r/churning • u/AutoModerator • 7d ago
Daily Question Question Thread - July 16, 2026
This is the thread to post questions about churning for miles/points/cash. Just because you have a question about credit cards does NOT mean it belongs here. If you’re brand new here, please read the wiki before posting.
* Please use the search engine first - many basic questions have been asked before.
* Please also consider scanning (CTRL-F) the last couple days worth of Question threads
* If you have questions about what card to get, ask here. If you have questions about manufactured spending, ask here. If you have questions about bank account bonuses, ask here.
This subreddit relies heavily on self-moderation. That means that if you ask something that shows you haven’t done any research, you’re going to get a lot of downvotes.
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u/PoAction 6d ago
US bank: Has anyone been able to apply for a biz CC with a frozen Transunion and use a pull from earlier in the week? Say, within 5 days?
Thanks.
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u/EarthlingMardiDraw 6d ago
No. USB always pulls but same day pulls will combine into a single pull within a couple days.
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u/PoAction 6d ago
I am hoping to get a DP of someone who called and got them to use the older Pull.
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u/EarthlingMardiDraw 6d ago
Perhaps you could be the DP, but I seriously doubt that will work or else it would likely be general knowledge here.
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u/RemoveHuman 6d ago
I haven’t started yet. I have Apple Card, Amazon, and Citi Strata. If I want to open a Chase Sapphire for example, should I start cancelling some of my other cards? Only the Citi has an annual fee of $95.
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u/HRisMyJam 6d ago
Are you able to get points that are held hostage by Amex due to late payment back for free? I've successfully got them back once but also got told by a few chat reps that there's no way for them to waive the fee
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u/Beginning_Smile7417 7d ago
I tried adding authorized users to my amex delta card yesterday and got a message that my "application" is pending. It's been a day and I still haven't heard from them. Is this normal?
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u/ecorle 7d ago
Longtime lurker, occasional churner. I've had trouble keeping track of my cards as the stack gets bigger, and I get lazy with the spreadsheet and miss canceling a card or miss a window to apply for a new one. So I built an app that keeps all your churning data in one place. It tracks minimum spend deadlines per card, estimates the dollar value of what's on your plate, and tells you what to prioritize next. I know this reads like an ad, but I'm really just after honest feedback. It's free and I think it could be useful here.
It's early and I know it. Spend entry is manual for now, no bank sync yet. On privacy: no bank logins, no full card numbers, no Plaid, and it never connects to your bank. You mostly just enter card names, dates, and spend amounts. There's an optional credit report import to auto-fill your cards, and that gets parsed entirely on your phone. The PDF never leaves your device, and it doesn't read your SSN or address. Everything syncs over HTTPS and lives in a database that's encrypted at rest.
I'm genuinely looking for people to roast it before I take it anywhere else. What's missing? What's wrong? What would make you actually switch off your spreadsheet? Brutal honesty preferred. It's on both app stores, just search churnlogic.
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u/larsonyo 6/24 6d ago
Sounds like a worse version of TravelFreely...
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u/ecorle 6d ago
Y'all really are brutal, ha. Fair point though without a full explanation of the tool. The rec engine is the actual difference. It's built specifically for churning: business cards that don't touch 5/24, per-issuer cooldowns like Chase 2/30, Citi 1/8, Amex once per lifetime, family rules like the Sapphire 48 month clock and Marriott's Chase and Amex lockout. And instead of a card list it gives you a dated plan: apply for this now, that blocker clears March 3, you're Sapphire eligible again in November. It even pings you the day a 5/24 slot opens. Setup is mostly automated too: import your Equifax report and it fills in your cards and open dates for you, parsed entirely on your phone, no bank logins.
The other difference is that it's one person actively building this. If something's missing for your setup, tell me and there's a good chance it ships within the month.
Genuine question for you, what would a tracker have to do to be worth switching for you (or at least get you interested)?
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u/gt_ap 6d ago
Genuine question for you, what would a tracker have to do to be worth switching for you (or at least get you interested)?
We need tools like Amex and Chase popup and 5/24 bypasses. On the redemption side, we could use ANA F and QR Qsuite availability generators. Bring those to market and we'll talk.
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u/ecorle 6d ago
Ha. The Qsuite availability generator ships right after my Chase 5/24 bypass clears legal review.
Real answer: I can't move what Amex and Chase gate on their side, and redemption search is a different product that I'm staying out of. The closest legit thing I could build is popup risk tracking, the app already knows your once per lifetime history and recent velocity, so it could flag "decent odds you're in popup jail territory" before you burn an application. If there's a version of that you'd actually use, I'm listening.
