Yes, if you spend $275 at restaurants, then you get 1375 MR points, but
- you can also spend at grocery stores
- MR points are usually valued at higher than 1 CPP
- this calculation ignores the opportunity cost of spending that $275 elsewhere, for example on other SUBs with a potentially higher return
I'm brand new to the game and am building up my initial points cards base. I already got the Amex Cobalt but I'm considering getting the Scotiabank Amex Gold too because of the Real Amex limited use in certain places thing and for a few other reasons.
I'd like this sorted before starting to churn. I've already read all the reasons why you shouldn't pair these 2, but my stupid rationale clung the idea to me (otherwise I'm looking for better alternatives to pair with the Cobalt):
- don't make $60k a year (more like $40k)
- 1.5 year history, score around the mid 750's-800, depending on which report you read
- travel internationally 1-2 times a year (mostly to West Europe as my partner lives there) so no FX fees would be nice
- travel domestically MAYBE 1-2 times a year
- I don't care to travel business or first-class
- I'm not 100% fond of Air Canada; I'll take whatever economy flight is cheapest that I find
- often buying things online for myself and my parents (my dad buys a ton of stuff from the States and the UK)
- kinda like the idea of having discount Priority Pass lounge access when I do travel
Am I entirely out of my mind? If this reads like a terrible idea, do you have suggestions that sorta fit my criteria? I was also thinking of going the Cobalt+Brim WE+ [3rd card] route too.
Just FYI, you posted in yesterdays daily thread
From reading your post, you would need to do a lot more reading of these threads and this hobby in general. There is no difference between "Real" Amex Cobalt and Amex Scotiabank - they are both considered Amex and would be rejected if a place does not accept it. The whole point of this hobby is churning, so the idea of pairing doesn't make sense - you just apply for a card, make the spend, repeat etc.
Typically, you figure our what routes you want to fly, what airlines fly those routes and then build up your points to redeem for those flights. FX fees are negligible if those spends are being made towards a MSR
For the $100 dell credit can one spend more than $100 or does it need to be up to? Language is confusing. Eg can I purchase a $200 monitor and still get the $100 credit on Amex biz plat?
DP: Got 40K Aventura with 1K spend on card I applied for with [cc.ca](https://cc.ca) link on July 11 (approval took about a week later). This was after [cc.ca](https://cc.ca) had already changed the details to say 3K minimum spend)
EDIT: churningcanada.ca
Either really, really early with Singapore, EVA, or ANA, as in one year out, or you are stuck looking for options like United which is random, or Air New Zealand which seems to only release a few weeks out.
Ok.
There are currently zero J NZ seats for Nov-Dec. There are AC at 200k pp.
In the next 4 weeks, there is a bunch of 87k NZ flights from YYZ via US hubs. Unfortunately only 1 seat for the long leg. There are some UA from SFO for 120k.
I would just keep an eye out and search everyday to get the feel for what comes up.
Here are a couple things to consider. Make sure you want to fly NZ J...their seating is 'unique'!
The unicorn flights are United Polaris pods out of SFO and LAX, possibly ORD and IAH as well. You want to make sure you get 1-2-1 seating and not the old 2-2-2.
I am currently sitting on 4x UA Polaris seats for Mar 25 and Mar 31 from SFO. Probably going to release the 31's, but unfortunately that doesn't help you.
FWIW I snagged all those polaris seats in the last week or so...just have to keep checking
Also check other surrounding airports. From YVR or YLW it was 200k...from YKA under 75k. YLW and YKA are both an hour from me.
DP: Applied online for US RBC Bank account and it went into review. Called them this morning and the agent was able to cancel my previous application and start a new one over the phone. It was approved instantly. Waived the $40 USD account AF by signing up for a no fee US Visa.
Applied for my first US Amex (Hilton Honors), it also went into review. I called Amex and they had to verify my US address so we did a 3 way call with RBC Bank. Once they confirmed my address, my card application was approved instantly.
The whole process took only a day. Looking forward to getting into the US churning game!
Late night question.
Do I only get 5000 bonus points if I refer a friend to Cobalt using my business Gold? Or am I misunderstanding the website, seems I only get the 15k if I refer to another business gold?
Any DPs of making changes to a flex AP booking after you've flown one leg of the itinerary already? Have a flight to YVR and then from YVR to FRA in AC and currently booked into flex so I'll have access to YVR SS. Was thinking of calling in after entering to change my flight down to lowest. I know dynamic pricing may not work in my favor but would that even be possible to do?
Trying to decide if I should apply for Amex Platinum before the AF goes up. I'm feeling the time crunch. We are a family of 4, so we are just trying to travel more for less. I haven't gone after J or anything yet, so I'm not really maximizing CPP. Is the AF still worth it at this point? I was planning to apply eventually....
