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hbf posted:Woops was thinking of the Venture card. Didn't realize the Quicksilver didn't have foreign trans fee and an EMV. Both are fine, but I'd go for the Barclay Arrival+ if you want a simple card. There' a signup bonus, the annual fee is waived the first year and you earn 2.2% if you redeem awards against travel expenses on the card.
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May 7, 2015 06:47
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pig slut lisa posted:Is more of your flying within the US or back to your original country? The best travel card for you depends on your typical destinations and the airlines that serve them. I tend to fly domestic using Alaska. My own family uses the Alaska Airline's Visa... am I once again stuck with BofA?
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May 7, 2015 06:49
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BULBASAUR posted:I tend to fly domestic using Alaska. My own family uses the Alaska Airline's Visa... am I once again stuck with BofA?
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May 7, 2015 07:12
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TraderStav posted:So it appears that the most efficient fee-free method to manufactured spending now is the following: Successfully worked Steps 2-4, so the Redbird is indeed alive and well. I was confused when I went to the store as there were two Vanilla Gift Cards (My Vanilla $3.95, and One Vanilla $4.95). I went with the $4.95 as that was the most cited cost in my reading and thought there must be an issue with the MyVanilla. I could be very wrong on that though. I just ordered an AGC to test. Didn't see that there was $8.95 shipping included with each order. Using code FSMOM gave free shipping but don't know if that's sustainable. There's an option to spend $99 for a year of free 1-day shipping. Could be worthwhile. I will update again when I find out if the AGCs work at Walgreens to purchase the VGCs.
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May 7, 2015 14:27
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TraderStav posted:Successfully worked Steps 2-4, so the Redbird is indeed alive and well. I was confused when I went to the store as there were two Vanilla Gift Cards (My Vanilla $3.95, and One Vanilla $4.95). I went with the $4.95 as that was the most cited cost in my reading and thought there must be an issue with the MyVanilla. I could be very wrong on that though. Cool. I thought from reading that the $500 visa cards were cash only? Maybe thats just the office supply stores.
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May 7, 2015 16:05
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Baddog posted:Cool. I thought from reading that the $500 visa cards were cash only? Maybe thats just the office supply stores. I believe it's store specific and maybe even location specific. Fairly certain that this is the method most were doing before Redbird came along and likely to be one that continues. I don't mind the extra steps and it may have enough complexity so that it doesn't get widespread use and get shut down. The only open item I have is whether the Walgreens will accept the AGC for payment of the OVC. It SHOULD, but I just ordered one to prove it. Also, one thing to note is that if you are purchasing AGCs through a cashback portal denominations over $2k are ineligible for cashback and if you use a promo code. I think it's only promo codes for the purchase fee but the free shipping could impact it as well. If the load works, I'll invest in the $99/yr shipping plan.
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May 7, 2015 16:25
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pig slut lisa posted:For travelling within the US, your best mileage programs are probably British Airways Avios and Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards. You can earn the former directly with the Chase BA card, and indirectly with the Chase Sapphire Preferred and any Amex that earns Membership Rewards (Amex Gold is a good one to consider). To earn Southwest RRs, go with either of Chase's Southwest branded cards or (again) the Chase Sapphire Preferred (although not Amex, since it's not a transfer partner). quote:e: Also as I understand it the Barclay Arrival+ is good if you find yourself having to book with cash, since you get a good reimbursement rate on it. But I can't speak personally to that.
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May 7, 2015 19:19
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United Explorer is offering 50K miles on a $3K spend across 3 months. Signup ends June 2nd, which is lame because I'll hit my 2-year reset on that bonus on June 14th. =/ https://www.theexplorercard.com/50kAFWLTO
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May 7, 2015 22:23
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Blinkman987 posted:United Explorer is offering 50K miles on a $3K spend across 3 months. Signup ends June 2nd, which is lame because I'll hit my 2-year reset on that bonus on June 14th. =/ Just got the card with 30K!  .
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May 7, 2015 23:29
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Untagged posted:Just got the card with 30K! Doesn't hurt to call and ask to change it.
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May 8, 2015 00:02
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Blinkman987 posted:United Explorer is offering 50K miles on a $3K spend across 3 months. Signup ends June 2nd, which is lame because I'll hit my 2-year reset on that bonus on June 14th. =/ There's a slightly better deal if you try to book a flight on United's website: 50k miles with 3k spend over 3 months, and a 50 dollar statement credit after your first purchase.
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May 8, 2015 03:15
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TastyLemonDrops posted:There's a slightly better deal if you try to book a flight on United's website: 50k miles with 3k spend over 3 months, and a 50 dollar statement credit after your first purchase.
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May 8, 2015 03:41
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Are there any cards that give miles/points that are transferable to the United miles program?
