IRS Form 4506-C
Hi ladies, I was having FOMO from Jess during December 2025 about Citi Strata Elite to triple dip, so I applied and got a message that additional information is needed on my application. (Obviously, I have 800+ credit, 3/24 because I follow you ladies :)) I have 3 credit cards from Citi, Costco and 2 AA business mastercard. I called recon right away and said to wait for a letter in the mail. Citi sent me a letter 14 days later(obviously too late to do my triple dip) on how to send my IRS 4506-C to them. I was so annoyed that I applied for Amex personal platinum two days later after applying for Citi and was instantly approved. Yay! I was able to do some double/triple if I choose to close it next year. My question is how do you feel about sending your IRS information to a credit card company? I don’t have an issue with showing my income, but it feels too personal to share all of my IRS info especially that I file jointly with my husband, who has a sole proprietorship business. I read somewhere on Reddit that said it’s like inviting the IRS and credit card company to your coffee table at home lol. I ended up closing the application. I’m happy with my Amex Platinum! Thank you ladies for everything! Love Points Talk Premium!!
AMEX gravy train velocity question
Once you’re fully on the Amex gravy train, how strictly does Amex actually enforce the 2 cards in 90 days guideline? We’ve been getting Platinum mailers constantly (multiple per month), which makes it feel like Amex is actively encouraging rapid openings. We’ve only opened two of them (one business platinum and one blue business plus) but hypothetically—if someone opened 5–6 Amex Plat cards within a couple of months using targeted offers—would Amex even allow that? Or do the mailers basically mean they’re comfortable with the velocity? Curious how people are handling this in real life vs the “rules on paper.” Thanks!
Monthly Credits/Bonus Categories
Does anyone on the team ever forgo credits/rebates on credit cards, bonus spending categories, or refuse to shop at certain stores because you disagree with what the company stands for? For example, you won't use a monthly credit on a credit card because you don't like the way XYZ Company does business. I'm not looking for specific companies, just curious how you may approach any personal qualms you may have in this space.
Bilt 2.0
My husband applied today (1/15/26) for the Bilt Palladium Card. He was denied with the reason Excessive obligations in relation to income. He only has Chase Sapphire Preferred, Southwest premier, Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy boundless. He only has 1 card on 5/24 that will drop off 3/26. We did just pay 16,000 of car insurance payment along with our normal expenses on our credit card this past month. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. We have no loans, only mortgage and a college loan. We always pay off our credit cards every month. Should he try to apply again next month? I would apply for it but I just applied for the Marriott Business card on 12/31/25.
Airline Lounge Hack
I love Jess’s tip about booking a SW flight to get earlier access to a Centurion lounge and then canceling the flight right after entry. It got me wondering if there are other airlines I could do this with to get access to different lounges. I have United club passes and AA passes from credit cards but no flights on those airlines planned.
Construction loan and mortgage conversion
My husband and I have been working on plans to remodel and expand an old home that we own. Because of that, neither one of us has opened any credit cards since summer of 2024 due to the fact that we’ve wanted to keep our credit scores as high and inquiry-free as possible. The process has taken longer than planned, but we should be able to close on our construction loan within the next month. My question is, are we safe to then apply for a couple of cards to start working on some subs, or will we need to wait until the construction loan has been rolled into a mortgage loan? This is a first mortgage for both of us, so we are just a little unsure of how those new cards on our account may affect that. Do you have any advice on that?
Construction loan and mortgage conversion
My husband and I have been working on plans to remodel and expand an old home that we own. Because of that, neither one of us has opened any credit cards since summer of 2024 due to the fact that we’ve wanted to keep our credit scores as high and inquiry-free as possible. The process has taken longer than planned, but we should be able to close on our construction loan within the next month. My question is, are we safe to then apply for a couple of cards to start working on some subs, or will we need to wait until the construction loan has been rolled into a mortgage loan? This is a first mortgage for both of us, so we are just a little unsure of how those new cards on our account may affect that. Do you have any advice on that?
Cash Back Question for Disney Cruises
Hi ladies, I am currently planning for a Disney cruise in January of 2027 with my husband. I have listened to all of your episodes about Disney and Disney cruises, and I know that your recommendation for helping cover that cost is cash back cards. Do most of the cash back cards available offer an option to put that cash back into your bank account? Or is it more the option to put that money back on your cards? I know I’ve had both on the past, but I was mostly wondering on those top cards you recommend, like the Ink Premier (all Inks for that matter) and the Capital One Venture cards. Any insight would be great! Thanks!
Hyatt Personal card
Hi ladies, I'm now 2 years into this hobby and traveling all over thanks to all your help! I was even able to earn Globalist last year. Surprisingly I do not have the Hyatt personal card yet. Rumor is a newer, more premium version is set to be released sometime this year. If you were me, would you go ahead and get the current version now or wait for the newer version to come out? Thanks!
