sports drink (my bad for not double checking before we left) and so I pulled into a Speedway only to find out I left my wallet. We were too far to turn and get home and he can't go an hour of hard work without something to drink as that isn't healthy. So, I went into the rewards hoping it would have a free Gatoarade option or something. It didn't but it did have gift cards, so I did a $5 gift card and then turned around and bought the sports drink. Day saved!

For all my credit card rewards, I pretty much just cash them out on the statements. I would like to get the family on more vacation trips so I might turn my attention to getting a good travel card and then hoard points there for future trips.

Me too! I get a $100 Speedway card about every 3-4 months

I just looked.... I could get 84 100 gift cards to Speedway. I guess I should actually spend some of these points on more than the occasional Slurpee treat for the kids

 

[BeTheMatch]

I hoard Speedway points.

In the past I haven't used much... maybe treating the kids to a slushie. The other day though it came in handy as I left for my sons coaching session and the dingbat forget to bring water or a sports drink (my bad for not double checking before we left) and so I pulled into a Speedway only to find out I left my wallet. We were too far to turn and get home and he can't go an hour of hard work without something to drink as that isn't healthy. So, I went into the rewards hoping it would have a free Gatoarade option or something. It didn't but it did have gift cards, so I did a $5 gift card and then turned around and bought the sports drink. Day saved!

For all my credit card rewards, I pretty much just cash them out on the statements. I would like to get the family on more vacation trips so I might turn my attention to getting a good travel card and then hoard points there for future trips.

Me too! I get a $100 Speedway card about every 3-4 months

I just looked.... I could get 84 100 gift cards to Speedway. I guess I should actually spend some of these points on more than the occasional Slurpee treat for the kids

 

[Keerock]

I hoard Speedway points.

In the past I haven't used much... maybe treating the kids to a slushie. The other day though it came in handy as I left for my sons coaching session and the dingbat forget to bring water or a sports drink (my bad for not double checking before we left) and so I pulled into a Speedway only to find out I left my wallet. We were too far to turn and get home and he can't go an hour of hard work without something to drink as that isn't healthy. So, I went into the rewards hoping it would have a free Gatoarade option or something. It didn't but it did have gift cards, so I did a $5 gift card and then turned around and bought the sports drink. Day saved!

For all my credit card rewards, I pretty much just cash them out on the statements. I would like to get the family on more vacation trips so I might turn my attention to getting a good travel card and then hoard points there for future trips.

Me too! I get a $100 Speedway card about every 3-4 months

I just looked.... I could get 84 100 gift cards to Speedway. I guess I should actually spend some of these points on more than the occasional Slurpee treat for the kids

Holy crap!!! So you have over 6MM points??? Yes, you should redeem some...

Side note: Speedway was recently purchased by 7-Eleven. 7-Eleven is ditching their rewards program for Speedy Rewards, but I fear they may change it up at least some... so I would do it while you can. I would hope they wouldn't take your points away, but they may make them less valuable.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Just now finding this thread. I'm a CC whore... and try to take every advantage of benefits, offers, points, etc.

My current lineup:

1. AmEx Platinum* (annual fee $695)
   • Free entry into Delta Sky Club and many other airline clubs
   • $240 digital credit. You get $20/month. It's used for things like Sirius, Peacock, Disney bundle (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+). Depends on if you use those or not, obviously.
   • $200 airline credit. This isn't for tickets and it's only on a few airlines, but it's basically for upgrades, baggage fees, etc. You can change the airline each year.
   • $200 Uber Cash -- You get $15 month to use for Uber or Uber eats. In December you get a little extra
   • $200/year credit for AmEx hotel partners
   • Free cell phone insurance when paying monthly bills with card
   • Free CLEAR membership. $189/year
   • $100 Saks credit/year
   • $156 -- Walmart + membership -- $12.95/month. This then also gets you Paramount+ since you get that with Walmart+.
   • $85-$100 -- TSA pre-check or Global Entry fee covered every 4 years.
   • Many rotating merchant offers
2. Delta AmEx Platinum (annual fee $250)
   • Free checked baggage
   • Annual companion ticket for domestic flights
3. Sam's Club Mastercard
   • 5% cash back on Fuel
   • 3% cash back on Dining
4. Capital One Savor
   • 3% cash back on Dining, Groceries and Entertainment
5. Chase Freedom Unlimited
   • 1.5% cash back on anything
   • Many offers from merchants that provide cash back
   • Occasional rotating 5% cash backs on various categories (currently on fuel and groceries)
6. CitiBank Double Cash
   • 2% back on anything
7. US Bank Cash+
   • 5%/2% on quarterly categories (I use this to autopay utilities)
8. Discover
   • 1.5% cash back on everything
   • 5% cash back on rotating categories (currently fuel and digital wallet)

Might seem like a lot, but I average about $300/month in rewards/cash back, so well worth it to me.

* stole some of this AmEx info from a @gianmarco post in another thread

I use a lot of these. One card that I think a lot of people are missing out on is the Amex Blue Business card. Not the cash version, the points version. It's 2x Amex MR on all spend. MR points are much more valuable than cash. Points Guy values MR points at around 2c per point so it's almost like 4% back on every day purchases.

A great way to round out all the bonus categories of other cards, imo.

 

[Chadstroma]

I hoard Speedway points.

