I got here by following your link on KPD's thread. I thought I was doing well (we'll net around $4 to 4.5k this year in bonuses) but you guys are killing it.
Update through the end of Oct.:
Received = reward in hand
Pending = reward criterion met but reward not in hand
In progress = reward criterion not met yet
Denied = :(
Credit Card totals earned & in progress for 2018 through 10/28:
Cash: $1,960 - all received
UR Points: 178k - all received
MR Points: 350k - 340k received, 10k in progress
SW Miles: 116k - all received
AA Miles: 127k - all received
SW Vouchers: $200 - all in progress
AA Vouchers: $200 - all received
HH Points: 128k - all received
Saks 5th Ave. Gift Cards: $50 - all received
Manufactured Spending totals earned & in progress for 2018 through 10/28:
Cash/Cash Equivalents: $100
HH Points: 12k
HH Free Weekend Night Cert.: 1 - in progress
Bank Account totals earned & in progress for 2018 through 10/28:
Cash/Cash Equivalents: $5,790 - $1,415 received, $3,175 pending, $1,200 in progress
Fees & associated expenses: $2,000
Assuming 30% tax on the bank account totals, CC, MS, & BA cash/cash equivalent net after expenses: $4,113
Redemptions:
51,673 SW points redeemed for $948 of travel
137,000 HH points redeemed for $1,008 of travel
25,440 UR points redeemed for $318 of travel
Assuming UR cashout of 1 cpp and MR cashout of 1.25 cpp:
Minimum cash equivalent value of remaining UR & MR: $5,900
So by my calculations, currently I have/have in progress in my CC/MS/BA stash for the year:
$10,013 cash
64k SW miles
127k AA miles
$200 SW vouchers
$200 AA vouchers
3k HH points
$50 Saks 5th Ave. gift cards
1 HH free weekend night certificate
and have redeemed to save $2,274 in travel expenses
Total CCs to date:
15 approved (12 business, 3 personal)
3 denied
1 pending
Total BAs to date:
21 approved
12 denied
1 pending
Can you list which business credit cards you did and the bonus for each? I just went under 5/24 and got the cip but three weeks later applied for Chase business cash and got denied. I am looking at what other business cards I can apply for without bumping to 5/24 and then go back to Chase in a month or so and hit up other Chase business cards.
I keep trying to get started in this but fail too. I have one card now a citi cash back card that pays the 1% when you buy 1% when you pay.
If you were two pick 1 card to start with and 1 bank to start with what would they be. I have put starting this for over a year now. Im always buying airline tickets but just go on Travelocity or SW website and get the best fare and put on my cit card. We also stay in hotels obviously a lot. Most of this is travel for visiting kids in college and or running kids around for soccer. So any yearly saving would be great.
Thanks,
I keep trying to get started in this but fail too. I have one card now a citi cash back card that pays the 1% when you buy 1% when you pay.
If you were two pick 1 card to start with and 1 bank to start with what would they be. I have put starting this for over a year now. Im always buying airline tickets but just go on Travelocity or SW website and get the best fare and put on my cit card. We also stay in hotels obviously a lot. Most of this is travel for visiting kids in college and or running kids around for soccer. So any yearly saving would be great.
Thanks,
You should strongly consider one of the Chase Sapphire cards if you do a lot of traveling. The time to get them is now, before you've gotten many other cards as they'll deny you after you're up to 5 cards total.
With the Sapphire Preferred you get 50,000 points after $4000 in spend, worth $500 in cash or more in travel credits. The $95 annual fee is waived the first year and they offer 12 months of 0% interest. It's a great starter card. The Sapphire Reserve has more benefits but a much higher annual fee (not sure, $300 or $400?)
I can provide a link to the Sapphire Preferred card if you like... ;)
What has been your best way to meet spend requirements on amex? The rest I have down.
I keep trying to get started in this but fail too. I have one card now a citi cash back card that pays the 1% when you buy 1% when you pay.
If you were two pick 1 card to start with and 1 bank to start with what would they be.
Where does csp offer 0 percent 12 months?
I have a relatively low income, don't spend much, and I'm reluctant to do a lot of manufactured spending, so I've been scoping out cards with lower spend requirements. $1k in 3 months is easy; $3k is a stretch.
I applied for the Bank of America card but was rejected for having too many cards open recently + not having a bank account with them.
to get the business card though don't you have to prove you own a business?
Thanks for the useful thread, Toad. As a newbie, it would be helpful if you could decipher some of the code you're using. In particular, what is meant by:
- UR - Ultimate Reward points -- this is Chase's flexible point system.
- MR - Membership Reward points -- this is AMEX's flexible point system.
- HH - Hilton Honors points -- this is Hilton's point system.
- CIP - Chase Ink Preferred -- this is a business credit card with a high sign up bonus.
- cpp - cent per point -- this is a metric used to normalize and put a value to various point systems since they are not all equal.
There are others that are unknown to me, but this would be a good start, to help me follow along.
Thks!
Update through the end of Nov.:
Received = reward in hand
Pending = reward criterion met but reward not in hand
In progress = reward criterion not met yet
Denied = :(
Credit Card totals earned & in progress for 2018 through 12/2:
Cash: $1,960 - all received
UR Points: 232k - 178k received, 54k pending
MR Points: 493k - 370k received, 58k pending, 65k in progress
AR Points (US Bank Altitude Reserve): 55k - all in progress
PR Points (Pathfinder Rewards): 25k - all in progress
SW Miles: 116k - all received
AA Miles: 169k - 127k received, 42k in progress
SW Vouchers: $200 - all received
AA Vouchers: $500 - $200 received, $300 in progress
HH Points: 128k - all received
WoH (World of Hyatt) Points: 60k - all in progress
Saks 5th Ave. Gift Cards: $100 - $50 received, $50 in progress
Manufactured Spending totals earned & in progress for 2018 through 12/2:
Cash/Cash Equivalents: $100
HH Points: 25k
HH Free Weekend Night Cert.: 1 - pending
Bank Account totals earned & in progress for 2018 through 12/2:
Cash/Cash Equivalents: $7,140 - $2,115 received, $3,025 pending, $2,000 in progress
Fees & associated expenses: $3,400
Assuming 30% tax on the bank account totals, CC, MS, & BA cash/cash equivalent net after expenses: $3,658
Redemptions:
51,673 SW points redeemed for $948 of travel
137,000 HH points redeemed for $1,008 of travel
25,440 UR points redeemed for $318 of travel
Assuming UR cashout of 1 cpp and MR cashout of 1.25 cpp:
Minimum cash equivalent value of remaining UR & MR: $8,230
So by my calculations, currently I have/have in progress in my CC/MS/BA stash for the year:
$11,888 cash
55k AR points
25k PR points
64k SW miles
169k AA miles
$200 SW vouchers
$500 AA vouchers
27k HH points
60k WoH points
$100 Saks 5th Ave. gift cards
1 HH free weekend night certificate
and have redeemed to save $2,274 in travel expenses
Total CCs to date:
22 approved (12 business, 10 personal)
7 denied
3 pending
Total BAs to date:
24 approved
13 denied
@dlawson -- very nice number. I'm assuming 2017 you did primarily UR and MR and cashed out? Also, I would value your SW 'stach closer to $1,800 -- 1.50 cpp is reasonable with SW, all my redemptions have been in the 1.50 - 1.70 cpp range (not factoring in companion pass benefits).
As for the SW stash, I prefer to use slightly conservative cpp numbers for a couple reasons: 1) I'm a fairly inflexible traveler that never flies F, so I rarely redeem for sweet spots that fall on the higher end of cpp ranges, and 2) it discourages me from thinking too highly of the value of my unspent airline/hotel points, which I feel is a common churner trap to fall into ("I have all these points worth $xxx,xxx, might as well take a trip that I wouldn't have otherwise to extract maximum value!").
