Current Events > just paid $22.40 for 2 business class tickets to South Korea.

(+) Yeah! (+)

so excited. my first time in a non-coach/economy flight AND im going back to south korea to rechase my kpop dreams.

yay
---

How
---

Same.
---

Pogo_Marimo posted...

How

https://creditcards.chase.com/credit-cards/small-business/ink-business-preferred
+
https://creditcards.chase.com/a1/sapphire/reserve
+
https://creditcards.chase.com/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-preferred

made for 180000 points. and i got another 20k from the ink for a referal. i used some points on my LA trip earlier this summer.

with regular spend and earning i had about 200k points.

the two business class tickets cost me 80k points each (im going with my girlfriend) and a measly 22.40 in taxes.

mind you, this is sadly one way. ill have to fly back economy (which im paying for with points again, this time from american express).

and my hotel is gonna be free too, paid for with my SPG Amex card.

though, i might go to japan. if i can find the points for it. TIME TO SIGN UP FOR MORE CARDS!
---

I've got enough points on my Capital One Venture card to take a $950 plane trip somewhere.
---

CableZL posted...

I've got enough points on my Capital One Venture card to take a $950 plane trip somewhere.

nice.

i wonder how much my flights would have cost cash.

lemme check...

haha shit.
found my itinerary again and selected cash. it would have cost me
$15,647.20 for the whole thing.

whooooooooaa nelly
---

The power of using credit cards properly
---

You could have used that for multiple trips to different places
---

myztikrice posted...

You could have used that for multiple trips to different places

i could have, but i dont have all the time in the world to spend traveling.

im taking a week off for my 30th birthday and what better way to celebrate it? flying luxury to my favorite country with my favorite girl (well my only girl), and just eat korean food, get really drunk, and chase my kpop dreams.

and plus, my credit card journey isn't over yet! in two years, i can cancel all these cards, and get them again!!!!
---

_BlueMonk posted...

and plus, my credit card journey isn't over yet! in two years, i can cancel all these cards, and get them again!!!!

Don't cancel them. Keep them open. The average age of your credit accounts is also a piece of your credit score.
---

What's your credit score?
---

Hope you like getting nuked TC.
---

CableZL posted...

_BlueMonk posted...

and plus, my credit card journey isn't over yet! in two years, i can cancel all these cards, and get them again!!!!

Don't cancel them. Keep them open. The average age of your credit accounts is also a piece of your credit score.

oh yeah. i guess i meant, downgrade the card to a Freedom or Freedom unlimited.

and im also working on getting my girlfriends credit score up. problem is, i added her as an AU for a bunch of my accounts so they're gonna think she has 7 new accounts. she's really only 2 new accounts in. she'll hit that 5/24 rule (chase will deny certain cards if you have more than 5 new accounts in the last 24 months). she'd have to call in and stuff, but she's shy lol.
---

Lonestar2000 posted...

Hope you like getting nuked TC.

well. yeah. im worried seoul will become an active war zone and i wont be able to cancel my trip. i put the taxes and fees on my chase sapphire reserve card which has travel insurance... BUT...

What is not covered by Trip Cancellation insurance?

It does not apply to a Covered Loss caused directly or indirectly from:
travel arrangements canceled or changed by a Common Carrier,
Tour Operator, or any Travel Agency unless the cancellation
is the result of severe weather or an organized strike affecting
public transportation
change in plans, financial circumstances, and any business or
contractual obligations applying to you, your Traveling Companion,
your Immediate Family Member, an Immediate Family Member of your
Traveling Companion
a Pre-existing Condition
Additionally, this insurance does not apply to any Accident,
Accidental Bodily Injury or loss caused by or resulting from, directly
or indirectly: the commission or attempted commission of any illegal
act including but not limited to any felony
14 Questions? Call 1-888-675-1461
any occurrence during incarceration
being engaged in or participating in a motorized vehicular race or
speed contest
participating in any professional sporting activity for which a salary or
prize money is received
traveling or flying on any aircraft engaged in flight on a rocket
propelled or rocket launched aircraft
suicide, attempted suicide or intentionally self-inflicted injury
when: a) the United States of America has imposed any trade
or economic sanctions prohibiting insurance of any Accident,
Accidental Bodily Injury or loss; or b) there is any other legal
prohibition against providing insurance for any Accident,
Accidental Bodily Injury or loss
a declared or undeclared War

dammit!
---

Muffinz0rz posted...

What's your credit score?

well. after a year of opening new cards, its a bit low.

its 693 right now. but after a couple of months this will bounce back up to around 720,730ish. i have 10 credit card accounts on it lol.
---

_BlueMonk posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

What's your credit score?

well. after a year of opening new cards, its a bit low.

its 693 right now. but after a couple of months this will bounce back up to around 720,730ish. i have 10 credit card accounts on it lol.

