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FISHMANPET posted:I don't have the Visa, just the Target card, so it's 5% off anywhere I could use it. I thought it started right away but I've used it a couple of times and no magic 5% savings. Have you gotten a statement yet? It's probably just taken off from your bill, not at the cash register.
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Sep 29, 2010 06:50
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MN-Ghost posted:Have you gotten a statement yet? It's probably just taken off from your bill, not at the cash register. I just got a statement, and it says starting Oct 17 I'll get 5% off. Not sure if it's at the register or at the statement, but it doesn't really matter either way.
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Sep 29, 2010 16:45
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FileNotFound posted:The absolute worst things about PenFed is their crazy fraud protection. I travel and I get called at least once every week asking to verify my last 5 purchases. Calling before you travel is standard procedure. Never had a problem with PenFed. If you are going to gas up in any number of states between where you live and Virginia, just list the states. If you are going to Europe and might go to as many as 5 countries, list those countries. What's the big deal? I had bigger problems with Citicard... had to make half dozen calls from Australia to ask them why my charges were declined despite me calling ahead of time to let them know I where I would be.
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Oct 7, 2010 18:29
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conumer reports on the best rewards cards good (if overly busy) consumer reports chart comparing a few cards also has a link to "cards worth holding," but requires a subscriber login.
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Oct 9, 2010 08:41
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The thing I'm finding that sucks is you use a main card for like half a year, have all your automated poo poo going through it,a and then they cut rewards. Getting a new, better card and changing everything over is such a pain in the rear end. EDIT: Amazon is looking good if their rewards hold...
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Oct 9, 2010 15:20
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LorneReams posted:The thing I'm finding that sucks is you use a main card for like half a year, have all your automated poo poo going through it,a and then they cut rewards. Getting a new, better card and changing everything over is such a pain in the rear end. Amazon's card has been great for me so far, and that reward has been that way for a while.
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Oct 9, 2010 17:22
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Our closest grocery store just stopped supporting Discover, which needless to day is $50-100 in cashback per year lost. Luckily a new store just opened not too far away so we'll switch to them, but I'm realizing we need a fallback Visa or Mastercard with rewards. Is Chase such a lovely company that we should avoid them? The Chase Freedom card is similar to our Discover, otherwise I guess we could join PenFed for the Visa Platinum. Our credit score is high 700s.
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Oct 10, 2010 22:00
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mcsuede posted:Our closest grocery store just stopped supporting Discover, which needless to day is $50-100 in cashback per year lost. Luckily a new store just opened not too far away so we'll switch to them, but I'm realizing we need a fallback Visa or Mastercard with rewards. Is Chase such a lovely company that we should avoid them? The Chase Freedom card is similar to our Discover, otherwise I guess we could join PenFed for the Visa Platinum. Our credit score is high 700s. The only problem I've had with them is a false positive anti-fraud lock, them telling me they called me three times before locking when they didn't, and then having to call them again after five days to get the account to reappear online.
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Oct 11, 2010 00:59
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mcsuede posted:Our closest grocery store just stopped supporting Discover, which needless to day is $50-100 in cashback per year lost. Luckily a new store just opened not too far away so we'll switch to them, but I'm realizing we need a fallback Visa or Mastercard with rewards. Is Chase such a lovely company that we should avoid them? The Chase Freedom card is similar to our Discover, otherwise I guess we could join PenFed for the Visa Platinum. Our credit score is high 700s. Chase has the best mobile banking app I've ever used (no Penfed/USAA acct), their web interface is fine. The annoying thing is calling in every quarter asking 'GIVE ME THE DISCOUNTS!' You can call anytime in the quarter to get retroactive credit, but it's annoying as poo poo to do it.
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Oct 11, 2010 04:06
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nocal posted:conumer reports on the best rewards cards They don't state the, IMO, best benefit of the PenFed card: Automatic application of cash back reward every month. I love starting every billing cycle with a -$20 balance. Edit- Worst part about the card is the hoops you have to jump through to even apply for it.
