I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[palhockeymomof2]

Pretty sure I know the answer to this one, but I just need confirmation before pulling the trigger... the AF just posted on my SW biz card and I’m planning to cancel it. I won’t hold any SW cards after cancelling. My SW rapid reward points will still be there, right? I don’t have to have a SW card to hold onto the points. I’m terrified of accidentally doing something and losing all my points.

No you don’t need a SW card to keep points they are safe in your RR account.
Did the anniversary points post in the account ? if not you may want to wait until they do, then cancel the card

 

[platamama]

Ok so I went to load one of my Staples VGC to serve and it was declined. I logged on to the giftcard site to see what was up and someone made two purchases with the gift card leaving my balance at $0.39. Has anyone ever had this happen before? It looks like I need to file a dispute on the giftcard website. I did register the card when I got it, so hopefully that will help. One of the charges was at target.com and the other was Taylor Swift Shop. The target charge had a phone number in the purchase details. I called that number and they were no help- just advised me to file a dispute with Visa...

Years ago I had a $500 vgc drained to $11 before I ever even opened up the package (purchases were in a completely different state). I had to contact the issuer (US Bank I think? it was a long time ago), fill out an affidavit, submit scans of my driver license, purchase receipt, and the packaging(? maybe, I may not be remembering that part right). In total, it took about 3 months for it be resolved and for me to get a replacement card, and that was in the Before Times.

That reminds me I have a story I want to share with everyone. A few months ago, I bought a $100 Target gift card at Lowe's. It rang up with the cashier as having an error (although the charge did get post to my BBP where I had the 10% AO). Luckily a Lowe's supervisor was nearby and when summoned, he called the number on the back of the Target card. He was told that card had been used up in 2017. This was a gift card on their display that I'd just picked up! Lowe's couldn't/wouldn't refund the purchase because their system wouldn't allow it, said I had to follow up with Gift Card Mall. I did, and Gift Card Mall said they couldn't do anything for me and that I should go back to Lowe's. This is the first time this has ever happened to me with a third party card. Ultimately, Lowe's just gave me a $100 vgc. I have no idea who ate the charge, I presume it was Lowe's. I suspect merchants loathe you disputing a charge with your cc company and would rather take the loss than deal with a dispute.

So I used to think the drained gc were just the variable load ones, but now you're sharing that a fixed value also was drained. And I'm sharing that even 3rd party cards can be problematic. Given the number of gcs I've bought over the years, these are rare events, but can happen. I still buy them, but hold onto all receipts until the gc is used up.

 

[KPK02090]

No you don’t need a SW card to keep points they are safe in your RR account.
Did the anniversary points post in the account ? if not you may want to wait until they do, then cancel the card

Great, thanks! The anniversary points posted, so I’m going to go ahead and cancel. And hopefully one day I’ll get to actually use some of these points!

 

[mmmears]

I just figured out I need to buy a macbook and I thought I would post here to see if anyone knows of any type of benefit, portal, point bonus, offer ,etc that I should look into. So far, I see the Apple website has good deals right now. I wish I had an MSR to absorb the purchase price but, alas, I do not.

I feel your pain. I needed a new laptop a couple of months ago, and even with a good discount through Apple it was still expensive enough that it really hurt to not use it for an MSR.

 

[miztressuz]

I'm really curious about this... so If I have a CFU, and 2 freedoms(one from a pc) that are older than 2-4 years,can I app again for the Flex? or not allowed to hold that many? That has great uses

TPG updated their article to clarify that the Flex is a separate product and CF holders can apply for the CFF.

From the TPG article (emphasis mine):
"Flex is considered a different product from Freedom Unlimited, so customers with that latter card will also be eligible for a welcome bonus with Flex. And Chase has confirmed that the same is true for Freedom cardholders — if they apply (and are approved) for the new Freedom Flex, they will be eligible for the bonus."

That matches how the offer details are listed for the card. FAQs didn't specifically spell out how many CFs and CFUs you can hold with the CFF, but my guess is you'd be ok to apply.

