Citi Archives - Page 2 of 3

Feb 17 2017

Why you shouldn’t combine Thank You point accounts

Update: Points were returned to me within a day.

If you’re like me, it’s possible you have multiple Thank You point earning credit cards. A couple of years ago, when I first got into Thank You points, I thought the ability to combine Thank You point accounts was great. I figured it was like Ultimate Rewards, I can just see all my points together and transfer them back and forth as needed.

Here’s a little story about why you shouldn’t combine your accounts.

After you combine your Thank You accounts, it’s impossible to tell which card your points have come from. Citi just “conveniently” combines everything into one number. This doesn’t matter until you inevitably want to cancel one of your cards.

After you cancel a Thank You point earning card, you have 60 days to redeem points associated with that card before they expire. The problem is, you have no idea how many points that is thanks to Citi’s Thank You point website.

It's generally a bad idea to combine your Thank You point accounts before you have to. Here's my story explaining why I avoid doing it. — There’s no telling which account your points came from post-combining

Here’s what happened to me. I cancelled the Thank You Premier card a few months back. After I cancelled I called Citi twice, asking them to confirm how many points I had associated with the card. I was twice told something on the order of 7,900 points, so I simply transferred 8000 points to Jetblue before 60 days was up.

Welp, I logged in today and my balance has dropped by over 30,000 points. Apparently there were more Thank You points associated with that account than the 7,900!

I called and after Mr. Unhelpful CSR forwarded me along, Helpful CSRs 2 and 3 said they will escalate my claim. Basically, they are going to go back and listen to our phone calls and if they hear the 7,900 number they will reinstate all the other missing ones. I’m not too worried, but I’m definitely annoyed at myself. All this could have been avoided by keeping my accounts separate in the first place.

One of the major reasons to combine in the past was to make sure all your points could access the Citi Prestige 1.6 cents per point uplift on American Airlines. Since that’s going away, there are fewer and fewer reasons to combine early. Combine when you need to combine, keep separate the rest of the time! That will be my Citi Thank You point mantra from here on out.

It's generally a bad idea to combine your Thank You point accounts before you have to. Here's my story explaining why I avoid doing it.

Oct 16 2015

Family Travel for My Real Life – Splitting the Team

I had originally planned to attend FT4RL3, but unfortunately I’m not going to make it due to real life circumstances. Instead, our family is going to embark on a new adventure – splitting the team. I thought I’d share some of my thought process and how this illustrates my evolving view of my points and miles.

Actually going to FT4RL3 was always a longshot – I bought the ticket before H was even born and once I found out I was going to Las Vegas sans wife and kids I knew another trip was probably not going to happen. Still, I had a cheap flight booked for 4500 Avios outbound and held onto it for awhile. But then about six weeks ago I decided I definitely wasn’t going to attend so I cancelled that flight. That was a mistake, which I’ll get into later.

In the meanwhile, Jess decided she wanted to go to Charlotte to visit her sister that same weekend (apparently she likes to go to Charlotte on weekends that coincide with FT4RLs). Since her and H are pretty much attached at the hip at the moment, that meant a weekend at home alone with M.

I bought Jess’ ticket using Citi Thank You points, so it only ended up costing around 12,000 points with the 1.6 cents per point you get for AA flights (Prestige cardholders). I have over 100K Thank You points that I never use – yet I still debated just paying in cash. But ultimately, I asked myself, what am I saving these points for? I have them for this exact reason to save money on travel – so I used the points instead of the cash.

Anyway, so M and I were stuck at home until I got to thinking – what if we took a trip somewhere? So I started looking into ticket prices for one stop destinations, though I was basically focused on D.C. I knew I wouldn’t make it to FT4RL especially as a solo parent, but there are some friends I’d love to see in D.C. and I love free museums.

Tickets were cost prohibitive for that weekend – I’m not sure what’s going on but the cheapest non-stops were pricing at like $200 and the cheapest non-stops that were practical for a toddler were more like $300.

Enter US Bank Flexperks. I’ve been earning about 20,000 points per month, or enough for an (up to) $400 ticket. So I had enough to buy tickets for both M and myself and not worry about the price. Again, I considered saving it for something else, but ultimately decided – what is the point? These points are to decrease travel costs and that’s exactly what I’m doing.