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Oct 11, 2010 19:52
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I have a regular blue card with MR which I enjoy using. Would I really get more out of it if I converted it to a blue cash? Also, anyone have any tips for getting a credit line increase with Amex?
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Oct 12, 2010 10:27
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The Good posted:I have a regular blue card with MR which I enjoy using. Would I really get more out of it if I converted it to a blue cash? Also, anyone have any tips for getting a credit line increase with Amex? looks like it's automated, but maybe you could call if it gets rejected? of course i would suggest you not lie about your income in the automated form, because that is lying. also it looks like they'll only raise it after your first year, and at most every six months after that.
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Oct 13, 2010 06:46
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I'm pretty happy with the Navy Federal cashRewards card. I'm not sure how it stacks up against other rewards cards, but it's 1% cash back on everything and 1.5% cash back on everything once you've spent 10k on it. Seems pretty decent to me, I used to have the stupid points based card they offer but why bother with $100 gift cards if you can just have them deposit the funds directly to your account. Point systems are horseshit.
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Oct 13, 2010 08:07
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nocal posted:also it looks like they'll only raise it after your first year, and at most every six months after that. This is wrong. The rule for Amex CLIs is once every six months for successful requests, and I think once per 30 days for denials. There used to be a button on the website, but I think they removed it. You have to call in and use the automated system. You might be able to talk to a real person for reconsideration if you get denied, I forget. Also, Amex always uses soft pulls for CLIs. The other thing is that you will be insta-denied if you ask for more than 3x your current line. So going from 2,000 to 6,000 is OK if your credit report justifies it, but 2,000 to 6,001 will be denied every time. Mind you, this is only for AMEX cards administered by AMEX. Amexes from BoA, Chase, etc don't work like this.
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Oct 13, 2010 19:35
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Magic Underwear posted:Mind you, this is only for AMEX cards administered by AMEX. Amexes from BoA, Chase, etc don't work like this. I wasn't aware that other banks did AMEX, that it was AMEX only, just like only Discover does Discover cards (right?) Welp, I just got sucked into Wikipedia. Turns Amex is letting other banks issue AMEX cards. Whereas Visa and Mastercards are just networks, AMEX is usually all the parties in a transaction. FISHMANPET fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Oct 13, 2010 |
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Oct 13, 2010 22:01
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I just got the Chase Freedom card almost a week ago. I'm guessing the points/cashback thing is not instantly readable on the website like it was on my capital one card? Website still shows 0 points after using it for a week. (on the capone card, I could have $0 in rewards, spend $100 somewhere and when I got home the website would say $1 on my rewards balance) When do they figure them up? every bill cycle? I can't seem to see anything in the rewards faqs. And I thought I also read something weird a few days ago something like if you want an account credit for your points (how I will be redeeming them) you have to apply them toward a specific purchase from the recent past? Vin BioEthanol fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Nov 4, 2010 |
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Nov 4, 2010 15:17
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They show up/update every billing cycle. And yes, if you want an account credit rather than a check, you need to pick a random purchase and chose to have that sort of refunded. It's weird. Checks are fine and free though.
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Nov 4, 2010 15:40
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sanchez posted:They show up/update every billing cycle. And yes, if you want an account credit rather than a check, you need to pick a random purchase and chose to have that sort of refunded. It's weird. Checks are fine and free though. cool thanks. Also does this have an rfid chip/visa paywave in it? it has a logo on the back that GIS tells me is the visa paywave logo, I can also see a bit of a raised area on the front right in front of that logo. I can't wait to be living in the future and do a wave rather than a swipe! edit: apparently so. Only chase calls it "blink". http://www.chaseblink.com/faq.asp Vin BioEthanol fucked around with this message at 16:24 on Nov 4, 2010 |
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Nov 4, 2010 16:16
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I've always been huge on using rewards cards to milk every last dime I can from my every day purchases. Bar-none, the best has been the Fidelity AmEx. A flat 2% of everything, no limit, into my brokerage account. There are marginally better cards out there that cap out, but if you're in a high-income bracket and put lots of stuff on a card, this one is the best.