For those thinking about trying for a bonus on the new CFF card - I think we're just going to have watch and see what happens here. Existing CF cards will likely be PCed to CFF, but who knows how quickly that will happen. Until we actually see an application link, it's hard to say what the bonus restrictions would be so I'd just wait and plan then. Worst case, you might have to PC existing CF or CFU cards to something else to let you apply. BUT I'm not saying to do anything now...just wait!

They have the bonus details up on the "coming soon" landing page. They could tweak between now and then but I'm thinking since they confirmed for TPG that CF holders can apply, these will probably stay.

https://creditcards.chase.com/a1/freedom/comingsoon"
Freedom Flex Offer Details**
$200 Cash Back After You Spend $500 On Purchases In The First 3 Months From Account Opening:
This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months. "

The FAQs only specifically restricted having 2 Flex cards (Edit to clarify: as in, having 2 is not allowed), but they didn't really put a number on the others. I think it'll be an interesting couple days once it launches.

 

[Lain]

I just figured out I need to buy a macbook and I thought I would post here to see if anyone knows of any type of benefit, portal, point bonus, offer ,etc that I should look into. So far, I see the Apple website has good deals right now. I wish I had an MSR to absorb the purchase price but, alas, I do not.

The CSR earns 10x UR on up to $1,500 in “streaming” purchases until 9/30. Select streaming services includes “iTunes Music.” iTunes credit reloads trigger the bonus category. At the end of July, Apple did away with the distinction between “iTunes/App Store” GCs and “Apple Store” GCs. There is just one Apple credit currency that’s tied to your Apple ID that can be used to purchase digital products and services on the iTunes and App Stores and actual merchandise from the Apple Store. That is, iTunes credit can be used to buy Apple hardware. (Alas, this change very likely means we won’t be seeing very many 10-20% discounts on iTunes GCs anymore.)

If you have a CSR, add your CSR to your Apple ID account and select it as your payment method (to avoid confusion and the risk iTunes charging to another card, I would remove any other forms of payment because the purchase screen doesn’t show you what card you’re using). From the iTunes Store app, scroll all the way down, click on your Apple ID, and Add Money to Account. Load your Apple ID account with funds in fixed denominations up to $500 per transaction. Word of caution, this is very prone to triggering fraud flags on both Apple’s and Chase’s end, particularly if you’re loading $500 at a time. Have your phone nearby to clear Chase fraud alert texts as they come. If iTunes “locks up” and won’t let you make a purchase, you’ll need to contact Apple support to clear it up. This is a security lock to prevent unusual purchases on your account.

Once the funds are loaded to your Apple ID account, you can go to the Apple Store online, and at checkout it’ll give you the option to apply your Apple ID credit to your purchase. I would also try to stack this by going through a shopping portal. Check cashbackmonitor. Apple occasionally does elevated bonuses through the airline portals, about once a month or so.

P.S. While this will give you a pretty substantial return on URs, you are ultimately buying the MacBook using essentially a gift card that carries no extended warranty protections. The best card you could put this on would be an Amex Platinum you don’t intend to close in the next 2-3 years. Alternatively, if you go the gift card route, I would consider buying Apple Care for the device.

 

[Lain]

Here’s another discount opportunity if you’re planning an Apple Store purchase: Best Buy: Purchase $100 Apple Giftcard, Get $10 Best Buy Giftcard (Starts 9/4).

 

[Lain]

I don’t know if any of you Rothy’s wearing ladies are interested, but Rothy’s is bringing the Shibori print sneakers back in stock tomorrow (9/3). These sneakers sold out within hours when they first debuted and had been selling for crazy amounts on eBay.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

https://www.thebutchersdaughter.com/news-item/rothys-x-the-butchers-daughter-indigo-sneakers/

 

[Lain]

No more 10k MR POT?

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/amer...een-gold-and-platinum-cards-in-pay-over-time/

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Interesting post on r/churning today:
Tale of a Churner / MSer Passing Away; Educate Someone on your Churning Details!

The lady is an 84 yr old churning legend!!

 

[KPK02090]

I still haven’t heard anything on my CFU application from 8/24. Status line says status is unknown. Should I call and talk to a person?
In case it matters: My last chase card was in February (a CIU). I currently hold 2 Freedoms. And on the biz side, 1 CIP, and 1 CIU, just closed a SW biz today.
Before applying, I had just dropped to 3/24 when my DD from August 2018 fell off.

