#i have an amex credit card and i get some benefits from it

[trueshredguitar]

one funny thing about being an adult and making some decently adult money is that suddenly you will begin to have things advertised to you that makes you go "oh. you think i got MONEY money."

[redflagbreakfast]

Journal Entry 5: Adios Mexico

As quickly as I arrived in Mexico, it was time to say adios, no rekindling things with Phil, and despite Melania’s best efforts and ferocious swiping, no new flame for either of us to keep us warm in the arctic tundra of Fargo.

Life had been a series of ups and downs. However, I finally upgraded my status and obtained my own airport lounge pass, with the best travel credit card on the planet… the venture x. The $400 fee was offset by $750 in free travel... the benefits don’t mean much when you can’t manage your money and end up with sky high interest and maxed out cards… Nevertheless, although I still occasionally traveled by chicken bus and stayed in hostels, I felt like a boss when I used my pass to enter the lounge without Phil’s platinum Amex.

As I sat at the high bartop stool, I ordered a free frosty mango cocktail and quesadilla. I enjoyed the feeling of being a “baller on a budget” and receiving my free order worth about $24.22. Small victories like this kept me motivated. As I sip on my final Mexican airport cocktail, my mind begins to wander and think of all the stress I had piled on my plate the moment I arrive back home.

I check shopify: 67 orders to fill. Damn..that feels great…but also gets my head spinning..

Most entrepreneurs move from one venture to another, but oh, not me, the multi-tasking maniac. I just keep adding. Four companies now. It’s like an addiction. My plate is full and something has to give. First, I gave up dating and sex, lately, it’s been sleep, next it will be the remaining amount of my sanity. I need some serious help.

Despite working tirelessly and reinvesting every dollar I made, I always felt like it was never enough, but I just received a heartwarming message from my marketing director. She expressed how grateful she was for her job and how it had helped her attend her dream college and graduate debt-free, all while supporting herself and her family.. Although I felt a twinge of jealousy, her message reminded me that the work I am doing is making a big difference in life. I can’t give up, not yet…

Multi-tasking is not something to be proud of. I need to focus on one and let the others go, but I can’t decide the direction. My biggest passion project has been my sexual health and wellness company. My products help women that suffer from pain during sex, and also help increase pleasure. How could I possibly give that up? My design and photography help pay my bills, but my mushroom company is exploding.

My child demands my attention 80% of the time and my mind desperately needs its daily fitness routine. Then there’s skincare, housework, laundry. My friendships and family relationships are also a priority, so what needs to give? I swear. I cannot take add another thing! Buzz…Buzzz. Just as I feel my heart racing and anxiety building. I see a notification from Dr. Sal. My heart jumps a little. The mysterious stalker from Playa.

Buzz…Buzz…another notification….than another…than another. Geez what the hell is this guys problem? I ask myself as I unlock my screen to see what all the fuss is about.

“Hello Pretty lady!”

“This is Sal”

“We met at Illios.”

“Did you put something in my drink, because I suddenly feel crazy”.

“About you…”

Yikes!!!! I think to myself this guy is next level stalker!

“I could be wrong” he continues to text “ but I felt like we both had a certain level of interest in each other. I would love to connect with you. If you are interested let me know, otherwise, I can wish you the best and I will try to get those sexy eyes of yours out of my mind.”

“I hope this is not too direct.”

I promptly respond, “Hey, I think you’re wrong on this one. You were there with a girlfriend, so I wasn’t looking.”

“Hahaha” he quickly texts back.

“Not a girlfriend”

“Just a date for the night.”

“But I have been wrong before.”

What a freaking Liar! I think to myself, as I clearly remembered what she had said, SINCE JANUARY. I decide to call him out.

“My understanding was that you had been traveling together since January.”

“NOOOOOO!!!” he insists “Your intel is not correct…but it doesn’t change the fact that you looked sexy as hell!” His statement makes me audibly chuckle. “Haha! I found it amusing that you asked me if I was “single” single, yes YOU were the one on a date.”

“Well, I AM single and a single date doesn’t change that!” He says. “Want to see where I am now?” he asks, as I roll my eyes. At least this is entertaining. “Sure”, I respond. He sends a photo of an incredible mountain range, with towering peaks stretching up towards the heavens and fluffy white clouds swirling above. It’s like something out of a postcard, or maybe even a dream. I can’t help but feel awestruck by the sheer beauty of it all. It’s not just beautiful, it’s breathtaking. The only mountain I’ve seen lately is my mountain of laundry.

“Fernie, British Columbia, beautiful right?”

“Gorgeous!” I reply.

“Your sexy eyes, and this view, then it would be ideal! I want to take you here on a ski trip, or we can go to Switzerland and ski the alps.” he says.”

“I am an immigrant who is Canadian now, been here since 2007; My heritage is middle eastern, Dubai to be specific. I moved out here for medical school.”

“Gotcha, that’s cool” I reply shortly “So you’re like a retired dentist or something?”

“Haha, if you would have just connected with me on Linkedin.” he responds.

“I don’t feel like you took me seriously at all!”

“I did not.” I say.

“I can tell you don’t take me serious. I am putting effort in here!”

“You have something in you that deeply intrigued me, I am trying to figure that out.” He writes

I reply genuinely, “I will be honest, it takes a lot to grab my attention. I haven’t even been on a date in over seven months.”

“That must be a super hard 7 months, WOW!” he replies.

“Nope!” I say, “I have been too focused on my businesses to even care!”

“That is amazing!”he says. “So the real story is, I saw you the night before on the roof top.

I literally could not take my eyes off you…

Even the girl that was with me was upset with me.

But there was something about your outfit, your energy, it is very sexy.

Now listen, I am a busy guy with work. I find many girls I date don’t get my work demands

They have too much free time on their hands.

I LOVE hustlers. I got to North America in 2002 with a one way ticket and $200 in my pocket. And now I have built up an empire. I have 30 private ER’s, I provide work for over 400 people. I see what I want and go after it. And now, I want you, Kate.”

I feel a flush to my cheeks and quickly try to downplay his words. “Oh really, well me and my friends thought you and your girlfriend wanted a threesome!”

“Hilarious!” he replies “I don’t think that crossed her mind, and I am not into that. I find it amusing that this was the only thought that came to your mind when looking at me.”

“Hey!” I interject, “I wasn’t even looking at you, my friend Melania pointed it out!”

“Wow!” he replies “and I just wanted you..and that is before I knew how smart and driven you are, I just thought you were hot, and I couldn’t hide my attraction from my date. I was in trouble both nights.”

“Ok, I gotta go board my flight Dr. Sal…see I checked your Linkedin” I playfully ignored the entirety of his text.

Wow, this guy is seriously over the top! I mean, come on, it’s obvious he’s a total narcissist, I decided right then and there. (I mean, seriously, did he think his borderline stalking, constant staring, and getting my contact info in front of his date were subtle?) And now, he’s trying to use a little trick called “future painting” to get inside my head and make me think we have some amazing future together. This is like a whole new level of crazy!

So what exactly is “future painting,” you ask? Well, it’s basically when a narcissist plants all sorts of promises and ideas in your head about how wonderful your life will be together. They’ll tell you anything you want to hear – trips, marriage, kids, you name it. And in the beginning, they’re all ears, listening intently to every word you say so they can add it to their “narcissist playbook” for later use. Yep, they’ll use your hopes, dreams, and past traumas to manipulate you down the line.

And don’t be fooled – these guys are masters of pretending to be just like you. “Oh my gosh, purple is your favorite color too? What a coincidence!” Yeah, right. It’s all part of their game to get you hooked on their grand vision for your future together.

🚩details:

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

Every job I've ever had has had a script, some rambling lines I was required to say to every single customer because my boss would get on my case if I missed anything. I used to work at a fireworks warehouse, and this was around the time they introduced cards with chips in them, so I had to walk everyone through our system, "is this credit or debit? For credit, just wait until the prompt goes away; for debit, press the blue button that says credit. We don't know why it says credit but it means debit. If you have a chip card, insert it at the bottom when you see the blue arrows light up, otherwise swipe it like normal."

When I worked at Lowes, I had to ask every single solitary customer if they wanted to sign up for a store credit card and explain the benefits even if they said no, just in case they change their minds after hearing it. Management gave us quotas, said we had to sign up at least 5 people per week, which just wasn't feasible because it was a PROCESS™. On the rare ocassion someone said yes, I had to take multiple forms of ID from them, which few people carry, and type all their information manually into an old DOS system because they never updated the computers and there was no means of scanning anyone's ID, and then we had to wait for the application to go through which could take 10 or 15 minutes if we were lucky, and we rarely were; I had to close my lane multiple times and redirect a line of customers to other registers because we were stuck waiting for half an hour or longer while some Bush era computer in another state decided whether or not this person qualified for a chance to save 5% on certain business purchases. Sometimes they would get rejected and I'd have to send them over to customer service because they got mad and wanted all their info removed from our system, and on the Blue Moon ocassions that they were accepted in a timely manner they still had to wait 4 to 6 weeks for a physical card to be sent out, so I had to send them to customer service anyway to get a temporary one. But no, my manager wouldn't let customer service handle credit card applications in the first place, only cashiers, so it was a needless bottleneck.

It was not fun.

I currently work the front desk of a motel, and my boss gave me a longwinded spiel I have to give every customer after they make their reservation. She insisted I learn it verbatim, no streamlining, no improv, no variation, because "this script has worked perfectly for 20 years, so you don't need to change a thing."

"We have you coming in at 4PM on [date] in a [style of room], and checking out the morning of [date]. We have a two-day cancelation and no show policy, so if you are unable to make your reservation for any reason you have until [date] to let us know, otherwise there would be a one night charge. The room is guaranteed with the [amex/visa/mastercard/discover] you've just given me so long as it has an open line or credit, but when you get here you can pay with that card, or another card, or cash if you'd like."

I say this probably five or six times a day if it's slow, and close to 20 when it's the height of lobster season. Even with this speech, we still get a handful of mindless tourists who insist that they were told something else, or not told anything at all. "I was supposed to check out tomorrow," nope, we told you it was today. "They said I could check out in the afternoon," nope, the maids need to clean the room for the next guest so you have to be out by 10 (we give an extra half hour as a courtesy before we go knocking on doors, and we don't start kicking people out until after 11). "I asked for a room with two beds and a kitchen," nope, you asked for one bed with no kitchen, we have it written down on your reservation card and we confirmed it verbally before hanging up. They try to weasel around me by saying "well, I spoke to some lady and she said XYZ, so can you honor that?" And I tell them that the only lady who works here is my boss, and she wouldn't have told you that because she knows her own policy. And if they say "I spoke to a young man" instead, well that's me, and I know what I told them, so they're lying to my face.

