It is 100% practical if you know how to use your credit cards. I’ll tell you my opinion, for whatever it’s worth. I would personally NOT have a duo like Venture X + Platinum, a better option FOR ME would be the Venture X + Amex Gold. The reason being, I don’t travel enough to justify the $695 annual fee on the platinum. Also, if you have a venture x and platinum, you can’t combine the points so, you’d have to either travel a ton to make it worth having both credit cards OR you’d have to prioritize one over the other for traveling. If i had a venture x and platinum, i’d use the platinum for flights and the venture x for car rentals(10x), hotels(10x), and everything else(2x). Circling back to why i’d pick the Venture X + Amex Gold duo; i would use my venture x for everything travel related + “everything else” and i’d use the amex gold for dining and groceries(4x) which is probably the biggest spending category for the majority of us. So effectively, i’d have a duo that gives me 10x (hotel+car rentals), 5x (Flights), 2x (everything else), 4x (Dining out), and 4x (Groceries). With the amex platinum you only get 5x on flights and 5x on hotels which almost makes the card useless if you already have a travel card that offers 5x or more on flights and hotels. Where the platinum shines imo is the benefits and perks, but you get similar benefits/perks with other premium travel cards. I would honestly just research all the benefits of each card to really figure out whether the venture x + platinum would be a worthy duo. Again this was purely MY opinion based on MY lifestyle. What’s true for me, may not be true for you. But i hope this helps! I’m not an Amex expert by any means but, i have done a good amount of research and i’ve read through all the Amex “Offer & Benefits Terms”. As well as watched plenty of videos on the Amex Platinum. It’s definitely a very appealing card but, not a practical one for the majority of us. If you went the CSR route, i’d avoid the platinum altogether.
If you account for the points/cash back you're getting on top of your sign up bonus when paying for stuff that has credit card fees of about 2% (taxes, tuition, etc.) you really only spend between 0-0.5% of the purchase amount and sometimes you can even get ahead
Don't forget about opening up a high yield savings account with the card issuer bank and depositing enough cash to more than cover the annual fee with earned interest.
Are there any downside to the "Two Player Mode" for referrals or both partners applying for the same credit card? I assume it makes it harder to achieve the spend for the bonus. And you can't pool points except in that transfer to AA travel partner example. Is that right?
Another thing you didn't mention is how much spend you put on a certain card in order for the bank to justify a retention bonus. If I had the Amex Gold or Even the Green and ONLY put a couple $thousand in spend a year, they won't give me any sort of meaningful bonus - if one at all...
I've worked in a company that had "retention offers" to "save a customer", and it's always cringe to hear any customer of any company say the word "retention", as that's an internal company policy/term, which the customers shouldn't be privvy to. It's a word you shouldn't know, let alone use as a bargaining chip. A retention offer is a last ditch method a company keeps in their back pocket to try to keep you from canceling. You can simply be reluctant enough to cause them to play their Trump card on their own volition, but you should make it THEIR idea/suggestion, not yours. Or at least manipulate the conversation to make them THINK it was their idea, while you act surprised that such an offer exists. Asking "can you give me a retention offer?" is like a waiter/waitress asking you how much you are going to commit to giving as a tip as soon as you sit down, before they begin providing you any service, so that they can decide what level of service they are going to provide you. It's cringe. A waiter should at least give you the illusion that the amount that you tip was optional and entirely your choice. But to outright ask for a tip, that's cringe. If I'm empowered to try to use a retention offer to save a customer, who are you to outright peek at my poker hand? That's like saying, "I can see your cards in the reflection of the window, so I'm going to win." If a customer did that to me, I'd gladly drop the customer for being too entitled by expecting me to use my Trump card. My suggestion... change the wording. Say, "are there any new incentives on the card that I might like?" Since the only thing "new" they can add to the card in year two would be their retention offer, they would get an idea that they could use the retention offer as a "new incentive" to make the card a keeper card for you. And it would feel like it's their own big-brain move, not you extorting them with threat of canceling if they don't surrender points "or else" (which is what it sounds like).
@@scarling9367 I like to feel like *I* went above and beyond and surprised you with a gift of saving you money. If you twist my arm behind my back... I don't have anything for you.
@@deschutesfelix Does your waiter know the word "tip", having received them before? So, waiters should ask you how much you are going to tip before they commit to making an effort?
@@deschutesfelix my company never had "retention offers" or a "retentions department". They wanted to avoid the word, and named it "customer solutions". Why? Because if you asked to speak to "retentions" looking for discounts, we would tell you that there is no "retentions". Yeah, you're playing by the old playbook, and we knew it.
I used to be The Iron Chef of credit card systems, but now I just eat frozen pizza.
Whats your take on having multiple ultra-premium CCs? Is it ever practical to have something like Plat + VentureX? Or CSR + Plat? Etc
It is 100% practical if you know how to use your credit cards. I’ll tell you my opinion, for whatever it’s worth. I would personally NOT have a duo like Venture X + Platinum, a better option FOR ME would be the Venture X + Amex Gold. The reason being, I don’t travel enough to justify the $695 annual fee on the platinum. Also, if you have a venture x and platinum, you can’t combine the points so, you’d have to either travel a ton to make it worth having both credit cards OR you’d have to prioritize one over the other for traveling. If i had a venture x and platinum, i’d use the platinum for flights and the venture x for car rentals(10x), hotels(10x), and everything else(2x). Circling back to why i’d pick the Venture X + Amex Gold duo; i would use my venture x for everything travel related + “everything else” and i’d use the amex gold for dining and groceries(4x) which is probably the biggest spending category for the majority of us. So effectively, i’d have a duo that gives me 10x (hotel+car rentals), 5x (Flights), 2x (everything else), 4x (Dining out), and 4x (Groceries). With the amex platinum you only get 5x on flights and 5x on hotels which almost makes the card useless if you already have a travel card that offers 5x or more on flights and hotels. Where the platinum shines imo is the benefits and perks, but you get similar benefits/perks with other premium travel cards. I would honestly just research all the benefits of each card to really figure out whether the venture x + platinum would be a worthy duo. Again this was purely MY opinion based on MY lifestyle. What’s true for me, may not be true for you. But i hope this helps! I’m not an Amex expert by any means but, i have done a good amount of research and i’ve read through all the Amex “Offer & Benefits Terms”. As well as watched plenty of videos on the Amex Platinum. It’s definitely a very appealing card but, not a practical one for the majority of us. If you went the CSR route, i’d avoid the platinum altogether.