ETA: just gave the status line one more call and was approved! Ten days after applying! Still nothing showing in my online account though. They really made me sweat that one out!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Southwest Travel Fund Extension Deadline (possibly?) approaching soon:
Per the Southwest COVID response webpage we are quickly approaching an important date that I've yet to see extended. That webpage says:

• If you decide not to travel, as long as you cancel your flight at least 10 minutes before its scheduled departure, the funds used to pay for a nonrefundable ticket (Wanna Get Away® fares) are normally valid for one year from the date of purchase.
• However, in recognition of the current travel environment, we are extending the expiration date of some travel funds:
  • Customers’ funds that have expired or will expire between March 1, 2020 and September 7, 2020, will now expire September 7, 2022.
  • Any travel funds created because you cancel a flight between March 1 – September 7, 2020, will expire September 7, 2022.
• For recently cancelled tickets and newly created travel funds, it may take up to five business days for the expiration date to change to September 7, 2022. Typically, the expiration date is updated at midnight after the fund creation.

My Thoughts:
I feel like some sort of update/extension has to come out on this... but if no action is taken, as currently worded, these extensions will not apply to credits created after Monday. And this matters even more BECAUSE...

• Through December 15, 2020, qualified travel funds that are set to expire September 7, 2022 can be converted into Rapid Rewards points.
• BUT to qualify, your travel fund must expire September 7, 2022,
• You have until December 15, 2020 to complete the conversion (which I will add is non-reversible).

So if Sept 7, 2020 is the last date to take advantage of the travel fund extension...it's also potentially the last day to create a fund that can then be converted into points despite the fact that you have until Dec 15th to actually complete the conversion. Lots to ponder here...and hopefully there's some sort of extension that renders this all void, but keep it in mind for now!

 

[ten6mom]

Honestly,Amazon has never ever let me down on customer service. It's one reason I choose to buy thru them if I can,esp. big purchases. (two this week!)

Sure enough, I got a much more agreeable response this time from the seller (after having contacted Amazon) and since they are now out of the product, they said they will refund me!

I mean, I would still rather have the (edible) product but if I can't, I'll take the refund!

 

[ten6mom]

So glad I went and looked at the WDW discounts for rooms....it's even less expensive than the Dapper Days rate I am currently booked at!

Sadly I have to call (gosh I hate making phone calls) to cancel the original before I feel comfortable booking the new one, but I am fortunate to be off tomorrow night so staying up in the morning to make the phone call won't be awful.

The total (room only) at the Dapper Days rate is $1882 and with the discount it'll only be $1428!

Of course, now I have to run off and check to make sure I've spent enough on the CSP so that I still meet the MSR for the SUB!

I need another acronym... let's see.. oh yes, this is all to stay at CBR! At WDW!

 

[hsmamato2]

TPG updated their article to clarify that the Flex is a separate product and CF holders can apply for the CFF.

From the TPG article (emphasis mine):
"Flex is considered a different product from Freedom Unlimited, so customers with that latter card will also be eligible for a welcome bonus with Flex. And Chase has confirmed that the same is true for Freedom cardholders — if they apply (and are approved) for the new Freedom Flex, they will be eligible for the bonus."

That matches how the offer details are listed for the card. FAQs didn't specifically spell out how many CFs and CFUs you can hold with the CFF, but my guess is you'd be ok to apply.



They have the bonus details up on the "coming soon" landing page. They could tweak between now and then but I'm thinking since they confirmed for TPG that CF holders can apply, these will probably stay.

https://creditcards.chase.com/a1/freedom/comingsoon"
Freedom Flex Offer Details**
$200 Cash Back After You Spend $500 On Purchases In The First 3 Months From Account Opening:
This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months. "

The FAQs only specifically restricted having 2 Flex cards, but they didn't really put a number on the others. I think it'll be an interesting couple days once it launches.

Thanks for posting! This is interesting.... so I wonder if I'd be allowed to PC my CSr to a new flex,then app for the csp,then app for the flex again later on,since they allow you to hold 2.... (this is without switching my old freedom to flex,just keeping those as is if it's allowed) I wonder...

