How to Get The Chase Ink Preferred 100K Offer (In-Branch, Matches) [2019]

The Chase Ink Preferred 100k offer is one of the hottest credit card offers up there with the elusive Sapphire Reserve 100K offer.

But where can you find this offer? 

There are a couple of ways you might be able to get your hands on the 100K offer. These usually involve applying in-branch and establishing relationships with Chase Business Relationship Managers.

In this article I’l show you a couple of different routes you could take, and I’ll also touch on other things like matches and referrals. 

Interested in finding out the top travel credit cards for this month? Click here to check them out! 

How to get the Chase Ink Preferred 100k offer

The Chase Ink Preferred comes with a special offer from time to time where you can earn 100K Ultimate Rewards after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.

But this is not the standard public offer.

Instead, this is an offer that only goes out on a limited basis and has only been available for select customers. In addition, the 100,000 Ink Preferred offer is not available online and you’ll need to head to a Chase branch to get it (when available).

There have also been targeted mailers out there for 120,000 points that others have received as well.

I’ll show you a couple of ways to get the 100K offer below but first a quick refresher on the Ink Preferred.

The Chase Ink Preferred

The Ink Preferred comes with one of the most valuable sign-up bonuses at 80,000 Ultimate Rewards after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months! At a valuation of 2 cents per point, that’s $1,600 worth of rewards. Even if you only redeemed these for a statement credit, that’s still an $800 rebate! 

The Ink Preferred earns 3X on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on:

  • Travel
  • Shipping purchases
  • Internet, cable and phone services
  • Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines

Earning 3X on all of those categories has potential for tons of value, especially with such a high bonus spending cap. It also comes with great perks like primary rental car coverage when traveling on business and a unique cell phone protection benefit.

The Chase Ink Preferred also allows you to transfer your points out to several transfer partners including:

Chase Ultimate Rewards Airlines

  • Aer Lingus
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
  • Iberia Airways
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
  • Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
  • United MileagePlus
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Chase Ultimate Rewards Hotels

  • World of Hyatt
  • IHG Rewards Club
  • Marriott Rewards
  • The Ritz-Carlton Rewards

While the 80K offer is very high, many people get their sights set on the 100K offer so this is how you might be able to get it.

Tip: Don’t miss out on my #1 rated travel card. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is now offering a new high offer of 60,000 points (worth $750 in travel) after spending $4,000 in the first three months after account opening! Click here for the full review!

The BRM route

One of the only ways to find the 100K offer for the Chase Ink Business Preferred card is to try out the BRM route.

Chase Business Relationship Manager (BRM)

At certain times in the year (usually March to August), it’s possible to submit a paper application through a Chase Business Relationship Manager (BRM) and get access to increased offers for business credit cards.

One of these increased offers in the past has been the 100K offer for the Ink Preferred and another offer has been the 50K offer for the Chase Ink Cash.

(This is similar to how Chase Private Client members are given access to increased offers like the 60,000 point offer for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.)

So how do you submit an application with a BRM?

You’ll need to walk into a Chase branch and establish a relationship with a Chase Business Relationship Manager.

This means that you’ll probably need to set up a business bank account with Chase if you don’t already have one.

Setting up a Chase business account

Chase business bank accounts are pretty easy to set up but you’ll need to bring in your documents needed to show the existence of your business such as LLC filings, DBA filings, etc. It’s also a good idea to have a breakdown of the figures for your business when you walk in to open up an account.

I’ve seen data points here and there where people did not even open up a business bank account but still were able to get their apps processed through a Chase Business Relationship Manager, so you won’t always have to open up a business account.

If I were trying to get this offer though, I’d count on opening up a business account to increase my chances.

Finding a Chase Business Relationship Manager

Not every branch has a Chase Business Relationship Manager so you might need to call around to different branches to see where you can find one.

But note, if you’re already a Business Managed Client, you should be able to walk into about any branch and apply as a Business Managed Client.

Revenue requirement

The biggest hurdle for establishing a relationship with a Chase Business Relationship Manager is that you might to need to show a substantial amount of revenue, such as $500,000 or even more than that. (Some state that the revenue range is $1 million to $20 million.)

This seems to be backed up by the job description of a BRM:

At JP Morgan Chase, we have an obsession for helping our clients, taking care of our employees, a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, building relationships, and delivering extraordinary customer service. Our Business Banking segment serves the banking needs of businesses with $1 million to $20 million in revenue.

Getting around the revenue requirement

The good news is that you don’t always have to make this showing of massive business revenue.

Some people have been able to process their application via a Business Relationship Manager even though they were not an official Business Managed Client. As long as a Business Relationship Manager launches the application, then you should be in the clear. 

Moreover, you might even be able to persuade a BRM to process your application over the phone.

Unfortunately, there are not a lot of data points on getting around this exception so it’s a bit difficult to predict what type of success you might have if you were to go this route.

Small business week

The Chase Ink Preferred 100K offer has gone out during small business week which is usually at the end of April and beginning of May.

The small business week offer has only been available to BRM clients though it never hurts to give it a shot even if you’re not BRM.

Will Chase match to the Chase Ink 100K offer?

Chase is generally pretty good about matching offers within 90 days of higher offers going out.

But there’s an exception when the higher offer is limited to certain people and not publicly available.

So if you were approved for the 80K offer after applying online and then requested to be matched to the 100K offer, I would not expect that match to be honored. 

But if you applied in-branch or better yet with a BRM for the lower 80K offer, then I think you’d have a shot at getting the 100K offer.

Still, it never hurts to request a match and some have had luck with getting matched, so you might as well give it a try.

Waived annual fee in-branch?

Chase will sometimes waive the first year annual fee when you apply for the Chase Ink Preferred in-branch. I don’t think they usually waive the fee for the 100K offer, however.

If I had the choice between an 80K bonus with no annual fee and a 100K offer with an annual fee I would take the 100K offer since I value 20,000 Ultimate Rewards way more than $95.  

Chase Refer a Friend (link)

If you already have been approved for the Chase Ink Preferred you’ll be happy to know that you can earn up to 100,000 points per year via your referral links.

You’ll need to generate referral links and then send them out to friends and family. For every person that is approved, you’ll receive 20,000 points up to 100,000 points per year.

You can try to generate a business referral link here. 

You can read more about how this referral program works here. 

Note: There was a glitch with Business Ink referrals that allowed people to earn 100K bonuses but as far as I know that glitch was resolved.

Chase 5/24 rule

The Chase Ink Preferred is subject to the Chase 5/24 Rule, which means that if you’ve opened five or more accounts over the past two years, you will not be approved.

A known exception to this is if you apply for the card through a BRM.

You might want to read up on many of the other Chase application rules before you apply, too — you can read more on these here

When will the Chase Ink 100K Offer return?

In 2017, this offer for BRM clients stayed around for over five months from March through August. In 2018, the offer for BRM clients stayed around from March through August again.

So if you’re trying to go with the BRM route then I think that you should think about trying this in March. But keep in mind that both years the offer was extended out to August, so it might not always be extended out that far.

Final word

The Ink Business Preferred 100K point offer is not an easy offer to get unless you’re an official Business Managed Client. In that case, you can probably wait around for small business week or just wait until the offers roll back around for BRM clients.

Otherwise, you might have to visit some Chase branches and call around until you can find a BRM who is willing to process your application and give you a shot.

Discover Refer A Friend Guide: How to Get up to $500 [2020]

Some credit card issuers allow you to benefit whenever you can successfully refer other people to their credit cards. Discover is one of these banks and they actually have a pretty unique way of doing the referrals.

In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about the discover referral friend program, including how it works with popular cards like the Discover it and how to get up to $500 in referrals. I’ll also talk about how this referral program is a little bit different compared to other programs out there and some things to watch out for when going for the referrals so that you don’t miss out on points. 

What is Discover refer a friend? 

Discover refer a friend is a special program that allows you to earn additional cash back or miles whenever you refer a friend that is approved for a Discover credit card. In addition, the individual that you refer can also earn some additional cash back or miles whenever they make a purchase after being approved. This means that each of you can capitalize on savings with your Discover accounts.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

How does Discover refer a friend work?

The process for Discover refer a friend is very simple. All you have to do is log into your account right here and then generate a referral link. Once you log in you should see the options to share your referral link. There are three different ways you might share your referral link.

Social media

You can share the referral link on social media with Facebook or Twitter. If you share the referral on Facebook this is what it will look like (note: you could add your own text to the post). 

I don’t know how effective these generally are when sharing, but I would generally go with one of the two approaches below over the social media approach.  

Email

Discover has a pre-drafted email that you can send out your referrals with. You can actually send out this email to multiple email addresses by simply leaving a space (or comma) between email addresses. Also, you can select to send your friends reminder emails (which they might not enjoy so be thinking about that). 

