I used to have the Chase Plus Rewards 5% CB on gas, etc...until they forced me to convert over to Chase Sapphire which is now just a measly 1%. I'm planning to cancel and get one with better rewards.

What about Chase Ink? It says 3% CB on gas, restaurants, home improvement, and office supply stores.

Any credit cards offering no annual fee and 5% CB on gas? I already have Discover which does 5% on different things quarter to quarter.

1/7/2010 12:34:31 PM

soundest financial advice available

http://www.hulu.com/watch/1389/saturday-night-live-dont-buy-stuff

1/7/2010 12:45:43 PM

heck yes....but unfortunately there's no way around not buying gas....and that's where i need to max out the rewards i can get back from gas


.... looks like Chase Ink was formerly Chase Freedom.

[Edited on January 7, 2010 at 12:54 PM. Reason : k]

1/7/2010 12:53:51 PM

I still have Chase Freedom - not sure if I'll have to switch to something else (what is Ink?). I've liked it enough so far, you can apply your rewards balance back to your credit card balance.

What I don't like - online you don't get a running tab, you only get the charges and then your total balance. It would be nice if you could see how much your balance is after each transaction.

You don't get an itemized breakdown of the percentages you earned. They highlight your top categories, but don't show you how much you earned on each individual purchase. I'd like that.

1/7/2010 1:14:41 PM

I'm reading the Ink pamphlet..it says
- 3% cashback on gas, restaurants, office supply, home improvement
- 1% everything else
- $50 cash back after first purcahse
- no annual fee

I agree on the running tab thing, my discover rewards doesn't have that either so hard to match 1:1 where the cashback came from

1/7/2010 2:55:22 PM

I love my COSTCO Amex. It's 3% for gas and dining. 2% for travel. 1% everything else. But you get the AMEX extended warranty which is amazing and worth having for any larger purchases imho.

I bought my mom a laptop in 08, the screen died two months after HP's 1 year warranty expired and AMEX covered it completely and it was pretty hassle free filing the claim. Customer service in general is far superior with AMEX over Chase and the like in my experience.

1/8/2010 4:27:43 AM

chase cards would be a lot better if you didn't have to deal with chase...

1/8/2010 9:06:11 AM

Quote :

"I'm planning to cancel and get one with better rewards. "

no, no, no. Don't cancel that card. What you should do (in this order):

-Call Chase and try to get the card converted to the card of your choice (provided you can find a Chase-issued one you would want [good luck with that]). This way your credit history will transfer to the new account, you should also confirm this with the CSR you speak to.

-if they are unwilling (which they have been more and more lately) and/or you are unable to find a decent Chase card, KEEP THE ACCOUNT OPEN and stick the card in your sock drawer. If it will make you feel better, you can set an alert to be txted/emailed/called if a charge over $1 is made to the card (if you're worried about identity theft). The length of your credit history + avg age of your accounts are two of the most important factors in your credit score, don't ruin them.

some cards I recommend, and personally use:

-Schwab Invest First (2% cash flat on all purchases, deposited into a brokerage account but you can take it out with no penalty if you wish)
-Associated Bank Platinum (same as your Cashe Plus - 5% cash at gas/grocery/drug - you have to call 1-800-219-7941 and apply over the phone for this one, as it's super duper secret [issued by Citi])
-Citi Forward card (5% in ThankYou points at restaurants/bars/bookstores/recordstores/itunes/amazon. Not as good as cash but you can redeem for student loan rebates (best deal), flights, or gift cards)

Quote :

"Customer service in general is far superior with AMEX over Chase and the like in my experience."

SO very true. If you're going to go with Amex, the Costco card is a good one.

[Edited on January 8, 2010 at 1:00 PM. Reason : d]

1/8/2010 12:55:58 PM

so what are the catches with these cards? the bb&t card i have now just gives me some lame-ass reward points that you redeem for junk or shitty gift cards.

[Edited on January 8, 2010 at 1:04 PM. Reason : all i ever put on there is my gas.]

1/8/2010 1:04:02 PM

Tell me more about the Amex extended warranty, please.

1/8/2010 1:04:15 PM

I think most major credit card companies extend warranties 1 year past the manufacturer's warranty. They may also offer extended warranties past that, usually for a fee.

1/8/2010 1:12:43 PM

Interesting, I don't have anything like that on Chase (to the best of my knowledge). Would be good to have in place for purchases I plan to make in the near future like a fridge.

1/8/2010 1:22:41 PM

^I'll bet your Chase card does have it, most Visa/MasterCards do. Call the number on the back of your card and ask what benefits come with your card, you'd be surprised...

