The last few years of traveling have been unreal. We've taken trips to Hong Kong, Maldives, Dubai, London, Singapore, Amsterdam, Paris and Bangkok!
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| Hong Kong! |
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| Etihad First Class Apartments |
Showing posts with label American Express. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Express. Show all posts
May 8, 2016
Getting Started With Credit Card Signup Bonuses
This is an update to a post I wrote back in 2014. While the specifics have changed a bit, the strategy remains the same.
The last few years of traveling have been unreal. We've taken trips to Hong Kong, Maldives, Dubai, London, Singapore, Amsterdam, Paris and Bangkok!
Many of you have asked us how we afford to go on all these trips. The answer is pretty simple…we pay less per trip than the price of an economy ticket from the US to Europe.
The last few years of traveling have been unreal. We've taken trips to Hong Kong, Maldives, Dubai, London, Singapore, Amsterdam, Paris and Bangkok!
April 19, 2016
$25 Off on Gift Cards at Staples.com
Amex is out with a great new Amex Offer providing $25 savings on a $100 purchase at Staples.com. The offer runs through 6/19 and is good on gift cards, just not electronic gift cards. If you go through an online shopping portal, you may be able to earn an additional 2-3x miles or points from the Chase Ultimate Rewards Shopping Mall.
Note that the offer is targeted and I wasn't targeted on any of my 5 American Express cards. Emily did receive the offer on all three of her cards and I was able to successfully add it to all three (open up a new tab in your browser, select each card in a different tab, navigate to the offer, and you should be able to add it multiple times.
Staples.com sells a variety of gift cards. A Visa gift card comes with a $6.99 purchase charge while other gift cards (i.e. Starbucks, Nordstrom, Southwest Airlines, etc...) come with a $1.99 purchase charge and free shipping.
So you could easily pick up a $100 gift card for $101.99 and then receive a $25 statement credit back from Amex.
I will be maximizing this deal by purchasing three $100 gift cards (non Visa to merchants we'd spend money at anyway) for a total savings of $69 not including the Membership Rewards points and cash back I'll earn for the purchases.
You can check to see if you were targeted online or on the mobile app by clicking on "Offers."
Note that the offer is targeted and I wasn't targeted on any of my 5 American Express cards. Emily did receive the offer on all three of her cards and I was able to successfully add it to all three (open up a new tab in your browser, select each card in a different tab, navigate to the offer, and you should be able to add it multiple times.
Staples.com sells a variety of gift cards. A Visa gift card comes with a $6.99 purchase charge while other gift cards (i.e. Starbucks, Nordstrom, Southwest Airlines, etc...) come with a $1.99 purchase charge and free shipping.
So you could easily pick up a $100 gift card for $101.99 and then receive a $25 statement credit back from Amex.
I will be maximizing this deal by purchasing three $100 gift cards (non Visa to merchants we'd spend money at anyway) for a total savings of $69 not including the Membership Rewards points and cash back I'll earn for the purchases.
You can check to see if you were targeted online or on the mobile app by clicking on "Offers."
April 9, 2016
What's in My Wallet April 2016
Here's an overview of what cards are currently in my wallet as of April 2016.
1) Chase Freedom
The Chase Freedom card offers "rotating" 5x spend categories by quarter. For this quarter (ending 4/30/16) Freedom is offering 5x at grocery stores and warehouse clubs. It seems the bonus will work at Costco.com so I'll be working towards earning my 7,500 bonus points via some online shopping.
2) Chase Sapphire Preferred
All of my extra (not contributing to sign-up bonuses) travel and dining spend goes on the CSP. I've had the card for almost 4 years and gladly pay the $95 annual fee given my credit history, limit, and the earning power of the card.
3) Amex Platinum
I actually don't put spend on the card at all (other than to earn the sign-up bonus) but have kept it in my wallet strictly for the benefits. I recently used the card for Centurion lounge visits in Las Vegas and New York as well as an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts booking.
4) Barclays Arrival Plus
This is actually the third time I've had this card from Barclays which will rebate $420 worth of travel expenses in the form of cash. I've already used both of our Citi Prestige airline credits in 2016 so this card will provide additional cash back against future (hotel, airfare) out of pocket travel expenses.
5) Starwood American Express
Any spend that isn't going towards reaching a signup bonus or isn't a category bonus goes on this card. Despite the upcoming merger with Marriott, I am still valuing Starwood points at north of two cents. So even at 1 point per dollar, I still feel like I'm getting a great return on spend.
1) Chase Freedom
The Chase Freedom card offers "rotating" 5x spend categories by quarter. For this quarter (ending 4/30/16) Freedom is offering 5x at grocery stores and warehouse clubs. It seems the bonus will work at Costco.com so I'll be working towards earning my 7,500 bonus points via some online shopping.
2) Chase Sapphire Preferred
All of my extra (not contributing to sign-up bonuses) travel and dining spend goes on the CSP. I've had the card for almost 4 years and gladly pay the $95 annual fee given my credit history, limit, and the earning power of the card.
3) Amex Platinum
I actually don't put spend on the card at all (other than to earn the sign-up bonus) but have kept it in my wallet strictly for the benefits. I recently used the card for Centurion lounge visits in Las Vegas and New York as well as an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts booking.
