Author Topic: Credit Card points hacking  (Read 3375 times)

coopdog

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Credit Card points hacking
« on: December 13, 2017, 05:21:15 AM »
My wife and I are start doing a little travel/credit card hacking for points. I'm going to focus on getting the point bonuses this first year. Should we sign up separately so we each get bonus points or just do one account with two cards? It would seem keeping track of two credit cards is not double the work. We spend enough each month to cover the minimum spending requirements. And in case anyone is wondering, we are long time YNAB'rs (and debit card users). We will pay off any credit cards each month.

boarder42

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2017, 05:29:07 AM »
there arent many places that allow you to have one account with mixed users funding the same one.  Delta Amex will let you sign up the same account on different user CC's but other than that i'm not aware of many others outside of AMEX.  with SPG you can easily transfer between accounts of users in the same household.

coopdog

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2017, 05:35:13 AM »
Interesting. I just assumed most credit cards could provide a card for a spouse on the same account. We only have one credit card now, Amex, and that's how it is set up.

kpd905

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2017, 05:49:37 AM »
You probably just have the spouse as an authorized user on the Amex card. 

Grab a card for each person and you'll have double the points.  I'd recommend starting with the best Chase cards, because after you have opened 5 cards in 24 months (from any company), they will no longer approve you for more cards.

boarder42

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2017, 05:57:13 AM »
yes you can add them as an AU as indicated above but dont get extra point for this.

Catbert

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2017, 10:46:03 AM »
If you want to get one credit card account to use for "everything" then get your spouse as an authorized user.  No extra bonus for that (okay, some cards may give you 5,000 points to add an AU) and all charges and points go into one account.  That's also a good tactic if getting the minimum spend would be a stretch for one of you.

However, if you want to churn cards for maximum sign up bonuses, then get separate cards and additional sign up bonuses.

boarder42

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2017, 11:05:22 AM »
I have found Starwood cards to be the best earning for points and redemptions. You can use the sign up alone for 2 domestic flights on AA or up to 5 nights in a spg resort. Also, you can transfer to Marriott at a 3:1 ratio. Below are my referral links if you want to sign up. My spouse and I have both the personal and business cards - so we received over 100k points. With this we flew to Hawaii and Europe first class plus redeemed for 10 nights. They have many options to transfer and packages.

Personal Card Link - http://refer.amex.us/KELLYWn7x6?XLINK=MYCP

Business Card Link - http://refer.amex.us/KELLYWSjdf?XLINK=MYCP

this is a terrible time to sign up for these cards bonuses regularly incresase much higher than 25k.

NextTime

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2017, 12:23:56 PM »
there arent many places that allow you to have one account with mixed users funding the same one.  Delta Amex will let you sign up the same account on different user CC's but other than that i'm not aware of many others outside of AMEX.  with SPG you can easily transfer between accounts of users in the same household.


Chase UR are also pretty easy to transfer between spouses.

ketchup

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2017, 12:47:39 PM »
there arent many places that allow you to have one account with mixed users funding the same one.  Delta Amex will let you sign up the same account on different user CC's but other than that i'm not aware of many others outside of AMEX.  with SPG you can easily transfer between accounts of users in the same household.


Chase UR are also pretty easy to transfer between spouses.
You can also (at least with Chase) transfer points to airlines in an AU's name.  GF is an AU on my CSP, and we've transferred points to her Southwest account.

frugaliknowit

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2017, 01:02:57 PM »
If you want to do this efficiently without driving yourself and wife crazy, I would start by:

1.  Discuss with your wife where and roughly when you want to travel.
2.  Research which particular airline(s) will get you there most efficiently.
3.  Research which card(s) give you the "biggest bang" on getting there for as free as possible and quickly.

The reason is:  A lot of high, quick payoff cards have high annual fees.  You want to "suck out"/use up the front load (the points they load on when you reach $2,000, $3,000, or whatever) and use them BEFORE the annual fee kicks in (such as Chase Sapphire).  You want to dump the card before you have to pay the fee.  In the case of SW airlines, you now have to pay $65 before you can "suck out" your front load points.  If you fly SW a lot, it might be worth it (that's what I am currently doing.  Last year I hacked a free flight to Vancouver and NY).
« Last Edit: December 13, 2017, 01:05:36 PM by frugaliknowit »

ketchup

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2017, 03:01:04 PM »
I have found Starwood cards to be the best earning for points and redemptions. You can use the sign up alone for 2 domestic flights on AA or up to 5 nights in a spg resort. Also, you can transfer to Marriott at a 3:1 ratio. Below are my referral links if you want to sign up. My spouse and I have both the personal and business cards - so we received over 100k points. With this we flew to Hawaii and Europe first class plus redeemed for 10 nights. They have many options to transfer and packages.

Personal Card Link - http://refer.amex.us/KELLYWn7x6?XLINK=MYCP

Business Card Link - http://refer.amex.us/KELLYWSjdf?XLINK=MYCP

this is a terrible time to sign up for these cards bonuses regularly incresase much higher than 25k.

25k is the standard offer. I have only seen it go above one time in 5 years. They don't have much incentive to do so since their redemptions are much better.

I posted these to help, if you don't like the offer, don't sign up. Simple.
25k is indeed the standard offer, but it's gone to 35k at least twice in the past year (ending in April when I got both, and also more recently in November I believe) for both the personal and business cards.  Also, as Amex bonuses are once per person per lifetime (whereas many other issues limit you to one every two years or so, or don't limit you at all), I think it prudent to warn people on that. 

You're posting "to help" but you also posted referral links so it's not entirely selfless (and I don't remember the official forum stance on them).  I'm not saying that's deplorable, but at least mention that you're doing it.  I'd post mine, but I couldn't do that in good conscious unless a 35k offer was live.
« Last Edit: December 13, 2017, 03:03:18 PM by ketchup »

boarder42

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Re: Credit Card points hacking
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2017, 06:32:21 PM »
I have found Starwood cards to be the best earning for points and redemptions. You can use the sign up alone for 2 domestic flights on AA or up to 5 nights in a spg resort. Also, you can transfer to Marriott at a 3:1 ratio. Below are my referral links if you want to sign up. My spouse and I have both the personal and business cards - so we received over 100k points. With this we flew to Hawaii and Europe first class plus redeemed for 10 nights. They have many options to transfer and packages.

Personal Card Link - http://refer.amex.us/KELLYWn7x6?XLINK=MYCP

Business Card Link - http://refer.amex.us/KELLYWSjdf?XLINK=MYCP

this is a terrible time to sign up for these cards bonuses regularly incresase much higher than 25k.

25k is the standard offer. I have only seen it go above one time in 5 years. They don't have much incentive to do so since their redemptions are much better.

I posted these to help, if you don't like the offer, don't sign up. Simple.

Agree with ketchup. This bonus goes up 40% to 35k every March/April and again in the summer. It's quite self serving to post a referral link and not inform the other party that it's not the best time.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!