[bitchesgetriches]

Hi Aunties! Could you please help me with financial structure because I don’t know what to do/where to start. I’m in the process of trying to become financially independent, which includes job searching/apartment searching/etc. but since I don’t yet have a job offer, therefore not knowing where I’m going to move (I believe I’ll still be in my current state), I don’t really know how to budget for anything. Like, how much to budget for an apt, renters insurance, moving costs, expenses in general. I also want to get into investments but I’m not sure how much to put in there and I have an idea of how I’d like to invest but that’s also in the air. My 401k is a mess and it’s set to a vanguard target date fund and at 2% contri. But I’m somehow in the red. I also want to get the Amex platinum card that my stepmother put in my name but paid for (control tactic/abuse. Long story) in my name cuz it has great benefits, etc. but it’s also $550 annually and idk if I’ll have the funds to pay for it (goes back to my lack of budget). I also have my money goals in general but without something concrete (the aforementioned info.), I’d just be using imaginary and unhelpful numbers. Please help me, if you can and have the time, aunties. I’m really trying to get my life together and I just need some semblance of an idea/structure and then I can continue doing it myself. Thank you!

(PT II from the “help me with structure” anon.): could we also discuss high yield savings accounts and how to really make them work for you? I just opened up Marcus by Goldman Sachs and put in about $30. Am I just meant to leave it there and let the interest increase that $30? Since it’s linked to my BAnk of America savings account, would it also increase the amount of money there or the link just for depositing/withdrawing money from my HYSA through my BOA savings? Would it also be a smart idea to create a second account in my Marcus Account for a future brokerage account - but how would I get the money from my brokerage account there? Would I also have to link THAT to my BOA savings account too? I’m so confused😞

Hi cutie pie! There is a LOT going on here, so I'm just going to make you a required reading list that should help you create structure and inform you about appropriate ways to use your HYSA and credit card:

The Financial Order of Operations: 10 Great Money Choices for Every Stage of Life

Ask the Bitches: How Can I Make Myself Financially Secure Before Age 30?

How to Level Up Your Financial Savings: From HISAs to CDs

Dafuq Is Credit and How Do You Bend It to Your Will?

A Hand-Holding Guide to Getting Your First Credit Card

Your College Major May Not Prepare You for Your Job—but It Can Prepare You for Life

The Actually Helpful, Nuanced, Non-Bullshit Way to Choose a Future Career

Ask the Bitches: I Know How to Struggle and Fight, but I Don't Know How to Succeed

[sweetkittenalpaca-blog]

buy youtube views in UK

Our video views reflect and increase your viewing time. (Youtube now allows you to advertise affiliate programs on channels with at least 4,000 hours of viewing).

Registration - 1. We are not responsible if you use the same service from a third party, we will only track the number of orders. 2. Sometimes the service may be performed due to a technical problem, a holiday or another problem. 3. Indian users use 2Checkout (credit / debit card), Safex (credit card / debit card / Net Banking / payment wallets / UPI), NEFT / IMPS, PayTm for payment and the rest use Master / Visa / Card Amex Credit Debit) on Safex. 4. If you place an order after the order has been placed, we cannot stop it, so we cannot refund you and please confirm everything before placing the order if you have any doubts. 5. If your order is being processed, you cannot make changes or changes to your order or URL.

buy youtube views in UK

SOCIAL KING - BUY YOUTUBE VIEWS IN THE UK Whether you want to promote your business or become a celebrity, posting your video on YouTube is the first step to success. It only takes a few seconds for your video to be uploaded to YouTube. However, to become truly popular and build trust, you need the mainstream to get more views on YouTube and enjoy your video. This can take weeks, months or even years. However, the road to success is short. Buy YouTube views today to reach your goal overnight. If you still have doubts, take a look at the following benefits you can get.

100% SAFE We value our customers very much, so we try to offer a safe service. All views on YouTube come from real users. We have a large network of people ready to watch your video at any time of the day. If you choose us, we can make sure that there is absolutely no risk to you or your account.

HIGH RATES ON YOUTUBE AND GOOGLE The more real views you get on YouTube, the higher your ranking. Good news for you. YouTube is owned by Google, so if you rank on YouTube, your video will automatically rank on Google. So don't waste time, buy cheap YouTube views today to promote your business or draw attention to your business masterpiece.

All views are 100% real views on YouTube. Delivered safely, without risk! The order started in less than 12 hours! Promoted by expert manual After a recent update on Youtube, sometimes we can't provide high speed, before placing your orders, please confirm our speed, but we will try to complete it in a limited time. What are the benefits of buying YouTube views in the UK? Views are still considered the biggest factor in the success of YouTube videos in the UK, so everyone wants to increase their video views, you can easily increase your video views almost for free. Our prices start at 1.39 GB for 500 views on YouTube, which is almost free. Every YouTube creator can use our service by simply placing a simple order and paying with PayPal if they live in cities in the UK, such as. London and Menchester. If you purchase YouTube views from us, your video will generate organic traffic, and your video rating will also improve.

Is it safe to buy YouTube views in the UK? Yes, buying YouTube views is a legal and 100% safe process for videos and channels, if you are a UK video creator. Watching YouTube is part of digital marketing, which YouTube still allows. YouTube videos are 100% secure with all our services. YouTube also promotes videos through its own paid viewing platform, called Google AdWords. You can easily buy YouTube views without any hassle. If you use our navigation service. YouTube views, you get 100% safe views and lifelong views to help you grow your YouTube channel faster, your channel will only grow if you buy YouTube from us.

How do we get views of YouTube videos? Our views are real and lifelong for your video, with 100% satisfaction and a money back guarantee. We offer views from various social networking sites and other video sites that promote content to drive more traffic to your video. We run budget web campaigns on websites to drive traffic to traffic-generating videos. We are also based in the UK and have already promoted over 10,000 videos in the UK alone.

How soon will I receive views of my video? Your views will be completed within the specified delivery time, which we have already indicated on the product page, if you ordered views such as 1000, 200, 3000, 4000 and 5000 views, they will be completed in 1-2 days. If you order more than 5,000 views, it may take 3 days. If you're looking for a faster delivery speed for your views, we also have a quick view option, which makes your views faster and more complete in less time. After placing an order, the views will begin to reflect on your video within 1-2 hours.

How to order YouTube views and appreciations from the UK? You can easily place an order for YouTube views and appreciations, just select the product you want to order for the YouTube service and enter the correct URL of that product's YouTube video and go to the payment page. , then go to the PayPal payment page where you can easily pay using your credit or debit card. Once you've successfully submitted your order, we'll process your video immediately for complete viewing and information. with a start number and additional views will be sent to the sent email. You can also add the product in GBP and pay in the same currency as your local UK currency.

In what currency can I pay for YouTube in the UK? If you are from the UK, so we have a GBP currency option for UK users, you can use our UK page directly at www, ytbuyviews.com / uk and place orders directly in the GBP, we have all types of options available on the site our. with multiple gateways, such as PayPal and other payment gateways, through which you can place orders. We have other currencies on our website, such as USD, Euro, Canadian Dollars, MXN and Australian Dollars, which you can use to pay and successfully place your order on our website.

Do we get a full refund if, for some reason, we do not provide services to users in the UK? We have a full money back guarantee for all our services. At the time of writing, we did not have a single undivided order posted on our website.

[omexgift]

How to Buy Amex Gift Card at a Website?

You can purchase American Express Check Balance on the web or in most markets. Online is ideal, as you can win cash again by way of shopping. Coming up, you may get limits that determine costs and win in-store rewards.

Guidelines for Cash Out Express Gift Card Balance

Amex is the simplest technique for discharging gift cards, either through simple expenditure or to purchase gift cards attached to pins, which are then used to demand money or target prepaid red (also known as redbird). is. Target Prepaid RED includes a bill payment, allowing you to use the card in the evening to deal with your MasterCard. I will not empty the entire evening like this - mixing in some traditional expenses, use it in ATM machines to see the use of the card as running the mill might be normal in light of the current situation. Money solutions can be put into your budgetary equation or used to deal with charge card changes at your local bank break.

Express Gift Card Balance and  Card Cashback Portals

Some time back Cash Back Passage offered 4% cash back on Amex Gift cardspurchases. For all intents and cards, each shopping route has pulled AMEX gift cardsfrom the arrangement or prohibited gift vouchers purchased in increments of $ 200 in cash. The remainder of the passage, Extrabucks, pays 1% cash back on American Express Card Balance classes at $ 2,000 or less. If you buy the most outrageous $ 10,000, you'll have $ 19.75 in costs and a $ 5.95 - 8.95 transportation fee. This brings your total to $ 25.70 - $ 28.70. Through the shopping route, you will receive $ 100 cash back (note: transportation and costs do not possess all the necessary qualities to withdraw cash). Their exit will receive a cost of $ 79 - $ 119 via a PIN-mounted Visa and MasterCard gift cards. In addition to the extra charge on the off chance that you are doing a course demanding money. Locating in the 1% cash back earned from the shopping door will either benefit you a bit or cost you insignificant money.

Amex Gift Balance Built-in Guide for Beginners

There are a few reasons why American Express Gift Card Activation are ideal built-in spending tools for Visa and MasterCard Gift Vouchers. I've already plotted a few of them, yet it comes down to issues specifically: it's more affordable.

Express Gift Card Balance have a higher purchase limit (up to $ 10,000 as expected), they are certainly not hard to discharge, and you can purchase them as a profit boost by mentioning them through the cash back door. Can be stopped. Regardless, above all, here are the loafing pieces you should consider on the American Express gift cards:

Informations American Express Purchase Limit

You can purchase a $ 10,000 worth of Amex Check Balance on a normal stretch. These gift vouchers come in increments of $ 25- $ 3,000, as shopping entryways do not pay cash back on an assortment of more than $ 2,000. In fact when you build yours, you need to deliver your SSN, which tracks your move in a generally outrageous manner. At this time, ExtraBucks is the primary shopping route despite offering cash back on Amexgiftcard Com Balance purchased in an assortment of over $ 200. Business gift vouchers come in comparative detail, as shopping in simple spans tops $ 100,000 (try to spend without setting pointless warnings). As opposed to your SSN, you will have to provide your business fee with the ID number on the identity card.

Replicas Your Express Gift Card Balance Amd Cards

Recall that pairs of banks will give Amex Gift Balance purchase codes in advance. If this happens, you will not leave the centers behind, yet you will be at risk for credit fees. This is a good resource for flirtacle string screens that charge these purchases in advance to the card. All things considered, it is the City that does this, anyway if anything changes then first check the summary. Also, don't go over the edge of buying Amex gift vouchers. I usually keep my retained expenses below $ 6,000 per card each month (there are some exceptions anyway). Excited by adding a gift voucher, to some extent the special thing you need is for the air pocket effect.