This is what the email will say when it is sent out:

Become a Discover Cardmember and get a $50 Statement Credit when you make your first purchase within three months. Then, earn rewards with every purchase after that.

Personalized link

You may also just want to copy and paste the personalized link. This would be a very easy way to share the referral via a text message. This is my preferred method when dealing with referral links since I have full control over all the content that will go out with it and don’t have to worry about cheesy pre-written messages. 

When you send out a personalized link the application page will look pretty standard. This is in contrast to some other banks that make it much more apparent that your friends are being sent a referral link. 

Sometimes the referral link may not be working. This could be due to maintenance for some kind of technical issue that is usually resolved. If the referral links are not working for you then I would recommend to call the number on the back of your credit card to inquire with Discover. 

How much will I get for the referrals? 

You will receive a $50 Statement Credit referral reward if your friend applies for the specific offer you send via the link provided and is approved.The person applying for the credit card must use your referral link in order for you to get credit. 

Also, if they make a purchase within three months of being approved they will be able to receive a $50 credit. Not many other referral programs offer a credit to the person getting approved for the card so Discover is a bit unique in this regard.

How many referrals can I do each year?

You will be limited to a maximum 10 referral rewards ($500) per calendar year. This is actually pretty generous considering that many other programs limit you to only five referrals per year. I’ve also heard that Discover will double your referrals if it’s your first year with the Discover It. 

The terms do state that “Statement Credits you receive may be taxable to you.” In the past year, we have seen several other issuers start to issue tax forms for the referrals that went out.

In many cases where people receive tax forms the people who did the referrals are getting about $600 or more worth points are miles. So if you only have a few referrals with Discover you may not get a tax form sent to you but just be aware of what the terms state. 

Will I get notified when they are approved?

You will not receive a notification whenever your friend is approved or declined for a Discover credit card. This is because of privacy laws and other referral programs with other banks also do not allow you to see this information. 

Since you will not be notified if others are approved it is a good idea to follow up with the individual or individuals that you sent out your referral links to see if they were actually approved. And you might also want to re-emphasize to them that they should use your specific referral link so that both of you can benefit. 

How long does it take to get the cash back?

After you have successfully referred someone to a Discover credit card you might be wondering how long it will take for you to receive your cash. 

The terms and condition state:

Please allow up to 1-2 billing periods for the statement credit to post to your account after each referral is approved.

Sometimes you might receive your referral cash back much quicker than that but you should definitely follow up with Discover if a couple of months have gone by and you have not received your statement credit.

Are all Discover cards eligible?

Not all Discover credit cards or eligible for the refer a friend program. For example, the terms and conditions specifically state:

You are not eligible to refer a friend if you have a Discover it® Secured Credit Card, Discover it® Business Card, or Discover® Business Miles Card.

Is everybody eligible?

Something that you need to know about this program is that not everybody is eligible for the Discover referrals. For example the terms and conditions state: 

Existing Discover cardmembers and those who have opted out of receiving market communications from Discover are not eligible referrals.

This means that you want to clarify if the people you are trying to her are currently Discover card members and if they have opted out of receiving marketing communications. If they fall into those two categories you may not be able to get a referral bonus. It should be noted that other banks don’t put these restrictions on current customers. 

You should also note that your account must be in good standing to receive your referral reward. In other words, if you have late payments for an unpaid balance on your card and are overdue you will not likely be able to receive a bonus. 

Are there other referral programs?

Several other banks offer referral programs and if you would like to read more about some of those check out the referral program for Chase and for American Express. 

Final word

The Discover referral program is very similar to the other banks. The big differences are that you can make up to 10 referrals per year and also that the recipient of the referral link can also benefit whenever they make a purchase within the first three months after being approved. Allowing both parties to benefit from the referrals should make it easier to successfully refer other people to Discover credit cards. 

Citi Credit Card Pre-Qualify: (How to Get Offers, Links) [2020]

Citi pre-qualify offers can provide you with some extra assurance and better interest rates when applying for Citi cards.

But how exactly do you get these offers and what do they mean for your approval odds?

This article will take a close look at what Citi cards you can get pre-qualified offers for and how to check links for these offers. I’ll also show you some tips for getting approved for Citi credit cards.

Interested in finding out the top travel credit cards for this month? Click here to check them out! 

What are Citi credit card pre-qualified offers?

Citi credit card pre-qualified offers are special offers that can be pulled up for applicants who have a high chance of getting approved for various Citi credit cards.

They do not guarantee approval and some people have even been denied for multiple pre-qualified cards. However, your odds of approval are usually high. Some say 90% but I’m not sure about that figure.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

How to check for Citi credit card pre-qualified offers

You can find Citi pre-qualified offers here. 

Note that this link is also where you will enter your invitation numbers for mail offers.

Pre-approval mortgages

If you’re looking for information about pre-approval mortgages you can check here.

How to pull up the offers

It’s very easy to check your Citi pre-qualified offers.

  • Step 1: Go to the pre-qualified page
  • Step 2: Enter in your personal information:
    • Name
    • Address
    • Last four digits of your social security number (SSN)
  • Step 3: Select a “card benefit” that matters the most to you (travel, cash back, etc.)
  • Step 4: Click “See Your Card Offer”

If you have any pre-qualified offers they will show up.

Otherwise, you’ll see a screen like the one below.

What Citi cards can I get pre-qualified for?

There are various credit cards that you can pre-qualified for.

List of pre-qualified Citi cards

  • Citi DoubleCash
  • Citi Diamond Preferred
  • Citi Simplicity (examples)
  • Citi Platinum Select (examples)
  • Citi ThankYou Preferred (examples)
  • Costco Anywhere Visa (examples)
  • (Co-branded Hilton cards used to go out)

Citi DoubleCash

The Citi DoubleCash is a highly sought after card that earns 2% back on all purchases. It also comes with no annual fee so it’s one of the best cash back credit cards out on the market. It’s also one of the best 0% Intro APR offers on balance transfers, allowing 0% for 18 months.

Citi Platinum Select

Citi AA Card

The Citi Platinum Select is a one of the best airlines credit cards if you think you’ll be flying on American Airlines or their partners. This card often comes with 50,000 and 60,000 point offers and provides perks like free checked bags and priority boarding.

I’ve used the Platinum Select to rack up miles that I ended up using on partner flights to experience things like the Etihad First Class Apartment and Qatar Airways First Class.

Citi Simplicity

The Citi Simplicity is a great card for balance transfers because you can 18 months or longer to pay off your balance before the interest kicks in.

It also comes with no annual fee but there is a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5% of the amount of each credit card balance transfer, whichever is greater.

Other Citi cards

I searched for people who received offers for the more premium-level cards below, but I didn’t find reports of people receiving these offers:

  • Citi Premier
  • Citi Prestige
  • Citi AAdvantage Executive card
  • Citi Best Buy

Things to know about Citi pre-approval offers

There are a few things you should know about these offers before you decide to take advantage of them.

Fixed APR or a range?

If you’re given a specific, fixed APR for your pre-approval that could be a stronger sign of your approval odds versus just receiving an APR range. (But note that some cards like the Costco card offer one single APR).

Different APRs?

It’s not uncommon to see differences in interest rates based on your credit worthiness.

Some people have received lower interest rates in the mail than they have online as well, so sometimes it might be worth it to wait around for the right offer in the mail. 

Tip: Inquire with Citi via chat about lowering your interest rate if you’re not happy with it.

Targeted offers

Citi will often send out targeted offers for its credit cards.

These offers should not be quickly discarded for two reasons. 

First, these sometimes come with better sign-up bonuses that are much higher than the standard public offers.

Second, sometimes these offers don’t have the language limiting you to sign-up bonuses for certain cards in 24 month periods. You can find out more about these 24-month restrictions below. 

Tip: Even if you don’t receive a targeted offer, you can often message Citi and request a match to those higher offers. Success is YMMV.

Credit report changes

Your pre-qualified offer is based on the status of your credit report at the time that the offer is generated.

So if your credit score and report changes after the time you receive an offer then your odds might be affected so always try to keep tabs on what’s going on with your credit report.

What if I’m not pre-qualified?

If you’re not pre-qualified you can still get approved.

In fact, I found one instance where an applicant was denied for two pre-qualified offers and then later approved when he applied a third time (without any pre-qualified offer).

So don’t think that you’ll be denied just because you don’t receive a pre-qualified offer.

What credit score is needed for pre-qualified offers?

After reviewing hundreds of posts, I saw a lot of pre-qualified offers for those with FICO scores in the low 700s and the upper 600s.

But even some people in the mid 600s received targeted offers.

So I would strive to get my score at or above 700 but once I start approaching the mid-600s, I would consider checking consistently for pre-qualified offers. 

