Back to Basics of the Week | Business Credit Cards

Viewer questions 

• What business card do you think receives undue hate from the community that could genuinely help new or new to credit small business owners? (K1d_Cat37)

News Round-Up 

• None

Topics 

• Matt 

• Issuers struck gold with Travel hacking’s discovery of Business cards, and it probably ruined everything for advanced credit card “players.” (and the game in general)

• Are Credit Card enthusiasts ruining business credit cards for the “real” business owners, and as more and more people begin to adopt business cards for their strategies, will the issuers “nerf” it?

• Would business cards get as much love from the credit card community who have “businesses” if they reported to personal credit bureaus?

• Is there a “problem” with business cards getting personal offers for cashback or points? I’m thinking like a business gold with Amex getting basically all the same offers as the personal gold. 

Back to Basics of the Week | Effective Annual Fee 

Viewer questions 

• Question for you guys to consider for future. How do you evolve your CC strategy over time? Maybe you realize you picked the wrong ecosystem or partners from the get go, maybe you started cash back but want to go travel or vise versa. Maybe life changes and therefore amount/ type of spend or location (thus partners) change. How do you reassess this on an ongoing basis and how do you make a pivot? Thanks for considering, y'all are great! - @Double_Double_Animal_Fries

News Round-Up 

• Q4 categories 

Topics 

Matt 

-Welcome Offers are the most effective “Return on spend” but there are only so many and only so many pertinent to those who are entrenched with their partners; besides stacks, how else can people maximize their daily spend without making it too much of “job?”

Lani

• Extended Sign-Up-Bonuses: Your thoughts? Chase Freedom Unlimited & Flex recently had 12 month offers/options (extra 1.5X on everything for 12 months up to $20K, Double points no cap after 12 months, 5x on gas/grocery for 12 months. etc.) We’re starting to see this more and more, Ink Business 3 months+3 months, Amex+Resy 6 months with 3 months of 10x dining. Is this the new normal? Do you like it? Thoughts/Opinions?

Tariq

• What are the benefits (if there are any) of being a travel free agent?

RJ

• Are credit card points and miles a sort of spontaneity cheat code?

•One of the underrated benefits of being in the credit card “game” is the ability to get a lot of value but it’s also the ability to do things spontaneously. Credit card points/miles allow you to text a friend and say “you wanna do X” and move points/miles to cover the trip or part of it. Or if paying cash do so effectively. 

Hosts | Matt Clausen of Credit Tidbits | Lani from Call Me Lani  | Tariq Gaines  | RJ from Do You Take Cards

Back to Basics of the Week | Balance Transfers 

Viewer questions 

• Question for @Tariq Gaines. What would Hilton, Marriott, choice, Wyndham have to do to win your loyalty from Hyatt and IHG? - K1d_Cat37

News Round-Up 

• US Bank new card 

Topics 

Matt | One card in your Wallet has to change the issuer; which one, where does it go, does it change features (if so what) and would it still be worth it to you? Can be a Cobrand or bank card.

Tariq | Are credit card roadmaps worth it? Do you have one, and if so, have you made any adjustments to it since you first made it?

RJ | What is a card you want but you just haven’t hit submit on the app yet and why?

Reach us at [email protected]

Welcome to a new episode of Stack Your Points! 

This week we have the full show for you with news, viewer questions and 4 fun topics. 

Matt

- Is there such a thing as a “Best Starter ecosystem?” Or should you not worry about how you start in the game? (MC)

Lani * “Why do you have it?” Cards. Card which you do not often use. Card (s) that do not fit within your Main/Plan A strategy. Card(s) that have reward currencies which you would go out of your way to use? * Example: I have Amex Platty. I do not use it to purchase everyday things (unless its an Amex offer or point stack). Does not transfer to United/IHG. Only use points to transfer out or a good deal within Amex travel portal. So why do I have it? (yes, I have an answer why.)

Tariq * Credit card “strategies” that’ll get you on a bank’s bad side. Do people not know/understand the risk, or do they simply not care until they’re hit with the consequences?

RJ * The hosts of Stack Your Points are all sitting at Café Henri in Queens, New York on November 14th in the morning (allowing you to pick the time so you can catch an early flight if you need). We all have our bags with us.  * Using our loyalty programs and the credit cards we have access to, how would each of us get from New York City to Seattle Washington, each traveling solo? * Where would we stay in Seattle if we wanted to stay with a brand we had loyalty with for a five night stay?  * How much did we spend in points and cash? The flight must have at least one layover.  

Hosts | Matt Clausen of Credit Tidbits | Lani from Call Me Lani  | Tariq Gaines  | RJ from Do You Take Cards

Back to Basics 

Transfer Partners 101: What are Transfer Partners; why do we obsess over them?

 If you want to ask a question, you can leave a comment or email [email protected].

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/hmhYfxfyWN

Where to find us 

https://www.youtube.com/@MattClausen

https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeLani

https://www.youtube.com/@DoYouTakeCards 

Hosts | Matt Clausen of Credit Tidbits | Lani from Call Me Lani  | Tariq Gaines  | RJ from Do You Take Cards

News Round-Up 

None this week. 