As far as the catch with rewards cards (such as the ones I pointed out above): there are none, if you know how to use them (ie pay them off every month)

1/12/2010 8:43:14 AM

I currently have 0 credit history (which I've checked) and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a first time CC that I can actually be approved for?

1/12/2010 3:30:31 PM

any of the student-oriented cards are supposedly meant for people with little to no credit history. Citi Forward or MTVu (if they still offer the latter, but regardless they're essentially the same card) is what I would recommend.

1/12/2010 4:19:53 PM

I'm not a student, if that has any relevance. Citi forward looks promising though, thanks.

1/12/2010 4:35:43 PM

It doesn't matter. "student" card just basically means "low credit line and terrible APR for people with no history" card.

1/12/2010 4:57:23 PM

Quote :

"Age : 26 "

Quote :

"I currently have 0 credit history (which I've checked) and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a first time CC that I can actually be approved for?"

does not compute

1/12/2010 5:26:27 PM

I would wait until after Feb. 22nd when the new consumer credit card protections are in place.

1/12/2010 5:27:26 PM

^^Tell me about it, haha. Good to be in a position ready to buy a house within 6 months with no credit history!

1/12/2010 5:52:31 PM

Quote :

"I would wait until after Feb. 22nd when the new consumer credit card protections are in place."

wait for what? If you mean to apply for a card, be aware that everything is retroactive and applicable to all existing accounts.

1/13/2010 8:54:22 AM

Quote :

"I currently have 0 credit history (which I've checked) and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a first time CC that I can actually be approved for?"

You're best bet would be find a bank or credit union that will open up a secured credit card with you. You set up a savings account with that institution in the amount of your credit line, which they then secure and restrict and to use as collateral for your card. This eliminates risk on their end, and will help you build good credit use history, since it will be a regular credit card. I did this when I was 18 at NCSECU and it worked out great.

1/13/2010 9:17:04 AM

It looks like in a few months, I might be taking several flights. Anyone have any suggestions for credit cards with good frequent flier perks?

1/19/2010 2:05:11 PM

what kind of frequent flier perks are you looking for? will all of the flights be on the same airline?

1/19/2010 2:20:16 PM

If I could get a good deal perks wise, I could definitely do them all on one airline. Long story short, the girlfriend looks like she's going off to the west coast to get her doctorate, so I'd like to be able to fly out there (or fly her back here) without it being a constant raping of my bank account. The goal would be free/discounted flights, basically.

Right now I have an HSBC Credit Card that does a free round trip flight anywhere in the continental US after 25,000 "points"/dollars spent. I'm sure there's something much better than that.

[Edited on January 19, 2010 at 2:26 PM. Reason : .]

1/19/2010 2:26:14 PM

25k points is for the most part standard for a round trip - most airline cards will give you a 25k for signing up (and typically spending $X or a certain number of purchases) - other than that you will have to spend $ to get another 25k points or earn them by flying the miles - that's for cards that are linked to 1 airline

other cards allow you to choose which airline but still are going to have the 25k requirement - the starwood spg card has been the best card if you fly multiple airlines for a long time due to a free 5k in points for every 20k you convert to airline miles but you still have to spend the $ to get the points

nobody magically gives away a ton of free flights

http://flyertalk.com is the definitive resource for the answers you want though

1/19/2010 2:33:14 PM

i have the CapitalOne No Hastle Miles card, you just buy the ticket you want (on the card) and they credit your card if you have the points.

-no expiration of points, no blackouts

1 mile per dollar on the first $1,000 spent per billing period
2 miles per dollar on every dollar over $1,000 spent per billing period

15,000 pts = ticket up to $150.00
35,000 pts = ticket up to $350.00
50,000 pts = ticket up to $500.00

1/19/2010 3:15:46 PM

Citi PremierPass gives you 1 TY point per 3 miles flown. The Elite level ($75 annual fee) gives 1 point per mile (worth it if you travel a LOT). TY points can be used to book flights on Expedia.

This is on top of your regularly earned miles, obviously.

The nice part about this card is that you're not locked into a single airline.

Quote :

"nobody magically gives away a ton of free flights"

actually, for a good 3 years I was churning the United card that gave 25k after a single purchase. Get card, buy pack of gum, cancel card, wait 3-4 months, repeat. Word is they've put an end to it, but I haven't checked since I quit in late 2008 (gearing up to buy a house).

[Edited on January 19, 2010 at 4:34 PM. Reason : f]

[Edited on January 19, 2010 at 4:35 PM. Reason : d]

1/19/2010 4:31:23 PM

^All the airlines have closed that loophole. You get one bonus per merchant, ever.

