@Dg86 wrote:A bit off topic but consider discover card for that. It's going to be restaurants and PayPal for Q3.
Oh, I have cards for restaurant. I just want to spend the SUB on higher return categories. And restaurants aligns with my upcoming international travel (I could use the Discover or the Gold card, but that's doesn't help me meet the 3k SUB spend on the Affinity.)
Biz - 
@unsungivy wrote:It's the 17th, which is when people got the email last quarter (or so my memory said... I can't actually find anything ATM to back that up). Any hits for q3? I just finished my DocuSign and got the mail back that my card will arrive in 3-5 business days... even counting next Monday as a holiday that should still be long enough to have it in hand for my cruise flying out on the 29th. Fingers crossed for Hi5 restaurants like last year! (Great time to fill a SUB!)
UPDATE: Susan the CSR really did me a solid with the note she dropped to underwriting, I guess, because the card showed up on the 22nd in a FedEx envelope, appeared to have been expedited! (I called Affinity and left a voicemail for her boss about what good customer service she gave me, and how much I appreciated it).
Now would be a good time to find out if there will be new categories, or if I'm pre-buying Costco Cash Cards to last the next year or so (did that with Discover last year during their wholesale store quarter, and only JUST finished using them)!
UPDATE: Susan the CSR apparently really did me a solid with the email she dropped to underwriting on my behalf (letting them know I was hoping to have it in hand for upcoming travel), since the card showed up via FedEx on the 22nd... guessing that's not normal and they expedited it! I called and left positive feedback in a VM for her boss about how helpful she was and how much I appreciated it.
Now would be a good time to find out if there's new categories, or if I'm pre-buying Costco Cash Cards to last the next year or so to meet the SUB! (Did that last year with Discover during their Wholesale quarter, and only JUST finished using them up).
@unsungivy wrote:UPDATE: Susan the CSR apparently really did me a solid with the email she dropped to underwriting on my behalf (letting them know I was hoping to have it in hand for upcoming travel), since the card showed up via FedEx on the 22nd... guessing that's not normal and they expedited it! I called and left positive feedback in a VM for her boss about how helpful she was and how much I appreciated it.
Now would be a good time to find out if there's new categories, or if I'm pre-buying Costco Cash Cards to last the next year or so to meet the SUB! (Did that last year with Discover during their Wholesale quarter, and only JUST finished using them up).
Actually, the FedEx delivery is normal. Even our cash back debit card from Affinity was delivered that way.
Just called and spoke to CSR Enoch inquiring about the Hi5/extra categories for next quarter. He is confident that there will be categories, and pointed me to the page to check on them online (which also has EXTRA extra deals, lol... the listing looked like it has a lot of overlap with my BofA and CSP offers). He said that he normally gets the email himself, and has not gotten it yet so does not know what they will be. I pointed out that it was "cutting it a bit close", given the the quarter ends in 6 days, but he didn't think that was an issue. 🤷♀️
@unsungivy wrote:Just called and spoke to CSR Enoch inquiring about the Hi5/extra categories for next quarter. He is confident that there will be categories, and pointed me to the page to check on them online (which also has EXTRA extra deals, lol... the listing looked like it has a lot of overlap with my BofA and CSP offers). He said that he normally gets the email himself, and has not gotten it yet so does not know what they will be. I pointed out that it was "cutting it a bit close", given the the quarter ends in 6 days, but he didn't think that was an issue. 🤷♀️
I would expect that they will be a bit less appealing for most. The last quarter will cost them a lot in payouts this July. My wife and I should see about $340 in extra cashback for the last quarter
@unsungivy wrote:
Now would be a good time to find out if there's new categories, or if I'm pre-buying Costco Cash Cards to last the next year or so to meet the SUB! (Did that last year with Discover during their Wholesale quarter, and only JUST finished using them up).
Glad you got your card in time for your trip!
About those Costco Cash Cards... are you trying to earn the bonus % cashback by buying those cards (along with the spend SUB)? The bonus footnotes specifically mentions that purchasing gift cards will not earn the bonus % cashback. I've never attempted to do that with this card, so I don't know if AFCU will deny bonus % or not. Just something to keep in mind.
@Duke_Nukem wrote:
@unsungivy wrote:
Now would be a good time to find out if there's new categories, or if I'm pre-buying Costco Cash Cards to last the next year or so to meet the SUB! (Did that last year with Discover during their Wholesale quarter, and only JUST finished using them up).
Glad you got your card in time for your trip!
About those Costco Cash Cards... are you trying to earn the bonus % cashback by buying those cards (along with the spend SUB)? The bonus footnotes specifically mentions that purchasing gift cards will not earn the bonus % cashback. I've never attempted to do that with this card, so I don't know if AFCU will deny bonus % or not. Just something to keep in mind.
Good to know if that's the case. I can always do a test-run. But yeah, what I did with Discover was bought $1500 worth of Costco cash cards... and then spend the next 18 months using them. They don't stack with the executive membership bonus (keep telling P2 the math does not support that and he needs to cancel it), but it was 5% up front as opposed to 4% split between a 2% card and 2% using PenFed. Obviously 7% is better than 5%! I have a suspicion they would count, unless they're pulling T3 info, which seems unlikely.
BUT! If Elizabeth is telling us that Costco is a category again (it counted as groceries this quarter, now it will be more specific), no need to pre-buy... I can use it normally (and thus get the extra 2% from exec membership as well) and see what I have "left" to do at the end of the quarter. Gas again is interesting (I drive an EV, so that doesn't "help" me, but ok). I'm reading that as Fast Food restaurants ONLY, not all restaurants... disappointing for my travel purposes, but useful for my guilty pleasure Wendy's after work.
Also... what's the magic trick to get past Wes and get a CSR? I never can on the chat. He sticks me in a loop.