Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses

This could really go in either Universal or Disney, but I didn’t see a good place to post it.

I’ve got about a month before my next Universal trip. A part of my “Disney Refugee’s Year at Universal” budget I included multiple sign-up offers from various credit cards that I’ll pay in full, get the bonuses and then close the account. (This is critical. Plus, you can typically sign-up again for these offers in 12 - 24 months depending on the bank)

IMHO - These weren’t as easy to find as pre-COVID, but I had bookmarked a couple and found one in the mail. I thought I’d share if anyone is looking to do this.

All of these are spend $500 in the first 3 months after sign-up and get $150 - $200 after you pay that initial $500. No Annual Fees…

CAPITOL ONE OFFER - $200 Bonus / Spend $500 in 3 months

https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/cash-back/quicksilver/

(This one I got an “invite” in the mail w/ an offer. I’d bet if you call and ask for it they’ll sign you up)

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Of course there’s always the Chase Disney Visa Card - It’s only $150 bonus, but no fee and only a $500 spending requirement.

Also, you can get offers for $100 in bonuses for each referral. I just sign-up my wife on her own card, instead of us using the same number. She that gives us her $150 sign-up and another $100 to own main account.

Finally…

The SouthWest Visa gives $200 in sign-upbonuses, but does have a $69 Annual Fee you pay at sign-up. However, there’s no minimum purchase required!!! (That’s still $130 in “free” money)
If you still want to keep the account open and will spend $500 in the first 3 months you’ll get an additional 10K miles as well. (So, it’s really two bonuses for one card! That can make the fee not as hard to swallow.)

https://creditcards.chase.com/a1/southwest/ICprice200PlusD?REF=FULLSITE&clk=4128032&cbid=4128032&SPID=GKJ9&CELL=657L&mcvid=41625521213330864932900333943138077280

Hope this is helpful! I did two today and will do two more once SouthWest opens their fall calendar in a couple weeks. FYI - this isn’t my first time doing this. I promise it works if you just open it, pay in full online and close it.

I’ll be buying Universal gift cards to fulfill my purchase minimums to exactly $500 on each. Then I’ll use the bonuses to do the same. In that way I won’t pay a penny more than required before closing the accounts and all the funds were going to be used at Universal anyway…

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I love to take advantage of cc bonuses. We just pay the cards off each month. Our trip next month has hotel paid for (mostly) with Chase points and our airfare with Southwest points.

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I was really tempted this month to apply for a new card for the rewards, but I held off. I am thinking of having hubby cancel his jet blue card though, as their prices are getting astronomical and we book mostly using our card.

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Agreed.
I’ve been churning for over 16 years and it’s harder now than ever.

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Do you cancel the cards for a reason? Don’t cards sometimes have promos to earn points/ rewards throughout the year? Is it so you would be eligible for a free money promo down the line (so your not an existing customer)?
I have 3 different cards, each give 5% back on different catagories (gas, groceries, dining/travel) so I use these cards accordingly and redeem my dollars when I want to buy something big, so I feel like it’s free :joy:

This! You can get the same promo from the same card usually in 12 months. (some times 24 months)

Plus, I don’t need 5 - 7 open credit accounts with $0 balance. It’s actually not great for your credit score.

My Chase Disney Visa is my only “real” credit card. However, I use it like a debit card as I have the autopay set-up to pay in full every month. I do get the points all year long on that. That, IMHO, centralizes all my spending into one points card in order to maximize it. (I put almost every penny our family spends on that card)

I have everything set up like this. Makes life so much easier!

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Huh, I didn’t know this. I have about 20k open I don’t use but DH says not to close it.

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Sometimes 48 months.

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I’m in the market for a new card now. Amazon Chase just decreased the cash back to a piddling average amount. I hate Chase but I tolerated it because of the % back and laziness.

Having a high amount of eligible credit that you use responsibily is good, and if you use them all, that is good. Its having a whole bunch open that you don’t use that get’s you in trouble.