What credit bureau does Citi check?

Citibank will mostly pull from Experian and Equifax and in rare cases, TransUnion. Expect for Citi to pull from at least two credit bureaus.

You can read more about how credit pulls are done here.

Does checking for Citi pre-qualified offers affect my credit?

Citi will not conduct a hard pull on your credit report when you pull up pre-qualified offers so these will not affect your credit score.

How can I increase my chances of getting an offer?

If you do enough research, you’ll see that people with perfect credit scores don’t even get pre-qualified offers so it’s very hard to figure out why some get those and others don’t.

But there are a couple of factors you can control to increase your odds.

Utilization

You want to keep your utilization as low as possible. I’d shoot for under 10% if you’re trying to get pre-qualified offers.

Inquiries

Citi can be sensitive to recent inquiries so I would advise that you avoid applying for multiple lines of credit to increase your odds of getting an offer sent your way.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Citi application rules

Citi has specific credit card application rules that you need to be aware of.

“The Citi 8/65 Rule”

The 8/65 Rule means that you cannot apply for more than one Citi credit card in 8 days and not more than two credit cards in 65 days.

Business cards in 95 days

Citi will only approve you for one business credit card in any 95 day span.

Citi 6/6 rule

Something else to consider is what some dub the “Citi 6/6 rule” which states that you might be denied if you’ve had 6 or more hard pull inquiries in the last 6 months.

24 month rules

You cannot earn points for an additional card of the same brand if you’ve closed or opened up another one within 24 months. So for example, if you got an American Airlines card you could not earn the sign-up bonus on another American Airlines card within 24 months.

You can read more about these rules here.

Citi reconsideration line

If you’re not approved for your credit card application then you should consider calling the Chase reconsderiation line phone number.

Here is the Citi reconsideration line number:

  • Inquiries: 800-763-9795

Some people will contact the Citi Executive Review Department at CitiBank Executive Review Department, P.O. Box 6000, Sioux Falls, SD, 57117. I’ve never done this but apparently others have had success.

You can check your Citi credit card application status by checking it online or calling the number below:

  • Citi Application Status Number: 1-800-695-5171

You can read about my experience with Citi reconsideration here.

Opt-in

One thing you need to make sure that you have done is opt-in to receiving pre-screened offers. If you’re currently opted out there’s a chance you may have missed offers.

You can opt-in by clicking here.

Other pre-qualified offers

Other banks also offer pre-qualified offers.

Amex pre-qualified offers

Click to read more about Amex pre-qualified offers.  

Chase pre-qualified offers

Click to read more about Chase pre-qualified offers.  

Final word

Citi pre-qualified offers are worth looking into because it can make applying for Citi cards a little stressful. But you should always look into your options and consider that you might receive better in-mail offers.

Also, always consider that you might be denied for a pre-approval offer and that there are many specific Citi credit card application rules that you need to pay attention to.

Chase Slate: Credit Score Needed for Approval (Credit Limits) [2019]

The Chase Slate is one of the top balance transfer credit cards on the market and it can save you lots of money in interest.

But what credit score is needed to get approved for the Chase Slate?

I’ll show you the credit score and income needed for the Chase Slate and explain what other credit factors will play a role in you getting approved. 

I’ll also review the Slate and talk about things like credit limits, pre-approvals, and checking application status.

Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!

What credit score is needed for Chase Slate approval?

The Chase Slate generally requires a good FICO credit score of around 700 or above.

However, you can get approved with lower credit scores in the 600s and I’ll explain how below. 

What other credit factors matter?

When it comes to credit card approvals, you can’t just focus on the credit score alone.

You need to consider other factors, such as:

  • Credit account history
  • Utilization
  • Payment history
  • Credit inquiries

Credit account history

Credit scores can often be deceptive because you can have a “great score” in the 700s but with little to no credit history, you’ll likely struggle to get approved for Chase cards like the Slate.

If you have virtually no credit history you might want to look at some cards for fair credit scores that you can use to build up your score before applying for Chase cards.

For example, you might go for a Discover It card to build up your credit and then after six to 12 months, go for the Slate. Or if your score is the 500s or low 600s you might think about going for a secured credit card.

Tip: If you can be patient, a great way to start building a relationship with Chase is to start banking with them. Simply opening up a checking account for 6 to 12 months can be a great way to establish a relationship with Chase.

Utilization

Utilization is how much of your overall credit limit that you’re using.

So if you have three credit cards with a total limit of $30,000 and you are using $15,000 of that credit then your credit utilization is 50%.

You want your overall utilization to at least be below 30% but I prefer to keep mine around 5%.

However, you need to also pay attention to the utilization on your individual credit cards.

If you have another Chase card that’s maxed out, that’s going to look bad when you apply for another one of their credit cards. In that case, you’d definitely want to pay that credit card down first.

Late payments and negative remarks

Late payments are a big factor for your approval, too.

If you have lates within the past year or two, you might get some push back — this is especially true if your late payments were with Chase.

If you have really fresh lates (that just hit within the past few months), I would probably wait several months before I tried applying.

Also, Chase has been known to deny people with bankruptcies on their credit report.

Credit inquiries

Try to limit the number of credit inquiries within the past 90 days to decrease the odds of Chase rejecting you on that basis.

Remember, credit inquiries fall off your credit report after two years.

Credit scores in the 600s?

If you do enough research, you’ll find that some people have been approved for the Chase Slate with credit scores in the 600s (even the low 600s).

It’s hard to know the exact details of these credit profiles since they are self-reported but you can expect that if they had a low credit score, they probably had some established credit history or a relationship with Chase.

Something else to note about these people getting approved with a score in the 600s is that they probably were approved for a very low limit (but not always). 

This is a problem with a card like the Chase Slate because it’s #1 benefit is that you can get a $0 balance transfer.

If you start off with a $500 credit limit that doesn’t give you much room to do a balance transfer and sort of defeats the purpose of getting that card.

In that case, it would probably be more beneficial to go for a rewards card like the Freedom (discussed below).

Improve your credit score

If you don’t think that your credit score is quite up to par then you might consider some of the tips below for quickly improving your credit score.

  • Boosting your credit score
  • Get a “starter” credit card
  • Get added as an authorized user
  • Balance transfer to business credit card
  • Consolidate your revolving credit into an installment loan
  • Goodwill letters
  • Get errors removed

Depending on what is holding you back, some of these factors can improve your credit score virtually overnight:

For example, if it was only high utilization that was holding you back and you used an installment loan to bring down that balance, your score could shoot up a 100+ points in a matter of weeks or even days (depending on when your statements closed).

Or if negative late payments were the only blemish on your credit report, then getting them removed via goodwill letters could boost your credit score in a hurry.

You can read about these methods here. 

What income needed for the Chase Slate?

The Chase Slate doesn’t require a high income, and people have been approved with incomes in the $20,000s and $30,000s.

Again, income will just be one factor considered so if you have a long credit history with 100% payment history, you can probably get by with an income no the lower side.

What are the Chase Slate credit limits?

Because a lot of applicants in the process of re-building or building up credit it’s not uncommon for Chase Slate credit limits to be on the lower side.

If you don’t have a lot of income and a thin credit history, you might only be approved for a $500 credit limit.

However, Chase can be pretty good about giving you credit limit increases after 6 months or so (sometimes automatically). You can read more about getting Chase credit limit increases here.  

Also, if you have another Chase credit card you can always transfer your credit from one of those cards to your Slate.

Chase Slate application status

If you apply and don’t get approved instantly then you’ll probably want to check on your application status.

Chase allows you to do this over the phone and online if you already have an account with Chase.

Read more about how to check your Chase Slate application status here. 

Chase reconsideration line

If you’re denied for the Chase Slate you might still have a chance of getting approved.

You’ll just need to call the Chase reconsideration line and plead your case about why you need the Chase Slate. 

I think a good reason for going for a card like the Slate is that you have a plan to make a large purchase or balance transfer and pay it down.

Chase knows that the Slate product is for people trying to manage their debt so it’s not going to shock them if you can communicate a plan to take control of some debt or pay down a big purchase.

Just try not to sound like you’re on shaky financial ground when calling into recon because that would obviously set off a red flag.

The phone number is: 1-888-270-2127.

You can read more about my Chase reconsideration tips here.  

Chase Slate features

The Chase Slate is known for being one of the best balance transfer credit cards on the market.

  • Transfer balances with an introductory fee of $0 during the first 60 days your account is open
  • 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers from account opening.
  • Free FICO score 
  • No annual fee
  • No penalty APR
  • Credit Dashboard 

The Chase Slate is one of the only credit cards that offers both a $0 fee for balance transfers and a 0% intro APR for 15 months, so it’s a great balance transfer option. With it’s $0 annual fee, the Chase Slate has a lot of potential for pure savings.