Hotel status with Hilton Aspire -- Room upgrades (unnecessary and mostly useless but still nice) and free breakfast -- saved me ~$80 in food expenses. Again, I would not have paid that much, but would still say I got at least $30-$40 of value out of it in addition to having a much nicer breakfast than I otherwise would have had.
| Item | "Value" | Quantity | Total "Value" |
| Membership Rewards | 1.25 cpp | 535,266 | $6,690.33 |
| Ultimate Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 234,871 | $2,348.71 |
| Thank You Points | 1.00 cpp | 51 | $0.51 |
| Altitude Reserve Points | 1.50 cpp | 3,352 | $50.28 |
| Flexperk | 1.50 cpp | 2,292 | $34.38 |
| Pathfinder Rewards | 0.85 cpp | 28,773 | $244.57 |
| Flagship Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 6,569 | $65.69 |
| City National Points | 0.80 cpp | 15,892 | $127.14 |
| GoFar Points | 1.00 cpp | 0 | $0 |
| AAdvantage Miles | 1.40 cpp | 147,542 | $2,065.59 |
| Rapid Rewards Miles | 1.50 cpp | 74,355 | $1,115.33 |
| Hilton Honor Points | 0.50 cpp | 253,066 | $1,265.33 |
| World of Hyatt Points | 1.60 cpp | 76,095 | $1,217.52 |
| AA Vouchers | 85% | $1,350.00 | $1,147.50 |
| SW Gift Cards | 85% | $200.00 | $170.00 |
| Hilton Free Night Cert. | $200.00 | 1 | $200.00 |
| Uber Credit | 100% | $190.00 | $190.00 |
| Saks 5th Ave. Gift Card | 85% | $100.00 | $85.00 |
| Cheesecake Factory Gift Card | 100% | $30.00 | $30.00 |
| Cash (Credit Cards) | 100% | $1,860.00 | $1,860.00 |
| Cash (Bank Accounts) | 70% | $4,650.00 | $3,255.00 |
| Cash (Manufactured Spending) | 100% | $471.00 | $471.00 |
| Cost (Credit Cards) | $3,680.00 | ||
| Cost (Bank Accounts) | $18.25 | ||
| Cost (Other) | $642.00 |
Had anyone tracked how opening all of these new accounts and the accompanying credit pulls has affected their credit scores? I ask because I am extremely interested in doing some churning, however my wife and I will most certainly be buying a house in the next few years so we want our credit scores to remain as high as possible. We don't have a specific timeline - the earliest we would be looking to buy would probably be sometime next year, but we may wait an additional year or two.
Had anyone tracked how opening all of these new accounts and the accompanying credit pulls has affected their credit scores? I ask because I am extremely interested in doing some churning, however my wife and I will most certainly be buying a house in the next few years so we want our credit scores to remain as high as possible. We don't have a specific timeline - the earliest we would be looking to buy would probably be sometime next year, but we may wait an additional year or two.
Thanks for all of the replies!
My credit score was over 830 for the longest time, but then dipped about 40 points after I paid off my student loans. That's what made me wonder what the impacts of credit churning would have. Thankfully it has been ticking back upwards - its currently in the 815 range now. Obviously I'd like to keep it as high as possible, though I have read that pretty much anything above 760 should qualify for the best mortgage rates, giving me some wiggle room.
I guess its probably safe for me to at least start to play around with account churning, particularly since the window to purchase a home is fairly wide and since I will start out slowly. I can always track my credit to see how it responds and adjust accordingly as circumstances change.
Thanks for all of the replies!
My credit score was over 830 for the longest time, but then dipped about 40 points after I paid off my student loans. That's what made me wonder what the impacts of credit churning would have. Thankfully it has been ticking back upwards - its currently in the 815 range now. Obviously I'd like to keep it as high as possible, though I have read that pretty much anything above 760 should qualify for the best mortgage rates, giving me some wiggle room.
I guess its probably safe for me to at least start to play around with account churning, particularly since the window to purchase a home is fairly wide and since I will start out slowly. I can always track my credit to see how it responds and adjust accordingly as circumstances change.
To add my information in, I tracked exactly this since I was curious about it as well. Basically churning has/will increase my score. I only had one account for like 14 years prior to starting and you really can't go at it much more aggressively than I have.
https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/ajbdba/data_points_central_thread_week_of_january_24_2019/ef42l5t/
Although I have no firsthand knowledge, I would concur with what @secondcor521 said about ~6 months as a cool off period before mortgage shopping. Also, if you are churning bank accounts, toss the majority of your funds in one account about 6 month prior and only provide that one to the mortgage company so they don't need to wonder about your 20 other accounts with $100-$2000 in them. These are the recommendations I have seen time and time again when this question comes up.
| Item | "Value" | Quantity | Total "Value" |
| Membership Rewards | 1.25 cpp | 567,215 | $7,090.19 |
| Ultimate Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 234,871 | $2,348.71 |
| Thank You Points | 1.00 cpp | 51 | $0.51 |
| Altitude Reserve Points | 1.50 cpp | 54,533 | $818.00 |
| Flexperk | 1.50 cpp | 30,261 | $453.92 |
| Pathfinder Rewards | 0.85 cpp | 28,773 | $244.57 |
| Flagship Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 8,099 | $80.99 |
| City National Points | 0.80 cpp | 15,892 | $127.14 |
| GoFar Points | 1.00 cpp | 3,006 | $30.06 |
| AAdvantage Miles | 1.40 cpp | 188,865 | $2,644.11 |
| Rapid Rewards Miles | 1.50 cpp | 74,850 | $1,122.75 |
| Hilton Honor Points | 0.50 cpp | 275,710 | $1,378.55 |
| World of Hyatt Points | 1.60 cpp | 84,668 | $1,354.69 |
| AA Vouchers | 85% | $1,350.00 | $1,147.50 |
| SW Gift Cards | 85% | $200.00 | $170.00 |
| Hilton Free Night Cert. | $200.00 | 2 | $400.00 |
| Uber Credit | 100% | $379.75 | $379.75 |
| Saks 5th Ave. Gift Card | 85% | $200.00 | $170.00 |
| Cheesecake Factory Gift Card | 100% | $40.00 | $40.00 |
| Cash (Credit Cards) | 100% | $2,110.00 | $2,110.00 |
| Cash (Bank Accounts) | 70% | $6,325.00 | $4,427.50 |
| Cash (Manufactured Spending) | 100% | $828.56 | $828.56 |
| Cost (Credit Cards) | $3,680.00 | ||
| Cost (Bank Accounts) | $18.25 | ||
| Cost (Other) | $1,021.00 |
| Item | "Value" | Quantity | Total "Value" |
| Membership Rewards | 1.25 cpp | 622,789 | $7,784.86 |
| Ultimate Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 256,281 | $2,562.81 |
| Thank You Points | 1.00 cpp | 961 | $9.61 |
| Altitude Reserve Points | 1.50 cpp | 1,794 | $26.91 |
| Flexperk | 1.50 cpp | 30,761 | $461.42 |
| Pathfinder Rewards | 0.85 cpp | 28,773 | $244.57 |
| Flagship Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 0 | $0 |
| City National Points | 1.30 cpp | 40,515 | $526.70 |
| GoFar Points | 1.00 cpp | 35,713 | $357.13 |
| AAdvantage Miles | 1.40 cpp | 191,393 | $2,679.50 |
| Rapid Rewards Miles | 1.50 cpp | 53,227 | $798.41 |
| Hilton Honor Points | 0.50 cpp | 217,875 | $1,089.38 |
| World of Hyatt Points | 1.60 cpp | 25,456 | $407.30 |
| AA Vouchers | 85% | $910.00 | $773.50 |
| SW Gift Cards | 85% | $0 | $0 |
| Hilton Free Night Cert. | $200.00 | 2 | $400.00 |
| Uber Credit | 100% | $259.75 | $259.75 |
| Saks 5th Ave. Gift Card | 85% | $200.00 | $170.00 |
| Cheesecake Factory Gift Card | 100% | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Cash (Credit Cards) | 100% | $2,185.00 | $2,185.00 |
| Cash (Credit Cards) | 100% | $2,185.00 | $2,185.00 |
| Cashout (Credit Cards) | 100% | $1,704.55 | $1,704.55 |
| Cash (Manufactured Spending) | 100% | $1,208.28 | $1,208.28 |
| Cost (Credit Cards) | $3,775.00 | ||
| Cost (Bank Accounts) | $18.25 | ||
| Cost (Other) | $1,077.00 |
I just had a card roll over the 2-year mark, dropping me below the 5/24 limit, so I am thinking of going for the Chase Freedom Unlimited.* The standard offer is $150 on a $500 spend, but doctorofcredit suggests that you can ask to be matched for a $300 bonus if you apply in branch. Does anyone have experience doing this? It also looks like they're doubling the cashback for the first year, so 3% on all purchases, which would make this my primary card until that ran out.
