Mar 13, 2017, 3:34 pm
Last edit by: beltway
The official Chase description:
What counts as Travel?
Also, see THIS thread for additional locations.
Merchants in this category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.
Some merchants that provide transportation and travel-related services are not included in this category; for example, real estate agents, educational merchants arranging travel, in-flight goods and services, on-board cruise line goods and services, sightseeing activities, excursions, tourist attractions, RV and boat rentals, merchants within hotels and airports, public campgrounds and merchants that rent vehicles for the purpose of hauling. Purchases from gift card merchants or merchants that sell points or miles will not qualify in the travel category.
Some merchants that provide transportation and travel-related services are not included in this category; for example, real estate agents, educational merchants arranging travel, in-flight goods and services, on-board cruise line goods and services, sightseeing activities, excursions, tourist attractions, RV and boat rentals, merchants within hotels and airports, public campgrounds and merchants that rent vehicles for the purpose of hauling. Purchases from gift card merchants or merchants that sell points or miles will not qualify in the travel category.
- Airline purchases, fees & gift cards
- AA e-gift certificate
- Delta eGift Cards
- UA in-flight bev
Hotels: - Marriott GC and hotel charges
- Airbnb & their GC
- hotels.com (NOT hotels.com e-gift cert!)
- Hotel restaurants not charged to room (verified at Renaissance LV)
- Priceline "opaque" hotel purchases
- Kruger National Park lodging reservation (booked on sanparks.org official site)
Transit, including parking, trains, ferries, toll roads, etc: - Taxi fares: Uber, Lyft, Gett, Way2Ride, London taxi, Fasten (Austin)
- Transit fees: BART, MTA, FastTrak, Clipper Card (Bay Area), MetroCard, DC Metro (WMATA) SmarTrip farecard and commemorative cards, NJ Transit, Oyster card, Ventra (Chicago), Las Vegas Monorail, Brussels (STIB/MIVB), Incheon Airport Bus tickets, Orca King county(Seattle area), Suica/PASMO (Tokyo IC transit card - Apple pay top up)
- Parking meters: Atlanta; Chicago; Portland, OR; San Francisco; Atlantic City; Seattle, (Los Angeles but NOT Santa Monica)
- Public parking garages: San Francisco; Montgomery Co. MD
- Toll passes: E-Z Pass (MA, MD, NH, NJ, NY, PA), Sunpass prepaid tolls, Washington State GoodToGo tolls, RiverLink tolls, TxTag, IPass (Illinois)
- Train tickets: trainline (UK train tickets), Eurostar.com, Bahn.com (when using Paypal), Amtrak, italirail.com, Train and bus travel in Scotland at ticket counter.
- Amtrak dining car purchases (YMMV, recent reports are below):
- Pacific Surfliner, November 2016 (tmiw): yes, counted as travel with CSR.
Pacific Surfliner, December 2018 (tmiw): did NOT count as travel (no travel credit), but did count as dining for 3x. - San Joaquin, December 2015 (serpens): counted as 3x on CSR, unknown if counted as travel.
- unknown train/date (StanJazz): counted as dining on Freedom and CSP.
- Pacific Surfliner, November 2016 (tmiw): yes, counted as travel with CSR.
- Ferries: Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE and NYWaterway (Belford-Pier 11)
- Shuttles: Jackson Hole WY Airport official shuttle to town
- Unlimted JR Pass for Japan purchased from japan-rail-pass.com
Misc: - MileagePlusX Uber GC [NB MPX eBay did NOT count, so it appears to be only actual travel related items on MPX]
- Royal Caribbean drink package
- Cruise bookings
- Cruise Excursions Booked Prior to Cruise (and fully refundable)
- MIR Travel Agency
- undercovertourist.com
- Rental cars (verified Avis on page 7 of this thread, Hertz)
- Car Share (Car2Go) (ReachNow)
- Lahaina Cruise Co. (Hawaii Ocean Project whale watch cruise)
- Interval International Exchange Fee + Upgrade Fee
- Aircraft title transfer registration fees with ICAO's International Registry of Mobile Assets (Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol)
- Viator/TripAdvisor
- Recreation.gov fees for reserving federal park campsites do not count as "travel"
- Point.me award search site starter pass
Also, see THIS thread for additional locations.