Outside of those perks, though there’s not a lot to the Chase Slate.

It is nice that you’ll get access to credit dashboard where you can monitor and track your FICO Experian score. You’ll also be provided with summaries of your score so you’ll see exactly what is affecting your credit score.

Chase 5/24 & Application rules

The Chase Slate is subject to the Chase 5/24 rule.

This means that you won’t get approved for it if you’ve opened five or more credit cards within the past 24 months.

There are a number of exceptions to this rule and it’s good idea to be aware of them.

Chase Freedom vs Slate

If you don’t need the balance transfer and you want to earn great rewards while also still getting a 0% APR offer then the Chase Freedom would be a logical option for you.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5 back on all purchases and comes with a 0% intro APR for 15 months.

It’s also known for being one of the easier Chase cards to get approved for so you won’t need a fantastic credit score to get approved.

What credit bureau will Chase pull from?

There are three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

Some banks like American Express like to pull from one credit bureau most of the time (Experian).

However, Chase is harder to predict  — I’d say expect an Experian pull and one additional bureau but it could be very location-specific.

You can find out how to search which credit bureau your local bank might pull here. 

What Chase cards can I get pre-qualified (pre-approved) for?

Chase has been known to offer pre-qualified (pre-approved) offers for the:

You can find pre-qualified cards in mailers but you can also find them in-branch.

There are certain steps you’ll want to take try to increase your odds of getting pre-qualified offers and you read more about how to get Chase pre-qualified offers here. 

Chase refer a friend

The Chase refer a friend program allows you to earn extra points when others use your links and get approved but the Chase Slate does not offer a refer a friend option currently. 

You can read more about the Chase refer a friend program here. 

Final word

The Chase Slate is a fantastic balance transfer card since you can do them with no fees and with 0% APR for 15 months.

Guide to Disputing Chase Credit Card Charges [2021]

Have you ever paid for an item or service with your credit card only to be severely disappointed with the quality of the product or service? Or have you ever found questionable charges on your credit card statement?

In this article, I will discuss the process for how to handle a disputed charge with Chase. I’ll go into some details that you should consider before disputing a charge and also discuss the process of initiating a disputed charge with Chase.

How to dispute a Chase credit card charge

You can dispute a Chase charge in a few ways: online, by mail, fax, or even over the phone.

Online

To file a dispute online, simply log-in to your account and follow the steps below.

Mail

You can send in your dispute to the following address:

Customer Service

P.O. Box 15299

Wilmington, DE 19850-5299

Fax

Fax to: 1-888-643-9624 Attn: Cardmember Services – Dispute Resolution

Phone

To initiate a claim over the phone just call the phone number on the back of your card Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 10 PM Eastern time, and Saturday and  Sunday from 9 AM to 8 PM Eastern time.

Note that this article will focus on personal Chase cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and other Chase co-branded credit cards. If you’re dealing with a small business credit card such as the Chase Ink Business Preferred, I suggest calling the number on the back of your credit card.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Before disputing a charge

Before you ever contact Chase to initiate the dispute process, you should try to contact the merchant directly and resolve the issue.

Why you should contact the merchant

One of the major reasons why you want to try to resolve the issue with the merchant directly is because it just makes things easier for everybody involved.

Merchants get penalized when they are hit the chargebacks and have to pay fees and hassle with a lot of paperwork. Getting hit with chargebacks can also cause issues with the merchant’s relationship with the credit card issuers. Thus, most merchants usually have a strong incentive to avoid chargebacks.

Processing chargebacks can also be very time-consuming for the consumer. It can mean rounding up supporting documentation and waiting several weeks to even months for resolution. It can also mean unwanted eyes on your accounts.  So it can be a better use of your time to just try to resolve things directly with the merchant.

How to resolve things with merchants

You can attempt to resolve chargebacks in a variety of ways.

Phone call

The easiest way (in theory) would be to simply call up the merchant and try to work out a refund or a return or some other type of compensation that you would consider fair. You can often find their number on your credit card statement or simply look them up online.

Resolving these issues over the phone can be difficult sometimes because it is not always easy to get access to upper level managers who can make decisions, especially when your situation calls for a decision that is not a typical or standard resolution.

Also, some merchants will simply blow you off and make it virtually impossible to resolve anything. Finally, it is not always easy to show proof of the contents of a phone call and recording phone calls is not always permitted, so it is often difficult to prove an accurate record of the phone call.

Email

You could also try to resolve things via email. However, it can be difficult to track down the email addresses for the managers that you need to reach (though there are ways to do this).

The good thing about email is you will have everything documented and this can come in handy later on when and if you need to supply documentation. The trick is finding the correct email addresses to send your email to.

Certified letter

If you are dealing with a substantial amount of money related to your transaction, then you might also consider sending a certified letter.

A certified letter gives you proof that the other side has received your correspondence. It does cost a little bit of money (it’s under five bucks) to send a certified letter but it gives you the necessary documentation that you might need later on.

Sending these letters also generally shows the merchant that you mean business when It comes to resolving your dispute and that you might resort to legal measures in the future.

Demand letter

A demand letter is a letter that you send out to a party when you are informing them that you’re planning on seeking legal action if they do not properly act to resolve the dispute. These are most effective when they are written by an attorney on a law firm’s letterhead and contain some type of legal “substance.”

With these letters you are essentially threatening to resort to legal measures to resolve the dispute if they are not willing to comply with your requests or demands.

As an attorney, this was always my go-to method for getting things done. Sending in a demand letter often got the other side to act promptly or at the very least got the conversation going, especially when I gave them a deadline to respond.

But not everybody has access to attorneys to write them legal demand letters and they may not feel comfortable drafting their own, so this route may not be practical for a lot of people.

Once you have attempted to resolve the issue with the merchant and it is clear that they are not going to work with you, then it is time to consider initiating a chargeback. Make sure that you have documented all of your attempts to communicate with them and any responses that they have given back.

Tip: Check out the free app WalletFlo so that you can optimize your credit card spend by seeing the best card to use! You can also track credits, annual fees, and get notifications when you’re eligible for the best cards!

What type of dispute are you filing?

Once you have tried to resolve things with the merchant unsuccessfully then you want to consider disputing the charge. You’ll first want to find out which type of purchase you’re trying to dispute: is it a billing mistake or are you disputing the quality of the goods or services. 

Billing mistake

A billing mistake would be like getting charged two times for the same purchase or being charged for a canceled transaction. If you plan on filing one of these, you must submit a dispute within 60 days of the error first appearing on your statement.

If you contact Chase after 60 days, your options may be limited but Chase might still be able to assist you.

Goods or services

If you’re dissatisfied with the goods or services that you’ve purchased with your credit card, and you have tried in good faith to correct the issue with the merchant, you may have the right not to pay the remaining amount due on the purchases.

There are specific guidelines for disputing a transaction for goods and services though.

  • The purchase must have been made in your home state or within 100 miles of your current mailing address, and the purchase price must have been more than $50. Chase considers any purchase made online or over the phone with a U.S. company to be from your home state.
    • (Note: Neither of these is necessary if your purchase was based on an advertisement Chase mailed to you, or if Chase owns the company that sold you the goods or services.)
  • You must have used your credit card for the purchase. Purchases made with cash advances from an ATM or with a check that accesses your credit card account do not qualify.
  • You must not yet have fully paid for the purchase.
  • If you are dissatisfied with goods or services on a purchase that does not meet the criteria above, you may still contact us to discuss other options.

Process to dispute a Chase charge

To do this simply log into your Chase account and then click on “Things you can do” and you will see “Dispute a transaction.”

From there you will be able to review your prior transactions for that credit card:

Once you select a charge, you’ll then click “Dispute Transaction” where you’ll eventually be asked to choose from several fields that apply to your situation. These include the following.

  • I’ve been charged twice for the same transaction.
  • I don’t recognize this charge.
  • I’m expecting a credit.
  • I’ve been charged for a canceled transaction.
  • I haven’t received service/merchandise.
  • I received time/date sensitive service/merchandise too late.
  • I’ve been overcharged.
  • I’m dissatisfied with the quality of service or merchandise.
  • I paid for the service/merchandise by other means.
  • I never authorized this charge.

Supporting documentation

Sometimes Chase will request you to supply additional documentation. If you are dealing with an expensive transaction or a complaint of goods or services, there is a good chance that you will need to submit some documents.

For this reason, you want to make sure that you hold on to all of your related receipts. For example, it is not uncommon for rental car companies to charge you for gas when you have already filled up your rental vehicle. So in that case you would want to retain your receipt from whenever you filled up the car just in case.

It is also a good idea to take photos of any products if the product is at issue or the results of the service were subpar. Make sure you have all of your dates and times noted as well.

