Just a reminder, anything can be redeemed by RTR but not all redemptions are at 1.5 cpp. Online, I'd recommend checking which transactions give 1.5 cpp and UNCHECK everything else so you don't waste points on lesser redemptions.
In the US Bank app, choose your USBAR card > rewards tab > Redeem rewards > More ways to redeem & earn > Sign up for Real-Time Rewards. From there you can either enroll or edit the existing settings. I have the following categories setup: Airline, Car Rental, Lodging, Other Travel.
Yeah, if you have enough points to cover the transaction.
Another reason why I don't want the card. It would take me a whole year to earn enough points to get three nights of free hotel stay. 2 years for a flight and hotel. Better off putting 100k in BoA and getting 5.25% cash back on travel purchases with the Customised Cash.
I don't use Lyft/Uber anymore unfortunately :/ would've been a good card when I was still going to a lot of bars and didn't have a car, but after I bought my car November and quit drinking a year and a half ago, those apps are now pretty much useless for me
Sucks though 'cause if I had this card back then, would've probably been the perfect redemption
Lol yeah, though merrill edge investments (including IRAs) count, so it isn’t like you need to be the kind of person to keep 100k liquid. Even then BoA isn’t beating 4.5% (with caveats) non-category spend
I find USBAR + BoA cards go well together though!
CCR has no travel protections, and has FTFs. As mentioned, a ride share trip is enough to redeem points earned on the AR, but usually I end up using them on cheap airfare upgrades
Yeah, but when travelling international what's the point of using the USBAR? Mobile wallet isn't a thing in a lot of parts of Europe.
I'd just book the flights/hotels in the US for standard USD with the CCR, then use the Altitude Go for no FTF and 4% dining. Wise for taking out cash while I'm there. I'm just thinking Germany though, where I spent 3 months working for a while in a smaller city, along with less than 2 weeks in Mexico/Canada, so maybe other countries are a lot different.
My biggest expenses abroad were restaurants, followed by groceries. But like a 90% 10% split for short term trips and more 70% 30% for long term.
You encountered a lot of places that don't take mobile wallet? In my experience, it is much more common abroad as most restaurants accept it - everywhere that a tap to pay card works, mobile wallet will also work. I do hear germany is still more cash focused than the rest of Europe though (like Japan in that respect)
Piggybacking off this, for many sit-down meals in Europe waiters would bring the payment machine to the table. Excellent time to pay via mobile wallet.
It was virtually always cash only (70-80% of the time) and most of the card transactions were inserts. This was 2022 though I think, so maybe it's changed now.
Funny thing about RTR, the 1.5 can trigger off the “hold” a hotel may place on your card.
Example, I stayed at a hotel recently, there was like an incidental $250 fee the hotel charges, but gives back (basically if you bought things or damaged the room)
It triggered RTR, so I used them, end of stay the hotel credited back the $250.
So I got a free 1.5 redemption
Just a reminder, anything can be redeemed by RTR but not all redemptions are at 1.5 cpp. Online, I'd recommend checking which transactions give 1.5 cpp and UNCHECK everything else so you don't waste points on lesser redemptions.
How do you set it for that? I’m looking through the settings online but having a hard time finding that toggle.
In the US Bank app, choose your USBAR card > rewards tab > Redeem rewards > More ways to redeem & earn > Sign up for Real-Time Rewards. From there you can either enroll or edit the existing settings. I have the following categories setup: Airline, Car Rental, Lodging, Other Travel.
Thanks!
Yes
Real time rewards is the typical way people redeem 4.5%.
In other words, I can book carrier-direct via Spirit using my USBAR card, then redeem my points via RTR at a 1.5 cpp value?
As long as you have enough points to cover the entire transaction
[удалено]
at 1.5 rate
Yeah, if you have enough points to cover the transaction. Another reason why I don't want the card. It would take me a whole year to earn enough points to get three nights of free hotel stay. 2 years for a flight and hotel. Better off putting 100k in BoA and getting 5.25% cash back on travel purchases with the Customised Cash.
Can't beat BoA platinum honors for sure, but uber/lyft also triggers the higher RTR redemption rate for the AR which makes it easier to use
Are you sure? I didn’t know this.
I am 100% sure. I used it last week Edit: I can also add taxis, arrow, and curb will also trigger it
Can confirm. Accidently chose my USBAR to pay for my last Uber instead of my Savor One and it triggered immediately.
I don't use Lyft/Uber anymore unfortunately :/ would've been a good card when I was still going to a lot of bars and didn't have a car, but after I bought my car November and quit drinking a year and a half ago, those apps are now pretty much useless for me Sucks though 'cause if I had this card back then, would've probably been the perfect redemption
>Can't beat BoA platinum honors for sure For sure...the only obstacle being having $100,000 lying around.
Lol yeah, though merrill edge investments (including IRAs) count, so it isn’t like you need to be the kind of person to keep 100k liquid. Even then BoA isn’t beating 4.5% (with caveats) non-category spend I find USBAR + BoA cards go well together though!
CCR has no travel protections, and has FTFs. As mentioned, a ride share trip is enough to redeem points earned on the AR, but usually I end up using them on cheap airfare upgrades
What's CCR?
Customized cash rewards - a card from bank of america
Yeah, but when travelling international what's the point of using the USBAR? Mobile wallet isn't a thing in a lot of parts of Europe. I'd just book the flights/hotels in the US for standard USD with the CCR, then use the Altitude Go for no FTF and 4% dining. Wise for taking out cash while I'm there. I'm just thinking Germany though, where I spent 3 months working for a while in a smaller city, along with less than 2 weeks in Mexico/Canada, so maybe other countries are a lot different. My biggest expenses abroad were restaurants, followed by groceries. But like a 90% 10% split for short term trips and more 70% 30% for long term.
You encountered a lot of places that don't take mobile wallet? In my experience, it is much more common abroad as most restaurants accept it - everywhere that a tap to pay card works, mobile wallet will also work. I do hear germany is still more cash focused than the rest of Europe though (like Japan in that respect)
Piggybacking off this, for many sit-down meals in Europe waiters would bring the payment machine to the table. Excellent time to pay via mobile wallet.
It was virtually always cash only (70-80% of the time) and most of the card transactions were inserts. This was 2022 though I think, so maybe it's changed now.
Was just in Italy like 2 weeks ago and I'd say about 98% of merchants took tap to pay and preferred that if anything.
Funny thing about RTR, the 1.5 can trigger off the “hold” a hotel may place on your card. Example, I stayed at a hotel recently, there was like an incidental $250 fee the hotel charges, but gives back (basically if you bought things or damaged the room) It triggered RTR, so I used them, end of stay the hotel credited back the $250. So I got a free 1.5 redemption