Note that there is no cashback after spend bonus associated with the card anymore, it is strictly 3% back in the first year (or first 20k spend).
I may still want the 3%, but I'll evaluate other bonus options too.
I got her set up with creditkarma (her score is excellent), advised that she always set up autopay and use Mint or similar to track balances in one place, and sent her my Chase Freedom Unlimited referral code... and she was immediately rejected. Upon further questioning, I am reasonably confident this was because she entered her annual income as $7,000, which is roughly what she makes from part time and summer jobs. I was hoping she could count a student loan as income, since she does live off of it somewhat, but that looks to be a no-no. She might have some scholarship money she could count, though.
If so, does anybody know the protocol for re-applying? Is, say, a $17k income more likely to be approved? Can she apply again immediately, or would it be better to call them when she gets the official rejection and explain she made a mistake?
Also, is there any basic churning advice I forgot to tell her?
Basically, is churning viable for a student with very little "real" income? She already has a non-rewards card that she has proven responsible with and she understands the importance of paying off the card before it accrues interest
I also applied for the Chase Freedom, as discussed earlier, and never got official word of approval, but a new card appeared on my Chase account. So I guess I'm just waiting to see if it appears in the mail? Maybe I should use that as an excuse to call and ask some of the questions about my sister's application, since I did refer her after all.
If she is 21 or over she can claim your parents income on an application -- anything that can reasonably be used to repay basically.
Are you certain about this? I have read the opposite. Also, I doubt my parents would agree to it.
$1k spend in 3 months, is easy, $2k spend is a stretch, $3k spend is only possible in special circumstances. I fly a bit but I almost never stay at hotels, so my interest in travel cards is limited. I don't care about 5/24 in the long run, I just thought I'd take the opportunity to grab a Chase card.
I have an additional caveat that I'm on FIREbattical and have no income outside investments. I plan to go back to work next year. Can I even apply for cards right now without lying? Use my most recent salary or next predicted salary?
If this is a proxy for "can they afford to pay their balance," my savings more than make up for no active income.
I have an additional caveat that I'm on FIREbattical and have no income outside investments. I plan to go back to work next year. Can I even apply for cards right now without lying? Use my most recent salary or next predicted salary?
If this is a proxy for "can they afford to pay their balance," my savings more than make up for no active income.
I would think that whatever is on your tax return would qualify. And since retirement account distributions fill up your ordinary income bucket, I'd expect you could put that number on a CC applicaton and legitimately back it up if they ask for documentation.
But the truth is that the bank will almost certainly never ask you to prove your income. I've opened around ~45 cards just for myself, and another ~30 for my spouse, and we've never been asked.
I have an additional caveat that I'm on FIREbattical and have no income outside investments. I plan to go back to work next year. Can I even apply for cards right now without lying? Use my most recent salary or next predicted salary?
If this is a proxy for "can they afford to pay their balance," my savings more than make up for no active income.
I would think that whatever is on your tax return would qualify. And since retirement account distributions fill up your ordinary income bucket, I'd expect you could put that number on a CC applicaton and legitimately back it up if they ask for documentation.
But the truth is that the bank will almost certainly never ask you to prove your income. I've opened around ~45 cards just for myself, and another ~30 for my spouse, and we've never been asked.
AMEX sometimes will ask for permission to get your tax transcript from the IRS to verify income. I'm not sure what the triggers are...maybe high income and/or high credit limits. Hasn't happened to me, but I've read about it.
It's true that Amex Financial Reviews and tax transcript requests are a thing, but they seem to be limited to people putting very high spending on their cards, usually via Manufactured Spending.
| Item | "Value" | Quantity | Total "Value" |
| Membership Rewards | 1.25 cpp | 651,761 | $8,147.01 |
| Ultimate Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 280,655 | $2,806.55 |
| Thank You Points | 1.00 cpp | 1,411 | $14.11 |
| Altitude Reserve Points | 1.50 cpp | 3,013 | $45.20 |
| Flexperk | 1.50 cpp | 30,761 | $461.42 |
| Pathfinder Rewards | 0.85 cpp | 28,773 | $244.57 |
| Flagship Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 0 | $0 |
| City National Points | 1.30 cpp | 42,436 | $551.67 |
| GoFar Points | 1.00 cpp | 35,713 | $357.13 |
| AAdvantage Miles | 1.40 cpp | 362,744 | $5,078.42 |
| Rapid Rewards Miles | 1.50 cpp | 58,409 | $876.14 |
| Hilton Honor Points | 0.50 cpp | 249,275 | $1,246.38 |
| World of Hyatt Points | 1.60 cpp | 30,478 | $487.65 |
| AA Vouchers | 85% | $910.00 | $773.50 |
| SW Gift Cards | 85% | $0 | $0 |
| Hilton Free Night Cert. | $200.00 | 2 | $400.00 |
| Uber Credit | 100% | $289.75 | $289.75 |
| Saks 5th Ave. Gift Card | 85% | $200.00 | $170.00 |
| Cheesecake Factory Gift Card | 100% | $60.00 | $60.00 |
| Cash (Credit Cards) | 100% | $2,185.00 | $2,185.00 |
| Cashout (Credit Cards) | 100% | $1,704.55 | $1,704.55 |
| Cash (Manufactured Spending) | 100% | $1,583.19 | $1,583.19 |
| Cost (Credit Cards) | $3,775.00 | ||
| Cost (Bank Accounts) | $18.25 | ||
| Cost (Other) | $977.00 |
Totals through 4/30/2019:
Item "Value" Quantity Total "Value" Membership Rewards 1.25 cpp 651,761 $8,147.01 Ultimate Rewards 1.00 cpp 280,655 $2,806.55 Thank You Points 1.00 cpp 1,411 $14.11 Altitude Reserve Points 1.50 cpp 3,013 $45.20 Flexperk 1.50 cpp 30,761 $461.42 Pathfinder Rewards 0.85 cpp 28,773 $244.57 Flagship Rewards 1.00 cpp 0 $0 City National Points 1.30 cpp 42,436 $551.67 GoFar Points 1.00 cpp 35,713 $357.13 AAdvantage Miles 1.40 cpp 362,744 $5,078.42 Rapid Rewards Miles 1.50 cpp 58,409 $876.14 Hilton Honor Points 0.50 cpp 249,275 $1,246.38 World of Hyatt Points 1.60 cpp 30,478 $487.65 AA Vouchers 85% $910.00 $773.50 SW Gift Cards 85% $0 $0 Hilton Free Night Cert. $200.00 2 $400.00 Uber Credit 100% $289.75 $289.75 Saks 5th Ave. Gift Card 85% $200.00 $170.00 Cheesecake Factory Gift Card 100% $60.00 $60.00 Cash (Credit Cards) 100% $2,185.00 $2,185.00 Cashout (Credit Cards) 100% $1,704.55 $1,704.55 Cash (Manufactured Spending) 100% $1,583.19 $1,583.19 Cost (Credit Cards) $3,775.00 Cost (Bank Accounts) $18.25 Cost (Other) $977.00
Total Net Value: $27,342.47
Through 4/30/2019:
Total CCs to date:
39 approved (15 business, 24 personal)
34 denied (8 business, 26 personal)
Total BAs to date:
29 approved
14 denied
Redemptions:
73,296 SW points redeemed for $1,628 of travel
377,000 HH points redeemed for $2,665 of travel
25,440 UR points redeemed for $318 of travel
60,000 Hyatt points redeemed for $1,951.64 of travel
50,377 CNB points redeemed for $654.90 of travel
$440 AA Vouchers redeemed for $440 of travel
$450 SW GCs redeemed for $450 of travel
$8,107 total travel redemption "value"
Cashouts (included in summary value):
53,239 USB points (AR) redeemed for $798.56 of cash
58,099 NFCU points redeemed for $589.99 of cash
We're looking to start on the churning bandwagon. What are your go-to recommendations for websites / blogs / whatever to get up to speed on all this? I see a lot of doctorofcredit links, and I've just popped over there, but it mostly looks like article links and blog-type posts. Am I likely to find a beginners how-to article over there?
