American Express

January 18, 2016

I Canceled My JetBlue American Express Credit Card and You Should Too

I know the JetBlue American Express card is not a popular card for many of us but I applied for one right before American Express instituted the once in a lifetime policy for signup bonuses since I previously had this card before my travel hacking ways. I’ve kept the card and paid the $40 annual fee since then as I was making money off this card from Amex Offers with my card and several authorized users on it. That all said, I think now is the time to cancel the card – in fact, I just canceled my own and I’ll go over my reasons for doing so.

RIP JetBlue Amex

RIP JetBlue Amex

As you might be aware, American Express lost the JetBlue contract to Barclaycard last year and stopped accepting applications for new cardholders last fall. Everyone who is a current JetBlue cardholder will have their American JetBlue card transferred to Barclays on March 21st. This is the biggest reason why I am cancelling my card as I do NOT want American Express converting my card into the Barclaycard version.

The reasoning is actually quite simple – I tend to chase signup bonuses as my preferred method for earning points/miles and if I let American Express transfer my card to Barclaycard, I will lose out on the ability to earn a signup bonus on this new JetBlue card. At some point this year, Barclaycard will begin accepting applications for the their version of the JetBlue card. I have no clue what the signup bonus will be (or if there will even be one though I think it is highly likely there will be some sort of signup bonus) but if the have a similar promotion to American Express, the signup bonus could be at least 20,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points and I don’t want to lose out on the chance to earn 20,000+ points. This may not sound like a bunch of points but as someone who lives by one of their hubs, I actually prefer to fly JetBlue domestically and especially to the Caribbean.

If American Express is transferring these cards on March 21st, you have some time to cancel before this conversion happens. However, unless you are a frequent JetBlue flyer I would just cancel the card now or if given the option by American Express, convert it to another American Express product if you are given a solid offer (this has been happening for current Costco Amex card holders). In my scenario, canceling the card now gave me a pro rated annual fee refund of $13.33. It also freed up a spot for a new American Express credit card (remember you can have only a max of 4 credit cards) which I used to apply for a 25,000 point offer on the Amex Everyday.

For me, canceling this card was a no-brainer especially when considering the above items. Interestingly, I did not get any retention offers or offers to convert but then again I didn’t push that hard and decided not to HUCA. I have to think for many of you that closing the card will be the right decision if you want to pick up some easy JetBlue points from Barclaycard once their JetBlue card application is available.

January 14, 2016

My Mini January App-O-Rama – 80,000 Points/Miles + $200 Cash Back

I just completed a mini app-o-rama and I wanted to share the final results as I was not approved automatically for any of these 3 cards but #spoileralert, I ended up getting all 3 cards in the end. I post about my credit card dealings as these posts are always popular with readers but please remember just because I apply for a card (or 3) doesn’t mean you should. In fact, you probably shouldn’t as I know what I am doing and the risks associated with it. We are at different places in the miles/points games and probably have different travel goals/needs. With that disclaimer out of the way, here is what I applied for and why.

1) Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Card – 55,000 miles total

Don't settle for the 30k offer!

Don’t settle for the standard 30k offer!

The offer/benefits:

  • 50,000 miles for spending for $2,000 in 3 months (check this post how to get this offer)
  • 5,000 miles for adding an authorized user
  • Additional award availability for United flights (unpublished benefit)
  • Free checked baggage & priority boarding
  • 2 United Club passes annually

This was the first card I applied for in this series of applications since I’ve been able to generate a 50k offer repeatedly but unsurprisingly I was not approved instantly (I never am with Chase anymore). I am running low on United miles and with it being 2+ years since I last got the signup bonus on this card, I wanted to see if Chase would give me my second United Explorer card without an issue. Nowadays I’ve been advising against calling Chase for reconsideration but I wanted to get this card sooner rather than later as I need to book a United award and would most likely need the extra award availability benefit to find the award space I was looking for.

I got grilled during my approximately 15 minute reconsideration call but the agent at the end offered to take a 10k credit line from my IHG card and move it my United card. This effectively forced me to close my IHG card which was fine with me. With the annual fee waived for the first year, this was a great offer for me and fit my upcoming travel plans perfectly (I even have a use for the United club passes I get with the card).