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

While safely ensconced in our quarantine flat for the next 14 days (now 13, but who's counting?), I thought I'd report in on my second International flight since the lockdown.

I think I posted in May about DD21 and my "twilight zone" experience in flying to the UK during the shutdown to close down her University apartment after graduating. It was the most surreal travel experience I've ever had with empty flights, airports, and trains. To cut to the quick: although not quite as empty and surreal as last time, I still felt very safe traveling due to uncrowded airports and flights with universal mask compliance and visibly clean planes and airports.

We are back in the UK again to get her ready for the start of her Masters program at Oxford. As of right now, they are still planning to have some in person classes.

Back in May, we had to fly from the Bay Area down to LAX as all the direct flights from SFO to London had been stopped. The worst part COVID-wise of that entire travel experience (including trains and tube rides while in the UK) was that Southwest Air repositioning flight. Even though it was half-full, it was still too many people and uncomfortable. I'm very happy to report that a number of nonstops have returned to SFO, including our favorite BA. I know BA gets a lot of flack for having high taxes with its reward flights, but we love them as they tend to have decent award availability, and they are the only carrier that flies direct from SFO with first class.

Schedule changes impacted our flights a couple times, but rescheduling was easy as there was another flight the same day. Originally DH was supposed to travel with us for part of the time, but due to the 14-day quarantine, he decided not to come. I'll be here for a month.

DH and I had cash first class tickets booked that we'd bought during a sale. Fortunately the schedule change(s) enabled us to get a cash refund for his portion of the flight. DD21 was originally booked on an Avios award flight in economy, but I was able to upgrade her to a business award a while back when availability opened (thank you Expert Flyer and MRs). It was fortunate that I'd done that since we didn't need to worry about award ticket availability when rescheduling the flights.

Back in May, both DD and I flew BA Business Class (Club World), and the experience was understandably a far cry from the normal service. There was limited bedding, no alcohol (!), and no hot food with a pretty sad little food box. All lounges were closed in the US and in the UK. You pretty much had to bring everything you wanted to eat with you as there were extremely limited food options in the airports.

I knew the lounges were open in the UK--we were planning to use the arrivals lounge but didn't due to the flight delay--and I didn't even think to look at SFO. Big mistake! Due to CA's limited openings, SFO was still pretty much a ghost town with almost nothing open. No lounges and very limited eating options. Fortunately the "A" side gates had just opened yesterday (the day we flew), and we found a Boudin open. We'd gotten to the airport early to relax in the lounge and eat so big mistake not to check first. I'd bought a protein bar and nuts, but I would have been starving especially as our flight was delayed by 2 hours

See empty airport with our PPE:


In May, there were around 20-25 people on our flights. This time, there were about 60ish. The purser said there were supposed to be 70ish, but he said there were a lot of no-shows. First was about half full, and business as pretty empty (only 4-5 in DD's cabin section). I was given the option of upgrading DD to first at check-in, but I thought $600 was steep. I think a number of people probably took advantage though as there had only been one or two people in first at online check in.

I love BA First Class and I was so excited to fly it again. Although it definitely wasn't the same as pre-COVID, the service was definitely much improved from last time overall. The plane was also noticeably cleaner. I still used my wipes to clean, but it was noticeably clean. For food, I had picnic style boxes for meals with the cold starters, etc. and the option of a hot portion of the meal. The food was actually pretty good--especially for my main meal--and alcoholic drink options were back! I had individual bottles of champagne as well as my nightcap of Baileys to help me sleep. I don't think they had the snack area open during the flight in either first or business. I believe you could ask, but I wasn't hungry for anything so didn't bother.

My seat and food (the noodles were actually tasty!):


Bedding in first class was back (mattress pad, etc.), and they had the same Temperley loungewear and amenity kits. My amenity kit was actually stuffed--way more products than I received in first last time I flew it.


DD's experience in business wasn't quite as grand or improved from last time (still no hot meals), but she also had alcohol so that made my newly turned 21-year-old happy.

I hate how DIS flips the picture, but here's DD's Club World seat to compare with the first.


The flight attendants were unusually friendly and made sure to thank us multiple times for flying. I think BA is really struggling and happy to have passengers. BA staff can sometimes be a little chilly so this was a nice change. It was pretty much at every stage from check-in to arriving.