So next weekend we’re splitting the team. Both of us are taking our first solo flight with the kids and H is taking his first flight ever. Should be a ton of fun!

Mar 24 2015

Some Simple AA Credit Card Mistakes You Probably Know to Avoid

Update: Literally 5 minutes after I posted this, I got an e-mail from AAdvantage saying programs would start combine on March 28 (though no real details).

Most are savvy enough to have avoided these mistakes, but for relative newcomers here are a few reminders. Currently, you can get 100,000 AAdvantage miles pretty quickly with two credit card sign ups: the Barclays US Air card and the Citi AA Platinum card.

The theory is simple – sign up for the Barclays US Air card and get 50,000 US Air miles after first purchase ($89 annual fee not waived). Sign up for the Citi AA Platinum card and get 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3000 in three months. Once the programs merge (imminently!), you’ll have 103,000 AA miles, 7000 short of flying round trip to Hong Kong in Cathay business.

Guess I've got too many of these — Guess I’ve got too many of these

The problem is, if you’ve been in this game a lot, getting that Barclays approval is tough. Read some theories on how to improve your chances from Chasing the Points and Miles to Memories, then read about my unsuccessful attempt (I applied before I read either of those posts).

I made quite a few mistakes when I applied for my US Air card. For starters, I was applying for my third card. I knew it’d be a long shot but I hadn’t applied for a Barclays’ card for over six months so I figured it was worth a try. Barclays is all about the instant approval – if you have to call reconsideration you’re dead in the water more often than not. Especially if you’re going for your third card of the same product (and fourth overall). I applied and got the dreaded “pending” page, and pretty much was dead from there.

Let it be said that people have had success getting approved for a third card instantly, as I was informed on Twitter. Not me though.

https://twitter.com/bhamada01/status/580102984815628288

@asthejoeflies yes, wife and I both were approved for 3rd card last week
— James (@JamesStorie1) March 23, 2015

Well, I realize now I could have improved my chances by lowering my credit limit on one of my other cards. (Those guys didn’t, but I could have improved my chances if I had).

Other mistakes not to make are not using your card or applying more than once every six months – but Miles to Memories more or less has that stuff covered so I’ll leave it there.

After I finally got my rejection letter I called in – they specifically told me they wouldn’t give me a third card. I didn’t push it too hard, win some, lose some. I figured an easy 50K with no work was worth a hard pull on my Transunion score which never gets dinged (except by Barclays).

Applying for the Citi AA Platinum is a bit more straightforward. Nowadays, it seems like Citi won’t approve you for the card if you have opened or closed another AA Platinum card within the last 18 months – so you can screw that up easily if you don’t get your timing right.

They've redone the look of the Citi AA Platinum Select card, but you still can't get a new one if you opened or closed one 18 months ago — They’ve redone the look of the Citi AA Platinum Select card, but you still can’t get a new one if you opened or closed one 18 months ago

Best practice is probably to open a card, get the 50K bonus, keep for 18 months, open a new card (Citi is great about moving credit lines around as long as you’re not breaking their arbitrary time rules), then close the old one (or keep it forever). That way you can get a new card every 18-19 months or so. I haven’t tried it personally but that’s what makes most sense to me (let me know in the comments if you’ve been successful or otherwise with something like this).

Note the verbiage in the fine print

One thing to note for the truly new players in the game: a buddy of mine applied for the Citi AA card but didn’t have an AAdvantage account yet. Currently he’s not sure where his miles are. Theoretically, AA should have opened an account for him but if they did he can’t find it – he also opened his own AAdvantage account after getting the card. Anyway, I think it’s just simpler to enroll in AAdvantage first and then apply for the card.

AAdvantage miles are still some of the best miles out there – get them while they’re still hot! Just make sure you dot your i’s and cross your t’s along the way.

Nov 21 2014

Avoiding Talking to Phone Representatives for Credit Card Transactions

I have no interest in using these when I don't have to — I have no interest in using these when I don’t have to

I’m not a big fan of calling the credit card companies for any reason. I don’t like being on hold, I don’t really like talking on the phone in general, and for some reason even though I’ve been doing this for years calling in gets me all stressed.