American Express “lifetime” rule
I messed up when I started and the platinum personal was one of my first cards. I didn’t realize at the time that meant I couldn’t get gold which is a huge bummer. I know you say that data shows that the lifetime language is more like every 7 years. Does this apply to the family rules as well? Like if I can reapply to the same card and get the bonus again. It seems like I should be able to also go back and get the gold first as well, but not sure if anyone has tried that. Thank you!
Chase Reserve Data Points
Okay so I originally got the Sapphire reserve personal back in 2021. I ended up downgrading it to preferred a year or 2 later because I didn’t want to pay the annual fee. I really want to get the reserve personal again but I’m wondering with all the changes if I am eligible for another reserve bonus since that’s the card I got a welcome bonus on and not the preferred. Is it worth it to cancel the preferred and try? Or should I just see if they will give me an upgrade offer to switch it back to reserve? I don’t want to miss out on points, but Chase is all over the place lately.
BofA 3/12 rule
What is your experience with the BofA 3/12 rule? We are not currently customers of BofA and I worry about our ability to open an Atmos card. I had a pretty high velocity in 2025 (8 cards for me, 4 for my husband), but I worry about the opportunity cost of not applying for anything else while waiting for these to fall off. How have you all navigated applying for these cards?
When and how often to use "sock drawer" cards.
Can you talk about how often you use the cards that either have low multipliers or you don't want to use that often. Do you think that it matters if you don't use Platinum American Express that often? Will it affect your relationship with the bank? How do you decide and manage the cards you don't keep in your wallet?
Amex Upgrade offer
I got an upgrade offer from the business gold to the business platinum. 120,000 pts for 10K spend. Is this worth doing? I see public offers that are higher and it’s a business card so doesn’t count towards 5/24… but I’m not sure I’m going to keep my business gold open and I don’t want to get on Amex’s bad side.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Offer
I want to take advantage of the current elevated offer on the CFU, however, I am wondering if this is the same card that has had the points match offer in the past. I don't want to get this card now if they might offer the points match in the coming months. Has Chase done the points match the last two years?
Question about quickly searching family rate plan availability
Do you know any quick ways to search whether a hotel offers the family rate plan and if it is available to book? For example, I am trying to find a London property and I keep calling London Hyatts to ask and have been told they offer it but it is only available for cash bookings on suite rooms, or they offer it but it isn't available for my dates. Do you know a quick way to search properties for availability like a MaxMyPoint but for the family rate?
WhatsApp Group?
I’m in another travel/points group and we have a What’sApp group that I’ve found super helpful not only to ask questions but I’ve also make personal connections with people who have the same hobby. I’m also no longer on Facebook, but when I was, I found the larger group overwhelming. Would you be open to starting a Points Talk Premium only WhatsApp group so we can connect with each other? It also might make joining the premium tier more enticing for those that haven’t signed up yet ;)
Capital One Venture X
I applied for the Capital One Venture X and was denied (too many inquiries). I forgot to freeze Experian beforehand to reduce the risk of getting denied. If I do that 30-ish days after the first application, do you think Capital One will take into account the letter they sent me as to why they denied me the first time. Or, do you think my chances will fare better because I freeze my credit with my Experian account?
SAHM card applications
One more question if I'm allowed! My mom, a SAHM, would like to get started with points and miles. She isn't technically self-employed but does tailor clothes occasionally, that could count as a business. Technically, I think her employment status would be "Other" in the context of a card application, but would that impact her changes to get business cards? Should she put self-employed? Sorry for blowing up the AMA!!!
Business cards for businesses that are partnerships
Hi there! Long time listener, first time caller! I have a niche question that probably only applies to a few people but you ladies might be one of the few. I have been getting business credit cards through a rental my husband and I have, but that is a sole prop and we're also considering selling the rental, in which case that "business" wouldn't exist. I own 50% of another business with a partner that is an LLC and has legitimate revenue. We've both been getting into travel hacking lately and I'd love to start using this as my business for business credit cards. I'm wondering if you ladies have any experience opening business cards using partnerships where you don't own 100% of the business. It's my understanding that in these cases, we would both have to have our credit reports pulled for any card opened and I'm wondering if there is a work around for that. Thanks so much for all your great content!
Companion Pass renewal
2 years ago I opened up 2 Southwest cards to get a companion pass for all of 2024-2025. I’m wanting to get it again but I’m unclear on the timeline this time around. I opened the Rapid Rewards Plus in November 2023 and got the SUB in January 2024. Can I open it up again now? Or do I need to wait 24 months from hitting the sub?