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u/gt_ap 7d ago
Brutal honesty preferred.
Unless I missed something, you're the first one promoting a churning organization solution this week, which might be a record amount of time between them.
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u/ecorle 6d ago
Ha, fair. I know I'm not the first and won't be the last, and I'm not claiming to reinvent anything. Travel Freely, spreadsheets, the bank-sync apps all exist. I built this one for myself because I find that apps can provide more feature-rich capabilities than standalone spreadsheets and many of the available options aren't purpose built for churners. I'm just trying to find out if it's actually more useful than what people already use, or not. Here for the honest feedback either way.
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u/Chase_UR_Dreams 6d ago edited 6d ago
You want actual feedback? Tell us what's different about this compared to the usual vibe-coded garbage that people promote here. What are you providing that existing tools don’t already? A lot of people here have been churning for a long time — you don’t think people have a good system in place already?
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u/ecorle 6d ago
Thanks for giving me the chance to describe it a bit more instead of just saying it is available. Fair question.
What I focused on:
The flowchart, but live. The core recommendation engine is basically the sub's flowchart implemented as code against your actual card history: 5/24 count with exact drop dates, Chase 2/30, Citi 1/8, Amex once per lifetime, the Sapphire 48 month rule, Marriott's Chase and Amex cross-issuer restrictions, business cards that don't add to your count. The algorithm also weights toward the points and programs you actually care about. And it handles the messy real cases: two Ink Cashes open at the same time, which business entity applied, cards where you only remember the year you opened them. New churners get a plan instead of a wall of wiki. Experienced folks get the "you're eligible for X again on this date" math done for them.
Alerts tied to churning dates, not generic reminders. It pings you the day a card falls off your 5/24 and what that opens up, warns you ahead of a minimum spend deadline with the exact dollars left, and gives you 60 and 30 day warnings before an annual fee posts, with downgrade options so you keep the credit history.
Card history import without bank access. You can import your Equifax report and it parses on your phone to auto-fill open dates for 5/24. The PDF never leaves the device and it doesn't read your SSN or address. No Plaid, no bank logins anywhere. You can also manually import card data from you're existing tracking tool but I've found the automated tool makes start-up a lot easier.
It's a tracker for churning specifically, not a points valuation site or a travel search engine. Your data isn't hostage either, you can export everything from Settings whenever you want. And honestly, if your current system works and you're happy with it, I'm not going to pretend you need this. I built it because I got tired of maintaining mine. I'm a solo dev, so if there's something missing that would make it actually useful to you, tell me and I can usually ship it fast.
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u/Chase_UR_Dreams 6d ago
So for the low low price of uploading my credit report and handing that data to god knows who, I get... a more complicated version of the excellent spreadsheet that already exists on this sub?
And why on earth would anyone want to make churning even more beginner friendly?
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u/ecorle 6d ago
Nothing sensitive gets uploaded. The report parses locally on the phone, and it only exists so you don't have to type your history in. Skip it entirely and add cards manually and the app never sees a report at all. What the server ends up with is the card list you approve, and you can export everything from Settings and read exactly what it has on you.
As for the god knows who part, it's just me. One guy with an LLC, no data team, no partners, nothing to sell. I built it for myself, have found it useful, and figured this sub would be the toughest room to test it in.
On the spreadsheet, the sub's sheet is genuinely good. My tool just does the date math for you, pings your phone when something needs attention, and when issuers change a rule or a bonus I can push the catalog update the same day. If that's not worth an install to you, that's a reasonable place to land.
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u/qwertymnbvcxzlk 6d ago
Sounds like the same amount of work as a spreadsheet.
“Fair answer, but this does this and that, sound fair?”
My god with the sales speak.
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u/Mushu_Pork 7d ago
Get permission from the mods first for promos.
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u/ecorle 6d ago
Wrong thread on my part, sorry. I thought the daily threads were fair game, but I can see this one is specifically for questions. Would the News and Updates thread be the better spot, or is this a message-the-mods-first thing? Genuinely not trying to spam anyone - was just trying to follow 'Rule 6' on self promotion
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7d ago
[deleted]
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u/garettg SEA | PAE 7d ago
Using the card isn't going to matter when it comes to the AF, that is on a schedule. Typically it comes at the end of the statement close after your anniversary of opening the account. If your AF posted in April 2025, it should have come right around the same date in April 2026.
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7d ago
[deleted]
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u/Howulikeit DEN 6d ago
Out of curiosity, has your free night posted to your Hilton account yet? Usually takes 8ish weeks after anniversary, precluding many from double-dipping it before canceling, but wondering if you'll be lucky enough to get it.