 Express Gift Card Balance and Amex Gift Card Fee

Amex Gift Card Balance Check are priced at $ 3.95 per card. You are in danger for $ 5.95 - $ 8.95 remittance per demand. To a large extent, the shopping route will provide advancement codes that delay transportation costs. Various events, Amex will offer its own code - do not use these with a one-off chance that they are also entered on the shopping route page. Also, you will not restore cash on your purchase.

[recovery-in-12]

My Battle With Debt

Here’s how I got in this position. Maybe it’s a familiar story, maybe it’s not.

I got my first credit card when I opened my first checking account right before I started college, all the way back in 2009-ish. The bank “gave” it to me. I think it was a college card or something, I don’t remember, as it was over ten years ago now. My mom kept the card with her while I was at school.

I didn’t do so well in school, but we’ll get to the student loan part of my struggle later on. With that particular debt to pay, I had to get a job. My first job was in retail, at my local Dollar Tree.

I don’t think I touched that credit card until 2013 when some friends and I decided it would be fun to meet up at the Supernatural convention in Toronto, Canada. I’m pretty sure I maxed out that card just on tickets and the flight. I don’t remember what the interest rate was, but I decided that when I got back from Canada, I was going to work on paying it back.

Paying a credit card and massive student loans on minimum wage and 20 hours or less a week is not the best situation to be in. The interest started eating me alive, and so I went to the bank to talk about my options.

They approved me for a $3000 line of credit, which I used to pay off the credit card. Though, because I was young and naive when I opened the accounts and I didn’t really understand what I was signing, when I ran into some problems with overdrafts connected to my savings account, I asked them to take it off, and the overdrafts started coming off of that credit card. Apparently, I had given them permission to do that. I turned overdrafts off completely long after I should have, when I realized what was happening. And I was stuck paying off the card again, along with that line of credit (which I was also using irresponsibly) and my student loans. And I was still working that same minimum wage job.

I left the dollar store after six years and spent four months at Walmart (two and a half of those, I think, overlapped with the dollar store), before landing at my casino. Around the time that happened, I found out about a Celebration of Harry Potter thing happening in Florida. But with my credit card in the condition it was in, even with a new, higher paying job, it was going to be difficult.

Enter the American Express Blue Cash Everyday card. I was approved for a higher credit limit than I ever thought I would see with my debt load. I used it to take a friend with me to Universal for the week with a stay in one of the four star resorts on the property, promising myself I would start paying it off when I got back, and make sure it was paid off before the 0% APR introductory period passed.

Guess what didn’t happen, since I’d also picked up a car note between booking the trip and actually going on it. So there I was, over $25k in debt at 28. No savings. No retirement account of any kind (the dollar store and my casino both offer 401k, but I’m not taking those for reasons that will be detailed in a later post). No investments. I had never really learned about how to handle money and credit and planning for the future. That wasn’t something that was talked about, and the closest thing that school had done was a couple of things in home economics and a unit in math class about writing checks and keeping a checkbook. I couldn’t get approved for any debt consolidation loans through my bank, and I was getting annoyed with them for various other reasons that are far too numerous to get into now.

So I switched over to a credit union. First, I opened a savings account there, but I couldn’t find the money to fund it past the initial $100 or so. Then I set up my checking account and switched over my direct deposit. Then I asked them about my options for moving everything else away from my old bank. They suggested either their credit card or a consolidation loan. I decided to see if I would get approved for the loan. I wasn’t approved for the full amount of the debt I had at the time, but I was approved for an amount that covered both credit cards and my line of credit. I destroyed the smaller credit card and kept the AmEx.

Then my boyfriend and I decided to go to Universal for Halloween Horror Nights. We went through a travel agency and I used my AmEx, since using it to pay for the vacation would get us access to the American Express Lounge inside the park. After I made a sizeable payment on the trip, AmEx freaked out and drastically dropped my credit limit, which made it somewhat easier to pay down between payments to the travel agency, but made it harder to stick with the payment plan I had in mind to get the trip paid off and book the flight. I ended up booking the flight on my debit card and not having a lot of cash saved up to actually spend in the park on anything that wasn’t food.

Fast forward to a week ago when I got my unemployment benefits. I used a chunk of it to pay off my AmEx and it’s stuck up somewhere that is annoying to get to, so hopefully that will keep me from using it.

[thisfits]

How to Spend Your American Express Platinum Card’s $50 Saks Fifth Avenue Credit

Regular This Fits readers may find this post a little out of left field, so an explanation is due.

Over the past few years, I’ve developed an interest in optimizing my credit card spending, joining online communities where people discuss strategies for applying for cards and maximizing their benefits. It’s been quite a ride for my family, enabling travel and other experiences without significantly changing our spending habits or going into debt.

I should say right now: if you are in credit card debt, or if you pay interest on your credit cards because you don’t pay off the balance in full every month, then this is not the hobby for you. Most benefits gained from credit card rewards are negated by credit card interest. I recommend a practical, no-nonsense, easy-to-implement personal finance book instead.

One popular card in those circles is the American Express Platinum Card. I won’t go into the details as to why it’s a great card for some people, because that’s not what this blog is about. I won’t even unconditionally recommend it: suffice it to say, before applying for a card with a $550 annual fee, please do your research. It’s definitely not for everyone.

What I will do is geek out at the opportunity to write a post at the intersection of two of my weird interests: optimal credit card use and menswear.

One of the key benefits offered by the Platinum Card is a biannual $50 statement credit toward purchases from Saks Fifth Avenue. Set in January and July, the credits are available for six months. Since they’re “use ‘em or lose ‘em”, come December and June I often see people asking for ideas on how to spend $50 at Saks Fifth Avenue.

This post is my answer to that question.

Under $50

Purchasing multiple items in this price range is a great way to use up the credit.

Saks Fifth Avenue COLLECTION  “Made in USA” Elite Cedar Shoe Trees

$35. Shoe trees are critical for ensuring quality leather shoes maintain their shape over time. Not sure what makes these particular trees “elite”, but the brass knobs are a nice upgrade over entry-level versions. Getting two pairs for $20 after the $50 credit sounds fantastic to me.

Luxury Socks

Starting at $16. It’s a running joke in credit card circles that people end up using the $50 credit on fancy socks, but it’s actually a pretty good use. Saks Fifth Avenue carries socks from luxury brands like Pantherella, Falke, and Marcoliani. Individual pairs can run up to $75, but most are in the $20-$40 range. Box sets make a nice gift at $80. Like a number of high-end department stores, Saks Fifth Avenue also carries house label “Made in Italy” socks that retail for less than their name brand competitors.

Kiehl’s Men’s Grooming Products

Starting at $7. Saks carries a wide assortment of men’s grooming products from Kiehl’s, such as scrub soap, body wash, shave cream, beard oil, and pomade. I picked up Kiehl’s skincare products with my Saks credit this month, using The Essential Man’s simple 3-step skincare routine for men as a guide:

Wash with a gentle soap - Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash ($22)

Adjust pH with a toner - Ultra Facial Toner ($8)

Moisturize with a sunscreen - Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 30 ($22)

Jason Markk Shoe Cleaning Products

Starting at $8. Jason Markk has built a reputation among sneakerheads for their cleaning products. Along with the signature Jason Markk Premium Shoe Cleaner ($18) Saks carries everything from a synthetic bristle brush ($8) to the travel shoe cleaning kit ($25) pictured above.

Between $50 and $150

“Top Ten” Male Designer Fragrances for Beginners

Most bottles start at $95. Claire Vukcevic’s list of male fragrances for beginners comes recommended by Put This On. The intent of the list is to find fragrances to sample and develop a personal preference over time, so you probably shouldn’t be picking up a $95 bottle without trying it first. If you do know what you like, though, many of the fragrances are available at Saks:

Egoïste by Chanel ($95)

Dior Homme ($95)

Terre d’Hermès (starting at $88)

Kiehl’s Original Musk ($42.50)

Eau Sauvage by Christian Dior (starting at $75)

Outside of Vukcevic’s list, also consider Fahrenheit by Dior, Vetiver by Guerlain, and Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver.

Apparel and Accessories from “Mid-Tier” Brands

Pictured above: Sunspel terry polo, $31 after applying Saks credit, from $135 retail.

Here I’m trying to describe “mid-tier” in the context of brands carried by Saks Fifth Avenue—the kind that has polos retailing for around $150 instead of $600 (!). “Low-end luxury” may be another way to describe them, but that reads like an oxymoron.

Polo Ralph Lauren comes to mind, of course. Other suggestions:

T-shirts and polos from Sunspel and Orlebar Brown

Trousers (on sale) from PT01 and Boglioli

Sweats from Reigning Champ

Sunglasses from Ray-Ban

Accessories from Saks Fifth Avenue’s in-house labels

Over $150

The sky’s the limit here, obviously (hello, $13,500 Cartier chronograph). Personally, I’d cap my budget at around $250 to ensure the $50 credit is effectively 20% off or more.

In that range, you’ll find

APC jeans

Barbour’s Liddesdalle quilted jacket

Incotex trousers on sale

Persol sunglasses

Sportcoats and sweaters “Made in Italy” for Saks Fifth Avenue’s house labels

I’m posting this on December 27, four days out from the New Year. My credit for a December 22 purchase posted this morning, but back-dated to December 26. So if you’re looking to use your July-December before January 1, hopefully these picks are helpful. Look for a followup post in June.

Do you have other suggestions for using the Amex Platinum $50 Saks Fifth Avenue credit? Share them in the comments!

[serinemolecule]

Things I wish people had told me about air travel

Americans keep getting annoyed at me for not telling them things, and they also keep getting annoyed at me for telling them things they already know. I don't actually know how to fix that situation, but writing infodumping posts on Tumblr is always safe, so I'm gonna do that.

This is a draft I never published because it’s way too infodumpy and doesn’t have as many jokes as my usual posts, but whatever, Tumblr is dying and some people might find this useful.

Before buying the ticket

Make sure you actually have permission to fly. If you're flying within the US, you'll need some sort of ID: A driver's license works (although with the Real ID mess, the TSA's been constantly threatening to ban certain states' driver's licenses). A passport definitely works. If you're flying domestically in other countries, I have no idea what their requirements are, but you're definitely always safe with a passport.

Keep in mind that "same country" doesn't necessarily mean "same travel jurisdiction". Chinese citizens aren't allowed to travel to Hong Kong without permission, etc etc.

If you're flying internationally, you'll definitely need a passport, and you'll often also need a visa. Many countries have "visa waiver" deals, which means you can travel to them without a visa, but only for a specific period of time (usually something like "less than three months").

Every country will have a customs process, with long lines and approximately half an hour of wait (sometimes shorter, sometimes longer), usually after the flight and before you're allowed to enter the country. It is possible, even if you've already gotten permission (even a visa!) to enter a country, for customs not to let you enter, and deport you to your country of citizenship.

