I'm more of a lurker and never comment on your videos. I just like it and go on for the next, but I really want to thank for your efforts, especially the color-coded charts. That must take a lot of time to make. So much valuable information in just one picture. I took a screenshot and saved it for the future, as it's really helpful when deciding on a new credit card/program, etc...
Mark! Really enjoyed how clearly you talked about how to compare the value of portals vs. travel partners. One cool strategy I also think of with credit cards is that I’m essentially getting a 30-60 interest free loan on my purchases. When that money stays in my high yield account, I’ve calculated that I actually make an extra $600 a year just on the interest on the money that otherwise would have immediately left my bank account using a debit card or cash.
I always enjoy your content! So comprehensive and analytical and thorough with comparison charts! Unlike any other TH-camrs, no-nonsense approaches and straight to the heart of the content! Displaying very professional maturity! Great job 👏
For *A, AC always charges more in taxes than AV, even if the miles are the same. I have mainly found value on AC booking business TATL. I hope to become a pro like you.
It would be easier to read the airline chart if you did a spreadsheet. Airlines across the top. Cards going down the side. Color cells green if allowed. Color cells red if not allowed.
I generally refer to them all collectively. Bank portals, OTAs, airline portals (for booking partner hotels, cars, etc.), hotel portals (for booking partner flights, cars, etc.) are all something I'm not a fan of and don't recommend often.
Thanks for all the good information. I just started with premium CC's so I have a lot of catching up to do. My question is, if I rent a car thru Capital one's portal, will the car insurance thru capital one apply?
It's my understanding that yes, it will. However, I cannot confirm 100%. Call Capital One to inquire further. Here's the link to the Visa Infinite Guide to Benefits, too: ecm.capitalone.com/WCM/card/benefits-guide/20211109-venture-x/jb34520_build-it_dm_final_eng-proof_v1.pdf
If you want to get both welcome offers, yes 👍 Also check CardMatch to see if you can get elevated offers: markscreditcards.com/cardmatch Higher Gold offers = 75K - 90K Higher Platinum offers = 125K - 150K
Love this video. Helpful to us new guys. Question: is getting multiple cards on the transferable currency side of the equation essential? I’m liking the CSP by itself.
The main reason why people get multiple cards is to get higher reward multipliers across different categories and/or additional benefits. However, it's not necessary.
Hi Mark I have a question, I’ve seen this quite often on the credit card game, for me is not clear when someone would say that they value more their Amex UR points instead of Citi thank you points. What does it mean? What if I have Amex UR points and Citi Thank you points and I want to transfer both point currencies to avianca lifemiles? Would I get less avianca LM with Citi Thank you points? But if Amex or Citi transfers to avianca is 1:1 wouldn’t the value of both currencies be equal? Thanks
The value of points are based on averages. If you have 2 different currencies that both transfer 1:1 to Avianca - and assuming that's the redemption you want to do - then the 2 currencies are of equal value for that specific use case. However, since we speak broadly about averages, that takes into account a lot more than 1 transfer partner. Some transfer partners have the potential to give a lot more value than others (an objective component), and some people value certain partners more than others based on where & how they like to travel (a subjective component). That's why you can have Citi points being "worth more" than Amex points for Redemption A ... but then the exact opposite scenario for Redemption B ... and then they can be roughly equal for Redemption C.
With the united cards. Do uou have to purchase the tickets with the card? Or what if i had the card and i transferred UR to united and used points to get the ticket. Do any of the perks like boarding still apply? Or is it only with the card. Assuming i dont have personal status just the card.