How exactly does churning work then? I mean, I get the signup bonuses in the short-term, but is it really worth negatively impacting your credit score in the long-term? And isn't keeping track of 10 cards a huge pain in the ass?

I've only had one credit card and I'm at 768.
---

Muffinz0rz posted...

How exactly does churning work then? I mean, I get the signup bonuses in the short-term, but is it really worth negatively impacting your credit score in the long-term? And isn't keeping track of 10 cards a huge pain in the ass?

I've only had one credit card and I'm at 768.

most times, the credit cards will boost your score, especially in the long term. more accounts is better on a report, and so is the added credit limits (lowering your utilization). the only negative things are the average age of accounts, and the hard pulls. but obviously, the longer you have the cards, the better your age is, and the hard pulls stop mattering after a couple months and fall off after 2 years. in 5-10 years, my score is gonna be amazing cuz ill have a SOLID base of accounts in good standing. banks trust people with more accounts than few accounts, cuz it shows you know how to manage credit (granted i dont mess up).

it can be a hassle, but i use Mint.com to view all my accounts and budget them. i also use my own excel spreadsheets to manage everything. it can be a hassle, but hey, i got a 16k flight for free for what, 10 minutes of math a week/month.

my gf has 1 card and a 760ish score. she can't get approved for premium cards cuz banks see her one card, her limited history, and go no thanks. but me, with fucking 18 missed payments on my account but 5 years of history and 10 accounts and they're just throwing cards at me. its weird.

the way i see it, a good score is a tool. why have a 850 score but be too afraid to open a new account. use it! obviously if you're going to buy a house soon, maybe take a break, but in the mean time go until you start getting denied and wait for it to recover. thats what im doing. barclay decided ive had too many and denied me, so i took this as a sign to let my score recover.

but then i got 2 more cards. oops. but i didn't get a hard pull for these accounts so yay lol.
---

_BlueMonk posted...

my gf has 1 card and a 760ish score. she can't get approved for premium cards cuz banks see her one card, her limited history, and go no thanks. but me, with fucking 18 missed payments on my account but 5 years of history and 10 accounts and they're just throwing cards at me. its weird.

This is what makes no damn sense to me lmao what a weird-ass industry

What is a "hard pull"?
---

This is a lame gimmick bro
---

Muffinz0rz posted...

This is what makes no damn sense to me lmao what a weird-ass industry

What is a "hard pull"?

A hard inquiry is when a lender pulls your credit information because you're applying for credit with them. Like when you apply for a credit card, apply for a credit increase on a credit card, apply for a loan, etc. These have a negative effect on your credit score, but as long as you don't have too many recent ones, then the negative effect is minimal.

A soft inquiry is like when you or someone else is simply checking your credit score. Background checks, credit score checks, and when a lender preapproves you for a loan or credit card are all soft inquiries. These don't hurt you at all.
---

Muffinz0rz posted...

What is a "hard pull"?

a hard pull is an indication your report that you applied for credit. it says that this bank/company was contacted by you to recieve your credit report. they lower your score, but only by a little.

the opposite is a soft pull, where companies just go ahead and look at your score and offer you preapprovals or let you view your report/score, etc. hey don't show up on your report because they are not an indication of you applying for credit, but was still accessed. you can see them on some reports if you're curious.
---

E32005 posted...

This is a lame gimmick bro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_JTzEppKy8
---

_BlueMonk posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

What is a "hard pull"?

a hard pull is an indication your report that you applied for credit. it says that this bank/company was contacted by you to recieve your credit report. they lower your score, but only by a little.

the opposite is a soft pull, where companies just go ahead and look at your score and offer you preapprovals or let you view your report/score, etc. hey don't show up on your report because they are not an indication of you applying for credit, but was still accessed. you can see them on some reports if you're curious.

Thanks for the clarification. I've been curious about going for a second one. I only got my first one a few months ago through my bank because I kept getting shut down everywhere else due to lack of history (my bank even declined me outright the first time, but I called to "contest" or w/e and the guy who answered was like bruh you've had an account with us for years and you've obviously got money and whatnot so here's a card for you).

What's a good second card when I hit that point? Like something within grasp for someone with a good score and some history, but also has good rewards?
---

Muffinz0rz posted...

What's a good second card when I hit that point? Like something within grasp for someone with a good score and some history, but also has good rewards?

i can help sure.

what card do you have right now? when did you get it and what's the credit limit? are you interested in cash back, points for travel, or both??
---

_BlueMonk posted...

what card do you have right now?

Some generic visa through my bank. It doesn't even have rewards lmao

https://www.commercebank.com/personal/cards/secured-visa

_BlueMonk posted...

when did you get it

July I think?

