Category Archives: Rewards

Chase Sapphire Credit Card Comparison Tool

July 7, 2018RewardsChase, FICOLeonard Kreicas

Chase Sapphire Card
Chase Sapphire with Ultimate Rewards no longer takes new clients, but current cardholders can still use the card as before.

Chase currently offers a Ultimate Rewards card in two versions:

Sapphire Preferred ($95 annual fee)
Sapphire Reserve ($450 annual fee)

You can compare the three Chase Ultimate Rewards cards offer in the table below to see which one is best for you.

CHASE SAPPHIRE COMPARISON CHART

FEATURES	REG	PREFERRED	RESERVE
Type	VISA	VISA	VISA
Grace period	21	21	21
Annual Fee	$0	$95	$450
Balance Transfer Fee	n/a	5%	5%
Cash Advance Fee	5%	5%	5%
Foreign Transaction Fee	0%	0%	0%
APR Intro	n/a	n/a	n/a
APR Balance	17.49%- 24.49%	17.49%- 24.49%	17.49%- 24.49%
APR Cash Advances	26.49%	26.49%	26.49%
REWARDS
Base purchase rewards	1%	1%	1%
Dining (see notes)	2%	2%	3%
Travel (see notes)	1%	2%	3%
Annual bonus	no	no	50% UR
Minimum amount to redeem	none	none	none
Redeem at UR portal	100 => 100	100 => 125	100 => 150
Redeem at ChasePay	100 => 80	100 => 80	100 => 80
Redeem at Amazon	100 => 80	100 => 80	100 => 80
PURCHASE SECURITY
Fraud Protection	yes	yes	yes
Purchase Protection	$500 per claim	$500 per claim	$10K per claim
Price Protection	discontinued	discontinued	discontinued
Return Protection	discontinued	discontinued	discontinued
Warranty extension	1 yr max	2 yr max	3 yr max
Free FICO score	yes	yes	yes
Blueprint Financial Tool	yes	yes	yes
Apple Pay	yes	yes	yes
Mobile App	yes	yes	yes
Visa Signature Concierge	yes	yes	yes
Add authorized user fee	$0	$0	$75
Shop through Chase	yes	yes	yes
Credits – travel	no	no	$300
Credits – global entry	no	no	yes
Credits – travel	no	no	$300
Points transfer	no	1 to 1	1 to 1
Lounge access	n/a	n/a	Priority select
INTRO (ONE TIME ONLY)
Bonus points ($4000 spend/3 months)	n/a	$500	$500
Bonus points (authorized user)	n/a	$50
INSURANCE
Auto rental collision	yes	yes	yes
Trip cancellation	up to $5K	up to $10K	up to $10K
Trip Interruption	$500/12 hrs	$500/12 hrs	$500/6 hrs
Baggage delay	yes	$100 day/ 5 days	$100 day/ 5 days
Lost baggage	$3K per person	$3K per person	$3K per person
Roadside assistance	fee	fee	4 times
Travel accident death	$500K	$500K	$1M

NOTES

DINING REWARDS

The restaurant category for extra reward points is broader than is generally believed, since it includes fast-food places, coffee shops, bars, as well as fine dining ones.

However Chase writes, “Please note that merchants that sell food and drinks located within larger merchants such as sports stadiums, hotels and casinos, theme parks, grocery and department stores will not be included in this category unless the merchant has set up such purchases to be classified in a restaurant category.”

So getting a Starbucks in a grocery store may not get points, but a free-standing shop will.

VISA has a handy locator that will tell you exactly which places earn, or don’t earn bonus restaurant points.

VISA supplier locator

Enter your location, pick the restaurant code, click search, and up to 50 places VISA lists as restaurants/bars pop-up on a map.

For example in Dayton, Ohio, places such as Arby’s, Carmen’s Deli & Bistro, Engineers Club of Dayton, Homestyle Chili, Kindred Hospital, McDonalds, Nutritional Services, Subway, Table 33, Uno Chicago Grill, are listed.

