Credit Cards

Category Archives for Credit Cards.

Just Booked: Martinique $317 Round-Trip and Non-Stop on Norwegian

by Harlan 5 Comments

a beach with a mountain in the background

Hot off the heels of my trip to Barcy in January, I’ll be heading to the French Caribbean island of Martinique in February 2016!

So excited!

So excited!

There’s quite a good sale going on right now, and as I looked through the fares a few weeks ago, I thought wow, these will sell out quick!

But, they didn’t. And when I saw the fares start to increase, I pulled the trigger on this one.

The flights are wide open

The flights are wide open

I usually wouldn’t book 2 trips so close together, but this sale, combined with the $250 airline credit on my new Citi Prestige card, formed a perfect storm of BOOK THE TRIP.

Why I did it

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Get an Easy 1% Cash Back on Your Rent and Other Debit Card Purchases

by Harlan 15 Comments

a screenshot of a credit card

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I have to thank Out and Out reader Greg for pointing this out.  He says:

I have a Paypal Business Debit MasterCard that earns me 1% cash back on “credit” purchases. I don’t fund it, I just use it to pay almost all of my bills and have it linked to my bank account.

I get my 1% cash back on everything, don’t have to worry about my Paypal balance (as long as my bank balance is good), it makes me feel like I’ve added a layer of protection to my bank account, and it buys me some float time from when I make a purchase until it clears my bank account.

I don’t do “debit” transactions with it BC I don’t get 1% cash back and and money is immediately withdrawn from my bank account… Unless of course my Paypal account still has a balance left from my monthly cash back reward, then that is deducted before anything hits my bank account.

After doing a little digging, Greg is absolutely right!

I wrote about how to pay rent with RadPad and the PayPal Business Debit MasterCard.

You can add in PayPal My Cash cards purchased from CVS to earn points and miles, too. As long as you load up your account and ONLY take the money out through a purchase made from the PayPal Business Debit MasterCard.

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RadPad and PayPal play well together

And yes, RadPad specifically codes as a purchase and earns 1% cash back.

In application

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I’m Prestigious! Getting Citi Prestige and First Impressions of the Card

by Harlan 35 Comments

a black and blue credit card

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I got my Citi Prestige card this week and wanted to share the experience. Because it was an experience getting this card.

And I can’t wait to dig in to to all the perks this card has to offer!

Here are my first impressions and things I noticed right away.

The 2-package process

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Yes! Instantly Approved for Citi Prestige!

by Harlan 22 Comments

a close-up of a sign

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I just had 3 rum and cokes and bit the bullet.

I’m now the proud owner of a Citi Prestige card.

I was worried about not being instantly approved online because I’ve heard that lots of folks with perfectly good credit have had their applications “denied,” then approved after a few days of waiting, which sounds stress-y.

So, a bit drunkenly but full of courage, I approached the Citi Prestige application.

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Citi Prestige: No Luck Getting a $350 Annual Fee In-Branch, and Why to Apply ASAP

by Harlan 21 Comments

a beach with palm trees and blue water

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Wanted to share my experience about trying to get a reduced annual fee on the Citi Prestige card.

Like lots of peeps, I’ve been kinda/sorta intrigued by this card for a while now. Today, I woke up and decided I’d go apply in-branch. Because I’ve heard some folks have had luck getting a $350 annual fee as opposed to a $450 annual fee, which is obviously awesome and preferable.

So I strapped on my little booties and walked down to the branch on 86th St in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

I waited to speak with a banker and started it off with, “How much is the annual fee on the Citi Prestige card?”

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Swapping AMEX for Citi: Bye Platinum, Hello Prestige? And Bye, EveryDay Preferred, Hello ThankYou Premier?

by Harlan 47 Comments

a blue card with white text

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And, bye EveryDay Preferred, hello ThankYou Premier?

Recently, I’ve seriously been pondering why it is I hang on to my AMEX cards.

I’ve had at least 2 since 2012, and haven’t accumulated enough points to actually do much.

Membership Rewards… meh.

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Earn Triple Miles With Barclays Aviator Cards (Targeted Offer, Just OK)

by Harlan 13 Comments

a card with text and images on it

I got a targeted email offer today on my Barclaycard AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red World Elite Mastercard®. It’s not earth-shattering or anything but thought I’d share because it does require registration.

The email subject is “Finish the year strong and earn bonus rewards.”

Triple miles in some pretty good categories

Triple miles in some pretty good categories

It’s worth registering for if you’re targeted.

Deets

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One Week Left: Get 75,000 Points and No Annual Fee With Citi Hilton Visa

by Harlan Leave A Comment

a group of people walking on the beach

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I chronicled my interest, growing fascination, and ultimate cave-in about the Citi Hilton Visa.