_BlueMonk posted...

what's the credit limit?

$2k. I've never even approached $1k in a given month, although I do make smaller chunk payments, rather than one large payment at the end of the month. No late payments to speak of.

_BlueMonk posted...

are you interested in cash back, points for travel, or both??

Ideally both, but what are your thoughts? Does the cash back actually add up to a decent amount over time, or is it just kinda like pennies? On the flip side, how long would it take to earn enough travel points to actually redeem a round-trip flight? (Domestic for now, I'm probably still a few years away from getting free business-class trips to South Korea)
---

okay. well since this is your first card and its only been 3 months with a 2k limit, just keep working on that until january, or 6 months.

then you'll be ready for tier 1 cards. i suggest the Chase Freedom or Freedom Unlimited cards. they will give you Chase Ultimate Rewards points. they're really useful but only until you get a tier 2 card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve. then you can redeem them toward travel or transfer them out to airline/hotel partners for even better redemption.

in the meantime, the UR can be redeemed for cash back. 100 points = 1 dollar. you earn them at 1 point per dollar. so bascially its 1% cash back. the freedom has special, quarterly categories where you can get 5% cash back (right now its department stores and walmart) and 1% on everything else. freedom unlimited is interesting cuz its 1.5% on everything.

if you don't want to get a chase card or they won't give you one (they're a bit picky with who they give cards too), then an American Express Everyday card is good too. you earn Membership rewards points which is bascially the same as UR. no annual fee, and Amex is really easy to get a card with and get a high limit.

Discover will give you a card easily too.

after you've had tier 1 cards for a half a year, a year, then you get move on and get the more premium cards, like the chase sapphire preferred or reserve. i think these 2 cards are the best card to have and put everything on cuz not only do you get UR, you get more UR for dining and travel. and you can redeem on chase's site for 1.25-1.5x rate (meaning 100 points is worth $1.25/1.50. and they can transfer to hotels and airlines. this his how i got my 16,000 dollar flight. i transfered 160k points to united. its effectively 10 cents per point so its crazy good (remember chase will give you minimum 1.25 cents per points if you use their portal)

you can see if you're prequalied for chase's cards if you put in your info here:
https://www.chase.com/prequalified

its a soft pull so don't worry about it lowering your credit score. i use credit karma to view my score.

theres lot's of prequalication check sites so i would use those to see if folks are willing to give you a card.
a good rule of thumb too is to check the APR they offer you. if its a range (like it says "17.99-23.99%") its not a prequalication. if its a set number, theres a good chance youll get the card.

if you want more, theres a whole world of rules out there (like chase won't give you a card if you've had 5 new cards in 2 years, or 2 cards in 30 days, or 1 business card in 30 days). check out Doctor of Credit (google it) or the /r/churning subreddit.
---

_BlueMonk posted...

-snip-

This is elite information

I filled out the Chase thing. Got prequalified offers for Chase Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, Slate, and Sapphire Preferred. It sounds like Sapphire Preferred is a higher tier one.

There was a flat number APR for Freedom and Freedom Unlimited (21.74%).

Which of those two do you think is better? Looks like Freedom has the 5% bonus in certain categories each quarter, whereas Freedom Unlimited has 1.5% on everything.

The Sapphire Preferred looks sweet, but there's no way I spend $4k in three months to get that 50k points bonus. I'm only 24, not exactly breaking the bank yet lmao
---

I made a bing account and just searched for numbers thirty times a day until I saved up enough points for an amazon gift card.

Shortly after that, they noticed I was just searching for numbers thirty times a day and closed my account, lol.

Got a cell phone case for Mrs. DevsBro though. She keeps breaking her stand.
---

Muffinz0rz posted...

_BlueMonk posted...

-snip-

This is elite information

I filled out the Chase thing. Got prequalified offers for Chase Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, Slate, and Sapphire Preferred. It sounds like Sapphire Preferred is a higher tier one.

There was a flat number APR for Freedom and Freedom Unlimited (21.74%).

Which of those two do you think is better? Looks like Freedom has the 5% bonus in certain categories each quarter, whereas Freedom Unlimited has 1.5% on everything.

