So I am in need of a new card, and I currently have a list of pre-approved cards:

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Navy Fed Cash rewards

Navy Fed Go Rewards

Navy Fed Platinum

AMEX Gold: I don't think I really want this one.

Chase Freedom Unlimited.

I don't currently do much traveling, though I would like to soon.

So priority would be what is typically best for normal purchases, gas, groceries, etc.

Chase Sapphire seems like the most premium and best balanced, but highest APR.

Navy Fed Go Rewards seems like a good lower tier option.

Annual cost isn't a huge deal.

Anyone with experience with these have any advice.

I recently got a new job as a field service engineer and will be traveling a few times every month, mostly within the US but sometimes internationally. For context, a coworker told me that he achieved silver status in United within one year. My employer has me book the flights through a company provided card, although they let me add the loyalty subscriptions. Given this I'm looking to apply for TSA pre-check (also Global Entry but that takes longer). I'm looking for recommendations about which personal credit card to get that will be best given this circumstance. I'll be flying mostly from O'Hare I think, although I'm closer to Midway (Southwest). What would be your recommendations? I'm looking to spend the least amount of time in the airport possible, and sometimes boarding small planes, so hopefully I can get to a point where I don't have to worry about my carry-on being checked because that adds up a lot of time to wait for it on my way back from the trip. Thank you for your suggestions!

CREDIT PROFILE

* Current credit cards you are the primary account holder of:

* Chase Freedom $17k limit, Jun 2024

* Amazon Card $21k limit, Jun 2018

* FICO scores with source: 768

CATEGORIES

* Ok with category-specific cards?: No

* Ok with rotating category cards?: No

* Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below.

* Dining $: 400

* Groceries $: 600

* Gas $: 100

* Travel $:

* Using abroad?:

MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS

* Amazon Prime member: Yes

* Costco or Sam's Club member: Costco

* Disney bundle subscriber: Yes

* Big bank customer: Chase

* Open to business cards: Yes

PURPOSE

* Purpose of next card: Travel Rewards

* Travel rewards preferences: United, Hilton

* Cards being considered: Chase Sapphire, United Club

Just for context, im a 2nd year college student deep into the credit card game and have accumlated many points accross banks.

I like to use my points for booking staycations since we live in hawaii, and ocasionally book inter-island trips since their super cheap to book with points vs cash. I always try to use my points to either significantly reduce the cost FOR ALL, or have the vacation/stayvacation free for everyone just by using points.

When I had talked to my parents about this since they noticed ive been going on vacations more often, then said that my friends should still be paying me something even though im using points to make our staycations free. They believe that my friends shouldnt freeload, and that everyone should be chipping in a fair share since they would technically be receiving parts of my benefits with status/points and stuff like that, and to have an expectation that they should if anything be paying almost more because I get better benefits from cards and stuff like that.

However, this kinda goes against the entire point of my getting into this whole points and miles thing. Right when i turned 18 i wanted to be able to do these types of things with my friend for free or almost free. In the area I come from, me and my friends in high school had no problem paying such high prices for nice properties. Now in college, since I have new friends that come from other areas not all of them can or even have these opportunities to stay at such nice properties. I understand that points and miles is basically money, but I think the best part of this whole thing is just being able to enjoy these [basically] luxaries, and make good memories while we're still young.

Im just curious to see what ppl think in terms of if they should be paying a fair share, and if they should be expected to pay me back in a way.

As title says.

I currently have -

Robinhood gold Apple Fidelity Amex blue cash everyday Capital one quicksilver

Over the last two years I’ve made it the norm to take my wife and daughter on a vacation around Christmas, we skip presents usually and just get our daughter one big present & some clothes.

I travel for work, my airlines points pay for our flights & usually a rental, my hotel points pay for our lodging, the last two trips I’ve came out of pocket less than $1000 each, I’m looking to maximize the money I’d normally spend out of pocket & have rewards to use on the next trip.

For reference, I’m just recently getting into using credit cards responsibly at 31 years old. 5 years ago my credit score was ~500, I couldn’t finance a cheese burger, im currently sitting at a +/-768, all of my current cards I’ve always kept as a sort of emergency fund, never using them unless absolutely necessary(haven’t needed them 🙏🏽), never capitalizing on rewards (aside from the fidelity card, I use this strictly for gas/groceries & roll points into my brokerage account)

Like I mentioned, looking for best card to capitalize on rewards, coverage etc, I’d prefer to stay away from high annual fees.