I'm also happy to report that all BA personnel were wearing masks! In May the flight attendants had them on in LA where they were required, but as soon as we got on the flight the masks came off, which I thought was very weird. Having the flight crew in masks contributed greatly to my feeling of comfort on the flight. There seemed to be universal compliance with passengers, which was also great. No worries in that regard, and I thought opportunities for any kind of COVID transmission during travel would have been very slight if any. From my experience, it's really the domestic flights that seem to be an issue.

The UK is one of the few countries that will accept Americans, but you have to fill out a form 48-hours before arrival and undergo a strict 14-day quarantine. In England, you are not allowed to go anywhere unless you can't have food delivered or it's an emergency. You can't even go outside to walk the dog, etc. You are required to show proof of filling out the form on arrival, but as we used the e-gates we didn't have anyone ask us for it. I've heard reports of the e-gates not being open at times so YMMV. It will be interesting to see whether we get any phone calls or check-ups while in our quarantine. @Calfan is a few days ahead of us in Scotland, and the rules there seem slightly more relaxed.

In May when we arrived at Heathrow it was a ghost town. We were the only flight and nothing was open so there were literally a couple dozen people in the entire airport arrival area. Super eerie! It was a little busier yesterday--maybe two other flights?--but no where near normal. As I mentioned earlier, we'd planned to use the BA arrivals lounge, but due to the 2-hour delay our driver was there waiting to take us to Oxford.

We rented a serviced flat through a local company, and it's very cute--nice place to stay for the next 14-days and plenty of room for yoga. There are a couple balconies for fresh air. We had Nando's delivered last night for dinner and our Tesco grocery order just arrived so so far so good!


Now cross your fingers for us that we make it through quarantine without COVID making an unwelcome appearance!

 

[Judique]

While safely ensconced in our quarantine flat for the next 14 days (now 13, but who's counting?), I thought I'd report in on my second International flight since the lockdown.

I think I posted in May about DD21 and my "twilight zone" experience in flying to the UK during the shutdown to close down her University apartment after graduating. It was the most surreal travel experience I've ever had with empty flights, airports, and trains. To cut to the quick: although not quite as empty and surreal as last time, I still felt very safe traveling due to uncrowded airports and flights with universal mask compliance and visibly clean planes and airports.

We are back in the UK again to get her ready for the start of her Masters program at Oxford. As of right now, they are still planning to have some in person classes.

Back in May, we had to fly from the Bay Area down to LAX as all the direct flights from SFO to London had been stopped. The worst part COVID-wise of that entire travel experience (including trains and tube rides while in the UK) was that Southwest Air repositioning flight. Even though it was half-full, it was still too many people and uncomfortable. I'm very happy to report that a number of nonstops have returned to SFO, including our favorite BA. I know BA gets a lot of flack for having high taxes with its reward flights, but we love them as they tend to have decent award availability, and they are the only carrier that flies direct from SFO with first class.

Schedule changes impacted our flights a couple times, but rescheduling was easy as there was another flight the same day. Originally DH was supposed to travel with us for part of the time, but due to the 14-day quarantine, he decided not to come. I'll be here for a month.

DH and I had cash first class tickets booked that we'd bought during a sale. Fortunately the schedule change(s) enabled us to get a cash refund for his portion of the flight. DD21 was originally booked on an Avios award flight in economy, but I was able to upgrade her to a business award a while back when availability opened (thank you Expert Flyer and MRs). It was fortunate that I'd done that since we didn't need to worry about award ticket availability when rescheduling the flights.

Back in May, both DD and I flew BA Business Class (Club World), and the experience was understandably a far cry from the normal service. There was limited bedding, no alcohol (!), and no hot food with a pretty sad little food box. All lounges were closed in the US and in the UK. You pretty much had to bring everything you wanted to eat with you as there were extremely limited food options in the airports.