The Sapphire Preferred looks sweet, but there's no way I spend $4k in three months to get that 50k points bonus. I'm only 24, not exactly breaking the bank yet lmao

if you can't get the sign up bonus, then don't get the card. you can always get this later (granted you stay under 5/24, and don't get a Reserve)

it's up to you, of course. the spending categories can be great, but really only if you hit the upper limits of the 1500 that they limit you to. like, if you don't spend a lot of money at walmart (its current category), then i wouldn't do it.

we don't know the future categories, but you can view this past year's categories: https://creditcards.chase.com/freedom/calendarreminder

they tend to repeat so yeah.

if you don't think you'll hit the 5% categories a lot, then go for the freedom unlimited.

or... what i would do....

it get both. you can get 2 chase cards in a 30 day period. also, if you apply for a card, and then another in the same day, they will combine the hard pull (so you'll only see one hard pull from chase on your report).
what you do is apply for one card, and once that's approved (sometimes you need to call in, called reconning.) you apply for the other one.

but since your credit is new (i think), it might be hard to do.

heads up, since this is your first card with chase, it might go into pending and then they'll call you to verify your identity. chase didn't do this for me, but American Express did.
---

Anyway I'm excited for my trip. Gonna eat so much kimbap
---

_BlueMonk posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

_BlueMonk posted...

-snip-

This is elite information

I filled out the Chase thing. Got prequalified offers for Chase Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, Slate, and Sapphire Preferred. It sounds like Sapphire Preferred is a higher tier one.

There was a flat number APR for Freedom and Freedom Unlimited (21.74%).

Which of those two do you think is better? Looks like Freedom has the 5% bonus in certain categories each quarter, whereas Freedom Unlimited has 1.5% on everything.

The Sapphire Preferred looks sweet, but there's no way I spend $4k in three months to get that 50k points bonus. I'm only 24, not exactly breaking the bank yet lmao

if you can't get the sign up bonus, then don't get the card. you can always get this later (granted you stay under 5/24, and don't get a Reserve)

it's up to you, of course. the spending categories can be great, but really only if you hit the upper limits of the 1500 that they limit you to. like, if you don't spend a lot of money at walmart (its current category), then i wouldn't do it.

we don't know the future categories, but you can view this past year's categories: https://creditcards.chase.com/freedom/calendarreminder

they tend to repeat so yeah.

if you don't think you'll hit the 5% categories a lot, then go for the freedom unlimited.

or... what i would do....

it get both. you can get 2 chase cards in a 30 day period. also, if you apply for a card, and then another in the same day, they will combine the hard pull (so you'll only see one hard pull from chase on your report).
what you do is apply for one card, and once that's approved (sometimes you need to call in, called reconning.) you apply for the other one.

but since your credit is new (i think), it might be hard to do.

heads up, since this is your first card with chase, it might go into pending and then they'll call you to verify your identity. chase didn't do this for me, but American Express did.

Thanks for the examples, that's always the thing I've wondered.

Freedom Unlimited probably makes more sense. I don't want a credit card to really impact my spending habits, so like say the quarter bonus was for restaurants, I'd probably end up spending way more on eating out than I normally do.
---

Applied for Freedom Unlimited. They said it could take 30 days for me to hear back via regular mail -__-
---

This is a lame gimmick bro
---

@Muffinz0rz posted...

Applied for Freedom Unlimited. They said it could take 30 days for me to hear back via regular mail -__-

thats normal. here's a useful flowchart
https://imgur.com/a/oXlPW

call the automated number and listen to what the robot says. if its still 30 days, they haven't done anything. if its 2 weeks, you're golden! if its 7-10 days it might be held up in identity confirmation, or denied. if its 7-10 days you can call them (the other number on the flowchart) and talk to a rep and see what's up.

i got 7-10 days when i got my Chase Sapphire Reserve. i called and he told me i had applied to to many cards in 30 days. applied a month later and was approved, so don't worry.

i also got pending when i went for my chase sapphire preferred. i didn't know about the automated line and called their recon and he said they just needed to confirm my identity. since i was already a chase customer they just texted me a code and i gave it to him over the phone. American express did the same with me, and i had to answer a bunch of "which of these addresses did you once live at" questions. it was easy.
---

_BlueMonk posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

Applied for Freedom Unlimited. They said it could take 30 days for me to hear back via regular mail -__-

thats normal. here's a useful flowchart
https://imgur.com/a/oXlPW

call the automated number and listen to what the robot says. if its still 30 days, they haven't done anything. if its 2 weeks, you're golden! if its 7-10 days it might be held up in identity confirmation, or denied. if its 7-10 days you can call them (the other number on the flowchart) and talk to a rep and see what's up.

i got 7-10 days when i got my Chase Sapphire Reserve. i called and he told me i had applied to to many cards in 30 days. applied a month later and was approved, so don't worry.

i also got pending when i went for my chase sapphire preferred. i didn't know about the automated line and called their recon and he said they just needed to confirm my identity. since i was already a chase customer they just texted me a code and i gave it to him over the phone. American express did the same with me, and i had to answer a bunch of "which of these addresses did you once live at" questions. it was easy.

Flowchart is super helpful, thanks.

But yeah I wasn't expecting a decision right away. I might give that line a jingle in a little bit when I get home from work.
---