topic Re: What's so great about CSP? in Credit Cards

What's so great about CSP?

thelethargicage — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 17:38:03 GMT

I have it on my want list, but I realized I wasn't really sure why I want it. I mean, it's essentially a 1% card that gives you 2% on restaurants. And if you don't travel (I don't), it's useless. I like the fact that when you call customer service, you're connected to a CSR right away, though. Despite all that, I still want it. I just don't know why.

I saw one the other day, and it looked cool as hell.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

red259 — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:07:31 GMT

@thelethargicage wrote:
I have it on my want list, but I realized I wasn't really sure why I want it. I mean, it's essentially a 1% card that gives you 2% on restaurants. And if you don't travel (I don't), it's useless. I like the fact that when you call customer service, you're connected to a CSR right away, though. Despite all that, I still want it. I just don't know why.

I saw one the other day, and it looked cool as hell.

I want one for travel and restaurants. It allows points to be transferred to their various airline/hotel partners, no foreign fees etc. It has benefits for rental cars and some other features I value through visa signature. That being said if I wasn't going to travel I would look for a cash back card (without an AF) instead, because what's the point of getting a card with an AF if its not going to benefit your needs. Its good you are being honest with yourself about your needs in a credit card, instead of running out and applying for something just because its the latest hot item.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:11:51 GMT

The CSP is only half of the equation. To really get the full benefits you want to transfer UR points earned from the Freedom. Also, the sign up bonus.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:18:25 GMT

@thelethargicage wrote:
I have it on my want list, but I realized I wasn't really sure why I want it. I mean, it's essentially a 1% card that gives you 2% on restaurants. And if you don't travel (I don't), it's useless. I like the fact that when you call customer service, you're connected to a CSR right away, though. Despite all that, I still want it. I just don't know why.

I saw one the other day, and it looked cool as hell.

Yeah. I applied for them just because I liked how the card looked. I decided to get the regular because I knew I wouldn't use it enough to justify the AF. And the card is pretty useless for me. I stopped eating out so much because it was really draining my pockets. I just app'd for the Freedom and that card will be a lot more beneficial for me.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

scenery_guy — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:24:50 GMT

You can use the card to scrape ice from your car windows.

OK, I live in Florida so I really don't know if that works.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:26:00 GMT

@scenery_guy wrote:
You can use the card to scrape ice from your car windows.

OK, I live in Florida so I really don't know if that works.

LOL!

Re: What's so great about CSP?

kilj0y — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:41:21 GMT

I am about to work the trinity, CSP, Ink, Freedom and transfer to the CSP for travel. I do not travel much but after the sign on bonuses and regular spend on the cards I have enough for a roundtrip ticket plus hotel stay for me and the wife for free.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

armbenderc — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:42:39 GMT

@thelethargicage wrote:
I have it on my want list, but I realized I wasn't really sure why I want it. I mean, it's essentially a 1% card that gives you 2% on restaurants. And if you don't travel (I don't), it's useless. I like the fact that when you call customer service, you're connected to a CSR right away, though. Despite all that, I still want it. I just don't know why.

I saw one the other day, and it looked cool as hell.

It's M E T A L.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

GeneralCucumbre — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:48:02 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
The CSP is only half of the equation. To really get the full benefits you want to transfer UR points earned from the Freedom. Also, the sign up bonus.

Yes, this is a wonderful feature to have because I use my Freedom for pretty much everything except for purchases that other cards will reward me better for (CSP, Discover It, AMEX BCE, etc.) Now, take for example, this past quarter, Chase has offered 5% cash back on all restaurant purchases. I have primarily used my Freedom card for that instead of CSP which only offers 2%. When this quarter is over though and Chase starts a round of new categories for the Freedom, I will revert to my CSP on all restaurant purchases because the yielding reward is better. Yet, I can combine ALL of my points earned from both cards into one...EXCELLENT FEATURE.

