Starwood BVG Card, no annual fee 1st year, 4000 bonus points (expires on 10/31)

[Bob151]

Does this have that single purchase number feature that some AMEX cards have. I can't recall the official term for it, but you get a new CC number good for a single use that is billed to your real CC #. I liked that feature of my blue. Good for some Internet purchases.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Bob151
Does this have that single purchase number feature that some AMEX cards have. I can't recall the official term for it, but you get a new CC number good for a single use that is billed to your real CC #. I liked that feature of my blue. Good for some Internet purchases.

It's called Amex Private Payments and I believe it is included.

My co-branded Amex CostCo Platinum 2% Rebate cc offers this.

 

[DaCurryman]

Originally posted by: goucberkeley

Originally posted by: ableach33
$30 is a lot when you're not sure how many of those rewards you actually will be getting. I'm a student, have had my current credit card since 2001 and still haven't spent $20,000 to recieve enough for a plane ticket. That would be $90 i'm out of already, not to mention that I could be using that $90 for other things in the meantime. I'm sure it'd be a great card for me when I finish up with school and have more things I can pay for with my card, but until then, $30 a year hurts the deal for me.

Very true...but does anyone know for sure if schools accept credit cards for tuition payments? I've heard for some schools you can...You could possibly rack up a $|-|!7 load of points charging dorm/tuiton/books...

-C

I'm pretty sure my undergrad school (Cornell University) used to accept credit card payments for tuition. I know they definitely did for books. And I know for sure that my graduate school (St. John's University) accpets credit card for tuition and books (since that's how I paid this semester). That would definitely be a good way to rack up those points.

Does this card offer any of those percentage rebates like how Blue can give you upto 5% back.

 

[Bob151]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: Bob151
Does this have that single purchase number feature that some AMEX cards have. I can't recall the official term for it, but you get a new CC number good for a single use that is billed to your real CC #. I liked that feature of my blue. Good for some Internet purchases.

It's called Amex Private Payments and I believe it is included.

My co-branded Amex CostCo Platinum 2% Rebate cc offers this.

That's right, Private Payments.

You like that CostCo 2% card, ehh?

I like AMEX, I have never had a problem with them.

 

[goucberkeley]

Originally posted by: DaCurryman

Originally posted by: goucberkeley

Originally posted by: ableach33
$30 is a lot when you're not sure how many of those rewards you actually will be getting. I'm a student, have had my current credit card since 2001 and still haven't spent $20,000 to recieve enough for a plane ticket. That would be $90 i'm out of already, not to mention that I could be using that $90 for other things in the meantime. I'm sure it'd be a great card for me when I finish up with school and have more things I can pay for with my card, but until then, $30 a year hurts the deal for me.

Very true...but does anyone know for sure if schools accept credit cards for tuition payments? I've heard for some schools you can...You could possibly rack up a $|-|!7 load of points charging dorm/tuiton/books...

-C

I'm pretty sure my undergrad school (Cornell University) used to accept credit card payments for tuition. I know they definitely did for books. And I know for sure that my graduate school (St. John's University) accpets credit card for tuition and books (since that's how I paid this semester). That would definitely be a good way to rack up those points.

Does this card offer any of those percentage rebates like how Blue can give you upto 5% back.

AFAIK, its either cash rebates or miles...I don't think there is a card that gives out both??

I think I went to the only school in America that did not take credit card payments for tuition....

:disgust:

 

[goucberkeley]

Originally posted by: DaCurryman

Originally posted by: goucberkeley

Originally posted by: ableach33
$30 is a lot when you're not sure how many of those rewards you actually will be getting. I'm a student, have had my current credit card since 2001 and still haven't spent $20,000 to recieve enough for a plane ticket. That would be $90 i'm out of already, not to mention that I could be using that $90 for other things in the meantime. I'm sure it'd be a great card for me when I finish up with school and have more things I can pay for with my card, but until then, $30 a year hurts the deal for me.

Very true...but does anyone know for sure if schools accept credit cards for tuition payments? I've heard for some schools you can...You could possibly rack up a $|-|!7 load of points charging dorm/tuiton/books...

-C

I'm pretty sure my undergrad school (Cornell University) used to accept credit card payments for tuition. I know they definitely did for books. And I know for sure that my graduate school (St. John's University) accpets credit card for tuition and books (since that's how I paid this semester). That would definitely be a good way to rack up those points.

Does this card offer any of those percentage rebates like how Blue can give you upto 5% back.