4) Barclays Arrival Plus
This is actually the third time I've had this card from Barclays which will rebate $420 worth of travel expenses in the form of cash. I've already used both of our Citi Prestige airline credits in 2016 so this card will provide additional cash back against future (hotel, airfare) out of pocket travel expenses.
5) Starwood American Express
Any spend that isn't going towards reaching a signup bonus or isn't a category bonus goes on this card. Despite the upcoming merger with Marriott, I am still valuing Starwood points at north of two cents. So even at 1 point per dollar, I still feel like I'm getting a great return on spend.
April 2, 2016
60,000 Mile Bonus (Targeted) for Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex
We are really on an airline credit card roll over the last few months.
First, American and Citi sent both of us a direct mail piece with a 60,000 mile offer. Then, Emily was able to pickup the Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Card with a 55,000 mile bonus.
And just last week, I received another direct mail piece but this time from Delta. The offer provide 60,000 Delta miles for spending $1,000 on the Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex.
Annual fee waived for the first year and a $50 statement credit after making a Delta purchase (I'll see if it will trigger via a gift card and report back).
I've only flown Delta a handful of times over the past 5 years but figured picking up 60,000 miles (standard bonus is 30,000) would get me a jumpstart on my Delta mileage balance. And if we do fly Delta, there are a handful of "elite status light" benefits that come with the card.
Plus with the Alaska Emirates devaluation, it's a great time to diversify!
I was instantly approved for the card and it arrived in my mailbox two days later. The minimum spend threshold is pretty low so I'll be on to the next card in no time. All in, that is 235,000 in airline miles from four targeted bonuses over the last four months.
Did you receive a targeted offer from AA, United, or Delta?
March 31, 2016
New Schwab Amex Platinum Live
As I wrote about over the weekend, Charles Schwab is launching a couple of new American Express co-branded credit cards for brokerage customers. The offerings include an Amex Platinum card with a 40,000 point sign-up bonus. That matches the standard offering for the non co-brand card.
The cards were set to launch 3/31 (today) and they are live on Schwab's website.
I plan to hold off on applying to see if there's a bigger, targeted bonus in the future. If you are a (big) Schwab brokerage customer, you can receive $100 or $200 off the platinum card annual fee if you hold more than $250K or $1M in assists with Schwab.
Seems like a high bar to me but for a very limited number of you, this may result in $100 or $200 back each year.
Anyway, it's great to see banks expand their product line and always nice to have another card option.
The cards were set to launch 3/31 (today) and they are live on Schwab's website.
I plan to hold off on applying to see if there's a bigger, targeted bonus in the future. If you are a (big) Schwab brokerage customer, you can receive $100 or $200 off the platinum card annual fee if you hold more than $250K or $1M in assists with Schwab.
Seems like a high bar to me but for a very limited number of you, this may result in $100 or $200 back each year.
Anyway, it's great to see banks expand their product line and always nice to have another card option.
March 27, 2016
New Charles Schwab American Express Platinum Card
According to Doctor of Credit, American Express and Charles Schwab plan to launch a new Platinum card to Schwab customers this week. I've been a Schwab banking and brokerage customer for more than twenty years. Schwab's High Yield Checking account is my recommendation for free ATM withdrawals worldwide.
I currently carry Amex's personal version of the Platinum card getting me a $200 annual travel credit, access to FH&R, and Centurion lounge access. Apparently the new card will be marketed as a separate product meaning even if you've received a sign-up bonus for the personal platinum card, you'll be able to get it again with this card.
The card is essentially the same as the personal platinum offering. You'll be able to deposit points into a Schwab brokerage accounts at a rate of 1.25 cents (not a great deal) in addition to receiving a discount on the annual fee if you hold more than $250,000 in assets with Schwab.
While the standard bonus offer is only 40,000 points, I would imagine Amex/Schwab will be targeting Schwab customers with bigger bonus offers. I'm going to hold off for a bigger bonus once the card goes live but certainly excited by a new opportunity to pick up valuable Membership Rewards points.
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| Las Vegas Centurion Lounge |
I currently carry Amex's personal version of the Platinum card getting me a $200 annual travel credit, access to FH&R, and Centurion lounge access. Apparently the new card will be marketed as a separate product meaning even if you've received a sign-up bonus for the personal platinum card, you'll be able to get it again with this card.
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| Schwab Amex Platinum |
The card is essentially the same as the personal platinum offering. You'll be able to deposit points into a Schwab brokerage accounts at a rate of 1.25 cents (not a great deal) in addition to receiving a discount on the annual fee if you hold more than $250,000 in assets with Schwab.
While the standard bonus offer is only 40,000 points, I would imagine Amex/Schwab will be targeting Schwab customers with bigger bonus offers. I'm going to hold off for a bigger bonus once the card goes live but certainly excited by a new opportunity to pick up valuable Membership Rewards points.
March 19, 2016
Starwood Amex 35,000 Point Bonus
The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card has been in my wallet since 2004. I reviewed the card a couple of years ago and since then, the value proposition of the card has only been strengthened.