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May 8, 2015 05:01
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hitachi posted:Are there any cards that give miles/points that are transferable to the United miles program? Chase Ultimate Rewards is the big one. Get a Chase Sapphire Preferred. Pairing it with a Freedom for category bonuses isn't a bad idea either.
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May 8, 2015 05:10
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becoming posted:Chase Ultimate Rewards is the big one. Get a Chase Sapphire Preferred. Pairing it with a Freedom for category bonuses isn't a bad idea either. Awesome thanks those look like the perfect combo for what I am looking at.
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May 8, 2015 05:58
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hitachi posted:Are there any cards that give miles/points that are transferable to the United miles program? SPG does transfers, but I think it is 2:1 which sucks since other airlines are 1:1.
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May 8, 2015 14:51
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smackfu posted:SPG does transfers, but I think it is 2:1 which sucks since other airlines are 1:1.
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May 8, 2015 15:13
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There are multiple Chase United credit cards as well, one of which has a decent signup bonus.
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May 8, 2015 15:18
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(crosspost from the airfare thread) I love referring to these info graphics, folks in this thread may find them useful: Infographic Comparison of Airline Award Charts - Which airlines have the best reward flights, by class and destination. Flexible Bank-Point Airline Transfer Partner Master Guide - Which reward points transfer to which airlines, and what alliance each airline is a part of
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May 8, 2015 23:18
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dexter6 posted:Not a credit card offer, but I got an offer from Citi for 30k AA Miles in exchange for opening a checking account and meeting some spend requirements. Was it this offer? Just be aware this one exists too, for 40k Thank You Points. Consider your valuations, and that Thank You Points are redeemable for AA flights at an increased rate depending on whether you have particular Citi cards. (I don't have any, but I think it's 1.6 cents for the Prestige (1.33 cents on other airlines) and 1.25 cents for the Premier (which I think is all airlines?). Without those cards, they're only worth 1 cent a point, since you can't transfer them. Still, being able to buy a paid fare with Thank You Points may be more valuable than trying to find award tickets with miles.
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May 9, 2015 01:35
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Tewdrig posted:Was it this offer?
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May 9, 2015 01:56
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I am a newbie to the world of credit card rewards and cash back. This morning, I applied for the Amex Platinum and was approved. The current bonus offer was 60,000 reward points after spending $3,000 in three months. I am looking to get this spending out of the way ASAP, and need a good way to do it. Currently, I'd like to find a way to pay my mortgage on my credit card for a few months, which would help meet this requirement. If that isn't possible, I would like to find a way to spend money on my Platinum, and ultimately have it end up back into my bank account. Through my research, I have seen some back-and-forth on this topic, and I have a few questions. With American Express cards, are gift cards posted as a cash advance or a purchase? Which gift cards should be purchased? What is the best way to liquidate gift cards? Is it still a viable option to load money into Serve on an Amex gift card? Are there any other easy ways to meet this spending goal? Keep in mind, I am not looking for a method for long-term hyper-miling, just a one time deal to meet this spending goal. Any advice or alternate strategies would be of assistance. Thanks!
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May 9, 2015 06:21
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Hobo de los Muertos posted:Are there any other easy ways to meet this spending goal? What are you typical monthly chargeable expenses? $3,000 of normal spending in 3 months is pretty attainable even if you're frugal. e: I'd be curious to hear what your goal for these points is as well pig slut lisa fucked around with this message at 06:52 on May 9, 2015 |
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May 9, 2015 06:44
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pig slut lisa posted:What are you typical monthly chargeable expenses? $3,000 of normal spending in 3 months is pretty attainable even if you're frugal. Normally, $3,000 is peanuts, but next month my wife and I are both going going out of the country to places where we won't be spending any money. My goal right now is just stockpile points while I research ways to stretch miles, and eventually take a practically free vacation to Europe.
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May 9, 2015 07:29
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Buy gift cards to stores you already use. Think of it as prepay for groceries, gas, coffee, Five Guys, almond lattes, or whatever it is goon couples spend money on monthly. I burn through the last of my required spend (if I need to) also by paying my utilities with my card. And I also offer to buy my mom a grocery gift card so she doesn't have to carry around cash (she pays me back). Have any friends talked about buying a new TV/laptop/whatever? Offer to put the charge on your card and they give you the cash immediately. Insane Totoro fucked around with this message at 15:13 on May 9, 2015 |
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May 9, 2015 15:10
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You can just buy an amazon electronic gift card and apply it to your own account.
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May 9, 2015 17:00
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Hobo de los Muertos posted:
Visa GC with debit on serve, yes. Amex GC that swipes as credit, no. The key is finding a place that you can use AGC to buy VGC, then load serve. You may be able to use radpad to pay mortgage with a credit card, can't remember if that still works...