The best way to make sure customs doesn't deport you is to already have bought your return flight, to know where you're staying in that country, and to have a consistent story of why you're in their country. If you haven't decided when to return and need to get a visa or get through customs, you can buy a refundable return flight (and refund it after you’re inside the country). If where you're staying is "it's complicated", you can buy refundable hotel reservations, (and refund them once you're in the country or got your visa).

You do not have to stick to the story you give customs. You can tell them you’re doing tourism for two weeks, they’ll give you a visa for like three months, and you can stay for two months in a different place you told them you’d stay, it’s fine. As long as you’re already past customs, you can do whatever you want as long as you leave before the visa says you have to.

Luggage, rules

Different airlines have different luggage policies. Most airlines let you bring one "personal item" (a purse or small backpack, which fits under the seat in front of you) and one "carry-on" (a larger backpack or small suitcase, which fits in the overhead compartments), for free.

Larger bags usually need to be "checked", which means you give it to them at the airport, and don't get it back until the end of your flights. Checking bags is sometimes free for international flights, but usually you'll be paying around $50–$120 each for them. Checked bags have weight limits (usually around 60 pounds), so be careful of those.

Budget airlines and "basic economy" tickets of major US airlines (so, the ticket you’ll get if you sort by “lowest price”) will usually only let you bring the personal item for free, and charge you for carry-on baggage.

There are lots of limitations for what you're allowed to bring onto the plane: No liquids above 3.5 oz (100 mL), no weapons (not even pocketknives). You can still bring these things in checked baggage.

You can't bring fresh plants and meats across international borders. They'll get confiscated.

Airport security and customs WILL look at what you bring. There's no way around this. It's also not an "every once in a while" thing - everything you bring will be X-rayed and they will look at the X-rays for anything you're not allowed to bring. Sometimes they miss things, but this should in no way be counted on.

Luggage, advice

Bringing clothes is the main thing that takes up space. You'll usually also want to bring toiletries, your phone, chargers, etc. Don't forget your passport. Some people bring books or laptops (you'll want _something_ to do while in a plane with no internet).

If you believe in yourself, you can fit all this in one backpack that counts as a "personal item". Which will let you actually take advantage of those really cheap tickets from budget airlines! You'll also be able to put that backpack into the overhead bins, giving you more legroom than you'd otherwise have, so this is useful even if you do have free carry-ons.

If you need more than one bag, it might still be useful to pack everything into one personal item and one carry-on. Not checking baggage means you don’t have to wait for it at the baggage claim, and you don’t have to deal with airlines losing your luggage (happens every once in a while) or being too rough with it and breaking stuff inside (luggage handlers literally throw baggage around, so if your checked baggage can’t handle being thrown, you’re going to have a bad time).

Buying the ticket

I usually just use Google Flights. People disagree about when the best time to buy flights is, but three weeks before is the usual recommended number. Check prices often to have a sense for them, and understand that the Google Flights quoted price is often the absolute lowest, and often don't include things like checked baggage, carry-on baggage, the ability to sit next to your friends, food or housing (more layovers mean you have to buy more expensive airport food or even hotels).

Ideally, you should be buying your ticket with a credit card that gives good rewards for buying plane tickets. The AmEx Platinum gives you 5 points per dollar on flights, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve gives you 3 points per dollar on flights - those are the ones I'd usually recommend.

Travel agencies can sometimes get you better deals on flights than normal. They can also overcharge you. Be very careful with them.

Finish reading this guide before actually buying the ticket, because I'm going to cover a lot of things that might affect your decision about which flight you end up buying.

After buying the ticket, you'll get an e-mail with information about your flights, so you can look back on it. Make sure not to forget about your flight. Put it on your calendar or set a reminder or something.

Fare classes

You probably know the difference between first class and economy, but there's:

- First class (international flights) - This can get really fancy in international flights. It's somewhat common to get an entire room to yourself on an airplane for these, with really fancy food, a bunch of amenities, etc.

- Business class (international flights) - Kind of like a lesser first class. Usually a seat that lies flat to sleep in, and some of the other benefits of first class, but less space.

- First class (domestic flights) - In domestic flights, it's usually just a larger seat, a meal, and drink service before the plane takes off. Not as nice as first class or business class in international flights. Delta has “Premium economy SELECT” which is this but for international flights.

- Premium economy - More legroom than a regular seat, and you get to get on the plane earlier. Sometimes you get nicer snacks. That's mostly it. Sometimes they also guarantee they won't force you to gate-check a bag. In international flights, premium economy seats will sometimes be wider than normal seats.

- Main cabin - "Normal economy." A regular seat. You get free meals for international flights but not domestic flights. You usually get free non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.

- Basic economy - They add restrictions like "you can't choose a seat" and "no free carry-on", to give you a slightly cheaper ticket. Usually to compete with budget airlines.

Budget airlines tend to treat everyone like they're in basic economy, and have nothing be free. Some budget airlines even charge for water.

Getting to the airport

Parking at an airport costs money, usually significant amounts, so most people don't drive to airports. The most straightforward way is usually to get a friend to drive you and another friend to pick you up. Other options include public transit and Uber/Lyft.

Most airports have multiple terminals. Make sure you know which terminal you need to go to (it’ll say on your ticket – you can also google the flight number). If you're driving, there'll be signs for every airline, so you can get directly to the check-in counter for your airline.

People disagree about how early you should get to the airport. Airlines recommend 2 hours for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights. I usually do 1.5 hours and 2 hours, respectively. You can plan to have lunch at the airport – that way, if you're late, you only miss lunch, instead of missing your flight. Airport lounge access helps with that, because they have free food.

Remember that you have to get on your flight around half an hour before it takes off, so it's often literally impossible to get on the plane if you don't get to the airport at least ~50 minutes ahead of time, even if you don't get unlucky getting through security.

Checking in

You can skip check-in if you already have a ticket (printed from online check-in, or on your phone), and have no baggage to check.

Otherwise, you'll need to find your airline's check-in counter. If you drove, you should be dropped pretty close to it, so just look for signs for your airline. If you're lost, follow signs for "DEPARTURES" or “CHECK-IN”.

Airlines will sometimes talk about check-in fees to scare you into checking in online and printing your ticket beforehand. You don't actually need to – checking in at self-check-in machines is always free. Self-check-in machines are next to the check-in counter, and you should use them.

The one exception is if you have luggage you need to check. Then you'll actually need to go to a check-in counter, let them weigh and take your luggage, and get your ticket from them.

Getting to your plane

Once you have your ticket, you'll need to go through airport security. Thanks to 9/11, this process is kind of a mess.

Your ticket will tell you what gate you should be at. Follow signs for that gate (there'll sometimes be a sign for "ALL GATES" which you can follow instead), and sooner or later you'll get to security.

You'll have to put your carry-on and personal items into a conveyor belt to be scanned. You'll also need to take any laptop out of your carry-on and put your shoes, pocket contents, belt (if any), jacket, and laptop into bins for the scanner.

Then you'll need to walk into a backscatter machine, which will scan you for contraband and also let the security agents see you naked. If you don't want to see you naked, you can instead opt for alternate screening, which involves them groping you all over to look for contraband (they will be annoyed at you if you ask for this, because it's more work for them).

Sometimes, you will be "randomly selected" for additional screening. (You will be "randomly selected" significantly more often if you are brown.) This involves them actually rummaging through your luggage and asking you some questions about what you're bringing. Very rarely, they'll refuse to let you fly, but most of the time they'll just make you throw out the water or knife you accidentally brought.

You'll be able to skip most of this if you have TSA PreCheck.

Speeding up the process

There are various services you can pay for that let you get to your flight more quickly.

- CLEAR will let you skip security lines in most major US airports - TSA PreCheck gets you in a special PreCheck security line (which is usually shorter), and makes the security process go a lot faster - Global Entry lets you skip US customs, in addition to giving you PreCheck - NEXUS lets you skip Canadian customs, in addition to giving you Global Entry

Getting CLEAR is very straightforward, you just pay $99/year (you'll need a free Delta SkyMiles account). You can get it for cheaper/free if you have Delta medallion status.

Getting Global Entry is free if you have an AmEx Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve (otherwise, it’s $99 – don’t get it, just get NEXUS).

NEXUS is $50 but requires you to do the interview in a US/Canada border airport.

Global Entry and NEXUS are government programs (which is why they let you skip security), so they require you to go in for an interview, which can be a complicated process. It's totally worth it if you travel a lot, though.

Getting to your plane, part 2

Now that you're past security, continue following signs for your gate until you get there. Then, wait there until your flight starts to board.

Make sure to constantly check signs confirming that your flight is still leaving from there. Flights get gate changes all the time, and you won't always be able to hear the announcement.

You can spend your waiting time inside airport lounges, if you want. This will be nicer and you'll get free food, but airport lounges usually cost money and are not worth it. The main exception is if you have a credit card that lets you in for free (yep, such as AmEx Plat or CSR). This is the thing the AmEx Plat is best at - many credit cards give you Priority Pass membership which give you access to lounges for most international flights, but for domestic flights in the US, mostly only the AmEx Plat gives you free lounge access for US domestic flights.

AmEx and Priority Pass both have phone apps which will tell you, which airports have which lounges open to you, and how to find them.

Delays

Delays are pretty common, especially for budget airlines. Most delays are somewhat minor - after getting on the plane, you sit there for an hour or two while they fix what's wrong, before you can take off.

Sometimes, flights have to get cancelled entirely. More often, a delay will cause you to miss a flight transfer. Either way, you're left stranded in an airport that was not the airport you wanted to end up in.

Fortunately for you, airlines are obligated to get you to your destination eventually (or refund you)! Unfortunately for you, that's basically all they're obligated to do.

I once had to console a woman whose flight was delayed for 5 days - until the day before her return flight. They didn’t even give her a hotel or anything, they just made her sleep in the airport. If you don’t want this to be you, probably don’t fly Spirit Airlines.

But usually, the airline will at least buy you a hotel room and give you food vouchers, if you get delayed over a day.

Getting on your plane

At some point, you'll be asked to board the plane. If you get on the plane too late, you'll often be asked or forced to gate-check your carry-on. This involves giving them your carry-on bag right before you get on the plane, and getting it back at the end of the flight.

Choosing seats

Aisle seats make it easier to go to the bathroom, window seats let you look at scenery, middle seats give you neither benefit and can be pretty uncomfortable if you don't know the people on either side of you (and therefore can't cuddle with them).

Seats near the front of the plane let you get on and off earlier. Getting on earlier is nice because you're more likely to have space in the overhead bins for your carry-ons. Seats near the back of the plane are more likely to be empty, giving you more space. They also tend to be closer to the bathrooms.

Passing time on the plane

You'll need to put your phone in airplane mode before taking off. You also won't be able to use a computer during take-off and landing, so you'll need to be able to entertain yourself somehow during that time (which can be like an hour if you have delays).

