Credit Cards

Category Archives for Credit Cards.

How to Sanitize Your Credit Cards (That Clerk You Handed One To May Be Sick)

by Gary Leff on March 30, 2020

Mar 30 2020

A year ago I offered advice on sanitizing credit cards. Since then I learned that your credit cards are actually dirtier than the bathrooms at New York’s Penn Station.

Now as we try to sanitize our hands, and everything we touch, especially the few times we go outside this has greater relevance than ever. Did you hand your card over to a store clerk? Did you stick it inside a card reader machine, and what was on the last card that was in there? I actually sanitized my cards, even before the current crisis.

What Should You Do If The COVID-19 Economy Gets In The Way Of Earning A Credit Card Bonus?

by Gary Leff on March 29, 2020

Mar 29 2020

Everything has changed. You may have opened a new small business credit card, and your business is temporarily closed under a ‘shelter in place’ order. Or you’re just pending less in light of uncertainty in the economy.

Maybe you’re stuck at home, buying groceries but you had planned for big expenses you’re putting off (like travel!). I’m sure there are many readers wondering how they’re going to meet the minimum spend requirement for those credit card bonuses.

Apply For Rewards Credit Cards Soon, They May Become Harder To Get

by Gary Leff on March 25, 2020

Mar 25 2020

A lot of people are becoming unemployed. To a credit card issuer that means late payments and eventually chargeoffs. The reason banks sometimes reduce credit lights, and tighten lending standards, in a down economy is because there is more repayment risk. This reduces their exposure to bad debt.

I’m still excited for the long term of rewards cards. Thanks to the government’s money printer go brrr right now the cost of credit to banks is unbelievably low.

When A Travel Provider Keeps Your Money, Remember The Credit Card Chargeback

by Gary Leff on March 16, 2020

Mar 16 2020

As some travel providers fight to hold onto cash without delivering services you may need to turn to credit card charge backs – putting your credit card issuer on your side to get your money back.

Chase Sapphire Reserve: Return Protection Is Back

by Gary Leff on February 25, 2020

Feb 25 2020

Chase has brought back ‘return protection’ for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. That’s a benefit that had been dropped two years ago. I actually noted this in my full review of the card last month but it’s worth highlighting separately.

New Business Payment Solution TripActions Liquid Offers Rewards And Seamless Reporting

by Gary Leff on February 25, 2020

Feb 25 2020

TripActions is a corporate travel management and booking tool that travelers seem to like a lot more than suffering through Concur. They’ve just announced their second product, which is a company credit card aimed at business travel and called Liquid. Companies using it in beta include Zoom, Lyft and letgo.

This isn’t a co-brand credit card, they’ve actually raised a $500 million debt facility to finance payments for the TripActions Liquid Visa themselves. This way they’re able to offer seamless integration between payments and travel without a bank getting in between booking, payments, reporting, and control.

Here’s The Only Way The New Chase-United Credit Card Deal Makes Sense

by Gary Leff on February 23, 2020

Feb 23 2020

I think I’ve figured out why Chase and Visa would agree to give United $400 million more a year – starting right away – for a credit card deal they already had in place for several years.

Much of United’s explanation why made no sense. This new deal isn’t likely to lead to a lot of “portfolio growth” (more cardmembers). They already were introducing new cards, new benefits, and have been running aggressive acquisition bonuses. However 5 words in United’s SEC filing seem to give away the plot.

United’s Explanation Of Their New Chase Credit Card Deal Makes No Sense

by Gary Leff on February 23, 2020

Feb 23 2020

Chase and United are long term partners issuing United-branded credit cards. Their existing deal ran into 2025. They’ve extended the deal into 2029. United says the new deal will increase their revenue this year by $400 million. I’m having a hard time making sense of that number.

United And Chase Extend Credit Card Deal Through 2029

by Gary Leff on February 21, 2020

Feb 21 2020

Chase and United have extended their credit card agreement into 2029. United will remain a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner. And Chase is, it seems, paying United more for the miles that it awards to customers – the airline says its bottom line will improve $400 million in 2020 alone.

Barclays Launching An Emirates Credit Card In The U.S.

by Gary Leff on February 13, 2020

Feb 13 2020

Emirates offers a great product. They have some interesting airline partnerships. And they serve a number of U.S. gateways. To make a U.S. co-brand attractive they could take a lesson from the Chase British Airways card and offer a statement credit towards taxes and fees on redemptions each year, as well as offer fast mileage-earning and progress towards elite status along with upgrades on the airline.