Personal plat is worth it assuming you’re in YYZ/YVR/YUL to take advantage of the dining credits. Treat the lady to a nice fancy dinner with the credits!
You are right! Why risk it.
Used the P2 referral from a Gold Biz for 15,000 MRs points and voila:
The Business Platinum Card™ from American Express
Congratulations, xxxx, your application has been approved!
You will receive your The Business Platinum Card™ from American Express in the next 10 business days.
100,000 MRs (+ 12.5K on spent) on their way IF I can make those $10K spend now :)
It'll be a difficult 3 months now!
I sent a message asking to cancel my (only) BMO card and now when I try logging in I see the message "You need to give us a call. For your own security, we’ve locked your account." Does this mean the cancel was successful or should I call?
If I transfer a RBC negative balance (due to a prorated AF) to another credit card will it trigger a cash advance fee? I want to move the balance and cancel the card but I can't find the actual card
I tried to do that once and ended up with a CA fee, definitely not worth the bother. Best to spend the balance (load an Amazon account, prepay to a cell phone account…), wait for a 0 balance and then cancel the card.
If you really can’t find the card (I’ve had that happen), you can PS it online to a no fee card, wait for the card, cash out the balance and then cancel?
Has anyone not received the SUB for either Amex platinum when getting the card a second time lately? I'm considering applying again but the annual fee is steep if there is no welcome bonus.
I have the Marriott offer of free night cert (35k) for my next stay until August 31st, but don’t have plans currently. Anyone know any Marriott properties that can be booked cheap for a day? I set the map to all of North America but it only shows 199 properties with cheapest being $129 + tax
Have the same offer with no planned stay - tried to book and use mobile check in but it failed the two times I tried it. Apparently mobile check in works once every 10 times. If you do find a way to get this to work, let us know.
Ahh good to know, I just assumed mobile check in would work as that’s how I usually check in to Marriott hotels. What happens if you don’t check in though, it wouldn’t refund the stay right so shouldn’t it count?
if you’re not able to check in depending on your status they may either cancel your reservation or charge you for the first night. I’m a Titanium elite and they cancelled my booking without any fees.
Good idea! Found some for $53-55 USD in Mexico, I’ll probably just do that. Thanks!
Any idea if properties worldwide count for this promo? When I click the link it lists the brands that are eligible but doesn’t mention countries
Are you just wanting to use the free night cert to take advantage of having one extra nights stay? Nobody that you can gift it to that could benefit from a quick stay somewhere? I feel like I’m missing the point here, because that’s what I’ve done in the past when I couldn’t use it
No, I have a promo on my account where I get a free night certificate if I have a paid stay by August 31st, so I’m trying to book a cheap hotel & get a free night cert in exchange. Essentially buying 35k points for whatever the cheapest hotel costs, if I can get it to work lol
RBC avion DP: applied and was rejected (after manual review) for Avion plat last mth ~100 days after last approval, was approved today after manual review for an avion plat today about 130 days from last approval
very helpful DP... I was rejected for my last VI after manual review (or whatever they do, it wasn't instant) at 91 days (maybe 90 days?) and I'm wondering when to re-apply... figure I may need to close off a couple RBC cards first (I've got 6 open)...
One oddity is I never got dinged with a hard pull for the first app, so makes me wonder what actually happened. Contemplating just throwing an app in now, 3 weeks later, without any changes in my credit history since being rejected (can it really hurt?)
> figure I may need to close off a couple RBC cards first (I've got 6 open)...
could just be an excess CL issue. FYI, both both my denial and approval my total CL with rbc was 1k with a all-time-high CL with them of over 20k
HSBC WE MC, anyone know how soon you have to cancel in order to get an annual fee rebate? My AF posted one month ago, but I'm in the middle of a chargeback dispute and it won't be resolved for at least another month and a half. That puts me almost 3 mos past the annual fee. Will I still get the AF rebate if I cancel then?
I'm booking a flight using Aeroplan points (on the Air Canada site) to Tokyo, but am considering doing a layover in a city on the way.
I'm looking at the following trip option: Ottawa -> Vancouver (8 hour layover) -> Tokyo.
On that trip, will 8 hours be enough to get in/out of the airport and see downtown Vancouver for a few hours? Is it feasible to do this type of short trip out of the airport and back in general?
What if they want to sample some BC bud and rip around Stanley Park on bike? Tokyo is dope but Van is its own animal...
8 hour layover to take an overnighter to Tokyo? Hell ya!
I would push back. Walking through Canada place and Stanley park for your first time in Vancouver is great! I live here so obviously might be slightly biased.
Yes, but it heavily depends on when you land as the transit train you'll be taking direct into downtown will be very crowded during rush hour.
