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Chase goes through these temporary tightening's of approvals based on the economic outlook. So I am pretty confident that it's not a long-term crackdown of the multiple Ink gravy train. Doctor of Credit shared an article recently (www.doctorofcredit.com/reports-chase-tightens-up-approvals-on-business-card-applications/) that has stats on the likelihood of Ink approvals from a survey of us travel hackers. Basically, the odds of Ink approval went down the more Ink cards you already have opened. It wouldn't surprise me if Chase created a formal policy saying that you could only get one of each Ink card (Cash, Unlimited, Preferred, and Premier). I do think that the Ink gravy train could be coming to an end though for the travel hackers who can get approved for 2 identical Ink cards (e.g. Ink Cash) for the same business. It seemed absurd to begin with! But for the average travel hacker, plan to get 1 Ink Cash, Unlimited, and Preferred (Premier earns strictly cash back, not points, so most of us don't want it), and then churn those cards every 2 years.

They unfortunately do not rollover. 😔

@leenontravel that's sad. I lost many months

Hey Tina! Did you earn those 115k points all this year? Because all 135k Companion Pass qualifying points need to be earned in the same calendar year. If so, then the easiest way to get those remaining points would be to refer someone to a Southwest card (biz or personal) as you get 25k referral points!

@@leenontravel I did...so I need to refer someone asap. We are a little late to the 2 year plan so we will strategize better for 26-27 :) Thank you!

If you can’t get that referral this year… the last few years in the spring they have a personal credit card offer (if you have a spouse) where the signup bonus is 30k points plus a one year companion pass!

Oh yay! Thanks for the feedback, I *really* appreciate it. Holler if you have any questions as you start your travel hacking journey. :)

@ You’re most welcome!! And thank you for your willingness to help with any questions I may have!😊

Between my husband and I we opened up 7 credit cards, so 7 big sign up bonuses of 60-100k each, plus all the referral points referring each other back and forth to those cards. Up until a month ago, the referral bonuses for Inks were 40k, so that was a Lot of points there! For those 7 cards, we had a total of $55k spending. Definitely not hundreds of thousands of dollars! 😝

Wow thank you SO MUCH for the very kind words!! 💜 I am so happy that my goal of sharing how easy travel hacking is is working! 🤗

@ You’re so very welcome! You well deserve every kind word. 🥰

Glad it was helpful and I appreciate your feedback. 😉

@@leenontravel Hope more videos like this from you. Your every video is creativity and inspiring. Your presentation quality is amazing. I appreciate you.

Mine is not set up that way. But since I am the one with Hyatt status and the Southwest Companion Pass (and most couples would be similar), there is never any reason to transfer points in the opposite direction!

Ok so I have not tested this out myself, but have absolutely heard the exact same thing but *specifically* in reference to your SUB tracker. The points will still be deducted if you return something (I can attest to this personally). But when working towards a minimum spend: A returned purchase STILL counts towards your sign-up bonus' minimum spend!

Hi @MahoneyBadger! Free Night Awards can be used on Hyatt category 1-4 hotels. They cannot be cashed out or be used at a category 5+. Feel free to share what I said that made you get that impression! 😬

No it’s on me, I thought this video was about the Hyatt Chase Card’s sign up bonus but I see it’s about the Chase saphire sign up bonus.

Aww! I’ve got several on Hyatt- because they are the best to travel hack! Here’s the longest/most informative: th-cam.com/video/0ttyujWCYes/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6AasyV5GKReDLfgt. Here’s a short on the newest Hyatt card offer: th-cam.com/users/shortsoN4RXurWXgg?feature=share Then finally this is about earning Hyatt’s Free Night Awards here: th-cam.com/video/9fMajpHVTvo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=hSMOCtBFvpsHqcDd

I *really* appreciate it, @eliasrodriguez5979! Did you apply for the Southwest business or personal first?

@@leenontravel Personal first to snap that elevated offer. Probably will wait 61 days for the business card, hopefully that will do it for the companion pass. Do you know if the business cc application goes to your inquiries? Don't have an official LLC yet on our side business, so will be using my ssn.