Because of this, whenever possible, I try to get things done online via secure messaging or chats. This is especially useful when doing transactions for my wife – the only thing I hate more than calling the credit card companies is having to bug my wife to call.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but I’ve been cleaning up my accounts and wanted to share some of the things I successfully took care of online. I’d also love to hear what everyone else has pulled off online in the comments – the more I can avoid calling the better!

Chase – Consolidating credit lines

A few months back I asked Jess to call to cancel one of her Chase cards. Like a good soldier, she made the call and also requested that the credit line be transferred to a new card. Like a bad officer, I didn’t do thorough research and just had her transfer to her Chase Sapphire card which ended up having a gigantic credit line – one so big that they did another credit check on her (doh!). n00b move by me, if she had spread the line out amongst other cards more they wouldn’t have done the pull.

Taking care of moving credit lines around was quick and painless online

Anyway, I want to cancel that card soon, but since I’ll be trying to preserve THAT credit line I don’t want to risk her getting another pull. So I wanted to spread that big credit line out to her other two cards. Wanting to avoid asking her to call (and annoying her), I decided to see whether I could move the lines via secure message. Low and behold, I sent a secure message detailing the exact credit lines I wanted on the three cards and they consolidated them for me. So simple, and I didn’t have to talk to a human being. Score!

Citi – Canceling a card

I almost always call to cancel cards to try to get retention bonuses, but deemed Jess’ business card unnecessary to keep (it doesn’t help her personal credit so it wasn’t really worth it). I secure messaged through Citi to see if they’d cancel my card – and they did without even confirming!

The day after I sent the secure message I logged in and saw this – nice

I found out because the next time I logged in the account was completely gone. I kind of wish they had confirmed (so be careful), but we cancelled the card without talking to an agent, waiting on hold, or anything. I never got to read the secure message they sent back confirming because the account was closed, but we eventually got a letter in the mail a week or two later.

Bank of America – Sending out a new card

I recently downgraded my Virgin Atlantic Mastercard to a BankAmericard Cash Rewards card. I received the disclosures and all that in the mail but never received the card. I fired up a secure chat on the Bank of America website because in the past I’ve found that I have to navigate WAY too many menus to talk to a human for my liking on the phone with them.

Wow when I was trying to take a screenshot I found this. Didn't even need to chat! — Wow when I was trying to take a screenshot I found this. Didn’t even need to chat!

Anyway, we chatted about what had happened, and then the CSR asked me if I just wanted them to issue me another card. I sincerely was like, “Wow you can do that?” I thought they’d want me to call or something. Anyway I confirmed my address and some other personal details and my new card was on its way.

Final Thoughts

My general motto is why talk when you can type, so taking care of this nitty gritty stuff via secure message or chat really works for me. These were three things I didn’t know I could do online before I tried – so I’d love to hear what other people have managed to take care of online. The less I need to talk the better – teach me your ways in the comments, please!

Oct 22 2014

A Comparison of 0% Introductory APR Credit Cards

Disclosure: I receive no compensation for any links from this post. I found them on Google. They aren’t compensating me for name dropping them either. Messing with 0% APR Cards is dangerous – be responsible and be careful.

One day I’ll get to part two of my credit card tier list. In the meanwhile, a friend of mine asked me if I knew of any good 0% introductory APR credit cards, no annual fee cards so I promised him I’d do some research for him. I generally don’t even think about these things because I don’t believe in ever carrying a balance – but his reasoning for wanting that leeway sounded generally sound and he doesn’t want to take any balances he may build up past the introductory period (though the danger of not paying it off in time is always there). He was looking for rewards cards, though not necessarily the travel variety.

A couple of big bolded warnings before I get to my research.

– Carrying a balance is always dangerous: The credit card industry is built on people wanting to spend more than they can afford. Even at a 0% intro APR, it’s dangerous to keep a balance if you’re not disciplined and don’t pay it off in time.

