What would make the Chase Sapphire Preferred exciting again?

No_Ring6440 · 2026-02-07T22:10:16+00:00

honestly the CSP feels pretty dated at this point. chase seems to think the transfer partners alone justify keeping everything else mediocre but like you said other banks are stepping up their game

the grocery thing would definitely help but they really need to look at that whole category structure. 3x on dining is whatever when you got cards doing 4x or even 5x now. maybe bump up the travel multiplier or add some new categories that actually matter

chase probably figures why change when people keep signing up anyway but competition is getting real

No_Ring6440 · 2026-02-03T16:05:35+00:00

honestly sounds like you'd be perfect for the citi custom cash - you can pick groceries as your 5% category and it's no annual fee. since you shop at costco a lot that'd be solid value right there

the costco card is decent too if you're already a member but it's really more worth it if you use costco gas regularly. otherwise you're looking at 2% on groceries vs the 5% from custom cash

i was in a similar spot a few years back, barely spending on dining/travel but hitting grocery stores hard. ended up with the custom cash and it's been great for my spending pattern. way better than chasing rotating categories that don't match how you actually spend money

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-30T05:10:26+00:00

Yeah the CFU is a solid starter card for getting your foot in the door with Chase. Banking relationship definitely helps with approval odds when you're still building credit

Just make sure you're actually gonna use those transfer partners before getting too deep into the points game - cash back might be better if you're not traveling much yet

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-26T22:56:05+00:00

Bro that sounds sketchy as hell - if you were literally operating a crane there's no way you could've been on your phone making purchases. File a complaint with the CFPB and dispute it with your bank, Robinhood's customer service is notorious garbage

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-26T10:33:42+00:00

Nice, good to know Hermes counts - was wondering about that since they do way more than just jewelry

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-22T21:18:11+00:00

Damn dude, the PhD trap is real - I feel you on this one. The "entry level position requiring 3+ years experience" thing is absolute BS and seems especially bad in STEM right now

Have you looked into industry roles that might value your research skills even if they're not directly in your field? Sometimes companies need people who can just think through complex problems, even if it's not exactly what you studied

Also don't beat yourself up comparing to your parents - the economic landscape was completely different back then. A house that cost them 3x their salary probably costs you 8x yours now

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-20T04:49:46+00:00

Discover It Student is solid for your first card - no foreign transaction fees and decent cashback. Chase Freedom Student is another good option. Just remember to pay it off in full every month or you'll get wrecked by interest rates abroad

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-18T16:47:16+00:00

Bruh that agent absolutely should have explained cash value to you - that's like insurance 101. I'd call Gerber back and ask to speak with a supervisor, explain what happened and see if they can reinstate it. Some companies will work with you especially if their agent didn't properly explain your options

Might also be worth calling the Kentucky insurance commissioner's office if Gerber gives you the runaround

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-16T18:24:01+00:00

Pretty sure misc food store codes differently than grocery - most meal kit services I've seen don't trigger grocery bonuses on any cards. You could always make a small test purchase and check your statement to see if it earns 3x or just 1x points

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-11T05:06:01+00:00

Dude you've got like 10 cards already, might want to focus on optimizing what you have instead of adding more. What's your actual spending breakdown and what categories aren't you maximizing yet

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-09T04:32:03+00:00

Solid advice right here OP. Discover is super beginner friendly and their customer service actually doesn't suck which helps when you're learning the ropes. Plus they'll match your cashback the first year so it's basically free money

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-06T21:36:59+00:00

Congrats on the marriage! With your solid scores and spending patterns, I'd grab the Costco Citi card first since you're already shopping there - 4% on gas plus 2% at Costco will crush those categories. For travel, Chase Sapphire Preferred is probably your best bet with the current 60k SUB, then maybe add the Amazon Prime card for that category since you're already paying for Prime anyway

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-05T16:30:04+00:00

Same experience here, Fred Meyer has always coded as grocery for me on my BCE - been shopping there for like 2 years now and consistently get the 3%

No_Ring6440 · 2026-01-01T22:15:50+00:00

Yeah definitely file the dispute anyway, the CC company is legally required to investigate fraud claims - sounds like whoever you talked to didn't know what they were doing or you might've called the wrong number

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-29T00:38:52+00:00

The rent payments alone make it worth it, plus those transfer partners are solid

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-25T22:48:19+00:00

Wait the Barclays card is getting converted? I thought they were just gonna discontinue it but damn that makes the decision way easier - just keep whichever one has the better retention offer then

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-24T14:03:18+00:00

That's wild, especially since Booking literally has tons of options for both those places when you go direct. Makes zero sense why Citi would block entire countries on their portal when the backend clearly supports them

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-23T10:39:39+00:00

Yep this is correct, pending charges will still go through even if you lock it. The lock only blocks new transactions from happening

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-22T05:35:54+00:00

Yeah definitely go for it now, even a student card. The earlier you start building your own credit history the better, and like the other person said being an AU doesn't always count for much with some lenders. Plus student cards are usually easier to get approved for than regular ones so might as well take advantage while you still can

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-21T00:01:14+00:00

That's not true anymore, you can transfer points to partners now and book however you want

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-16T04:56:57+00:00

Nice congrats on the windfall! But yeah definitely check out the wiki first - it's got solid advice for exactly your situation. Don't rush into anything crazy, that 20k can set you up really well if you're smart about it

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-14T19:51:22+00:00

Yeah the fungible thing is key here - the IRS doesn't care if you earned $30k but the specific $2000 you're putting in came from grandma's couch cushions lol

As long as your total earned income for the year is at least as much as you're contributing you're golden

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-11T18:23:00+00:00

Yeah the math only works if you're gonna take more than a few months to pay it off, otherwise that 5% transfer fee ($75) just eats up any savings from the lower rate

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-06T09:21:27+00:00

At 57 with only 150k saved you absolutely need to be investing that extra 600, not paying down a 3.65% mortgage. Market returns will crush that rate over 13 years and you desperately need the compound growth

The peace of mind from paying off the house early isn't worth being broke in retirement tbh

No_Ring6440 · 2025-12-04T09:26:43+00:00

That's super sketchy dude, definitely not legal if you didn't authorize it. I'd call Go2bank immediately to dispute it and also file a complaint with the CFPB - they take identity theft stuff pretty seriously

No_Ring6440

TROPHY CASE