I feel like the benefits here are outweighed by annual fees - the Chase card is obviated by a platinum Amex as is the hotel card. Keep your money and spend it directly on travel and stick to one trifecta
Thank you for this video. In September I got both the csp and the freedom. I had no idea what cards to selected to round out 5/24. Thank you so much!!!!
Would love a refresh of this for 2020/2021. Specifically wondering if Amex Platinum makes as much sense with also having the Hilton Ascend, given the gold status and Priority Pass.
New York or LA you can pick any of the big 3 (delta AA united) SF, DC or Denver pick united, Atlanta Detroit St. Paul or even Seattle pick Delta, Dallas Phoenix Miami and other east coast cities like Charlotte Philly or Boston pick AA, Chicago you can pick AA or united. For Alaska northwest cities or Alaska. If you live in Hawaii most likely Hawaiian.
I would switch the amex platinum to CSR or citi prestige. Platinum is a very situational card. If you don't live in a city with the Centurion lounge and don't use uber then it's hard to draw value. Also I would much prefer to pay for my flight with CSR or citi prestige because of the much better travel insurance. Amex once again is very limited, while the citi prestige provides trip cancelation, trip delay, baggage loss, baggage delay, and covers your whole extended family!, meanwhile amex is only yourself, spouse, and minor children. Citi will cover all the that plus your brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, fiance, adult children, etc..
I have to agree with you Dominic The platinum card is an over rated card about 3 weeks according to one of the tv stations or news I think it was cnn they put the Capitol1 venture ahead of American express where they belong. your correct the Chase Sapphire is a much much much better card than the platinum. you get 3x on any dining and any travel and is the only tier 4 card that earns more points than any down graded tier 3 card. the only thing the platinum card has is few more air port lounges. truthfully you can get a bite somewhere around any airport. the platinum card is a card that you only need to have when traveling.
@@marksantucci4230 I'd say the Amex Platinum is better for power domestic flyers (9+ roundtrip flights per year). Usually business travelers. While the CSR and Citi Prestige work out better for casual vacationers or people who have long trips overseas. Examples: Science expeditions, foreign exchange students, movie film crew and actors, international business,...etc.
I don't know if I will ever really get into the "game", but I do find it really interesting, especially in the category of travel. Thank you for the information and definitely some ideas to keep in mind for some future cards.
If you have 5 credit cards which one are you meant to spend on? You could end up with 1,000 points on each which isn’t worth much or 5,000 on one card which is more beneficial.
I chose CITI AA and SW airlines cards because I live in St Louis with bulk of my family in Dallas and New Orleans and Atlanta and we take Southwest for family trips to Mexico and Hawaii
I pretty much always fly First or Business, so the airline cards don't seem to have much to offer. Free checked bags/priority boarding/free refreshments etc. all come with the ticket. I might get one for the SUB at some point tho, when I'm finished getting my last two Chase cards. So far I have the Chase Marriott, Freedom, and Amex Platinum in the last 24 months, and I'm looking at the Sapphire and Freedom Unlimited to round out the last two Chase slots.
@@johnpena89 I'm assuming you travel on company business and the person in charge for reimbursing your expenses says get any card you want? I'm hoping I understand this correctly so your not looking for vacation personal card for business. if your going to be traveling a lot on business and your side of the Company will be paying the bill Chase Sapphire Preferred 2x on dining and travel 1 point on all other purchases spend 4,000 in 3 months get 50,000 points 625 in travel 500.00 in cash. Chase has transfer partners Kris flyer, south west, Jet Blue, British airways United plus one world alliances first year annual fee is waved then 95.00. 0 foreign trans action fee Citi has a card called Thank you Premiere 3x on travel 3x on gas 2x on dining and entertainment they have transfer partners I hear not as good as chase Sapphire same sign up bonus not sure if theres 25% more for using citi portal not sure about that same annual fee. Capitol1 Venture there sign up bonus is spend 3,000 in 3 months get 50,000 miles no portal so 50,000 miles equals 500.00 in travel 250.00 in cash but Capitol1 is 2x on all purchases so if you went to champs using your sapphire and spent 60.00 you would get 60 points with the Venture same spend you would get 120 miles. Capitol1 has 12 transfer partners but there out of the country. annual fee is the same as sapphire and Thank you premiere. Capitol1's other card is Venture 1 where the bonus sign up is spend 1,000 in 3 months and get 20,000 miles. on this card you only earn 1.25 miles per dollar spend I think it's the only tier 2 travel card with a sign up bonus. Bank of America doesn't wave the annual fee on their tier 3 travel card chase you can't apply for the Basic Sapphire anymore. Thank you Preferred you can apply for but theres no sign up bonus. with Venture 1 theres the sign up bonus but for point earning you only earn 1.25 miles no bonus category on this card. let us know if you have any other questions.
I'm a traveler for leisure. So each years i would take one or two vacation. One international and one domestic. When I travel I always use these threes. Amex Platinum Capital one Savor - 4% CB on dinning no international or annual fee. Capital one Quicksilver - 1.5% CB on everything no international or annual fee.
@@thnhle19490 You have some nice cards is the Savor card the original and they grandfathered you an up grade to Savor and you never have to pay an annual fee or did you recently apply for the card if so after this year are you going to keep Savor or are you down grading to Savor 1 or are you product changing over to Venture1? for my purchases on restaurant's I'm using my Chase Sapphire preferred department stores this week and quarter I'm using my Us bank cash card when purchasing a gift card I've been using my American Express blue cash card for items I've been using my Capitol1 venture1.
Hey Credit Shifu! excellent video... The only thing that I would disagree with is that I would use my Platinum AMEX card for Uber instead of the CSP OR CSR, because of the fact that we receive a $200 annual uber credit... Other than that, great video! I plan on getting the CSP card when I am under Chase's 5/24 rule.
Interesting line up. At the end when you were going over variations with the CSR, I think you also could have switched out the Amex Platinum card for a lower tiered card with better non-bonus category spend like Freedom Unlimited or Amex Blue Business+.
Hey, Credit Shifu, how do use two cards, for example, I have the Chase Preferred and the Amex Platinum, how do I use them together? Should I call the Airline, or show them to the concierge when reaching the airport, or another option? Thanks, great channel btw!