Also, I see that Toad is getting denials for new bank accounts, if I'm understanding the stats correctly. Why are they denying you?
I imagine it would take a lot of time to post, but I would *love* to see a breakdown for Toad and DLawson on exactly what offers they are utilizing to get those returns for 2019! That would be very educational and inspirational!
Thank you guys for this thread!! Just waiting for our payoffs to report (after a 7-month grueling first-flip-house-project that took everything we could scrap together, haha) and then see where the FICO settles and get started.
We're looking to start on the churning bandwagon. What are your go-to recommendations for websites / blogs / whatever to get up to speed on all this? I see a lot of doctorofcredit links, and I've just popped over there, but it mostly looks like article links and blog-type posts. Am I likely to find a beginners how-to article over there?
Im working on completing (DW and I ) our 8th card of the year a Barclays arrival card and it seems at least to me they do everything they can to make so you cant get the bonus but so far i am winning the battle. No other card that I remember has given me less than a 5k minimum and they only gave me 2k so I have to keep making payments. Kinda a pain in the ass but worth it in the long run.
I think we might just get the Capital One Savor next. Are there any better $3k spend bonuses that we should look at first?
Im working on completing (DW and I ) our 8th card of the year a Barclays arrival card and it seems at least to me they do everything they can to make so you cant get the bonus but so far i am winning the battle. No other card that I remember has given me less than a 5k minimum and they only gave me 2k so I have to keep making payments. Kinda a pain in the ass but worth it in the long run.
Barclays is a good company for service, etc. But they are stingy on credit lines early on in my experience. Also could be affected if you opened a lot of cards in the past 1-2 years.
Finished up the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Southwest bonuses.
The next card I would want to do is the Chase Ink Preferred, but I don't have any large expenses coming up, so I don't think I would hit the $5k spend.
I think we might just get the Capital One Savor next. Are there any better $3k spend bonuses that we should look at first?
I'm another doctorofcredit fan and while I do only a few cc and ba each year, I select my cards only after reading all the fine print which doctorofcredit lays out so beautifully for me:) I do pay attention to any extra points and perks - in case they are useful to me, consider ease of use and ease of managing accounts strictly opened for churning use only.
Card | Holder | Bonus | Spend | Date Opened | Date Earned | Date Closed | Annual Fee | Date to Close/Downgrade | Downgrade Option |
| Chase Southwest | Both | 40k RR | $2k in 3 months | 8/14/17 | 10/15/17 | - | $69 | 7/10/19 | n/a |
| Chase Preferred | DJ | 50k UR | $4k in 3 months | 2/12/19 | 5/5/19 | - | Waived 1st year | 1/8/20 | Chase Freedom |
| Capital One Savor | Both | $500 | $3k in 3 months | 5/9/19 | - | - | Waived 1st year | 4/3/20 | Savor One |
| Chase Ink Preferred | DJ | 80k UR | $5k in 3 months | ~9/1/19 | - | - | $95 | n/a | Keep |
| Chase Southwest Business | DJ | 60k RR | $3k in 3 months | ~12/1/19 | - | - | $99 | 10/26/20 | n/a |
| Chase Southwest | DJ | 60k RR (Companion Pass) | $2k in 3 months | ~3/1/20 | - | - | $69 | 1/25/21 | n/a |
| Chase Preferred | MJ | 60k UR | $4k in 3 months | ~5/1/20 | - | - | $95 | 3/27/21 | Chase Freedom |
| Chase World of Hyatt | MJ | 50k Hyatt points | $6k in 6 months | ~8/1/20 | - | - | $95 | 6/27/21 | n/a |
| Chase World of Hyatt | DJ | 50k Hyatt Points | $6k in 3 months | ~2/13/21 | - | - | $95 | n/a | Keep |
I spent the weekend researching and assembling a spreadsheet to track past and planned future card churning
I'm not particularly a huge fan of keeping Chase Ink, since the annual fee isn't offset by any bonuses like Hyatt or Southwest, but I'm guessing I need to hold onto it just to have continued access to Ultimate Rewards. It would also become our everyday card when we are between cards.
I spent the weekend researching and assembling a spreadsheet to track past and planned future card churning
I'm not particularly a huge fan of keeping Chase Ink, since the annual fee isn't offset by any bonuses like Hyatt or Southwest, but I'm guessing I need to hold onto it just to have continued access to Ultimate Rewards. It would also become our everyday card when we are between cards.
What are your other two cards listed as "Preferred?" You only need one in the household. First you "combine" UR's between household members, then you can "transfer" to Airline or hotel partners. You can downgrade that INK to a Cash card to keep the history and not pay an annual fee. Flyertalk has lots of details on the benefits of the cards, also.
Now that I finally have a fixed address and a few upcoming expenses, I applied for my first card in years. Disney Premier, $200 bonus for $500 spend. (Like Tass, I'm doing the small ones for now.) My application is getting an extra review. I feel so special! I hope it's only because I updated my address too, and they want to make sure it's not a scammer.
I spent the weekend researching and assembling a spreadsheet to track past and planned future card churning
I'm not particularly a huge fan of keeping Chase Ink, since the annual fee isn't offset by any bonuses like Hyatt or Southwest, but I'm guessing I need to hold onto it just to have continued access to Ultimate Rewards. It would also become our everyday card when we are between cards.
What are your other two cards listed as "Preferred?" You only need one in the household. First you "combine" UR's between household members, then you can "transfer" to Airline or hotel partners. You can downgrade that INK to a Cash card to keep the history and not pay an annual fee. Flyertalk has lots of details on the benefits of the cards, also.
Both "Preferred" cards are Chase Sapphire. I have one under my name currently and will open one under my wife's name later, since I'll be at 5/24. What can I downgrade the Ink to besides the Freedom, and will I still have access to UR points that have accumulated? Various articles online suggested that I had to keep at least one UR card open, between CSP, CSR, or CIP. The best case scenario is that I could transfer the points to a cashback card like the Freedom, then eventually transfer them back to UR when another applicable card opened. $95 is worth the flexibility.
