topic Re: CSR Questions in Credit Cards

CSR Questions

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 21:12:42 GMT

Do you get the $300 travel credit upon approval or do you have to wait a year?

Also I do a lot of travel for business and I get reimbursed from my job. I spend anywhere between $2500-$3500 a month in travel with my job. If I were to book a travel expense for work would the credit deduct from that expense automatically? I ask because I have to submit my statement with the receipts and GL codes. Anyone deal with this before?

I didn’t get the card yet but I am going to apply in November. My Ex is 711 and income $80k. I have 3 baddies - 1 from 2012, 1 from October 2016 and 1 from August 2016. Util is anywhere between 2% and 5%. My only chase card is the FU which I got on September 25th of this year. I have 5 HPs (2 auto, 2 loan shopping, and 1 credit card. I have SL debt but always pay on time. I pay my Chase card weekly. My score should go up next posting as I got one card down from 67% to 20% so that should help.

Re: CSR Questions

wasCB14 — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 21:31:44 GMT

You get the $300 credit the first year. It is immediately available. You do not need to wait a year.

Say you used the card to book a $50 taxi and a $400 hotel stay. Your statement would show:

$50 taxi charge

$400 hotel charge

$50 credit called "TRAVEL CREDIT $300/YEAR" (with the same transaction date as the taxi)

$250 credit called "TRAVEL CREDIT $300/YEAR" (with the same transaction date as hotel)

And the balance due would be $150 (plus the $450 AF and other charges)

It looks like the credit is applied to travel purchases in the order in which they post.

Re: CSR Questions

Cred4All — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 22:02:01 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Do you get the $300 travel credit upon approval or do you have to wait a year?

Also I do a lot of travel for business and I get reimbursed from my job. I spend anywhere between $2500-$3500 a month in travel with my job. If I were to book a travel expense for work would the credit deduct from that expense automatically? I ask because I have to submit my statement with the receipts and GL codes. Anyone deal with this before?

I didn’t get the card yet but I am going to apply in November. My Ex is 711 and income $80k. I have 3 baddies - 1 from 2012, 1 from October 2016 and 1 from August 2016. Util is anywhere between 2% and 5%. My only chase card is the FU which I got on September 25th of this year. I have 5 HPs (2 auto, 2 loan shopping, and 1 credit card. I have SL debt but always pay on time. I pay my Chase card weekly. My score should go up next posting as I got one card down from 67% to 20% so that should help.

Op, wasCB14 hit the nail on the head with that explanation, that's exactly how the CSR handles the travel credit. It's pretty fast to be applied (Believe within 2-3 days on mine following a flight purchase) and is done without your interference. If you're not submitting receipts for travel and business expenses, but rather they want to see the credit card statement, then without a doubt the credit's as listed will be very easy to see.

I think you have a good opportunity for approval for the card, and you already have a current relationship with Chase. As you stated, waiting until November helps be sure your current card received in late Sept. ages a good month so you aren't applying too hard / too fast. It's a great card and well worth acquiring based on your stated use.

Re: CSR Questions

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 22:27:08 GMT

All great news, thanks for the reply!

My concern was my job only reimbursing me for the amount charged so what I’ll do is submit a receipt with the original amount so I don’t get short changed lol

If I don’t get approved I’ll app for the reserve and try for a PC next year.

Re: CSR Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 20:58:14 GMT

UPDATE: My job said my card that I would use can only include business expenses and not personal. Which means when I book personal trips I’ll have to use another card. Likely the CFU.

I can get an Ink business card as I have sold stuff on eBay and listed on PayPal as a merchant but I haven’t sold anything in a year. I also do tutoring but I do it for cash. I don’t want to lie on my application o maybe it’s worth selling some things on eBay again plus the ink has a good sign up bonus

Re: CSR Questions

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 21:08:02 GMT

Have you thought about getting a $0 annual fee card like the Uber or Wells Fargo Propel? That way you wouldn't have to worry about having to pay the annual fee.

Re: CSR Questions

K-in-Boston — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 13:28:36 GMT

You didn't mention if you're usually flying one airline or staying in one hotel, but if you're spending $30-35k a year on work-reimbursed travel and can't add in personal expenses on the statements, I'd certainly consider either the American Express Platinum (personal or business), an airline card, or a hotel card. For the Amex cards, you'd earn 5x MRs through Amex Travel for flights and hotels - with the personal you'd also get 5x on airfare booked directly with airlines. (With business you also get 35% of your points back when you pay for airfare with MRs, but that could create an issue as you stated that they don't want you to make any non-business purchases.) For that kind of spend, putting your spend on something like a Freedom Unlimited wouldn't be very beneficial to you but the thousands of dollars in points you could use for free leisure travel each year would easily offset the AF, and it could also make your business travel a little more comfortable.

Re: CSR Questions

jdbkiang — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:54:49 GMT

I would definitely second the recommendation for the Amex Plat. I think the CSR is better for personal use though, so if you could were to get both, you could use that for yourself and the plat for business travel (more comprehensive coverage).