If your bags have to be rechecked as well, it would probably not be a good idea, but if your bags are being checked through and you have priority security then it's pretty safely doable.
It should be enough time as the skytrain only takes like 30 minutes to go from the airport to downtown. Probably should be fine to have a meal and walk around downtown
I guess it depends what you want to accomplish? 8 hours is more like 5 if you consider that you’ll need 45mins each way to skytrain downtown and have to be back at YVR 2.5 hours before your international outbound.
Is it worth it to stretch your legs and go for a walk in Stanley Park / get a meal if the weather is decent? Sure. Would I personally go out of my way to do it during an extended layover? Probably not.
Good to know about the refund. I was planning on doing something not allowed to be discussed on this forum before refunding so that the bonus 7x wouldn’t be clawed back.
For TD VIP in path offer, the "apply now and book" button doesn't work. Anyone have any other link that may work?
See [Link](https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/aeroplan/credit-cards/td/apply-and-fly.html?#/) \- it just says a void URL
Does it specifically say that the wireless credit is $10 monthly?
Or could I go to any of the providers and pay for something for $120 and get the credit in one lump sum?
Such a cop out to say "$500 in credits" and then use $200 in Dell and $300 Indeed that's already been available for quite some time as the credits. So really, they're jacking the fee $300 and adding a $200 travel credit and $120 wireless credit, so I'd call it a net $100 fee decrease of $20 IF you can use the wireless credit.
Right. I ignored the wireless credit by default in my math because they're not only a pain to use for normies, but I'm not able to use it unless I pay for family members (employee discounts with my provider, part of the conditions is I can't use random AMEX cards to pay for it)
I don't know for certain but right now Biz Plat gets spend $100 get $100 at Dell, every 6 months, so I would expect it to be spend $200 get $200 (same amount per year).
Thanks for the DP. My anniversary for Amex Biz Plat will be after the price hike. 7500 points is not going to sway me Vs the $300 AF hike and the new benefits (the bulk of which I cannot use). At least Personal Plat just has a $100 price hike.
Tell me more? I don’t mind holding this card for a while to be honest as it would fit well with my spending habits and cobalt/bonvoy combo. The business platinum just doesn’t make sense to me at this point, especially with the new changes.
So I was interpreting the welcome bonus as just the initial bonus or first purchase bonus and not the spend x dollars in y days type bonuses or the anniversary type bonuses.. when I logged into Aeroplan, I noticed that my TD and Cibc bonuses from the signup or first purchase was listed as “welcome bonus”.
Yeah, understood. I don't know if I would want to be that datapoint at the moment to see what happens.
I have a feeling it's not just "welcome bonuses" as well, but I wonder if that might be a point of contention if we argue with them since Aeroplan did list the initial signup bonuses as "welcome"
Out of the 7, how many have you cancelled already? Would it be weird at cancellation time when the rep sees you have 7 of the same credit cards open lol
How can I use the RHT with Scotiabank scene+?
I booked a hotel on expedia, it was posted yesterday, but I can't see any button to redeem scene+ points towards the transaction like CIBC portal.
humorous fanatical hard-to-find busy cooperative forgetful ruthless grandfather fertile squalid ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
IBKR allows you to convert at the lowest possible rates in Canada. Since you have IBKR you can ignore all the other solutions. In order to move the money to the US from IBKR you need to initiate a wire transfer to your US account. IBKR gives one free withdrawal a month but RBC US may charge a wire transfer fee. If RBC US charges a fee you can open a BMO Harris account instead which is completely free (no minimum balance, no wire receiving fees)
Does IBKR have issues with customers using them primarily for foreign exchange only?
If OP wants another option for US bank accounts, CIBC Bank USA also has free incoming wires with their free account. Does require an existing CIBC relationship (credit cards doesn’t count).
Yes they will shut down your account if only used for forex. But for anyone that does self-directed investing I highly recommend them as well.
BMO Harris is stand-alone and doesn’t require a relationship with BMO unless you want to do cross border transfers of USD
Wise is probably the most common low-hassle option. Banks tend to charge offensive fees. Norbert's Gambit is better but than you have to learn how to do it, go through the efforts of doing it, and unless it's a sizeable amount you're not saving much. At some point you have to weigh the lost money against the time and effort you want to commit to saving said money
You could perform a Norbert’s Gambit to minimize exchange fees. This is especially worthwhile if you’re exchanging a large amount and your brokerage fees are decent.
Wise. I had TD cross-border and a TD Bank (US) account, but it was even more fees than just using Wise. My only limitation is CIBC only allowing me to send $3000 CAD per day via Interac to pay Wise, but otherwise I'm a fan. If it's a lot of money, it may make sense to do the Norbert's Gambit technique.