Back to Basics 

Transfer Partners 101: What are Transfer Partners; why do we obsess over them?

Topics 

Matt: Hilton does FNC better, either uncap them or don’t offer them at all. 

Lani: There’s a lot of refreshes, new cards [confirmed & rumored], and partnerships happening (i.e. BILT+Walgreens). Once these things are announced, CCYT goes into “worth it/ not worth it,” “keep or cancel.” What changes would you actually like to see happen with CCs?

Tariq: Is credit card addiction real, or is there no such thing?

RJ: What is your relationship with digital wallets like? Love them? Hate them? Do you have all your cards in there or just some? 

Viewer questions 

• How do you value points when using them to top up a loyalty account?  Say you want to take a flight that has a cash price of either $650 or 50,000 points (1.3cpp).  You currently have a balance with that airline of 40,000 points/miles, and the airline will sell you miles directly for 3 cents each. - SpaethCo
  • Do you transfer 10k points over to make that redemption instead of paying cash, and if so how do you value those 10k points?
    • A. $650, because it saved you from spending $650 out of pocket at that point in time.

 If you want to ask a question, you can leave a comment or email [email protected].

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/hmhYfxfyWN

Where to find us 

https://www.youtube.com/@MattClausen

https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeLani

https://www.youtube.com/@DoYouTakeCards 

Hosts | Matt Clausen of Credit Tidbits | Lani from Call Me Lani  | Tariq Gaines  | RJ from Do You Take Cards

Viewer questions 

• How do you value points when using them to top up a loyalty account?  Say you want to take a flight that has a cash price of either $650 or 50,000 points (1.3cpp).  You currently have a balance with that airline of 40,000 points/miles, and the airline will sell you miles directly for 3 cents each. - SpaethCo

• A. $650, because it saved you from spending $650 out of pocket at that point in time.

• Do you transfer 10k points over to make that redemption instead of paying cash, and if so how do you value those 10k points?

 If you want to ask a question, you can leave a comment or email [email protected].

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/hmhYfxfyWN

Where to find us 

https://www.youtube.com/@MattClausen

https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeLani

https://www.youtube.com/@DoYouTakeCards 

Hosts | Matt Clausen of Credit Tidbits | Lani from Call Me Lani  | Tariq Gaines  | RJ from Do You Take Cards

News Round-Up 

None this week

Topics 

Matt: Hilton does FNC better, either uncap them or don’t offer them at all. 

Lani: There’s a lot of refreshes, new cards [confirmed & rumored], and partnerships happening (i.e. BILT+Walgreens). Once these things are announced, CCYT goes into “worth it/ not worth it,” “keep or cancel.” What changes would you actually like to see happen with CCs?

Tariq: Is credit card addiction real, or is there no such thing?

RJ: What is your relationship with digital wallets like? Love them? Hate them? Do you have all your cards in there or just some? 

 If you want to ask a question, you can leave a comment or email [email protected].

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/hmhYfxfyWN

Where to find us 

https://www.youtube.com/@MattClausen

https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeLani

https://www.youtube.com/@DoYouTakeCards 

Buy your medicine, get your points, move on 

Hosts | Matt Clausen of Credit Tidbits | Lani from Call Me Lani  | Tariq Gaines  | RJ from Do You Take Cards

00:00:00 - Intro

News Round-Up 

• Our show will now drop on Wednesdays 

Topics 

Matt | USBank and Wells Understand Credits; everyone else is annoying.

Lani | Is there a “universal” card or strategy for beginners? So many opinions from others about ‘what to do.’ Every answer or opinion is different. So is there a “universal strategy or card?”

Tariq | Cent per point valuations aside, does it really make sense to compare cards from different points & miles ecosystems?

RJ | Bilt came into the credit card market with a new category or at least a new spin on that category - Rent - what do you see other categories that are ripe for the same treatment?

If you want to ask a question, you can leave a comment or email [email protected].

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/hmhYfxfyWN

Where to find us 

https://www.youtube.com/@MattClausen

https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeLani

https://www.youtube.com/@DoYouTakeCards 

Hosts | Matt Clausen of Credit Tidbits | Lani from Call Me Lani  | Tariq Gaines  | RJ from Do You Take Cards

News Round-Up 

• Delta and Microsoft/Cloudstrike in a war of words 

Topics 

Matt | “Credits minimizers” ruined some cards; stop thinking you’re getting one over on the issuer. 

Lani | Booking domestic flights with airline alliance partners: Is the juice worth the squeeze?

Tariq | 

RJ | What apps or other ways to track do you use that are credit card related? Card Pointers? Max Rewards? A spreadsheet?

Jon R's Amex Video

If you want to ask a question, you can leave a comment or email [email protected].

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/hmhYfxfyWN

Where to find us 

https://www.youtube.com/@MattClausen

https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeLani

https://www.youtube.com/@DoYouTakeCards