You have a perfect plan! The biz app will hit your credit report inquiry, but it stops at the inquiry itself. The biz card wont actually appear on your credit report. No LLC is needed. Check out my other videos on applying for biz cards for more details, but basically, a free EIN would help your case, but again, isnt necessary. Business Cards Playlist: m.th-cam.com/play/PLHiwtHqngFJwAMAIVm8wIfcddeQrk-MbK.html Link to free EIN: www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online

So glad you like them! Here’s the article for everything in one place!! leenontravel.weebly.com/destinations/hacking-walt-disney-world

Depends when you want to go and how important being “on property” is to you for transportation and Rope Drop! Certain times of the year, Marriott Swan and Dolphin can be 40-50k per night. So with the bonus, that could cost you only 27k Chase Ultimate Rewards! Alternatively, you could open the Marriott card when they have 5 free night awards, pad them with 5-10k Ultimate Rewards, and be on property too! But if you want to spend as few points as possible, the Hyatt Place Orlando/Lake Buena Vista starts at just 6,500 points per night!

@FouSaechao-oj6fu That is No Big Deal getting your Companion Pass the traditional way (biz card first)! You will still have more than enough SW points needed to earn the CP by getting the normal 50k point SUB on the personal card in December. With that said, if you REALLY wanted that elevated 85k offer on the personal card, you could still *try* and apply for it by October 17th with my referral link (public links have already gone back down). I had luck with getting 2 cards in a 30-day period when I started travel hacking. It's not recommended, but if it's been 4-6+ months since your last credit card application, and your available credit does not exceed 50% of your household income, it is possible you could get approved for a business card and a personal card in a 30-day window! Southwest Referral Link with 85k point sign-up bonus: www.referyourchasecard.com/226s/KHI74FR7TA

@@leenontravel I will for sure apply using the referral link within the next 15-20 days. Thank you

We think so too!! haha

Good question, @MyChannelnamedefault! For the $1k spend, you get 50,000 points, which is 35,000 less points than this elevated offer! With Southwest, those 30k stretch quite far, so it's definitely worth it spending $3k to get 85,000 points! This is my favorite resource for tracking offer history: thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/chase/chase-best-welcome-offers/

@@leenontravel could you explain how they stretch further please? I don’t want to spend 3x the amount for less than 2x value on this promotion necessarily

I'm sorry I am just seeing this now! Thankfully it's not too late to apply for the Southwest personal card... the elevated offer ends in 4 days on the 17th with my referral link (www.referyourchasecard.com/226s/KHI74FR7TA). Public offer links have already ended. But anyways, you still only have to spend $3k over 3 months to get 35,000 more points. Travel hackers are always chasing the highest point offers- and this is one of the very best for Southwest personal cards! The 35,000 Southwest points will likely earn you 3-5 additional flights for free. As long as you can put $1,000 on your credit card each month with routine spending and bills, definitely chase the higher sign-up bonus as you can only get the SUB once every 24 months!

I have not personally noticed that, but I have also heard the exact same thing!!

Thanks for reaching out, @JerryBritoPT! 1) Using my EveryDollar Plus budget confirms for me my monthly spend, but 2) to break down how I spend that a month, I've got: Groceries: $800, Giving: $208+, Internet: $99, Gas for Cars: $360, Gas for House: $85, Electric: $123, Car Insurance: $127, Life Insurance: $93, Disney/Hulu: $15, Car Wash: $46, Mike & Colleen discretionary spending: $500, Kid’s clothes/ discretionary spending: $50, Restaurants: $100. = $2606 minimally on credit card every month.

I put everything on my card to get the rewards. You must pay the balance every month to see the benefit

Just one of those- Chase Sapphire Preferred (or Reserve… but high annual fee) OR the Business Ink Preferred. 😉

Oh yes- I ask for credit limit decreases pretty regularly! Your credit limits are shown on your credit report, with the exception of business cards. If the business card does not show up on your personal credit report, the other bank has no idea that you have additional available credit. Since Chase is likely to stop approving us for new credit cards if our available credit across all cards exceeds 50% of our income, we want to decrease it. You don’t want to lower your personal credit card credit limits too low, as that will negatively impact your credit score. Altogether, my available credit between personal and business cards equals 25% of my household income. I like to keep my business credit limits as low as possible- $3,000 -$5,000 per card. Having low available credit will help to get that automatic approval.