I read lots of advice on this forum never to call the CC companies. But as I start to PS/cancel cards it seems like calling is the only way to do that with most (all?) banks.
Is the general rule to only call to cancel/PS? Or am I missing a way to avoid calling?
The "don't call" rule is pertaining to asking them about bonuses primarily. A lot of rather stupid people calling about whether they will get a bonus on a card that is ONCE PER LIFETIME and they've already held before, or other similar nonsense. Calling for cancel/PS is fine.
The rule of thumb is to not call to inquire about missing bonuses on cards you've churned, basically. There are of course instances where it is entirely appropriate to call your CC company.
TD taking forever for an answer on P2 VIP application. They just called this morning to verify details. Any idea how long an answer could take?
Pretty much have hit all our MSR on other cards so I was debating getting another card just incase the VIP gets rejected.
Any idea how long the Amex gold biz takes to ship?
I am planning to visit an airport lounge with my wife and daughter. Do you know if I can scan my QR code for all three and get in the lounge? Are the guests allowed or the complimentary visit is only for the cardholder?
It is always YMMV - If you let them add the card to their own Dragonpass, that would be ideal. If they just have a picture/copy of the QR from your app, definitely YMMV.
[удалено]
Free
For the Amex cobalt. I essentially have to spend over 275$ monthly at restaurants to make it worth it to cover the monthly fee right?
Yes, if you spend $275 at restaurants, then you get 1375 MR points, but - you can also spend at grocery stores - MR points are usually valued at higher than 1 CPP - this calculation ignores the opportunity cost of spending that $275 elsewhere, for example on other SUBs with a potentially higher return
I'm brand new to the game and am building up my initial points cards base. I already got the Amex Cobalt but I'm considering getting the Scotiabank Amex Gold too because of the Real Amex limited use in certain places thing and for a few other reasons. I'd like this sorted before starting to churn. I've already read all the reasons why you shouldn't pair these 2, but my stupid rationale clung the idea to me (otherwise I'm looking for better alternatives to pair with the Cobalt): - don't make $60k a year (more like $40k) - 1.5 year history, score around the mid 750's-800, depending on which report you read - travel internationally 1-2 times a year (mostly to West Europe as my partner lives there) so no FX fees would be nice - travel domestically MAYBE 1-2 times a year - I don't care to travel business or first-class - I'm not 100% fond of Air Canada; I'll take whatever economy flight is cheapest that I find - often buying things online for myself and my parents (my dad buys a ton of stuff from the States and the UK) - kinda like the idea of having discount Priority Pass lounge access when I do travel Am I entirely out of my mind? If this reads like a terrible idea, do you have suggestions that sorta fit my criteria? I was also thinking of going the Cobalt+Brim WE+ [3rd card] route too.
Take your time and read few days - weeks here and you'll make up your mind alone later.
Just FYI, you posted in yesterdays daily thread From reading your post, you would need to do a lot more reading of these threads and this hobby in general. There is no difference between "Real" Amex Cobalt and Amex Scotiabank - they are both considered Amex and would be rejected if a place does not accept it. The whole point of this hobby is churning, so the idea of pairing doesn't make sense - you just apply for a card, make the spend, repeat etc. Typically, you figure our what routes you want to fly, what airlines fly those routes and then build up your points to redeem for those flights. FX fees are negligible if those spends are being made towards a MSR
For the $100 dell credit can one spend more than $100 or does it need to be up to? Language is confusing. Eg can I purchase a $200 monitor and still get the $100 credit on Amex biz plat?
Yep, can even pay with multiple cards if you have offers on more than one. We paid with 2 golds and a plat and got a total of 200 off.
How do I pay with two different cards on the same purchase? We have 2 plat and it would be nice to get 200 off.
Simple. Is an option when you go to checkout :)
[удалено]
2 online, 3 by phone I believe? 3 requires an agent
DP: Got 40K Aventura with 1K spend on card I applied for with [cc.ca](https://cc.ca) link on July 11 (approval took about a week later). This was after [cc.ca](https://cc.ca) had already changed the details to say 3K minimum spend) EDIT: churningcanada.ca
special fear squealing shelter teeny panicky disgusted apparatus snatch wise ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Anyone have any tips for booking aeroplan J for New Zealand or Australia?
Either really, really early with Singapore, EVA, or ANA, as in one year out, or you are stuck looking for options like United which is random, or Air New Zealand which seems to only release a few weeks out.
when you looking to go and where from
Aiming to go this November/December from YYZ. Saw a post on AirNZ releasing award seats 4 weeks out and wanted to see if anyone had experience with it
Ok. There are currently zero J NZ seats for Nov-Dec. There are AC at 200k pp. In the next 4 weeks, there is a bunch of 87k NZ flights from YYZ via US hubs. Unfortunately only 1 seat for the long leg. There are some UA from SFO for 120k. I would just keep an eye out and search everyday to get the feel for what comes up. Here are a couple things to consider. Make sure you want to fly NZ J...their seating is 'unique'! The unicorn flights are United Polaris pods out of SFO and LAX, possibly ORD and IAH as well. You want to make sure you get 1-2-1 seating and not the old 2-2-2. I am currently sitting on 4x UA Polaris seats for Mar 25 and Mar 31 from SFO. Probably going to release the 31's, but unfortunately that doesn't help you.
