Tag Archives for chase.
As I look out onto the barren fields where credit card crops once grew, I mourn the loss of Chase (with the 5/24 rule). Of Citi (when they shut down so many peeps’ accounts). And definitely of AMEX (1 bonus per lifetime? Um, OK). Barclays and Bank of America are both one-card wonders (Arrival for sign-up bonus and Alaska Visa, respectively).
I don’t know about you, but I’ve received a lot of terrible offers lately. Here are the best of the worst.
The credit card landscape is shifting fast:
Card offers come and go. Benefits change. Mergers happen and shake things up. Revenue-based elite status throws a wrench into points-earning calculations.
Could ThankYou become the go-to?
Lately, I’ve been using my Citi cards for most of big purchases. And my trusty Chase Sapphire Preferred for dining.
Non-bonused spend goes on the Fidelity AMEX (I still have the AMEX version). And that’s pretty much it. All the other cards I have are for niche benefits or very specific spending (Chase Hyatt Visa, for example).
Recently, I went ahead and canceled the Chase British Airways Visa.
Bye, you useless thing
And downgraded my US Bank Club Carlson Visa Signature to the no annual fee version just to keep the credit line and history intact (here’s my recent offer to increase my credit line in exchange for 250 Club Carlson Gold points).
Happy New Year! I thought I’d hop on the bandwagon with the predictions. So here’s my effort.
“Everyone else is doing it, so why can’t we?”
A portrait of the Fidelity AMEX card
Also see:
There’s a lot going on with Amazon right now in terms of deals:
The chance to get 10X Chase Ultimate Rewards points (which turn into 10X United Airlines miles, 10X Hyatt points, 10X Southwest points, etc. when paired with the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Ink Plus) is too good to pass up. It’s a big reason why the AMEX Jet.com offer is on hold for me.
3 days left for Prime 2-day shipping
If you’ve put off last-minute gifts, this is a *perfect* weekend before Xmas to knock out last-minute shopping with Amazon Prime membership (you could even buy it today and start using it right away if you really wanted to!).
Also see:
To begin, I must say I’m disappointed I wasn’t one of the lucky ones to receive Hyatt Diamond status. Although I did luck out with Hilton Diamond status.
I realize I’ll likely sound like a spoiled brat whining about something I didn’t get for free. Especially when others have spent much more time and money to actually earn the status. That said, the way Hyatt handled the Diamond status match – from free-for-all to the later restriction to only match SPG Platinum members, and all the missteps in between- was very mishandled.
Booooo
Hyatt had an opportunity to capitalize on the SPG/Marriott merger and they blew it – unless you got the match, then you win. I likely would’ve gone out of my way to stay with Hyatt more in 2016 and beyond. This whole thing has left such a bad taste behind that it makes me want to actively avoid Hyatt, and only use them for free award night stays.
Although I think what Hilton is doing is genius, at least from a marketing perspective. And, let’s face it: Hilton has a much larger footprint than Hyatt (4,100+ hotels compared to ~600). And Hilton is in every place there’s a Hyatt with few exceptions.
For example, there are NO Hyatt hotels in Barcelona (where I’ll be in a few weeks). But there were 4 Hilton options:
Furthermore, the next time Hyatt has a Diamond status challenge to stay 12 nights, I won’t even consider doing it (even though you can complete it with only 9 nights if you have Citi Prestige). Why would I spend $1,000 on something so many others got for free?
Anyway, that’s my preamble – just wanted to clear the air here. Again, I completely understand I don’t “deserve” the status in way. It just sucks to see so many get it for free, even though my credentials where enough – at one point – to get me in, too. A case of “early bird gets the worm” if there ever was one.
But now, I’m taking another look at Hilton, as I expect to have more paid stays there, at least for now. And, it’s not as bad as you’d think.
Also see:
Just a quick tip.
Free $5 for signup up to Ibotta
For a limited time, you’ll get $5 added to your account when you sign up for Ibotta and redeem 1 rebate. (Full disclosure: when you use my link, I’ll get $5 too, so thank you for clicking through with it!)
This is an easy way to get a few bucks, but know you can’t transfer the cash out of your Ibotta account until you reach the $10 mark. You can transfer to your PayPal or Venmo accounts once you do. And it’s relatively easy to earn money with the app.
The other day, when I wrote about my experience booking a hotel room in Martinique, I pulled up the Mercez app to see what exchange rate I’d get on $1,118 Euros with the Citi Prestige card.
Lots of cards advertise “no foreign transaction fees” which means they don’t add extra fees to the amount they convert.
Mercez tells you the real rate for each of your cards
But what’s interesting is not all banks convert cash at the same rate.
The amounts can add up, especially if you spend a lot (or live) abroad.
I’ve had some pretty good experiences with Hyatt points, even though the way they handled their recent Hyatt Diamond promo was a disaster. #jaded
Anyway, one can have a finite number of Chase cards, but I choose to renew the Chase World of Hyatt card year after year.
That’s because you get a free night certificate when you renew the card each year, and it’s good at Category 1 through 4 hotels. So obviously, I try to use them at Category 4 properties to get outsized value.
Last year, I gave my free night away to Jay’s grandparents for a night at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch (which is a Category 2), because the certificate was about to expire and it was their anniversary. Jay and I both have the Chase Hyatt card, so we gave them 2 nights at the hotel. They loved it!
New year, new options!
I just renewed the card again and paid the $75 annual fee, so I thought I’d take a spin through the Category 4 hotel list to see where I might use the annual free night in 2016.
I found at least 6 hotels where you’ll recoup the annual fee 4x over… or more. It got me thinking.
Never change
Oh, and because these are all Category 4 hotels, you can also redeem 15,000 Hyatt points for a free night. In many cases, you’ll get over 4 cents per point in value!
Also see:
I’ve been shopping at Amazon.com a lot recently (for things like rose petal water), and have gotten a few bucks back here and there.
I liken it to seeing a buck on the ground. It’s not a lot, but you’re definitely gonna pick it up, right?
It’s kinda like that.
Were going into Q4 on Thursday, October 1st, which is a big day for Amazon shoppers and means:
There are 2 services that’ll boost your Amazon shopping experience and maybe give you a few bucks back.
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.
While reviewing the new T&Cs of the:
…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:
It’s under “Replying to this offer”
My new Discover It card came in the mail this week, in very nice packaging.
And I might have to change my tune now.
I’ve long heralded the Fidelity AMEX as the best cashback card.
But now I’ll refer to it as the best ongoing cashback card. Because, the 1st year at least, the Discover It has it beat by a mile.
I’ll still get great use out of the Discover It card the 2nd year, albeit much reduced.
The 1st year, this card is good for an easy $600, at least. And I’m even thinking this no annual fee card has the potential for over $1,000 back.
Hello and welcome to Out and Out! My name is Harlan – I’m a points and miles enthusiast who loves to travel. I am interested in personal finance, the power of positive thinking, and the extraordinary journeys that make life worth living.