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Nov 5, 2010 02:06
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sanchez posted:And yes, if you want an account credit rather than a check, you need to pick a random purchase and chose to have that sort of refunded. The website makes it seem that way, but you can enter any amount in the field and it'll accept it, even if you don't have a corresponding purchase for that amount. I periodically cash in all my points for statement credit, and just enter the maximum my point balance will let me get.
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Nov 5, 2010 14:55
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sapphire
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Nov 7, 2010 03:56
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dangerous.hotdog posted:They don't state the, IMO, best benefit of the PenFed card: Automatic application of cash back reward every month. I love starting every billing cycle with a -$20 balance. I came here to ask about the rewards on the PenFed Visa, then saw this post. So they automatically deduct your rewards from your current balance? I've been using the card for about two months now and haven't seen any deductions come off my statement. Do I need to enroll in the points system or something? Or am I just blind and not seeing the deduction? Edit: Hurp durp it is listed under "Other Credits", isn't it? polyfractal fucked around with this message at 16:22 on Nov 7, 2010 |
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Nov 7, 2010 16:05
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polyfractal posted:I came here to ask about the rewards on the PenFed Visa, then saw this post. So they automatically deduct your rewards from your current balance? I've been using the card for about two months now and haven't seen any deductions come off my statement. Do I need to enroll in the points system or something? Or am I just blind and not seeing the deduction? I'm not sure about that. It's listed as PLATINUM CASH REWARD on my statement. But I'm looking at mine online. It should be just deducted from your balance, you shouldn't have to enroll in anything to get it.
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Nov 8, 2010 04:18
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So I've been using a Bank of America Mastercard with a $700 credit limit and putting everything else on a check card, but I want to start earning points. I have a bunch of Delta miles and I keep getting offers for a Delta card that'll give me 35k bonus miles and no fee for the first year. Is there any penalty to shutting down my BoA card, using the Delta card for a year, and then moving to a card with better rewards and no annual fee?
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Nov 10, 2010 02:45
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polyfractal posted:I came here to ask about the rewards on the PenFed Visa, then saw this post. So they automatically deduct your rewards from your current balance? I've been using the card for about two months now and haven't seen any deductions come off my statement. Do I need to enroll in the points system or something? Or am I just blind and not seeing the deduction? What MN-Ghost wrote is also my experience: It just lists the cash back as a line item in my statement (both online and on the paper bill). One of the other great benefits of PenFed that I sometimes forget about is their promotional cash-back deals. Last year they offered something like 3-5% cash back from a ton of high-profile retailers (Gap, Best Buy, NewEgg) for 5 or 6 months. Current PenFed cash back promo: quote:Apply today for the PenFed VISA Platinum Cash Rewards card and get 3% cash back on electronics and sporting goods through 12/31/10. This is in addition to your everyday rewards: 5% cash back on gas, 2% cash back on groceries, and 1% cash 3% on electronics is not bad if you're about to drop some coin on a TV or computer.
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Nov 10, 2010 19:38
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I just looked at my Amex Blue Cash's rewards, and it looks like they're not classifying my drug and grocery stores as drug and grocery stores. I've spent a lot at both Trader Joe's and Bartell Drugs, but both the grocery and drug store categories show $0. Is there anything I can do about that? The rewards on this card are far less attractive when those aren't classified correctly.
