venkat

Hi

I'm hunting for credit cards that offer miles for balance transfers. My credit union [Technology credit union] used to offer a visa card like that but they stopped it. There was a thread about NEA MBNA card which would stop giving miles for balance transfers effective september.


any body know any other card that offers balance transfers?

regards

henwood

I just got my new Citibank AA Mastercard which gives miles for transfers. But also starts accruing interest within about two days of transfer (I was told that upon doing my first transfer by phone).
It is a reasonable rate of 9.9% APR.
So if it's worth the interest you will pay, go for it.

Also free for the first six months.

[This message has been edited by henwood (edited 08-11-1999).]

TribeFlyer

The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa allows up to $5,000 lifetime in balance transfers. It's free the first year, and low interest (under 7%) for the first six months. Each $1,000 transferred is worth one RR credit. You also receive two credits just for being approved for the card.

mkpkmp

My Citibank Mastercard has a limit of 10,000 miles for balance transfer.

dgordon

My minor daughter was sent an AA Citibank offer giving a 10,000 bonus plus miles for balance transfers. I think Citibank ups the ante when someone doesn't take the offers. This is the best and I asked if I could take the offer because my daughter is minor. They said Yes. so even though I have a gold visa, gold MC, I sent for this offer. But I don't think you can ask for it. It's just luck if you are sent this offer, and I don't think that they will send it to you if you already have an affinity card with them. Anybody out there get this offer even though they already had a card. I have been transferring money back and forth between this card and my skymiles card. American Express is SLOW and citibank is pretty fast. I have to keep one step ahead of them to avoid paying too much interest. I check on it on-line and immediately pay it off from my citigold account. We'll see how much I can accrue before November. Wish me luck.

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DtG

UserMark

I got about 170k in this manner from last October through January. Good luck.

dgordon

Well, I got 37K this statement (not yet posted) and 10K the first month. Whenever i can i transfer money into my account before the transfer goes through to avoid paying interest. They do their transfers pretty fast. 170K sounds pretty good to me. I don't know if I'll get anywhere near that but I'll try.


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DtG

cmwdjw

I don't know anything about balance transfers and could use some info. Do you only get as many miles as dollars that you transfer? Say, $1000=1000miles? or do you get a certain amount of miles no matter how much you transfer? Is there a fee to transfer? How do you know which credit card to make a payment to? I am kind of confused!

dgordon

Citibank considers the balance trasfer a "purchase" and you get $1.00 for each $1.00 transferred. This offer claims to not have a limit. Some have a $10,000 limit. You are actually transferring money from one credit card to another. If you owe on another credit card, you are paying towards that balance, and now have that balance on the original credit card. Most cards DO NOT give miles on balance transfers. And if you don't get this promotion in the mail, I don't think you can take advantage of it.

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DtG

Steve B

dgordon.....my wife got that same offer from AA Citibank. 10,000 miles and no charge for six months. We signed her up even though I already had an AA Citibank Visa card.....figuring we'd get the 10,000 miles and then cancel after the second 5,000 miles was posted. But...are you saying I can transfer my monthly bill to her card and, in effect get two AA miles for every dollar I charge on my card? Or......is there an even better strategy?

clsgws

Is Citibank only with AA? I'm looking to transfer my Visa, which gets Northwest miles, to a card that gets Continental miles.

henwood

I was told by Citibank that you can't transfer a balance from a Citibank product to another Citibank card. Any others they seem to have no problem with though. That way you still will get two miles per dollar spent, but on different airlines. That works for me.

Karen2

And you have to have the offer because it is not something they do all the time. I have had Citibank for about 4 years and they only offered it once to me. I put everything I had on it and paid up front. No interest due that way. I am real impressed with 170K! Who knows, maybe I could be persuaded to join Northwest for that kind of opportunity! I notice you all are mentioning Citibank Mastercard. I have Visa. It does make a difference.

Steve B

Hmmmmm....I wonder if there's a non Citibank card out there that gives US AIR miles. Since they are combinable for awards that would be just like getting all AA miles.

Schutzee

Beware of the fine print on Citibank offers ( as with any offer). I got one today for my Citibank Visa that offered 1 mile for every $5. of balance transfered. The catch is that they charge a 3% transaction fee for the advance. This works out to 15 cents a mile ! What a rip off.

[This message has been edited by Schutzee (edited 09-03-1999).]