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May 9, 2015 17:51
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I paid my first statement for the US Airways Barclaycard so they have my annual fee and a purchase now. When can I expect to see my 50k miles and where does ti show up? Will it show up in that "miles earned" thing on the Barclaycard website? e: I also have a few hundred reward dollars in my Amex Blue card. I guess I completely forgot about them so is there anything I can use them for that gets me more than just using it to pay my statements?
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May 9, 2015 18:05
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Boris Galerkin posted:I paid my first statement for the US Airways Barclaycard so they have my annual fee and a purchase now. When can I expect to see my 50k miles and where does ti show up? Will it show up in that "miles earned" thing on the Barclaycard website? You'll see the miles before your second statement. On your AMEX blue you can redeem for gift cards. maybe direct deposit/check too?
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May 9, 2015 18:33
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Citi ThankYou Premier has a good sign-up bonus right now: If you spend $3k over the first 3 months you recieve 50,000 ThankYou Points. 50,000 Points = $500 in gift cards or $625 in airfare. Annual fee is $95, but is waived for the first year. 3x points on travel (including gas, public transport, taxis, etc.) 2x points on dining out and entertainment 1x everything else I don't generally spend $3k over three months, but I am moving in June and will incur moving expenses so that should help boost my spending.
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May 9, 2015 20:53
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Boris Galerkin posted:I paid my first statement for the US Airways Barclaycard so they have my annual fee and a purchase now. When can I expect to see my 50k miles and where does ti show up? Will it show up in that "miles earned" thing on the Barclaycard website? My bonus miles never showed up on Barclaycard's site. They just appeared in my AAdvantage account one day. The spending miles show up though.
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May 9, 2015 22:49
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One and a half statements in, and I'm at over $700 saved on my Barclay arrival card. Very happy with this card recommendation.
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May 10, 2015 14:46
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Anyone here have an Amazon store credit card? Retail store cards seem dumb to me, but I spend over a $100/mo at Amazon, often more than $200, so it seems worth considering, since I heard they have a 5% reward rate. E: I mean, we're ten days into May and I've spent $196 at Amazon already without really changing any of my habits, but this is the first month I'm tracking my spending. fruit loop fucked around with this message at 17:32 on May 10, 2015 |
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May 10, 2015 17:21
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fruit loop posted:Anyone here have an Amazon store credit card? Retail store cards seem dumb to me, but I spend over a $100/mo at Amazon, often more than $200, so it seems worth considering, since I heard they have a 5% reward rate. Sallie Mae Barclaycard has 5% back on Amazon (excluding digital items) up to $750/mo and 5% back on groceries $250 per month. Swingline fucked around with this message at 18:09 on May 10, 2015 |
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May 10, 2015 17:45
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That sounds awesome, but does "up to $750/mo" mean that total amount of the reward can't exceed $750 in a month or that it only applies to the first $750 of spending in a month, so I shouldn't use to buy a laptop or something expensive?
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May 10, 2015 17:49
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fruit loop posted:That sounds awesome, but does "up to $750/mo" mean that total amount of the reward can't exceed $750 in a month or that it only applies to the first $750 of spending in a month, so I shouldn't use to buy a laptop or something expensive? Right.
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May 10, 2015 18:10
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Swingline posted:Right. Why you being a dick? Its only on the first $750 of spending. So $37.50 of cash back a month. Personally, I buy amazon gift cards at the grocery store to get dollars off gas at the same time as 5 or 6% off the purchase - so the %-off-amazon-directly cards aren't getting much of a workout anymore.
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May 10, 2015 18:37
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I have the amazon store card. There's nothing strange about it. I don't like the online payment thing but the customer service picks up quickly and it gives 5% cash back in the form of a statement credit, and so i use it for almost all of my amazon purchases. Otherwise i use the chase amazon card when i have points on it, which transfer 1:1.
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May 10, 2015 20:58
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For the Amazon store card you must have Prime on your account. If you're doing the family sharing of Amazon Prime to get free shipping you won't get the 5% cashback. It's rumored that it will switch from 5% cashback to 5% store credit at some point but that shouldn't be a big deal for most people. I also don't think the 5% cashback applies to everything, some digital purchases like games and music are exempt but you should be able to get around this by buying a giftcard and then buying them.
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May 10, 2015 22:16
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nickutz posted:You'll see the miles before your second statement. I don't see any direct deposit/check option and all the gift cards are a 1:1 ratio so I don't see a point in that either… so I guess it's just use the rewards dollars on future balance statements. I was hoping there might be some kind of 0.9:1.0 or something ratio if I spent it on airline points or anything else.
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May 10, 2015 22:35
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