Some planes have mini-TVs on every seat that you can use to watch various movies and TV shows for free. Longer flights are more likely to have them. They're not horrible, but they're not particularly nice to use. It's easier to bring a computer/iPad and preload it with movies you want to watch.

Some people bring books.

Some planes have in-flight wi-fi. Again, longer flights are more likely to have it. It'll cost around $20–$50 per flight.

Most first-class flights (except the extremely short ones) will give free meals. In economy, you'll usually only get free meals in international flights. You _can_ order meals on the plane, but most people think they aren't very good, so they eat in airport restaurants instead, or outside of the airport whenever possible.

Getting off the plane, domestic flight edition

Once the plane lands, you'll be able to turn your phone off airplane mode. Don't stand up until they say it's okay. Wait for everyone to get off the plane very slowly. Then get off.

Layovers

A layover is when you take multiple flights, stopping in multiple airports, to get to your final destination. Instead of a direct flight, where you'd just fly directly from one airport to where you want to go.

Short layovers are scary because you might miss your flight. Long layovers tend to be boring (although airport lounge access can alleviate that!). Overnight layovers are hell.

Overnight layovers

Overnight layovers are hell. Most airports hate it if you try to sleep in them. If you're forced to sleep in them due to delays, some of them are slightly nicer and give you cots. If you intentionally bought an overnight layover, though, you're probably sleeping on the floor (airport seats are usually intentionally designed so that you can't lie down in them). There will probably be bright lights and sometimes even loud music.

(On the other hand, it'll probably at least be better than sleeping on an airplane, where you usually won't even be able to lie down unless you're in international business/first class.)

Some airports have attached hotels for you to sleep in. These will cost $200–$400 a night, which will probably be more than what you save getting the flight with the overnight layover.

Some airports and/or lounges have nap areas. These are sometimes free, sometimes around $50/hour, but either way, they usually have time limits of like 2 hours, so you're not getting a full night's sleep in them.

sleepinginairports.net exists, and will helpfully give you advice about the specific airport you plan on sleeping in.

Getting out of the airport, domestic flight edition

Follow signs for "BAGGAGE CLAIM", even if you don't have any checked baggage (it's usually the only way out of the airport). If you do have checked baggage, well, you'll have to wait at baggage claim to pick it up. The baggage claim areas will have screens that tell you which flight's baggage is where.

The car pick-up area is usually near baggage claim. You can also follow signs for "GROUND TRANSPORTATION", which usually means buses and trains. Sometimes there'll be signs for specific kinds of public transit.

Getting out of the airport, international flight edition

During an international flight, you'll be given a customs form to fill out. It'll ask generic stuff like your name and passport number, and specific stuff about your trip, like when you're leaving and where you'll be staying. Customs might quiz you about what you're doing on your trip, so make sure what you write on the form is consistent with what you tell them.

After landing, instead of being in a gate area, signs will direct you to go to "CUSTOMS" (it's hard to get lost because you won't be allowed to go anywhere else), which will lead you through baggage claim to a pick-up area.

Sometimes, like when flying from Canada to the US, you'll go through customs before getting on the plane, rather than after. If you do, the rest of your flight will be treated as a US domestic flight (although you'll still need a passport to get on the plane).

[winejust]

Latinum travel credit

#Latinum travel credit plus

This could be useful if we don’t have sufficient MR points on the account and cannot meet the first option. Pay an annual fee and get 10K MR points.So, the total fees come down to Rs 2500 in this case. These are regular MR points with a value of 25p each for a statement credit. Get an annual fee waiver in lieu of 10K MR points.Spend 2L in 60 days and get an annual fee waiver.I reached out to CC after the annual fees were charged to my card at the end of the first year and got the below options for an annual fee waiver: However, it does offer some waiver or reduced annual fee options for reaching out to customer care. Annual Fee WaiverĪmex does not have an official annual fee waiver criteria for the Platinum Travel credit card. We get 2 complimentary domestic lounge visits per quarter with the Platinum Travel card. These offers also help in meeting the annual spending required for this card. Around the year, Amex also runs multiple promotional offers which end up giving a reward rate far more than the 8.5% mentioned above.įor example, I got a Flipkart shopping offer that gave me 10% cashback up to Rs 2500, and an Amazon shopping offer that gave me 10% cashback up to Rs 2000. The rewards above are not all the Amex Platinum Travel credit card offers. This helps in reaching the milestone spend of Rs 4 Lakhs really fast. Even for excluded categories like fuel and insurance spending, I pay through my Paytm/Mobikwik wallet which lets me earn reward points. So, you can load the mobile wallet using the Platinum Travel card and use it for all your small spending as well. Pro-Tip: Use Wallets to increase rewardsĪmerican Express is one of the few credit card issuers which still gives reward points for topping up mobile wallets like Paytm or Mobikwik. The rewards are aimed toward domestic travelers and hence the name of the Platinum Travel credit card. This is enough to cover the stay expenses for a mini-vacation. This makes the reward rate a whopping 8.5%. Overall Reward Rate of 8.5% with Taj Vouchersįor spends of Rs 4L in a year, we get Taj Experiences gift vouchers worth Rs 34000 including milestone benefits. On spends of Rs 4 Lakhs in a year, we also get regular 8000 MR points which are redeemable for Rs 2000 worth of Travel/Flipkart vouchers or Rs 4000 Taj gift vouchers. 10000 from Taj, SeleQtions, and Vivanta Hotels on achieving 4 Lakhs spend in a year. We also earn a Taj Experiences E-Gift Card worth Rs.4 Lakhs in a year – Earn 25000 MR Points redeemable for Flipkart/Travel Vouchers worth Rs. 1.90 Lakhs in a year – Earn 15000 MR Points redeemable for Flipkart / Travel Vouchers worth up to Rs. Welcome Gift of 10000 Milestone Bonus Membership Rewards Points redeemable for Travel Vouchers worth Rs.Rewards Total MR points (including Bonus MR points) Flipkart / Travel Voucher Taj Vouchers Value Rs 1.90 Lakhs in a year on American Express Platinum Travel Card 3400 15000 Rs 4500 Rs 7500 Rs 4 Lakhs in a year on American Express Platinum Travel Card 7000 25000 Rs 7500 Rs 12500 American Express (AMEX) Platinum Travel Rewards Review There are two spend milestones at 1.9L and 4L. Milestone Bonus Membership RewardsĪpart from the regular rewards, the Amex Platinum Travel card provides bonus rewards at spend milestones. However, the spending in excluded categories counts for milestone bonus rewards. There are a few excluded categories where we don’t earn MR points – fuel, insurance, utilities, and EMI transactions. Benefits Regular Rewards RateĪmex Platinum Travel card gives 1 Membership Rewards (MR) Point for every Rs 50 spent. While the annual fee seems to be on the higher side, the rewards make up for more than the fees.

#Latinum travel credit plus

Joining/Annual Fee Joining Fee Rs 3500 plus GST Welcome Benefit 10000 Membership Reward Points Annual Fee Rs 5000 plus GST If you have both, you can go ahead and apply for the card. A good credit score – preferably 750 plus.It is the standard simple design with the card name on the right side and the ‘American Express’ brand on the top.Įligibility criteria for the Amex Platinum Travel credit card are pretty simple and actually lower than what other credit card companies ask for their premium credit cards. If there is one thing that has not changed with Amex over the years, it is the card design. Apply for the Platinum Travel card Card Eligibility.Pro-Tip: Use Wallets to increase rewards.Overall Reward Rate of 8.5% with Taj Vouchers.

[wiresandstarlings]

boats ease into the harbor, bearing real suspicious cargo

1. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 131,200 people employed as writers and authors in the United States in 2016. If you assume writers work an average of 8 hours a day, that writing is 10% efficient, and that 5% of writers are worth reading, the United States produces 131,200 * 8 * 0.1 * 0.05 / 24 / 365 * 12 ~ 7.2 months of quality reading material each day. Even if you assume that only 0.1% of writers are worth reading, then that's still 4.4 days of reading per day of writing in just the United States. It's physically impossible to keep up with all the good writing being produced, even without sleeping, and setting aside catching up on the centuries of backlog.

When you look at even more popular and efficient media like streaming and YouTube content, the numbers are even scarier. The world is producing more information than even the world can reasonably consume.

Writing in the face of that knowledge feels wasteful, like driving an SUV or golfing. At the same time, writing has a fundamental urgency to it.

When I write, I'm forced to vocalize and confront my beliefs. I've written essays where, having finished, I don't agree with anything that I’ve said. It's like I've built up this latent energy by reading and thinking and watching, and I need to write to convert that energy, a muddy fuel of insights and exaltations and fears, into action and belief.

Reading good writing, I feel this total connection to humanity, on a primal and ineffable level. And trying to write well, I feel that connection again.

So, I guess, to whoever's reading this, I’m grateful you've chosen to share your time with me, and I hope you get whatever you need and whatever you're missing out of it.

2. On a practical note, I've been spending a lot of time reading about personal finance lately and want to summarize what I’ve learned. I've been fortunate enough not to have to worry about my finances for most of my life, but I realized a couple months ago that having my entire net worth parked in a Citi savings account was blatantly irresponsible. Panicking, I overcompensated.

Fortunately, the most prevalent and reliable personal finance advice is all straightforward. Still, given that I wasn't familiar with it, and apparently my parents weren't either, I figure there's value here. If you already have your life in order, feel free to skip this section.

Re: banks, don't use banks with physical locations. Physical locations are expensive, and you pay for them with the interest on your savings and the premiums on your loans. Online banks like Ally and Alliant Credit Union offer much better rates and services and also have better digital infrastructure.

There are a lot of online banks with various costs and benefits, but Ally and Alliant seem to be the most popular and reliable. I have some money in both right now, but I've mostly been using Ally because it has better integration with other online platforms.

Re: brokerages, that logic still applies. Use Vanguard, not Fidelity.

Re: investing, put all your money in a U.S. market index fund, ideally VTSAX, and forget about it until retirement. Services like Betterment or Wealthfront, which algorithmically invest your savings, are a reasonable alternative. However, they charge $25 per $10,000 they manage for you, and it's unclear whether they outperform plain index funds by enough to justify their price. They do provide some tax optimization services which likely cover their cost for accounts with $100,000 or more.

I'm currently using Betterment because my friend sent me a referral link with the first 3 months free, so I figured I might as well try it and reevaluate after the trial. I'm happy so far. I like that it's less involved than using a brokerage, and my account has almost enough to appropriately benefit from tax-loss harvesting.

This is my referral link, if that sounds interesting to you.