1/19/2010 6:13:57 PM

I also enjoy using my Costco Amex card!

1/19/2010 7:59:38 PM

^^well, there was always a disclaimer stating that for the United card but they were either too lazy or not competent enough to figure out what I was doing.

For airlines like Delta that have 5 different cards (Amex Gold, Gold Business, Platinum, etc) you can get the bonus at least once per card.

1/20/2010 10:06:54 AM

Speaking of Delta, I love my Delta Amex. Rate is good (though i don't really carry a balance), companion ticket yearly, upgrade priority along with medallion miles for various spending levels yearly. Does carry an annual fee, but for someone who does a lot of flying - totally worth it.

1/20/2010 3:45:31 PM

Quote :

"Any credit cards offering no annual fee and 5% CB on gas? I already have Discover which does 5% on different things quarter to quarter."

BP gas card

5% on bp gas
2% on travel and dining
1% on everything else

double those percentages for the first two months


no fee, umlimited rewards (i get around 400-500 per year out of them..but i'm sure theres SOME limit)

Quote :

"Associated Bank Platinum (same as your Cashe Plus - 5% cash at gas/grocery/drug - you have to call 1-800-219-7941 and apply over the phone for this one, as it's super duper secret [issued by Citi])"

i was told they only service a few states, Wisconsin, Minnesota and and one other if i remember correctly

1/20/2010 4:32:59 PM

Quote :

"Schwab Invest First (2% cash flat on all purchases, deposited into a brokerage account but you can take it out with no penalty if you wish)"

damn i might get one of these...as long as they don't cap the rewards at something stupid

i checked my last BP statement, and I earned like $5-$8 in 5% gas and 2% travel and dining, and $18 on the 1% of everything else. i guess it's not a massive difference (going to the 2% on everything), but every little thing adds up.

1/20/2010 5:08:30 PM

^might want to jump on the Invest First card ASAP, they have quit "actively marketing" it (it's still on their site though [issued by FIA Card Services]), so it looks like it might be on the way out. I read somewhere that current users would be grandfathered in. Other advantages: no cap on rewards, no foreign use fee ( and they give you an accurate, sometimes even generous conversion rate).

^^As far as the Associated Bank card goes, I'm in NC and got one about a year ago (when Chase changed the Cash Plus Rewards terms to 1%). So, unless they've changed the rules you should be able to get it. Try calling back and checking with another CSR.

1/21/2010 10:16:29 AM

There is a limit to the BP card. I was doing more than $50 a month in rewards when gas was high. They limited me to $25 a month bit after prices are more agreeable, so I dont quite hit that.

I only use this card for gas. I have other cards for other things, all for the rebates.

1/21/2010 6:08:07 PM

Quote :

"Citi PremierPass gives you 1 TY point per 3 miles flown. The Elite level ($75 annual fee) gives 1 point per mile (worth it if you travel a LOT). TY points can be used to book flights on Expedia. This is on top of your regularly earned miles, obviously. The nice part about this card is that you're not locked into a single airline."

Do you have the PremierPass Mastercard or Amex? The only difference between the two seems to be the provider -- does the Amex one mean I get to use the Amex website to manage my bills or is that still all done through Citi?

For a while I was looking at the Starwood Amex, and while nice I don't think I'd be able to get the most out of it; it seems like I'd be much better off for the PremierPass since I spend a lot on gas and at supermarkets. I'd probably go with the Elite level first, get the points and then if I'm not getting a good return on my points, see if I can't switch to the non-Elite version.

And maybe I'm missing something on their site, but what is the difference between "points" and "ThankYou Points"?

[Edited on January 22, 2010 at 9:59 AM. Reason : .]

1/22/2010 9:59:07 AM

So maybe you credit card gurus can help me figure out wth is going on with my credit card. As of right now I have 3 credit cards: A: 1 with zero balance, B: 1 with a moderate balance and C:1 with a small balance. It is my plan to pay off the small balance next month and cut it up. I want to keep my A card cause the limit is awesome and I would use that for emergencies and I want to pay B card down and possibly keep it.

Well... My B card credit limit use to be amazing and the limit just started dropping. I thought it might have something to do with my credit and I checked my credit and it looks great. I have always made my payments on time etc etc. Called Experian and they are like "everything looks good, you will have to talk to the credit card company." I did that and they said something about my other credit card (card A) and I told them that I just paid that one off so why would my limit go down? They said something that I would have to wait until the next statement comes out in order to see my limit go back up.

Then it comes out again and my limit decreased even more. So is this something common with credit card companies now? or what?