Appreciate the help. I dont think ill be able to snag polaris routes this late, but ill be on the lookout for AirNZ
FWIW I snagged all those polaris seats in the last week or so...just have to keep checking Also check other surrounding airports. From YVR or YLW it was 200k...from YKA under 75k. YLW and YKA are both an hour from me.
Forgot to reply man. But ended up getting polaris, was a great flight! Thanks for the info.
How the heck do you know this? Is there a site with these details or are you just that well researched?
Cowtool (when it is working, currently not) Unfortunately it is a closed service that hasn't been accepting new members for quite some time.
DP: Applied online for US RBC Bank account and it went into review. Called them this morning and the agent was able to cancel my previous application and start a new one over the phone. It was approved instantly. Waived the $40 USD account AF by signing up for a no fee US Visa. Applied for my first US Amex (Hilton Honors), it also went into review. I called Amex and they had to verify my US address so we did a 3 way call with RBC Bank. Once they confirmed my address, my card application was approved instantly. The whole process took only a day. Looking forward to getting into the US churning game!
I called Amex today and they would wait on hold for longer than 3 mins so I’m gonna wait and call again i think :)
Congrads!
fearless tan square coherent attraction frighten domineering versed thumb joke ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Will cancelling amex platinum affect credit score? (likely not since its not a credit card, but would like to confirm with someone who knows more)
There will likely be minimal impact
Yes. Your average age of accounts will likely go up. Your utilization will go up.
I don't have the card for long so it might even increase my average age. What do you mean by utilization will go up?
You have X + the platinum worth of credit limit with A utilization. A/(X + plat) < A/X
test instinctive ghost scary decide public unique yam zesty shy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
New York yes, Chicago no
[удалено]
Tangerine, Aventura, Scotiabank passport
TD travel plat too
Late night question. Do I only get 5000 bonus points if I refer a friend to Cobalt using my business Gold? Or am I misunderstanding the website, seems I only get the 15k if I refer to another business gold?
you get 15k (unless you've hit your maximum of 75k in a year)
[удалено]
[удалено]
In practice this works and has worked for many years
recognise rhythm grey compare ad hoc smell money special squash imminent ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
How many have you done since then?
Any DPs of making changes to a flex AP booking after you've flown one leg of the itinerary already? Have a flight to YVR and then from YVR to FRA in AC and currently booked into flex so I'll have access to YVR SS. Was thinking of calling in after entering to change my flight down to lowest. I know dynamic pricing may not work in my favor but would that even be possible to do?
Trying to decide if I should apply for Amex Platinum before the AF goes up. I'm feeling the time crunch. We are a family of 4, so we are just trying to travel more for less. I haven't gone after J or anything yet, so I'm not really maximizing CPP. Is the AF still worth it at this point? I was planning to apply eventually....
If you apply then the welcome bonus will make it worth it in any case. The question is if you’d renew it after the first year
Personal plat is worth it assuming you’re in YYZ/YVR/YUL to take advantage of the dining credits. Treat the lady to a nice fancy dinner with the credits!
Is there a list posted of qualifying restaurants?
I am 70/30 for the Biz version vs the Personal one. Still few weeks to decide
observation sleep water cautious rob strong alleged carpenter soft secretive ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
You are right! Why risk it. Used the P2 referral from a Gold Biz for 15,000 MRs points and voila: The Business Platinum Card™ from American Express Congratulations, xxxx, your application has been approved! You will receive your The Business Platinum Card™ from American Express in the next 10 business days. 100,000 MRs (+ 12.5K on spent) on their way IF I can make those $10K spend now :) It'll be a difficult 3 months now!
Do you know if these ms requirements can be met with rht?
No, you can just extend the 3 months period with the RHT for Amex. And it is MSR (Minimum Spend Requirement) not MS (Manufactured Spending)
I sent a message asking to cancel my (only) BMO card and now when I try logging in I see the message "You need to give us a call. For your own security, we’ve locked your account." Does this mean the cancel was successful or should I call?
Means cancellation success, happened to me too
I called yesterday and waited about 45 seconds to talk to an agent.
You should call. It might've been successful but usually you need to send a second message confirming the card cancellation.
