topic Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans in Credit Cards

Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Revelate — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 17:24:32 GMT

Everything is up in the air but a few things are coming together which maybe don't make Chase quite the sweet spot it was anymore for me.

First I'm getting most of my meals from Snap Kitchen now, it counts as grocery for Chase, it's possible it might with Amex though I need to test this with the BCE later.

Second, that means restaurants are pretty secondary which sort of obliterates the major use case I had for the CSR.

Third, it appears that even if the big company does marry me, I don't *have* to apply for a corporate card, which means the gravy train of reimbursed travel is still a thing and since we book through Concur which is now Amex Global Travel and it goes to the airline... well I think you're seeing where I'm going for this.

There are big if's here, IF Amex counts Snapkitchen like Chase does, IF I can get a BBP currently, take the swap Zync to the Gold offer, and IF I can get the Schwab Amex which I probably can as it should be obvious to anyone at Amex with a pulse what's going on at that point. I haven't been able to use the points I've gained with Chase other mileage run flights to date to random places around the world via their Expedia partnership, and that really doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon and as such dumping it into a Schwab account isn't a bad thing. The two gigs went to 2.5 gigs and that, blah.

But expense profile would look like:

10k grocery

Some restaurant spend, unsure how much

Reimbursed travel

All my default spend, of which there's more than there probably should be with my IRS games. Plus the plat's complimentary marriot / hilton status (I'm totally fine with Gold) I can better accomodate my travel coworkers.

This seems far better covered with Amex than Chase or really anyone else, but I'm looking for other opinions as I haven't really kept up.

Many thanks!

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Brian_Earl_Spilner — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 17:43:49 GMT

#TeamAmex

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

NRB525 — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 17:47:59 GMT

My experience with Concur hotels is, they are not prepaid, it is only reserved per the corporate arrangement. So if you expect a Platinum to get you 5 MR for hotels through Concur, I have my doubts. Airline bookings are immediate so yes, 5 MR for the win there.

Chase points reimburse nicely for Hyatt. Just sayin.

Platinum and Gold plus BBP will work nicely. A Chase VISA like CSR, or CSP, or Hyatt is a nice backstop where the merchant gives you a blank stare to your AMEX Shiny.

Setting up the Platinum and Gold for airlines is important. If you are using an airline you don't have status, those $200 and $100 fee credits on bag fees are a good route, and then you add it to your reimbursement form.

My thoughts on Chase are, with 5/24 I want to be absolutely certain I won't want that a Chase card again for a long time, before closing. Even with the $550 CSR AF I will likely keep it another year, because of the transaction friction if I want it back later.

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 18:25:17 GMT

@NRB525 wrote:
Even with the $550 CSR AF I will likely keep it another year, because of the transaction friction if I want it back later.

Do you see an issue with PCing to say a Freedom for no AF, and then re PCing it when (if!) you eventually need a CSR?

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

CreditCuriosity — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 18:59:58 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@NRB525 wrote:
Even with the $550 CSR AF I will likely keep it another year, because of the transaction friction if I want it back later.
Do you see an issue with PCing to say a Freedom for no AF, and then re PCing it when (if!) you eventually need a CSR?

works fine what i would do if question what to do it isnt all or nothing being getting rid of it and cancelling a spot. just downgrade to CS or freedom then re-up without worrying about 5/24.

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

NRB525 — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 18:59:48 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@NRB525 wrote:
Even with the $550 CSR AF I will likely keep it another year, because of the transaction friction if I want it back later.
Do you see an issue with PCing to say a Freedom for no AF, and then re PCing it when (if!) you eventually need a CSR?

Already have a Freedom and Freedom Unlimited. I was OK with the $150 net CSR fee. The $250 net fee I am mitigating with the Door Dash credits, so I turn a blind eye to the actual AF increase for now. My view to Annual Fees is much different than nearly everyone else. I have spent years paying a certain amount of monthly interest, so part of the AF has to do with "access to credit" or "cost of credit". The benefits of the card also help, but I fully realize the benefits aren't unique, except for the transfer possibility. Which leads to the Hyatt situation. UR points may need to go to Hyatt, and I have my eye on some nice redemption possibilities, but I don't want to commit them to Hyatt yet. I've also only had the CSP / CSR card for not quite two years. My relationship with Chase is checkered by balance chasing back in the day and several closed accounts. So I have an aversion to really punching the bear over much of anything right now.

It's complicated.

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 19:45:26 GMT

@NRB525 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@NRB525 wrote:
Even with the $550 CSR AF I will likely keep it another year, because of the transaction friction if I want it back later.
Do you see an issue with PCing to say a Freedom for no AF, and then re PCing it when (if!) you eventually need a CSR?
Already have a Freedom and Freedom Unlimited.

FWIW, that's not a problem, you can downgrade a card and get another one. But if the relationship is complicated, well, that's different.

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Citylights18 — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 19:54:37 GMT

I'm surprised about the OP disillusionment with Chase. I feel like they are taking care of me pretty good between Doordash 5x and Groceries 5x at the moment.

I can take those points to Hyatt and get 2.5 ccp on Hyatt House bookings on a regular basis.

But the idea of getting a BBP and taking an upgrade offer for Zync to Gold sounds like a good game plan. In this case I would probably downgrade my CSR to a CSP if possible. Its very difficult to justify a full priority pass card unless you plan to use it once a month. Though if you do it may become more valuable as you'll be taking longer layovers with reduced airline route availability.

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Revelate — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 21:25:04 GMT

Hotel rewards I haven't honestly figured out yet; admittedly one nice thing about the CSR is it does it all from a travel rewards perspective whereas the Plat is nice for flights and zero on hotels beyond the status.

It's not so much disillusionment with Chase, it's that my spend is changing substantially, moving from ~10k restaurants per year to 10k grocery which Chase doesn't cover at all other than maybe once a year with Freedom or default.

