re: Credit Card Rewards and Points Discussion

quote:

---

Teddy, would you mind expounding on how you are quickly building points with your Chase business card?

---

Sure.

Chase Ink Plus earns 5X points at Office Supply Stores.

So the first thing you can do there is buy gift cards and use those instead of your credit card. For instance, buy a $50 Shell gas card with my Ink, no fees, earns $50 X 5 = 250 points instead of just 2x points at the pump. They have various cards that may prove useful to you.

The more involved method involves $200 gift cards purchased at $6.95 a pop (there are ways to lower this cost). $200 X 5 equals 1,000 points, which has probably a floor value of 1.6 cents each or $16, or as much as $30 or more depending on what you redeem them for. You are essentially prepaying for your vacation over time, at a discounted rate.

I usually load these cards onto my Bluebird account and can pay Mortgage or Rent, my other credit card bills, send checks to people, etc.

An illustration of the point is as follows: It takes 80,000 points roundtrip in economy to travel to Thailand. Say I earn all those just doing the gift card thing (which I wouldn't).

It would take $16,000( X 5 = 80,000) in spend to get those points which is 80 $200 gift cards. 80 X 6.95 = $556 in total cost out of pocket plus taxes (About $75) on the ticket to get to Thailand if you did this method full bore, no discount off the purchase fee. As mentioned, various cash back portals (and store deals)can help you alleviate that $6.95 fee. But I'd be hard pressed to do MSY to BKK for $625 somewhere else.

What kind of gift cards can I pick up at office supply stores?

The thought of bluebird exhausts me

quote:

---

I just charge a shitload of money on my business rewards card. If it had the bonuses of Chase Ink and I used your method I can't even fathom how many points I'd have.

---

If you're operating a thriving business you'll never really worry about points with how much you'd earn.

If I were you, I'd get an Ink Bold charge card first (50,000 point bonus). After that, apply for the Chase Ink Plus and say you need to be able to make "payments over time" and that's why you need the second card (if they ask). That will get you ANOTHER 50,000 points.

quote:

---

Teddy, how often do you churn your cards, if at all? I am getting to the point where I have a ton of credit cards that were obtained for sign up bonuses. Do you find it pretty easy to turn them over every few years to receive new sign up bonuses?

---

I haven't really started churning any thing yet as I started the game in January 2013. Got the good sign up bonuses on the good "keeper" cards from Chase and Amex. Now that I have a nice base of points, I'll start abusing the particular airline cards ones by one for any particular need.

It sure is a fun game to play. Saves a bundle.

quote:

---

The thought of paying a yearly fee on both a CSP and chase business card makes me nauseated

---

Yeah, I've got another 6 months until my CSP goes full fee... Debating what I am going to do.

Pretty unlikely they would waive the fee if I was going to cancel?

I'll have to find another car to sign up for and then go back to CSP a year later

I'm currently planning on playing out my year with CSP, then applying for a Bold right before my year is up. Downgrade the CSP to Sapphire and transfer my points to the Bold.

Now, what I do after that year is up, I have no idea

Also, Teddy, any reason why Chase would try to blow me up on that?

Southwest card when they have their 50,000 pt reward promotion

quote:

---

Also, Teddy, any reason why Chase would try to blow me up on that?

---

I have a Chase Freedom, CSP, and Ink Plus.

I will be downgrading CSP since Ink Plus let's me use transfer partners still. I'd have to spend WAY more in dining to make the fee worth it. I just don't see how many people can justify CSP if they have a business card. Especially since regular Sapphire still earns 2x on dining. You have to really travel/dine a lot.

As for being blown up, I don't see any reason Chase would do anything negative to you to downgrade to Sapphire and have a business card open. There is nothing inherently wrong with that.

quote:

---

So essentially you are getting CCs for the sign up bonuses, using them for the first year where fees are typically waived and then downgrading the cards to those with zero or no fee?

---

Yup. I do keep some of them though because I think the points are good for every day spend, and I don't apply for 6 cards at a time every 3 months like some people do. Don't travel enough to do that.

quote:

---

I could take my CSP pts, roll them into my United Rewards and then add it with those 50k and I'd have enough points to take a very nice trip. hmmmm

---

I did exactly that when I decided to take a trip this year instead of saving points for my honeymoon. Was an easy replenishment. When those are burned, I'll do it again with my fiance.

When you are married or about to be, you are really good to go since you can get everything twice.

quote:

---

Any reason I would want to get an Ink Plus before Bold? They are identical, other than the Bold not allowing a carried balance, n'est-ce pas?

---

If you can get both I'd get Bold first, since when you apply for the Ink Plus you can say you need it to finance some business expenses over time, and that makes perfect sense to the representative as a reason for needing both (if they ask).

I wasn't sure if I'd get either, so I went with Ink Plus first. Probably dumb, but whatever. I'll probably try for Bold in a couple months though.

is the redemption on points/miles card that much better than cash back?


lets say a card gives 2 points per dollar vs. 2% cash back, is there an advantage to the 2 points over the 2%?


i've typically gathered cards that give cash back since I don't travel much, though i'd have no aversion to a free vacation now and then


for dining, i've been using my citi forward card, which gives me 5x points at restaurants, bookstores (amazon), and movie theaters, etc


the citi TY points may not be that great, but i can redeem them for 100 points per dollar if paying off a student loan or mortgage payment, so i've used that route so far to get a full penny per point

most of their other redemption options have a sub 1:1 ratio, so not really attractive



my newest addition is the barclays arrival card, but i'll have to do some research on how best to redeem the points for travel or other rewards