Great video. I just started the credit card game in the summer. I started with the chase trifecta to avoid the 5/24 rule. I have the CSR. However, after this video i may downgrade it to the CSP when I start working on my American Express card system and use your default system. However i know the CSR offers benefits such as the car rental insurance, and the extended warranty. Not sure if other cards offer that 🤔
Great advice, I like the sound of the Hilton honors card. I'm from the UK and have the British Airways Amex card, they use avios which also shares across partners, the main two for me other than BA being Japan Airlines for Japan and Aer Lingus to visit my parents in Ireland. I'm looking for a good no foreign transaction card, just don't know which to go for.
@ The Credit Shifu, How much should one spend on travel and dining each year to make getting a travel card (Capital venture or sapphire preferred) worth it? According to recent CNBC article, they said it as at least $8,600 spent on travel and dining per year. Can you answer please
I have the Halifax Clarity Card here in the UK. 0 fees abroad, and gave me a generous limit so cant complain. If our Amex Gold Cards were also 0% non-sterling fees like the US equivalents, I'd probably have one of those!
I travel quite a bit. I have the chase trifecta with the csr; not csp. I also have the United, Old Hyatt, Old IHG, Amex Delta Platinum, Hilton Aspire and SPG Preferred. The fees total almost $1500. I’m taking my gf to Japan for 12 days next year and it’s costing me 0$. 0$!!! Just think about that....plus I have Diamond status at Hilton’s and Platinum Elite at Intercontinentals. This trip would probably cost 10k, out if pocket...it’s worth it. Just be careful and don’t overt stretch yourself ppl!
If I had to choose 5 cards it would be the CSR, CF, PRG, BBP, and IHG. If personal cards only I would swap out the BBP for the EDP or Venture Card. Something for general non cat spend that would get you more that 1 ppd.
I Have the Chase Sapphire preferred it's an ok card using right now at restaurants only. is a hotel card a travel card or a hotel card? yes I know when you go to a hotel your traveling. But I categorize travel as more like the Thank you cards and Bank of America travel card like Discover miles card? when going onto Nerd wallet and seeing your choices low interest, cash back and Travel the hotel cards fall under travel. but for 5 essential travel cards Hotel cards shouldn't be mentioned? Marriott earns 2x on all purchases except Marriott stays I don't know about starwood preferred guest? Gold card member since 1958 classic but not at 250.00 I liked it when it was 75.00? very nice video. I only have 2 travel cards Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capitol1 Venture 1.
Do u have to book the hotel room in order to be able to use the platinum status? Cause if i have a ton of points on a hotel card and use that, then i wouldnt get any upgrades for having the platinum card, right?
I got approved as for a Chase card as my 7th in 24months.. Chase only sees Equifax report. IF U have cards that is does not show up inEqifax report, then u can fit in 5/24 rule irrespective of the no. of cards u have. Eg. Deserve Edu doesn't show up in Equifax
Can I even get both a gold and a platinum card? I already have a gold and don't want to give up my 4x dining bonus. I see where I can upgrade my gold but with no signup bonus.
Yes you can. Upgrading = no new signup bonus but they wont open a new credit line. If you want to keep your gold then you can apply for a platinum also. keep in mind however the chase 5/24 rule.
Seems like you are preferring the Platinum over the CSR? The CSR is still the best card on the market right now in my opinion. Amex wins in lounge perks but chase blows amex out of the water for point value. I don't think restricting the Priority pass lounge guest number is a huge deal considering its quite difficult to find a decent priority pass lounge in the US
According to my internet search hilton has 570 properties while hyatt has more. If you wanted sheer amount of properties Marriott or IHG probably would be better. Unless im missing something with hilton.
the 570 number is just properties branded "Hilton" it doesn't include any of their other brands like Conrad, or on the lower end Hampton Inn etc... so their actual total number of properties is actually 5,284
Ok. What’s with the amex gold card?? The perks are so specific. Too specific. You barely make the annual fee back without the points, and that’s if you actually eat at those specific places. Green card seems like a great that just came out. I never fell for the gold card hype because it just doesn’t add up.
I’ve heard on various forums and Reddit that buying Seamless/Grubhub gift cards can trigger the Amex Gold dining credit. I know this doesn’t work for the other dining partners, but can someone verify this? I have my doubts.
Hey mate have checked the latest offer from Amex it's giving you 50% more on points when you transfer to Hilton I think it's a great new perk we from Amex . Cheers!!!
Hey Ben, My question is, To whom these travel cards will be beneficial?, I mean how frequent one has to travel per annum to avail these benefits and do some justification to the annual fee. Also hotels, How frequent one has to stay at hotels to apply for these cards. what is your recommendation? It would be interesting if you can do a video on recommending travel cards or hotel cards depending on the tiers of people usage level.
Usha Lokala Hotel cards are worth it if you stay at their properties quite often during a year (3+ times). Airline cards that give you a checked bag free and priority boarding give positive value if you travel 4+ times a year. Those mid-tier airline cards tend to be $95, and checked bags cost about $25.
You probably wouldn't need an airline, hotel, or premium card. I would suggest you apply for the sapphire preferred to get the sign up bonus and then downgrade if you aren't getting enough points to counteract the annual fee+opportunity cost of having potentially used another Chase card on the downgrade path(unlimited/freedom). Before you downgrade, I would transfer your points to your most used airline through Chase transfer partners program. Overall, since you only travel once a year, keep it simple and stick with one system (amex or chase). Let me know if you have any questions on this
@@darkl0rd33 or she can down grade to the Chase Sapphire the basic sapphire which blows away the Freedom unlimited Just to mention 1 thing the Freedoms are cash back cards. or she can apply for either Capitol1 venture cards which you can both apply for in the branch 1 card has a sign up bonus of spend 3,000 in three months get 50,000 miles all miles are doubled and the annual fee is waved year 1 then a 95.00 annual fee and can be down graded to Venture 1 which earns 1.25 miles? or she can apply for Venture 1 spend 1,000 a savings of 2 off the Venture 3 off the Sapphire in 3 months get 20,000 miles and all miles are 1.25 miles?/ with the chase cards I realize you have transfer partners to Us flights but being Us flights are short it might make sense to suggest a card that has 12 transfer partners to foreign travel and then she can use her miles on any us flight redeeming her miles on any Us flight. with chase can you apply for either Sapphire card the Preferred or basic sapphire in the branch?