PCing to a CSP is always an option for me, I have plenty of Chase cards in my portfolio it's unlikely that I'm ever going to need another unless they release an even better card for me and I suspect if I ask nicely they'll play ball in that event anyway (CPC, not planning to move my core finances from Chase). The reason to keep the CSR is the sunk cost argument with half a million UR laying around.

Hyatt's aren't generally where I wind up though I did stay at one in Phoenix on the company nickle; thing is though, there's zero incentive for me to spend UR when my travel is reimbursed and that's where I'm really getting stuck with Chase; I mean maybe I could just stockpile them till I retire but how likely are they to be worth a **bleep** by that point?

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Remedios — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 01:33:53 GMT

A huge pile of URs was the primary reason I did a PC from CSP to CSR back in January.

Due to coronapocalypse, all URs are sitting pretty, with nowhere to go. Sigh.

Kids are pounding Door Dash into the ground, so that's the only thing currently reducing salt levels in my blood.

For me, CSR has nothing that I cannot get from AR, and earning potential on AR with mobile wallet makes it exponentially better for me.

Granted, no transfer partners, but I'll settle for 4.5% via travel portal as long as I maintain my current level of spend via Samsung Pay which on a slow month tends to be around $3000.00

CSR will probably be something else in January

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

CreditCuriosity — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 01:58:56 GMT

@Remedios gotta ask how do you or anyone for that matter find so many places to use mobile waller with AR? Most places being nicer sit down places to eat dont take mobile payment at least where I live? Really looking for a reason to possibly get rid of CSR or least downgrade it to coronaclypse as you mentioned, but other than fast food here i really cant think of many places that would take it as my biggest spending or at least use to be is eating out at fairly fine dining or bar or various other kinds of toys that are a waste of money, but i enjoy

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Remedios — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 02:18:29 GMT

@CreditCuriosity wrote:
@Remedios gotta ask how do you or anyone for that matter find so many places to use mobile waller with AR? Most places being nicer sit down places to eat dont take mobile payment at least where I live? Really looking for a reason to possibly get rid of CSR or least downgrade it to coronaclypse as you mentioned, but other than fast food here i really cant think of many places that would take it as my biggest spending or at least use to be is eating out at fairly fine dining or bar or various other kinds of toys that are a waste of money, but i enjoy

With two teens my groceries alone tend to run at around $1200.

I had to stop paying power bill online, so I go inside the actual PSE office and pay it there. It's around $150 during winter, higher during summer.

I've shuffled categories on cash+, so cable also requires a trip to Xfinity store. Cable and three phone lines are close to $500. I prepay when I go because I'm too lazy to do it every month.

Then, there is gas and everything else I can pay using Samsung pay.

Their school accepts SP, so with both of them being involved with multiple activities...I dont even want to add that up. Probably about $3500 per kid, per year. I can also pay first $2000.00 in tuition that way with 2% fee for each kid.

Those are not monthly, of course.

While right now it's not happening, with a teen girl, you're spending weekends at malls.

Now I want to cry

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Revelate — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 03:20:30 GMT

Oh jeez. That 10k/year expected spend in groceries?

All Apple Pay. AR might be just the thing.

Thanks @Remedios !

ETA: that card pays for itself for me between the travel and Gogo wireless credits.

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Remedios — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 03:31:17 GMT

@Revelate wrote:
Oh jeez. That 10k/year expected spend in groceries?

All Apple Pay. AR might be just the thing.

Thanks @Remedios !

ETA: that card pays for itself for me between the travel and Gogo wireless credits.

Yes, it would. That's why I'm gently harassing you about it 🤭

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Revelate — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 03:36:55 GMT

@Remedios wrote:
@Revelate wrote:
Oh jeez. That 10k/year expected spend in groceries?

All Apple Pay. AR might be just the thing.

Thanks @Remedios !

ETA: that card pays for itself for me between the travel and Gogo wireless credits.
Yes, it would. That's why I'm gently harassing you about it 🤭

Honestly sorting this with one additional card makes more sense than trying to build the Amex trifecta for all that there is a better outlet than statement credit there. I really didn't want to let 10k fall to default if it didn't need to that's just not smart but this solves it elegantly.

Owe ya one!

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

NRB525 — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 04:12:13 GMT

@Revelate wrote:
Oh jeez. That 10k/year expected spend in groceries?

All Apple Pay. AR might be just the thing.

Thanks @Remedios !

ETA: that card pays for itself for me between the travel and Gogo wireless credits.

Clarification: Apple Pay is not Samsung Pay. Maybe try a test run with any other cards on Apple Pay to see how widely accepted.

I do like AR, but mine is on Apple Pay and found to be limited.

Re: Not quite hypothetical future credit card plans

Revelate — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 12:50:13 GMT

@NRB525 wrote:
@Revelate wrote:
Oh jeez. That 10k/year expected spend in groceries?

All Apple Pay. AR might be just the thing.

Thanks @Remedios !

ETA: that card pays for itself for me between the travel and Gogo wireless credits.
Clarification: Apple Pay is not Samsung Pay. Maybe try a test run with any other cards on Apple Pay to see how widely accepted.

I do like AR, but mine is on Apple Pay and found to be limited.

10K spend a year, which I am already paying through Apple Pay, is enough to justify the app. It's basically another $200 in rewards base, and that's if I can't find any other use for it. To be fair on restaurants there is a lot of overlap on the CSR anyway especially for takeout but the CSR use case is still up in the air. Depends how much I go back on the road once COVID clears.

Admittedly when I was searching for things that support Apple Pay it wasn't that many but there were clearly some. Sadly the bulk of my default spending (tax payments) doesn't play with either service but that will always be a WIP.