2) American Express Everyday – 25,000 points

The offer/benefits:

  • 25,000 points for spending $2,000 in 3 months
  • No annual fee American Express that keeps Membership Rewards points transferable
  • 2x Points on Supermarket Purchases
  • 1x Point on Other Purchases
Don't settle for the standard 10k offer!

Don’t settle for the standard 10k offer!

I’ve actually had my eye on this card for a while now for two main reasons. The biggest reason is I need a card to keep my Membership Rewards points active and still transferable to airlines/hotels as I plan on closing my Business Gold card when the annual fee is due in March. The other reason I wanted this card is for Amex Offers – as this is a no annual fee card, I know year in and year out I will make money off this card with Amex Offers. I will add a few authorized users to take even more advantage of the Amex Offers. I was not approved instantly but I received an email a few days later congratulating me on my new card without having to call reconsideration.

The normal public offer is only 10,000 points but I was able to generate this better offer of 25,000 points by using the infamous incognito method on this link here. It took several times across several browsers to get this offer to show but finally I tried this link in private mode on Internet Explorer and got the 25k offer. I plan on posting more about this separately but basically you should try opening a link for an Amex card in a private browser and/or mobile device as American Express is unlikely to recognize you as a current customer and thus will occasionally present a better offer. This method is reportedly working to generate a 75k offer on the Business Gold and Business Platinum cards.

3) BBVA Compass NBA Amex – $200 cash back (technically 20,000 points)

The offer/benefits:

  • $200 (technically 20,000 points) for spending $1,000 in 90 days
  • 5x points on ALL purchases during NBA All Star Weekend and the NBA Finals
  • 3x points for purchases for NBA games or purchases at NBA arenas/NBAStore.com
  • 2x points for purchases at Supermarkets and Gas Stations
  • 1x points on everything else
Sadly, I am a Knicks fan

Sadly, I am a Knicks fan

This card is a bit of an outlier for me (and from a bank I never heard of until recently) as I normally don’t focus on cashback cards but I have three very specific reasons for getting this card. The first reason is for the 5x earning ability on all purchases during NBA All Star weekend and the two weeks of the NBA finals – this will help greatly with my increased on manufactured spending/reselling margins during that time period.

Another reason I wanted this card is that this is one of the few cards you can load to Serve online and earn points for it. However, from the time I applied to the time I actually got the card, Amex cancelled thousands of Serve accounts though not mine (for now). I plan to load it monthly to earn 1,000 points (more during the 5x periods above) for $10 until I’m shut down. Lastly, I wanted this card as this is yet another no annual fee American Express like the Everyday card above and thus eligible for Amex Offers, even though it is issued by BBVA Compass. I was not approved instantly for this card but I later received an email about a week later congratulating me on my new card without having to call reconsideration (that is if BBVA has reconsideration?).

This seems like a misfit of cards but I’m actually quite happy with this round of applications. If you noticed, I only applied for cards that had higher than normal signups as I always want to maximize my points/miles – if you are going to get hit with a credit inquiry, might as well make it worthwhile.

In summary, I acquired two no-annual fee cards that I plan on keeping so this will help with the average of my accounts. They are both eligible for Amex Offers so I will continue to make money off them as I’ve racked up hundreds of dollars of savings on my other Amex cards with Amex offers. The United card is good for a quick infusion of 50k miles and I can see myself taking advantage of the extra award availability for United credit card holders.

Lastly, in case you’re wondering these 3 credit cards were my 41st, 42nd and 43rd credit card I’ve had in my own name. And my actual FICO credit score right before I did this series of applications? An outstanding 805 which goes to show if you are know what you are doing, this hobby won’t just fund your travels – it can give you a near perfect credit score.

Actual FICO Score on 12/18/15

Actual FICO Score on 12/18/15

*As always, no affiliate links were used in this post*
January 7, 2016

How to Check If You Are Targeted for 10,000 Membership Rewards Points for Enrolling in Pay Over Time

Update: Based on feedback, I believe this will only work for Business Charge cards.

Even though charge cards from American Express generally have to be paid off in full each statement cycle, American Express has a program called Pay Over Time that allows charge card holders the “benefit” to enjoy flexible payment options instead of paying off the balance in full. Of course, no one should ever take advantage of this benefit as you will get hit with a large APR but American Express lets you enroll in this feature even if you never have any intention of using it. To promote it, American Express is offering 10,000 Membership Rewards Points per eligible charge card to enroll in Pay Over Time to targeted members and I think there is a chance you could be targeted without knowing it.