After you submit your claim, Chase will likely reach out and contact the merchant to investigate the issue.

If the specialist assigned to your dispute receives enough information to proceed, a temporary credit can be immediately applied to your account.

For credit card disputes, you will not be charged interest on the purchase during the dispute process. If the disputed amount is determined to be valid, Chase may re-bill you for the disputed amount, applicable fees and interest.

Chase states that they can settle most disputes in 30 to 60 days, but others may take longer. 

Dealing with Chase

Unfortunately, Chase does not have the best reputation for being consumer friendly when it comes to dealing with these chargeback situations. Other issuers, such as American Express, are known for being very consumer friendly and easier to deal with.

So you should know that you might have a protracted battle ahead of you when dealing with getting your Charge disputed, depending on the complexity of the transaction.

Final word

Disputing a charge with Chase is not always the easiest thing to do because the processing time can be very long and Chase does not always side with consumers as much as some other issuers do. But if you do a good job of maintaining your records and follow the steps for processing your dispute, you shouldn’t be caught off guard by any surprises.

The Chase 30 Day Application Rule (2/30 rule)

Chase has some increasingly strict rules and restrictions for applying for their credit cards. There’s the Chase 5/24 rule and there’s also the Chase 30 day rule (2/30 rule). I’m going to shed some light on the 30 day rule in this article, as this rule can be quite confusing despite its apparent simplicity.

Click here for a more comprehensive review of ALL of the Chase application rules. 

Interested in finding out the top travel credit cards for this month? Click here to check them out! 

Chase combines hard pulls

Update: You can no longer apply for two Chase cards at the same time.

It’s important to remember that Chase (or more accurately the credit bureaus) combines hard pulls so if you apply for two cards at the same time or near the same time, there will usually only be one hard pull on your credit report.

This helps reduce the damage done to your credit score from recent inquiries and so it’s generally recommended to do so. The only thing is, you need to know how to go about the Chase 30 day rule if you’re going to be applying for more than one credit card.

What is the Chase 30 day rule?

The general consensus on this rule is that you cannot apply for more than two Chase cards within any 30 day period. This means the 30 day period does not reset at the end of a month. The simple way to make sure you are not violating this rule is to ask yourself the following question:

  • Have I opened more than 2 Chase cards within the past 30 days?

If the answer is yes, then you will likely be found in violation of this rule.

This isn’t a hard and fast rule like the Citi 8/65 rule, however, and there are some exceptions.

Only 1 Chase card sometimes allowed in 30 days

The “bad” exception is that sometimes applicants are denied more than 1 Chase card within a 30 day period. This is increasingly becoming less common based on newer data points and there are numerous theories on why applicants are only allowed one card. 

Some have reported that Chase runs an algorithm and pre-determines if you’re eligible for more than one card in a 30 day period. If this mysterious algorithm decides you can’t have two cards then presumably there’s nothing you can do about it.

There may also be a link to the type of Chase cards you apply for. For example, it might be that when someone applies for more than 1 Chase branded card, such as the Sapphire Preferred, Freedom, or Ink, they stand a higher chance of being denied than if they applied for a mix of a Chase branded card and a co-branded card (Southwest, United, Marriott, etc.).

Ultimately, I don’t think anybody knows why some applicants are only allowed one credit card in 30 days but based on my personal experience and research, these applicants denied two cards in 30 days make up the minority.

2 Chase cards are often approved in 30 days

Many people are able to be approved for two Chase branded cards at the same time or within a 30 day time span. This is an area where YMMV, but it’s definitely possible to get, for example, the Freedom and the Sapphire Preferred at the same time or any other duo you want to try (except now you can’t get two Sapphire credit cards). 

Note: When applicants combine the Chase Ink with another Chase card like the Sapphire at the same time, there are a lot of reports of one card being rejected. So if you really want the Chase Ink card consider applying for that separately. But yet again, some still get approved for both at the same time, so YMMV.

3 cards opened in 30 days

Now to add even more uncertainty in the mix, some people have even been approved for 3 cards within a 30 day period. These applicants tend to be extreme outliers so if you’re counting on this working for you, know that the odds are definitely stacked against you.

People who get approved for more than two cards in 30 days typically are applying for a business card along with two other personal cards. I have personally had success with opening up a 1 business + 2 personal cards in a span of 30 days, so I know it can be done.

With that said, I personally would not recommend applying for 3 Chase cards with 30 days, especially at once. There have been some reports of others getting shutdown from Chase and, although the data is very limited, there might be a link between accounts being flagged and having three applications at once.

So my recommendation is to just stick to two applications.

A note about recon

When you apply for two Chase cards at the same time, It’s not uncommon for one app to be approved while another app goes to pending. If this happens to you you should follow the normal course of action and wait it out or call into recon to see if you can get approved. (For personal recon calls read this; for business credit card applications read this first.) If you are told that you’re only allowed one card in 30 days then try to call recon back in 30 days and inquire if they can re-open your application without you incurring an additional hard pull.

A note about bankers

It’s not uncommon for bankers at a Chase branch to tell you that you cannot apply for more than one card at once. If that arises and you don’t want to argue, just do your application(s) online.

Conclusion

In the end, while there are some data points on either side of the equation, when it comes to the Chase 30 day application rule, it’s definitely possible to get approved for two Chase cards at once. Just remember as always YMMV. 

Ready to Apply for an American Express Card? Read This First [2018]

If you think you are ready to apply for an American Express Card, I highly suggest that you take a look at this article.

There are a lot things you may not know about Amex credit cards and this article will provide you with some information that will help guide you through the application process so that you’ll end up maximizing your options to get the most value.

I’ll first provide you with a lot of helpful info on things to know about Amex cards and then in the second half of this article, I’ll share details with you about some of my favorite Amex credit cards.

Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!

Once per lifetime rule

American Express has a once per life time rules for their credit cards.

This means that technically speaking, you’re only allowed to earn the welcome bonus for a credit card one time.

What’s more, American Express will not usually match your welcome offer with a higher offer. Instead, they might give you some “courtesy points” which will usually be only a fraction of what you’re requesting.

This is why it’s important to jump on great offers with American Express cards like the Amex 100K Platinum Offer.

You don’t miss out on extra points.

Exceptions to the once per lifetime rules

There are two exceptions to this rule you should know about.

7 years

The first is that some have success with re-applying for a card and earning a welcome offer after they have waited seven years to re-apply.

Some speculate that 7 years is the real time frame for “once per lifetime.”

Targeted offers

Sometimes it’s also possible to receive targeted offers that don’t contain the once per lifetime language so in those cases it’s possible to get around the once per lifetime rule but that usually just comes down to luck.

Charge card vs credit cards

American Express offers both charge cards and credit cards.

Charge cards don’t come with pre-set credit limits.

This doesn’t mean that your credit line is unlimited. It just means that Amex will adjust the cap on your spending limit according to your spending habits.

It also means that you’ll need to pay off your bill each mont in full or potentially be hit with fees, not to mention interest.

After you’ve had a charge card for some time, it’s very common for Amex to offer you the opportunity to Pay Over Time for certain charges.

This allows you to move charges over $100 (either manually or automatically) into a long-term payment plan.

The great thing about these programs is that many times they’ll give you a big bonus like 10,000 Membership Rewards just for enrolling in Pay Over Time. So my advice is not to enroll in the program until you’ve been offered a special bonus. Read more about Amex Pay Over Time here. 

Combined hard pulls

When you apply for two Amex cards at once, the hard pulls are usually combined.

This is great because it means that you can minimize the damage done to your credit report.

To learn more about how hard inquiries affect your credit score click here. 

2/90 rule

Amex has some very specific application rules for their cards. Most of the strict rules apply to their credit cards.

American Express will normally not approve you for more than one credit card at the same time and no more than two credit cards in a 90 day window. 

Instead, you usually have to wait five business days (I’d just wait a full week) before applying for a second credit card. 

On occasion, some people do get approved for more than one cards at once.

There may be some sort of link between certain types of Amex cards and the exceptions to this rule, but you should generally expect to be denied for your second credit card application or at the very least forced to wait several days for a decision.

Being forced to wait a few days may not sound bad but that often results in a second hard pull on your credit report so it can cause more damage to your credit score.

The 2/90 rule does not apply to charge cards

Note that the 2/90 rule only applies to credit cards — it’s possible to get approved for two charge cards at once or one credit card and one charge card at the same time.

Some have even been approved for more than two cards at once. But I caution people to move to quickly when applying for American Express cards because of the dreaded RAT.

Amex financial review | RAT

American Express has a Rewards Abuse Team (RAT) that sniffs out people who abuse their rewards.