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Nov 10, 2010 20:02
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Sock on a Fish posted:I just looked at my Amex Blue Cash's rewards, and it looks like they're not classifying my drug and grocery stores as drug and grocery stores. I've spent a lot at both Trader Joe's and Bartell Drugs, but both the grocery and drug store categories show $0. Here's what's stated: quote:Get up to 5% cash back at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugstores, plus up to 1.25% cash back for all your other purchases. Here's the fine print: quote:Your Rebate is awarded annually for each Rebate Year (12 consecutive billing periods) in the form of a statement credit. For the first $6,500 of Eligible Purchases, the rebate is 1.0% for Everyday Purchases and 0.5% for all other Eligible Purchases; for Eligible Purchases of $6,500.01 or more, the rebate percentage is 5.0% for Everyday Purchases and 1.25% for all other Eligible Purchases. "Everyday Purchases" are Eligible Purchases made at the following categories of U.S. merchants that are not departments of superstores or warehouse clubs: supermarkets, drug stores, and automobile gasoline stations (for purchases of automobile gasoline only, except that any purchase in excess of $400 at an automobile gasoline station will not qualify as an Everyday Purchase). "Eligible Purchases" are charges to your account for goods or services that have not been returned or otherwise credited to your account. Eligible Purchases do not include interest charges, fees, cash advances or other means of accessing your account, convenience checks, balance transfers, or the purchase of American Express® Travelers Cheques and American Express® Gift Cheques or other cash equivalents. We reserve the right to exclude charges that we determine are not made for personal, family or household purposes; with the good faith intention of consuming the item charged; or with the intent to avoid a per-transaction rebate threshold. Additional terms and conditions apply. Edit- Initially I thought that you hadn't hit the annual limit to be eligible for 5.0%, but I guess that doesn't the answer the question on why it doesn't show up at all... I'd give them a call and find out. dangerous.hotdog fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Nov 10, 2010 |
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Nov 10, 2010 20:20
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Yeah, I know about the limit, it's the misclassification that's getting me. I've got both an Amazon Visa and an Amex Blue Cash that I use for almost all my spending. I worked it out, and using a combination of the Amex for almost everything and Amazon Visa for only Amazon purchases (and for places that don't accept Amex) would get me about $100 more per year in rewards than using the Amazon Visa for everything. However, take Trader Joe's and Bartell's out of the grocery and drug store categories, and I'd be better off using the Amazon Visa for everything, by about $10. Maybe I shouldn't put too much thought into this.
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Nov 10, 2010 21:25
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I've read in a few different places that PenFed is hard to get into. What kind of scores are they looking for? Mine are in the 650's from the big 3. Are they really that hard to get into? What does the application process entail. I read somewhere they want you to send them pay stubs and some other stuff?
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Nov 12, 2010 06:14
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I've been using the Chase Freedom for a few years now. The rewards aren't quite as good as they used to be, but it's worth mentioning that you get a lot of bonus points for also being a Chase checking member. You get the usual amount + a 10% bonus + 10 points per purchase + the rotating 5% back. If you use it for a lot of small purchases, the 10 point bonus per purchase adds up fast. I end up getting pretty close to 2% cash back. Also, you can redeem your points for a direct cash deposit in increments like $20, $30, $50, $100, etc.
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Nov 12, 2010 06:53
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-Blackadder- posted:I've read in a few different places that PenFed is hard to get into. What kind of scores are they looking for? Mine are in the 650's from the big 3. Are they really that hard to get into? What does the application process entail. I read somewhere they want you to send them pay stubs and some other stuff? I think 650s is safe. [edit - maybe I'm wrong according to the dude below me] From what I remember, the process was: 1. Become eligible for a PenFed account by either being a member of the US Military or by paying $20 to join NAMFA [edit: apparently this one is tax deductible] or $15 to join Voices for America's Troops. Here's the page: https://www.penfed.org/howToJoin/overview.asp 2. Once you are eligible, you first open a Regular Share Account. They require a minimum $5 deposit (and that's all I've ever kept in there). 3. After that, you can apply for the credit cards. They asked me to fax over the application forms, pay stubs, and the job offer (I guess since I had just gotten that job when I applied). I don't think they always require the latter, though. dangerous.hotdog fucked around with this message at 00:35 on Nov 13, 2010 |
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Nov 12, 2010 19:23
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-Blackadder- posted:I've read in a few different places that PenFed is hard to get into. What kind of scores are they looking for? Mine are in the 650's from the big 3. Are they really that hard to get into? What does the application process entail. I read somewhere they want you to send them pay stubs and some other stuff? 650 might be enough to get you in and get a checking account (not sure), but don't expect to get any of their credit cards. They are seriously strict on the cards. Like 700+ scores, no inquiries or accounts newer than a year, low balances. Don't waste an inquiry until you're at least to 700 with some aged cards, and no inquiries newer than 6 months.