I'm trying to help out my older brother who is a senior citizen with a Synchrony Care Credit card that he ended up signing up for last month due to some expensive dental work. I tried to mail them a check immediately to pay off the whole balance for him right away, they would not take it because his name was not on the check (even though I had the whole account number on the check, a letter explaining it with his account number also in the letter, and a printout from their website from his account.) They actually mailed my check back to me saying they would not take the check even with all that information just because the checking account was in my name and not his. So my brother calls them, they put a "Dispute Temporary Credit" on the account as if the payment was missing; we call and explain we don't think we should send a check from me again since they would not accept the check they mailed back. So I sent money directly to his checking account at his bank, and I did two things: I set up Synchrony as a payee in his checking account at his bank's website, and I entered his bank's information on the Synchrony website so that this could be paid by logging in to their website as well. He is not signed up for an automatic withdrawal amount, he is old enough that he is not good at computers and I will be logging in to do payments for him. At the moment, they have placed the amount due back on the "Activity" portion of the website, but his account still shows an amount due of 0.00 and an available to spend amount that is a minus amount (as if the account is overpaid and he has even more to spend.) So we called to ask how we should make a payment; the representative says we can't make any payment at all until the amount due updates to show an amount due other than 0.00; we asked when the account will update and we can actually make a payment. They said that might not be until the next month's billing cycle. I am scared to death that this is going to look like he didn't make a payment on time or something, either way I will help him, but here's my question: which way of paying Synchrony Care Credit is more reliable, (1) making the payment from their website with his checking account information I put in there, or (2) doing it at his bank's website where I made Synchrony one of his payees? Looking at reddit posts about Synchrony makes it seem like they find a way to claim you didn't pay in both ways?

30 Y/O male in a professional role. Could certainly use some guidance here as I’m a novice with cards. Always paid everything in full.

I’m booking several flights internationally soon out of Boston and think a travel card might help? Don’t really need lounge access if it means offsetting a higher miles perk somewhere else. I am usually booking for two through my CC with my partner so the amount I’m traveling is theoretically double with regards to the airfare. Just looking for the brass tax cards and if I’ve done myself a disservice by not doing this sooner given my situation.

Current cards:
⁠• ⁠Citi Costco, $28,600 limit, August ,2022
⁠• ⁠Home Depot card, 12,000, ~1992 (co-signed on parents card)

• ⁠FICO Score: 825
• ⁠Oldest account age: 34 years but really 4.5 years
• ⁠Chase 5/24 status: e.g 0/24

• ⁠Income: e.g. $200,000+

• ⁠Average monthly spend and categories:
⁠• ⁠dining $350
⁠• ⁠groceries: $500
⁠• ⁠gas: $360
⁠• ⁠travel: $~800+/month average
⁠• ⁠other: $1,500
• ⁠Open to Business Cards: e.g. yes

• ⁠What's the purpose of your next card?
Going on dive trips internationally 2-4 times a year plus other destinations domestically. Feels like malpractice to not have a travel card if I knew better.
• ⁠Do you have any cards you've been looking at?
Not married to any particular card.
• ⁠Are you OK with category spending or do you want a general spending card?
Travel specific as I already have the Costco card which seems to do me well. I could also be totally unaware of better cards as I’m not into credit cards and hopefully using this post as a starting point.

I'm curious if anyone else received a letter from Vera in the mail recently? I signed up on their website for the waitlist a few months back and about a month ago received an email saying that I was still on the waitlist.

Earlier today I received a pre-approval/sign up letter in the mail. Looks like it's eligible until end of the year so I've got a bit of time to decide if I want to go through with the application or not. Wondering if anyone has managed to get off the waitlist and what their experiences have been like with the card/customer service.

I got the email for 80k points for the Chase Southwest plus card. Can I add a referral to it when applying via the email link?

My brother sent a referral link but its only 50k.

Alternatively, can I apply via the referral and call and ask to match the 80k?

Last option I see is apply for the business card, which is 80k with the referral link, but not sure I would get a biz card.

Thanks

• Current cards: (list cards, limits, opening date)
  • C1 Savor, $4000, 7/2023
  • Discover it student cash back, $1300, 1/2023
  • Apple. $3000, 5/2024
  • United Explorer, $10,000, 5/2025
  • C1 Venture One Miles boost, $3000, 8/2026
  • dining $100-200 (college, so more often when i am at home)
  • groceries: $150
  • gas: $35
  • travel: $50
  • total is generally 500-600/month
• FICO Score:

753

• Oldest account age: e.g. 5 years 6 months
• Chase 5/24 status: 3/24
• Income: $30kish
• Average monthly spend and categories:
  • dining $100-200 (college, so more often when i am at home)
  • groceries: $150
  • gas: $35
  • travel: $50
  • total is generally 500-600/month
• Open to Business Cards: e.g. No
• What's the purpose of your next card? Cashback, or SUB farming
• Do you have any cards you've been looking at? CFU/Flex, BofA either student or customized cash rewards, Prime Visa (will wait for black friday for a bonus) or citi double cash
• Are you OK with category spending or do you want a general spending card? either or, when not in a SUB, I tend to use the united card, but happy with whatever makes the most sense, i do have the target debit card, which is why groceries is lower than expected.