The bonus is up to 35,000 SPG points after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days. For context, the bonus was raised to 30,000 a few times over the last few years. Two years ago, the standard offer was 25,000 points. I remember getting the business version of the card prior to that with a 20,000 point bonus and being very excited. So 35,000 points is unreal.
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| Current SPG Amex Bonus |
February 27, 2016
American Express Changes Rules Around Business Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses
If you read other miles and points blogs, it would seem the sky is falling.
In 2014, American Express changed their terms to limit sign-up bonuses on most personal credit/charge cards to once per lifetime. Well it seems that change has been extended to business cards as well.
One Mile at a Time's Coverage
The Points Guy's Coverage
Travel Codex's Coverage
Prior to the change, the language allowed for another sign-up bonus on the same card product as long as the applicant didn't have the card for the previous 12 months. So it was possible to get the card, meet the minimum spend, receive the bonus, cancel the card, and get it again a year later.
On the surface, this might seem to be a drastic change for our little game. I have probably had each Amex OPEN product 2-3 times over the past four years. I promise the sky is not falling. The more restrictive policy will most certainly impact business owners who rely on American Express for credit and who couldn't care less about rules, sign-up bonuses, or travel rewards. It makes a ton of sense that a business would start with a card, cancel it, and then think about using the product again in the future. That may be due to a business change, an increase in need for travel, insurance, etc... So I think the use case of a business wanting to get a card again (and receive the bonus) is very real.
Amex is in a very tough spot as a business at the moment and it makes sense to me that they would do everything possible to try and reduce their marketing spend to acquire new customers.
Once they realize (and they will get their eventually) that they are impacting their customer experience, retention, etc... they will likely unwind the change. In terms of the impact to us, this is all part of the process. One door may shut but there are still dozens open.
A key note here is that the change likely doesn't impact targeted bonuses. I've had luck receiving the sign-up bonus on personal cards that I've had before (post 2014 terms change) via targeted email/mail offers. So keep an eye on your mailbox(es) as that is the most likely avenue for receiving multiple bonuses for the same card.
In 2014, American Express changed their terms to limit sign-up bonuses on most personal credit/charge cards to once per lifetime. Well it seems that change has been extended to business cards as well.
One Mile at a Time's Coverage
The Points Guy's Coverage
Travel Codex's Coverage
Prior to the change, the language allowed for another sign-up bonus on the same card product as long as the applicant didn't have the card for the previous 12 months. So it was possible to get the card, meet the minimum spend, receive the bonus, cancel the card, and get it again a year later.
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| Amex Business Card Terms Changes |
On the surface, this might seem to be a drastic change for our little game. I have probably had each Amex OPEN product 2-3 times over the past four years. I promise the sky is not falling. The more restrictive policy will most certainly impact business owners who rely on American Express for credit and who couldn't care less about rules, sign-up bonuses, or travel rewards. It makes a ton of sense that a business would start with a card, cancel it, and then think about using the product again in the future. That may be due to a business change, an increase in need for travel, insurance, etc... So I think the use case of a business wanting to get a card again (and receive the bonus) is very real.
Amex is in a very tough spot as a business at the moment and it makes sense to me that they would do everything possible to try and reduce their marketing spend to acquire new customers.
Once they realize (and they will get their eventually) that they are impacting their customer experience, retention, etc... they will likely unwind the change. In terms of the impact to us, this is all part of the process. One door may shut but there are still dozens open.
A key note here is that the change likely doesn't impact targeted bonuses. I've had luck receiving the sign-up bonus on personal cards that I've had before (post 2014 terms change) via targeted email/mail offers. So keep an eye on your mailbox(es) as that is the most likely avenue for receiving multiple bonuses for the same card.
January 23, 2016
Getting TSA Precheck for Free
One of the must have travel tools these days is TSA Precheck (stylized with a check mark for some unknown branding reason). I've saved countless hours breezing through security while my shoes stay on, and my liquid bag/laptop stay in my backpack. It's amazing. For international travelers, Global Entry is a life saver. No waiting in immigration lines to talk to an officer - you hit the kiosk, answer some questions and snap a selfie. You're through in a handful of minutes. This has enabled us to make tight international to domestic connections. A huge benefit when you're tired and just want to get home. Both Emily and I have TSA Pre with our Global Entry. You can get TSA Pre on it's own but if you're going to take even one international trip (it's good for 5 years) in the next 5 years, you should apply for Global Entry.
The fee is $100 and I think worth it. You can do better than that though. There are a couple of credit cards that provide a $100 credit towards the fee every 5 years.
American Express Platinum:
Citi Prestige:
Both Emily and I are in the middle of our 5 year "term." My parents are headed to Europe this summer for their anniversary and they have a tight connection coming home. I suggested that they get Global Entry for their upcoming trip which will also give them TSA Precheck for their domestic travel. We both used our fee waivers from previous cards so had a couple left. My parents applied and they put one application on my Amex Platinum and the other on my Citi Prestige. The fee credit is applicant "agnostic" so you can "sponsor" a friend or family member if you already have Global Entry or TSA Pre.
My Amex Platinum credit has already posted.
While this benefit is often trumpeted as a $100 credit, in reality you can only get it once every 5 years. So if you're keeping the card and paying the annual fee, it's more like $20 a year. That said, I was happy to save my parents $200 and I know that there travel experience will be much improved once they are fully enrolled for Global Entry!
