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It's always a bit disconcerting to find out that a decision I thought I made independently is actually part of some larger overall trend. This happens a lot to
by function_seven 10y ago
It's always a bit disconcerting to find out that a decision I thought I made independently is actually part of some larger overall trend. This happens a lot to me.
For a decade before last year, I used an Amex card exclusively. Then I switched to a Sapphire card for the great signing bonus and better rewards. (It's also metal, and as much as I'd like to pretend that doesn't sway me, it does.) Now I find out that this is a "thing" and that I'm just another part of the overall trend.
Oh well. If Amex successfully counters this move, I'll happily return. Their customer service has been spectacular the few times I needed them.
- ubernostrum 10y agoI generally keep at least one miles/points-earning card around, because every place I've lived for the past half-decade has allowed me to pay my rent with a credit card (I'm going to spend that money anyway, why not put it on the card and pay it off the next day so I get something out of it?). None of the places I've lived have accepted American Express, so all branded/points-earning Amex cards are basically useless to me.
- kylehotchkiss 10y agoOh I wish I could do that too but the $45 credit card fee for $20 in points doesn't ever make sense for me
- ubernostrum 10y agoI used to live in a place where my rent -- for a nice apartment -- was about $1k/month. That's 12,000 points a year from putting rent on the card, and there are airlines where that's right around the lower bound of redeeming a flight. If your rent is higher than that, of course, it becomes a better deal.
- seanp2k2 10y agoThe way this all works is the merchant pays a fee to process you CC and the bank splits that fee with you. Gas stations are somewhat smart about this in that they charge you more when using a card since they're paying more for the transaction. However, it's annoying to consumers to charge a higher price depending on payment method. Not sure why gas stations are the only ones getting away with it.
- seanp2k2 10y agoStrange, every apartment I've lived in required checks or ACH. One missed payment and they require a cashier's check for that month + the next month. They also required a cashiers check for the deposit.
- umanwizard 10y agoWhat sorts of places have you lived in? I've lived in eight different places since I moved out of my dad's house, and only one has allowed me to play with credit card (with an exorbitant fee)
- ubernostrum 10y agoI currently live in the SF Bay area, but prior to that I was living in good old Lawrence, Kansas, which is not exactly a hotbed of futuristic Silicon-Valley-only tech, and my apartment there allowed me to use a credit card.
- eli 10y agoWithout a fee? Surprising they would eat the 2.9% or whatever for you.
- nols 10y agoYou and other people found a good deal, it's not like you're jumping on a bandwagon because it's cool.
- function_seven 10y agoYeah, I know. But something inside me feels "tricked" when the one independent thing I did is "really" part of a herd changing direction. I quit smoking a little over a year ago. Switched to vaping. Apparently 2016 was the year that everybody did that. I thought I was just making the choice to live a little healthier, but it turns out the invisible hand of Trendy Stuff swept me up. :)
- bitexploder 10y agoIt happens in science and in my field (infosec) too. Two researchers will independently come up with the same idea. You just have similar information to everyone else.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]