What counts as travel? [Sapphire, INK, Consolidated]
Jan 5, 2019, 2:04 pm
#316
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
I was looking at my Chase online banking and apparently the parking garages at UC San Diego classify as travel. ^ Too bad the parking meters in San Diego proper don't (though Apple/Google Pay is supported on those now so this past December's mobile payment bonus potentially could have applied).
EDIT: the latter shows up as "transportation" just like the former. I'm wondering if that changed recently; I should try again next time I end up going downtown.
EDIT: the latter shows up as "transportation" just like the former. I'm wondering if that changed recently; I should try again next time I end up going downtown.
Also on the Ink Preferred which has the same travel 3x category and presumably use the same merchant codes table, the Airtrain from BNE to city center and back, is classified as Utilities therefore also only 1x. Ditto for the top up of Opal card at transportation customer center in Sydney, classified as misc therefore only 1x.
An SM to Chase asking corrections on the courtesy correction on the Australian public transportation charges, was handled as a dispute
I told them they made a mistake. But it did not prevent one of the the <$15 charge being reversed, and a rep called me on the other bigger charges wanting to know what the "dispute" was for...Explained to the caller that all I was asking was correction of the points,reaffirmed the charges were all legitimate charges.
Yet, the credit of <$15 stayed, even got a letter to inform me about the "approval of the dispute."...
I will just not use the Ink Preferred, now changed to an Ink Cash for the next 2 months and see if the credit would reverse itself to the billing... Courtesy points though, have been granted, twice, with different amount...
Last edited by mia; Jan 5, 2019 at 2:45 pm Reason: Formatting
Jan 15, 2019, 7:46 pm
#318
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
I made a $3600 paypal payment (as in they used PP as a processor) for a guided tour/vacation package and I did not get any extra points. Is it worth me asking Chase for a credit? The item on my statement clearly says "Paypal-tour company name" also known as "tour company name".
Feb 22, 2019, 10:15 am
#319
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 20
Marina Fees
Looking to recommend a good card for some friends that live on a boat and sail around (cruisers). Does anyone know if marina docking fees count as travel? Kind of an obscure category, but hoping maybe some other boaters on here with experience. Thanks!
Feb 22, 2019, 3:28 pm
#320
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
That's an interesting one. I would have them check previous credit card online statements to see what category previous purchases have fallen under. They may need to call their card issuer to ask - sometimes what you can see yourself online doesn't have enough detail.
Mar 3, 2019, 3:42 pm
#321
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,435
Does a crossing count as a cruise?
Some people get adamant that crossings are not cruises, so I thought I would ask. The wiki says that cruises count as travel, but it is silent about crossings. The thread about the $300 travel credit also does not mention crossings.
At the moment, I'm interested in how Cunard would code, but I would also be curious about a freighter crossing. Does anyone know for sure? As far as I know, it would be hard to make at small test charge in either case. If the ocean would make a difference, please mention that, too. Thanks.
At the moment, I'm interested in how Cunard would code, but I would also be curious about a freighter crossing. Does anyone know for sure? As far as I know, it would be hard to make at small test charge in either case. If the ocean would make a difference, please mention that, too. Thanks.
Mar 3, 2019, 4:31 pm
#322
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
A freighter line is primarily in the cargo business, and I would not expect it to classify as travel unless they have a separate merchant account for passenger business. However, would you buy this directly from the line, or through an agency?
Mar 4, 2019, 7:51 am
#323
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,435
Thanks, mia. You are a wealth of knowledge, gently delivered.
