. I logged online to see that I had now earned $200 cash back from Citi so I redeemed that with a simple phone call. Check in the mail in about 10 days. Yippee!
After some online research for my next card, I'm finding the cash back rewards are a bit more slim pickings. Because of my pared down spending and budget in general, I'm only comfortable getting a card that requires spending of $2,000 in the first 3 months. Most of my recurring bills are not with companies that accept credit card payments without charging you for the convenience, although I have paid my phone/Internet bill and my homeowners insurance this way. There are one or two cards that reward handsomely for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, but I'm a little afraid I might not definitely hit that target.
So, with cash back rewards now mostly in the $100 range, I decided to go with a card that rewards $250 in gift cards, the Citi Thank You Preferred card. Depending on the choice of retailers, I can make at least some of those gift cards non-frivolous in nature if I buy groceries at Target or vegetable seedlings for my garden at Home Depot, for instance.
I had to call them to complete the application because I didn't remember the secret word I'd apparently made up at some point. But anyway, since I had them on the line, I decided to close my Citi Master Card at the same time, and that was no problem. The application was approved and I should get the card in about 10 days.
I intend to keep applying for new cards for as long as they keep offering cash back or gift card credit cards and as long as they keep approving my application. I imagine at some point my application will be rejected becus I simply have applied for too many cards or something, but that hasn't happened yet, surprisingly. (Hence my eagerness to close at least one card.)
The 2 cards I will never use again, or extremely sparingly, are an Amex card and an USAA card. the Amex doesn't have very good rewards at all, and the USAA card has no rewards. However, these are my 2 oldest cards, so for that reason, I must hold on to them.
I am finding myself somewhat "attached" to 2 of my newer cards...the Discover card with its bright and colorful daisy on it and the Chase Freedom card, i guess becus of the word "Freedom." The remaining 2 Citi cards I have are completely disposable and I will give them the ax when the time comes.
In one fell swoop (credit card activity)
March 13th, 2012 at 03:31 pm
March 13th, 2012 at 03:35 pm 1331652905
Eh - I've never had a problem.
March 13th, 2012 at 03:36 pm 1331652968
March 13th, 2012 at 04:21 pm 1331655717
This puts us in the running for three cards:
-Citi Thank You (dh got a direct mail offer, but not sure will be approved since did deal very recently)
-AmEx Gold for dh
-Chase Sapphire for dh
The last two I had done, but he didn't. We will do one at a time, but I just wasn't expecting to find much this year. It just goes on and on!
March 13th, 2012 at 04:44 pm 1331657062
March 13th, 2012 at 04:46 pm 1331657178
http://thepointsguy.com/2012/01/amex-premier-rewards-gold-25000-sign-up-and-10000-point-referral-bonus/
so maybe I'd be eligible after all, having never had this particular card.
March 13th, 2012 at 05:16 pm 1331658974
March 13th, 2012 at 05:42 pm 1331660539
@Ceejay - no - I never have. The reason I figured I'd try was since dh got a direct mail offer from a card he just closed a couple of months ago. This AmEx Gold may also be the one he applied for a couple of years ago. But, it seems several online have double dipped and triple dipped over the years. I am sure I will be trying soon. There is definitely no rule against that - but you are more likely to be denied.
March 13th, 2012 at 05:44 pm 1331660657
https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card/premier-rewards-gold
March 14th, 2012 at 01:19 am 1331687986
March 14th, 2012 at 07:45 pm 1331754324
(patientsaver, sorry to keep hijacking this post with my messages to others!)