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Nov 12, 2010 22:20
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Yeah, after doing a bit more research it seems PenFed really is insanely strict. Here's a response I saw one in one of the threads complaining about PenFed that seemed pretty good... quote:It is well known and discussed on finance boards that PenFed is extremely conservative in issuing credit cards. They don't want to see high balances, new cards, recent inquiries, high debt to income, high utilization no matter what your credit score is. If you have these, don't waste your time, you will more than likely be denied. And even if you are not, you may very well have to fax in pay stubs, income tax records, or other income verification. Additionally, since I don't do a lot of driving the 5% cash back on gas won't do me much good. The 2% on groceries and 1% on everything else can be found in comparable form on other cards. So, I'll probably just look elsewhere. I often hear Navy Federal mentioned a lot along with PenFed. Navy Federal is supposed to be a lot easier to get into but they only do 1% cash back on all spending which goes up to 1.5% after you spend 10k annually. I've also heard Nasa and Fort Knox mentioned but I don't know how hard they are to get into and I haven't looked at their rates just yet. In looking at non credit union cash rewards cards I might try a Capitol One No Hassle Cash rewards. For $39 annual fee they'll accept people with only "fair credit" it seems. There are also numerous student cards but I'm not sure if you have to be attending full time. You guys have any thoughts?
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Nov 13, 2010 02:13
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Blinkman987 posted:Chase has the best mobile banking app I've ever used (no Penfed/USAA acct), their web interface is fine. The annoying thing is calling in every quarter asking 'GIVE ME THE DISCOUNTS!' You can call anytime in the quarter to get retroactive credit, but it's annoying as poo poo to do it. A little late, but just go to https://www.chase.com/freedom every quarter to sign up. You can even do it early for the upcoming promo.
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Nov 13, 2010 05:19
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I joined penfed by donating $10 to the red cross.
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Nov 13, 2010 09:34
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-Blackadder- posted:
Unless you are spending a ton, it will likely not be worth your while to lose those $39 from the get go. The only reason reward cards are good is if they are free and you are responsible enough not to ever carry a balance or be late on a payment since their APRs are usually higher than non-reward cards.
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Nov 14, 2010 23:01
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Anyone here use Citis ThankYou points program? Citi is the only CC company that will give me a decent limit and I'm not sure if their rewards are that great.
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Nov 15, 2010 05:26
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I use Citi can get ThankYou points. The points are alright, if you get the right gift card they can be 1 cent per point. You can redeem for cash are around 10 points for 8 cents. I have the CitiForward card and only use it for the qualifying 5% purchases and then redeem it for Sony gift cards so it's effectively 5% cash back which makes it quite attractive.
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Nov 15, 2010 05:57
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What's the best way to go if you want as many airline miles as possible? I'm thinking about the United mileage plus select visa, you get 30,000 miles for signing up after $250 in purchases, and 2:1 miles on gas, groceries, restaurants, etc. Not a huge fan of the $100 annual fee though, I might just cancel after the first year. Any better options?
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Nov 15, 2010 16:30
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Uuudar posted:Unless you are spending a ton, it will likely not be worth your while to lose those $39 from the get go. The only reason reward cards are good is if they are free and you are responsible enough not to ever carry a balance or be late on a payment since their APRs are usually higher than non-reward cards. Yeah, I realized this pretty quickly after I posted it. I've decided to go with a Chase Freedom after I do some minor credit repair and pay down my current cards to get utilization down. I've had good experience with my Amazon Chase card so far so I think they'll be a good fit. I still might try the Discover More card, but I'll need much better scores for that. Anyone else into credit repair? Apparently it's a pretty big scene. I've been getting into it lately and found a few good forums to start getting educated on. There's a metric fuckton of poo poo to learn. I'm disputing an already paid item on my report now and about to send out a DV letter for another yet to be paid item. What credit monitoring service do all you goons use? After looking through the forums it seems like USAA-CCMP is one of the few left that might be allowing daily pulls. So I'll probably go with that. I'm using True Credit now, but I'll be canceling them in a few days.
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Nov 22, 2010 02:57
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