Join us as we tackle some Freedom Flex news and then a big ol mailbag.

00:00:00 - Introduction and Hosts’ Banter 00:09:49 - Discussion on Pop-Up Jail and Welcome Offers 00:23:56 - Lounge Access: Preferences and Priorities 00:42:51 - Chase Ultimate Rewards: Recent Changes 01:05:16 - Let’s Talk Couponization Pendulums 01:20:39 - New Chase Sapphire Offers and Updates 01:25:08 - Credit Card Points Boost and Travel Portals 01:39:46 - Community Influence on Credit Card Usage 01:53:31 - Unexpected Credit Card Acquisitions 02:03:14 - Final Thoughts

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Who we are

• What if you'll do a whole segment on the problem with Capital One​. Lani alluded to it but didn't want to get into it. What am I missing? - @AcmeAcresA

• Intro: What is the SYPs definition of a catchall? And can it have FTFs? Does it have to be accepted at almost all merchants? - Keith
  • Main question(s): What is your current catchall card and what do you think is the best catchall card on the market even if you do not have the card?
  • Is there a popular catchall that you think is overrated? If so, why?

• Would love to hear the team discuss this question I had with a few other CC enthusiasts. Would you rather fly to Asia/Europe directly in premium economy or fly business with a medium/long layover. Personally I'd choose PE, but could see others disagreeing. - KirbyG

• Have any of you on the panel purchased points strategically for an upcoming redemption or to help meet a SUB? Hilton & IHG are both having limited time points sales with 100% bonus. - JC

• Given some of Chase's moves and rumored moves recently and the potentially coupon-ey Savor X, any predictions on further couponization/brand partnerships across C1, Citi, & WF? - DDAF

• Matt
  • Citizen’s latest “top” card has an Annual fee that is flexible based on your relationship with Citizens, is this something you’d like to see to help “manage” some of your Annual fees or do you see this as unnecessary?
• Lani
  • So Amex came out saying they will refresh the Amex Platinum cards (shocker, i.e. Chase and they do so every 4-5 years). I personally think they are pulling rulers out vs. doing it for business changes. But with so much more money being added to annual fee, competing credits, etc. Is it time to just pick Chase or Amex (based on hypothetical refresh)?

• RJ
  • We talk a lot about how to manage our set ups if our lives changes or we want to cut down on AFs. But how do you handle preparing for when the banks change the cards when your life doesn’t change?

• Where to find us

00:00:00 - Introduction and Hosts’ Banter 00:05:36 - Unique Points and Miles Strategies 00:09:41 - Best General Catch-All Credit Cards 00:17:11 - Transferring Points to Hotels: Value Proposition 00:26:41 - Positive Trends in the Credit Card Community 00:36:33 - Chase Sapphire Reserve Business Card Announcement + Capital One Venture X Changes 00:53:55 - The Rise of Rewarding Debit Cards 01:08:59 - Strategies for Applying for Credit Cards 01:28:58 - Balancing Personal Goals and Community Advice 01:42:53 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

00:00:00 - Introduction and Host Updates 00:02:46 - GarudaMiles 00:08:06 - Credit Card End Game Discussion 00:20:24 - Barclays Travel Cards Review 00:24:17 - Signing Credit Cards: Is It Necessary? 00:28:24 - What Makes a Hotel Good? 00:42:49 - JetBlue and United Blue Sky Alliance 00:47:51 - Lani | The Impact of Buy Now, Pay Later on Credit Card Debt 01:04:29 - Matt | Prepaying for Travel: How Far is Too Far? 01:17:27 - RJ | Credit Card Pet Peeves 01:35:04 - Conclusion and Where to Find Us 01:37:18 - Conclusion and Where to Find Us

00:00:00 - Welcome To The Show 00:03:32 - Question 1 | Keeping Unused Credit Cards Active 00:08:26 - Question 2 | Managing Multiple Credit Card Ecosystems 00:17:49 - Questions 3 | Flying Economy vs. First Class 00:30:17 - Questions 4 | Cards You Irrational Want 00:41:20 - Questions 5 | Futurama Characters as Credit Cards 00:48:56 - Lani | Basic Economy vs. Standard Economy 01:11:12 - RJ | Travel Packing Strategies 01:32:55 - Craig | Dealing with Travel Devaluations 01:47:26 - Matt | Cards That Deserve A Second Look 02:02:15 - Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

00:00:00 - Introduction and Greetings + Chase Sapphire Reserve Rumors 00:07:35 - Question 1 - Booking Flights with Points 00:28:48 - Question 2 - Favorite and Least Favorite Credits 00:34:57 - Question 3 - Cashback Concerns 00:41:15 - Question 4 - Capital One Venture X 00:47:42 - Question 5 - Annoying Hotel Trends 00:57:14 - RJ - Gamifying Credit Card Rewards 01:08:08 - Lani - Redemption vs. Destination 01:18:05 - Matt - Return on Spend: Is It Worth It? 01:37:39 - Closing Remarks

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

Viewer Questions

• If all hotel status was stripped off of cards and you had to pay for it, what would you pay for IHG Platinum (Lani), Hyatt Discoverist (Tariq), Marriott Gold (Matt) and Hilton Gold (RJ). Please consider the multipliers and benefits the status provides and the value you realistically achieve to assign the annual valuation. - AP
  • Maybe change the question a bit in our answers to which status would we pay for?
• I take that most, if not all of you, are ideally not depleting your points balance all the way to zero/near zero. So my assumption is that occasionally you are paying cash for a trip even though you technically might have the points to cover it. How do you go about making the decision to use points versus cash in that scenario? - DDAF
• So are annual fees for cards no longer worth it? Looking at the possibilities with no annual fee cards you can access most transfer partners for free between amex, wells Fargo, bilt and capital one. Aside from chase and Citi each ecosystem offers the possibility of obtaining a considerable amount of points. Unless you are looking for a premium benefit is there any other reason to justify an annual fee card for transferrable currencies? - Thic Boii
• Favorite Futurama character and why? - DDAF

News Round-Up

• • CSR Rumors
    • Why Chase, Why - Keith
    • Why would Chase try and have the Sapphire card compete with the Platinum when it can create a category of it's own? What would it take to make the Sapphire your "one card"? I'm thinking keep the travel credits the way they are, one or two more coupons, 2X catch all, raise the annual fee, 2x in the portal instead of 1.5. Am I asking for too much? - rp2048

Topics

• Matt
  • The Coupon Book wars are now in full effect; what is more likely to happen: AmEx feels the effect of the First Mover Dilemma, or Chase (or another bank) clean house? Can another bank enter and win, or can a bank win a different way?
• Craig
  • What piece of credit card community advice that is widely accepted that you consistently denounce or go against the grain on?
• RJ
  • With the news of the CSR dropping I’ve started to think of my own setup. Which card in your wallet being majorly changed, for better or worse, would have the biggest impact on you?