You'll want to read the fine print for the United card(s) you're interested in. The answer will likely be 'yes' to needing to book via the United credit card. For the United Explorer Card, the terms say... *Free Checked Bag* "To receive first standard checked bag free, *the primary Cardmember must use their United Explorer Card to purchase their ticket(s) (this purchase requirement is waived for flights completed during the 90 days following the account open date)* and include their MileagePlus number in their reservation." *Priority Boarding* "To receive priority boarding, the primary Cardmember must include their MileagePlus number in their reservation." ^ The boarding benefit does not mention needing to use the United credit card, rather, only the inclusion of your MileagePlus # on the reservation. HOWEVER, I'd personally still use the card to book the ticket to get priority boarding, too. See this conversation: www.reddit.com/r/unitedairlines/comments/ub65xu/united_explorer_cardboarding_group_3/
If you have multiple credit cards, is your reported utilization based on all of them combined or the individual card you use? For instance, if you have 4 credit cards with a 2k limit each, but only one is your daily driver with a reported balance of 300.00 and the other 3 has a 0.00 balance, will your utilization be reported as an overall 300.00 used credit out of 8k (3.75%) or 300.00 used credit out of 2k (15%)?
Both overall and per-card utilization are typically considered for credit score purposes. If there's one card that has much higher balances than others and your limits are relatively low, it might be worth seeing if you could request a credit limit increase on the one card. This will typically take a hard credit pull though. This being said, I don't think 15% utilization on one card is anything to worry about.
No easy answer, you really have to look carefully at your current spending habits. Some people swear by chase and I like chase too, but capital one works better for me generally if I have to go one or the other because we spend a LOT on groceries and the savor card is great for me. Or Amex gold, but I avoid high annual fees at all costs.
i recently booked a ticket with United, i was trying to figure out if i should use the chase portal or i should transfer out the point to United? i ended up booking via Chase portal becuase i can see the points i will be spending. I wasnt going to risk moving points to united first without knowing the exact points I needed to transfer. any idea how to find out?
Yes, go to United.com, log into your account, and search for the flight with the 'Book With Miles' feature turned on. Then you'll be able to see how many miles United would charge prior to any transfers or decisions being made.
Generally you want to see how many points a redemption would take, as well as confirm that there is actual availability to book the exact flight or hotel room you want on the dates you want with points before transferring. Once you transfer, the points can't go back, so the optimal strategy is to only transfer the exact amount you need and only if it's available and a better deal than the portal. You wouldn't want to preemptively transfer an arbitrary amount of points, find out all the points seats for that flight are sold out, then be stuck with United miles. Also, while this reply highlights some of the potential risks of transferring in a non-ideal way, if you follow the ideal process there usually isn't an issue and you can often get much greater value for your points than booking through a portal.
@@ThePerfectElement555 that was my goal at first to compare points, but I was pressed on time; I was quickly booking a flight on my phone and couldn'f find 'book with miles' anywhere (didn't know 'search award travel' showed miles on the app) but I am new to the app and glad I got lucky using the portal this time than moving hard earned points over
@@MarkReese yes, I meant you can use citi rewards to transfer points to partners. Its a no annual fee card that can transfer. I am parking my citi points in this card for now till they give a good offer for the premiere. :D Thanks for your videos. I love watching them.
Hi, Mark. Max reward link with your referral just gives 1 week free trial and not the entire month😢. Thanks for all the info that you putbout there for us.
I learned that the promotion changed. MaxRewards used to offer both a monthly option & an annual option. It's now just annual. So the promo is to get a 1-week free trial + 1 month discount.
It’s all money I had to spend anyway. I don’t ever buy things just to justify the points, as that would be super unproductive. I focus my cards on low to no annual fees and use them for my bills, groceries, gas, etc. but that strategy works best for me as I’m not a super frequent traveler (unfortunately).
📲 MAXREWARDS - Use promo code “markr”
markscreditcards.com/maxrewards
💳👇 VIEW CREDIT CARD OFFERS!
markscreditcards.com/offers
🛍 RAKUTEN - Earn Cash Back!
markscreditcards.com/rakuten
⬆ (More links in Description below video!)
I'm more of a lurker and never comment on your videos. I just like it and go on for the next, but I really want to thank for your efforts, especially the color-coded charts. That must take a lot of time to make. So much valuable information in just one picture.
