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Old 07-29-2018, 01:43 PM   #61
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Rental cars? Since you aren’t paying Costco, how do rental cars come into it? They quote rates before they know you Costco membership, so I don’t think you get extra discounts on car rentals.
I just went to Costco travel just make sure I wasn’t stating something incorrect and they even had a banner ad touting the 2% back on rentals.
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Old 07-29-2018, 03:44 PM   #62
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I just went to Costco travel just make sure I wasn’t stating something incorrect and they even had a banner ad touting the 2% back on rentals.
Plus you get 3% back on the rental if you use the Costco Anywhere Visa so a total of 5%
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Old 07-29-2018, 05:08 PM   #63
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This is very confusing, because I only book (reserve) rental cars via Costco Travel. I don’t pay for the rental car through Costco travel. I’ve never seen that option. So it doesn’t seem like a “Costco Travel Purchase”.

I use Costco to book my rental cars all the time, but I pay the rental company directly when I pick up the car.

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For Executive Member purchases made directly from Costco Travel departing on or after September 1, 2017, a 2% Reward will be earned and applied after travel is completed. Must be an Executive Member when travel starts. Excludes taxes, fees, surcharges, gratuities, trip protection, and portions of travel purchased through a third party such as activities, tours, baggage fees, upgrades, rental car equipment, resort charges, port charges, resort and cruise line fees and similar extras. Other terms, conditions and exclusions applicable to the 2% Reward apply.
I guess there must be a way to pay for the rental car through Costco Travel.
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Old 07-29-2018, 05:36 PM   #64
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This is very confusing, because I only book (reserve) rental cars via Costco Travel. I don’t pay for the rental car through Costco travel. I’ve never seen that option. So it doesn’t seem like a “Costco Travel Purchase”.

I use Costco to book my rental cars all the time, but I pay the rental company directly when I pick up the car.


I guess there must be a way to pay for the rental car through Costco Travel.
You don’t pay for the rental through Costco, you book it through Costco. The disclaimer applies to travel packages. Don’t over think it.
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Old 07-29-2018, 05:44 PM   #65
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You don’t pay for the rental through Costco, you book it through Costco. The disclaimer applies to travel packages. Don’t over think it.
Why are you telling me I’m overthinking it? The language seems pretty clear to me. That exact same language is included in my Costco Travel emails with my car rental booking confirmations.
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Old 07-29-2018, 06:08 PM   #66
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Why are you telling me I’m overthinking it? The language seems pretty clear to me. That exact same language is included in my Costco Travel emails with my car rental booking confirmations.
You had car rentals and travel packages commingled based on your posts here. You also had payment methods for rentals confused based on the same posts. I was just trying to help. Won’t do that again.
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Old 07-29-2018, 06:24 PM   #67
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You had car rentals and travel packages commingled based on your posts here. You also had payment methods for rentals confused based on the same posts. I was just trying to help. Won’t do that again.
That is the language Costco is giving me. I don’t see any other language for the Executive 2%. Any reference to a 2% Executive member bonus on car rentals ultimately comes back to those exclusions.
https://www.costcotravel.com/Travel-...ember-Benefits

Even the “Click, Book, Go” banner for rental cars specifies that the 2% Executive bonus applies to Costco Travel purchases.
https://www.costcotravel.com/Rental-Cars
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Old 07-29-2018, 10:55 PM   #68
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That is the language Costco is giving me. I don’t see any other language for the Executive 2%. Any reference to a 2% Executive member bonus on car rentals ultimately comes back to those exclusions.
https://www.costcotravel.com/Travel-...ember-Benefits

Even the “Click, Book, Go” banner for rental cars specifies that the 2% Executive bonus applies to Costco Travel purchases.
https://www.costcotravel.com/Rental-Cars
Both of those links tell me that booking my rental cars through Costco Travel gives me 2% back on my booking. It says it doesn't apply to 'rental car equipment' which is usually defined as an added GPS unit or car seat, etc.

Then if I pay with my Costco Visa at the car rental place I get 3% back from Citi.

Is that not what everyone is reading?
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Old 07-30-2018, 06:02 AM   #69
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Both of those links tell me that booking my rental cars through Costco Travel gives me 2% back on my booking. It says it doesn't apply to 'rental car equipment' which is usually defined as an added GPS unit or car seat, etc.

Then if I pay with my Costco Visa at the car rental place I get 3% back from Citi.

Is that not what everyone is reading?
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Old 07-30-2018, 07:41 AM   #70
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Both of those links tell me that booking my rental cars through Costco Travel gives me 2% back on my booking. It says it doesn't apply to 'rental car equipment' which is usually defined as an added GPS unit or car seat, etc.

Then if I pay with my Costco Visa at the car rental place I get 3% back from Citi.

Is that not what everyone is reading?
OK, I agree with rental car equipment as I didn’t catch the “equipment” qualifier. But the other language to me specifies purchases made directly through Costco Travel or “Executive Members now earn an annual 2% Reward on Costco Travel purchases”even for the car rental banner. So it’s not clear otherwise at all.

I’ll just have to check my next Executive Member rebate and see. I’ve booked a lot of rental cars through Costco lately.

Are there any travel/money site articles out there that explicitly specify this non-purchase benefit? I haven’t found any.
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Old 07-30-2018, 08:23 AM   #71
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OK, I agree with rental car equipment as I didn’t catch the “equipment” qualifier. But the other language to me specifies purchases made directly through Costco Travel or “Executive Members now earn an annual 2% Reward on Costco Travel purchases”even for the car rental banner. So it’s not clear otherwise at all.