@@marksantucci4230 the freedom and freedom unlimited actually accumulate ultimate rewards points not cash back. Also not too sure but I think you can only apply for sapphire reserve or preferred (not regular sapphire anymore). CapitalOne venture card is an interesting pick. The 75k sign up bonus is great if you can make 5k spend. Downsides to this card are the poor redemption rates for airlines (1.5 venture points gets you only 1 airline point..worse for newly added Singapore 2:1 ratio)
@@darkl0rd33 technically it CAN be a cashback card but who would cash out UR points? Yeah you can only downgrade to a sapphire from the csp or csr. I wouldn't do the regular sapphire though. I would do the freedom due to the rotating catagories.
One comment here though. I guess your message is to combine these cards and focus to get their sign up bonuses. While it's great first year or two, but then those $1,085 (or even $1,440)annual fees are a bit of a challenge for a person with moderate travel habits. Even with the offset credits, like travel credits and that stupid grubhub/cheesecakefactory limping credits. So the message here is twofolds, with a bit of a challenge after 2 years.
You don't need to combine. It's 5 options presented to you where u can decide what is best according to your travel needs. However, combining certain Chase cards can really have a benefit.
Terence H I run Charles schwabb Amex plat ( for the 1.25 cash redemption because I am a big cruiser and Amex only does .7 CPP on cruise redemption), Amex Gold and blue business plus so I always get atleast .2x back on all my Amex purchases. But I also have the chase marriot business card just so I have a useful Visa card with no FX fee so I always have a card that my rewards build into a program I use and I don’t use much hotels BUT, when I do I use marriot when we go on vacation. I spend about $900 in annual fees but it is worth every dollar.
Could you please do the same for the UK? it's a bit different there... Also, as I've commented on another video before, many people who travel a lot already have a status with an airline and a hotel chain (like myself - Star Alliance Gold and Marriot Titanium), which is far better than anything a credit card can offer... could you make an alternative recommendation taking this assumption into consideration (no need for free status)? And finally, what are the hottest cards for 2019?
Hey CS , I have been a Authorized User for the past month and went from Zero Credit to a 720 credit score . I then applied for a Chase Freedom card and got Denied . Just before becoming a AU I got a Capitol One secured card with a $300 dollar limit to try and build credit . You have any advice you can throw my way ?
Ugh. 2 months ago i got the discover it card. I wanna apply for the bank of anerica credit card for the $150 bonus but my girlfriend says i dont need more than 1 card. No matter how much i try to explain it and show it to her she says she dosent wanna end up in debt. But so far i only have spend money on my discover card if ive had it in my bank account. Whats a good way to convence her we are actually earning money with credit cards? Im super excited for the 5% back at gas stations!
Yes and remember discover it has cashback match in the first year too! You could get a charge card like the Amex gold, since you have to pay in full every month, that could be a way to sell it to her
It's a nice card certainly a lot better than the IHg card. but since Discover got rid of there escape card and doesn't have a tier 3 card down grading to tier 2 and being Discover you can't transfer any miles like you can with Chase sapphire, Capitol1 and Citi Thank you cards being it's 5 essential travel cards some have to be eliminated. Discover miles is one of them good card overall which card do you like the best Barclay's Arrival Bank of America travel Discover miles?
It isn’t the same as the normal gold card, it earns points in the same way as platinum (1x everyday spending, 5x on flights, hotels) it also doesn’t get any of the credits of the gold or platinum, except, I believe, global entry
The Credit Shifu Thank you for clarifying. Earlier this week, I had talked to an AmEx rep through their online chat, and they made it sound like it’s a normal gold card. But I’m sure they were just selling it. I take your word for it. Thanks again for clarifying!
I make it a point to board last *after* the peasants when I'm flying economy plus with no carry on or when flying business knowing my overhead space won't be threatened. Then everyone gets to see me flexin' in upfront. When I'm boarding last and in economy, I do the walk of shame down the aisle and avoid eye contact at all costs.
Question concerning a "Credit Card Chess" move.... I currently have and use the Chase Trifecta religiously (CSR, CF, CFU). I have 40k UR points at the present moment (just blew through 100k in Africa!). I will more than likely be using this 3-card combo for all of my purchases for the foreseeable future. But I have a Vietnam adventure coming up in March (spelunking Son Doong Cave) and am trying to get my hands on as many points as possible to help fund it. My question is... Is it sill worth it to get the Amex Platinum SOLELY for the Centurion Lounge (I live in Las Vegas) and for the 60k SUB even if I can't get the 100K? (BTW- Any secrets on how to get offered the 100k?) I am a bachelor and not a huge spender, nor do I own a business. When I travel I do so purely for personal/enjoyment reasons as opposed to work or business. I stay in hostels, cheap hotels/motels, or BnB's when outside of the U.S. and cheap hotels when needed in U.S. (which isn't very often). So I don't think I have any use for any Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, etc. perks. I also don't think I'd ever spend enough to "need" two high AF cards. So I'd only have the Amex Plat for the Centurion Lounges, the Uber credit, and the SUB. All of the other perks would be redundant because of my CSR. I know I can downgrade my CSR to CSP and then get the Amex Plat, but I love my CSR is kind of like my baby lol. My emotions say "GET IT! I WANT IT!", logic and reason are telling me otherwise. Thoughts? and Thanks! (FYI- I already have the CO Venture but never use it, so I can't get the new 75k SUB)
No you can't. When applying for a business credit card it will ask you for the federal tax ID of the company also know as EIN. Which is the number assigned to a company to report taxes among other things. Is like the SSN for a personal credit. But that's not it, there will be a list of questions in regards to the company profile as well...
I love my IHG Rewards Club Card....$49/yr with a free night. Using it at the Intercontinental in Tokyo later this month. Chase has been trying to bait me to *_upgrade_* my card to their IHG premier for a mere 5000 points. HAHAHHAHAHH AHAHA...NEVER! They can pry this card away from my cold dead hands!!!....or if they just change the T&C's.
Great video! I am considering the new AMEX Gold but also have an offer from Delta for its AMEX Gold card. Any possible downside to going with the Delta one vs. dealing with AMEX directly??