[Edited on January 22, 2010 at 10:31 AM. Reason : saggsdf]

1/22/2010 10:30:14 AM

Quote :

"There is a limit to the BP card. I was doing more than $50 a month in rewards when gas was high. They limited me to $25 a month bit after prices are more agreeable, so I dont quite hit that."

I can't find any site that says it has a limit...and i've never hit one myself.

1/22/2010 10:43:29 AM

Squirt,

This is very common these day. I think the other credit card thread has a few people complaining about the same thing. I haven't had this happen to me yet, but my brother has had his credit slashed by more than half.

1/22/2010 12:25:42 PM

chase did the exact same thing to me after i paid off my balance..

the amount of remaining credit had always been far greater than what my limit now is. as soon as i paid it off though they dropped my limit to $1000 which is total bullshit. my credit report is fine, etc.. if you do a little googling you'll see theyre doing crap like that to lots of people.

1/22/2010 12:35:17 PM

Ok... well thats good to know. And my credit card is through Chase too... I am not too worried about it. Once I pay that one off, I am cutting Chase off. You wanna mess with my credit limit, I'll go somewhere that is happy to give me a nice juicy credit limit.

It might just be that credit card companies are being a little more cautious about handing out their credits. I was pretty surprised when my credit limit went up after the first year or two of having it.

1/22/2010 2:29:23 PM

I found a pretty nice Discover card that i want to apply for

Do most/all places take Discover?

[Edited on January 22, 2010 at 3:21 PM. Reason : http://www.discovercard.com/more/]

1/22/2010 3:19:48 PM

^^^ So yeah... after I googled around, I found that you are absolutely right. And this is because of economic crunch blah blah blah. I read an article stating that when your credit limit is decreased it increased your debt to credit ratio. So this can affect your other accounts on other credit cards. So they can decrease your limit on those cards, increase your interest rate, or change whatever they want. Also this changes your credit score dramatically.

Quote :

"Three months ago my score was at 763, all accounts have been paid on time, haven’t been doing a lot of spending. This month my score is down to 573."

So how are people supposed to improve their credit score and such if this keeps happening?! I wasn't really upset about the fact that my limit was being lowered; just mildly annoyed because it scared the crap out of me thinking someone hacked my identity or I have a long lost bill somewhere that was never paid or something. But after reading all that crap about the lowering credit score, now that pisses me off.

For more info I have the link for the article I read:

http://www.askmrcreditcard.com/creditcardblog/why-are-credit-card-companies-lowering-your-credit-limits/

[Edited on January 22, 2010 at 3:31 PM. Reason : Bigman ruined it! ]

1/22/2010 3:23:27 PM

Quote :

"They limited me to $25 a month bit after prices are more agreeable, so I dont quite hit that."

I'm with synapse, I've never had that happen to me. And I can tell you with Xmas recently, I definitely racked up some rewards on my BP Visa card. Haven't paid a penny of finance charges for the three years I've had it.

1/22/2010 7:52:08 PM

The BP Visa card just started the rewards limit a few months ago...you should have gotten a letter about it.

They limit it to 500 in gas purchases a month now, which is 25 bucks rewards. There's no cap to the 1% on everything and 2% on dining.

This is my favorite card, I use it for everything and there's a bunch of BPs around here which makes it easy.

1/22/2010 9:11:50 PM

/\ Exactly. I only use this card for gas, so its $25 a month max for me.

Some high rewards cards are denying applicants with good credit or dont hold a balance. My wife applied for a BP when my rewards limit was capped, and she was denied. She never holds a balance.

1/23/2010 1:24:56 PM

Well, I applied for the PremierPass Elite card only to get rejected ("Too few satisfactory credit references were recorded on your credit bureau report."). I found out that I can easily convert the Citi card I have to the PremierPass Elite, but I wouldn't get the 20k bonus points unless I signed up with a new account.

Need to wait until tomorrow to call the application review department to find out what's going on, since obviously I can get the card without much of a problem.

Anyone have any experience with issues like this?

1/24/2010 2:56:23 PM

can you transfer the credit history of one card to another?

i have a pretty terrible card that'd i'd like to outright cancel if i could, but it has almost all of my credit history associated with it

1/24/2010 4:48:53 PM

So I bought a house in June 2009 with no credit (through FHA loan), and was looking for a card that I could get approved for now that my house payments have been going towards my credit. Any suggestions, as this would be my first credit card, on maximum I need to request? and what the best option is for me?

Thanks!

[Edited on January 24, 2010 at 6:11 PM. Reason : ]

1/24/2010 6:09:58 PM