– Carrying a balance on a rewards card is even more dangerous: When I started doing my research, I saw some 0% intro APR cards that had no rewards at all. In my head I was like, why the heck would anyone get one of those? But then I realized my paradigm is different – I never carry a balance and I just see credit cards as a means of getting rewards. However, if you don’t have the discipline to pay off in full (or are carrying a balance because you need to during the intro 0% period) – having a rewards card is risky. Simply put, you are “getting” something while still carrying a balance and that could tempt you to keep spending on the card and add to that balance. On the cards with no rewards, you’re basically getting nothing in return so you might be prone to pay it off quicker.

– Applying for credit cards can be dangerous even for the fiscally responsible: Those of us heavy into the miles and points game generally have systems to make sure we don’t miss payments and always pay in full, but even the bets of us make mistakes. I certainly do. There have been a lot more posts on this matter recently, these two are two that I remember catching my eye (sorry to others I’ve missed).

So if you’re going to apply for a 0% APR card – make sure you have the discipline to use that “free” loan correctly – pay it off before the interest kicks in. Otherwise you might find yourself in trouble. Please be responsible. I haven’t included affiliate links for any of these cards – this is my pure, objective research that I thought might help responsible people in specific situations (like my friend). Make good choices!

The Card Contenders and My Analysis

Google has an interesting card comparison tool (that leaves out Capital One and Chase for some reason). I used it to narrow down everything to seven cards: AMEX Everyday, BankAmericard Cash Rewards, Blue Cash Everyday by AMEX, Capital One VentureOne Rewards, Chase Freedom, Citi Double Cash, and Discover it. My criteria were sign up bonuses and/or high rewards earning – I also included Double Cash because that’s the card my friend specifically asked me about. All these links are the best offers I could find online. I’ve made a chart comparing the cards:

I’d say one card doesn’t really fit all, though I have some favorites. I’ll quickly run down the pros and cons that I see for each card (if I were applying personally).

I’ve stated before that I’m not a huge fan of Amex EveryDay, but if you are looking to transfer to airline partners like Delta or British Airways that might be the card for you. Some tips on how to redeem those pesky miles if you’re interested. There’s a version with an annual fee as well that’s slightly more lucrative.

The Bank AmeriCard Cash Rewards card has the benefit of an easy to clear sign up bonus, though it’s earning power doesn’t really blow my mind. 3X on groceries is nice – but how much groceries do you really buy? And since this post is for people looking for 0% APR cards I wouldn’t recommend Manufactured Spending in any way shape or form – too tempting. Not that 3X is a gamechanger anyway.

I feel the same way about Blue Cash as I do the Bank AmeriCard Cash Rewards – just nothing amazing enough to make me really want it. I like it even less for my friend because the 0% period is only six months. I’d prefer the version with an annual fee that offers 6X at grocery stores.

The Capital One VentureOne card has the benefit of no foreign transaction fees if you travel a lot, but 1.25X is a mere pittance in the rewards world AND Capital One takes your credit from all three agencies. Hard pass.

I'll hand it to Citi, the card looks pretty slick even though I don't like it — I’ll hand it to Citi, the card looks pretty slick even though I don’t like it

Originally when my friend asked me the question, he was leaning towards Double Cash due to the 15 month 0% APR and I said it probably was a good card for him. But the lack of a sign up bonus and the whole “1% when you buy and 1% when you pay off” thing really turns me off. I’d like this card more if there was a sign up bonus but I can’t currently find one.

Chase Freedom and Discover it are probably my favorite cards out of the bunch – they both offer 5X rotating categories and 1X on everything else. I’d give Freedom the edge right now because it has a sign up bonus and I like Chase as a bank (it’s good to build a long term relationship with them) – but Discover has the benefit of no foreign exchange fees and its bonus categories tend to dovetail more with my personal spending.

Final Thoughts

For the responsible miles and points enthusiast who is paying their balances off in full – most of these cards are probably niche cards that have specific uses. However, if you’re looking for a 0% APR card, I’d lean towards Freedom or Discover it. Hopefully the chart is helpful as you start your research – I’m sure some people will find cards that better suit their needs. It bears repeating – if you need the 0% loan – truly evaluate how important that is to you and be careful about how much of a balance you build up. Fiscal responsibility is more important than few rewards here or there. Anyway, to my buddy – hope this helps! Make good choices!