Hey Larry, I was in the same boat and was trying to choose between both of those cards, being that they both can be used for flights and travel, BUT the main difference is one is a CC and the other is a charge card. With that being said, how you pay them back is totally different. With the Delta, you can pay it back monthly, and with the Gold you have to pay ALL back by the end of the month. That should be one of your main deciding factors. Also, you have to look at your current and future travel plans. As he said in the video, you'd want to choose what hub is local to you, as you'd more likely to use that airline. So if Delta isn't your main hub or doesn't have a big presence their, then the Gold may be a better bet so you can use those points to whatever airline is most beneficial for you. I watched videos, read reviews and sites and weighed what makes sense to me and decided to go with the Delta card (I JUST signed up today) as Delta is not only my main hub, but I already am a member and have flown with them for years. I hope that helps!
Hi Shifu Im new to they this CC cards Ive always had a chase freedom didn't use much always a cash guy. But I was watching a video on the Platinum Amex and applied through a youtube video was accepted and I need to spend 5000$ in 3 months for 70k points. I had a credit score of 757 is it because I have no bills or 0 balance on all my accounts have no mortgage or any payments. and now I applied again and capital one venture denied me. why?? I was accepted for the Platinum just 30 minutes earlier. I want to get into the churning because I travel a lot. your videos are going to save me a lot. I could have saved soooo much if I new all the perks 10 years ago. I used to think centurion lounge was only for millionaires"I envied them so much". I am currently living in China and work here part time and vacationing part time all the time. where they don't accept Amex much here so I want to go to the Chase Saphire Reserve, ( I saw your video about the 2 cards overlap each other in perks but don't mind spending the extra $450 annual fee) but am afraid that they might deny me too. ( afraid to apply so soon again) since getting my amex platinum. My credit went down to a 690. why???. was it because of Amex Platinum acceptance and Captiol one hard inquiry? will it go back up over time? when? can I meet my minimum spend on platinum with the gold card they give you for free when you have the platinum? or is it separate account? I want the 4x points for groceries since I own a restaurant in USA and need to buy $1000 every other day at a wholesale grocery warehouse. can I do that? I want all the points I can earn. I spend a lot every month ! can I swipe $5000 at my restaurant? to meet the spending minimum? will amex be suspicious or should I do it slowly. I am now a loyal subscriber of you and SEbby. please take the time to reply me and can't find it on google anywhere. really need some help as my Platinum card arrives tomorrow. Thanks.
*You don't want to be boarding last with the peasants
i got to say i like this dark side of shifu, Liked
achillesfury hahhahaa that was the best comment he made
If everyone follows this advice and gets premium travel cards, someone will still be last.
I prefer to board last. Boarding first is only useful for overhead bin space.
@@cybern9ne its not exclusive when 40 million people have it
achillesfury hahahhaa i gotta say ! I heard that had to replay a couple times 🤣 made my day
He had me at "you don't want to be boarding last with the peasants", lol
"You don't want to be boarding last with the peasants!" LOL
I dare say this could be a defining Shifu Quote™ to live by. :)
The reason I saved this video, for that one quote.
Credit card TH-camrs can board with pilot and sit in cockpit.
Thanks to you, I just applied for the rose gold AMEX and was approved.
I feel like the benefits here are outweighed by annual fees - the Chase card is obviated by a platinum Amex as is the hotel card. Keep your money and spend it directly on travel and stick to one trifecta
Brian Perrin I agree
Thank you for this video. In September I got both the csp and the freedom. I had no idea what cards to selected to round out 5/24. Thank you so much!!!!
Would love a refresh of this for 2020/2021. Specifically wondering if Amex Platinum makes as much sense with also having the Hilton Ascend, given the gold status and Priority Pass.
Are gas cards useful? Or would you be able to find the same gas-related rewards & other rewards as well, with a different card altogether?
New York or LA you can pick any of the big 3 (delta AA united) SF, DC or Denver pick united, Atlanta Detroit St. Paul or even Seattle pick Delta, Dallas Phoenix Miami and other east coast cities like Charlotte Philly or Boston pick AA, Chicago you can pick AA or united. For Alaska northwest cities or Alaska. If you live in Hawaii most likely Hawaiian.
What about LasVegas?
@@lienecarter6411 no airline really has a hub there I think. Closest to an airline having a hub in vegas would be southwest
I would switch the amex platinum to CSR or citi prestige. Platinum is a very situational card. If you don't live in a city with the Centurion lounge and don't use uber then it's hard to draw value. Also I would much prefer to pay for my flight with CSR or citi prestige because of the much better travel insurance. Amex once again is very limited, while the citi prestige provides trip cancelation, trip delay, baggage loss, baggage delay, and covers your whole extended family!, meanwhile amex is only yourself, spouse, and minor children. Citi will cover all the that plus your brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, fiance, adult children, etc..
This is a very valid point of consideration. Especially if you're someone that constantly encounters issues while traveling.
I have to agree with you Dominic The platinum card is an over rated card about 3 weeks according to one of the tv stations or news I think it was cnn they put the Capitol1 venture ahead of American express where they belong. your correct the Chase Sapphire is a much much much better card than the platinum. you get 3x on any dining and any travel and is the only tier 4 card that earns more points than any down graded tier 3 card. the only thing the platinum card has is few more air port lounges. truthfully you can get a bite somewhere around any airport. the platinum card is a card that you only need to have when traveling.
@@marksantucci4230 I'd say the Amex Platinum is better for power domestic flyers (9+ roundtrip flights per year). Usually business travelers. While the CSR and Citi Prestige work out better for casual vacationers or people who have long trips overseas. Examples: Science expeditions, foreign exchange students, movie film crew and actors, international business,...etc.
Not to mention the international points multipliers. You only get 1x for dining/travel overseas.
@@dh2266 Well 1x on dinning with Amex Gold and Platinum overseas. Airfare still gets 5x for Platinum and 3x for Gold anywhere in the world.
I don't know if I will ever really get into the "game", but I do find it really interesting, especially in the category of travel. Thank you for the information and definitely some ideas to keep in mind for some future cards.
If you have 5 credit cards which one are you meant to spend on? You could end up with 1,000 points on each which isn’t worth much or 5,000 on one card which is more beneficial.