I’ve had the card for a sec now, and really like it. I wrote about the importance of having a no annual fee credit card, and this one might be a really good one to have.

About the Citi Hilton Visa

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Chase Ink Plus Vs. Ink Cash: What Are the Differences?

by Harlan 9 Comments

Update: The Chase Ink Plus card is no longer available. Check here for the most current card offers. 

I haven’t written about the Chase Ink cards very much, but I’ve been thinking about picking up a Chase Ink Cash lately. I already have a Chase Ink Plus. It’s possible to get both because they’re technically different card products.

They have a lot in common. But there are a few differences that make or break the value you’ll get from them.

Biggest similarities

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Reminder: Get Your Club Carlson Free Night E-Cert (If You Haven’t Already)

by Harlan 19 Comments

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Man, I was a Club Carlson fanboy for a while there. You couldn’t get me out of Club Carlson hotels when they offered the BOGO for cardholders of the US Bank Club Carlson Visa Signature.

And then, they brutally snatched the benefit away, leaving peeps (and their brand) in the dust.

It was a too-big-for-their-britches move during which they artificially inflated their points currency, and made themselves completely irrelevant when compared to the big players… but that’s just one man’s opinion.

The upshot was they started apologizing in the form of free night e-certs good at any Club Carlson property.

Except there was one snag. Not everyone got them.

But, you can email US Bank via their online platform if you didn’t get one!

How to do it

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Chase Is Crackin’ Down on Churners

by Harlan 18 Comments

While reviewing the new T&Cs of the:

  • Chase Ink Cash
  • Chase Ink Plus
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred

…I noticed some new language I hadn’t seen before:

Chase cardmembers who currently have or have had a Chase credit card in any Rewards Program associated with this offer, may not be eligible for a second Chase credit card in the same Rewards Program. Chase cardmembers currently receiving promotional pricing, or Chase cardmembers with a history of only using their current or prior Chase card for promotional pricing offers, are not eligible for a second Chase credit card with promotional pricing.

Here’s a screenshot:

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It’s under “Replying to this offer”

Why this is interesting

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IHG’s New Fall Promo (My Offer Sucks!)

by Harlan 9 Comments

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In case you guys haven’t heard, IHG has a new fall promo called Accelerate.

I won't be accelerating anywhere

I won’t be “accelerating” anywhere

This is a GREAT promo if you don’t have an IHG Rewards Club account because you can earn 2 free nights at ANY IHG hotel (1 free night for 2 stays, up to 2).

But if you’re an existing member, or Spire Elite, the offers vary from OK to “thanks for nothing.”

Compared to the “Set Your Sights” offer that had me contemplating travel to another state, this one is kinda meh.

Of the next 4 months, IHG wants me to spend 1 of them exclusively in their hotels

Of the next 4 months, IHG wants me to spend 1 of them exclusively in their hotels

Though you can sign up now, the promo runs through September 1st to December 31st, 2015.

My offer basically said spend a month in IHG hotels and we’ll give you a free stay at a Category 9 hotel (earn ~58,000 IHG points).

So I’m like thanks but no thanks.

I wonder if it has to do with my recent accidental acquisition of Spire Elite status.

Peeps on FlyerTalk have been busy posting their offers today, and they’re all really different from one another. Which is kind of interesting.

Newbies take the cake

But the real treasure is for newbies. If you don’t already have an IHG Rewards Club account, you can earn 2 free nights at ANY IHG hotel when you complete 4 separate stays. ANY!

So… you could spent $75 per night ($300) and then get 2 free nights at a hotel that goes for $600+ a night, essentially turning $300 into $1,200?!

Freaking nuts!

And remember you earn a free night certificate when you open the Chase IHG MasterCard. The annual fee is a paltry $49 and comes with IHG Platinum status, which is usually totally worthless, but does earn 50% bonus points on paid stays.

I recently broke down and opened the card and all I’ll say is that 3 free nights in a year is a lot better than just 1. And if you pick hotels that costs $600+ per night like:

… you can get damn near $2,000 of value of that – not to mention the vacation experience of a lifetime.

Don't worry, it's actually ~$781 per night after taxes and fees

Don’t worry, it’s actually ~$781 per night after taxes and fees

So if you know anyone uninitiated to IHG Rewards Club… and you can make a new account… definitely get in on this! Dang newbies. (Bitter, party of one, right here!)

Bottom line

IHG has a new fall promotion called Accelerate. It’s great for newbies/new accounts but various levels of sucky for current members.

That being said, if you have stays coming up anyway, you might as well register (or let someone else book the room for you).

Keep in mind you should sign up before you stay – IHG doesn’t credit stays after the fact.

This will be helpful for some. Between this promo and wanting to burn Hilton points, I’m torn between where to stay on an upcoming trip.

Does this promo rock your world at all?