I forgot to take a screenshot of the offer page and I can't regenerate it. Oops.

At one point in time, almost anyone was able to signup for this promotion to receive the 10,000 MR points but American Express has cracked down on this and allows only targeted users to receive the bonus. However, someone recently shared with me a link that was working for some people (though not everyone) to enroll in this service and earn 10,000 Membership Rewards points. I gave it a shot and clicked this link which leads to a screen asking you to log in to your American Express account. Even though I hadn’t received the offer directly from American Express, I tried it for my 2 eligible cards (Business Platinum and Business Gold) and it worked! Remember this offer will only work on charge cards such as the Platinum, Premier Rewards Gold or Business Gold cards.

Success!

Success!

Here is the direct link to the offer – 

Considering you don’t actually have to take advantage of this benefit (and you really shouldn’t), if you happen to be targeted for this, it is a no-brainer to take advantage of this. I know some people hate seeing posts about targeted offers but considering this takes all of 10 seconds to check, I think this is worth posting about.

Share your results in the comments!

Note: This was suppose to be posted two weeks but it was hiding in my drafts. Better late than never.
January 5, 2016

Confirmed: American Express Airline Credits Are Working for American Airlines & Delta Gift Cards

One of my first posts of 2016 recommended that anyone who generally buys airline gift cards to take advantage of the annual airline credit on the American Express Platinum ($200) or Premier Rewards Gold ($100) card should do so now, rather than taking a chance that American Express kills this option at some point in 2016. While reports on Flyertalk have generally been positive about this ‘trick’ still working, I can confirm firsthand that $100 American Airlines e-gift cards and $50 Delta e-gift cards are working. Not only are they working but American Express is crediting them in record time – only one or two days!

Successful AA Gift Card Reimbursement

Successful AA Gift Card Reimbursement

Delta GC Reimbursement

Successful Delta Gift Card Reimbursement

As you can see in the above, I purchased 2x $100 American Airlines e-gift cards on 1/1 with my Business Platinum card while I used my wife’s Premier Rewards Gold card on 1/3 to purchase 2x $50 Delta e-gift cards. Both were credited automatically quite quickly compared to other airline credits I’ve seen posted in past years. If you plan to buy American or Delta gift cards, I highly recommend sticking with $100 e-gift cards for American and definitely only $50 e-gift cards for Delta. 

If you want to try it for a different airline, please see the applicable Flyertalk threads below for other airlines.

Update: One note that Ann brought up in the comments – AA will not sell gift cards to NJ residents so you need to chose a different airline if you plan to buy gift cards. So make sure you select your airline with American Express first before buying any gift cards. 

United Gift Card Reimbursements

Southwest Gift Card Reimbursements 

Alaska Airlines Gift Card Reimbursements

Hawaiian Airlines Gift Card Reimbursements

December 3, 2015

You Can Refer Others to the American Express Hilton HHonors Surpass Card & Earn 10,000 Hilton Points

Update: There is currently an 80,000 point offer available that you cannot refer others to. A direct link to that offer can be found here.

Every so often, I like to take a look at the current refer a friend offers on our credit cards as I’ve unexpectedly found some offers (such as this bonus for the Amex Everyday from last year) that I didn’t know existed. This might not be news to many but today was the first time I noticed an offer on my wife’s American Express account to refer others for the American Express Hilton Surpass credit card.

SurpassReferralBonus

The current refer a friend offer allows the referrer to earn 10,000 Hilton HHonors points per referral up to a maximum of 55,000 points per calendar year. I value Hilton HHonors points at .5 cents each so each referral is worth about $50 based on my valuation. If you are a current cardholder, you can check to see if your account is eligible to refer others at this American Express Refer a Friend link.

Now let me be very clear about this – I DO NOT think this offer is worth applying for now as the signup bonus has been as high as 85,000 points in the past on this card. With Amex’s once a lifetime bonus policy, you should try to maximize your earnings by applying for cards only when the offer is at or exceeds the historical best offer on a specific card. However if you are in need of some Hilton points right away and/or the Hilton Gold status for an upcoming stay (to get free breakfast, chance at a better room, etc.) that comes with this card, leave a comment or shoot me an email at ralph@pointscentric.com and I can have my wife refer you.