I chose CITI AA and SW airlines cards because I live in St Louis with bulk of my family in Dallas and New Orleans and Atlanta and we take Southwest for family trips to Mexico and Hawaii
If I have a delta gold and Amex gold Wich to use for flights with delta?
I pretty much always fly First or Business, so the airline cards don't seem to have much to offer. Free checked bags/priority boarding/free refreshments etc. all come with the ticket. I might get one for the SUB at some point tho, when I'm finished getting my last two Chase cards. So far I have the Chase Marriott, Freedom, and Amex Platinum in the last 24 months, and I'm looking at the Sapphire and Freedom Unlimited to round out the last two Chase slots.
This is such a good video not sure why it took me so long to find! Do an updated video that would be aweosome!
This is great I’m actually looking into travel cards and this helped out a lot
Are you looking for any suggestions? will you traveling on company business, vacation or do you just want a travel card?
Mark Santucci I’m not looking for a travel business card just a personal card but I can take some suggestions into consideration
@@johnpena89 I'm assuming you travel on company business and the person in charge for reimbursing your expenses says get any card you want? I'm hoping I understand this correctly so your not looking for vacation personal card for business.
if your going to be traveling a lot on business and your side of the Company will be paying the bill
Chase Sapphire Preferred 2x on dining and travel 1 point on all other purchases spend 4,000 in 3 months get 50,000 points 625 in travel 500.00 in cash. Chase has transfer partners Kris flyer, south west, Jet Blue, British airways United plus one world alliances
first year annual fee is waved then 95.00. 0 foreign trans action fee
Citi has a card called Thank you Premiere 3x on travel 3x on gas 2x on dining and entertainment they have transfer partners I hear not as good as chase Sapphire same sign up bonus not sure if theres 25% more for using citi portal not sure about that
same annual fee.
Capitol1 Venture there sign up bonus is spend 3,000 in 3 months get 50,000 miles no portal so 50,000 miles equals 500.00 in travel 250.00 in cash but Capitol1 is 2x on all purchases so if you went to champs using your sapphire and spent 60.00 you would get 60 points with the Venture same spend you would get 120 miles. Capitol1 has 12 transfer partners but there out of the country.
annual fee is the same as sapphire and Thank you premiere.
Capitol1's other card is Venture 1 where the bonus sign up is spend 1,000 in 3 months and get 20,000 miles. on this card you only earn 1.25 miles per dollar spend I think it's the only tier 2 travel card with a sign up bonus.
Bank of America doesn't wave the annual fee on their tier 3 travel card
chase you can't apply for the Basic Sapphire anymore.
Thank you Preferred you can apply for but theres no sign up bonus.
with Venture 1 theres the sign up bonus but for point earning you only earn 1.25 miles no bonus category on this card.
let us know if you have any other questions.
I'm a traveler for leisure. So each years i would take one or two vacation. One international and one domestic. When I travel I always use these threes.
Amex Platinum
Capital one Savor - 4% CB on dinning no international or annual fee.
Capital one Quicksilver - 1.5% CB on everything no international or annual fee.
@@thnhle19490 You have some nice cards is the Savor card the original and they grandfathered you an up grade to Savor and you never have to pay an annual fee or did you recently apply for the card if so after this year are you going to keep Savor or are you down grading to Savor 1 or are you product changing over to Venture1?
for my purchases on restaurant's I'm using my Chase Sapphire preferred
department stores this week and quarter I'm using my Us bank cash card
when purchasing a gift card I've been using my American Express blue cash card
for items I've been using my Capitol1 venture1.
Hey Credit Shifu! excellent video... The only thing that I would disagree with is that I would use my Platinum AMEX card for Uber instead of the CSP OR CSR, because of the fact that we receive a $200 annual uber credit... Other than that, great video! I plan on getting the CSP card when I am under Chase's 5/24 rule.
Interesting line up. At the end when you were going over variations with the CSR, I think you also could have switched out the Amex Platinum card for a lower tiered card with better non-bonus category spend like Freedom Unlimited or Amex Blue Business+.
Hey, Credit Shifu, how do use two cards, for example, I have the Chase Preferred and the Amex Platinum, how do I use them together? Should I call the Airline, or show them to the concierge when reaching the airport, or another option? Thanks, great channel btw!
Add Chase Freedom and Freedom Unlimited for the Chase UR trifecta.
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card annual fee really waived for the first year? I was about to apply for this but it does not say it is waived..
It used to be, but now with the 60k bonus, it is not
Great video. I just started the credit card game in the summer. I started with the chase trifecta to avoid the 5/24 rule. I have the CSR. However, after this video i may downgrade it to the CSP when I start working on my American Express card system and use your default system. However i know the CSR offers benefits such as the car rental insurance, and the extended warranty. Not sure if other cards offer that 🤔
Got a question for you. Lets say you have CSR amd United. How to you get the 3X from CSR and untilize the United card benefit?
Can you do another one of these videos for 2021?
I actually think that the Amex Hilton aspire could be a substitute for Amex platinum as a premium card, for people who aren’t picky
Thanks for making this video I understand more about the travel credit card and the hotel card
Most helpful video ever. Thanks!
Great advice, I like the sound of the Hilton honors card. I'm from the UK and have the British Airways Amex card, they use avios which also shares across partners, the main two for me other than BA being Japan Airlines for Japan and Aer Lingus to visit my parents in Ireland. I'm looking for a good no foreign transaction card, just don't know which to go for.
I also have that UK BA Amex actually, was my first UK rewards credit card
Also Chase made their new design update ugly for the Chase Sapphire Cards. I preferred the old design.
@ The Credit Shifu, How much should one spend on travel and dining each year to make getting a travel card (Capital venture or sapphire preferred) worth it? According to recent CNBC article, they said it as at least $8,600 spent on travel and dining per year. Can you answer please
Can you please do best international cards. Thanks
I have the Halifax Clarity Card here in the UK. 0 fees abroad, and gave me a generous limit so cant complain. If our Amex Gold Cards were also 0% non-sterling fees like the US equivalents, I'd probably have one of those!
Would you say get the delta gold or platinum for seattle?