AFAIK, its either cash rebates or miles...I don't think there is a card that gives out both??

I think I went to the only school in America that did not take credit card payments for tuition....

:disgust:

 

[dealonfire]

Originally posted by: DaCurryman

Does this card offer any of those percentage rebates like how Blue can give you upto 5% back.

I am just going to cut & paste my post on the so-called 5% rebate blue cash card.

Sorry for the long post. but I think people should know about this so they would not be cheated by this type of marketing trap.
-----

MAKE SURE you understand how the cash rebate rule.. it may not be as good as you may think it is.

NOTE, the annual spending for "EVERYDAY purchases" and for "All Other Purchases" are counted SEPARATELY..

That means, you need to spend $6000 just on everyday purchase to BEGIN enjoy 3% cash rebate. Everyday purchases are for stand-alone U.S. supermarkets, gas stations, drugstores, and home improvement stores.. That means you need to spend MORE THAN $500 A MONTH on groceries and gas..etc. Even if you spend $600 a month, 90% of it, you are only earning 1% cash rebate..

CONCLUSION? FOR MOST PEOPLE, you really just get 1% Cash back on groceries and gas purchases..

As for OTHER purchases, the annual spending (EXCLUDING those "everyday purchases" at groceries and gas stations) need to be $6000+ to BEGIN enjoy 1.5% cash rebate.. below that, you actually just get 0.5%..

Let's forget about the bonus for carrying balance, because if you carry balance you are already paying high interests, 1 or 2% discount in interest rate won't save you much..
(ALSO the bonus is only for the amount you don't pay off.. so spend $1000, pay off $999, only the remaining $1 earn the bonus.. you can't play games here)

ALL THIS MAY SOUND NICE...
.. Earn up to 3% for your everyday purchases*
.. Earn up to 1.5% for other purchases
.. Get up to a 2% cash back bonus when you carry a balance

You can do the math. In my opinion, unless you spend $1000 PER MONTH on groceries + gas + home improv. goods, otherwise, do not get this card. IF YOU DO SPEND THAT MUCH, you should get the DELTA SKYMILES CARD instead. You ALWAYS earn DOUBLE miles on these "EVERYDAY purchases". $1000 per month = 2000 Delta Miles. Each miles is worth 1.5cents(this is from polls). So, that's 3% rebate on every dollar.

There are many FLAT 1% Cash(or gasoline) rebate cards out there, where you earn 1% on even the first dollar you spend. For people who spend less than $15000 a year on their credit cards, the flat 1% cash rebate cards would earn you the most rebate.. (Also VISA cards are accepted at more places than AMEX, keep that in mind.)

Usually, Cash(or gasoline) rebate cards don't have annual fees. So, avoid cash rebate cards that charge annual fee.

However, most airline mile cards do have annual fees. Because each mile are on avg. worth 1.5 cent, and you earn 1 mile per dollar spend, THAT's 1.5% rebate basically starting the first dollar you spend. If you spend more than $15000, your best bet would be a card that earns you airline miles.

For flat 1% cash rebate, I think the best one currently is the Chase StockBack card. (You earn between 2-10% rebate for some online purchases, sort of like ebates actually..)

For a card that earns you airline miles, THE BEST ONE is the American Express Starwood Card. You earn 1 starpoint per dollar spend, but one Starpoint => 1.25 miles!! That's 1.85 cents back per dollar spend. That's like 1.85% rebate on every dollar! Also, NO annual fee first year, only $30 after the first year! The annual fee is lower than all of the other mileage cards, AND you earn MORE miles per dollar spend.

Some may disagree with me about the stockback card being the best flat 1% rebate card(some never-heard of credit card companies do offer slightly higher rebates), but I don't think anyone will disagree with me on the Starwood card being the best mileage card after done some research and comparisons..

---
Another post that explains how "EVERYDAY purchases" and "All Other Purchases" are counted for calculating the rebate:

I called them like 6-month ago, they told me it's counted SEPARATELY. I just called them again, and they explained to me clearly "everyday purchases" and "all other purchases" ARE COUNTED SEPARATELY.

He gave me an example:
I spend $2000 in groceries, but $10000 for all other purchases.
For the $2000 in groceries, I am getting 0.5% cash back, even though my total spending is more than $12000.. but that doesn't matter. The two categories are counted separately.

It is VERY confusing, some of the representative may not even know what you are talking about. I am just amazed by American Express ability to engineering something this complex to basically fool consumers with this marketing gimmick.
---

 

[pdaguy]

bump for a good card!