What constitutes abuse is subjective but generally things like trying to cancel a card before you’ve had it for one year can raise red flags that you’re just trying to game the system.

Also purchasing gift cards be a major issue that gets you into trouble, too.

Here’s the specific warning Amex provides with respect to gaming the system:

If we in our sole discretion determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with the welcome bonus offer in any way or that you intend to do so (for example, if you applied for one or more cards to obtain a welcome bonus offer(s) that we did not intend for you; if you cancel or downgrade your account within 12 months after acquiring it; or if you cancel or return purchases you made to meet the Threshold Amount), we may not credit the statement credit to, we may freeze the statement credit credited to, or we may take away the statement credit from your account. We may also cancel this Card account and other Card accounts you may have with us.

If Amex does suspect that you’re up to something you might get hit with a financial review.

Account freezing

I had my Amex Membership Rewards frozen one time a couple of years ago when Amex went on a freezing frenzy. After a few weeks Amex determined that no abuse or misuse occurred and I was free given access to my points (which I promptly transferred out).

Financial review

If your account is flagged for a financial review, you may have to submit IRS documentation and/or bank statements to substantiate your income or other financial metrics.

It’s a bit of a headache but it’s not that difficult to comply — however, they often give you a short time period to comply so you need to act quickly.

In many cases, these don’t result in an all-out shut down. Instead, you might just get your credit limits lowered or monthly spend capped if they don’t like what they see.

So while Amex financial reviews are not something you want to happen to you, they certainly are not the end of the world for many people.

New Amex Application rules

In addition to the RAT team, there are new terms and conditions Amex just added that provide even more restrictions when applying for Amex cards.

American Express will now “consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.”

This language is very vague but Amex will alert you before they process your credit card application and let you know that you will not qualify for the bonus.

Data points are still rolling in so we don’t know exactly how restrictive this language is but I would try to avoid cancelling Amex cards where possible.

4 or 5 credit card limit

American Express imposes a limit of either four or five for the total amount of credit cards that you can be approved for.

This means that you generally cannot get more than five Amex credit cards.

Again, this rule does not apply to charge cards.

In fact, there may not be a hard and fast rule on charge cards. I’d still try to stay at or under four for charge cards though because opening up ten Amex credit lines is a bit excessive and could draw unwanted attention to your account.

Amex is nice when you are nice to them

American Express is one of the only banks that has never rejected any of my credit card applications. That’s mostly because I’ve played it safe with Amex by playing by the rules and not abusing my relationship with them.

If you are good to Amex then can be very good to you but you’ll have to reciprocate the respect.

Soft pulls with rejections

If you’re currently an American Express customer and they decide to reject you for an application, this will typically result in a soft pull on your credit card report (unless there have been significant changes on your credit report).

This is a nice feature of Amex that takes some of the pressure off applying for new credit cards.

Instant credit card numbers

For some approvals, American Express will provide you with instant credit card number which is fantastic because it means you can use you card right away. Unfortunately, this does not always happen and I don’t think anybody really knows why or when these instant credit card numbers are issued so it sort of just comes down to luck.

Authorized user bonuses

Amex likes to offer special promotions where you can earn bonus points just for adding authorized users and putting some spend on the cards.

For that reason, you may want to hold off on adding authorized users where possible.

Business cards don’t go on personal credit reports

American Express does not typically report business credit cards to personal credit reports. So if you’re are trying to stay under 5/24, then going for Amex business credit cards can make a lot of sense.

Amex Offers

American Express credit cards give you access to Amex Offers.

These are special offers that allow you to save money or earn extra Membership Rewards when making various purchases, such as travel purchases, retail stores, ordering flowers, etc.

If you keep up with these offers and regularly use them you could easily save a couple of hundred bucks a year, so these are great.

Membership Rewards vs Cash back credit cards

American Express has arguably better transfer partners than Chase.

With American Express, you can transfer Membership Rewards to airlines like ANA, Aeroplan, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, British Airways/Iberia, Flying Blue, Delta, JetBlue, Etihad, Emirates, and several others.

These partners give you maximum flexibility across several alliances and partnerships making it much easier to find good rewards to use your points on.

But some Amex cards only earn cash back like the Blue Cash Preferred, so always check and make sure that you’re earning the reward currency you desire.

American Express Credit Cards

Now that you’re aware of some of the major rules and policies related to Amex credit cards and charge cards, I’ll highlight some of the best Amex cards you’ll probably want to consider.

Blue Cash Preferred

The Blue Cash Preferred is my favorite cash back credit card for groceries. The Blue Cash Preferred earns a very respectable 6% back at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 in annual spend and 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores.

If you spent $6,000 on groceries you’d get $360 in cash back which wipes out the annual fee of $95 — and that’s without factoring what you’d get back with gas and department stores. If you spend around $6,000 a year on groceries, the Blue Cash Preferred can be one of your best credit card options.

Amex EveryDay Preferred

The Amex EveryDay Preferred is one of the best cards for earning tons of Membership Rewards. The card comes with the following features:

  • Earn 50% more points 30 or more times on purchases in a billing period and
  • 3X at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases
  • 2X at US gas stations
  • $95 annual fee

If you think you can hit the 30 transactions per month and you regularly spend $6,000 per year on groceries, then this card can be one of the most valuable cards in your wallet. At a valuation of 1.8 cents per point, getting 3X on groceries is like netting 5.4% back. That’s impressive by itself but then when you factor in the 50% bonus that comes out to about 8% back on purchases at US supermarkets which is pretty insane.

And even for gas, getting 2X at a valuation of 1.8 cents per point is like 3.6% back and with the 50% bonus that’s 5.4% back!

So when it comes to racking up value the Amex EveryDay Preferred is one of the best Amex credit cards.

Amex has great credit cards for grocery store spend.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Top 10 Travel Credit Cards

The Platinum Card from American Express is the most widely available premium option offered by American Express. The Amex Black Card (or Centurion Card) is available only by invitation (read more about that card here).

Here’s a look at what the Platinum Card offers:

If you’re able to utilize the $200 annual travel credit and the $200 in Uber credits, you’re looking at an effective annual fee of $150, which is fantastic considering the benefits listed above.

The Platinum Card is mostly designed for business travelers and frequent flyers who will utilize Centurion Lounges and perks like hotel elite status. But it also can be a high earning card if you spend lots on airfare since you’ll get 5X on those purchases.

Use your Platinum Card to get into Centurion Lounges.

Premier Rewards Gold Card Card no longer available

  • Earn 25,000 Membership Rewards after you spend $2,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months (higher targeted offers available)
  • 3X points for flights booked directly with airlines
  • 2X at US restaurants, US gas stations and at US supermarkets
  • $100 airline credit
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $195 annual fee (waived the first year)

The Premier Rewards Gold Card is one of the most rewarding American Express rewards credit cards in terms of bonus earning potential.

Earning 3X on flights and 2X at US restaurants, US gas stations and at US supermarkets is a great way to quickly rack up rewards. This is a great card to combine with the Amex EveryDay Preferred since you can maximize your rewards over a broad range of categories.

The high $195 annual fee is a bit of a deterrent but the $100 annual airline credit knocks that down to $95 which puts it on par with other cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Hilton Honors Aspire Card

Hilton Aspire Bonus

In my opinion, the Hilton Aspire card is arguably the best hotel credit card on the market, at least when it comes to premium options.

Here is the laundry list of perks offered by this card.

  • 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio worldwide
  • 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and at U.S. restaurants
  • 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases
  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status
  • One weekend night at any hotel or resort in the Hilton portfolio (upon opening account and on account anniversary)
  • Weekend night after spending $60,000 on the card within a calendar year
  • Unlimited Priority Pass membership
  • $250 airline incidental fee statement credit
  • $250 Hilton resort statement credit
  • $100 on property credit at Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts when booking the exclusive Aspire Card package
  • $450 Annual Fee 

14X on Hilton purchases amounts to nearly a 7% return and with the resort and airline credits (which add up to $500), you can more than offset the annual fee! Since the card also give you Hilton Diamond status, Priority Pass, and an annual free night certificate, this is one of the most valuable travel rewards credit cards.

Read on here to find out more about the Hilton Aspire.

Hilton Americas-Houston Lobby Bar

The Blue Cash EveryDay Card

blue cash everyday rewards

The Blue Cash EveryDay is a great cash back credit card with no annual fee. It doesn’t earn the rewards like the Blue Cash Preferred but with no annual fee it is a tempting option for many.

  • 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%)
  • 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations
  • 2% Cash Back at select U.S. department stores
  • No annual fee
  • Foreign transaction fee: 2.7%

American Express small business credit cards

American Express has some of the best business credit cards and here are some of the best business credit cards offered by them.

For more on getting approved for business credit cards, read about tips for getting small business credit cards here.

