re: Credit Card Rewards and Points Discussion

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Best way I can think of is by getting Barclay Arrival+ to offset $400

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Just got approved. Thank you, I had been looking for offers but hadn't seen this one.

My inlaws received a targeted mail offer for Chase Ink. They have no interest in applying whatsoever.

I used the offer code to sign in and it was a generic form with only their address that could be changed. I did not proceed any further, but would this work for me if I applied or will they somehow know it was not initially intended for me? thx

Highest I've seen is 70k in store branch. I got them to match that through secure message.

Yes you can, but peak times usually get booked way in advance. So you would need a little more planning.

Basically - call the diamond desk asking for any assistance. At the end, they will ask you if you are interested in hearing an offer, and offer you 500 points just to listen to the offer. Say yes. They transfer you to the TS people, who firsts deposit 500 points into your account and then start telling you about your options and what they are offering at that time. IIRC you can only do 1 a year. Also, you have to book right then on the phone. Peak times and upgraded rooms have a small upcharge. I thought it was very reasonable for 2 hours of my time, even with the upcharge. All said and done, you come out breakeven or ahead in terms of pure $$ in the pocket (assuming you can use the $200 Hilton Rebate anyway). Usually the options are Orlando, Vegas, Hawaii and a couple others.

Ahh I see.

Give it a try. Let us know how it goes.

So, Amex plat card 100k does not allow giftcards towards the min spending for pts? This was what the phone rep told me just now so I retracted my application at the last second.

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What's the best way to be a Hilton and Hyatt Diamond? Is that just something you need to travel that much for?

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I achieved Hilton Diamond and Hyatt Diamond through cc spend on the Citi Reserve and Chase Hyatt.

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This was what the phone rep told me

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Cmon dude..

Not like I asked her about it or even brought it up. During her long standard card approval spill , she specifically commented on gift cards and even reiterated it so I just thanked her and said I would do more research on the card's benefits and will call to back to reapply when I'm not at work.

This was the first time I tried to apply via phone, so it caught me lil off guard.

Mainly because gcs are bought through bonus categories or to earn the signing bonus and then dump the card. Both are loss leaders for cc companies.

Plus gift cards are seen as equivalent to cash advances which have a high risk therefore higher fee. So you get the benefits of cash advance while paying the regular fee, which is not making the creditor risk averse.

While I might spend $100 a month on the profitable burrito, I'll spend $30k on gcs easy