I travel quite a bit. I have the chase trifecta with the csr; not csp. I also have the United, Old Hyatt, Old IHG, Amex Delta Platinum, Hilton Aspire and SPG Preferred. The fees total almost $1500.
I’m taking my gf to Japan for 12 days next year and it’s costing me 0$. 0$!!! Just think about that....plus I have Diamond status at Hilton’s and Platinum Elite at Intercontinentals.
This trip would probably cost 10k, out if pocket...it’s worth it. Just be careful and don’t overt stretch yourself ppl!
Eh
Thank you ! This is a GREAT strategy ! I currently have only 2 cards. A tier 1 card and a Chase Freedom Unlimited.
Do these cards charge international fees to use outside of US? I like my Charles Schwab because they dont, but these have more benefits
Hi Shifu,
Do you have recommendations for cards for those who are based in EUrope?
So all these years, I've been a peasant.
It's about time to upgrade.
Nice update Mr. Shifu! I always enjoy your videos...
But you can’t get both Marriott and spg nowadays right?
If I had to choose 5 cards it would be the CSR, CF, PRG, BBP, and IHG. If personal cards only I would swap out the BBP for the EDP or Venture Card. Something for general non cat spend that would get you more that 1 ppd.
A lot of people preach hyatt, but I've been seeing a lot of people who swear by IHG. What's makes it better?
Kyle Bender free night of any hotel at any time plus the hotel status that can be matched by other hotel brands
Does the travel credit work with websites/apps like Hopper?
I Have the Chase Sapphire preferred it's an ok card using right now at restaurants only. is a hotel card a travel card or a hotel card? yes I know when you go to a hotel your traveling. But I categorize travel as more like the Thank you cards and Bank of America travel card like Discover miles card?
when going onto Nerd wallet and seeing your choices low interest, cash back and Travel the hotel cards fall under travel. but for 5 essential travel cards
Hotel cards shouldn't be mentioned?
Marriott earns 2x on all purchases except Marriott stays I don't know about starwood preferred guest?
Gold card member since 1958 classic but not at 250.00 I liked it when it was 75.00?
very nice video.
I only have 2 travel cards Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capitol1 Venture 1.
Do u have to book the hotel room in order to be able to use the platinum status? Cause if i have a ton of points on a hotel card and use that, then i wouldnt get any upgrades for having the platinum card, right?
I got approved as for a Chase card as my 7th in 24months.. Chase only sees Equifax report. IF U have cards that is does not show up inEqifax report, then u can fit in 5/24 rule irrespective of the no. of cards u have.
Eg. Deserve Edu doesn't show up in Equifax
Do the SPG free nights stack? SPG business, SPG personal, and Marriot Premeir Plus?
Can I even get both a gold and a platinum card? I already have a gold and don't want to give up my 4x dining bonus. I see where I can upgrade my gold but with no signup bonus.
Yes you can. Upgrading = no new signup bonus but they wont open a new credit line. If you want to keep your gold then you can apply for a platinum also. keep in mind however the chase 5/24 rule.
“Boarding last with the peasants” 😂
Man this channel rocks
How much do you need to spend to hold a Amex platinum and gold card the same time. That’s $800 in annual fees
Thanks this is the breakdown I was looking for - I will modify to my needs but still not board with peasants or pay for breakfast 🥞
Seems like you are preferring the Platinum over the CSR? The CSR is still the best card on the market right now in my opinion. Amex wins in lounge perks but chase blows amex out of the water for point value. I don't think restricting the Priority pass lounge guest number is a huge deal considering its quite difficult to find a decent priority pass lounge in the US
Except that using an Amex card as your everyday spend card... For travel is Amex isn't taken abroad as much.
According to my internet search hilton has 570 properties while hyatt has more. If you wanted sheer amount of properties Marriott or IHG probably would be better. Unless im missing something with hilton.
John Tran does this include all the other types of properties that are included in the Hilton group? That sounds pretty low to me
the 570 number is just properties branded "Hilton" it doesn't include any of their other brands like Conrad, or on the lower end Hampton Inn etc... so their actual total number of properties is actually 5,284
@@TheCreditShifu Ah i see. Thanks for the clarification!
Ok. What’s with the amex gold card?? The perks are so specific. Too specific. You barely make the annual fee back without the points, and that’s if you actually eat at those specific places. Green card seems like a great that just came out. I never fell for the gold card hype because it just doesn’t add up.
This was a very informative video thank you so much!
Just got my rose gold card!!! Super excited
so if you can only get one travel card you would get the preffered over the reserve
I’ve heard on various forums and Reddit that buying Seamless/Grubhub gift cards can trigger the Amex Gold dining credit. I know this doesn’t work for the other dining partners, but can someone verify this? I have my doubts.
ezioaltairac why would u buy a gift card? What you get is a gift card lol
I mean if you’re not going to use the credit that month then you lose it. At least with the gift card you still have that $10.
ezioaltairac grubhub is a shitty app though
Postmates and Uber eats way better
David well neither of them are Amex Gold dining credit partners. Anyway, do you know if buying GH/SL gift cards triggers the statement credit?
ezioaltairac so what ? Lol and no
If you live on the west coast, the Alaska card is a no brainier...especially with that $99 companion fare.
Great video but I have a question what if I don't travel often say maybe twice every 3 year's does it still make sense to consider these cards
What happened to the capital one venture card??
don't mind them it's the best credit card right now.
Hey mate have checked the latest offer from Amex it's giving you 50% more on points when you transfer to Hilton I think it's a great new perk we from Amex . Cheers!!!
yes I saw that too
Song name at end?
Don't want to board with the peasants 😂
Awesome video shifu!
0:11 yes, very specific indeed. That was my sixth card
Hey Ben, My question is, To whom these travel cards will be beneficial?, I mean how frequent one has to travel per annum to avail these benefits and do some justification to the annual fee. Also hotels, How frequent one has to stay at hotels to apply for these cards. what is your recommendation? It would be interesting if you can do a video on recommending travel cards or hotel cards depending on the tiers of people usage level.
Usha Lokala Hotel cards are worth it if you stay at their properties quite often during a year (3+ times). Airline cards that give you a checked bag free and priority boarding give positive value if you travel 4+ times a year. Those mid-tier airline cards tend to be $95, and checked bags cost about $25.
"You don't want to be boarding last with the peasants" 😂 This guy...