The fee is $100 and I think worth it. You can do better than that though. There are a couple of credit cards that provide a $100 credit towards the fee every 5 years.
American Express Platinum:
Citi Prestige:
Both Emily and I are in the middle of our 5 year "term." My parents are headed to Europe this summer for their anniversary and they have a tight connection coming home. I suggested that they get Global Entry for their upcoming trip which will also give them TSA Precheck for their domestic travel. We both used our fee waivers from previous cards so had a couple left. My parents applied and they put one application on my Amex Platinum and the other on my Citi Prestige. The fee credit is applicant "agnostic" so you can "sponsor" a friend or family member if you already have Global Entry or TSA Pre.
My Amex Platinum credit has already posted.
While this benefit is often trumpeted as a $100 credit, in reality you can only get it once every 5 years. So if you're keeping the card and paying the annual fee, it's more like $20 a year. That said, I was happy to save my parents $200 and I know that there travel experience will be much improved once they are fully enrolled for Global Entry!
December 27, 2015
Amex Offers Saved Me $1000 in 2015
I've written about American Express Amex Offers a number of times. Amex really steps up their game at the end of the year and this year was no exception. I was able to add awesome Amex Offers from places I was going to spend money anyway (i.e. Amazon, Uber, Saks, Instacart) to multiple cards by opening multiple windows and adding the offer to each card. I was able to add the Amazon offer ($15 off $60 in spend) to 6 of the cards - that's basically $90 in "free" money since you can buy pretty much anything at Amazon.
While the year isn't over yet, we're already at $958 in savings across 7 American Express cards. That is way more than the Amex annual fees we paid ($640) in 2015.
It is super easy to add the offers to your card. You can add via Facebook or Twitter but I prefer to check out the mobile app because scrolling through the offers is most efficient when there is a long list (I currently have around 85 available offers on my Amex SPG Card).
Once the offer is added, go meet the minimum spend threshold online or in-store and you should receive an email informing you that you've triggered the Amex Offer. In my experience, credits post in 2-3 days. You can also stack Amex Offers with other promotions or even buy a gift card to trigger the discount. I was able to trigger the $80 W Hotels offer by booking Emily a "prepaid" rate at a W in New York in January - even though the stay was outside of the promotional window.
Kudos to Amex for not only launching but continually improving this program with improved offers each year!
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| Adding Amex Offers to your card account is easy |
While the year isn't over yet, we're already at $958 in savings across 7 American Express cards. That is way more than the Amex annual fees we paid ($640) in 2015.
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| Savings on food, hotels, luggage, and more! |
It is super easy to add the offers to your card. You can add via Facebook or Twitter but I prefer to check out the mobile app because scrolling through the offers is most efficient when there is a long list (I currently have around 85 available offers on my Amex SPG Card).
Once the offer is added, go meet the minimum spend threshold online or in-store and you should receive an email informing you that you've triggered the Amex Offer. In my experience, credits post in 2-3 days. You can also stack Amex Offers with other promotions or even buy a gift card to trigger the discount. I was able to trigger the $80 W Hotels offer by booking Emily a "prepaid" rate at a W in New York in January - even though the stay was outside of the promotional window.
Kudos to Amex for not only launching but continually improving this program with improved offers each year!
December 19, 2015
An Unexpected Bonus from Amex
Back in September, I wrote about a successful triple dip at Saks leveraging an awesome Amex Offer. If you're new to Amex Offers, stay tuned...I'm working on a more comprehensive overview as we go into 2016. I've saved over $1,500 this year along leveraging them across all of my Amex cards.
Anyway, we needed a couple of things for the house and ended up making a purchase of $436 while earning nearly 12,500 United Miles and American Express Membership Rewards. For whatever reason, that number recently increased to 18,500 as Amex posted the bonus miles to my account twice!
I value United miles and Amex MR points at pretty close to $.02 a piece and often get far greater value out of them than $.02. So in my mind, that's a $370 rebate on a $436 purchase. Thanks for the holiday gift/bonus/error Amex!!!
Anyway, we needed a couple of things for the house and ended up making a purchase of $436 while earning nearly 12,500 United Miles and American Express Membership Rewards. For whatever reason, that number recently increased to 18,500 as Amex posted the bonus miles to my account twice!
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| 6,000 point bonus twice |
I value United miles and Amex MR points at pretty close to $.02 a piece and often get far greater value out of them than $.02. So in my mind, that's a $370 rebate on a $436 purchase. Thanks for the holiday gift/bonus/error Amex!!!
December 5, 2015
Review: Amex Centurion Lounge DFW
Introduction
Planning & Booking
American Express Centurion Lounge DFW
Emirates A380 First Class Dallas to Dubai
Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa Dubai
Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai
Emirates 777-300 First Class Dubai to Male
Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
Park Hyatt Maldives - Resort & Park Villa
Park Hyatt Maldives - Water Villa
Transfer to Male
Singapore Airlines 777-200ER Business Class Male to Singapore
Grand Hyatt Singapore
Singapore Airlines The Private Room Singapore
Singapore Airlines 777-300ER First Class Singapore to Hong Kong
Singapore Airlines 777-300ER First Class Hong Kong to San Francisco
After dropping Perry off for her vacation Tuesday evening, we finished packing and went to bed as early as possible for our 3AM wake up call. We caught the 5AM American Airlines flight to DFW which was completely uneventful. We landed a little before 8AM and made our way over to Terminal D and to the Centurion lounge which is located on the upper level near gate D-17. We didn't check bags on the way out so transferring was a quick walk and an Airtrain ride.