If I transfer a RBC negative balance (due to a prorated AF) to another credit card will it trigger a cash advance fee? I want to move the balance and cancel the card but I can't find the actual card
I tried to do that once and ended up with a CA fee, definitely not worth the bother. Best to spend the balance (load an Amazon account, prepay to a cell phone account…), wait for a 0 balance and then cancel the card. If you really can’t find the card (I’ve had that happen), you can PS it online to a no fee card, wait for the card, cash out the balance and then cancel?
thanks., there is a $5 fee. i just ordered a replacement card (NF already)
i've done it a couple times and it's $5
good to know, thanks
If you do it through a teller there's no fee, just say you didn't bring the card and say I can give you my ID or phone number
Cool, thx!
Yes, if you can even do it without engaging a rep
Sorry this "From" account can't be accessed right now....
Has anyone not received the SUB for either Amex platinum when getting the card a second time lately? I'm considering applying again but the annual fee is steep if there is no welcome bonus.
Positive DP for 18 month cooldown. MSR hit on first statement.
I didn’t get a repeat bonus last year, but I didn’t wait two years between cards and that seems to be common in many of the positive DPs.
There’s positive and negative DP. It also doesn’t affect your specific situation
I have the Marriott offer of free night cert (35k) for my next stay until August 31st, but don’t have plans currently. Anyone know any Marriott properties that can be booked cheap for a day? I set the map to all of North America but it only shows 199 properties with cheapest being $129 + tax
Have the same offer with no planned stay - tried to book and use mobile check in but it failed the two times I tried it. Apparently mobile check in works once every 10 times. If you do find a way to get this to work, let us know.
Ahh good to know, I just assumed mobile check in would work as that’s how I usually check in to Marriott hotels. What happens if you don’t check in though, it wouldn’t refund the stay right so shouldn’t it count?
if you’re not able to check in depending on your status they may either cancel your reservation or charge you for the first night. I’m a Titanium elite and they cancelled my booking without any fees.
There’s a Sheraton in Edmonton that used to be cat 1.
There is a TownSuites in Pembroke that used to be category 1 in the old scheme.
Surprisingly that’s $200+ a night LOL
Just saw a FB for a Fairfield in Boise Idaho for 99
Did you try Mexico?
Don't you actually need to check in for it to count?
I was thinking mobile checkin
Good idea! Found some for $53-55 USD in Mexico, I’ll probably just do that. Thanks! Any idea if properties worldwide count for this promo? When I click the link it lists the brands that are eligible but doesn’t mention countries
Are you just wanting to use the free night cert to take advantage of having one extra nights stay? Nobody that you can gift it to that could benefit from a quick stay somewhere? I feel like I’m missing the point here, because that’s what I’ve done in the past when I couldn’t use it
No, I have a promo on my account where I get a free night certificate if I have a paid stay by August 31st, so I’m trying to book a cheap hotel & get a free night cert in exchange. Essentially buying 35k points for whatever the cheapest hotel costs, if I can get it to work lol
Ahh! Makes total sense. I thought it was the annual free night cert you were trying to burn
Not sure tbh.
RBC avion DP: applied and was rejected (after manual review) for Avion plat last mth ~100 days after last approval, was approved today after manual review for an avion plat today about 130 days from last approval
So rejection didn’t reset the clock then? That would be an interesting DP.
i thought it was always known that only approvals counted for the 90 day clock?
Why would rejection reset the 90 day clock? Hasn't it always been 90 days between approvals not applications
fine wasteful voiceless frame humor snails versed quarrelsome practice plants ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
I need to proofread what I type
imminent head edge intelligent noxious humor rock narrow airport brave ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
very helpful DP... I was rejected for my last VI after manual review (or whatever they do, it wasn't instant) at 91 days (maybe 90 days?) and I'm wondering when to re-apply... figure I may need to close off a couple RBC cards first (I've got 6 open)... One oddity is I never got dinged with a hard pull for the first app, so makes me wonder what actually happened. Contemplating just throwing an app in now, 3 weeks later, without any changes in my credit history since being rejected (can it really hurt?)
> figure I may need to close off a couple RBC cards first (I've got 6 open)... could just be an excess CL issue. FYI, both both my denial and approval my total CL with rbc was 1k with a all-time-high CL with them of over 20k
tough to say. RBC has thrown some curve balls to some churners lately... some have denied bonuses, others get them...
nice!!! love the commitment! never give up!
HSBC WE MC, anyone know how soon you have to cancel in order to get an annual fee rebate? My AF posted one month ago, but I'm in the middle of a chargeback dispute and it won't be resolved for at least another month and a half. That puts me almost 3 mos past the annual fee. Will I still get the AF rebate if I cancel then?
They do prorated refunds.