Also, I see that Toad is getting denials for new bank accounts, if I'm understanding the stats correctly. Why are they denying you?
I imagine it would take a lot of time to post, but I would *love* to see a breakdown for Toad and DLawson on exactly what offers they are utilizing to get those returns for 2019! That would be very educational and inspirational!
Initiated my first churn today: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ct-de-ma-mi-nh-nj-ny-oh-pa-ri-vt-citizens-bank-200-400-600-checking-bonus/
Cutting it close - last day of promotion to open the account. Next step is to switch my direct deposit information on my company's payroll site. I'll have enough in a single deposit to qualify for the $600 bonus level.
Unfortunately the comments in the DoC thread are pretty negative, so we'll see if I'll actually receive the bonus. I have no issue having the money tied up for a few months, so its worth the risk.
We average about $4k per year combined in CC and BA bonuses, but Toad is really cashing in. I do suspect, however, that Toad's spending, even if it's partially manufactured, is much higher than mine in any given year to capitalize on all those deals. I tend to avoid annual fee CC and the like. I also don't travel very often with three young kids, so the need/desire to maximize those avenues is minimal. I'm also not dipping into the business account offers at all.
| Item | "Value" | Quantity | Total "Value" |
| Membership Rewards | 1.25 cpp | 247,776 | $3,097.20 |
| Ultimate Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 283,122 | $2,831.22 |
| Thank You Points | 1.00 cpp | 2,383 | $23.83 |
| Altitude Reserve Points | 1.50 cpp | 1,919 | $28.79 |
| Flexperk | 1.50 cpp | 0 | $0 |
| Pathfinder Rewards | 0.85 cpp | 4,553 | $38.70 |
| Flagship Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 0 | $0 |
| City National Points | 1.30 cpp | 43,564 | $566.33 |
| Go Far Points | 1.00 cpp | 35,713 | $357.13 |
| BMO Points | 1.00 cpp | 7,117 | $71.12 |
| AAdvantage Miles | 1.40 cpp | 434,889 | $6,088.45 |
| Rapid Rewards Miles | 1.50 cpp | 39,761 | $596.42 |
| Hilton Honor Points | 0.50 cpp | 463,821 | $2,319.11 |
| World of Hyatt Points | 1.60 cpp | 32,183 | $514.93 |
| AA Vouchers | 85% | $910.00 | $773.50 |
| SW Gift Cards | 85% | $0 | $0 |
| Hilton Free Night Cert. | $200.00 | 3 | $600.00 |
| Uber Credit | 100% | $834.75 | $834.75 |
| Saks 5th Ave. Gift Card | 85% | $250.00 | $212.50 |
| Cheesecake Factory Gift Card | 100% | $70.00 | $70.00 |
| Dell Credits | 75% | $200.00 | $150.00 |
| Cash (Credit Cards) | 100% | $2,185.00 | $2,185.00 |
| Cashout (Credit Cards) | 100% | $10,125.55 | $10,125.55 |
| Cash (Manufactured Spending) | 100% | $2,062.88 | $2,062.88 |
| Cost (Credit Cards) | $4,908.00 | ||
| Cost (Bank Accounts) | $18.25 | ||
| Cost (Other) | $1,414.00 |
Hey all.
A few questions:
When do you close said bank accounts/credit cards? Generally if there's a fee I want to avoid and no huge tangibles-I've been closing them as soon as I meet my bonus/the account period for banks is up. I figure this frees up my wait time quicker until the next card bonus allotment of that card (thinking ahead). I always keep my amazon card, Chase freedom, and chase freedom unlimited open.
2) What card should I get?
I have 3 Chase ink preferred cards (last July, August, February this year), a chase ink cash (may 2019), and a chase sapphire preferred (june 2019). Basically paying back student loans and tuition at the time helped me meet the bonuses right away. I have $6300 RIGHT NOW vanilla visa spending to make to pay off the rest and was looking for the best cash back/travel cards.
3) What bank account bonuses are currently the best options?
I know the chase accounts do. I'm considering closing my savings/checkings and waiting 3 months to reopen new ones/hit that bonus. In between then I was eying the CITI (500 on 15k/3 months). I have around 30k sitting in a HYSA to use for these.
I know people like toad do a spectacular job of churning tons of credit cards. I'm much more conservative by staying around 5/24 overall. Banks are cracking down on churners so I'm kinda moving toward keeping cards for two years. My version of pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered.
I imagine it would take a lot of time to post, but I would *love* to see a breakdown for Toad and DLawson on exactly what offers they are utilizing to get those returns for 2019! That would be very educational and inspirational!
See attached for a screenshot of the applications tab from my spreadsheet (going back to 2018).
Looks like a recent failed MDD -- well the 2 x sapphire. Did you submit the preferred first and get auto denied then try Hyatt? Not many try 3 with a MDD, just curious as to your thinking there. I tried 3 but 1 personal and 1 biz on day 2. Someone I know succeeded in doing 1 biz + 2 personal, but that's about the only success of 3 cards I know of.
Also I see a "too much credit extended" from Chase. Never got that one myself -- any reason you didn't recon it and pull credit from a different card? I'm thinking that is one of the few denials that can actually successfully be reconed with Chase.
My 6 months of Chase Checking purgatory are also nearly up, freeing $1500 to seek greener pastures.
My 6 months of Chase Checking purgatory are also nearly up, freeing $1500 to seek greener pastures.
FYI you can set up a recurring transfer of $500 from just about any bank other than Chase and it will count towards the monthly deposit waiver for the Total Checking fee. I've been doing this for years with my Chase checking bonuses. Definitely no need to park $1500 to keep the account fee-free.
I'm coming up on the annual fee for Southwest. Since I'm planning to re-open it and the business card in 2020 to get the companion pass, I figure that I might as well cancel it before the fee hits in September. Unfortunately, it's also my oldest line of credit (by a couple years). Hopefully, cancelling it won't drop my score enough to impact future applications.
I'm coming up on the annual fee for Southwest. Since I'm planning to re-open it and the business card in 2020 to get the companion pass, I figure that I might as well cancel it before the fee hits in September. Unfortunately, it's also my oldest line of credit (by a couple years). Hopefully, cancelling it won't drop my score enough to impact future applications.
I was able to get retention offers on both my SW cards. Statement credit equal to $1 over the annual fee, no spend requirement in both cases.
Spend on both cards wasn't much more than the minimum spend to get the bonus. Might be worth calling for retention so that you get the annual bonus miles and freedom to cancel when you want. I called for retention after the annual fees posted to my cards.
Initiated my first churn today: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ct-de-ma-mi-nh-nj-ny-oh-pa-ri-vt-citizens-bank-200-400-600-checking-bonus/
Cutting it close - last day of promotion to open the account. Next step is to switch my direct deposit information on my company's payroll site. I'll have enough in a single deposit to qualify for the $600 bonus level.
Unfortunately the comments in the DoC thread are pretty negative, so we'll see if I'll actually receive the bonus. I have no issue having the money tied up for a few months, so its worth the risk.
I did this bonus and got it without issue -- just posted a few days ago ($600). No need to tie up money in the account, from what I recall, any deposit into it waives the fees. It did for me at least
Did you move any move out of the account after doing the original DD, but before the bonus was paid?
Did you eventually close the account? If so, how soon after receiving the bonus?