I took a screenshot and saved it for the future, as it's really helpful when deciding on a new credit card/program, etc...
Glad to hear you found benefit in the information & presentation format! 💯 I appreciate the comment!
I really appreciate your color coded charts. Thanks Mark.
Glad to hear it!
Oh wow I did not realize you needed a premium card to transfer from Citi - glad I saw this video!
Glad you learned something new!
Mark! Really enjoyed how clearly you talked about how to compare the value of portals vs. travel partners.
One cool strategy I also think of with credit cards is that I’m essentially getting a 30-60 interest free loan on my purchases. When that money stays in my high yield account, I’ve calculated that I actually make an extra $600 a year just on the interest on the money that otherwise would have immediately left my bank account using a debit card or cash.
Indeed! The super short-term loan feature of credit cards is great 💯
I always enjoy your content! So comprehensive and analytical and thorough with comparison charts! Unlike any other TH-camrs, no-nonsense approaches and straight to the heart of the content! Displaying very professional maturity! Great job 👏
I appreciate hearing that! 💯
If I were to start all over again I would focus strictly on one ecosystem (Chase) and have my wife focus on another (AMEX).
💯👍
Well I have no gf or wife…use a deceased relative’s identity?😂
What about Savor one and Quicksilver for the Capital one collection? I read that you can transfer their cashback to miles on 1 cent/point, right?
That's another good option! Yes, you can convert cash back to miles if you also have a Venture card.
How do you go about doing this? I have a quicksilver and a venture card but don’t see the option.
@@93Nieves - See this video for how to do it: th-cam.com/video/u6KeBn6qtxY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=out0ikcpNA7OnLtx
Terrific information. No one puts it in one place as well as you do.
Thank you!
For *A, AC always charges more in taxes than AV, even if the miles are the same. I have mainly found value on AC booking business TATL. I hope to become a pro like you.
What do the abbreviations / acronyms mean above?
It would be easier to read the airline chart if you did a spreadsheet. Airlines across the top. Cards going down the side. Color cells green if allowed. Color cells red if not allowed.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Great overview and learned a lot! Really appreciate the effort and detail that went into some of those lists you made!
Glad to hear it!
😊 I love your videos! They are detailed. I love it when you color code to easily compare similarities and differences. I sure did a few screenshots. 📷
💯
Confused when you say “portal” because you apply the term to OTA’s, credit cards and hotel/airlines. Which is better?
I generally refer to them all collectively. Bank portals, OTAs, airline portals (for booking partner hotels, cars, etc.), hotel portals (for booking partner flights, cars, etc.) are all something I'm not a fan of and don't recommend often.
Bilt has Marriott now as well
Shhhh. They added Avianca today as well according to Daily Drop
Ah that's right, thanks for catching that!
Treasure trough of info all in one place. I just wanted to say treasure trough...helpful video
🏆🏆🏆
Thanks Mark. Good info
Sure thing!
More good stuff. Appreciate the clear explanations!
Glad to hear it!
Thanks for all the good information. I just started with premium CC's so I have a lot of catching up to do. My question is, if I rent a car thru Capital one's portal, will the car insurance thru capital one apply?
It's my understanding that yes, it will. However, I cannot confirm 100%. Call Capital One to inquire further.
Here's the link to the Visa Infinite Guide to Benefits, too: ecm.capitalone.com/WCM/card/benefits-guide/20211109-venture-x/jb34520_build-it_dm_final_eng-proof_v1.pdf
7:17 yay, Dickey's barbecue
🙌
Should I get the Amex gold card first than platinum
If you want to get both welcome offers, yes 👍 Also check CardMatch to see if you can get elevated offers: markscreditcards.com/cardmatch
Higher Gold offers = 75K - 90K
Higher Platinum offers = 125K - 150K
Love this video. Helpful to us new guys. Question: is getting multiple cards on the transferable currency side of the equation essential? I’m liking the CSP by itself.