We had visited this Centurion outpost before on our way to Istanbul. I'd say this one is the best in the system (I've visited SFO, LAS, LGA, and DFW) given the spa. Access to the lounge is complimentary for Amex Platinum and Black Card holders. A day pass is $50 for all other Amex cardholders.
We made our way to the far end of the lounge - through the buffet and bar to the area with a handful of chaise loungers. The loungers were all occupied so we set ourselves up at the one of the tables for breakfast.
The 2+ hours we spent in the lounge flew by. We grabbed some breakfast (food is excellent, btw) and had a couple of cappuccinos while catching up on work/email before the flight.
Emily visited the spa for a manicure prior to our departure where you can choose (complimentary) from a few different treatments. I took a quick shower to prepare for the flight where I would take yet another shower.
At T-50 we headed down to concourse to stretch our legs and watchthe fashion show our Emirates crew board the aircraft.
We're rarely in Dallas but if we are, we're headed to the Centurion. It's among the best lounges in the US and the food, bar, and spa provided a great start to what was a phenomenal longhaul flight to Dubai.
Planning & Booking
American Express Centurion Lounge DFW
Emirates A380 First Class Dallas to Dubai
Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa Dubai
Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai
Emirates 777-300 First Class Dubai to Male
Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
Park Hyatt Maldives - Resort & Park Villa
Park Hyatt Maldives - Water Villa
Transfer to Male
Singapore Airlines 777-200ER Business Class Male to Singapore
Grand Hyatt Singapore
Singapore Airlines The Private Room Singapore
Singapore Airlines 777-300ER First Class Singapore to Hong Kong
Singapore Airlines 777-300ER First Class Hong Kong to San Francisco
After dropping Perry off for her vacation Tuesday evening, we finished packing and went to bed as early as possible for our 3AM wake up call. We caught the 5AM American Airlines flight to DFW which was completely uneventful. We landed a little before 8AM and made our way over to Terminal D and to the Centurion lounge which is located on the upper level near gate D-17. We didn't check bags on the way out so transferring was a quick walk and an Airtrain ride.
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| American Express Centurion DFW |
We had visited this Centurion outpost before on our way to Istanbul. I'd say this one is the best in the system (I've visited SFO, LAS, LGA, and DFW) given the spa. Access to the lounge is complimentary for Amex Platinum and Black Card holders. A day pass is $50 for all other Amex cardholders.
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| Centurion DFW Entrance |
We made our way to the far end of the lounge - through the buffet and bar to the area with a handful of chaise loungers. The loungers were all occupied so we set ourselves up at the one of the tables for breakfast.
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| Centurion DFW loungers with a terminal view |
The 2+ hours we spent in the lounge flew by. We grabbed some breakfast (food is excellent, btw) and had a couple of cappuccinos while catching up on work/email before the flight.
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| Centurion DFW Bar |
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| Centurion DFW Buffet |
Emily visited the spa for a manicure prior to our departure where you can choose (complimentary) from a few different treatments. I took a quick shower to prepare for the flight where I would take yet another shower.
At T-50 we headed down to concourse to stretch our legs and watch
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| Coming down the runway |
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| Up close |
We're rarely in Dallas but if we are, we're headed to the Centurion. It's among the best lounges in the US and the food, bar, and spa provided a great start to what was a phenomenal longhaul flight to Dubai.
October 31, 2015
What's in My Wallet November 2015
Here's an update on what's in my wallet (and why) as we go into November.
1) Chase Freedom
The Chase Freedom card offers "rotating" 5x spend categories by quarter. For this quarter (ending 12/31/15) Freedom is offering 5x at Amazon and Zappos.com on $1,500 worth of spend during the quarter. Given the holidays and everyday spend, I'll probably get pretty close to maxing the $1,500 earning me 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points!
2) Chase Sapphire Preferred
All of my extra (not contributing to sign-up bonuses) travel and dining spend goes on the CSP. I've had the card for over 3 years and gladly pay the $95 annual fee given my credit history, limit, and the earning power of the card. Don't forget to leverage the CSP for 3x points on dining on the first Friday of each month.
3) Amex Platinum
I actually don't put spend on the card at all (other than to earn the sign-up bonus) but have kept it in my wallet strictly for the benefits. Specifically Centurion lounge access in cities where I have upcoming travel (New York, San Francisco, and Dallas).
4) Citi Hilton HHonors Visa
I'm working on the minimum spend for this card ($2,000 in 90 days) which I picked up for the increased 75,000 point sign-up bonus. I had depleted my stash of HHonors points over the last year and 75,000 will go a long way in boosting my balance. This card is "churnable" in that you can get it over and over - with no annual fee it's great to take advantage when the bonus is increased.