Re: credit cards, they're not worth learning about unless you inherently enjoy solving complicated systems. Personally, my ultimate plan is to get a 2% cash back card, the Amazon Prime card (for 5% back on Amazon purchases), the Uber Visa (for 4% back on restaurants and 3% back on travel), and the Amex Blue Cash (for 3% back on groceries). Cash back isn't as rewarding as travel points or signing bonuses, in terms returns per dollar spent, but those games are much more complicated for just an additional 2-4% back.

If you're having trouble getting approved for credit lines, it will likely be worthwhile to learn everything: about credit scores, secured cards, how to efficiently build a credit profile, etc. A lot of why I'm not interested in travel points and signing bonuses is that the additional 2-4% back I'd get from them could only be spent on things I don't care much about, like fancy flights and hotels. But the difference between getting a 2+% discount on everything and not is enormous.

3. I've spent an unhealthy amount of time watching YouTube lately. YouTube has been seductive substitute for games because it isn't obviously useless. When I watch videos on fashion, personal finance, self-improvement, and so on, I feel like I'm making progress even if the information in the videos is useless. There's something inherently satisfying and exhilarating about watching videos at 2x speed.

As a result, I've incidentally learned about the economics of YouTube, which are fascinating. Like, the idea of even a single media company focused entirely on YouTube content is wild to me. Yet there they are, the young thousands. There's just a tremendous amount of money in YouTube, such that it’s almost difficult to comprehend the scale.

Like, a video with 12 million views @ 1/3 a cent per view represents $40k, a respectable annual income. 12 million views is a lot, but it's a small fraction of the attention that YouTube commands. Like, there are random tours of capsule hotels in Japan with that many views. The music video for Gangnam Style must have made almost 100 million dollars.

In a real twist of late capitalism, content creators get paid more or less based on their primary demographics. Like younger women are less likely to use an ad blocker than 20-something men, so a greater fraction of their views get monetized. Views from wealthier countries like the U.S. and Canada are worth more than views from poorer ones.

There's so much at stake in getting us to click around these websites. And it's not just recommender systems. Whole content companies are fighting for even a couple minutes of our attention.

4. In Lineup, by a Seattle company called Cut Media, hosts are tasked to sort a lineup of strangers into different categories. In one video, for example, the hosts need to guess the lineup's sexual orientations. In another, they need to match people to their outfits. The general idea, of course, is to demonstrate how limited stereotypes are. The hosts typically don't take their task seriously, and their inability to perform it is humorous, heartwarming, enlightening, etc.

Ironically, from a purely statistical standpoint, the series makes a much stronger case for stereotypes than against them. For example, in the video about guessing occupations, a host choosing at random would get an average of 1 person right and would get 3 or more matches only 8% of the time. Yet every one of the 4 hosts got at least 1 match, they managed an average of 2.25 matches altogether, and 2 of the hosts got 3 or more. Those numbers look like failures on the surface, but stereotypes actually led the hosts to perform significantly better than chance.

Better than chance is, of course, not the strictest criterion.

5. Two series I’ve found helpful are Glamour's How One Woman Spends Her $N Salary and CNBC's Living On $N A Year in Location. I've been struggling lately to figure out how I should spend my income and the insight into how other people relate to money was valuable.

I feel like I'm making enough money now that I should buy whatever happiness is available to me, but I have no idea what to buy. The things I really want – like reading more, being healthier, having better self-discipline – aren't readily for sale. I used to think it was ridiculous that people spent thousands of dollars on life coaches, gym memberships, logos, and so on, but I'm starting to understand why. At this point, I'd happily spend hundreds of dollars on a guarantee that my life would even marginally improve.

At the same time, I guess opportunities to trade money for happiness will inevitably present themselves over time, and maybe there’s no need to seek them out.

6. I feel that, as a society, we're far too private about our finances. If we talked openly our income, for example, the prevalence and severity of the gender pay gap would have become obvious decades earlier. Everyone with credit card debt would have someone in the life to tell them how stupid credit card debt and how important living within our means is. Maybe economists and sociologists could even determine what purchases actually make us happier, and what we only think makes us happy.

I think we've adapted to obscure our finances because we have this like limbic compulsion to organize ourselves into hierarchies and fight based on where we land, and income is a very natural hierarchy. But if we just resist that compulsion, we'd collectively benefit from greater knowledge.

Like, in decision theory, more information is inherently good. We can only interpret it badly.

7. At the same time, I guess I have little interest in writing about my own finances. Not out of any desire to hide them, I just don't find the topic particularly compelling. But if you'd like to know, contact me through whatever channel and I'd be happy to share my accounting sheet and answer whatever questions you have.

Not that I have any great wisdom to share, clearly.

8. There's a “5 Minute Rule” in self-help theory that instructs people to complete tasks will take less than 5 minutes as soon as they think of them and are able to. I'm a fan of the 5 Minute Rule and have made a similar rule for myself where if I need something and it costs less than $20, I'll buy it without hesitation or deliberation.

Like, I was opening a box with scissors a couple weeks ago and I couldn’t cleanly cut the threads in the packing tape. My hands hurt trying to push the scissors through. So I bought an utility knife for $3 and opening boxes has been far more pleasant since it arrived. I noticed my wrist was hurting at work, so I bought a better mousepad for $8. And so on.

Overall, one thing I have learned is to buy the things I need and the things I know will make me happier. Maybe that should have been obvious.

9. Yield and overcome; Bend and be straight; Empty and be full; Wear out and be new; Have little and gain; Have much and be confused. Be truly whole, and all things will come to you.

[aranimedical]

Reloadable Vcc On A Budget

Prepaid and reloadable Visa cards. Avoid the hassle of buying virtual credit cards with our prepaid cards! When you want a new one, just recharge your account. You can use it anywhere in the world and access cash anytime without worrying about spending extra money or forgetting where you left that old expired card- because it's reloadable!

How to use our Reloadable VCC or Prepaid Visa Card?

Prepaid cards are a great way to buy things without credit history or bank account. This is because payments are automatic when there is enough money on the card, which can be convenient for people looking to start their financial profile with a small amount of cash.

 Buy reloadable VCC

Buy Prepaid Visa Card

Looking for the perfect prepaid visa card? Our site has a wide range of cards that can suit your needs and budget. At eVisaRewardsPlus, we have the best of the best with all the perks like free shipping on certain products or services from our partner sites, online account management and more! They also come in different categories so there is one that perfectly fits any wallet size What's also great about these prepaid Visa cards is that if they don't work, we're able to return them within 24 hours of purchase because as soon as someone buys it - it goes back into their bank account without hassle (24-hour turnaround).

What are Re-loadable Prepaid Visa Cards and MasterCards?

Virtual credit cards, or VCCs for short, are a recent innovation in the world of plastic cards. Previously you had to use one card and then wait until it ran out before getting another; But with this new development, all that is required is an internet connection! These reloadable Visa and Mastercard options can be reloaded at any time on their website, as opposed to going through the effort of repurchasing them each time they need them. This way you get more value from your virtual credit card without doing extra work.

What are the uses of Re-loadable Visa and MasterCard?

In today's digital world, you never know who is looking at your personal information. With a virtual credit card from Visa Master Card Amex, you can shop on any website without worrying about your personal and financial information being stolen or compromised! You just visit our site where we offer VCC which allows you to make online payments with peace of mind giving you all the benefits of taking cash but in a simple format so that it doesn't interfere with life.

How to use a reloadable visa and Mastercard?

Re-loadable Visa and MasterCard are cheaper, more convenient alternatives to standard credit cards. You have to buy one from any of these companies - get 16 digits with other information like the expiry date! Whenever I pay on a platform that accepts this type of credit card you only need to enter your account number which saves time as it does not require autofill features! Buy reloadable VCC.

Conclusion

You are looking at the world's best provider for prepaid visa cards! We have reloadable MasterCard products for sale. If you need an easy and secure way to buy what you want, let our unmatched customer service put your worries at ease that will ship your order quickly so that it reaches its destination in time for those special occasions without worry. Be late or forget this important event because we have your back covered 24/7. With so many customers who come to us regularly because they know we don't have a better deal, why not buy some type of prepaid credit card from us today?

We offer much more than just Visa cards here too - take advantage of all our other services such as reloadable cheques.

[bracejudo33-blog]

Free Amazon Reward Card Code Generator

go mastercard tool

For those who require a PIN for finishing your transaction utilizing your credit card, make sure that you memorize the PIN as a substitute of writing it down somewhere or preserving a digital copy of the identical. Are credit cards and debit cards the same? free charge tool affords very participating credit score taking part in playing cards. This is now not the case, and your credit score performs a major role in determining whether or not you may even receive a mortgage. Discover anything you can shave off and direct that in direction of your debt. Best of luck to you in your debt scenario, Kristen. With hyperlink cloakers, the very better of the bunch enable of which you place them on dollars. Peel off the backing, lay it flat on the desk and put your printout on it. Which you'll be able to simply refer to the desk under. Easy Credit Cards may be availed from AXIS Bank. These are the 2 prevailing playing cards being used in the present day. As there are so many different stability switch playing cards available on the market, there may be no one best option that works for everyone.

Be sure to ring to verify your appointments 2-3 weeks earlier than the prom, just to make certain that there are no issues. If you’re using your bank card to make a purchase online or over the telephone, you’ll often be asked to offer the identify in your card, the account number, expiration date and something known as your CCV or CVC number. So it’s excellent for these little purchases you make every day. A lot of the people are overeager to rise up their sales, advertising in proper place and making their products ready. Another worry I've heard from in any other case rational people is that they need to "unload" a superbly purposeful and sound vehicle, on the ground that it could "depreciate" extra. You will have stopped answering the telephone for concern of coping with the debt collectors. To really admire how excessive of a rewards price that's you may should know that most journey cards' rewards rate will hover around the 2% mark.

Anyone recently asked about Shopify and I'll attempt to provide an goal overview for that software as effectively. In the event you miss a payment on your home equity line of credit score, not solely does it give them the inexperienced mild to hike your charges, it also units in movement the possibility of foreclosure. Though it truly shouldn't be stunning, since I surely doubt that the creditors themselves are going to be telling their prospects about this. You are legally allowed to entry each report totally free as soon as a 12 months on this site. Report the fraud in a well timed manner and supply any proof the credit card issuer requests. Citibank PremierMiles Bank card. Truth SHEET: REFORMS To guard AMERICAN Bank card HOLDERS. Proforma lets you process credit card transactions in a customer-not-current surroundings. By signing up for a versatile rewards playing cards that help you switch to your favourite airline, or for a co-branded airline credit card, you can earn miles good at no cost airfare seat upgrades and extra. Some business rewards playing cards allow you to earn bonus points via partner merchants or travel companions.

