Fidelity Amex??

[Kenny]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@KennyRS wrote:

Why not use the Arrival for the 2.2% young? To me this made me not want to app for the Fidelity Amex at all.

If there is no AF for Fidelity Amex I understand the want for it, but for me I'll deal with that when I cross that bridge. lol I did the math for me and it totally makes sense to keep it, so I will probably keep it afterwards.

The CSP I will close and transfer the limit to my Freedom/Amazon. I straight up don't care about metal.. that thing is way too big for my wallet and my cell phone holder. PLUS I am sick of people saying, "Oh that's heavy!" --ugh.

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THere is no AF for the Amex.  Biggest advantage over Arrival is that plus there is no restriction on redemptions, you don't need to redeem against travel expenses.

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Yeah, I guess that AF might negate some, if not all, of the .2% extra savings. I would like the fact that I didn't need to redeem against travel expenses, but that's not been an issue so far.

[Open123]

Regarding M.S., the Fid Amex is only for those without access to VRs or Walmarts Bluebird.  For me, since I have neither around me, my only recourse for M.S. would be $1,000 A.P. and $1,000 Serve, for the 2% rebate.

Just use them for bill pays and bypass all the processing fee rubbish.

*Edited* If available, the JCB's 3% would be better for pure non-VR or GC bluebird loading.

[youngandcreditwrthy]

I never do the manufactured spending thing. That's far tooo complicated and risky imo.

I have the no AF version of the Arrival card, so I get 2% only on travel and restaurants (two of my higehst spend categories!)..

The Arrival card really sucks at cash back as you need twice as many points to redeem for cash.

for example, the 21k+ points I have are worth like only $106 or so dollars, but I can use them towards travel for likie $210 worth. My Arrival card has been confusing me a little.

Im not sure what really counts as "travel"

Anyhow, I must have been in the mood to drap the other night. I really gotta stay in the garden yall!!! I have BTs expiring at the beginning og next year, so I need to limit inqs and new account in case I need to BT again LOL...Been doing well on paying down debt though.

Thanks everyone!

[enharu]

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@youngandcreditwrthy wrote:

I never do the manufactured spending thing. That's far tooo complicated and risky imo.

I have the no AF version of the Arrival card, so I get 2% only on travel and restaurants (two of my higehst spend categories!)..

The Arrival card really sucks at cash back as you need twice as many points to redeem for cash.

for example, the 21k+ points I have are worth like only $106 or so dollars, but I can use them towards travel for likie $210 worth. My Arrival card has been confusing me a little.

Im not sure what really counts as "travel"

Anyhow, I must have been in the mood to drap the other night. I really gotta stay in the garden yall!!! I have BTs expiring at the beginning og next year, so I need to limit inqs and new account in case I need to BT again LOL...Been doing well on paying down debt though.

Thanks everyone!

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Travel expenses for Barclays are plane tickets, hotels, car rentals, cruises, boat tickets and travel agency expenses (online and traditional). It's a little more restrictive compared to Chase, which includes parking, tolls and taxi expenses as travel too.

[CreditScholar]

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@Open123 wrote:

Regarding M.S., the Fid Amex is only for those without access to VRs or Walmarts Bluebird.  For me, since I have neither around me, my only recourse for M.S. would be $1,000 A.P. and $1,000 Serve, for the 2% rebate.

Just use them for bill pays and bypass all the processing fee rubbish.

*Edited* If available, the JCB's 3% would be better for pure non-VR or GC bluebird loading.

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Is this because there aren't any at all where you're at, or that you CBF hunting them down when availability is really scarce and unreliable?

[enharu]

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@CreditScholar wrote:

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@Open123 wrote:

Regarding M.S., the Fid Amex is only for those without access to VRs or Walmarts Bluebird.  For me, since I have neither around me, my only recourse for M.S. would be $1,000 A.P. and $1,000 Serve, for the 2% rebate.

Just use them for bill pays and bypass all the processing fee rubbish.

*Edited* If available, the JCB's 3% would be better for pure non-VR or GC bluebird loading.

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Is this because there aren't any at all where you're at, or that you CBF hunting them down when availability is really scarce and unreliable?

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my guess is that it's also much harder to do MS now.

CVS no longer allows VR purchases using CCs. The easiest to MS is to buy GCs at grocery stores, and then go to a Walmart to get money orders or to load into bluebird. However, some Walmarts are just too ghetto / dangerous to go to, and some are also no longer allowing money order / BB loads using GCs.

Amazon is also shutting down accounts that are abusing APs, so it's getting riskier as well.

The other method is to load money into a brokerage using CCs, but most brokerages require the funds that are loaded from CCs to be in there for 60 to 90 days before they can be withdrawn to a checking / savings, otherwise they'll just refund the CC. If the brokerage account is used for just that, they'll most likely shut it down and possibly freeze the funds as well. 

[rudy0720]

I was just approved last Monday for the Fidelity Amex. I apped for the Retirement Rewards card

[longtimelurker]

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@Open123 wrote:

Regarding M.S., the Fid Amex is only for those without access to VRs or Walmarts Bluebird.  For me, since I have neither around me, my only recourse for M.S. would be $1,000 A.P. and $1,000 Serve, for the 2% rebate.

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No chain grocery stores?

[longtimelurker]

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@enharu wrote:

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my guess is that it's also much harder to do MS now.

CVS no longer allows VR purchases using CCs. The easiest to MS is to buy GCs at grocery stores, and then go to a Walmart to get money orders or to load into bluebird. However, some Walmarts are just too ghetto / dangerous to go to, and some are also no longer allowing money order / BB loads using GCs.

Amazon is also shutting down accounts that are abusing APs, so it's getting riskier as well.

The other method is to load money into a brokerage using CCs, but most brokerages require the funds that are loaded from CCs to be in there for 60 to 90 days before they can be withdrawn to a checking / savings, otherwise they'll just refund the CC. If the brokerage account is used for just that, they'll most likely shut it down and possibly freeze the funds as well. 

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Well, not to encourage others, but it really isn't much more difficult, just more expensive (which without the right cards can make it not worthwhile) and less convenient.   "Most" people should still be able to buy a One Vanilla at CVS ($4.95 vs VR $3.95) or Visa GC at grocery stores (~ $5.95) and convert to MO at a grocery store ($0.50 - $2 per $1000) if you don't have a Walmart.  Without a Walmart, you now have a bunch of money orders to deposit, which can be a pain, but who said things should be easy!

(The hard core MS are rejoicing at the end of easy VR, because now only "real" MS's will do it.  i.e. they are being total jerks!)

[H4LO]

So this is also where all these noobies from MS are coming from....

Sigh.

It's an infection.