I really want to close my Southwest so I can reopen and gey that free companion pass again…

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Yes. This.

And, oddly, CLOSING accounts can negatively impact your credit store as well to a small degree. Although, usually not enough to really matter if your credit is already quite good.

Still, if you have accounts open for a long that time that you never use, then you are probably better off (safer!) just closing them. And I should take my own advice. About a year ago, we opened an IKEA card to get their rewards. Only, I didn’t realize that the rewards are sent you to you regularly, and only are valid for a short window (a couple of months). What I THOUGHT I was getting was a way to store up rewards over a year or two and have enough to buy some large item free and clear. So, I stopped using that card and went back to using my Disney Visa rewards card instead. Now I need to cancel the IKEA card, as it just sits there unused.

I have another Credit Card that I use exclusively for recurring charges (such as Netflix, etc) which earns me other rewards as well. I would just do it all on the same Disney card, except too many times, the credit card I use “out in the real world” to charge things has been “stolen”, and I’d have to get a new account number…which is annoying when you then have to go update all the automatic charges. So having a card for exclusively that reason is much nicer. I only have to update the accounts every few years when the expiration date changes.

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This is brilliant. Especially of it is with a bank that lists all your recurring charges for you. I am setting this up this weekend on a card I never use. Two birds…

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Well thanks yall! I dont use 2 cards bc I got 3 others that give better rewards. Those 2 have just been sitting there. I use one every blue moon if I want a large purchase to get paid out of savings instead of checking. (Everything’s automated, don’t want to miss a payment or forget to shuffle $ around)
I didn’t know that goes against you with your credit. Everything gets paid off monthly except the few times I’ll make a large purchase with a 0% for 12 month offer. Then I just set up reoccurring to have it paid off by the end. DH says its better to have a higher available limit bc your monthly spending (what your ending balances state) gets reported each month and having a ton of available credit keeps you debt utilization low. Also 1 of these cards is my longest account (18 years). I though closing your oldest can effect your credit too.
Now I have to research. We will be buying a house at the end of the year and for the life of me I can’t figure out how to jump my score into the “excellent” category.
DH says it’s still very good, to quit fretting about it, but now it’s been “game on”, lol.
Nothing negitive on my credit report. No balances, except what I spend each month, highest debt stays well under 5% utilization, but 2 accounts report balance the day the statement comes out so there’s no way to pay before reporting. Only 1 inquiry in the past 3 years… Cars paid off, low mortgage balance…
Y’all gave me something to look into. Thanks :hugs:

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You are actually better off in this case. You WANT your credit report to show that you had a balance that was paid off, rather than no balance. The former shows them (theoretically) that you can handle credit well. The latter doesn’t tell them much of anything other than you can open a credit card account! :slight_smile:

My DS22 was actually paying off his credit card the very moment he used it. So, if he bought something using his CC to buy, say, a TV for $400…he would immediately then pay $400 to his CC. The problem with this, I pointed out, is that his CC balance will always show up as paid off and not actually help his credit!

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You sound like you are in great shape!

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Good to know. Maybe I will reset that 3rd card (5% gas card) to not pay as early so the balance gets reported each month. Currently pay before they report. Thought it was better. But I can see now what your saying.

Yes. I intentionally do this. If, say, the due date is April 15, then I’ll set my payment to be made about two days before that (April 13), even if it is currently March 20! This ensures a balance shows up in the credit report.

Frankly, I find the way credit reports work to be silly, because, for example, it doesn’t actually reward someone who pays everything with cash and never has any debt. They are likely the LEAST risky person…but they have no credit to show for it. But you have to play the game if you ever want to get a decent rate on a mortgage or whatever.

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Right! We won’t be financing much of the new home but why pay a percentage point more than you have to :woman_facepalming: I agree. I shouldn’t have to play games to bump my score when, in reality, I’m not changing any actual credit usage.

I was actually thinking about having hubby apply for this card for the benefits and closing his jet blue card which we never use (we usually book on mine).

Anyone have this one?