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Following up on the WalMart gift card fraud: At the physical store: Customer service rep asked if I had the card and receipt for it. I said yes. She said she couldn't do anything and that I would have to call the phone number on the card. Over the phone: Pre-recorded message about how WalMart doesn't do poo poo about gift cards, with reference to gift card policy on website. Policy on website: Text version of "gently caress you got ours" Chase over the phone: was familiar with this problem and initiated a chargeback. At the very least, while waiting in line at WalMart I was able to dissuade someone from buying a gift card from the same rack I'd picked from. +1 credibility to Chase for recognizing the problem, allowing a human being to speak to me, and doing something about it.
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Feb 3, 2023 18:11
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still curious where the point of attack is for this fraud... someone said they scratch it off and reapply the silvery scratch off thing... is that even possible? is there card info is already available without opening the card? maybe i haven't seen a gift card in a long time
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Feb 3, 2023 18:38
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Strong Sauce posted:still curious where the point of attack is for this fraud... someone said they scratch it off and reapply the silvery scratch off thing... is that even possible? is there card info is already available without opening the card? maybe i haven't seen a gift card in a long time The gift cards are not sealed in any way except for the sticker covering the end of the barcode and the PIN. The crook scratches off that sticker to record both numbers and replaces it with their own sticker. This is very possible. The crook then checks the gift card balance every so often on WalMart's website and spends it as soon as someone naively loads it up. WalMart does nothing about this because they put all the liability on the customer. I guess too few people use credit card companies to claw back the charges for WalMart to do anything about it. The guy I warned in person about this scam said his store keeps certain gift cards behind the counter because they tend to get targeted this way.
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Feb 3, 2023 19:08
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Space Fish posted:The gift cards are not sealed in any way except for the sticker covering the end of the barcode and the PIN. ah okay so its a sticker. makes more sense.
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Feb 3, 2023 19:14
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I don't travel often, but a friend is having a birthday party in Boston in March and I'm considering going. Are there any recommendations for a card to use to buy the flight and hotel and get a nice SUB? Or at least a discount on the travel?
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Feb 4, 2023 01:06
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Medullah posted:I don't travel often, but a friend is having a birthday party in Boston in March and I'm considering going. Are there any recommendations for a card to use to buy the flight and hotel and get a nice SUB? Or at least a discount on the travel? This is quite useful - https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/s07cfp/credit_card_recommendation_flowchart_jan2022/ Keep in mind that depending on your situation and credit, you can receive an instant approval with electronic card number to use immediately (I know AmEx does this), or you may have to wait a few weeks (bank will request further information, have to wait for the card to ship which can take 7 to 10 business days but for the more premium cards, you can have it overnighted) This all depends on your current credit and standing with the bank. So March may be too soon considering how the prices for flights can fluctuate. Other important factors to think about is how much do you expect to spend in the next few months, will you be able to easily meet the required spend to get the SUB?
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Feb 4, 2023 11:18
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Some of the airlines will try to sell you their card midway through the booking and those offers can be good bang for you buck. Like I got $300 off a Delta flight that way.
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Feb 4, 2023 16:03
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Busy Bee posted:This is quite useful - https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/s07cfp/credit_card_recommendation_flowchart_jan2022/ Yeah my credit is 850+ so I'm hoping to get an instant approval like the last time I did something like this.
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Feb 4, 2023 16:14
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Medullah posted:Yeah my credit is 850+ so I'm hoping to get an instant approval like the last time I did something like this. Do you have global entry?
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Feb 4, 2023 19:24
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Veskit posted:Do you have global entry? Pre-Check. I saw a few cards give you credit for it but I just reupped in the fall.
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Feb 4, 2023 19:27
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Medullah posted:Pre-Check. I saw a few cards give you credit for it but I just reupped in the fall. If you wanted clear, and could offset the yearly fee the amex plat would go far, otherwise the simplest way I can see is a Citi custom cash card.
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Feb 4, 2023 19:41
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Plat has one of the best subs right now, citi prestige and chase sapphire just cut their subs. https://www.doctorofcredit.com/best-current-credit-card-sign-bonuses/
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Feb 5, 2023 04:15
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pseudanonymous posted:Plat has one of the best subs right now, citi prestige and chase sapphire just cut their subs. Do you mean Premiere? I don't think the Prestige is open to new signups.
