Basic math for AMEX AF

[Anonymous]

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@Remedios wrote:

The way I understand Amex math ...

a+b=Maybe 

Statement credit = Eat where we tell you

c  x thought it coded as grocery = rut roh!

First Year + AF = works great!

Second year + AF= Do I downgrade or cancel 

AF + cancellation = Why does it say I'm not eligible for future subs 

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Ha! This made me chuckle. 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

True. But hopefully we're only looking for a short term offset before we can go back to traveling. For Gold cardholders who can take the dining credit, we're only looking to offset the remaining $130. And dining is the higher point earner which can be earned at any restaraunt, and not limited like their "category" cards like Grocery etc. Though I guess one should expect eating out at a gas station will earn the 4X points. lol

Unfortunately without some type of travel it seems like the Gold will not be getting much use this year, aside from the occasional Pizza delivery or other takeout establishment.  So I'm hoping that I can at least earn enough to cover that $130, and if this situation contiues into next year I will likely have to close it down for a few years until we get back to some type of normalcy.

My AF hit this month so I've got another year to see how it shakes out, or if the rumored changes do anything to help.

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Yeah.  Lots up in the air depending on current world affairs and what sort of travel you can do.  Also, what sort of personal travel.  95% of my travel is work and it's very comfortable with all my existing statuses and perks, luckily. 

I guess seeing these new perks that are being rumored around might help with this conversation.  1st week of May might have been the date I keep reading for Amex updates so I guess we just wait a week to find out.  

[notmyrealname23]

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@Anonymous wrote:

True. But hopefully we're only looking for a short term offset before we can go back to traveling. For Gold cardholders who can take the dining credit, we're only looking to offset the remaining $130. And dining is the higher point earner which can be earned at any restaraunt, and not limited like their "category" cards like Grocery etc. Though I guess one should expect eating out at a gas station will earn the 4X points. lol

Unfortunately without some type of travel it seems like the Gold will not be getting much use this year, aside from the occasional Pizza delivery or other takeout establishment.  So I'm hoping that I can at least earn enough to cover that $130, and if this situation contiues into next year I will likely have to close it down for a few years until we get back to some type of normalcy.

My AF hit this month so I've got another year to see how it shakes out, or if the rumored changes do anything to help.

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I already know from my AMEX Hilton (no AF) that all the grocery stores I normally shop at code for a multiplier (I'll basically nail the $1k spend SUB for that card within 2 months), so once AMEX Gold is a possibility I'm going to be on it. Even at normal grocery spend for my household it's worth a $250 AF before the $100 flight credit or the $120 "$10 of random food stuff a month" credit , and my normal travel spend separate from dining/airlines easily justifies an AMEX Green (and I can use Clear, and already enrolled, since the government already has my biometrics thanks to NEXUS and Global Entry. The LoungeBuddy credit is more "eh" but I'll probably use it at some point). The AMEX Hilton is a $0 AF interim step while I prove to AMEX they should give me the shiny.

[Anonymous]

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@notmyrealname23 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

True. But hopefully we're only looking for a short term offset before we can go back to traveling. For Gold cardholders who can take the dining credit, we're only looking to offset the remaining $130. And dining is the higher point earner which can be earned at any restaraunt, and not limited like their "category" cards like Grocery etc. Though I guess one should expect eating out at a gas station will earn the 4X points. lol

Unfortunately without some type of travel it seems like the Gold will not be getting much use this year, aside from the occasional Pizza delivery or other takeout establishment.  So I'm hoping that I can at least earn enough to cover that $130, and if this situation contiues into next year I will likely have to close it down for a few years until we get back to some type of normalcy.

My AF hit this month so I've got another year to see how it shakes out, or if the rumored changes do anything to help.

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I already know from my AMEX Hilton (no AF) that all the grocery stores I normally shop at code for a multiplier (I'll basically nail the $1k spend SUB for that card within 2 months), so once AMEX Gold is a possibility I'm going to be on it. Even at normal grocery spend for my household it's worth a $250 AF before the $100 flight credit or the $120 "$10 of random food stuff a month" credit , and my normal travel spend separate from dining/airlines easily justifies an AMEX Green (and I can use Clear, and already enrolled, since the government already has my biometrics thanks to NEXUS and Global Entry. The LoungeBuddy credit is more "eh" but I'll probably use it at some point). The AMEX Hilton is a $0 AF interim step while I prove to AMEX they should give me the shiny.

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Well, still depends how you redeem the MRs.   You can get 3% back with no AF (maybe with caps) so 4x needs a good cpp value to be the justification

[Anonymous]

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@notmyrealname23 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

True. But hopefully we're only looking for a short term offset before we can go back to traveling. For Gold cardholders who can take the dining credit, we're only looking to offset the remaining $130. And dining is the higher point earner which can be earned at any restaraunt, and not limited like their "category" cards like Grocery etc. Though I guess one should expect eating out at a gas station will earn the 4X points. lol

Unfortunately without some type of travel it seems like the Gold will not be getting much use this year, aside from the occasional Pizza delivery or other takeout establishment.  So I'm hoping that I can at least earn enough to cover that $130, and if this situation contiues into next year I will likely have to close it down for a few years until we get back to some type of normalcy.