I just got denied for this PenFed credit card: https://www.penfed.org/credit-cards/pathfinder-rewards-american-express
This might be due to my income of $36,000, but I'm also a little worried about my credit score. Creditkarma reports my credit score as 743 or 744 at TransUnion and Equifax. However, it also reports me having 0-1 hard inquiries, despite the fact that I've opened 7 cards in the reporting period. Thus I have just discovered my Experian credit report has 7 hard inquiries on it, which I am concerned may be depressing my credit score there. (They only offer the report for free, not the score, so I don't know it.) Can I do anything about that imbalance?
I have $1000 of unusual spending coming up, and I'd like to get a bonus out of it, but now I need a plan B. Back to doctorofcredit...
Creditkarma reports my credit score as 743 or 744 at TransUnion and Equifax. However, it also reports me having 0-1 hard inquiries, despite the fact that I've opened 7 cards in the reporting period. Thus I have just discovered my Experian credit report has 7 hard inquiries on it, which I am concerned may be depressing my credit score there. (They only offer the report for free, not the score, so I don't know it.) Can I do anything about that imbalance?
I have $1000 of unusual spending coming up, and I'd like to get a bonus out of it, but now I need a plan B. Back to doctorofcredit...
Yeah, I understand the three scores are all independent - my concern is that if one score is much lower than the other two, and that's the one that's being checked, it could hurt my application. My average age of credit is still very young, so many hard pulls is already kind of a second strike. But I'm still waiting on the letter to hear their actual reasoning, so this is all speculation.
A friend just told me about Plastiq. If I use that for rent, I'll be able to hit higher spend requirements. Not that much higher, since rent is only $750, but I could go for $2,500 spend in 3 months, instead of $500-$1,000. Has anyone used it? Looks like the fees would be $56.25, which should be easily outweighed by any decent bonus.
Initiated my first churn today: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ct-de-ma-mi-nh-nj-ny-oh-pa-ri-vt-citizens-bank-200-400-600-checking-bonus/
Cutting it close - last day of promotion to open the account. Next step is to switch my direct deposit information on my company's payroll site. I'll have enough in a single deposit to qualify for the $600 bonus level.
Unfortunately the comments in the DoC thread are pretty negative, so we'll see if I'll actually receive the bonus. I have no issue having the money tied up for a few months, so its worth the risk.
A friend just told me about Plastiq. If I use that for rent, I'll be able to hit higher spend requirements. Not that much higher, since rent is only $750, but I could go for $2,500 spend in 3 months, instead of $500-$1,000. Has anyone used it? Looks like the fees would be $56.25, which should be easily outweighed by any decent bonus.
I've used Plastiq as my fall back to finish spending if I'm running short on some of my cards. Like if I'm $500 short of hitting the 3k in 90 days I'll send a payment for it. If you can get a good referral it cuts the rate in half. I don't trust it for my rent only because I have a horrible management company and I don't trust them to cash it! I've used it to pay student loans. The main issue with Plastiq is that it takes a long time between scheduling the payment and having it confirmed as received. But if you plan ahead it works great.
PM me if you'd like a referral.
Initiated my first churn today: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ct-de-ma-mi-nh-nj-ny-oh-pa-ri-vt-citizens-bank-200-400-600-checking-bonus/
Cutting it close - last day of promotion to open the account. Next step is to switch my direct deposit information on my company's payroll site. I'll have enough in a single deposit to qualify for the $600 bonus level.
Unfortunately the comments in the DoC thread are pretty negative, so we'll see if I'll actually receive the bonus. I have no issue having the money tied up for a few months, so its worth the risk.
Update: The bonus posted last week! Woo!!! Probably the easiest $600 I have ever made. Time to find a new churning opportunity.
Has anyone done the Hilton Honors American Express card , Spend 1k in 3 months get 100,000 Points? My DW was solicited by snailmail and since we do more Hotels than anything thought this might be a good one to do next as we have really slowed down after churning alot in early year.
Has anyone done the Hilton Honors American Express card , Spend 1k in 3 months get 100,000 Points? My DW was solicited by snailmail and since we do more Hotels than anything thought this might be a good one to do next as we have really slowed down after churning alot in early year.
Unfortunately you just missed out on all time high offers. The current Hilton card offerings are mediocre although 100k for the no AF card is decent and worth grabbing if you are over 5/24.
However you have to factor the missed opportunity cost of no cross-referral bonus into the decision. I think the referral offer for HH no AF is 75-85k, so if you can get 15k MR + 75k HH, is that worth more to you than 100k HH? To me it would be (worth it to go the referral route over the 100k targeted offer that is). Definitely not a card worth getting if you are under 5/24 though. I have done them all except for the HH no AF card.
Did HH Biz, HH Aspire, HH Surpass (x2). Bonuses ranged from 125k to 150k for all of them. Hilton points are reasonably worth about 0.5 cpp so a 100k SUB is around $500 in Hilton money. Good thing about the Surpass is that is a good MS card. 15k gets you a FNC and if done at grocery, an additional 90k HH points.
If you lean towards redeeming at lower/middle tier properties, expect to get closer to 0.4-0.5 cpp on the HH points. If you redeem at higher end properties, expect closer to 0.5-0.6 cpp. If you redeem at high end properties in high demand times, you can end up exceeding 1 cpp but it is very rare.
I have a redemption at the Grand Wailea over Thanksgiving this year. Cash rate was 1k/nt so I ended up with a redemption exceeding 1 cpp. Also used 3 FNCs for it. Definitely the exception and not the norm though.
| Item | "Value" | Quantity | Total "Value" |
| Membership Rewards | 1.25 cpp | 292,834 | $3,660.43 |
| Ultimate Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 278,680 | $2,786.80 |
| Thank You Points | 1.00 cpp | 1,024 | $10.24 |
| Altitude Reserve Points & Flexperk Points | 1.50 cpp | 1,492 | $22.38 |
| Pathfinder Rewards | 0.85 cpp | 279 | $2.37 |
| Flagship Rewards & More Rewards | 1.00 cpp | 9,412 | $94.12 |
| City National Points | 1.10 cpp | 44,897 | $493.87 |
| Go Far Points | 1.00 cpp | 36,166 | $361.66 |
| BMO Points | 1.00 cpp | 17,117 | $171.17 |
| AAdvantage Miles | 1.40 cpp | 482,496 | $6,754.94 |
| Rapid Rewards Miles | 1.50 cpp | 22,793 | $341.90 |
| Hilton Honor Points | 0.50 cpp | 500,320 | $2,501.60 |
| World of Hyatt Points | 1.60 cpp | 46,499 | $743.98 |
| Alaska Miles | 1.50 cpp | 85,855 | $1,287.83 |
| Alaska Companion Pass | 2 | $150.00 | $300.00 |
| AA Vouchers | 85% | $910.00 | $773.50 |
| SW Gift Cards | 85% | $0 | $0 |
| Hilton Free Night Cert. | $200.00 | 2 | $400.00 |
| Hyatt Free Night Cert. | $200.00 | 1 | $200.00 |
| Uber Credit | 100% | $1,014.75 | $1,014.75 |
| Saks 5th Ave. Gift Card | 85% | $450.00 | $382.50 |
| Cheesecake Factory Gift Card | 100% | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Dell Credits | 75% | $600.00 | $450.00 |
| Cash (Credit Cards) | 100% | $3,295.00 | $3,295.00 |
| Cashout (Credit Cards) | 100% | $18,548.55 | $18,548.55 |
| Cash (Manufactured Spending) | 100% | $4,401.26 | $4,401.26 |
| Other Misc. Cash Equivalents | 100% | $429.00 | $429.00 |
| Cost (Credit Cards) | $7,463.00 | ||
| Cost (Bank Accounts) | $18.25 | ||
| Cost (Other) | $3,732.23 |
I found another great way to maximize your bank account churning. Sign up for SoFi Money and Sofi Invest. The SoFi Money promotion gives you a $50 bonus for signing up using a referral link and gives the person giving the referral $100. The invest side is $50 and $50. There are no minimums or maintenance fees and only takes $100 so it is very easy to get other people to sign up! I've signed up 6 family members and friends in 2 days! I make $100 per person and they all make $50! If you want my referral code (I would appreciate it!) and you can start with your significant other and make some cash!