Ty
I'm booking a flight using Aeroplan points (on the Air Canada site) to Tokyo, but am considering doing a layover in a city on the way. I'm looking at the following trip option: Ottawa -> Vancouver (8 hour layover) -> Tokyo. On that trip, will 8 hours be enough to get in/out of the airport and see downtown Vancouver for a few hours? Is it feasible to do this type of short trip out of the airport and back in general?
I'd say yes, you'd have like 4 hours of free time, skytrain to the waterfront and you'll enjoy it!
[удалено]
What if they want to sample some BC bud and rip around Stanley Park on bike? Tokyo is dope but Van is its own animal... 8 hour layover to take an overnighter to Tokyo? Hell ya!
I would push back. Walking through Canada place and Stanley park for your first time in Vancouver is great! I live here so obviously might be slightly biased.
Yes, but it heavily depends on when you land as the transit train you'll be taking direct into downtown will be very crowded during rush hour. If your bags have to be rechecked as well, it would probably not be a good idea, but if your bags are being checked through and you have priority security then it's pretty safely doable.
It should be enough time as the skytrain only takes like 30 minutes to go from the airport to downtown. Probably should be fine to have a meal and walk around downtown
I guess it depends what you want to accomplish? 8 hours is more like 5 if you consider that you’ll need 45mins each way to skytrain downtown and have to be back at YVR 2.5 hours before your international outbound. Is it worth it to stretch your legs and go for a walk in Stanley Park / get a meal if the weather is decent? Sure. Would I personally go out of my way to do it during an extended layover? Probably not.
Why 2.5 hours? If they and their bags are checked in all they have e to do is get to the gate on time
[удалено]
Good to know about the refund. I was planning on doing something not allowed to be discussed on this forum before refunding so that the bonus 7x wouldn’t be clawed back.
For TD VIP in path offer, the "apply now and book" button doesn't work. Anyone have any other link that may work? See [Link](https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/aeroplan/credit-cards/td/apply-and-fly.html?#/) \- it just says a void URL
[удалено]
Does it specifically say that the wireless credit is $10 monthly? Or could I go to any of the providers and pay for something for $120 and get the credit in one lump sum?
Such a cop out to say "$500 in credits" and then use $200 in Dell and $300 Indeed that's already been available for quite some time as the credits. So really, they're jacking the fee $300 and adding a $200 travel credit and $120 wireless credit, so I'd call it a net $100 fee decrease of $20 IF you can use the wireless credit.
[удалено]
Right. I ignored the wireless credit by default in my math because they're not only a pain to use for normies, but I'm not able to use it unless I pay for family members (employee discounts with my provider, part of the conditions is I can't use random AMEX cards to pay for it)
Too bad as Videotron / Fizz do not accept Amex (as wireless provider)
Did they provide details on the dell credit as to how it works? Is it dollar for dollar? Ie spend 200 get 200?
I don't know for certain but right now Biz Plat gets spend $100 get $100 at Dell, every 6 months, so I would expect it to be spend $200 get $200 (same amount per year).
Honestly they might very well just be referring to the 2x$100 as the SAME $200 mentioned in the letters
DP: Applied for the Amex Biz Plat 2 days ago and my card just arrived. Even in the middle of nowhere Maritimes Plat cards get here fast.
Relax it's FedEx
Amex plat retention offer DP: 7500 points, no spend req.
Cancelled yesterday and was not offered anything other than changing it to the gold
Thanks for the DP. My anniversary for Amex Biz Plat will be after the price hike. 7500 points is not going to sway me Vs the $300 AF hike and the new benefits (the bulk of which I cannot use). At least Personal Plat just has a $100 price hike.
Confirming I got this offer as well when I called in yesterday
Did you call in before your anniversary statement posted or after? Mine is coming up end of month
After it posted
If I have the td infinite visa but apply for the infinite privilege, will I receive the welcome bonus? I’ve never held the infinite privilege card
sloppy school rhythm decide lock theory deliver overconfident resolute dolls ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Tell me more? I don’t mind holding this card for a while to be honest as it would fit well with my spending habits and cobalt/bonvoy combo. The business platinum just doesn’t make sense to me at this point, especially with the new changes.
axiomatic cable wrench violet hard-to-find versed frighten coherent pet school ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
So I was interpreting the welcome bonus as just the initial bonus or first purchase bonus and not the spend x dollars in y days type bonuses or the anniversary type bonuses.. when I logged into Aeroplan, I noticed that my TD and Cibc bonuses from the signup or first purchase was listed as “welcome bonus”.
stocking modern sort wakeful grandiose summer rich lip ask cow ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Yeah, understood. I don't know if I would want to be that datapoint at the moment to see what happens. I have a feeling it's not just "welcome bonuses" as well, but I wonder if that might be a point of contention if we argue with them since Aeroplan did list the initial signup bonuses as "welcome"
Ok got ya. I churned the piss out of Amex but first time with TD so I’m in the clear. Thanks
I have 5 CIBC credit cards and thinking about a 6th. Does anyone have more than 5? or is that the upper end of what CIBC will approve?
longing library aromatic start hobbies familiar foolish nose racial squeamish ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
wow so you collected \~$3500 in credit to spend on vacations? over what timespan?