Do a video showing all credit cards you own and why you have each!
we have one: th-cam.com/video/GMXFxYDaIU8/w-d-xo.html
United out of EWR! powerful place to live near. I had no trouble finding flights to and from Seoul
Can you do a video on what cards to have if you only travel once a year, domestically?
Depends, the CSP is a good card to have due to the points being super universal..but it comes with an annual fee of $95 but 1st year waived
You probably wouldn't need an airline, hotel, or premium card. I would suggest you apply for the sapphire preferred to get the sign up bonus and then downgrade if you aren't getting enough points to counteract the annual fee+opportunity cost of having potentially used another Chase card on the downgrade path(unlimited/freedom). Before you downgrade, I would transfer your points to your most used airline through Chase transfer partners program. Overall, since you only travel once a year, keep it simple and stick with one system (amex or chase). Let me know if you have any questions on this
@@darkl0rd33 or she can down grade to the Chase Sapphire the basic sapphire which blows away the Freedom unlimited Just to mention 1 thing the Freedoms are cash back cards.
or she can apply for either Capitol1 venture cards which you can both apply for in the branch 1 card has a sign up bonus of spend 3,000 in three months get 50,000 miles all miles are doubled and the annual fee is waved year 1 then a 95.00 annual fee and can be down graded to Venture 1 which earns 1.25 miles?
or she can apply for Venture 1 spend 1,000 a savings of 2 off the Venture 3 off the Sapphire in 3 months get 20,000 miles and all miles are 1.25 miles?/
with the chase cards I realize you have transfer partners to Us flights but being Us flights are short it might make sense to suggest a card that has 12 transfer partners to foreign travel and then she can use her miles on any us flight redeeming her miles on any Us flight.
with chase can you apply for either Sapphire card the Preferred or basic sapphire in the branch?
@@marksantucci4230 the freedom and freedom unlimited actually accumulate ultimate rewards points not cash back. Also not too sure but I think you can only apply for sapphire reserve or preferred (not regular sapphire anymore). CapitalOne venture card is an interesting pick. The 75k sign up bonus is great if you can make 5k spend. Downsides to this card are the poor redemption rates for airlines (1.5 venture points gets you only 1 airline point..worse for newly added Singapore 2:1 ratio)
@@darkl0rd33 technically it CAN be a cashback card but who would cash out UR points? Yeah you can only downgrade to a sapphire from the csp or csr. I wouldn't do the regular sapphire though. I would do the freedom due to the rotating catagories.
One comment here though. I guess your message is to combine these cards and focus to get their sign up bonuses. While it's great first year or two, but then those $1,085 (or even $1,440)annual fees are a bit of a challenge for a person with moderate travel habits. Even with the offset credits, like travel credits and that stupid grubhub/cheesecakefactory limping credits. So the message here is twofolds, with a bit of a challenge after 2 years.
You don't need to combine. It's 5 options presented to you where u can decide what is best according to your travel needs. However, combining certain Chase cards can really have a benefit.
I wouldn't say that the Amex Gold card dethroned the CSR! That's definitely not true!
You should do one about business cards or maybe part business and part personal
Terence H I run Charles schwabb Amex plat ( for the 1.25 cash redemption because I am a big cruiser and Amex only does .7 CPP on cruise redemption), Amex Gold and blue business plus so I always get atleast .2x back on all my Amex purchases. But I also have the chase marriot business card just so I have a useful Visa card with no FX fee so I always have a card that my rewards build into a program I use and I don’t use much hotels BUT, when I do I use marriot when we go on vacation.
I spend about $900 in annual fees but it is worth every dollar.
I'm not much of a Hotel person. Is there a card that heavily benefits Air BnB?
Mr Shifu what do u recommend for Mexico bound credit card hotel,airlines thank you 🙏 in advance
Anyone know airline hubs in Jacksonville or tampa
Isn't The Citi Prestige not accepting new card applications?
gabriel rubio they are next month
@@DavidMossMGS Thanks!
Could you please do the same for the UK? it's a bit different there...
Also, as I've commented on another video before, many people who travel a lot already have a status with an airline and a hotel chain (like myself - Star Alliance Gold and Marriot Titanium), which is far better than anything a credit card can offer... could you make an alternative recommendation taking this assumption into consideration (no need for free status)?
And finally, what are the hottest cards for 2019?
Not sure if you mentioned this, it’s better to not apply to any Amex card until you get targeted for the Amex Plat 100k offer
I thought about this too but it's a risk if you want to conciousely miss out on other great offers like the current Amex Gold 50k MR offer.
Hey CS , I have been a Authorized User for the past month and went from Zero Credit to a 720 credit score . I then applied for a Chase Freedom card and got Denied . Just before becoming a AU I got a Capitol One secured card with a $300 dollar limit to try and build credit . You have any advice you can throw my way ?
Ugh. 2 months ago i got the discover it card. I wanna apply for the bank of anerica credit card for the $150 bonus but my girlfriend says i dont need more than 1 card. No matter how much i try to explain it and show it to her she says she dosent wanna end up in debt. But so far i only have spend money on my discover card if ive had it in my bank account. Whats a good way to convence her we are actually earning money with credit cards? Im super excited for the 5% back at gas stations!
Yes and remember discover it has cashback match in the first year too! You could get a charge card like the Amex gold, since you have to pay in full every month, that could be a way to sell it to her
For what it’s worth, if I ever had to give you a test video award, this video here would receive it.
What if you have no money to live in hotels and you can only live in your car?
What about the Discover It Miles Card?
LoneWolf LOL discover
It's a nice card certainly a lot better than the IHg card. but since Discover got rid of there escape card and doesn't have a tier 3 card down grading to tier 2 and being Discover you can't transfer any miles like you can with Chase sapphire, Capitol1 and Citi Thank you cards being it's 5 essential travel cards some have to be eliminated. Discover miles is one of them good card overall
which card do you like the best
Barclay's Arrival
Bank of America travel
Discover miles?
If you have an AmEx Platinum card, you can have a free AmEx Gold card, right? Just double checking. I thought that might want to be known.