Im a 21 year old with an Amex Cobalt and Wealthsimple VIP card - I have a total credit limit of 37.5K CAD, is this normal? I tend to keep utilization at 1% exactly, pay off fully on time (never missed a payment) , and always tend to be careful about credit hits. I also have student loans for adding a mix to the profile.

Reposting with more context - my income is slight over 6 figures - accounts open for more than 2 years now. I have never been under my parent's cards.

Hi everyone! We're planning a large wedding at a Marriott property in New Jersey in summer 2027 and would love advice for future expenditures such as paying for a honeymoon/vacations. I'm trying to determine whether we should open one Marriott credit card, use our existing Chase Saphirre Preferred/Amex Gold cards, or strategically open multiple cards for signup bonuses.

• We'll have a room block of 50+ rooms for guests staying two nights, most guests will pay for their rooms individually and we'll cover 10 guest rooms on our own for immediate family.
• Our Marriott bill will primarily include venue/banquet charges totaling 60k. Other wedding vendors (outside catering, etc) will be paid separately Zelle/CSP/Amex.
• I have a basic Marriott Bonvoy account with about 44K points and six qualifying nights.
• Cards we're considering: Marriott Bonvoy Bold ($0 annual fee, 45k point bonus), Marriott Bonvoy Boundless ($95, 100k p bonus, silver status), Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex ($125, 100k p bonus, gold status) OR Potentially a non-Marriott travel card instead or less likely the $250 or $650 annual fee card.

Our biggest questions:

1. Marriott card value: If Marriott charges $$60K directly, is getting 6X on a Boundless or Marriott Business Amex generally a better value than earning Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards on the same amount?
2. Multiple cards?: Would you open one Marriott card for the entire hotel bill, or divide the payments across multiple cards to collect several signup bonuses?
3. Which Marriott card?: With the current Boundless offer of three free-night certificates (up to 50K per night) versus the Business Amex offer of 100K points plus a free night (if eligible), which would you favor? Are there other cards we should consider?
4. Whose Bonvoy account should be on the contract? I already have a basic account with 44K points. Would it make more sense for my fiancée to open a new account and get a Boundless card under her name to get silver elite status or do it on my account?
5. Room block rewards: If 100+ room nights are booked through our wedding block and guests pay individually, do any of those room charges generate additional event points or Elite Night Credits for us? I read something about a 10 room max?
6. Contract negotiations: Is there anything specifically related to Marriott Bonvoy points, bonus points, or credit-card processing that we should request in writing before signing?

For reference here are the current promos: https://www.marriott.com/credit-cards.mi?trafficSource=paidSearch&updateBoundless=6TPX&updateBold=6TPX&updatebrilliant=153&updatebusiness=67&updatebevy=155&updateCompBoundless=6TPX&updateCompBold=6TPX&updateCompBrilliant=2097&updateCompBusiness=2048&updateCompBevy=2111&nst=paid&cid=PAI_GLB00037IS_GLE0007W6T_GLF000EEQW&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23698990732&gbraid=0AAAAAoWN_hYjFLN22yYQA6Ph6ZxBSMBqs&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrvHWBhDKARIsABmp7h33rEYsq9wXUE2Ibfi8MOcu0Hr8pA1Z9I4Oa7qwAxyFjdu9fib3Ow8aAubtEALw_wcB

Thank you!

I am new to all of this and i’m just trying to avoid hurting my credit!
I ended up using 350/500 on my line of credit and that’s higher than i want it to be. if i paid $100 extra before the due date would i be hurting my credit at all? and kinda the same question for credit cards too. i really wanna start chopping down what i’ve racked up but i don’t wanna start bombing my credit score because i was misinformed.

The card is promoted as a "cashback reward" program, and that was a major reason for our obtaining one. However, once we received the cards and read the fine-print, we realized that it's actually a "credit reward" program -- that is, we do *not* get any cash back; we only get credit on future bills, or gift cards. And when our charges are lowered by earned credits, we lose any future "cash-back" for that amount. Bait and switch, and false advertisement, says something about their credibility.

I would like to get a second ccr card. I know you have to wait 2 years between applications. My first came in December of 2024.

In February of 2025 I opened the unlimited rewards card and this June I pc'ed it to a ccr.

My question is what date do I go from?

The first in December or the dates from the pc'ed one?

If it's the pc'ed one which dated for that one?

I would say I am pretty deep in the weeds with my credit cards point optimization. Certainly not as much as some, but it can get pretty complicated.

My P2 is willing to spend a little effort to follow along, but is not going to be checking card pointers or anything like that.