In the past I haven't used much... maybe treating the kids to a slushie. The other day though it came in handy as I left for my sons coaching session and the dingbat forget to bring water or a sports drink (my bad for not double checking before we left) and so I pulled into a Speedway only to find out I left my wallet. We were too far to turn and get home and he can't go an hour of hard work without something to drink as that isn't healthy. So, I went into the rewards hoping it would have a free Gatoarade option or something. It didn't but it did have gift cards, so I did a $5 gift card and then turned around and bought the sports drink. Day saved!

For all my credit card rewards, I pretty much just cash them out on the statements. I would like to get the family on more vacation trips so I might turn my attention to getting a good travel card and then hoard points there for future trips.

Me too! I get a $100 Speedway card about every 3-4 months

I just looked.... I could get 84 100 gift cards to Speedway. I guess I should actually spend some of these points on more than the occasional Slurpee treat for the kids

Holy crap!!! So you have over 6MM points??? Yes, you should redeem some...

Side note: Speedway was recently purchased by 7-Eleven. 7-Eleven is ditching their rewards program for Speedy Rewards, but I fear they may change it up at least some... so I would do it while you can. I would hope they wouldn't take your points away, but they may make them less valuable.

I am an idiot. I knew that didn't sound right but been on "go, go, go speed" this morning. No, not nearly that many.

So the $100 is 102K points actually.... you get one every 3-4 months? Dang man.... do you do a TON of driving or what?

 

[Keerock]

I hoard Speedway points.

In the past I haven't used much... maybe treating the kids to a slushie. The other day though it came in handy as I left for my sons coaching session and the dingbat forget to bring water or a sports drink (my bad for not double checking before we left) and so I pulled into a Speedway only to find out I left my wallet. We were too far to turn and get home and he can't go an hour of hard work without something to drink as that isn't healthy. So, I went into the rewards hoping it would have a free Gatoarade option or something. It didn't but it did have gift cards, so I did a $5 gift card and then turned around and bought the sports drink. Day saved!

For all my credit card rewards, I pretty much just cash them out on the statements. I would like to get the family on more vacation trips so I might turn my attention to getting a good travel card and then hoard points there for future trips.

Me too! I get a $100 Speedway card about every 3-4 months

I just looked.... I could get 84 100 gift cards to Speedway. I guess I should actually spend some of these points on more than the occasional Slurpee treat for the kids

Holy crap!!! So you have over 6MM points??? Yes, you should redeem some...

Side note: Speedway was recently purchased by 7-Eleven. 7-Eleven is ditching their rewards program for Speedy Rewards, but I fear they may change it up at least some... so I would do it while you can. I would hope they wouldn't take your points away, but they may make them less valuable.

I am an idiot. I knew that didn't sound right but been on "go, go, go speed" this morning. No, not nearly that many.

So the $100 is 102K points actually.... you get one every 3-4 months? Dang man.... do you do a TON of driving or what?

I only need 75,000 points for $100

I get the "Food and Merchandise" card, not the gas card.

I use that card to get pretty much daily pop (for which I get 1K bonus points every 7). Also, lottery, food, etc every so often.

And when I don't get a free $100 card, I'll load one with $100 for which I get another 1-2K bonus points. I'll pay for that card with my Sam's Club card which gives me 5% back.

I rarely fill up with gas at a Speedway

 

[fruity pebbles]

I usually don’t apply for a new card unless I’m getting at least $800 in perks.

 

[Northern Voice]

Thanks for the help up thread. I went down the rabbit hole of all the different points sites and reddit etc... and this won't be helpful for non-Canadians but I settled on the Scotiabank Gold American Express Scene-plus card.

The first thing I'll note is our American Express Platinum card is the same cost $659 but doesn't give the same perks in Canada - no digital/restaurant/airline/streaming credits, no Walmart+. It does give a $200 travel credit and the upgraded status with Hilton/Marriott as well as airport lounge/priority pass status but in $$$ amounts, I don't feel like it's quite there - if I had gone this route it would have been solely for the huge welcome bonus but that requires spending $7500 in the first three months which I don't think I would do. The rate of earning rewards with this one (3x on dining, 2x on travel, 1x on everything else including groceries) is much lower than on the Amex Cobalt, so without the big bonus, it would probably make better sense for me.

The AmExCobalt card is $14/month, has all the usual AmEx perks but the rewards are 5x on groceries and dining, 3x on streaming, 2x on gas, transit and travel, 1x on everything else. The welcome bonus is 30000 points (2500 a month). The stated benefit to this card versus the one I went to is the ability to transfer the rewards points to Aeroplan/Marriott Bonvoy/Fixed travel program and essentially get up to 2 cents of value for the points. I recognize that could hold a lot of value, but we're going at this with a couple particular destinations in mind and they are not locations where Marriott/Hilton/etc are options, so we're just going for the most points, knowing that we're doing a 1:1 redemption regardless of which one we go with,

So, the Scotiabank Gold AmEx Scene Plus looks to be the big winner on earning and they use Expedia Travel for their bookings. The rates of:

• 6% rewards at any Sobeys brand grocery store (we have 6 of these in our city, covering premium and discount options, so we shop at them anyway).
• 5% rewards on all other groceries, restaurants, food delivery
• 5% rewards on sporting events, concerts, movies and anything through a ticket agency.
• 5% rewards on travel booked through their Scene-plus expedia site
• 3% on gas, transit, rideshare
• 3% on streaming services
• No foreign currency transaction fees (2.5% on all other cards)

seem to be way ahead of just about anything else I could find out there and align almost perfectly with what we spend on.


Anyway, I'll keep following along here - maybe the above helps others and I'm sure I can pick up another card or two along the way