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Feb 5, 2023 10:03
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So I started changing to the Wells Fargo 2% Rewards Card and I think I just got hosed. A month or two after I got it, I tried to increase the limit so I could fit my monthly stuff on it like I was doing for Chase Freedom. It was declining stuff that was getting close to the limit. That request was declined because I didn't have the card long enough, according to the robomail I got for it. However, a month ago between me and my wife charging on it and my electronic bill pay farting around, they let the balance go over. Right that time, I got a 113 point drop in my credit score. So I don't think I want to put up with it and I'm trying to figure out how I can pull out and recover some of that. I don't have any loans and I was staying below my 30% credit with my Chase Freedom, but we are considering a mortgage soon depending on what we find for a move. Dropping a hundred points if horrible for that. What should I be doing?
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Feb 8, 2023 03:18
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Rocko Bonaparte posted:So I started changing to the Wells Fargo 2% Rewards Card and I think I just got hosed. A month or two after I got it, I tried to increase the limit so I could fit my monthly stuff on it like I was doing for Chase Freedom. It was declining stuff that was getting close to the limit. That request was declined because I didn't have the card long enough, according to the robomail I got for it. However, a month ago between me and my wife charging on it and my electronic bill pay farting around, they let the balance go over. Right that time, I got a 113 point drop in my credit score. So I don't think I want to put up with it and I'm trying to figure out how I can pull out and recover some of that. I don't have any loans and I was staying below my 30% credit with my Chase Freedom, but we are considering a mortgage soon depending on what we find for a move. Dropping a hundred points if horrible for that. What should I be doing? Pay off the balance before the next statement hits.
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Feb 8, 2023 09:19
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We had paid it off within a few days of finding out about it. I even just had an overpayment since due to some refunds. Edit: I don't think that balance even carried over a billing period. Rocko Bonaparte fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Feb 8, 2023 |
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Feb 8, 2023 09:29
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Is this the place to ask questions about balance transfer cards?
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Feb 8, 2023 18:20
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We are going to be traveling and having some higher travel vacation costs (flying to Hawaii). I haven’t churned and burned a credit since 2020, and that was the only one I’ve done since like, 2017. What’s a good travel card to get whatever cash back on expenses , then close out after a year of use ?
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Feb 9, 2023 03:55
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Duckman2008 posted:We are going to be traveling and having some higher travel vacation costs (flying to Hawaii). I think if you've never gotten an Amex plat now is a pretty good time, 125,000 points + 10x on restaurants. Theres IHG card and also the Chase Sapphire Reserve have good subs right now.
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Feb 9, 2023 04:45
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Rocko Bonaparte posted:Wells Fargo Rocko Bonaparte posted:I just got hosed. fixed the post to only include details people need edit: I'll add in this  from https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?noseen=1&threadid=3259986&pagenumber=2684&perpage=40&highlight=suisse#post525029072
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Feb 9, 2023 16:14
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Where do Fidelity and Alliant fall on that chart?
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Feb 9, 2023 21:48
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Space Fish posted:Where do Fidelity and Alliant fall on that chart? fidelity is not a bank. alliant is too small for me to be familiar with
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Feb 10, 2023 01:23
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pmchem posted:fidelity is not a bank. In my limited experience (I have checking at Alliant along with a bunch of supplementary savings buckets for annual bills. but have never used Ally) Alliant seems to be basically Ally, credit union edition. All of the things I've heard people say about Ally have been true for Alliant as well, with only a few minor variances in things like ACH transfer times (Alliant is faster) and limits (neither one is low enough to be an issue, but Ally's are higher). Alliant's HYSA is %0.5 lower than Ally's, but in exchange they aren't dealing with rampant account theft right now, so...  Funds are tight for me atm, but when it's time to rebuild the emergency fund I'm planning to stick most of it in $SGOV and just leave like two month's worth in Alliant checking to continue using them as my hub bank. They seem to be the least bad option in that regard. Unsinkabear fucked around with this message at 01:42 on Feb 10, 2023 |
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Feb 10, 2023 01:33
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so i finally signed up for a new cc, and i decided to go with wells fargo's active cash card and got approved immediately with a $7,500 limit (  ) . mostly for the $200 promo. the thing is, you have to spend $1k in the first 3 months, which is no problem, and in fact, i had about $400 of that total ready for a pixel 7 purchase. unfortunately, the card won't show up for yet another week or two, and the problem is that google might revoke some of the discount of that $400 pixel 7 by that point. so i was wondering, since i have a google credit account, if i charge it to that first, and then when my card eventually arrives, can i then transfer that charge to the new card? edit: or what if i make the initial payment with a previous card instead of the google one (i just realized i had another cc lol) ? Mr Interweb fucked around with this message at 02:41 on Feb 10, 2023 |
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Feb 10, 2023 02:06