I knew about the merchant category code and didn't phrase my question correctly. I did not know that Carnival owned Cunard. When did that happen? (That's rhetorical. Don't answer; it would just confuse and dismay me.)
Almost certainly through an agency, in which case, the agency's merchant category code is what I should investigate.
Almost certainly through an agency, in which case, the agency's merchant category code is what I should investigate.
Mar 4, 2019, 12:46 pm
#325
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MCI
Posts: 698
I booked two hotel rooms through IHG and used points plus cash to pay. I had $420 charged to CSR an was expecting travel credit and 3X points for spend. I did not get either and sent SM to Chase. Response was that IHG rewards club is coded as buying/shopping clubs and not eligible for extra rewards. Can someone explain how booking hotel rooms is not considered travel and what I should do next time to avoid this.
IHG completes points+cash bookings buy purchasing points (charging the purchase to your credit card) and then immediately redeeming these for a room, so Chase sees only the points purchase, not the hotel booking. Does the purchase of points qualify for the extra rewards?
Pretty sure this one is known: IHG Points + Cash booking did NOT code as travel, but rather "buying/shopping services, clubs".
This one is also known and in the wiki: Chicago parking meter DID code as travel ("parking lots and garages").
This one was a surprise: Chicago Solder Field / Museum East parking lot did NOT code as travel, but rather "charitable and social service organizations".
This one is also known and in the wiki: Chicago parking meter DID code as travel ("parking lots and garages").
This one was a surprise: Chicago Solder Field / Museum East parking lot did NOT code as travel, but rather "charitable and social service organizations".
In a similar vein, IHG offers a $200 fee for you to buy into their Ambassador elite status program. I assume this charge may not count as "travel" even though it is being sold by IHG?
edit: found my own answer in the wiki here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/chas...credit-32.html
The following items have NOT posted as travel/been reimbursed:
- IHG Ambassador recognition program
Mar 6, 2019, 5:46 pm
#326
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Full time Nomad
Posts: 842
VRBO or The Vacation Company
I booked a rental deposit (Hilton Head) thru VRBO, the rental agency is billing on the card I used for the deposit as The Vacation Company. Any guesses if this will bill as travel 3 X??? I will use the CSR for the rest of the fee.
I found an old thread from 2016/17 with no definitive answers.
Thanks!!
UPDATE:
I think I found my answer. I went here:
https://www.visa.com/supplierlocator...pplier-locator
and its coded as 6513 which I think does not earn 3X. I got a great price for the rental, so I'm happy. Just would have been nice.
I found an old thread from 2016/17 with no definitive answers.
Thanks!!
UPDATE:
I think I found my answer. I went here:
https://www.visa.com/supplierlocator...pplier-locator
and its coded as 6513 which I think does not earn 3X. I got a great price for the rental, so I'm happy. Just would have been nice.
Last edited by stan1162; Mar 7, 2019 at 8:38 am
Mar 14, 2019, 11:55 am
#327
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
I was going through my recent activity on my CSR and it looks like Amtrak dining purchases might not count as travel anymore. Fortunately, they still earn 3x for dining. I updated the wiki accordingly.
Apr 17, 2019, 8:37 am
#328
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 97
Mileageplus X app Airbnb gift cards code as 3x travel CSR?
About to purchase Airbnb gift cards via the United Mileageplus X app with my CSR. Does anyone know if it still codes as 3x travel?
4/20/19 Yes it does.
4/20/19 Yes it does.
Last edited by rjruiz; Apr 20, 2019 at 11:13 am
Apr 29, 2019, 8:52 pm
#330
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: SW Michigan, ex SF Bay Area
Posts: 831
However, later in 2017 I paid for a friend to have a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian on the Big Island. Again, I charged it to my CFU. However, that charge was categorized as Travel on the year-end report.
So I guess it depends on the particular operator.
BTW, we did the tour in one of their Hughes helicopters with the doors off. Highly recommended!