My AF hit this month so I've got another year to see how it shakes out, or if the rumored changes do anything to help.

---

I already know from my AMEX Hilton (no AF) that all the grocery stores I normally shop at code for a multiplier (I'll basically nail the $1k spend SUB for that card within 2 months), so once AMEX Gold is a possibility I'm going to be on it. Even at normal grocery spend for my household it's worth a $250 AF before the $100 flight credit or the $120 "$10 of random food stuff a month" credit , and my normal travel spend separate from dining/airlines easily justifies an AMEX Green (and I can use Clear, and already enrolled, since the government already has my biometrics thanks to NEXUS and Global Entry. The LoungeBuddy credit is more "eh" but I'll probably use it at some point). The AMEX Hilton is a $0 AF interim step while I prove to AMEX they should give me the shiny.

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In terms of proving: it's really just about what's in your profile. Proving is the long way but the instant way for them to fall in love with you is really just cleaning up your profile (if it's got stuff they don't like).  

They'll never really love you unless that happens.  

I was 660 / 671 Experian for about 6 months.  Perfect payment on Delta Gold and PiF few times a month and they did not care...

I went full assault on my credit reports from all sides and got them cleaned up

My score increased from that to 764 - magically after a week all cards across the board were showing pre-approved. 

Moral of the story; they'll never really love you until you love your CR. 

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

1 MR = $0.60 cashed out

To offset the AF with bare minimum spend, you would have to charge $41,670

Spending only on grocery and restaurant, which is what it's designed for, requires $10,417.50

Using the Uber credits every month, multiply those totals by 0.58

Not gonna bother with airline credit because almost nobody uses it all, especially if they have a partner card that takes care of luggage.

Obviously, transferring them is the best value and dependant on who and where.

[notmyrealname23]

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@Anonymous wrote:

. Proving is the long way but the instant way for them to fall in love with you is really just cleaning up your profile (if it's got stuff they don't like).  

It is literally the long way because a) I have a Chapter 13 full discharge as paid that won't fall off until January 2021 (I can do some early expungements but that clock doesn't start until this July) and b) AMEX was involved in the Chapter 13 and only got 50 cents on the dollar (and they were owed a crooked digit five figure sum). Getting accepted back by them in Q1 for a charge card and a credit card without paying back and going through an Optima (spoiler: I was NEVER going to give them that other 50%, too many fish in the sea) was very much a "I didn't expect that" experience.

There isn't actually much I can do here except pay the bills and demonstrate I'm doing a good job of managing CLs while the clock ticks down; to be very honest I'm pretty close to a set of cards I can live with long term.

[notmyrealname23]

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@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:

Not gonna bother with airline credit because almost nobody uses it all, especially if they have a partner card that takes care of luggage.

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I don't check luggage if I can avoid it (and I also fly airlines where I wouldn't pay to check luggage), and also I mostly fly Southwest (no fees) or Alaska (status, would get free luggage and decent seating) or Delta (no status, but cheap tickets) on cheap tickets all the time; many many reports online that you get refunded if you use an AMEX + GC for partial payment where the AMEX component is well under $100 (or even 100% reimbursement if the AMEX component is under $100). You can't buy gift cards but that's fine.

Worst case if AMEX tightened that up I'll be buying some $15 EarlyBird checkins/WiFi on Southwest or some Delta/Alaska misc. fees (stuff like change of flight on day of flight, etc.). I don't plan on doing any stupid AMEX tricks like merchant refunding charges... travel credit if I have to change a flight is fine.

Also... don't value AMEX at .6 but I've been flying in premium cabins on awards (or know how to cash out miles at 2+ cpm) for a pretty long time.

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

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@notmyrealname23 wrote:

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@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:

Not gonna bother with airline credit because almost nobody uses it all, especially if they have a partner card that takes care of luggage.

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I don't check luggage if I can avoid it (and I also fly airlines where I wouldn't pay to check luggage), and also I mostly fly Southwest (no fees) or Alaska (status, would get free luggage and decent seating) or Delta (no status, but cheap tickets) on cheap tickets all the time; many many reports online that you get refunded if you use an AMEX + GC for partial payment where the AMEX component is well under $100 (or even 100% reimbursement if the AMEX component is under $100). You can't buy gift cards but that's fine.

Worst case if AMEX tightened that up I'll be buying some $15 EarlyBird checkins/WiFi on Southwest or some Delta/Alaska misc. fees (stuff like change of flight on day of flight, etc.). I don't plan on doing any stupid AMEX tricks like merchant refunding charges... travel credit if I have to change a flight is fine.

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That loophole has been shut down. So, for me, it's wifi and drinks 

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

@notmyrealname23 he asked for basic amex math, not how to maximize his rewards to offset the fee. I posted the minimum spend to offset the AF at 1x, 4x, and if he used all of his dining credits.