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Mr Interweb posted:so i finally signed up for a new cc, and i decided to go with wells fargo's active cash card and got approved immediately with a $7,500 limit ( :doublewoop: ) . mostly for the $200 promo. the thing is, you have to spend $1k in the first 3 months, which is no problem, and in fact, i had about $400 of the ready for a pixel 7 purchase. unfortunately, the card won't show up for yet another week or two, and the problem is that google might revoke some of the discount of that $400 pixel 7 by that point. You might be able to add the WF card to your Paypal - look on their site to see if there's a Digital Wallet option. That will allow you to link to Paypal and you can use it through Paypal checkout even before you get the card (I did that exact same thing recently)
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Feb 10, 2023 02:38
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Unsinkabear posted:In my limited experience (I have checking at Alliant along with a bunch of supplementary savings buckets for annual bills. but have never used Ally) Alliant seems to be basically Ally, credit union edition. All of the things I've heard people say about Ally have been true for Alliant as well, with only a few minor variances in things like ACH transfer times (Alliant is faster) and limits (neither one is low enough to be an issue, but Ally's are higher). Alliant's HYSA is %0.5 lower than Ally's, but in exchange they aren't dealing with rampant account theft right now, so... Alliant has one of the only greater than 2% flat cashback cards (2.5%, up to 10k per month) that you can get (must keep 1k on average in checking account). Also they did an "open a checking account, get a $200 avocado toast and latte gift card). Credit unions are less bad than banks. My one complaint with them is their funds availability policy for checks deposited via mobile, it seems a bit slow. My old CU essentially made the funds available instantly after a while of depositing reimbursement checks that always cleared from the same vendor (i.e. my work). I've switched to Alliant as my main bank account. they also do promotions that existing customers are eligible, there's one right now: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/alliant-credit-union-400-checking-savings-cd-bonus-for-new-or-existing-members-code-fastpass/
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Feb 10, 2023 03:37
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pseudanonymous posted:Alliant has one of the only greater than 2% flat cashback cards (2.5%, up to 10k per month) that you can get (must keep 1k on average in checking account). Also they did an "open a checking account, get a $200 avocado toast and latte gift card). Credit unions are less bad than banks. Also worth noting that this card has both warranty extension and no foreign transaction fees, a rare combo for a no-AF card. Very nice to have both of those bases covered on your "use on everything and don't think about it" card. pseudanonymous posted:My one complaint with them is their funds availability policy for checks deposited via mobile, it seems a bit slow. My old CU essentially made the funds available instantly after a while of depositing reimbursement checks that always cleared from the same vendor (i.e. my work). Weird, I just had a ~$100 check do the instantly available thing today. Maybe it has to do with deposit size or frequency?
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Feb 10, 2023 08:58
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What rampant account theft with Ally? Is this a security breach or just people being dumb with passwords and phishing attacks? I just moved my emergency fund over from USAA and I’m enjoying the fact that I’m not losing money out of it anymore from the pathetic interest rate.
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Feb 10, 2023 15:20
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I don't know the details, just that multiple posters have referred to it lately as an issue where they don't have their poo poo together. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Ally is bad! They're still a waaay better option than most banks. I just prefer Alliant personally, and if your literal only criteria is "a place to stick my emergency fund that isn't tangibly losing me money" idk if Ally would be my pick. There are a lot of options that qualify for that, some of which pay consistently higher rates. Their real strength is as a main hub bank (which may matter more to churners than regular users, idk). I think the only reason they get tossed around as an example HYSA is because so many people already have the rest of their accounts there that it's kind of the default "keep it simple" example. Unsinkabear fucked around with this message at 17:05 on Feb 10, 2023 |
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Feb 10, 2023 17:00
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I tried looking it up but couldn’t find anything. Sounds like an extremely serious issue so I’d expect to see something on it. Maybe it’s this? https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/claims-of-ally-bank-debit-card-fraud-7934635/
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Feb 10, 2023 19:45
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Must be. Maybe I misunderstood or the previous poster blew it out of proportion? Either way my bad, I shouldn't have included it in the breakdown without knowing more E: found one of the posts. They're talking about a different timeline and including account compromise, but it could easily just be a misunderstanding of the debit card news you linked above. If it is just a BIN attack, I don't think Ally can help that and it isn't a problem unique to them. But it sounds like they may not be detecting and rejecting those charges in advance as effectively as other places. Unsinkabear fucked around with this message at 20:14 on Feb 10, 2023 |
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Feb 10, 2023 19:53
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My score is 730, but I have no credit cards. Glad this thread exists... should be pretty easy to get to 800 after I read this thread and make a choice. (I don't have a mortgage or any loans like auto, so, I'm open to other avenues too) e2: I only care about 800 vs 700 in that I'll be looking at apartments in a much nicer area/higher rent in a year, and any advantage when applying for a place helps considering there are always multiple applicants on any property where I live. zer0spunk fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Feb 11, 2023 |
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Feb 11, 2023 16:49
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zer0spunk posted:My score is 730, but I have no credit cards. Glad this thread exists... should be pretty easy to get to 800 after I read this thread and make a choice. Yeah, you don’t have to go crazy either, taking out 1 card, pay in full every month, you’ll be at or clos to 800 in like, 6 months ish.