1) Chase Freedom
The Chase Freedom card offers "rotating" 5x spend categories by quarter. For this quarter (ending 12/31/15) Freedom is offering 5x at Amazon and Zappos.com on $1,500 worth of spend during the quarter. Given the holidays and everyday spend, I'll probably get pretty close to maxing the $1,500 earning me 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points!
2) Chase Sapphire Preferred
All of my extra (not contributing to sign-up bonuses) travel and dining spend goes on the CSP. I've had the card for over 3 years and gladly pay the $95 annual fee given my credit history, limit, and the earning power of the card. Don't forget to leverage the CSP for 3x points on dining on the first Friday of each month.
3) Amex Platinum
I actually don't put spend on the card at all (other than to earn the sign-up bonus) but have kept it in my wallet strictly for the benefits. Specifically Centurion lounge access in cities where I have upcoming travel (New York, San Francisco, and Dallas).
4) Citi Hilton HHonors Visa
I'm working on the minimum spend for this card ($2,000 in 90 days) which I picked up for the increased 75,000 point sign-up bonus. I had depleted my stash of HHonors points over the last year and 75,000 will go a long way in boosting my balance. This card is "churnable" in that you can get it over and over - with no annual fee it's great to take advantage when the bonus is increased.
September 26, 2015
SPG Amex Rebranded
As part of the ongoing Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) rebrand, American Express started sending out rebranded credit cards. They've been going out for a month or so and I received mine a couple weeks ago. The card is also EMV (chip) enabled.
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| New SPG (EMV capable) with Citi Prestige overlay |
I'm a big fan of the purple and really like the look of the card. I've held this one for 11+ years and don't see it disappearing from my wallet anytime soon. So glad the card has finally been updated to match the look and feel of the website, print material, and on property branding.
The annual fee of the card is now $95 (up from $65) but still worth paying from my perspective. There are a few new benefits for the extra $30 most notably the fact that the card no longer charges foreign transaction fees. That's a big change as I've historically left this card at home when traveling internationally to avoid the 2.7% foreign transaction fee. Kudos to Amex for updating the product (both look and feel and benefits).
August 15, 2015
What's in My Wallet? August 2015 Edition
It's been a couple of months since I've posted about the credit cards currently in my wallet. You can check out other posts here:
What's in My Wallet? June 2015
What's in My Wallet? March 2015
What's in My Wallet? October 2014
What's in My Wallet? April 2014
1) Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
Emily and I are working on racking up enough Alaska miles (360,000 - 400,000) for a roundtrip first class itinerary on Emirates...So I recently picked up this card to pad my my balance. If you make a phantom booking on Alaska's website (book a flight and select the CC offer on the last page before purchase) you'll receive 25,000 miles after first purchase and a $100 statement credit after $1,000 in spend. A great deal that offsets the $75 annual fee. I've had this card before - BofA is generous in terms of giving out the sign-up bonus multiple times. We're roughly half way to our goal of 400K Alaska miles so may have to pick up a few more of these cards to ensure we get there.
2) Chase Freedom
The Chase Freedom card offers "rotating" 5x spend categories by quarter. For this quarter (ending 9.30/15) Freedom is offering 5x at gas stations and Kohl's. I likely won't spend a dime at Kohl's but the 5x on gas is pretty great. Fortunately (unfortunately for more points) we only have one car, both walk to work, and don't drive all that much. But for the $50 - $100 a month we do spend on gas, it's worth keeping the card in my wallet. No other spend this quarter though.
3) Chase Sapphire Preferred
All of my extra (not contributing to sign-up bonuses) travel and dining spend goes on the CSP. I've had the card for over 3 years and gladly pay the $95 annual fee given my credit history, limit, and the earning power of the card. Don't forget to leverage the CSP for 3x points on dining on the first Friday of each month.
4) Amex Starwood Preferred Guest (Business Version)
I recently picked up this card for ATRP. Actually the second time I've had the card and earned the signup bonus. I'm working on earning the signup bonus ($5K in 180 days) although the signup bonus actually just increased to 30,000 bonus points after $3K in spend - an amazing deal!
What's in My Wallet? June 2015
What's in My Wallet? March 2015
What's in My Wallet? October 2014
What's in My Wallet? April 2014
1) Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
Emily and I are working on racking up enough Alaska miles (360,000 - 400,000) for a roundtrip first class itinerary on Emirates...So I recently picked up this card to pad my my balance. If you make a phantom booking on Alaska's website (book a flight and select the CC offer on the last page before purchase) you'll receive 25,000 miles after first purchase and a $100 statement credit after $1,000 in spend. A great deal that offsets the $75 annual fee. I've had this card before - BofA is generous in terms of giving out the sign-up bonus multiple times. We're roughly half way to our goal of 400K Alaska miles so may have to pick up a few more of these cards to ensure we get there.
2) Chase Freedom
The Chase Freedom card offers "rotating" 5x spend categories by quarter. For this quarter (ending 9.30/15) Freedom is offering 5x at gas stations and Kohl's. I likely won't spend a dime at Kohl's but the 5x on gas is pretty great. Fortunately (unfortunately for more points) we only have one car, both walk to work, and don't drive all that much. But for the $50 - $100 a month we do spend on gas, it's worth keeping the card in my wallet. No other spend this quarter though.