@@leenontravel this single new travel card I got, by itself, amounts to 20% of our household income! I wish they would ask me what I wanted! Yikes! Thanks for the advice. So with my old CC and new card, I’m already over 28%. I will ask for a decrease!!

Good for you in staying observant of this detail! Most people don’t pay attention until they are denied and wonder why! Know that you can always Secure Message them too- no phone call required to lower your credit limit. 😉

What a great idea for a future video! Thanks. ☺️ But yes- you are correct in assuming the higher the category, the more expensive it is in points or cash.

Good question! I have a picture of the Visa and Mastercard gift cards on my blog page for reference (because yea, it does make a difference)! Check out the pictures of the gift card at the bottom of the blog: leenontravel.weebly.com/learn-more/my-favorite-perk-of-the-chase-business-ink-cash

Just saw your question on the blog article too! A transaction ending in $.00 can look suspicious/fraudulent, so add a pack of gum or soda or something so the transaction is more like $202.18 and doesn’t look like someone just stole your card and is buying gift cards. I forgot to do this once and no fraud phone calls occurred, but it’s good practice if you regularly buy those gift cards with your Ink.

Hi I’m planning to apply for CIC but I’m confused on the part where you mentioned about working on sign up bonus. Can I not buy these gift cards to help meet my minimum spend? Would I not get the points? Sorry I’m new at this.

@hallobeanme you absolutely can do this while working on your minimum spend!

@hallobeanme hello! Im not sure if you got my reply or not as its not showing up. But yes- you absolutely can buy gift cards when working on your sign up bonus. 😉

Actually we were told the opposite before and during the trip. So much of the locals income relies on tourism, and that supporting the local economy through tourism is the best way to support them. Just do not ask about or mention the fires. Lahaina is a small portion of the large, thriving island.

It's MUCH easier than that hefty spend! All you need is to spend $8,000 by meeting the sign-up bonus on a business card ($5k over 3 months), and a personal card ($3k over 3 months). You open up the cards 30-75 days apart, and complete your spending after January 1st. Check out this video for more info: th-cam.com/video/YfJ7IN_bHIM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=OxukH590d8ZBpy58

Thanks, I really appreciate that!

Good tip! Except with travel hacking and routinely opening up credit cards, know that we aren’t in debt. Cards are paid off every single month!

Good question, @garlandofbooks4494. Any side gig can get you a business card; you do not need a thriving brick-and-mortar business! My business is being a "Used Merchandise Reseller", aka selling on Facebook Marketplace and eBay. Check out these 2 videos to feel more confidant about getting your own biz cards today: th-cam.com/video/kDLrXxHfTrA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=DnTC6Hbvr9lCNpsY and th-cam.com/video/5zMNhGLbZcg/w-d-xo.htmlsi=tKtyORO8AfR0O3UG Biz cards are where all the points are at to keep playing this game long-term! :)

@@leenontravel thanks so much!

We booked Air Maui's Complete Island 60 Minute tour. It was the best $ ever spent on a vacation! airmaui.com/complete-island-helicopter-tour/ We did book it through Viator because Southwest Rapid Rewards shopping portal offers 6x for Viator, plus we didn't have to pay until a few days before, and I earned Viator rewards for $ off future tours.

@@leenontravel thanks and great video!

@@leenontravel can I ask how you found the email for the Hyatt? Was it just on their website?

