Tag Archives: Citi Bank

Almost to $300 Cash Back with my Citi Dividend Credit Card

Citi Dividend Platinum CC

Almost to $300 Cash Back with my Citi Dividend Credit Card

I am almost there and it has only taken me one month.  I have until March 31, 2014, to reach the $300 annual cash back cap for the Citi Dividend credit card.

Dividend Dollars

If you have no idea what I am talking about, the Citi Dividend credit card is the Citi-equivalent of the Chase Freedom or Discover It credit card.  It has 5% rotating categories and the category of interest this year month is Drug Stores (you know why…).  The great thing about the Citi Dividend credit card is that there is only an annual cap of $300 cash back, no quarterly cash back cap.   Continue reading →

New American Express Offers and Citi Thank You Point Redemptions

AMEX Offers

New American Express Offers and Citi Thank You Point Redemptions

Good evening everyone!  I am still alive after my 16 mile hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back on Sunday.  My feet and legs are still killing me, but my hands and fingers are doing good enough to type this blog post.  I promise I will get a trip report up soon with several pics of my time at Flagstaff Extreme Obstacle Course, Bedrock City, Bearizona Wildlife Park, and the Grand Canyon.

Anyways, here are some of the new (and exciting) American Express Offers For You.  As always, check all of your American Express cards, even the one’s you hardly use (I’m looking at you Delta Gold card).

5 AMEX Cards

Here are the offers that interest me (your offers might differ):

Bloomingdales on AMEX

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March App-O-Rama Thoughts: Hawaiian Airlines (35,000 Miles), Discover It ($150 Cash Back), Barclays Arrival ($440 Cash Back), Chase Ink Bold Visa (50,000 UR Points), Citi AA Executive (100,000 Miles), and US Bank Olympics Flex Points ($400+ Travel Credit)

Which Credit Card

March App-O-Rama Thoughts: Hawaiian Airlines (35,000 Miles), Discover It ($150 Cash Back), Barclays Arrival ($440 Cash Back), Chase Ink Bold Visa (50,000 UR Points), Citi AA Executive (100,000 Miles), and US Bank Olympics Flex Points ($400+ Travel Credit)

Wow, what a title.  I expect my Google Search traffic to go through the roof now.  Anyways, my last app-o-rama was in early November (post), how I upgraded an AMEX Hilton HHonors to an AMEX Hilton HHonors Surpass (post), and my surprise approval of an AMEX Mercedes Benz Platinum card (post).  If you want to see which 19 cards I currently have open, check out this list.

Since I typically wait at least 3 months between App-O-Ramas, I am starting to plan for my next round of credit card applications.  Here is what is on my mind:

1 – Barclays Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card – 35,000 Hawaiian Airlines miles after spending $1,000 in 3 months

I’m not sure if this is a coincidence or if they were reading my mind, but I literally got this email 2 hours ago.  Unfortunately (for me), this card is no longer issued by Bank of America.  Barclays is now the credit card issuer.  Barclays has never approved me for a card, so I have approximately a 1% chance of be approved.

Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card Offer Barclays Hawaiian Airlines Card

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(Hotel Review) Hilton Vienna and Executive Lounge (Great Breakfast and Appetizers)

Hilton Vienna Hotel Sign

(Hotel Review) Hilton Vienna and Executive Lounge (Great Breakfast and Appetizers)

Good morning/evening from Vienna, Austria!  I am finally glad to be here since these 2 nights are my 2 free weekend nights from my Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve credit card.  I got the 2 certificates last year and they were going to expire in a few weeks.  I’m not staying at some high end tropical beach-front paradise hotel (Vienna is quite the opposite), but a free night is a free night. Here is what each night would have cost.

The Hilton HHonors Points rates are very good.  The Hilton HHonors Points + Money rate results in 1.325 cents per point and the 40,000 Hilton HHonors Points rate results in 0.7 cents per point.

The twin room with city facing windows would result in even higher cent per point returns.  Ideally, I would have used the Points + Money rate, but these certificates were going to expire, so you gotta do what you gotta do.  I’m not a very good planner, obviously. Hilton Vienna Nightly Price HH Points

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(Hotel Review) Hilton Bayfront San Francisco Airport and Executive Lounge

Hilton SFO Home Page Image

(Hotel Review) Hilton Bayfront San Francisco Airport and Executive Lounge

Good evening everyone, happy Friday from the elite lounge at the Hilton Bayfront San Francisco Airport Hotel.  (I am on the top floor, waving, can you see me?)  Ok, I am not a fan of hotel reviews for basic hotels, but I am trying to get in a flow for my upcoming trip to Europe (SFO to AMS tomorrow morning).

I want everyone to lower their expectations before going any farther.  There is nothing special about my room and I apologize for the bad lighting of the iPhone pics.

Hilton SFO Bed