The main reason why people get multiple cards is to get higher reward multipliers across different categories and/or additional benefits. However, it's not necessary.
You’re right! I don’t use portals.
😁👍
First! Love the videos mark! You’re the best credit card TH-camr!!
Thank you, Aaron! Glad to hear you're enjoying the content 💥
Hi Mark I have a question, I’ve seen this quite often on the credit card game, for me is not clear when someone would say that they value more their Amex UR points instead of Citi thank you points. What does it mean? What if I have Amex UR points and Citi Thank you points and I want to transfer both point currencies to avianca lifemiles? Would I get less avianca LM with Citi Thank you points? But if Amex or Citi transfers to avianca is 1:1 wouldn’t the value of both currencies be equal? Thanks
The value of points are based on averages.
If you have 2 different currencies that both transfer 1:1 to Avianca - and assuming that's the redemption you want to do - then the 2 currencies are of equal value for that specific use case.
However, since we speak broadly about averages, that takes into account a lot more than 1 transfer partner.
Some transfer partners have the potential to give a lot more value than others (an objective component), and some people value certain partners more than others based on where & how they like to travel (a subjective component).
That's why you can have Citi points being "worth more" than Amex points for Redemption A ... but then the exact opposite scenario for Redemption B ... and then they can be roughly equal for Redemption C.
Why did you describe premium travel cards but mid tier hotel and airline cards? Why not top choices for all?
Because most people won't get multiple top-tier cards. The annual fees are prohibitive.
@@MarkReese well, the pros do! Ha!
No comment? This was a good one. Maybe too good? 💪
Mark I enjoyed your video very much it was very informative to watch…..
Thank you! Glad you found it beneficial.
My boy Mark 🤯🤯 excellent video!
Thank you 👊
Thank you this is excellent information.
You're welcome 👍
With the united cards. Do uou have to purchase the tickets with the card? Or what if i had the card and i transferred UR to united and used points to get the ticket. Do any of the perks like boarding still apply?
Or is it only with the card. Assuming i dont have personal status just the card.
You'll want to read the fine print for the United card(s) you're interested in. The answer will likely be 'yes' to needing to book via the United credit card. For the United Explorer Card, the terms say...
*Free Checked Bag*
"To receive first standard checked bag free, *the primary Cardmember must use their United Explorer Card to purchase their ticket(s) (this purchase requirement is waived for flights completed during the 90 days following the account open date)* and include their MileagePlus number in their reservation."
*Priority Boarding*
"To receive priority boarding, the primary Cardmember must include their MileagePlus number in their reservation."
^ The boarding benefit does not mention needing to use the United credit card, rather, only the inclusion of your MileagePlus # on the reservation. HOWEVER, I'd personally still use the card to book the ticket to get priority boarding, too. See this conversation: www.reddit.com/r/unitedairlines/comments/ub65xu/united_explorer_cardboarding_group_3/
you left out Bilt to Marriott transfer partner on your visual.
Yep, good catch 😁 I've updated the visual for the next time it gets used. Thanks!
Can the AMEX Everyday transfer points to partner programs without another card ??
Yes 👍
Do you have an intake I could reach on
Not sure what you mean?
If I had credit cards like this. I feel it would stress me out 😖. But @ least a trifecta, would be nice to have in my name.
Totally understandable 😄
Incredibly useful content. Have to get back and do some screenshots lol
Glad it was helpful!
If you have multiple credit cards, is your reported utilization based on all of them combined or the individual card you use? For instance, if you have 4 credit cards with a 2k limit each, but only one is your daily driver with a reported balance of 300.00 and the other 3 has a 0.00 balance, will your utilization be reported as an overall 300.00 used credit out of 8k (3.75%) or 300.00 used credit out of 2k (15%)?
Both overall and per-card utilization are typically considered for credit score purposes. If there's one card that has much higher balances than others and your limits are relatively low, it might be worth seeing if you could request a credit limit increase on the one card. This will typically take a hard credit pull though. This being said, I don't think 15% utilization on one card is anything to worry about.