They already run a facet a enterprise, nevertheless it had been gradual, they often needed business to pick up some. Regardless of the way you attempt to keep in touch with your online business funds, you can’t do it like a pro. Keep studying to be taught why they’re our favorites. On the other hand bad debt can happen when you purchase something that goes down in worth immediately. Generally your rapport with financial institution can take you a better deal than you'll get based mostly only towards the overall upon your credit studies. It's a private, profit-making enterprise, which must be dealt with fastidiously to get the benefits from and yet avoid the pitfalls of them utilizing your data in opposition to you. It includes information about getting started, vital issues to make, and taking the next steps. If occur to be in go amex tool , around the globe additionally fairly certain that the financial institution will do not be in a position to help you. It's worthwhile to learn service provider account provider evaluations and comparisons.

[julien-travelingtech]

Building your numbers 

When I say " building your numbers " I'm not talking about just your money, Im also talking about your points. When it comes to money I have multiple accounts. My day to day checking and savings account, an " American Express High Yields Savings" and a back up checking account.

I personally have

T.D bank

Discover Bak

High Yields savings accounts by Amex

TD bank is my back up checking account for emergencies , ATM withdraws/deposits, and for anywhere discover isn't accepted. My discover account is my everyday checking account. That's where my direct deposit goes. Unlike TD, Discover bank offers anywhere between 1 and 3 percent cash back on all your purchases at the end of the month. I do have a savings account with both banks but honestly is not used for saving. Honestly I use my savings account to make sure no unexpected bills and or charges are taken out of my account, and that's where discover deposits the cash back on the last day of the month.

My Amex High Yields accounts are my actual savings account. Yes I have 2 savings accounts with amex. My main savings account the company I currently work for deposits 10 percent of my pay check in to that account. I also have another account called " vacation " and that's for any personal trips I may want to take with friends or family , or just a " me-cation "

Enough with the money part of this blog. I love rewards, and anything free. When I travel for work weather I am flying, driving, or staying in a hotel I rack points up! My job tells any client that I work for that Its a requirement for me to be placed somewhere where I can rack points up.

I personally prefer

For Hotels

Hilton

Marriot

Hyatt

For air travel

Delta

Jet Blue

American Air

South west

For Car rentals

Enterprise

Budget

Avis

Hertz

Now I am not sponsored by these companies ( yet) but here is my referral link for some companies I've mentioned ( who offer it)

Pilot/ Flying J rewards

I love Pilot for those long road trips. Its made for truckers but I love it too. For example if you are on the road and you need a home away from home pilot is the gas station for you

They have showers ( cost anywhere between $10-20 per shower depending on your status with them) Plus there's no limit to how long the showers are. Select locations also have washers and dryer's where you can do your laundry! Pilot is just the best thing ever and will be featured in a story later.

Get Up Side

When driving I love to check on the " Get upside " app. With the get upside app they give you cash back on select gas stations, restaurants and groceries. When you get to a location that is offered by them you will click the " claim offer" button. you then have 20 minutes to do what ever you need to do. All you have to do is put in the last for of your credit or debit card and the expiration. They will then match your card to the receipts to give you cash back towards PayPal money or gift cards.

Fuel Rewards

Along with get upside I also put in my number at the pump and get points as well. Every gas brand has their own. And of course I have one for every gas station I go to. With " Fuel Rewards " you get points towards gas, snacks, food or any other products that they sell. You can also connect a hand full of 3rd party apps that give you hotel points, air miles, and restaurant points such as " Dunkin " and " Starbucks ". I can't really get too much in to detail because the options are limitless and is based on your needs and wants. you can only have 5 different accounts connected at a time, at the time of writing this. This link if only for gas stations in the " Fuel Rewards " Network most gas stations also offer the same perks and benefits of Fuel Rewards.

Receipt Hog

Ugh, Tax season, the time of year the IRS decides to be nosey, like the people who have no reason reading your text messages while your standing in line at your local Starbucks. Sometimes you need to save your receipts for what ever you may need it for. Weather that be a return, a refund, your taxes, or because you just wanna keep your receipt. The receipt hog app rewards you for taking a photo of your receipts and saving them you can also go back and pull it up when ever you need it. Not all recipes qualify for points and or rewards but the app will definitely save them for you when ever you need it. So no more shoe boxes or ziplock bags of receipts.

Unfortunately hotels, airlines, and car rentals are not offering rewards for referrals but when they do this will be the first place you see it, Well... that's if you don't have your account with them by then.

Rack your money up as well as those points.

[serinemolecule]

How to credit card

Using a credit card is like paying with cash, except you also get free money and other benefits.

"But Serine, there's no such thing as a free lunch! [1] Where does the money come from?"

I'm glad you asked. When you buy something with cash, the seller gets 100% of what you pay. When you use a credit card, the seller gets around 97% of what you pay, and the credit card company gets the other 3%. [2] The credit card company is of course very willing to give you money and other benefits if you let them have that 3%. [3]

Sellers are willing to give up 3% because handling credit cards is so much easier than cash. You don't have to count change, and you have a computer record of who paid how much, so it's easy to figure out who's lying when the customer said they paid. Not to mention it eliminates the problem of cashiers stealing money by pocketing customers' money [4]. Also not to mention the store wants the customer to be happy (happy customers spend more) (customers hate having to pay a fee to use a credit card).

Anyway, in the general case, credit cards are basically always a good thing, and you should basically always use them. [5] So I’m going to teach you how to pick one!

When not to credit card

If you are irresponsible with money, and are afraid you will spend more money than you have, you should not use a credit card. If you have good reasons not to want a bank account, you probably don’t want a credit card for similar reasons.

Never carry a balance on a credit card (pay off less than the total amount you owe every month), it piles up and ruins your life. You should spend money on getting things you want, not on paying off interest.

“Forgetting to pay” is never a concern. All modern credit cards have an auto-pay feature to take money from a bank account. As long as you don’t spend more money than is in your bank account, you don’t have to worry about accidentally going into debt.

What benefits you get from using credit cards

Most credit cards will give you 1%-2% cash back (for each dollar you spend, you get a certain percentage back in free money).

Basically all credit cards give you the ability to chargeback. This means that if some business steals your money (charges you more than you owe, etc) and you can prove it, you can call the credit card company and tell them to take your money back. Note that this is a last resort (only to be used after you contact the business and they don't give you your money back), and will generally result in the business completely cutting off contact with you (for instance, if you chargeback Steam, you'll lose access to all your Steam games etc).

Credit cards also act as a short-term loan. If you ever need a payday loan, a credit card will give you significantly less interest than an actual payday loan. You never want a credit card as a long-term loan (the rates are horrible), but they actually give you close to the best possible rate for a loan of a few days. Just remember that debt is evil and never to fall into it.

Other benefits vary wildly and are specific to the card, but common benefits include various forms of insurance (car insurance on any rental car you rent with the credit card, warranty on anything you buy, etc).

Which card to get

It's actually really easy to choose a credit card. If you're in the US, here is Serine's One-Step Guide:

Do you spend more than $2500 per year in travel (hotels, flights, Ubers, etc) and restaurants, and do you have the free time to screw around with flyer miles?

• No ➡ Get the Citi DoubleCash

• Yes ➡ Get the Chase Sapphire Reserve

In some extremely obscure situations, you might want other cards, but I'll cover those after I cover these two cards.

The Citi DoubleCash

The Citi DoubleCash has no yearly fee, and gives you 2% cash back, effectively. This makes it better in every way than most other cards.

Some cards give 1% cash back and a rotating 5% category. They will give you a headache trying to optimize them and you will still get less money back compared to the Citi DoubleCash, in the end.

Some cards give you points that you can spend using a complicated procedure, which will be worth approximately 2% if you can spend them perfectly. Just use the Citi DoubleCash, and skip the complicated procedure.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $550 yearly fee, and gives a huge number of benefits that are totally worth it if you spend a decent amount of money. Also it looks really cool because it's metal and black. [6]

It comes with $300 of travel credit per year, which you can blow through in, like, a single flight, or like a few days of hotel, or like a normal amount of Ubering (anyone who's even considering this card should have no problem spending that much). So the yearly fee is effectively $250.

It gives you 3 points per dollar on travel and restaurants, and 1 point per dollar on anything else. "Points" can and should be converted to frequent flyer miles, at which point they're worth 2-4 cents each if you put them towards international flights, especially international first-class flights.

It also comes with a pile of side-benefits, like free Priority Pass membership (gives access to a bunch of airport lounges), free TSA Global Entry (lets you basically skip airport security and customs), free DoorDash DashPass, free Lyft Pink, and a lot of other exclusive discounts.

Assuming you spend enough and you're willing to spend the effort optimizing flyer miles, it basically pays for itself and the other benefits are free. If you don’t want to optimize flyer miles, the other redemption options are worth 1¢/point or less, and you’d be better off with the Citi DoubleCash.

Honorable Mention: The AmEx Platinum

I know I didn’t mention the AmEx Platinum at all, but if you have lots of money and want the best benefits on a card (or you take a lot of flights), the AmEx Platinum is probably the card for you.

The AmEx Platinum costs $550 per year, and is a luxury card pretty similar to the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Its biggest advantage is that it has much better airport lounge coverage in the US.

Priority Pass (which comes with both the Chase and the AmEx) gives you lounge access for most international flights, but the AmEx Platinum also gives you lounge access for US domestic flights.

It gives 5 points/dollar for airfare and AmEx Travel hotel purchases, and 1 point/dollar for other purchases, and its points can also be turned into flyer miles.

Other advantages include Gold membership status at Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, and Ritz-Carlton hotels. Mostly this means usually-free late-checkout, and, like, free bottled water sometimes.

Instead of the $300 travel credit, though, the Platinum has a $200 airline fee credit (abusable to buy gift cards) and a $200 Uber credit (spread out across 12 months, so hard to maximize unless you use Uber all the time). It’s harder to max these out, but if you do, it’s effectively $150/year.

Overall, the main reason you’d actually want the Platinum over the Sapphire Reserve is if you fly a lot in the US and really want the additional airport lounges.

Extremely obscure situations

So the most common one is: If you have a ton of free time and spend a decent amount of money, you might be interested in churning. I don't really want anything to do with churning so you're going to have to learn how to do it from someone else (google it, I guess).

If you travel internationally, be aware that the Citi DoubleCash has a foreign transaction fee. It's still worth it (2%, which is still less than the fee you'll be charged by most money exchangers – Wells Fargo takes like 5%), but it's also not very hard to just get a credit card that doesn't have that fee. The Amazon Prime card and the Costco credit card are good options (these two are pretty good cards to have in general, honestly; they have no yearly fee and a few specific uses, just don't use them as your main card because they don't have the 2% base rate the DoubleCash has).

If you have a lot of very specific foreign transactions you need to make that isn’t just taking vacations internationally, the Capital One Quicksilver has 1.5% cash back and no foreign transaction cost (the Amazon and Costco cards are better for travel).

That's it

I haven't actually taught you how to spend money wisely (maybe that'll be a different post), but at least you can get more value out of the money you do spend now.