Does anyone have any tips for how to get a P2 to adhere to your strategy without jumping through too many hoops? It’s the in-person/apple pay type transactions that need the most help obviously.

Hi all, I opened my 5th card in 5/24 on November 3, 2024. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this means I would drop to 4/24 on November 1? I have a large (~$40k) purchase I need to make next week, i.e. by October 30. Is there anything I can do to get around 5/24 in a situation like this?

I applied for a different Chase card ~2 months ago and was explicitly rejected due to the number of recent accounts I had opened.

College student with only one secured card with Golden 1, have had it for a year, all payments paid on time in full.

Chase pre approved me for their cards but I’m looking for credit building and cash back rewards. As someone who doesn’t bank with Chase what’s the best card from them that fits my needs?

Good day folks,

Like the title says, I got what I feel is a pretty outsized offer on a $95 AF card through Navy Federal. I served in the Navy and have been a member of NFCU for 16 years, and throughout that time, NFCU has never presented a CC offering that really interested me.

The earnings are pretty straightforward

4X on anything coded as travel
3X on dining
1X on everything else

Points are most valuable (from my own calculations at least) when redeemed as cash back, making this welcome offer worth $900. I see myself using it primarily as a general catch-all travel card (I used to have the CSP and got rid of it - got tired of the chase ecosystem and stuck closer to the Amex ecosystem).

I fly somewhat frequently both personally and on business travel (1-2 times a month). I have the Amex Platinum as well, and it is much more expensive to hold, but I do naturally get outsized value from the credits it provides. Does anyone think I should cut my Amex Plat for this simpler cash back card?

The NFCU flagship premier card is the first metal NFCU credit card. I got approved for the card with a $7200 limit, which I’m intending to request a CLI after the first 3 statements post (end of Jan 2027 timeframe).

The card effectively pays for itself by providing a $100 airline credit that triggers if the an airline incidental charge of $100 or more is spent on the card, and my intention is to use it for $100 off of a seat upgrade annually. It also credits you for TSA precheck, but I have that already through other cards in my wallet.

All of this context is to ask - Does anyone in this sub find that the card is clearly worth it for them? Any hidden value I missed in my analysis? Any bad stories about the card? It’s a very new card so many data points do not exist yet. I’ll also try to remember to provide a data point for the card’s weight when it arrives - apparently it’s decently hefty.

I always have a bunch of cashback offers from Chase, one time I had up to 117 to claim but just knowing having to click all of them and the time it takes to be able to add all of them. Do you guys just suck it up and tell yourself you will save money and not worry about the time it will take to claim them all?

The Citi Custom Cash card would have been perfect but I never got one, and now I can't. Anyway, I'm looking for around 5% cash back on gas only as this will be a dedicated refueling card for my truck and motorcycle. Plus, I have other cards for other things so I only need this one for gas and obviously emergencies. I travel a bit so I would like the card to not be specific to any brand of gas.

Are there any cards that even come close to the Custom Cash card's 5% cash back on $500 per billing cycle for gas? Thanks.

I first noticed that it wasn’t listed in the app with the other travel credit cards, and now I can’t find it on the website either. I really hope this is just a glitch and they’re not giving it the Attune treatment. Oddly the $0 annual fee OneKey still remains listed.

I applied for a chase unlimited CC (approved) when I put down my income I didnt notice to after checking my
portal that I had mistakingly added an extra "0" (still in the 5 figure though), should i be worried will anything happen?

As the title says, we’re moving overseas for several years, possibly permanently. Minimum 10.

I have several low to no fee credit cards and I’m wondering if I cancel the no fee cards that I no longer use or just hold them to my credit doesn’t take a hit.

But also, my credit doesn’t matter in the country. We’re moving to, and I’ll have to establish credit there.

All these cards had a purpose, whether it was a sign-up bonus or a benefit. I actively took advantage of when living here in the US.

I’m thinking about just holding onto my Chase Sapphire, preferred and MX gold for the time.

Other cards I don’t use as much anymore or the Verizon Visa, Amex Marriott, as well as the delta Amex.

Hi,

I'm looking to open up a Chase Sapphire Reserve Business as a sole proprietor. I'm currently at 2/24 for personal cards (1 Amex, 1 Chase) but 3/24 if including business cards (1 Chase Ink Unlimited). I understand that since ~Sept 16 Chase has implemented a 3/24 rule for sole proprietors but does it include its own business cards as part of the 3/24 count? I remember looking at the churning megathread but couldn't find an exact datapoint that replicated my situation.

Just trying to see if there's a chance I could be approved or if I would be automatically denied without possible reconsideration.

Thank you!

*I apologize for the cross-posting as I am just trying to get as many opinions as possible

Does Citi Bank allow you to move credit limits around to other citi cards? Thanks