@@mikeastorga871 You always have to do some Googling to find the manager's email for that specific property. For Maui it's fred.findlen@hyatt.com

Hi @todanator! You are correct in that the current SW Biz card promotion is broken up into 2 legs. A grand total of $15k would need to be spent by December 31st to make this 1-year Companion Pass work for you. It's really for those people whose Chase velocity has been high and they just want to focus on one card for the next 4 months. You Do Not Need to wait until October to get your $5k spend in... just get it done asap! :) Leen's Referral Link which includes all the details for each card: www.referyourchasecard.com/226p/BUX695I42A

Good question @mberrynunez! Ok so banks need to put that "business expenses only" statement to cover themselves due to the Credit Card Act of 2009. This act is all about consumer/personal credit card protections as they have a lot more protections than business cards. So banks need to make it clear that you are not protected by the Credit Card act with business expenditures, unlike personal expenditures. If you notice the Offers page on the business cards- a considerable amount of them are impossible to be business related. So that indicates to a lot of travel hackers that the banks expect people to be doing a mix of spending on them. What you report to the IRS for your business expenditures is a totally different thing though, but our banks do not communicate with the IRS. Additionally, Chase has no idea what is purchased with the card, or if something is business or personal. Businesses all the time buy supplies and drinks/snacks at grocery stores, use gas stations, and pay utilities. Of course, if you're not comfortable using your biz card for personal expenses, don't do it! But know that most of us travel hackers do do it, and there's never been a credit card police out there inquiring, let alone punishing us for it. :)

Thanks eprohoda!!

That's amazing! I cannot wait to go back to Maui. What were your biggest roadblocks with travel hacking before?

Thank you joerampley!!

@@leenontravel your welcome

@@joerampley1562 Thanks!

Good question and suggestion for a video! For now- A Hyatt Club Lounge provides free breakfast, snacks and drinks throughout the day, and dinner. You can earn Club Access Awards when you have 20 qualifying nights in a calendar year (you can earn 5 nights just by holding the Hyatt credit card, and 2 per $5k spend on the card). Or be gifted a Club Access Award or Hyatt Globalist status, which also earns you access. Finally, you can also just book a Club Level room with points or ask at checkin to pay cash for access to the club. At Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego I was able to pay just $75 per day for Club Access for my entire family. Well worth it!

@@leenontravel awesome!! And qualifying nights are probably only those you pay cash for? (Not points?) Love your videos!

@@kelseyk464 There are several ways you get qualifying nights. You can get them when staying the night at a Hyatt- whether you stay in cash OR points! You automatically earn 5 qualifying nights just by holding the World of Hyatt personal credit card. And then for every $5k that you spend on that credit card, they give you another 2 qualifying nights. Finally, through some Hyatt promotions I've earned several free qualifying nights too. It was crazy fast how quickly I earned my first 2 Club Access Awards by reaching that 20 qualifying nights (and no, I didn't stay 20 nights. lol)

I got a video made on earning them! Earn Hyatt’s Club Access Awards for Free Food! #travelhacking th-cam.com/video/J2DS8bxiKRY/w-d-xo.html thanks for the great suggestion. 😀

That is a myth! Since travel hacking, my credit score has gotten higher and that is the norm for us travel hackers! Previously was 780 or so, now is 805. It has to do with the FICO ratios and the increased amount of credit available to me (not utilized, just available). I’ve got an article/ video about this very myth: leenontravel.weebly.com/learn-more/what-about-my-credit-score

@@leenontravel I mean to say that part off the credit score calculation is the overall age of the credit accounts. Ergo, opening new accounts regularly keeps that number low. EDIT: Spelling

That is very true! Since this part of your FICO score makes up only 15% of your total score, thats why it really doesn’t affect it much at all in the grand scheme of things.

Hi! Thanks for watching our video! The construction was a non-factor when we were there other than the fact that there was no grotto to enjoy. It didn’t reduce the sitting area around the pool at all. The construction is sort of between the two pools and doesn’t spill out into the lounging area. As far as noise goes, it was not noisy at all, at least while we were there. It’s totally still worth going in my opinion!

@@leenontravel Thank you so much!

Hi! Did you end up staying at the Hyatt Regency Maui? How was it?

@@leenontravel yes it was amazing!! It would have been nice to have the new pool/grotto area but the construction didn’t bother us and all of the hotel credits/discounts they are giving made it so worth it 😊

@@lmc1234oooh what sort of credits and discounts did you get? All I got was an upgraded room, but only because I asked beforehand. lol😂

Thanks! I’d love to get you there!!!

Nope, there’s not. But you can use your Visa/Mastercard gift cards for Amazon payment though!