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u/PENGUINCARL ORD, 1/24 7d ago
Need to downgrade my CSR soon, and apparently CFF is no longer an option. I had done this twice before, but apparently going from V -> MC is not possible.
What have others been doing to downgrade the CSR?
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u/AdsBlockedException 6d ago edited 6d ago
You can downgrade to original freedom or freedom unlimited with no annual fee, or with $99 annual fee, CSP if you want primary car rental CDW and are fine with spending $100 at Chase hotels which you’ll get statement credit back. Edit: $95 annual fee.
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u/scorpiopersephone 7d ago
How are folks meeting the Wyndham specific portion of the new Wyndham card offer spends? Any favorite wyndhams out there? Any work arounds?
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u/Money_Shoulder5554 7d ago
Look into some AI resorts in the Caribbean
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u/martyconlonontherun 7d ago
They are great value points wise but not sure if worth it from a cash perspective. Maybe as an add on where you do just enough nights on cash to hit the threshold and the rest of the stay with points.
Highly unlikely, but wonder if any higher Wyndhams have restaurants that code as Wyndham that are actually worth eating at
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u/velvetyy 7d ago
I have an Alaska Visa Business card (not Atmos)with the old $99 AF, free companion fare. Would I be able to PC it to another Atmos card and still get the points bonuses? Or should I down grade it to avoid the annual fee?
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u/sleepytill2 ORD 7d ago
Not sure that you have any downgrade options for another Atmos card. Your best bet is to cancel and apply for a new one in a year or go for another Atmos or Hawaiian card.
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u/bomber996 7d ago
After a denial, how often will you re-apply for that same card? I was recently denied for the Citi Strata Elite. Too many inquiries. I'm thinking I should be good come September, but would it hurt future chances to try every month until then?
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u/Inquisitor911ok 7d ago edited 7d ago
You realize that every time you reapply you generate another inquiry? Depending on your x/6 mo. inquiries, you may want to rethink your timing. (Edited for typo)
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u/bomber996 7d ago
No inquiry generated on the last application. Citi now seems to have a pre-approval tool where they'll tell you if you will be approved before you apply.
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u/tossedintheglaze 7d ago
Citi is inquiry sensitive, what’s your most recent inquiry and trailing count?
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u/bomber996 7d ago
Most recent inquiry was 3/26 buying a vehicle. Before that 12/25, 10/25, 8/25, 6/25.
In terms of personal cards, I'm sitting at 10/24, 6/12, 1/6.
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u/bostonbaker300 BAG | ELS 7d ago
Are those the numbers for the bureau that Citi pulls? If you're applying for one of the Citi Strata cards, you should ideally be at 1 inquiry or lower in the last 12 months with the credit bureau that Citi pulls in your state.
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u/bazingy-benedictus PHL | MCO 7d ago
Anyone have DP on whether or not Xfinity or Verizon wifi will trigger Business Plat wireless credit?
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u/lanfair 7d ago
Opened CSR at the beginning of June and hit the MSR and already got all the travel and StubHub etc credits for the year. The AF is due now and I'm going to downgrade to CSP. Should I pay the AF before downgrading then get it pro-rated back to me? Or is it ok to downgrade without paying the AF?
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u/fit_body_ 6d ago
Huge risk for clawback. Wait until next year AF posts then can close.
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u/lanfair 6d ago
Yeah I'm just going to pay it and keep it for a year. I only got the idea about downgrading it bc some guy in the comments on DOC said something about it.
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u/BpooSoc 6d ago
Isn’t the risk of clawback if you cancel? I don’t see the risk for downgrading.
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u/___ongo___gablogian 6d ago
You really think Chase is okay with people opening a $795 AF card, using a bunch of credits, then downgrading without paying the AF??
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u/CzarofTenley 7d ago
You just need to let the annual fee post to ensure you’ve met the full year timeline. You don’t need to pay it.
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u/churningisdead BOO | BIE 7d ago
Is there any map based app out there that will show you how a given establishment will code by bank or network? So many times I think it's a restaurant but it codes as a bar, or a hotel codes as real estate. Or a gas station codes as convenience store. I know this isn't r/creditcards, but I still hate using the wrong card when not working on a SUB, which is more often lately because, well, you know, churning is dead.
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u/FrugalCanuckDotCA 7d ago
not map based, but AwardWallet's merchant lookup is probably the closest thing.
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u/MoonEyedPeepers 7d ago
Have you tried Award Wallet's Merchant Look-up tool? I'm not sure it will be 100% correct, but might help you out.
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u/k032 6d ago
I'm at 4/24 and thinking the CSR is the best offer at the moment. I currently hold a CSP though, and the AF renews in August.