New Credit Card Offer

[Huston55]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sakowitzm The Chase Sapphire Reserved *did* have a 100,000 point bonus a while back, when I got it. It's lower now, or at least I'm not seeing such a high amount. But let's say it's only 50,000 points. If you use them for travel on Chase's site, they're worth 75,000 points or $750. The card itself costs $450/year, but the bonus puts you in the black by $300 by itself. But they also cover your first $300 in travel expenses. So you're now ahead by $600. Of course, that's only for year 1. But it's very nice. You wonder about using the Chase website for booking travel? I've not noticed any difference, and it's easy to use. Also, they cover your TSA expense once every five years, I think. And a couple of other things. If you travel even modestly in your first year, this is a very sweet card to have.

The 100,000 point bonus is still available (until 12 March 17) if you visit a brick & mortar Chase location.

PS: visit "The Points Guy" website for details.

[gerntz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadway When I go into Pennsylvania or Delaware, I have to remember to get out of the car and pump my own gas. Good thing I lived elsewhere before moving here.

Did you need a training block?

[Travelfreek]

This is true! My husband and I visited the Chase brick and mortar bank 2 days ago and he applied at one of the desks with a live person. We rec'd the card today via UPS (2 days after applying in the bank). The 100,000 point offer is only good via the bank locations before March 12th!

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerntz As I read things on Fidelity's site, the 2% doesn't ever start getting paid till there's over an initial $2500/5K points on the account. I read this to mean that first $2500 credit - $50 cash - is never receivable. Do I read that wrong?

I believe that $50 is the minimum reward to redeem, so yes, you would have to spend $2500 before you could redeem any cash reward. But you definitely get that first $50 cash reward. So I'm not sure you're reading it quite right.

I have Fidelity automatically redeem my rewards to one of my Fidelity accounts, and they wait until I have 5000 points before redeeming the reward at the start of each month. If I don't have enough points accrued, they skip a month.

[gerntz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 I believe that $50 is the minimum reward to redeem, so yes, you would have to spend $2500 before you could redeem any cash reward. But you definitely get that first $50 cash reward. So I'm not sure you're reading it quite right. I have Fidelity automatically redeem my rewards to one of my Fidelity accounts, and they wait until I have 5000 points before redeeming the reward at the start of each month. If I don't have enough points accrued, they skip a month.

Thanks.

[kgtest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travelfreek I like the idea of the Fidelity 2% cash back no fee credit card as a long term solution. This especially works for us since we have the bulk of our deferred comp (retirement) in Fidelity. We also play the game of getting certain travel credit cards to get the big bonuses but then cancel before the 1 year annual fee is due. This is a bit time consuming and results in more time paying several different credit cards each month (the balance in full of course).

But those free airline tickets are worth the extra hassle.

The best ROI on these cards is the initial sign-up bonus. After that the benefit is greatly reduced. I just landed an offer for 80,000 pts with Chase Ink Business Preferred. Just need to spend $5,000 in first three months. Thank goodness my folks are doing some remodeling...they will help me meet that huge minimum spend goal.

[Amethyst]

In NJ they have too much class to pump their own gas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerntz OK. Y'all still aren't smart enough to pump your own gas there either, right?

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst In NJ they have too much class to pump their own gas.

I thought it was because they didn't trust the population with gas pumps in their hands.

[ABQ2015]

I get very impatient waiting at the Oregon gas stations for the attendant who always has several customers. Once they finally start filling your tank, it can take a while for them to get back to your car. It would easily take me half the time. I can't imagine how New Jerseyeans, given their nature, deal with this inconvenience. Of course, I don't have a smart phone to text and play games during all of this.

[Amethyst]

Part of the NJ nature is not to dawdle, unless they are out to get you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABQ2015 I get very impatient waiting at the Oregon gas stations for the attendant who always has several customers. .... I can't imagine how New Jerseyeans, given their nature, deal with this inconvenience.

[Amethyst]

My favorite NJ meme:

Hi, we're from New Jersey!
That's OK, we don't like you, either.

[rayvt]

Argh, the Bank of America Travel rewards card is pretty complex. It took me a long period of poking around to find what I was looking for.

If you redeem for travel, each point is worth 1.5 cents. If you redeem for cash it is worth 0.6 cents. Less that half. But there are tiers depending on how much you have in a Merrill brokerage account. Highest tier gets you a 75% bonus, so that would be 1.05 cents. What a PITA!

I hate it when they make you jump thru the hoops and dance like a monkey to get a piddly little reward. To heck with that.

Fidelity Visa card is simpler --- flat 2% for each $1 you spend. No tiers, no poring over pages of fine print. 2% when you have them automatically put the cash reward into your FIDO account.
And I don't have to remember to sign onto the site to redeem the points -- they do it automatically.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgtest But those free airline tickets are worth the extra hassle. The best ROI on these cards is the initial sign-up bonus. After that the benefit is greatly reduced. I just landed an offer for 80,000 pts with Chase Ink Business Preferred. Just need to spend $5,000 in first three months. Thank goodness my folks are doing some remodeling...they will help me meet that huge minimum spend goal.

If you have trouble meeting the goal, I can send you a list of stuff to buy me

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayvt Argh, the Bank of America Travel rewards card is pretty complex. It took me a long period of poking around to find what I was looking for. If you redeem for travel, each point is worth 1.5 cents. If you redeem for cash it is worth 0.6 cents. Less that half. But there are tiers depending on how much you have in a Merrill brokerage account. Highest tier gets you a 75% bonus, so that would be 1.05 cents. What a PITA! I hate it when they make you jump thru the hoops and dance like a monkey to get a piddly little reward. To heck with that. Fidelity Visa card is simpler --- flat 2% for each $1 you spend. No tiers, no poring over pages of fine print. 2% when you have them automatically put the cash reward into your FIDO account. And I don't have to remember to sign onto the site to redeem the points -- they do it automatically.

I get 1.65% credit redemption with the BifA travel card because I have a BofA checking account which boosts the rewards 10%. I consider credit redemption "same as cash" because for me a credit showing up on my credit card has the same effect - I pay a lower balance.

I use my Fidelity 2% credit most of the time and Costco VISA for certain categories.

But when I travel overseas my BofA travel rewards VISA becomes my champ and is used almost exclusively for the no foreign transaction fee plus rewards. Most of the spending counts as travel, so when I get back from a trip I have a fat reward to redeem plus tons of travel expenses to redeem against.

So, the rules do appear complex, but in practice it's quite straightforward and rewarding.