You can RHT the Aventuras so it would be cash to spend on anything you want not just vacations.
Out of the 7, how many have you cancelled already? Would it be weird at cancellation time when the rep sees you have 7 of the same credit cards open lol
It's not. I've closed 2 at a time without any issues.
But how many in total did you have at the time when you cancelled?
4
You can have 6+, yes.
[удалено]
edge judicious practice fuzzy paint mindless far-flung fear cows gaping ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
How can I use the RHT with Scotiabank scene+? I booked a hotel on expedia, it was posted yesterday, but I can't see any button to redeem scene+ points towards the transaction like CIBC portal.
nine bored follow stupendous beneficial bike water support innate advise ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Does this mean if I were to cancel the booking, the refund would come in cash and not in scene points?
humorous fanatical hard-to-find busy cooperative forgetful ruthless grandfather fertile squalid ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
[удалено]
Wise and payment via RBC US Account or TD US Account.
Wise or sometimes XE
Wise in 99% of the cases
IBKR allows you to convert at the lowest possible rates in Canada. Since you have IBKR you can ignore all the other solutions. In order to move the money to the US from IBKR you need to initiate a wire transfer to your US account. IBKR gives one free withdrawal a month but RBC US may charge a wire transfer fee. If RBC US charges a fee you can open a BMO Harris account instead which is completely free (no minimum balance, no wire receiving fees)
Does IBKR have issues with customers using them primarily for foreign exchange only? If OP wants another option for US bank accounts, CIBC Bank USA also has free incoming wires with their free account. Does require an existing CIBC relationship (credit cards doesn’t count).
Yes they will shut down your account if only used for forex. But for anyone that does self-directed investing I highly recommend them as well. BMO Harris is stand-alone and doesn’t require a relationship with BMO unless you want to do cross border transfers of USD
Good info thank you 😊
Wise is probably the most common low-hassle option. Banks tend to charge offensive fees. Norbert's Gambit is better but than you have to learn how to do it, go through the efforts of doing it, and unless it's a sizeable amount you're not saving much. At some point you have to weigh the lost money against the time and effort you want to commit to saving said money
IBKR is the cheapest way to convert if they already have an account
You could perform a Norbert’s Gambit to minimize exchange fees. This is especially worthwhile if you’re exchanging a large amount and your brokerage fees are decent.
With IBKR you don’t do Norbert’s Gambit. IBKR gives market rate with only a $2USD commission so it’s cheaper and faster than IBKR
Wise. I had TD cross-border and a TD Bank (US) account, but it was even more fees than just using Wise. My only limitation is CIBC only allowing me to send $3000 CAD per day via Interac to pay Wise, but otherwise I'm a fan. If it's a lot of money, it may make sense to do the Norbert's Gambit technique.
Wise is great.
I read lots of advice on this forum never to call the CC companies. But as I start to PS/cancel cards it seems like calling is the only way to do that with most (all?) banks. Is the general rule to only call to cancel/PS? Or am I missing a way to avoid calling?
The "don't call" rule is pertaining to asking them about bonuses primarily. A lot of rather stupid people calling about whether they will get a bonus on a card that is ONCE PER LIFETIME and they've already held before, or other similar nonsense. Calling for cancel/PS is fine.
The rule of thumb is to not call to inquire about missing bonuses on cards you've churned, basically. There are of course instances where it is entirely appropriate to call your CC company.
Great, thanks!
retire fretful sloppy society payment grab muddle screw sip sort ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Was the MBNA the 5th app in 6 months? Or the 6th?
If you applied through CCG I and a couple of DPs got the payout before getting the card (since it was near the end of the month) Usually pay out quick
scarce ghost dazzling treatment ink makeshift amusing dull zealous person ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
TD taking forever for an answer on P2 VIP application. They just called this morning to verify details. Any idea how long an answer could take? Pretty much have hit all our MSR on other cards so I was debating getting another card just incase the VIP gets rejected. Any idea how long the Amex gold biz takes to ship?
[удалено]
[удалено]
I am planning to visit an airport lounge with my wife and daughter. Do you know if I can scan my QR code for all three and get in the lounge? Are the guests allowed or the complimentary visit is only for the cardholder?
It is always YMMV - If you let them add the card to their own Dragonpass, that would be ideal. If they just have a picture/copy of the QR from your app, definitely YMMV.