@Anonymous wrote:
I decided to get the regular because I knew I wouldn't use it enough to justify the AF. And the card is pretty useless for me. I stopped eating out so much because it was really draining my pockets. I just app'd for the Freedom and that card will be a lot more beneficial for me.

That makes sense, if you are not going to use it for what it was meant for...then yes I couldn't justify the annual fee. However, I am a person who eats out quite often (and yes, it can get expensive) and do travel from time to time. So, original poster, if you cannot justify the annual fee for what you are going to be using the card for...then I wouldn't recommend it. I wouldn't get the card just because it looks cool...apparently some people believe that the metal plating inside the card is supposed to give some level of prestige to the cardholder, which I can assure you...it doesn't.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:55:23 GMT

@GeneralCucumbre wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
The CSP is only half of the equation. To really get the full benefits you want to transfer UR points earned from the Freedom. Also, the sign up bonus.
Yes, this is a wonderful feature to have because I use my Freedom for pretty much everything except for purchases that other cards will reward me better for (CSP, Discover It, AMEX BCE, etc.) Now, take for example, this past quarter, Chase has offered 5% cash back on all restaurant purchases. I have primarily used my Freedom card for that instead of CSP which only offers 2%. When this quarter is over though and Chase starts a round of new categories for the Freedom, I will revert to my CSP on all restaurant purchases because the yielding reward is better. Yet, I can combine ALL of my points earned from both cards into one...EXCELLENT FEATURE.

@Anonymous wrote:
I decided to get the regular because I knew I wouldn't use it enough to justify the AF. And the card is pretty useless for me. I stopped eating out so much because it was really draining my pockets. I just app'd for the Freedom and that card will be a lot more beneficial for me.
That makes sense, if you are not going to use it for what it was meant for...then yes I couldn't justify the annual fee. However, I am a person who eats out quite often (and yes, it can get expensive) and do travel from time to time. So, original poster, if you cannot justify the annual fee for what you are going to be using the card for...then I wouldn't recommend it. I wouldn't get the card just because it looks cool...apparently some people believe that the metal plating inside the card is supposed to give some level of prestige to the cardholder, which I can assure you...it doesn't.

Yeah, at first I was getting lots of points because I was always eating out, but I put myself on a budget and that budget did not include eating out for lunch everyday and eating out for dinner every weekend, lol. But when I do eat out, I use the Sapphire card because it gives rewards and my debit card does not.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 20:51:22 GMT

You could start traveling? That would be my recommendation

You can also use your points for cashback if you really want to (but they lose so much value that way, vs transferring them to airlines or hotels), but as others have said, you can also transfer your points from your Freedom to your CSP, and then to travel partners which is really quite nice. There is no AF the first year, and if after the first year, you don't find that you're getting any benefit from the card, you can downgrade to the no-fee version or just cancel it altogether.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 21:12:43 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
You could start traveling? That would be my recommendation

You can also use your points for cashback if you really want to (but they lose so much value that way, vs transferring them to airlines or hotels), but as others have said, you can also transfer your points from your Freedom to your CSP, and then to travel partners which is really quite nice. There is no AF the first year, and if after the first year, you don't find that you're getting any benefit from the card, you can downgrade to the no-fee version or just cancel it altogether.

Yeah. I plan to put my plane tickets to visit my mom on my Freedom, so I can get the $100 back.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 21:57:14 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
You could start traveling? That would be my recommendation

You can also use your points for cashback if you really want to (but they lose so much value that way, vs transferring them to airlines or hotels), but as others have said, you can also transfer your points from your Freedom to your CSP, and then to travel partners which is really quite nice. There is no AF the first year, and if after the first year, you don't find that you're getting any benefit from the card, you can downgrade to the no-fee version or just cancel it altogether.
Yeah. I plan to put my plane tickets to visit my mom on my Freedom, so I can get the $100 back.

