CSP + Freedom + Checking. Use wisely.

[FrugalRican]

---

@Open123 wrote:

---

@FrugalRican wrote:

The CSP. I'm going to go for the CSP rather than the UMP.

I've nixed the airline card idea. I won't be travelling exclusively through United, so I'm better off with the CSP.

---

My guess is the spending requirements will increase.  We're starting to see that now.  

For example, the Chase Ink Bold increased the 50k bonus to $10k in 3 months.  Amex has been offering short term bonus offers but requiring a spending of $5k in 4 months.  While bonuses will still be offered, I think it'll be more difficult to meet the spending requirements.

---

I think I'll just go for the 40K one. 5K in 3 months is stretching it a bit for me.

3K is a lot more plausible.

I should have jumped the gun when the requirement was a lot lower in Q1.

[Open123]

---

@FrugalRican wrote:

---

@Open123 wrote:

---

@FrugalRican wrote:

The CSP. I'm going to go for the CSP rather than the UMP.

I've nixed the airline card idea. I won't be travelling exclusively through United, so I'm better off with the CSP.

---

My guess is the spending requirements will increase.  We're starting to see that now.  

For example, the Chase Ink Bold increased the 50k bonus to $10k in 3 months.  Amex has been offering short term bonus offers but requiring a spending of $5k in 4 months.  While bonuses will still be offered, I think it'll be more difficult to meet the spending requirements.

---

I think I'll just go for the 40K one. 5K in 3 months is stretching it a bit for me.

3K is a lot more plausible.

I should have jumped the gun when the requirement was a lot lower in Q1.

---

In my view, the benefits of the CSP are so good, I'd take the 40k.  

Sure, 50k is nice, but you'll never sell something at the top, or buy something at the bottom.  I'm sure you realize this, but you can meet the spending by paying your utilities, insurance payments, and even rent and taxes.  There's a processing fee involved with the latter, but it's better than spending on things you weren't going to anyways just to meet the requriement.

[FrugalRican]

The rent is the one that'd easily get me to the 3K spending in 3 months, that's why I'm not worried so much about that aspect. 5K just would have to include everything else I could throw at it, and at that point, it'd feel like spending to save. The 40K seems pretty damn good, regardless of it being mathematically inferior to 50K. I'll take 40K over 0 anyday.

[SimonP]

---

@SamsungHDTV wrote:

The +10 points per transaction bonus gives the Freedom a high yield for purchases under $10..

---

Do you have to have checking with Chase to get +10 points for purchases under $10? Chase does not offer checking in our state, but we have both Freedom and CSP cards.

[Open123]

---

@FrugalRican wrote:

It still is a good thing to keep in mind.

Still wondering about the break even for dining and the annual fee.

9500 points transfers to the $95 fee. Technically, that'd mean spending $9,500 in dining to do that, but seeing as it's 2X, it'd be halved to $4,750 in dining, but with the bonuses, it'd be less. Without the bonuses, it comes down to spending about $92 a week in dining just to cover the annual fee. I don't spend that much or my math is terrible...

But technically I could spend a bunch on the Freedom and just transfer points to the CSP to cover for the annual fee anyway.

Things to think about.

---

From my perspective, I think the $95 fee on the CSP is the best value of any fee based card. 

If you travel abroad, the no forex alone will take care of the fee.  The transfer partners to UA and Hyatt hotels are very good values, and I don't think anyone else will be able to offer a 1:1 transfer to them.

Finally, even without the Freedom (I think the combo is great to small everyday purchases + 10% on non bonus expenses), just making some online purchases that you will anyway will easily offset the $95 fee.  Instead of using Discover online or MR portal, I just use Chase's UR now.

[FrugalRican]

I'll be apping in a few months. I'm so convinced to get it at this point.

[bribro]

---

@SimonP wrote:

---

@SamsungHDTV wrote:

The +10 points per transaction bonus gives the Freedom a high yield for purchases under $10..

---

Do you have to have checking with Chase to get +10 points for purchases under $10? Chase does not offer checking in our state, but we have both Freedom and CSP cards.

---

Yes, in order to get the "10 & 10" bonus, your Freedom card must be linked to a Chase checking account. Make sure you call to verify this is done after you have set up both accounts. It's not always automatic.

[bribro]

FrugalRican, it's fairly hard to justify the $95 CSP AF from a breakeven points perspective, since the regular (non-AF) Sapphire already gives you 2x on restaurants (CSP adds 2x for travel). So, you'd have to spend >=$9,038.47 (assuming 10 or more transactions) on travel alone per year to justify the AF.

For me, the value of the CSP comes from the ability to do 1:1 transfers to airline partners. For instance, points are worth ~$0.02 on Southwest. So if you keep your CSP to travel/restaurant purchases, as you should when using the Chase trifeca, you're getting $0.0428  for $1 spent (a 4.28% points yield) in SW travel value . The no foreign transaction fee, Visa Signature concierge, and 40k bonus points make it a no-brainer. The metallic card is also nice too.

[FrugalRican]

Just checked my UR rewards statement summary:

Points earned on purchases	470
10% Bonus Points per $1 You Spend	47
Bonus 10 Points on Every Purchase	270
Bonus from 5% categories: Jan - Mar	201

Pretty cool how it's itemized like that to show you exactly how it's working.

[FrugalRican]

---

@bribro wrote:

FrugalRican, it's fairly hard to justify the $95 CSP AF from a breakeven points perspective, since the regular (non-AF) Sapphire already gives you that 2x on travel and restaurants.

For me, the value of the CSP comes from the ability to do 1:1 transfers to airline partners. For instance, points are worth ~$0.02 on Southwest. So if you keep your CSP to travel/restaurant purchases, as you should when using the Chase trifeca, you're getting $0.0428  for $1 spent (a 4.28% points yield) in SW travel value . The no foreign transaction fee, Visa Signature concierge, and 40k bonus points make it a no-brainer. The metallic card is also nice too.

---

Agreed.

I already have a No Forex and Visa Sig concierge with the Hyatt VISA, but it never hurts to have a second card with it.

I'd definitely be transferring to United though. Love the option.

Love that I can transfer even points I pick up on my debit card towards the CSP.