I love credit cards so much! v5.0 - 2022 (see first page for add'l details)

[iujen94]

Costco self-checkout for the win this morning! I was able to empty 6 Visa GCs with less than $10 each on them.

 

[becauseimnew]

All this talk of national parks has me wondering-- how early do y'all recommend booking trips to Yellowstone, Acadia, Yosemite, etc.? We are normally last minute planners or at the most maybe 6-9 months out, but maybe if I start planning now we can have our pick for a park Summer '23.

Start planning 15 months in advance, booking opens 13 months in advance for lodging inside the parks. Usually sell out in seconds.

 

[smallsy]

Start planning 15 months in advance, booking opens 13 months in advance for lodging inside the parks. Usually sell out in seconds.

Thanks! Sounds similar to how state park camp sites go within seconds here.

 

[WVMomof3]

All this talk of national parks has me wondering-- how early do y'all recommend booking trips to Yellowstone, Acadia, Yosemite, etc.? We are normally last minute planners or at the most maybe 6-9 months out, but maybe if I start planning now we can have our pick for a park Summer '23.

i am also a last minute planner and it has worked out for me twice but if you can plan early enough for when reservations open that would be best. OurGrand Canyon room I was able to get in March for a first week in June trip in 2017 and our Yellowstone room I got in April and our Teton room I got in May for a mid July trip in 2019. It worked out both times but I was looking into backup plans had it not worked out. You just have to be diligent about stalking the site for openings. Only use the official park lodging site, it is easy to be duped into a 3rd party site for booking and cancellation terms are not the same.

 

[wed100105]

Instant approval for DH for a Chase Ink Business unlimited with a $10,000 credit limit. Yay! I have Disney tickets and timeshare dues to pay so this works out nicely. Thanks for the suggestion! (Referred from P1.)

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Much appreciated, thanks!

Just for data sake, my last cards were
CSP 8/22/20
CIC 9/23/21
SW Biz 11/5/21
I was 1/24
Applied for SW personal 1/11 with instant approval. I did lower credit limits about 2 weeks before the personal app. SW points are pending and should post 2/10

 

[iujen94]

I think I found own answer if this is correct...

• The credit applies each cardmember year (or anniversary year, if you prefer), including the year in which you open the card; the credit timing isn’t based on the calendar year
• The credit can be used across one or multiple transactions, until the $300 limit is reached
• There’s no registration required to use the $300 annual travel credit
• Any purchase through Capital One Travel qualifies towards using this credit, so there’s all kinds of travel you can arrange this way
• The credit will generally appear in your account within one to seven business days of making an eligible purchase
• If the credited Capital One Travel purchase is canceled, the statement credit may be removed from your account, though can be reissued on any past or future Capital One Travel purchase of up to $300

I’ve used mine (all in one transaction though) - just FYI, the credit took longer to post than I thought it would. It took eight days, whereas I feel like Chase usually post those credits in a day or two.

 

[wanderlust7]

if you bought tix, you can just log back in to your account and book a car. It should give you the discount that way.

It doesn't seem to work for me. I bought a popcorn ticket yesterday and park tickets last year. Not that I need it now. Would be handy in the future though.

 

[wanderlust7]

I really like the $500 transfer points credit on the SW biz cards! Got all the family's points combined on my account. Counts as SW purchase and earned 4x on the Performance. Counts towards MSR too. And I feel okay counting it since they are not Amex and there's no language subtracting out credits.

 

[Terp03]

Just for data sake, my last cards were
CSP 8/22/20
CIC 9/23/21
SW Biz 11/5/21
I was 1/24
Applied for SW personal 1/11 with instant approval. I did lower credit limits about 2 weeks before the personal app. SW points are pending and should post 2/10

Auto approved, thank you!!!

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Just received $695 retention offer on DH's Business Plat that was opened 11/14/21.

Congrats- I tried a bit ago and was told no offer, but first renewal isn't for a few more months. Did you have to agree to keep the card open for 12 months? If so, does that lock you in until January 2023?

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Omg don’t call dell if you care about your mental health. Just saying’.

I'm in the same boat. I can't even. After I made the mistake of not enrolling in the Amex Dell credit benefit, I had to return an order that shipped as 4 separate items, with 4 different returns. They received all four but only credited two. Their website is a joke- impossible to find chat or a contact us section. The chat agent disconnected me.... but actually called me back. Still no resolution so I am going to dispute the two charges with Amex.
I cannot take this Dell coupon game.