It isn’t the same as the normal gold card, it earns points in the same way as platinum (1x everyday spending, 5x on flights, hotels) it also doesn’t get any of the credits of the gold or platinum, except, I believe, global entry
The Credit Shifu Thank you for clarifying. Earlier this week, I had talked to an AmEx rep through their online chat, and they made it sound like it’s a normal gold card. But I’m sure they were just selling it. I take your word for it. Thanks again for clarifying!
I make it a point to board last *after* the peasants when I'm flying economy plus with no carry on or when flying business knowing my overhead space won't be threatened. Then everyone gets to see me flexin' in upfront. When I'm boarding last and in economy, I do the walk of shame down the aisle and avoid eye contact at all costs.
creditshifu since I am over 5/24, would you recommend applying for the barclay arrival plus card?
Question concerning a "Credit Card Chess" move....
I currently have and use the Chase Trifecta religiously (CSR, CF, CFU). I have 40k UR points at the present moment (just blew through 100k in Africa!). I will more than likely be using this 3-card combo for all of my purchases for the foreseeable future. But I have a Vietnam adventure coming up in March (spelunking Son Doong Cave) and am trying to get my hands on as many points as possible to help fund it.
My question is...
Is it sill worth it to get the Amex Platinum SOLELY for the Centurion Lounge (I live in Las Vegas) and for the 60k SUB even if I can't get the 100K? (BTW- Any secrets on how to get offered the 100k?)
I am a bachelor and not a huge spender, nor do I own a business. When I travel I do so purely for personal/enjoyment reasons as opposed to work or business. I stay in hostels, cheap hotels/motels, or BnB's when outside of the U.S. and cheap hotels when needed in U.S. (which isn't very often). So I don't think I have any use for any Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, etc. perks.
I also don't think I'd ever spend enough to "need" two high AF cards. So I'd only have the Amex Plat for the Centurion Lounges, the Uber credit, and the SUB. All of the other perks would be redundant because of my CSR.
I know I can downgrade my CSR to CSP and then get the Amex Plat, but I love my CSR is kind of like my baby lol.
My emotions say "GET IT! I WANT IT!", logic and reason are telling me otherwise.
Thoughts? and Thanks!
(FYI- I already have the CO Venture but never use it, so I can't get the new 75k SUB)
I’m 21 and have 3 of the 5.
I deliberately board last because i dont want to be caught up in the heard of cows, this makes me a peasant,,, 🤔🤔🤔 interesting
Can you get a business card if you dont have a business?
ITSstayfrosty yes you can, apply as a sole proprietorship
No you can't. When applying for a business credit card it will ask you for the federal tax ID of the company also know as EIN. Which is the number assigned to a company to report taxes among other things. Is like the SSN for a personal credit. But that's not it, there will be a list of questions in regards to the company profile as well...
@@npham1198 If you apply as a self employee, the application is based on your SSN.
@@claudiogamboa9824 Exactly your SSN replaces the EIN when applying as a sole proprietorship.
SPG Amex > Marriott Rewards Plus because it's first year waived
ah yeah, I forget that because i have had it for a few years now
I love my IHG Rewards Club Card....$49/yr with a free night. Using it at the Intercontinental in Tokyo later this month. Chase has been trying to bait me to *_upgrade_* my card to their IHG premier for a mere 5000 points. HAHAHHAHAHH AHAHA...NEVER! They can pry this card away from my cold dead hands!!!....or if they just change the T&C's.
#same and I have all 3 lol
Lol. Fight the man!
Great video! I am considering the new AMEX Gold but also have an offer from Delta for its AMEX Gold card. Any possible downside to going with the Delta one vs. dealing with AMEX directly??
Hey Larry, I was in the same boat and was trying to choose between both of those cards, being that they both can be used for flights and travel, BUT the main difference is one is a CC and the other is a charge card. With that being said, how you pay them back is totally different. With the Delta, you can pay it back monthly, and with the Gold you have to pay ALL back by the end of the month. That should be one of your main deciding factors. Also, you have to look at your current and future travel plans. As he said in the video, you'd want to choose what hub is local to you, as you'd more likely to use that airline. So if Delta isn't your main hub or doesn't have a big presence their, then the Gold may be a better bet so you can use those points to whatever airline is most beneficial for you. I watched videos, read reviews and sites and weighed what makes sense to me and decided to go with the Delta card (I JUST signed up today) as Delta is not only my main hub, but I already am a member and have flown with them for years. I hope that helps!
Thanks for the advice. I will keep it in mind when I make a decision.
@@dcunlimited
Can you make a video about building your credit for if your under 18.
Thanks, love the videos!
The Only way you can build under 18 is being a Co Signer on a Car LOAN or being co user on a Credit card from your Family
Ask your parents to add you as an authorized user on their credit cards. That's what I did.
Great video!!
Hi Shifu Im new to they this CC cards Ive always had a chase freedom didn't use much always a cash guy. But I was watching a video on the Platinum Amex and applied through a youtube video was accepted and I need to spend 5000$ in 3 months for 70k points. I had a credit score of 757 is it because I have no bills or 0 balance on all my accounts have no mortgage or any payments. and now I applied again and capital one venture denied me. why?? I was accepted for the Platinum just 30 minutes earlier. I want to get into the churning because I travel a lot. your videos are going to save me a lot. I could have saved soooo much if I new all the perks 10 years ago. I used to think centurion lounge was only for millionaires"I envied them so much". I am currently living in China and work here part time and vacationing part time all the time. where they don't accept Amex much here so I want to go to the Chase Saphire Reserve, ( I saw your video about the 2 cards overlap each other in perks but don't mind spending the extra $450 annual fee) but am afraid that they might deny me too. ( afraid to apply so soon again) since getting my amex platinum. My credit went down to a 690. why???. was it because of Amex Platinum acceptance and Captiol one hard inquiry? will it go back up over time? when? can I meet my minimum spend on platinum with the gold card they give you for free when you have the platinum? or is it separate account? I want the 4x points for groceries since I own a restaurant in USA and need to buy $1000 every other day at a wholesale grocery warehouse. can I do that? I want all the points I can earn. I spend a lot every month ! can I swipe $5000 at my restaurant? to meet the spending minimum? will amex be suspicious or should I do it slowly. I am now a loyal subscriber of you and SEbby. please take the time to reply me and can't find it on google anywhere. really need some help as my Platinum card arrives tomorrow. Thanks.