 Amex Blue Business Plus

The Amex Blue Business Plus can be a solid choice for everyday spend since it earns 2X back on all purchases in the form of Membership Rewards. This amounts to a 3.6% return on all purchases (up to $50,000 per year) if you value Membership Rewards at 1.8 cents per point.

Another great feature about the card is that it comes with no annual fee and a 0% intro APR period. I recommend this card for the business owner who is trying to keep things simple and doesn’t want to bother with worrying about different rewards categories.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN comes with some solid perks.

  • 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and eligible hotels on amextravel.com
  • 1.5 points per dollar on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more (that’s an extra half point per dollar). Up to 1 million additional points per year
  • $200 airline credit
  • Centurion Lounge access
  • Priority Pass airport lounge access
  • Book any First or Business Class flight and get 35% of those Membership Rewards® points back later, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year.
  • You can receive one Global Entry ($100) statement credit or one TSA Pre✓® ($85) statement credit every 4 years

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN earns a strong 5X on airfare so if you’re going to be doing a fair amount of flying, this can be very lucrative.

The card also comes with a $200 airline credit that you receive each calendar year. By using those credits twice, you can knock down the effective annual fee to only $150. The 35% rebate on points is great since it allows you to book certain flights at 1.54 cents per point which is very good.

The Business Platinum Card will give you hotel elite status including: Starwood Preferred Guest Gold Status and Hilton Honors Gold status. And finally, like the personal version this card provides you and two guests with Amex Centurion Lounge access.

Amex Simply Cash

The Simply Cash is one of the most underrated cash back cards in my opinion. It’s a small business credit card so you’ll need to qualify for it with some type of business. You’ll earn 5% cash back at U.S. office supply stores and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers.

That’s a great return, but you can also choose to earn 3% cash back on the category of your choice from a list of eight categories:

  • Airfare purchased directly from airlines
  • Hotel rooms purchased directly from hotels
  • Car rentals purchased from select car rental companies
  • U.S. gas stations
  • U.S. restaurants
  • U.S. purchases for advertising in select media
  • U.S. purchases for shipping
  • U.S. computer hardware, software, and cloud computing purchases made directly from select providers

Note that the 5% and 3% apply to the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1% applies thereafter.

Final word

American Express is one of my favorite credit card issuers. They key is to not abuse your relationship with them by opening and closing too many cards and doing other shady practices. If you walk the straight and narrow with Amex, you’ll enjoy a long and valuable relationship with them that can take you very far.

How to Get A Business Credit Card: Tips and Tricks

Getting approved for a small business credit card is not nearly as difficult as many think. As long as you have a decent credit score and some form of a business, then you’ll be eligible to apply for some of the best business credit cards. In this article I’m going to discuss some tips and tricks for how to get a business credit card and then give you a few of my top recommendations.

Why do you need a business credit card?

One of the biggest reasons that people seek out business credit cards is to segregate their business expenses from their personal expenses. This is often a necessity for accounting and tax purposes and it’s also good for general record-keeping.

But business credit cards also come with special bonus categories that are often ideally suited for small businesses and start-ups. These are bonus categories like advertising, travel, shipping, gas, and telecommunications. By picking the perfect business credit card, you’ll be able to earn cash back or earn valuable rewards that you can use to travel more often (or more comfortably like in Qatar first class).

Qatar Airways first class.

How to get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card is a lot easier than you probably think. The application process usually works almost the exact same way as applying for a personal credit card. The only difference is that you need to supply additional details about your business.

What additional details you need depends on which bank you’re applying for. Some banks only ask for a couple of extra details but others will ask you to get much more in depth about the nature of your business.

Potential questions you might see on a business card application include:

  • Legal business name
  • Business address
  • Industry type
  • Company structure 
  • Age of business
  • Number of employees
  • Annual revenue
  • Estimated monthly spend 

Again, different banks ask different questions so I suggest that you round up all of the relevant details for your business before you apply. Or you can simply look up the application online to see what fields you’ll be required to fill out.

How to Get A Business Credit Card
An example of a business credit card application from American Express.

How to get approved for a business credit card

The different banks vary in how they approve applicants for business credit cards but there are a few things you can do to improve your approval odds.

Have a good personal credit score

A lot of people don’t know this but there are separate credit scores for your business and your personal profile. However, it’s your personal credit score that will usually dictate whether or not you are approved for a business card (especially for your first business card). Remember, you are personally liable for debts incurred on these business credit cards, so the banks want to make sure that you are financially responsible.

A good credit score for business credit cards is generally going to be around 720+ but you you can still get approved for business cards with lower scores (even in the 600s). In my personal experience, Amex business credit cards can be some of the easiest to get approved for but your situation could differ.

If you’re not very confident about your credit score you can do a couple of things to improves your approval odds.

Open a business bank account

You can open up a business bank account with your prospective credit card issuer. This shows them that you are serious about your business and could lend credibility to your revenue numbers.

In order to open a business bank account you might need documentation for an LLC, d/b/a, etc. D/b/a documents are generally easy and cheap to get and you can check with your local state or county court for requirements.

Open up a personal credit card

You could also just open up a personal credit card with that bank to establish a relationship with them. For example, if you wanted the Chase Ink Business Preferred you could apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred or even the Chase Freedom and then wait a few months to go for the Ink.

Know how to handle a recon call

This is very important, especially if you every plan on applying for Chase business cards like the Ink. If you’re not instantly approved for a business credit card there’s a good chance that you’ll have to call in to “reconsideration.”

This is a phone call where you’ll be asked a lot of very specific questions about your business, such as your revenue, size, profit, etc. This is why it’s a good idea to make a cheat sheet with all of the important details of your business so that the information on your application will be accurate.

I highly suggest for you to read my Tips for a Chase Reconsideration Call article.

Have a business

This should be obvious but you’ll need a business to apply for a business credit card. You don’t always need a traditional LLC, corporation, partnership, etc. If you don’t currently have a money-making business (or any business at all) there’s still hope for you.

How to get a business credit card for a new business

If you have a new business that just started or even a business that has not brought in any revenue, you can still get approved for a business credit card. Some people have been approved for business credit cards with zero revenue but sometimes that lack of revenue can result in your denial.

If you have an accurate method for projecting your revenue over the next year you could always provide a good-faith estimate for your revenue. Keep in mind that sometimes these applications can end up in financial review so always have some reasonable basis for your projected revenue.

And if it’s your first business card, some people recommend combining your personal income with your business revenue since your personal credit report is purely what that approval will be based on.

How to get a business credit card without a business

If you don’t have a business at all then you need to start one. The good news is that it’s incredibly easy to start a business. If you do any type of selling or reselling, whether on eBay, Amazon, Craig’s List, etc., that can definitely qualify as a business.

Or maybe you do some type of consulting or tutoring on the side? That can also serve as a business. Again, you never want to be untruthful on a credit card application. Especially when it only takes a small amount of initiative to start a side hustle.

When you do start something like your own re-selling business, the name of your business will typically be something like “First Name Last Name, Consulting” or “First Name Last Name, Contracting.”

Do I need an EIN for a small business credit card?

If you are creating your own small business by reselling items or consulting, it’s possible to form that business without ever creating an Employer Identification Number (“EIN.”)

In this case, you would select “Sole Proprietorship” as your company structure on your credit card application. If you only see a field on the application for an EIN or Tax ID Number, you should be able to just put your social security number in that field.

How to get a business credit card without using your social security number

If you’d rather not use your social security number, you can easily create an EIN in a matter of minutes. Simply go to the official IRS website and you’ll be able to create an EIN very quickly.

Things to Know about business credit cards

Many business credit cards like those from Chase, Amex, and Citi do not report to your personal credit report. This means that they won’t show up as new accounts which will help mitigate the damage done to your credit report.

Also, any balance you keep on those non-reporting credit cards will not show up on your personal credit report. That’s why some business credit cards like the American Express Blue Business Plus are ideal for balance transfers. You can basically lower your utilization in an instant and improve your credit score.

My favorite business credit cards

There are a ton of great business credit cards offered nowadays. But below a few of my favorites. I like these mostly because of their great bonus categories which are perfect for many small businesses, especially if you spend money on advertising and travel. They also earn some solid rewards.

The Chase Ink Business Preferred

Best Credit Card for Entrepreneurs

The Ink Preferred comes with one of the best sign-up bonuses at 80,000 Ultimate Rewards after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months! At a valuation of 2 cents per point, that’s $1,600 worth of rewards. Even if you only redeemed these for a statement credit, that’s still an $800 rebate! 

The Ink Preferred also earns 3X on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on:

American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card

The American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card is one of my top business credit cards because it earns a whopping 2X on all purchases up to $50,000 per year. Since I value Membership Rewards close to 2 cents per point, that’s 3.5-4% back on all purchases (up to $50,000 per year) in the form of Membership Rewards!