I knew the lounges were open in the UK--we were planning to use the arrivals lounge but didn't due to the flight delay--and I didn't even think to look at SFO. Big mistake! Due to CA's limited openings, SFO was still pretty much a ghost town with almost nothing open. No lounges and very limited eating options. Fortunately the "A" side gates had just opened yesterday (the day we flew), and we found a Boudin open. We'd gotten to the airport early to relax in the lounge and eat so big mistake not to check first. I'd bought a protein bar and nuts, but I would have been starving especially as our flight was delayed by 2 hours

See empty airport with our PPE:
View attachment 523453

In May, there were around 20-25 people on our flights. This time, there were about 60ish. The purser said there were supposed to be 70ish, but he said there were a lot of no-shows. First was about half full, and business as pretty empty (only 4-5 in DD's cabin section). I was given the option of upgrading DD to first at check-in, but I thought $600 was steep. I think a number of people probably took advantage though as there had only been one or two people in first at online check in.

I love BA First Class and I was so excited to fly it again. Although it definitely wasn't the same as pre-COVID, the service was definitely much improved from last time overall. The plane was also noticeably cleaner. I still used my wipes to clean, but it was noticeably clean. For food, I had picnic style boxes for meals with the cold starters, etc. and the option of a hot portion of the meal. The food was actually pretty good--especially for my main meal--and alcoholic drink options were back! I had individual bottles of champagne as well as my nightcap of Baileys to help me sleep. I don't think they had the snack area open during the flight in either first or business. I believe you could ask, but I wasn't hungry for anything so didn't bother.

My seat and food (the noodles were actually tasty!):
View attachment 523454View attachment 523455View attachment 523456View attachment 523457

Bedding in first class was back (mattress pad, etc.), and they had the same Temperley loungewear and amenity kits. My amenity kit was actually stuffed--way more products than I received in first last time I flew it.
View attachment 523458View attachment 523459

DD's experience in business wasn't quite as grand or improved from last time (still no hot meals), but she also had alcohol so that made my newly turned 21-year-old happy.

I hate how DIS flips the picture, but here's DD's Club World seat to compare with the first.
View attachment 523467

The flight attendants were unusually friendly and made sure to thank us multiple times for flying. I think BA is really struggling and happy to have passengers. BA staff can sometimes be a little chilly so this was a nice change. It was pretty much at every stage from check-in to arriving.

I'm also happy to report that all BA personnel were wearing masks! In May the flight attendants had them on in LA where they were required, but as soon as we got on the flight the masks came off, which I thought was very weird. Having the flight crew in masks contributed greatly to my feeling of comfort on the flight. There seemed to be universal compliance with passengers, which was also great. No worries in that regard, and I thought opportunities for any kind of COVID transmission during travel would have been very slight if any. From my experience, it's really the domestic flights that seem to be an issue.

The UK is one of the few countries that will accept Americans, but you have to fill out a form 48-hours before arrival and undergo a strict 14-day quarantine. In England, you are not allowed to go anywhere unless you can't have food delivered or it's an emergency. You can't even go outside to walk the dog, etc. You are required to show proof of filling out the form on arrival, but as we used the e-gates we didn't have anyone ask us for it. I've heard reports of the e-gates not being open at times so YMMV. It will be interesting to see whether we get any phone calls or check-ups while in our quarantine. @Calfan is a few days ahead of us in Scotland, and the rules there seem slightly more relaxed.

In May when we arrived at Heathrow it was a ghost town. We were the only flight and nothing was open so there were literally a couple dozen people in the entire airport arrival area. Super eerie! It was a little busier yesterday--maybe two other flights?--but no where near normal. As I mentioned earlier, we'd planned to use the BA arrivals lounge, but due to the 2-hour delay our driver was there waiting to take us to Oxford.

We rented a serviced flat through a local company, and it's very cute--nice place to stay for the next 14-days and plenty of room for yoga. There are a couple balconies for fresh air. We had Nando's delivered last night for dinner and our Tesco grocery order just arrived so so far so good!
View attachment 523466

Now cross your fingers for us that we make it through quarantine without COVID making an unwelcome appearance!

Thank you for sharing and all the best for your daughter at Oxford!

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Thank you for sharing and all the best for your daughter at Oxford!

Thanks so much--we are super excited for her!

 

[becauseimnew]

I'm really hoping SW does the free change for November soon, or did I miss it?

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I'm really hoping SW does the free change for November soon, or did I miss it?

It may or may not be going on for portions of November right now