TRAVEL REWARDS

Although bonus rewards for travel aren’t applicable for the no-fee Chase Sapphire card, they could add up quickly in certain metropolitan areas such as New York City or Los Angeles.

Besides airline tickets and hotels, the travel category includes tolls and parking which can quickly add up in Manhattan, where the average monthly garage bill is about $400 or almost $5,000 per year, and the George Washington Bridge toll is $15 or up to $3800 per year.

Earning 2% on $7,800 nets $156, or more than the $95 annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

REWARD POINTS NEVER EXPIRE, BUT…

Under certain conditions Chase will take all your hard-earned points away.

Your points don’t expire as long as your account is open, however, you’ll immediately lose all your points if your account status changes, or your account is closed, for any of the following reasons:

You don’t make the minimum payment on your account within 60 days of the due date
You fail to comply with this or other agreements you have with Chase
We believe you may be unwilling or unable to pay your debts on time
You file for bankruptcy
We believe that you’ve engaged in fraudulent activity related to your account or the program
We believe that you’ve misused the program in any way, for example:by buying or selling points
By moving or transferring points to an ineligible third party or account
By repeatedly opening or otherwise maintaining credit card accounts for the purpose of generating rewards

In other words deadbeats and people who churn accounts at Chase will be unceremoniously booted out of the program.

Since the original Chase Sapphire cardholders can still use their cards Ultimate Rewards card, the choice on whether to upgrade to the premium versions depends on whether paying annual dues makes or breaks the deal.

NHL Discover Card Benefits and Features

July 1, 2018Rewards0% intro APRLeonard Kreicas

Discover Card offers loyal National Hockey League fans their very own team-branded credit card plus generous savings on select purchases.

5% cash back on restaurants from July 1 to Sept. 30, 2018.

In addition they can buy gear on the official online NHL store at 10% less than other shoppers by using the coupon code ITPAYS at checkout, which is in addition to its cashback feature.

For a limited time, new account holders will receive 0% financing on their purchases, provided they pay the minimum amount every month.

Another incentive for new cardholders is that the Discover NHL^® card automatically doubles all the cash back on net purchases at the end of your first year as a lump-sum bonus to the account.

Unlike many other cash rewards credit cards, you can redeem the rewards for an account credit with no minimum amount necessary to reach before cashing them in.

Other features include:

No annual fee
The rewards never expire
Use your cash back instantly at Amazon.com checkout
$0 Fraud Liability Guarantee
Free overnight shipping for card replacement
No late fee for your first late payment
Paying late won’t raise your APR
Track recent FICO® Credit Scores for free
No foreign transaction fee

Apply here for your NHL credit card.

ABOC Credit Card – Union Strong and Platinum Rewards MasterCard Review

October 27, 2017Rewards0% intro APR, New account bonusLeonard Kreicas

ABOC recently introduced a new Union Strong credit card edition for union members and their supporters, which features a low 10.25% APR and 1% rewards on purchases.

Union Strong Credit Card

“For almost a century, the Bank has designed deposit and credit services exclusively for union workers in the automobile, building trades, clothing and textile, communications and graphic arts, hotel and restaurant, mechanics, public service and general service, steel and iron, transportation industries, and more.”

The everyday low interest rates for the Union Strong credit card are,

One low 10.25% APR on all eligible net purchases
10.25% APR on balance transfers (3% fee applies)
15.25% APR on cash advances (3% fee applies): much cheaper than payday loans

Details on eligibility requirements and the Union Strong application are found here.

aboc credit card platinum rewards ABOC Platinum Rewards Edition
This version caters to different crowd seeking upgraded perks, “Your Platinum Mastercard® gains you access to travel benefits at some of the most sought-after travel destinations. We offer privileges and special amenities at over 400 hotels and resorts. Whether you are traveling solo, as a couple or with your family, we will find your dream vacation.”

Both cards have generous introductory offers.