There aren’t links to any of these credit cards because I don’t want to get accused of earning money through affiliate links or something. You can find all of them on Google.

[1] In a way, there's no such thing as a free lunch, but in a way, there totally is. Like, think about breathing (but not too hard – I don't want you to start manually breathing – ...I'm sorry). There are some minor trade-offs (you have to use energy) and situations where you shouldn't (do not breathe while underwater unless you have special equipment) but overall, it's basically always correct to choose "breathing" over "not breathing".

[2] The 3%ish is split kind of complicatedly, in terms of who gets what. The credit card company definitely gets most of it, though.

[3] And also to get your late payment fees and interest and stuff, but honestly, credit card rewards come out of the processing fee.

[4] It's easiest for cashiers to steal money if you're selling something hard to track, like french fries. A cashier can give a customer some french fries, pocket the customer's money, and the store owner would never know. This is why a lot of fast food places say "free food if we don't give you a receipt". The receipt makes sure the cashier gives the store owner the money.

[5] Some stores don't accept credit cards. These are very very rare in the US, and mostly restricted to, like, certain vending machines, and tiny stores that hate the 3% transaction fee. Also, a lot of service workers prefer you to tip in cash, because that makes tax evasion easier (it's up to you whether you consider this a good thing or a bad thing).

[6] People who’ve seen mine have totally thought it’s "the black card" because it’s black and metallic (it's not, it’s a lot easier to get than the actual AmEx Centurion).

[akankshasmishra]

Marriott Credit Card In India: Concepts And Opinions

As we have expected, the Marriott credit card launch in India will soon have a good relationship with American Express, and Amex has already become so popular – but the reality is something different. Till now, only rumours are spreading in the air about the launch date of Marriott’s credit card. Still, according to some experts, we can figure out some important points and specifications that might appear with this card. So, to know more, scroll down to read “Marriot credit card in India – concepts, and opinions.”

Actually, there are some possibilities that this credit card may be launched with two versions – one is Premium, and another is Super-premium. All the details and comparisons I am going to discuss are based on an assumption about the features of Marriott cards.

Rewards On Marriott Credit Card

Premium Cards

#footable_7800, #footable_7800 table { background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1) !important; color: rgba(37, 35, 35, 1) !important; border-color: !important; } #footable_7800 thead tr.footable-filtering th { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7800:not(.hide_all_borders) thead tr.footable-filtering th { border : 1px solid transparent !important; } #footable_7800 .input-group-btn:last-child > .btn:not(:last-child):not(.dropdown-toggle) { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7800 tr.footable-header, #footable_7800 tr.footable-header th, .colored_table table.ninja_table_pro.inverted.table.footable-details tbody tr th { background-color: rgba(22, 1, 44, 1) !important; color: rgba(251, 248, 248, 1) !important; }

#footable_7800 tbody tr:hover { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7800 tbody tr:hover td { border-color: !important; } #footable_7800 tbody tr:nth-child(even) { background-color: rgba(181, 240, 255, 1) !important; color: !important; } #footable_7800 tbody tr:nth-child(odd) { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7800 tbody tr:nth-child(even):hover { background-color: !important; } #footable_7800 tbody tr:nth-child(odd):hover { background-color: !important; }

#footable_7800 tfoot .footable-paging { background-color: rgba(135, 200, 210, 1) !important; } #footable_7800 tfoot .footable-paging .footable-page.active a { background-color: !important; } #footable_7800:not(.hide_all_borders) tfoot tr.footable-paging td { border-color: !important; }

Super Premium Cards

#footable_7800, #footable_7800 table { background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1) !important; color: rgba(37, 35, 35, 1) !important; border-color: !important; } #footable_7800 thead tr.footable-filtering th { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7800:not(.hide_all_borders) thead tr.footable-filtering th { border : 1px solid transparent !important; } #footable_7800 .input-group-btn:last-child > .btn:not(:last-child):not(.dropdown-toggle) { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7800 tr.footable-header, #footable_7800 tr.footable-header th, .colored_table table.ninja_table_pro.inverted.table.footable-details tbody tr th { background-color: rgba(22, 1, 44, 1) !important; color: rgba(251, 248, 248, 1) !important; }

#footable_7800 tbody tr:hover { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7800 tbody tr:hover td { border-color: !important; } #footable_7800 tbody tr:nth-child(even) { background-color: rgba(181, 240, 255, 1) !important; color: !important; } #footable_7800 tbody tr:nth-child(odd) { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7800 tbody tr:nth-child(even):hover { background-color: !important; } #footable_7800 tbody tr:nth-child(odd):hover { background-color: !important; }

#footable_7800 tfoot .footable-paging { background-color: rgba(135, 200, 210, 1) !important; } #footable_7800 tfoot .footable-paging .footable-page.active a { background-color: !important; } #footable_7800:not(.hide_all_borders) tfoot tr.footable-paging td { border-color: !important; }

#footable_7801, #footable_7801 table { background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1) !important; color: rgba(37, 35, 35, 1) !important; border-color: !important; } #footable_7801 thead tr.footable-filtering th { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7801:not(.hide_all_borders) thead tr.footable-filtering th { border : 1px solid transparent !important; } #footable_7801 .input-group-btn:last-child > .btn:not(:last-child):not(.dropdown-toggle) { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7801 tr.footable-header, #footable_7801 tr.footable-header th, .colored_table table.ninja_table_pro.inverted.table.footable-details tbody tr th { background-color: rgba(22, 1, 44, 1) !important; color: rgba(251, 248, 248, 1) !important; }

#footable_7801 tbody tr:hover { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7801 tbody tr:hover td { border-color: !important; } #footable_7801 tbody tr:nth-child(even) { background-color: rgba(181, 240, 255, 1) !important; color: !important; } #footable_7801 tbody tr:nth-child(odd) { background-color: !important; color: !important; } #footable_7801 tbody tr:nth-child(even):hover { background-color: !important; } #footable_7801 tbody tr:nth-child(odd):hover { background-color: !important; }

#footable_7801 tfoot .footable-paging { background-color: rgba(135, 200, 210, 1) !important; } #footable_7801 tfoot .footable-paging .footable-page.active a { background-color: !important; } #footable_7801:not(.hide_all_borders) tfoot tr.footable-paging td { border-color: !important; }

So, it is obvious that the super-premium will have much better facilities and benefits than the normal, i.e., premium one.

Features And Benefits On Marriott Credit Card

Here also, I am discussing the benefits of the two cards separately. The benefits are almost the same, but they differ in amount.

Features On Premium Cards

Rewards program: Nowadays, every bank is trying to emphasize the rewards program. In point 2, you can see the type and amount of rewards that are quite good.

Status: You will be in Silver Tier by default, but you can be immediately transitioned into Gold Tier. The only condition is that you have to pay Rs 3 lakh on the card anniversary!

Lounge access and priority pass: It is assumed that you can get 2 lounge access every quarter of a year – which means that 8 access in a year.

Extra benefits: You will get 10 elite night credits.

Features On Super Premium Cards

Rewards program: Naturally, in the super-premium card, you can enjoy the enhanced version of the normal rewards that are offered by the premium card.

Status: By default, you will be in Gold Tier, but you can immediately transition into Platinum Tier. The only condition is that you have to pay Rs 15 lakh on the card anniversary!

Lounge access and priority pass: It is assumed that you can get 12 lounge access every quarter of a year – which means that 8 access in a year.

Extra benefits: You will get 20 elite night credits.

Fees On Marriott Credit Card

As the card is not launched yet, the expected fees are illustrated below:

For a premium card, the Joining fee is Rs 5000 + some applicable taxes (GST)

The annual fee is Rs 5000 + applicable taxes.

For a super-premium card, the Joining fee is Rs 30000 + some applicable taxes (GST)

The annual fee is Rs 30000 + applicable taxes.

Eligibility Criteria And Documents Required For Marriott Credit Card

Here, the criteria are tricky because it is not too much bothered about the ‘income criteria.’ Rather they are checking that whether you are holding a special card or membership.

The HDFC Infinia credit cardholders are eligible to apply for this card issued the Infinia card after 20th March 2019 – that means those who have Infinia cards issued to them before this date are unlucky!

The eligible persons will get a membership for this card. The point is that the membership is valid for only 1 year, and the only primary cardholders will enjoy the membership – there is no scope for add-on members.

There should be more information which you should know about –

What are the benefits of being a member of the Marriott family?

Actually, you will get some discounts and some extra benefits if you have this credit card with you in Marriott hotels or restaurants. The benefits are –

You can avail yourself of up to 20% off on foods and beverages for 10 guests in Marriott selected hotels.

You can make up to 15% off on the hotel rooms claiming available best rates anywhere in Asia- Pacific region.

Some certificates about staying at a hotel, beauty, and personal care are also offered, giving you some discount.

You will be given two accommodation certificates that offer you an opportunity to upgrade to another best available room. But it is valid for only 2 nights.

Another 2 certificates will be offered for choosing the rooms based on the category of rooms – but here also it is valid for only 2 consecutive nights.

Only one guest will get 2 certificates that offer you a 20% discount at the spa.

How To Apply For This Card?

Actually, you cannot apply for this card from your own wish. You have to wait for an SMS from the HDFC bank within 15 days of the issue of the Infinia credit card. There you have to fill up some credentials at the partner page and have to do a Rs 1 transaction – that’s it.

FAQs

1. Who are the eligible persons to get this card?

Actually, it is a partner card with HDFC. Those who have been issued an HDFC Infinia credit card after November 20, 2019, will get an invitation to apply for this card within 15 days of the card issuer. Those who have been issued cards before that date – I am sorry for them!

2. What is the validity, and when will a customer get the card?

The validity is only 1 year, and unfortunately, the membership cannot be renewed even at the cost of fees! Enjoy everything in the only first year!

3. What are the rules and regulations for applying for this card?

First, you will get information and an invitation through SMS or email. Next, you have to click on that link to visit their partner web page and fill in some credentials like email id, registered mobile number, etc.

4. How to know that one has successfully done registration?

Once the form is filled up, you will get a notification from hdfc.infinia@clubmarriott.in within 3 days of registration. And the physical kit is delivered within 15 days.

Final Talk

It does not matter whether the card exists in real life or not – but if we assume that the card is really introduced in the market, should we apply for this card or not. Here the answer cannot be given properly. Because when we judge a card, we generally focus on the fees/benefits ratio.

But here, we know neither the ‘actual’ fees nor ‘actual’ benefits – everything is our assumption. But if these assumptions are true, then there should be no question of applying for this card. There are enough leading banks available that offer great rewards and benefits at lower fees.

I hope you have understood everything, see you again later!!

source https://invested.in/marriott-credit-card-india/

source https://investedindia.wordpress.com/2021/09/06/marriott-credit-card-in-india-concepts-and-opinions/