Both individual utilization & overall utilization affect your score 👍
Great video with awesome info and graphics. 👍🏻
Thank you!
CSR trifecta still slaying it.
🏆
What core is currently the best? Ive been building the chase trifecta, but i am wondering if i should move to AE.
There is no best core that works for everyone. The "best" is the one that gives you the most rewards / benefits based on how & where you spend.
No easy answer, you really have to look carefully at your current spending habits. Some people swear by chase and I like chase too, but capital one works better for me generally if I have to go one or the other because we spend a LOT on groceries and the savor card is great for me. Or Amex gold, but I avoid high annual fees at all costs.
Cool, according to this video. I'm a pro now, lol thanks for sharing 👍
Hey Pro! 🏆
i recently booked a ticket with United, i was trying to figure out if i should use the chase portal or i should transfer out the point to United? i ended up booking via Chase portal becuase i can see the points i will be spending. I wasnt going to risk moving points to united first without knowing the exact points I needed to transfer. any idea how to find out?
Yes, go to United.com, log into your account, and search for the flight with the 'Book With Miles' feature turned on. Then you'll be able to see how many miles United would charge prior to any transfers or decisions being made.
@@MarkReese thanks for the steps. based on the points i am glad i made the right choice.
Generally you want to see how many points a redemption would take, as well as confirm that there is actual availability to book the exact flight or hotel room you want on the dates you want with points before transferring. Once you transfer, the points can't go back, so the optimal strategy is to only transfer the exact amount you need and only if it's available and a better deal than the portal. You wouldn't want to preemptively transfer an arbitrary amount of points, find out all the points seats for that flight are sold out, then be stuck with United miles.
Also, while this reply highlights some of the potential risks of transferring in a non-ideal way, if you follow the ideal process there usually isn't an issue and you can often get much greater value for your points than booking through a portal.
@@ThePerfectElement555 that was my goal at first to compare points, but I was pressed on time; I was quickly booking a flight on my phone and couldn'f find 'book with miles' anywhere (didn't know 'search award travel' showed miles on the app) but I am new to the app and glad I got lucky using the portal this time than moving hard earned points over
Really great video! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Thanks fogrunr5075! 💯
Citi has a no annual fee citi rewards card.
Yep, there are a number of no-annual-fee Citi rewards cards, including the Double Cash, Custom Cash, and Rewards+.
@@MarkReese yes, I meant you can use citi rewards to transfer points to partners. Its a no annual fee card that can transfer. I am parking my citi points in this card for now till they give a good offer for the premiere. :D Thanks for your videos. I love watching them.
Bilt has Marriott too
Yep I forgot to update that 😄 Thanks for mentioning!
Awesome
💯
Neglect is a strong word - maybe 99% of people who have the ability to get these cards maybe.
👍
Mark Credit University: Credit Card 201 😊
I'm trying to get an A for this class 😊
Study time! 🎓
@@MarkReese Professor Mark, when is your tutoring hours/days?
@@theinternationalist1357 😂
👍🏻
🤙
Hi, Mark. Max reward link with your referral just gives 1 week free trial and not the entire month😢. Thanks for all the info that you putbout there for us.
Interesting. I'll contact the team to figure out why.
I learned that the promotion changed. MaxRewards used to offer both a monthly option & an annual option. It's now just annual. So the promo is to get a 1-week free trial + 1 month discount.
Credit card shiffu
Portals are the worst
😬
The key to all these is spending thousands of dollars! Nothing is free, folks.
Of course. If I'm going to naturally spend $3K in a month, I have a choice to use a debit card or a credit card. Between those 2, I'll choose credit.
It’s all money I had to spend anyway. I don’t ever buy things just to justify the points, as that would be super unproductive. I focus my cards on low to no annual fees and use them for my bills, groceries, gas, etc. but that strategy works best for me as I’m not a super frequent traveler (unfortunately).