My next card might be TD Cash (https://www.td.com/us/en/personal-banking/credit-cards/cash-card/). There's a higher bonus than usual, for a small spend: $200 bonus for $500 spend. Their online application system is down, though.
I might do the Amtrak Guest Rewards World Mastercard (https://www.amtrak.com/apply.html) after all, even though the higher bonus is over. The annual fee card would get ~$500 in trip value after the fee, then I can downgrade to the no-fee card. This would require paying rent through Plastiq once to hit the $1,000 spend.
A friend just told me about Plastiq. If I use that for rent, I'll be able to hit higher spend requirements. Not that much higher, since rent is only $750, but I could go for $2,500 spend in 3 months, instead of $500-$1,000. Has anyone used it? Looks like the fees would be $56.25, which should be easily outweighed by any decent bonus.
For all of the bank accounts you were denied for, were they all due to Chex? I saw a comment on r/churning about pulling your Chex report and then just going through each pull and disputing each one. They said 99% of the time the banks will just drop it from your report. I'm not sure how long it takes to do, I imagine it would be a long process to do for all of your accounts.
| 2019 | ||||
| Earned | Cash Value | Travel Value | ||
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 147,706 | $1,477 | $2,216 | |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 18,237 | - | 274 | |
| Cash Back | $654 | 654 | 654 | |
| Total Earned | 2,131 | 3,143 | ||
| Fees Paid | ||||
| Southwest Premier1 | -1 | -1 | ||
| Sapphire Preferred2 | - | - | ||
| Capital One Savor2 | - | - | ||
| Ink Business Preferred | 95 | 95 | ||
| Southwest Performance Business | 199 | 199 | ||
| Total Fees | 293 | 293 | ||
| Profit | $1,838 | $2,850 |
if I could sell all my points, I totally would!
if I could sell all my points, I totally would!
You can. It's against TOS usually. I know a guy who is well respected in this field. PM me if you want his contact info; I don't make anything off the referral. He won't pay you what you can get for a good travel redemption, but if you have points you can't use or don't like, it's a decent way to get cash for them. (He makes money by brokering between people who have points and people who want to use points for travel but don't have them.)
Should I keep applying for Chase personal cards until I hit 5/24, then apply for all the other personal cards I want, then start rotating through my business card options, or should I apply for all the Chase cards I can - personal, business, etc. - first?
I believe I read in one of the r/churning articles that Chase would not approve business cards if your current credit limit is greater than 50% of your reported income. However, I was just approved for Ink Business Cash with my current credit limit at 55% of total income, and the approval takes me up to 60%.
Since it has a lower limit than the previous two business cards I've received, I'm guessing that I shouldn't bother trying for a fourth business card after this one. I'm still only 3/24 and want to get the Hyatt card before moving on from Chase.
At what point do I need to start reducing my credit limit? Will other banks deny me outright if I'm sitting at 60-70% of income already?
Should I keep applying for Chase personal cards until I hit 5/24, then apply for all the other personal cards I want, then start rotating through my business card options, or should I apply for all the Chase cards I can - personal, business, etc. - first?
Chase biz cards do not impact you 5/24 status with Chase. Basically if it doesn't show up on your credit report, they don't count it. Most bank's business cards don't show up - Chase being a bank where this is the case.
The Chase ink preferred card is generally recommended as the best available option. $95 annual fee, but 80,000 UR bonus ($800 cash, more if used for travel).
It is counterintuitive, but applying with a new business is easier than applying with an established one. If you apply as anything other than a sole proprietorship, they are going to want documentation of everything, that why even if you have legitimate businesses, it is generally recommended to apply as a sole proprietorship and not really use your business documents for the application. Maybe you started selling on eBay. Great, get a card for that as a sole proprietorship.
If you go the Chase ink preferred route, anyone who has the card can give you a referral for the 80,000 UR bonus. The referrer will get 20,000 UR. If you know someone that has the card, use their referral. I do have it, but don't want you thinking I am recommending this one for the referral so if you don't know anyone that has the card and want to use my referral for it, send me a message.
I'm glad this was able to help open your eyes up. That was the intent :)
I would recommend focusing on business cards for the next 6-9 months. You can pick up a new Chase business card every 2-3 months and pick up other bank's business cards in the meantime. Just make sure to research if the bank reports the business card to your credit history first. Capital one does, but most of the other major banks (BoA, AMEX, Citi, Chase, Barclays) do not.
Then when you have loaded up on Chase business cards (3-5 I would say), finish up with Chase personal cards to round out your 5/24 and move on to other things.
Anyone doing the latest BBVA offer? I think I will... Spouse did a similar one in 2018 or 2019. It was pretty easy.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/bbva-compass-200-checking-50-savings-bonus-nationwide-available-online-2/
Thinking about getting into some business cards this year for the first time...
Anyone doing the latest BBVA offer? I think I will... Spouse did a similar one in 2018 or 2019. It was pretty easy.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/bbva-compass-200-checking-50-savings-bonus-nationwide-available-online-2/
Anyone doing the latest BBVA offer? I think I will... Spouse did a similar one in 2018 or 2019. It was pretty easy.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/bbva-compass-200-checking-50-savings-bonus-nationwide-available-online-2/
I signed up in November 2019 and the bonus just posted last week.
| Earned | Cash Value | Travel Value | |
| Chase UR | 105,891 | $1,059 | $1,588 |
| Southwest RR* | 133,231 | 1,332 | 1,998 |
| Total Earned | 2,391 | 3,587 | |
| Fees | |||
| Sapphire Preferred | 95 | 95 | |
| SW Premier | 99 | 99 | |
| Total Fees | 194 | 194 | |
| Referral Taxes | 60 | 60 | |
| Profit | $2,137 | $3,333 |
Meanwhile, I've been keeping my Wells Fargo bank account open as leverage to apply for a card with them, and I've been solicited for the Propel card, $200 bonus on a $1000 spend. However, April-July is also a 5% grocery quarter for the Chase Freedom, and that's my most flexible spending; I'm only expecting about $6-700 in other easily transferable expenses in the next 3 months. (As I've mentioned before, I'm not currently in the manufactured spend game.) Of course, I could just accept the loss of the 5% reward in pursuit of the 20% return for the bonus.
I was just approved for Propel! I guess I'll use Freedom for groceries until I get the Propel card, thanks for heads up on the 5% back. I can't do manufactured spend either.
I was just approved for Propel! I guess I'll use Freedom for groceries until I get the Propel card, thanks for heads up on the 5% back. I can't do manufactured spend either.
Make sure you activate the 5% earning! You should get an email about it, or you can log into the website and look for "5% categories."
After I'm done referring CC for P2, I should cancel the CC even if it does not have a annual fee, so I can be eligible for the sign up bonus later right?
After I'm done referring CC for P2, I should cancel the CC even if it does not have a annual fee, so I can be eligible for the sign up bonus later right?
No I think for most of them the 2 years start from when you last opened the card or got the bonus. It varies so read the fine print.
I'm ready for a new credit card. I am under 5/24 because I am in 2 player mode and did business cards last year, also was taking a break for the last few months until my refi went through. I would be happy to use someone's referral link for CSP, if you PM it to me.I sent you a referral link as I just got the CSP bonus about a month ago. Took me a long time to get back under 5/24. My spouse was at 3/24 so we went a little crazy on Chase Biz and personal cards.
