Dec 27, 2020, 9:16 pm
Last edit by: yugi
What counted as online purchase with Sears card (alphabetical order)
Credit Line Increases
This is very odd, but according to the Chatbot on the website:
Q. When requesting a credit limit increase, is the credit inquiry a hard or soft credit inquiry?
A. Unfortunately, until we process the request, there isn't a way for us to know if a credit line increase request will be a soft or hard hit on your credit report. For this reason, we have to receive your permission to pull a copy of your credit report before we process the increase request. If you process the request online, you will see a message stating "By submitting this form, you authorize Citibank, N.A. to obtain your credit report."
To request an increase online:
In order to request an increase, you will need to go to your “Credit Home” page, and find “Available Credit” at the top of the page. Then, click on the link that says “Request Increase” to begin the process.
- Amazon purchase or re-load
- Carters.com (Merchandise-CHILDRENS / INFANTS WEAR STORE)
- Costco.com
- Ebay seller fees (direct entry) (MCC: N/A)
- Fluz (MCC varies, YMMV)
- Gift Card Mall
- Homedepot.com (Merchandise-HOME SUPPLY WAREHOUSE STORES)
- Iherb.com (Merchandise-MISC FOOD STORE,SPECIALTY,CONVENIENCE)
- Kygunco.com (Merchandise-DURABLE GOODS, NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSIFIED)
- Lockedloaded.com (Merchandise-SPORTING GOODS STORES)
- MileagePlusX (MCC varies)
- Pirateship.com (Services-COURIER SERVICE, FREIGHT FORWARDERS)
- Plastiq (Restaurants-UTILITIES-ELECTRIC,GAS,SANITARY,WATER)
- Scholastic.com (Organizations-MISC SCHOOLS / EDUCATIONAL SERVICES)
- Usmint.gov (Services-MISC GOVERNMENT SERVICES)
- united.com (Air Travel-UNITED AIRLINES)
- Fluz (MCC varies, YMMV)
- Geico.com (Services-INSURANCE-SALES / UNDERWRITING)
- Paypal (MCC varies)
- Cable, Satellite, TV (Restaurants-CABLE,SATELLITE,PAY TV/RADIO SERVICES)
- Telecom (Restaurants-TELEPHONE SERVICE)
- Telecom (Services-TELEPHONE SERVICE/EQUIPMENT)
- Utilities (Restaurants-UTILITIES-ELECTRIC,GAS,SANITARY,WATER)
- VRBO
Credit Line Increases
This is very odd, but according to the Chatbot on the website:
Q. When requesting a credit limit increase, is the credit inquiry a hard or soft credit inquiry?
A. Unfortunately, until we process the request, there isn't a way for us to know if a credit line increase request will be a soft or hard hit on your credit report. For this reason, we have to receive your permission to pull a copy of your credit report before we process the increase request. If you process the request online, you will see a message stating "By submitting this form, you authorize Citibank, N.A. to obtain your credit report."
To request an increase online:
In order to request an increase, you will need to go to your “Credit Home” page, and find “Available Credit” at the top of the page. Then, click on the link that says “Request Increase” to begin the process.
Citi Sears Cards (2014 - 2023)
Oct 27, 2020, 4:05 pm
#331
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 276
There was a offer for 15% statement credit (up to $60) for online purchases in the summer. Anybody still waiting on their last credit?
Nov 2, 2020, 4:21 pm
#332
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
I just got another offer 5x TYP on online spend during Nov, Dec, Jan, for spending above $400 per month, with a max of $1200 spend per mo to earn bonus.
Also have a generic spend offer, and the gas/grocery/restaurants one now too.
Crazy.
Also have a generic spend offer, and the gas/grocery/restaurants one now too.
Crazy.
Nov 2, 2020, 6:15 pm
#333
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum Ambassador, Singapore Airlines Kris Gold
Posts: 49
Yes, same here. Although I don't plan on hitting the gas/grocery/restaurants promo this round. The kick-in "point" of 1500 is bit steep. Generic (2k for 12500pts) and this online one can be useful, property tax should cover..