 

[becauseimnew]

Congrats- I tried a bit ago and was told no offer, but first renewal isn't for a few more months. Did you have to agree to keep the card open for 12 months? If so, does that lock you in until January 2023?

Yes, the card has to stay open until 1/25/23, which is fine because then I can take advantage of the 2023 credits but also downgraded the card to a business green and receive a prorated refund on the AF.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

DP: Chase CSR Away credit posted 6 days after purchase posted.

All $500+ is available to PYB, so you can technically PYB more than you paid if interested in cashing out at 1.5cpp.

 

[leeniewdw]

All this talk of national parks has me wondering-- how early do y'all recommend booking trips to Yellowstone, Acadia, Yosemite, etc.? We are normally last minute planners or at the most maybe 6-9 months out, but maybe if I start planning now we can have our pick for a park Summer '23.

Start planning 15 months in advance, booking opens 13 months in advance for lodging inside the parks. Usually sell out in seconds.

It really depends on the Park and the property. As I wrote, I was able to get 5 nights at the locations I wanted in YNP and GTNP in August '21 for a June '22 trip, though I didn't get the specific room type I wanted (we didn't decide to make this trip until August, normally I would have booked May 1). Each Park may have different reservation guidelines depending on what vendor does their reservation system. Yellowstone used to be that on May 1st of each year, you could make reservations for the entire FOLLOWING summer, so May 1st 2021 could make reservations for September 2022. But starting in April 2022, it is the 13 month rolling window. Yosemite USED to be you could make reservations 366 days in advance of your arrival - I believe that's still the case. In the Tetons, there are various types of accommodations run by different companies. They all have cancelation options, so no reason not to book as soon as you even *think* you might go (1st night is charged as deposit, but it's refundable).

Right now, there are places in Yellowstone available for August '22 dates, with the exception of Old Faithful lodging.

Essentially, you want to research each park, the kind of accommodations they have and how soon they allow bookings. And then you want to book on the first available day. I 100% agree it's worth it to stay INSIDE the parks you are visiting. Points won't help, but it's definitely worth it in these cases.

 

[dez1978]

I have been burned by the offsite agencies before. Now, we only rent through the big names with counters in MCO. Prices have been ridiculous the past year but UCT still offers 50% off when you buy any tickets. So, we have quite a collection of their $6 popcorn/drink tickets and get very reasonable rates without resorting to nu, ez, Payless, fox, sixt or any of the others with terrifyingly low reviews.

We also did this!

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Some very positive changes coming to Chase IHG credit cards in March, including the ability to top off FNCs with points and better earning rates. Info here

 

[dez1978]

Help me prove to DH that I can apply for a business card without having a business in my name. I mean we do own a restaraunt, but it's in an LLC not under our names. I'm trying to tell him we need to get the Ink business or a SW business card and he says it will ask for all this info regarding the biz. Generally he is the smarter one about all this lol.

 

[IFlossU]

Help me prove to DH that I can apply for a business card without having a business in my name. I mean we do own a restaraunt, but it's in an LLC not under our names. I'm trying to tell him we need to get the Ink business or a SW business card and he says it will ask for all this info regarding the biz. Generally he is the smarter one about all this lol.

If you apply as a Sole Proprietor, which you would, then you just use your name and social security number to apply. Yes, the application does require you to select from a list the type of business you have. For me I chose “retail” as I sell on Ebay. It’s honestly super easy, and other than selecting your business type and estimated earnings it’s no biggie. After multiple successful business card applications I’ve never been asked for any further information beyond the simple questions on the application.

 

[becauseimnew]

Help me prove to DH that I can apply for a business card without having a business in my name. I mean we do own a restaraunt, but it's in an LLC not under our names. I'm trying to tell him we need to get the Ink business or a SW business card and he says it will ask for all this info regarding the biz. Generally he is the smarter one about all this lol.

Just have him read this thread. Most of us here don't have a formal business, we all just use side hustles. I know some here do have formal businesses, but even they apply as a Sole Proprietor because it is easier to get Chase approval than with an LLC application.

My "business" is photography, I used to be way more active but I haven't charged anyone in a few years. I still do sessions but mostly free for family.

DH used to drive for Uber, we still use that as his "business".