Re: CSR Questions

K-in-Boston — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 17:24:30 GMT

Sorry to hijack the CSR thread with more Amex talk, but a really good strategy might be to get both the personal and business Amex Platinum cards. Charge your business expenses to the personal version for 5x booked directly with the airlines, then redeem them with the business version to get 35% of your points back. Amex doesn't care what charges you're making on each card.

Re: CSR Questions

jdbkiang — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 21:01:32 GMT

Does OP have a specific airline that you usually fly with? That could make a difference too.

Re: CSR Questions

bourgogne — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 00:58:47 GMT

what do the limits look like on your other cards and why on earth do you pay the chase weekly?

Re: CSR Questions

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 02:38:02 GMT

Chase FU $5700
Amex Delta Plat $7200
Best Buy $1500
Quick Silver $2000

I pay weekly to develop good habits. For a while I was in the credit dumpster and took years to climb out. I’ll pay monthly once I get into the routine. It works for me so that’s why I do it.

Re: CSR Questions

bourgogne — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 04:00:46 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Chase FU $5700
Amex Delta Plat $7200
Best Buy $1500
Quick Silver $2000

I pay weekly to develop good habits. For a while I was in the credit dumpster and took years to climb out. I’ll pay monthly once I get into the routine. It works for me so that’s why I do it.

if you want my unsolicited option I will give it lol, unless you pre-qual for a csp or csr I would not pull the trigger as your limits are a tad low. I think you should follow the billing cycle esp with chase; swipe let the statement cut and pay as close to the closing date as you can. chase is big on income and risk and nothing beats following the rules and giving them their $ back asap. I have 3 inks, csr, both freedoms and an ihg. my csr sl was $32K and they auto'ed it 2x and I now sit at $46K. swipe, cut and pay, repeat. imo. make sure you insert your current income online.

Re: CSR Questions

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 11:24:52 GMT

Thanks for the tips. My income is at $80k so that’s why I have a chance with either card. I’ve seen people here get approved with thinner profiles and less income.

Re: CSR Questions

bourgogne — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 16:13:21 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for the tips. My income is at $80k so that’s why I have a chance with either card. I’ve seen people here get approved with thinner profiles and less income.

not really tips, just what has happened to me. the chase pre-approvals or branch pre-approvals can be very solid, I seldom cold app, well actually I dont app at all anymore lol. good luck in whatever you do, chase is teriffic imo

Re: CSR Questions

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 16:34:27 GMT

Well thank you for sharing your experience lol I’ll try the Branch after my credit score updates. It should go up a few because I bought one card from 75% util to 0%. My overall util will be 3%. Currently its 711. If I don’t get approved for the reserve I’ll apply for the preferred and PC it to a freedom or upgrade to the reserve. I’ll lose about $400 of value if I get the preferred. Maybe more because I plan on getting the global entry. Fingers crossed! After I get the Freedom after a sapphire I’ll be off to the garden for a while.

Re: CSR Questions

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 16:38:28 GMT

OP - I would also suggest the Amex is a better fit for what I think you are trying to achieve. First off - how would it be a benefit you if Chase credits your boss the $300 in travel per year? If I understood your post correctly - your boss/company wants this card only to be used for company related travel expenses.

The Amex offers you a better set of perks. One is that you can, and would want to, book all of your travel and hotels through Amex Travel. They are realiable and go a very good job of advocating for their card members when it comes to flights being cancelled, delayed, weather issues etc.... With the Platinum Card you will have access to the Amex Business Club lounges - which are fantastic. And Plat Card members get some addiontional perks with hotel deals and upgrades in partnership with Amex. And of course at 5 to 1 points - that is much better than Chase's 3 to 1. And the Amex points can be transferred into a generous number of airline mileage accounts - so you can get a ton a free miles added.

And my final point would be - that the Amex Plat is an easier card to qualify for than CSR, if your credit file is borderline.

The main issue with the Platinum Card is that it is a charge card not a credit card - so as long as you company is good and reliably reimburses your on time you should get more out of the Amex Plat than the CSR in my opinion. You can get a CSR at some point and use that for your personal travel......

Re: CSR Questions

bourgogne — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 16:42:18 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Well thank you for sharing your experience lol I’ll try the Branch after my credit score updates. It should go up a few because I bought one card from 75% util to 0%. My overall util will be 3%. Currently its 711. If I don’t get approved for the reserve I’ll apply for the preferred and PC it to a freedom or upgrade to the reserve. I’ll lose about $400 of value if I get the preferred. Maybe more because I plan on getting the global entry. Fingers crossed! After I get the Freedom after a sapphire I’ll be off to the garden for a while.

@Anonymous csr is a really decent card, good trip delay which can come in handy if a carrier does nothing. I just got back from 5 weeks in europe and it only failed 3x; fuel, toll and pay and display parking. have to sign 99.9% of the time. if you go from 75% > 0 you will see a decent incease. helpful if you can be @ 720-730 on your EX when you apply. again, I would not cold app, there is no reason, the pre-quals are the way to fly imo