I used your link, thanks. Last year and early this year we did the ink cash x2, ink unlimited x2, and capital one savor for DH when the bonus was still $500.I'm ready for a new credit card. I am under 5/24 because I am in 2 player mode and did business cards last year, also was taking a break for the last few months until my refi went through. I would be happy to use someone's referral link for CSP, if you PM it to me.I sent you a referral link as I just got the CSP bonus about a month ago. Took me a long time to get back under 5/24. My spouse was at 3/24 so we went a little crazy on Chase Biz and personal cards.
Bummer, we missed the Savor bonus. We did manage two CIP's for my spouse using SS for one and EIN for the other. It appears the bonus has increased to 100K UR points but requires 15K in spending. That sucksI used your link, thanks. Last year and early this year we did the ink cash x2, ink unlimited x2, and capital one savor for DH when the bonus was still $500.I'm ready for a new credit card. I am under 5/24 because I am in 2 player mode and did business cards last year, also was taking a break for the last few months until my refi went through. I would be happy to use someone's referral link for CSP, if you PM it to me.I sent you a referral link as I just got the CSP bonus about a month ago. Took me a long time to get back under 5/24. My spouse was at 3/24 so we went a little crazy on Chase Biz and personal cards.
Bummer, we missed the Savor bonus. We did manage two CIP's for my spouse using SS for one and EIN for the other. It appears the bonus has increased to 100K UR points but requires 15K in spending. That sucksI used your link, thanks. Last year and early this year we did the ink cash x2, ink unlimited x2, and capital one savor for DH when the bonus was still $500.I'm ready for a new credit card. I am under 5/24 because I am in 2 player mode and did business cards last year, also was taking a break for the last few months until my refi went through. I would be happy to use someone's referral link for CSP, if you PM it to me.I sent you a referral link as I just got the CSP bonus about a month ago. Took me a long time to get back under 5/24. My spouse was at 3/24 so we went a little crazy on Chase Biz and personal cards.
I am going to fall back down to 4/24 in a couple months and was going to shoot for the CIP using my spouse's referral. Probably not now. I may go for a 2nd CIC. Not sure I want to push my luck though opening a whole bunch of Chase cards in a short period of time.Bummer, we missed the Savor bonus. We did manage two CIP's for my spouse using SS for one and EIN for the other. It appears the bonus has increased to 100K UR points but requires 15K in spending. That sucksI used your link, thanks. Last year and early this year we did the ink cash x2, ink unlimited x2, and capital one savor for DH when the bonus was still $500.I'm ready for a new credit card. I am under 5/24 because I am in 2 player mode and did business cards last year, also was taking a break for the last few months until my refi went through. I would be happy to use someone's referral link for CSP, if you PM it to me.I sent you a referral link as I just got the CSP bonus about a month ago. Took me a long time to get back under 5/24. My spouse was at 3/24 so we went a little crazy on Chase Biz and personal cards.
For a while, if you still had an older referral link, you could still get the old deal. However, with covid-19, I think Chase has become a lot more restrictive with business cards.
Chase in denying business CC when applying with sole proprietor, I was just about to apply too but caught wind, are there other banks that are still approving sole proprietor business CC applications?
Also what's CIP, CIC, and CSP?
Chase in denying business CC when applying with sole proprietor, I was just about to apply too but caught wind, are there other banks that are still approving sole proprietor business CC applications?
Also what's CIP, CIC, and CSP?
Chase in denying business CC when applying with sole proprietor, I was just about to apply too but caught wind, are there other banks that are still approving sole proprietor business CC applications?FYI, tried applying for the CIC for spouse and denied at 4/24 and two other Chase biz cards. So yeah, Chase is definitely tightening the reigns on biz card approvals. Time to start looking elsewhere.
Also what's CIP, CIC, and CSP?
Chase in denying business CC when applying with sole proprietor, I was just about to apply too but caught wind, are there other banks that are still approving sole proprietor business CC applications?FYI, tried applying for the CIC for spouse and denied at 4/24 and two other Chase biz cards. So yeah, Chase is definitely tightening the reigns on biz card approvals. Time to start looking elsewhere.
Also what's CIP, CIC, and CSP?
Chase in denying business CC when applying with sole proprietor, I was just about to apply too but caught wind, are there other banks that are still approving sole proprietor business CC applications?FYI, tried applying for the CIC for spouse and denied at 4/24 and two other Chase biz cards. So yeah, Chase is definitely tightening the reigns on biz card approvals. Time to start looking elsewhere.
Also what's CIP, CIC, and CSP?
Was it her first business card or did she have some already? And what did you put for the name and type of business?
I got one for DH in January and it worked fine (used his name for the name of the business and"hobbies" as the business type (he legit sells hobby items online but doesn't make a profit so we don't report to the IRS [collecting hobby where it is cheaper to buy lots and resell the items he doesn't want, rather than to buy just the ones he wants]).
For myself I use my name and "farm rental" because I get a 1099PATR from the gas company every year that I have to report to the IRS as farm rental income.
Question: has anyone been able to direct deposit their paycheck into their spouse's account. I have never tried this and there are a couple bonuses I could get for DH if this works.
Also what are the rules for business bank accounts if you don't have a real business? Are they harder than credit cards?
Question: has anyone been able to direct deposit their paycheck into their spouse's account. I have never tried this and there are a couple bonuses I could get for DH if this works.
Also what are the rules for business bank accounts if you don't have a real business? Are they harder than credit cards?
Yes, it's a pain for my wife to change her DD, so my DD is going into a PNC account that is under her name only.
Business bank accounts will probably vary by bank. I've applied for two with a "business." Both required opening the account in-person, but both were successful. The questions were similar to what you answer for a business credit card application.
I just tried to apply for the SavorOne with the above link, but got denied.
Last month I got denied for an AAdvantage card (Barclays + American Airlines) because I had opened too many accounts recently. I'm guessing today's will be the same reason. My credit score is between 749-807, depending on who you ask. Do I just need to chill out on applying for a while?
I just tried to apply for the SavorOne with the above link, but got denied.
Last month I got denied for an AAdvantage card (Barclays + American Airlines) because I had opened too many accounts recently. I'm guessing today's will be the same reason. My credit score is between 749-807, depending on who you ask. Do I just need to chill out on applying for a while?
Yep, sounds like you need to chill out for awhile. How many have you applied for in say the last 6 months? I try to keep myself and DH each around 5/24 which means it's 4 months or so between applications. I've never been turned down for "too many accounts recently" although when I get my FICO and other credit scores that's always the reason my not quite "perfect" score. (My FICO is firmly above 800.)
I just tried to apply for the SavorOne with the above link, but got denied.
Last month I got denied for an AAdvantage card (Barclays + American Airlines) because I had opened too many accounts recently. I'm guessing today's will be the same reason. My credit score is between 749-807, depending on who you ask. Do I just need to chill out on applying for a while?
Yep, sounds like you need to chill out for awhile. How many have you applied for in say the last 6 months? I try to keep myself and DH each around 5/24 which means it's 4 months or so between applications. I've never been turned down for "too many accounts recently" although when I get my FICO and other credit scores that's always the reason my not quite "perfect" score. (My FICO is firmly above 800.)
· Based on your credit report from one or more of the agencies on the back of this letter, there are too many active credit cards based on your loan history
· Based on your credit report from one or more of the agencies on the back of this letter, there are too many new revolving accounts
· Based on your credit report from one or more of the agencies on the back of this letter, there are too many revolving accounts