And this card comes with an intro 0% APR period. So if you need to make a big purchase, you can make that purchase and pay it off over time without any interest and without it reporting to your personal credit report. It’s a great way to handle big purchases if you don’t want to affect your personal credit score.

The Business Gold Rewards Card

The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN is great because it allows you to choose one category to earn 3X the points on. You can choose from any of the following categories to earn 3X on:

  • Airfare purchased directly from airlines
  • U.S. purchases for advertising in select media
  • U.S. purchases at gas stations
  • U.S. purchases for shipping
  • U.S. computer hardware, software, and cloud purchases from select providers

This card also comes with a high welcome offer of 50,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. This was my first business credit card and I recall earning a lot of Membership Rewards from this card over the course of a year with the great bonus spending categories.

Capital One Spark Cash for Business

The Capital One Spark Cash Visa is a very simple cash back credit card that earns 2% back on all purchases. This small business credit card is a great option for anybody looking for a simplified rewards structure. The Capital One Spark also comes with a hefty early spending bonus of $500 after you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months of being approved. And the annual fee is waived the first year!

Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Credit Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Credit Card is one of the most-prized credit cards right now. Chase recently prevented applicants from picking up two personal Southwest credit cards which made obtaining the coveted Southwest Companion Pass more difficult. But with this business card’s all-time high 60,000 point sign-up bonus you’ll be on your way to earning the Companion Pass in a hurry!

How to get a business credit card with bad personal credit

If you have a bad personal credit score you might struggle to get approved for some business cards. But there are still some options out there like the Applied Bank® Visa® Business Card which are easier to get approved for.

Final word

As you can probably tell, it’s not very difficult to get approved for a small business credit card as long as you have a decent credit score and some form of a business to your name. However, it’s still a good idea to read up on what to expect when applying for certain cards and to consider additional ways to improves your approval adds like opening up a business checking account.

Amex Department Stores: What Counts for Amex Cards?

Offers contained within this article maybe expired.

American Express offers credit cards that provide you with bonus points for spend at select US department stores. A common question is what types of purchases count for Amex department stores? This article will provide some insight to that question.

Amex cards with bonuses on department stores

The most popular Amex credit cards for earning bonus categories on department stores are the Blue Cash cards. There is a no annual fee version known as the Blue Cash EveryDay and there’s also one version with an annual fee known as the Blue Cash Preferred.

Blue Cash EveryDay

The Blue Cash EveryDay with no annual fee earns 2% back on department stores. It also earns 3% back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases and 2% back at US gas stations.

Blue Cash Preferred

The Blue Cash Preferred earns 3% back on department stores and 6% back at US supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%) and 3% back at US gas stations.

Both of these are very solid cash back options and depending on the amount of annual spend you put on your card, either card could make sense for you. I did a full write-up on the differences between these credit cards so make sure you read that before choosing which credit card to go with.

US Department stores

The first thing to be aware of is that only US Department stores located within the US will count for these bonus categories. So it doesn’t count if you shop at a US-based department store in a place like Dubai, for example.

Online purchases don’t count

One thing to know is that you must make these purchases in the store. Online purchases do not count for department stores!

Select major department stores

To earn additional rewards on department store purchases, the purchases must be made at a department store that is included in Amex’s list of “select major department stores.”
These department stores include:
• Bealls
• Belk
• Bloomingdale’s
• Bon Ton Stores
• Boscov’s
• Century 21 Department Stores
• Dillard’s
• J.C. Penney (JCP)
• Kohl’s
• Lord & Taylor
• Macy’s
• Neiman Marcus
• Nordstrom
• Saks Fifth Avenue
• Sears
• Stein Mart
This list isn’t quite as expansive as many would like it to be. But at least it does include many of the big-name stores that you can find just about anywhere like Macy’s and also include some higher-end department stores.

Final word on Amex department stores

American Express is pretty straightforward about what type of purchases count for department stores. If you’re thinking about going for one of the Blue Cash credit cards then make sure you are familiar with this list. And don’t forget to consider that these cards earn great rates on supermarkets so even if you don’t shop at these select department stores, it could still be worth getting one of these cards.

How Many Chase Cards Can You Have?

Some credit card issuers, such as American Express will limit you to a specific number of credit cards that you can have. Meanwhile other banks don’t have a firm cut-off. Either way, it’s very important to know the limitations for each issuer so you can avoid denials and maximize your points strategy. This article will answer the question: how many Chase cards can you have?

Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!

How many Chase cards can you have?

There is no firm limit on how many Chase credit cards you can have. Instead, it’s usually limited by your income, credit history, and relationship with Chase.

I’ve known people who have had over 10 Chase credit cards but that was pre 5/24 (more on that below). Ever since Chase tightened up on approving applicants, it seems that most people in general tend to max out around six to seven Chase credit cards.

Chase credit cards
How Many Chase Cards Can You Have?

Chase application rules

One major reason people don’t get approved for so many chase cards anymore is that there are more restrictions for getting approved for certain credit cards.

Chase now has several credit card application rules that you should definitely know about before you apply for Chase credit cards. Those rules can also affect how many cards you end up getting from Chase.

For example, Chase won’t approve you for certain cards if you’ve opened up 5 or accounts in the past two years.

This “5/24 Rule” applies to the following cards (with certain exceptions):

  • Chase Sapphire Reserve
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred
  • Chase Freedom cards
  • Chase Slate
  • Chase Ink Preferred
  • Chase Ink Cash
  • Chase Marriott Rewards Card (only personal)
  • Chase Southwest cards
  • Chase United cards

So if you were over 5/24, you’d more than likely not be able to get any of those cards. You can click here, to read more about the different types of Chase credit card application rules.

Income’s effect on Chase card approvals

Nobody knows for sure, but many speculate that Chase limits its customers to a total credit limit of around 40% to 60% of your stated income. So, for example, if your stated income is $100K a year, you can expect to start having issues with getting more credit when you have around $50,000 of total credit lines (counting all Chase credit cards).

I know that Chase can grant you credit even higher than 60% of your income, but the 40% to 60% figure is the ballpark range where you will likely start to struggle to get approved for more credit from Chase.

If you’ve been approved for business credit cards, you probably have a better shot at getting more credit than this. At the same time, if you’ve got a weaker credit history don’t be surprised if you’re not even able to get credit lines up to 50% of your stated income. In that case, it’s best to focus on building up a good relationship with Chase first and then worry about additional credit cards.

There may also be a cap of total credit allowed at around $100,000 but there are little data points to extract any meaningful data from for that theory.

How to know when you’ve hit the max credit allowed by Chase

You’ll know you’ve hit the maximum credit allowed to you by Chase when your credit card applications start going to pending. After you no longer receive automatic approvals, there’s a very good chance that you’ve hit your ceiling with Chase.

Unless you start making more money at that time, you’re going to probably need to shift around credit or close credit lines to get approved.

Shifting Chase credit lines around

Shifting your credit lines around is one of the easiest ways to deal with this situation. After your application goes to pending or even after you get denied, you’ll need to call into Chase reconsideration. (Click here to read about everything you need to know about Chase reconsideration.)

During that phone call, you’ll be able to request that credit be transferred from your current credit lines to the new credit line. You’ll usually need to leave at least $500 on a credit line when initiating the transfer. The transfer will be instant in most cases and Chase is usually pretty good about honoring your request.

 Lowering credit lines

Another approach you can take is to lower your credit lines before you ever apply.

The theory is that since Chase already approved you for a specific amount of credit, once you lower that credit, Chase will then approve you once again.

The risk for this is that other factors could come into play that lead to a rejection. For example, maybe now you have so many new hard inquiries that you won’t get approved for more credit. In that case your credit utilization could take a hit.

Lowering your credit lines could also potentially complicate any plans to shift credit around between cards since you’ll have less breathing room.

Closing credit lines

Another approach is just to outright cancel your credit cards.

This method will not allow you to continue to age your credit accounts and could increase your utilization, both of which could end up hurting your credit score. So you need to be very mindful of how closing a credit line will affect your score.

Still, sometimes you need to close an account. For example, maybe you have six Chase credit cards and you feel that applying for more than cards from Chase will just look silly or like you’re abusing their rewards. If that’s the case then it can make sense to close the card.

Just make sure that you’ve read all of the Chase application rules that are linked near the top of this article. Because if you don’t know about those, you might cancel a card that you will no longer be able to get! 

Final word on the max number of Chase cards

Ultimately, there is no strict limit on the number of Chase credit cards you are allowed. However, there are strong indicators that your income plays a major role in dictating how many cards you can have. In addition, the different Chase credit card application rules will often limit the number of Chase cards available to you.

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