This was an awesome video. Loved your tips on retention offers. Thanks Ben!
Make sure the Air Bnb is wheelchair accessible.
@Romario D yea you should be able to drive to the cabin no need to hike the mountain to get there? And disabled people like the outdoors as well FYI
Hi Ben! Can you make a review video of BofA’s preferred rewards program & their cards ?
Very refreshing Shifu, another masterclass 🥂
These are huge to make sure you’re getting as much value as you can from your credit cards!
If you account for the points/cash back you're getting on top of your sign up bonus when paying for stuff that has credit card fees of about 2% (taxes, tuition, etc.) you really only spend between 0-0.5% of the purchase amount and sometimes you can even get ahead
Don't forget about opening up a high yield savings account with the card issuer bank and depositing enough cash to more than cover the annual fee with earned interest.
Are there any downside to the "Two Player Mode" for referrals or both partners applying for the same credit card? I assume it makes it harder to achieve the spend for the bonus. And you can't pool points except in that transfer to AA travel partner example. Is that right?
Another thing you didn't mention is how much spend you put on a certain card in order for the bank to justify a retention bonus. If I had the Amex Gold or Even the Green and ONLY put a couple $thousand in spend a year, they won't give me any sort of meaningful bonus - if one at all...
Thats true, you need to be actually using it
Awesome advice here Shifu!
Great way to explain it thanks 👍
Anyone able to layer kudos and ratuken?
you can't do it, doesn't work
Great tip about paying taxes with credit cards to hit SUBS. Literally did that for the first time this year 😬
Which card did you do it with?
@@makemoney6411 I did it with the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business because I just got it and am working on the SUB
Do I have to pay to activate Kudos? It was asking me to pay for something.
No kudos is free. You have to activate kudos boost, but it doesn’t cost money
@@TheCreditShifu I figured it out! Thanks, for changing my life and many others around the world with your valuable content. God bless 🙏🏾
What an amazing video. Thanks!
Great presentation 👍🏽👍🏽
"Did I mention I sell wallets?" 😂😂
I wanted to hear more details about the virtual card numbers but you didn't mention which cards/issuers/services provide them.
Capital One is one issuer that provides virtual card numbers. Pretty easy to use.
I know both my Citi cards and Capital One cards offer virtual card numbers
I can confirm my Citi and Capital One cards allow it. My Chase and Discover do not.
great video!
Kudos Shifu.
Wow I thought the 15/3 works thx for telling me just saved me
Doctor of credit reconsideration line
Advice I need with my shiny new CSR. Didn’t think I’d exit the garden so early
If you can afford some of the ones you talked about
Hello
👌
👍
Road to black card
I've worked in a company that had "retention offers" to "save a customer", and it's always cringe to hear any customer of any company say the word "retention", as that's an internal company policy/term, which the customers shouldn't be privvy to. It's a word you shouldn't know, let alone use as a bargaining chip.
A retention offer is a last ditch method a company keeps in their back pocket to try to keep you from canceling. You can simply be reluctant enough to cause them to play their Trump card on their own volition, but you should make it THEIR idea/suggestion, not yours. Or at least manipulate the conversation to make them THINK it was their idea, while you act surprised that such an offer exists.
Asking "can you give me a retention offer?" is like a waiter/waitress asking you how much you are going to commit to giving as a tip as soon as you sit down, before they begin providing you any service, so that they can decide what level of service they are going to provide you. It's cringe. A waiter should at least give you the illusion that the amount that you tip was optional and entirely your choice. But to outright ask for a tip, that's cringe.
If I'm empowered to try to use a retention offer to save a customer, who are you to outright peek at my poker hand? That's like saying, "I can see your cards in the reflection of the window, so I'm going to win." If a customer did that to me, I'd gladly drop the customer for being too entitled by expecting me to use my Trump card.
My suggestion... change the wording. Say, "are there any new incentives on the card that I might like?" Since the only thing "new" they can add to the card in year two would be their retention offer, they would get an idea that they could use the retention offer as a "new incentive" to make the card a keeper card for you. And it would feel like it's their own big-brain move, not you extorting them with threat of canceling if they don't surrender points "or else" (which is what it sounds like).
Or I could just ask if there were any offers for retaining my business. >:)
Well you guys can debate it, but as you can see just directly asking for a retention offer has worked for me in the past
@@scarling9367 I like to feel like *I* went above and beyond and surprised you with a gift of saving you money.
If you twist my arm behind my back... I don't have anything for you.
@@deschutesfelix Does your waiter know the word "tip", having received them before?
So, waiters should ask you how much you are going to tip before they commit to making an effort?
@@deschutesfelix my company never had "retention offers" or a "retentions department". They wanted to avoid the word, and named it "customer solutions". Why? Because if you asked to speak to "retentions" looking for discounts, we would tell you that there is no "retentions".
Yeah, you're playing by the old playbook, and we knew it.