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Feb 11, 2023 18:19
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zer0spunk posted:My score is 730, but I have no credit cards. Glad this thread exists... should be pretty easy to get to 800 after I read this thread and make a choice. If you're only going to get one card and use it for everything going forward, the 2.5% Alliant one we mentioned above is probably your best bet (and it sounds like you have the income and score to get it easily). I know I sound like a shill for them at this point but I have a cutthroat, less-than-zero level of brand loyalty when it comes to cards. They just happen to also have the highest-paying one for that use case. The only card with a better across-the-board rate is the Discover It Miles, and only during its first year of being open. It starts at 3%, but after that first year gets cut by half.
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Feb 11, 2023 19:14
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Hey thread, for sapphire reserve, the doordash membership is a ~12 month total benefit right , then the benefit is permanently gone and I have to shell out full price to renew doordash pass each year, is that right?
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Feb 11, 2023 20:21
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Unsinkabear posted:If you're only going to get one card and use it for everything going forward, the 2.5% Alliant one we mentioned above is probably your best bet (and it sounds like you have the income and score to get it easily). I appreciate any and all input, so thanks. I looked at the summary in the OP and the only thing with that one is having to hold a bank account with them too. I'm averaging about 500-700 in utilities and smaller bills, so this would just switch from paying at the head of the billing cycle to the end with the benefit of increasing my credit score. (e: My rent is dumb high, so taking this off ACH and eating the cc fee in exchange for higher utilization doesn't sound smart to me. ) I don't really travel anymore for work since 2020, so for now, mileage and travel bonuses aren't a factor in a card. I also don't know that the difference between 1 or 2 percent at the level of spending this would cover is really all that crucial either. I already bank with chase so I'm thinking of going with the basic card, and maybe upgrading that to the annual fee one with travel bonuses whenever I begin to have to do that again. Does this sound solid, thread?
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Feb 11, 2023 21:09
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Inner Light posted:Hey thread, for sapphire reserve, the doordash membership is a ~12 month total benefit right , then the benefit is permanently gone and I have to shell out full price to renew doordash pass each year, is that right? Don't know the official policy but I've had the DoorDash benefit for at least two or three years continuously with my CSR.
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Feb 11, 2023 21:33
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Inner Light posted:Hey thread, for sapphire reserve, the doordash membership is a ~12 month total benefit right , then the benefit is permanently gone and I have to shell out full price to renew doordash pass each year, is that right? I don't have the CSR but I activated it on my Freedom, and then they gave me another free year a few months after it expired. I've also gotten two years free of Grubhub+ through Amazon Prime. Though using them is something I avoid since it's very very BWM.
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Feb 11, 2023 21:43
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Medullah posted:I don't have the CSR but I activated it on my Freedom, and then they gave me another free year a few months after it expired. I've also gotten two years free of Grubhub+ through Amazon Prime. Agree with you, however — I love Aldi and Instacart offers pick up which is awesome. Some nice person literally shops and bags my groceries, and brings it to my car, for like $2 in fees or something. The extra pickup fee is waived with membership. I would likely not pay for membership without the reserve card though, hence my question. If I go to Aldi myself I have to bag the groceries! Inner Light fucked around with this message at 21:58 on Feb 11, 2023 |
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Feb 11, 2023 21:53
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zer0spunk posted:I appreciate any and all input, so thanks. I looked at the summary in the OP and the only thing with that one is having to hold a bank account with them too. it sounds like the low effort option, personally I'm a big fan of Alliant, better savings rate, checking with interest, best all around solid flat cash back card and they are a credit union so their purpose is to benefit their members or a cause, not making rich people even richer, but chase isn't literally the worst of the big banks, it's only like... 3rd worst.
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Feb 11, 2023 21:54
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