I dont know where your mom lives in relation to you, but depending on your location and her location, you could transfer your points from your freedom and CSP to an airline, and the flight would be free.

Is the flight within the continental US? East coast to west coast?

As a hypothetical, if you are in NY and your mom is in LA, you could fly United roundtrip for 25,000 miles (which would be 25,000 UR points from your CSP/Freedom, transferred to United) and $5 in taxes. Or, if you live on the east coast, and she lives somewhere in the middle of the country (like Texas, or anywhere in that vicinity) you could book a roundtrip flight via British Airways for 20,000 Avios (which again, would be 20,000 UR points that you transfer to BA) and $5 in taxes. AND, if its an even shorter distance - say NY to Florida, you could book roundtrip via British Airways for 15,000 Avios (15,000 transferred UR points) and $5 in taxes.

Anyways, you get the point. Your UR points from CSP and Freedom (they become UR points once transferred to CSP) are worth WAY more than $100 cash back. If you have questions about how any of that works, Im happy to answer them.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 22:00:50 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
You could start traveling? That would be my recommendation

You can also use your points for cashback if you really want to (but they lose so much value that way, vs transferring them to airlines or hotels), but as others have said, you can also transfer your points from your Freedom to your CSP, and then to travel partners which is really quite nice. There is no AF the first year, and if after the first year, you don't find that you're getting any benefit from the card, you can downgrade to the no-fee version or just cancel it altogether.
Yeah. I plan to put my plane tickets to visit my mom on my Freedom, so I can get the $100 back.
I dont know where your mom lives in relation to you, but depending on your location and her location, you could transfer your points from your freedom and CSP to an airline, and the flight would be free.

Is the flight within the continental US? East coast to west coast?

As a hypothetical, if you are in NY and your mom is in LA, you could fly United roundtrip for 25,000 miles (which would be 25,000 UR points from your CSP/Freedom, transferred to United) and $5 in taxes. Or, if you live on the east coast, and she lives somewhere in the middle of the country (like Texas, or anywhere in that vicinity) you could book a roundtrip flight via British Airways for 20,000 Avios (which again, would be 20,000 UR points that you transfer to BA) and $5 in taxes. AND, if its an even shorter distance - say NY to Florida, you could book roundtrip via British Airways for 15,000 Avios (15,000 transferred UR points) and $5 in taxes.

Anyways, you get the point. Your UR points from CSP and Freedom (they become UR points once transferred to CSP) are worth WAY more than $100 cash back. If you have questions about how any of that works, Im happy to answer them.

Wow. She's in AZ, but I'd probably save it to go visit my friend in HI. Does that only work for CSP or does it also apply to the regular CS?

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 22:24:06 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

Wow. She's in AZ, but I'd probably save it to go visit my friend in HI. Does that only work for CSP or does it also apply to the regular CS?

You can only transfer points if you have CSP.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

red259 — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 22:26:36 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Wow. She's in AZ, but I'd probably save it to go visit my friend in HI. Does that only work for CSP or does it also apply to the regular CS?
You can only transfer points if you have CSP.

Or if you have some of the Ink Business cards (ie Bold or Plus). What I may do is go for the Bold at the same time as I go for CSP. Then after the year I will get rid of CSP or just reduce it down to CS and keep the Bold, so I can transfer the points.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 22:29:55 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Wow. She's in AZ, but I'd probably save it to go visit my friend in HI. Does that only work for CSP or does it also apply to the regular CS?
You can only transfer points if you have CSP.

Okay. Thanks. You've given me a lot to think about.

Re: What's so great about CSP?

09Lexie — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 22:32:23 GMT

@hutchj

I'm watching you!

Re: What's so great about CSP?

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 22:47:31 GMT

@09Lexie wrote:
@Anonymous

I'm watching you!

I promise I have no intention of app'ing. LOL

Re: What's so great about CSP?

09Lexie — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 22:49:10 GMT

So you say!