New ABOC credit card purchases of $1,000 or more during the first 3 months, rewards you with 1,000 bonus points (worth $100 as tax-free statement credit). That’s up to 10% off, with a year to pay off the purchase in full.
All eligible purchases pay no interest for the first 12 billing cycles of account opening. This is great way to do your holiday shopping now, and pay the bills over the entire year.

More rewards and savings for both cards

1% Cash Back on purchases made with either card
No Annual Fee
Zero-interest for 25 days before payments are due for purchases paid in full after the promotional period.
Go cardless using the ABOC mobile app

Other purchase and travel benefits included, at no cost to you,

No fee for additional cards for authorized users
Extended Warranty doubles your original warranty up to 1 additional year.
Purchase Assurance^® covers most items from damage or theft.
Price protection refunds the difference if you see an item advertised for less within 60 days of purchase.
Identity Theft Resolution Services provides one-on-one support in the event your identity is compromised.
MasterAssist^® provides pre-trip planning assistance, help with lost luggage and more.
Master RoadAssist^® Roadside Services provides help in the event your car breaks down while traveling in the U.S.
$1 Million Travel Accident Insurance.
Security chip offers enhanced protection when used at chip-enabled terminals.
Contactless payment feature provides fast, easy and safe checkouts.
Make mobile purchases with Android Pay^TM, Apple Pay^TM and Samsung Pay.

Pay down your high-interest credit card balances faster by making purchases on either ABOC credit card within the 0% APR introductory purchase period. And get a cool $100 off of your first $1,000 in net purchases. Apply here to save, save, save.

As an under-the-radar bank, the Amalgamated Bank of Chicago (ABOC), offers an alternative for people who rather not expose their financial information to the mega-banks. The $100 bonus, simple 1% rewards program, low APR, and backing by Mastercard serves most customer’s everyday purchase needs.

HSBC Credit Card with Cash Rewards – 0% Balance Transfer Offer

October 26, 2017Rewards0% intro APR, HSBCLeonard Kreicas

Introductory Offer of $150 Cash Back
If you get a new HSBC credit card with Cash Rewards Mastercard® and spend $500 or more in net card purchases during the first 3 months HSBC will issue a $150 tax-free statement credit. That’s 30% off your first $500 in purchases

0% Introductory APR on Balance Transfers for the first 15 months of Account opening. (4% fee applies on balance transfers and credit card checks)

More rewards and account savings

2% Cash Back on purchases made within the first 6 months from Account opening. After that, receive 1.5% cash back.
10% Anniversary Bonus on all Cash Rewards earned each year.
No Annual Fee
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Zero-interest for 25 days before payments are due for purchases paid in full after the promotional period.

Other purchase and travel benefits included at no cost to you

No fee for additional cards for authorized users
Extended Warranty doubles your original warranty up to 1 additional year.
Purchase Assurance^® covers most items from damage or theft.
Price protection refunds the difference if you see an item advertised for less within 60 days of purchase.
Identity Theft Resolution Services provides one-on-one support in the event your identity is compromised.
MasterAssist^® provides pre-trip planning assistance, help with lost luggage and more.
Master RoadAssist^® Roadside Services provides help in the event your car breaks down while traveling in the U.S.
$1 Million Travel Accident Insurance.
Security chip offers enhanced protection when used at chip-enabled terminals.
Contactless payment feature provides fast, easy and safe checkouts.
Make mobile purchases with Android Pay^TM, Apple Pay^TM and Samsung Pay.

Download the HSBC credit card Cash Rewards Mastercard® Rewards & Benefits brochure here.

Pay down your high-interest credit card balances faster with the 0% APR balance transfer offer. Or get a cool $150 off of your first $500 in net purchases (30% discount). Either way, apply here to save, save, save.

And from day one you get an 2% savings for 6 months and 1.5% after that, plus 10% anniversary bonus, all with NO ANNUAL FEE. Plus the price assurance and free extended warranties that stores charge extra for, gives you piece of mind when shopping with a HSBC Cash Rewards Mastercard^® credit card.

CREDIT CARDS

Choose the right credit card for you