3) Chase Sapphire Preferred
All of my extra (not contributing to sign-up bonuses) travel and dining spend goes on the CSP. I've had the card for over 3 years and gladly pay the $95 annual fee given my credit history, limit, and the earning power of the card. Don't forget to leverage the CSP for 3x points on dining on the first Friday of each month.
4) Amex Starwood Preferred Guest (Business Version)
I recently picked up this card for ATRP. Actually the second time I've had the card and earned the signup bonus. I'm working on earning the signup bonus ($5K in 180 days) although the signup bonus actually just increased to 30,000 bonus points after $3K in spend - an amazing deal!
August 9, 2015
Update on Amex Offers
American Express offers "Amex Offers" to their cardmembers as a perk and a is a marketers dream. I'm not sure who funds the offers (probably a combination of the retailer and Amex) but I've done a nice job taking advantage of them over the years - thanks Amex!
If you haven't heard of the program and have an Amex card in your wallet, sign in to your account online and scroll down to the bottom of the page to the "Amex Offers and Benefits" section. Click on "Available" and you can scroll through the offers. If you see something you like, you can click "Add to Card" to load the offer onto you card. Go meet the minimum spend requirements and you'll have a statement credit within a handful of days.
As you can see, I've saved nearly $600 on this card alone over the past couple of years.
You can also add Amex Offers via Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare although I've found it easy enough to add them online/via the mobile app when I'm logged in checking transactions.
Amex has really been stepping things up lately. In the last 30 days, I've taken advantage of offers from Wal-Mart, Office Depot, Petco, Jonathan Adler, West Elm, and Home Depot to buy things I was going to anyway. You can even double dip on these offers by going through an online shopping portal. Next time you're online or checking on your card via the mobile app, check out Amex's Offers!
If you haven't heard of the program and have an Amex card in your wallet, sign in to your account online and scroll down to the bottom of the page to the "Amex Offers and Benefits" section. Click on "Available" and you can scroll through the offers. If you see something you like, you can click "Add to Card" to load the offer onto you card. Go meet the minimum spend requirements and you'll have a statement credit within a handful of days.
As you can see, I've saved nearly $600 on this card alone over the past couple of years.
You can also add Amex Offers via Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare although I've found it easy enough to add them online/via the mobile app when I'm logged in checking transactions.
Amex has really been stepping things up lately. In the last 30 days, I've taken advantage of offers from Wal-Mart, Office Depot, Petco, Jonathan Adler, West Elm, and Home Depot to buy things I was going to anyway. You can even double dip on these offers by going through an online shopping portal. Next time you're online or checking on your card via the mobile app, check out Amex's Offers!
March 20, 2015
What's in My Wallet - March 2015 Edition
It's been awhile since I've posted about what's in my wallet. I'm going to try and keep this up quarterly. You can check out other posts here:
What's in My Wallet? October 2014
What's in My Wallet? April 2014
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
1) Amex Simply Cash Business Credit Card
I usually prefer to earn points and miles vs. cash back, but this offer is pretty hard to pass up given the strong bonus ($250 on $5,000 in spend so 5x cash back all with no annual fee) and bonus categories (5x on office supplies and cell/cable bills, 3x on a category of your choice - in my case restaurants). This card is a keeper given the lack of an annual fee although I probably won't put a ton of spend on the card once receiving the signup bonus.
2) Barclays US Airways Dividend Miles MasterCard
Given the merger with American and the fact that this card is going away (likely in April) as the merger progresses, I figured I'd pick up this card again (I've had it before a couple years back). The sign-up bonus is really strong - 50,000 USAir miles after first purchase for an $89 annual fee. These miles will become AA miles in April so you should definitely get this card before it goes away. The card is still in my wallet due to a promotion Barclays is running offering 1.5x miles for the next few months. After that, I'll stick it in a drawer.
3) Chase Sapphire Preferred
All of my travel spend goes on the CSP. Once I've hit the sign-up bonus on my Simply Cash Business card, I'll move back to the CSP for restaurant spend.
4) Amex Starwood Preferred Guest
This card is perpetually in my wallet. In fact, I just paid my taxes with the card. Even though there is a ~2% fee to pay taxes with a credit card, it's a no brainer for me. I would buy Starwood points all day long at 2%. I am staying at The Phoenician Resort in May for 12,000 points a night. The cash rate is >$500 per night. If I was to "buy points" at $.02 that would be $240 per night...a huge discount versus the $500 cash rate.
What's in My Wallet? October 2014
What's in My Wallet? April 2014
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
1) Amex Simply Cash Business Credit Card
I usually prefer to earn points and miles vs. cash back, but this offer is pretty hard to pass up given the strong bonus ($250 on $5,000 in spend so 5x cash back all with no annual fee) and bonus categories (5x on office supplies and cell/cable bills, 3x on a category of your choice - in my case restaurants). This card is a keeper given the lack of an annual fee although I probably won't put a ton of spend on the card once receiving the signup bonus.