I’ll just have to check my next Executive Member rebate and see. I’ve booked a lot of rental cars through Costco lately.

Are there any travel/money site articles out there that explicitly specify this non-purchase benefit? I haven’t found any.
not from any article but from the horse's mouth............at least one Costco travel rep is claiming that the 2% Executive Member travel reward is for any reservations made thru Costco Travel........includes both rental cars and hotels....apparently you pay for both (purchase? or pay?) at the geographic site and don't pay Costco unlike for travel packages.

You may want to talk to other horses to see if you get the same answer.
We can tell that audrey is a deep thinker who tries to get the exact meaning of the words of mere mortals and has a more complicated life as a result. I told the Costco horse that they should reconsider their use of the word "purchase" since it added some ambiguity .
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Old 07-30-2018, 08:49 AM   #72
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Have always come out ahead just by buying our groceries, rental cars, household items.
You realize you only need to come out $60 ahead to pay for the upgrade, right?
Obviously, I need to blow more dough at Costco!!

I usually earn the fee back, but I would like to point out that due to the fee it's not really an extra 2% back. OTOH, a dollar in my pocket is better than a dollar in a store's pocket. So much for blowing the dough!

OTOH, maybe I will blow the dough on some travel, booked through Costco with the Costco Visa.
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Old 07-30-2018, 09:44 AM   #73
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Best I have found is from USAA Bank - their no fee Visa Limitless Cashback Rewards cards pays 2.5% on anything and everything.
My USAA credit card was hacked 4 times within six years.
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Old 07-30-2018, 09:47 AM   #74
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My USAA credit card was hacked 4 times within six years.
My USAA card has never been hacked yet my PenFed Credit Union card has been hacked multiple times.

Ya never know.
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Old 07-30-2018, 10:16 AM   #75
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not from any article but from the horse's mouth............at least one Costco travel rep is claiming that the 2% Executive Member travel reward is for any reservations made thru Costco Travel........includes both rental cars and hotels....apparently you pay for both (purchase? or pay?) at the geographic site and don't pay Costco unlike for travel packages.

You may want to talk to other horses to see if you get the same answer.
We can tell that audrey is a deep thinker who tries to get the exact meaning of the words of mere mortals and has a more complicated life as a result. I told the Costco horse that they should reconsider their use of the word "purchase" since it added some ambiguity .
Of course that was another option - to talk to a Costco travel person and get it spelled out. But since I book car rental through Costco anyway, I didn't need an immediate answer.

This reminds me of the Fidelity Check card where anyone reading the materials would assume the 1% foreign transaction fee applied to ATM withdrawals, as do some of the reps if you call in. But other reps (at least at the bank serving the ATM card) will tell you that the fee only applies to point of service type sales, and not to ATMs. And those of us who have used the card know there is no 1% fee on ATM withdrawals.

No - my life is not complicated by my "deep thinking" LOL! Or maybe I just can't help it, so no difference anyway.
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Old 07-30-2018, 11:23 AM   #76
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For gas (5.25%), grocery/Costco/Walmart (3.5%), I use Bank of America Cash Rewards
For Amazon purchase, I use Amazon Store Card (5%)
For restaurant, travel, I use Chase Sapphire Reserve (3 X UR points)
For everything else, I use Bank of America Travel Rewards (2.625%)

There is also Chase Freedom. For 5% cash back quarterly category, I use Lyft this quarter and paid internet last quarter.
I prepaid phone and internet to cash in on that.
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Old 07-30-2018, 11:50 AM   #77
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Citi Double Cash Card, as mentioned above. Love it.
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Old 07-30-2018, 03:12 PM   #78
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For gas (5.25%), grocery/Costco/Walmart (3.5%), I use Bank of America Cash Rewards
I checked Bank of America Cash Rewards but what they show is this description
"1% cash back on purchases everywhere, every time, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs and 3% on gas for the first $2,500 in combined grocery/ wholesale club/ gas purchases each quarter."
Can you elaborate?
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Old 07-30-2018, 03:46 PM   #79
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I checked Bank of America Cash Rewards but what they show is this description
"1% cash back on purchases everywhere, every time, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs and 3% on gas for the first $2,500 in combined grocery/ wholesale club/ gas purchases each quarter."
Can you elaborate?
If you have $100K invested with BofA/Merrill Lynch, you get up to 75% bonuses when you redeem your credit card rewards. So 2% groceries would become 3.5%.

I have a BofA checking account, and I get a 10% bonus for that. So for me groceries is 2.2%.
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Old 07-30-2018, 04:17 PM   #80
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I just added the Amazon Prime card to my lineup. Given how much I buy from them, I probably should have done it sooner. But with a Whole Foods about to open in sight of my stoop, I figured it was time.

I imagine my lineup will be:
Amazon Prime for 5% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods
Citi Thank You Premium for all travel, food, and commuting. (3x points on travel/gas, 2x on food/entertainment, plus points go 25% farther when used for airfare)
AmEx Blue for non-Whole Foods groceries (3% back)
Citi Double Cash for everything else

BTW, the process on getting the Prime card was a major pain, but not because of Amazon or Chase--freaking Equifax was having all sorts of problems with their web site, and I couldn't get the temporary lift of my credit freeze working. (Plus I think the first Chase person refused to believe me when I said Equifax does not provide a PIN to outfits wanting to see your unfrozen report.) Waited a week or so and it all finally worked.
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