2) Barclays US Airways Dividend Miles MasterCard
Given the merger with American and the fact that this card is going away (likely in April) as the merger progresses, I figured I'd pick up this card again (I've had it before a couple years back). The sign-up bonus is really strong - 50,000 USAir miles after first purchase for an $89 annual fee. These miles will become AA miles in April so you should definitely get this card before it goes away. The card is still in my wallet due to a promotion Barclays is running offering 1.5x miles for the next few months. After that, I'll stick it in a drawer.
3) Chase Sapphire Preferred
All of my travel spend goes on the CSP. Once I've hit the sign-up bonus on my Simply Cash Business card, I'll move back to the CSP for restaurant spend.
4) Amex Starwood Preferred Guest
This card is perpetually in my wallet. In fact, I just paid my taxes with the card. Even though there is a ~2% fee to pay taxes with a credit card, it's a no brainer for me. I would buy Starwood points all day long at 2%. I am staying at The Phoenician Resort in May for 12,000 points a night. The cash rate is >$500 per night. If I was to "buy points" at $.02 that would be $240 per night...a huge discount versus the $500 cash rate.
January 18, 2015
Another Year, Another Successful Platinum Card Airline Credit
The American Express Platinum Card (all three versions) is one of the most generous cards on the market when it comes to benefits. Read my full review for a recap. That said, the card is not great for everyday spend unless you're driving towards the sign-up bonus.
That's because the card ONLY offers 1x Membership Rewards points. There are not bonus categories, not spend thresholds to encourage more spend. So while you may look cool at dinner with your Platinum card, you'd be WAY better off paying with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card earning 2x points on dining and 3x if it's the first Friday of the month.
We keep a Platinum card in our house ($450 annual fee) because of these three primary benefits:
1) $200 annual airline incidental credit - this reduces the annual fee by nearly 50%
2) Centurion lounge access - we have trips to New York, San Francisco, and Las Vegas nearly every year - that is 3 lounge visits for 2 people. Easily worth $50 a visit in my book. That's $150 a year.
3) Access to American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) rates - these can be super lucrative in terms of the benefits ($100 property credit, breakfast, late checkout, upgrades, free wifi) when you don't have status or stay at a non-chain hotel
In terms of the incidental credit, we select United each year and purchase four $50 e-gift cards. We've never had any issue getting the credits reimbursed within a couple of days. Our credits just posted for 2015 purchases (although the fourth transaction didn't go through for some reason).
This definitely softens the blow of the annual fee. We're going to fly and we're going to fly United so the gift cards are basically a cash discount on the annual fee. The process of purchasing the gift cards takes all of 10 minutes a year. If you don't leverage any of the other benefits, it's probably not worth keeping the card. But for the lounges, FHR access, and $200 annual credit, it's not that hard to get your money's worth.
November 16, 2014
Amex Small Business Saturday Enrollment is Live
One of the best promotions of the year (at least for the last several years) has been American Express Small Business Saturday. Amex launched the promotion to stimulate spending at local businesses (and charge volume on their cards and through their payment network) during the economic downturn.
In the past, they've offered a single $25 statement credit per card which was a great offer. This year, the offer provides up to three $10 statement credits on each registered American Express card.
All you have to do is register here and then spend $10 or more on each of your registered cards at "qualifying small business" shown on the Shop Small Map. The map is actually pretty cool and allows you to search and map locations near you that are "qualifying."
There is an enrollment cap so it definitely makes sense to enroll sooner rather than later. We currently hold five American Express cards and I was able to register all five this morning. So we'll grab some coffee, breakfast, lunch, and do some holiday shopping all in our neighborhood and end up with $150 in statement credits.
American Express Small Business Saturday is on 11/29 so register soon and circle the date on your calendar!
In the past, they've offered a single $25 statement credit per card which was a great offer. This year, the offer provides up to three $10 statement credits on each registered American Express card.
All you have to do is register here and then spend $10 or more on each of your registered cards at "qualifying small business" shown on the Shop Small Map. The map is actually pretty cool and allows you to search and map locations near you that are "qualifying."
 |
| Shop Small Map for my office in Denver |
There is an enrollment cap so it definitely makes sense to enroll sooner rather than later. We currently hold five American Express cards and I was able to register all five this morning. So we'll grab some coffee, breakfast, lunch, and do some holiday shopping all in our neighborhood and end up with $150 in statement credits.
American Express Small Business Saturday is on 11/29 so register soon and circle the date on your calendar!
September 9, 2014
New Amex Offer: Get $15 off $100 at Staples
Amex has a new offer out (I'm seeing it on my EveryDay Preferred Card but YMMV) that will give you a $15 statement credit after spending $100 at Staples.com. The offer isn't valid on e-gift cards (which are free) but is valid on physical gift cards (which Staples charges a $1.99 fee).
You can combine this offer with a shopping portal (i.e. Ultimate Rewards Mall) which should net you an additional 2-3 miles/points.
I plan on taking advantage of this offer by purchasing a Home Depot gift card...they sell a ton of items online that we need in the house. Both Emily and I have this offer in our accounts so we'll take advantage of it twice! $15 isn't earth shattering but if you take advantage of these offers across the year (especially with multiple cardmembers in your household) you can literally save hundreds of dollars.
In the last year, I am up to $305 on one card!
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