Nov 3, 2020, 1:11 pm
#334
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: TYS/BNA/ATL
Programs: UR, TYP, MR, C1, AA, UA, WN, BA, AS, AV, AC, Choice, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott
Posts: 1,978
Got the same, but with $1500 limit, (up to 7500 points per month).
Nov 3, 2020, 1:55 pm
#335
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 124
Eligible online purchases are those made via a computer network but not all online transactions will be considered an eligible online purchase. Eligible online purchases do not include the following types of purchases in the following categories: subscription, membership or recurring purchases; utilities, cable/satellite and telephone; insurance; medical and healthcare providers; government services, taxes and tolls; education, including schools or other teaching institutions; contractor, professional, financial, legal, personal and business services; repair services, direct marketing; purchases that are manually keyed by a merchant; or online purchases made through mobile/wireless technology depending on how the technology is set up to process the purchase. Merchants must submit charges under the appropriate merchant code or industry code to be an eligible online purchase. We do not determine whether merchants appropriately identify all transactions made on a credit card, however we reserve the right to determine which purchases qualify for this offer.
Nov 4, 2020, 12:39 pm
#336
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum Ambassador, Singapore Airlines Kris Gold
Posts: 49
Nov 4, 2020, 1:01 pm
#337
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
Wow that's a big change for Citi. If it Sears 'online' now works like ATTA or ATTAM that's a lot more limited.
I wonder if that's just something they have written...without updating their back end systems.
It seems kind of hard to believe that Sears would invest a lot in tech to monitor this.
They don't even show the customer how bonus earnings are determined! And it comes so slowly that its hard to course correct if things don't work the way one hopes.
I wonder if that's just something they have written...without updating their back end systems.
It seems kind of hard to believe that Sears would invest a lot in tech to monitor this.
They don't even show the customer how bonus earnings are determined! And it comes so slowly that its hard to course correct if things don't work the way one hopes.
Nov 4, 2020, 1:13 pm
#338
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
Nov 5, 2020, 10:43 am
#339
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
So they seem to have made unique adjustments for that card, so that stuff that codes up as 'online' for other MasterCards, even Citi issuance, doesn't work that way for ATT. For example Plastique to pay a mortgage is 'online' for Sears, not for ATT
I've stopped putting many vendors on my ATT over that.
But if the language is new , and copying ATT's sort of , they do (somewhere) have the code to change the Sears rewards crediting. And it would take months for users to find out, and be hard to truly reconcile, since rewards earning is murkier there. One doesn't know what time frame a reward was awarded for, nor how to tie it back to spending. I suppose one could make a big excel and unleash solver on it....but even then still lots of guessing.
I'm not pushing my Sears nor ATT hard at all. They are easy enough to use for daily life, and more generous than anything else I know (short of SUBs)
Nov 6, 2020, 7:25 am
#340
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum Ambassador, Singapore Airlines Kris Gold
Posts: 49
Back when ATTA and ATTAM were in their heyday, and lots of things would code up for online, I think it was bleeding a hole for Citi.
So they seem to have made unique adjustments for that card, so that stuff that codes up as 'online' for other MasterCards, even Citi issuance, doesn't work that way for ATT. For example Plastique to pay a mortgage is 'online' for Sears, not for ATT
I've stopped putting many vendors on my ATT over that.
But if the language is new , and copying ATT's sort of , they do (somewhere) have the code to change the Sears rewards crediting. And it would take months for users to find out, and be hard to truly reconcile, since rewards earning is murkier there. One doesn't know what time frame a reward was awarded for, nor how to tie it back to spending. I suppose one could make a big excel and unleash solver on it....but even then still lots of guessing.
I'm not pushing my Sears nor ATT hard at all. They are easy enough to use for daily life, and more generous than anything else I know (short of SUBs)
So they seem to have made unique adjustments for that card, so that stuff that codes up as 'online' for other MasterCards, even Citi issuance, doesn't work that way for ATT. For example Plastique to pay a mortgage is 'online' for Sears, not for ATT
I've stopped putting many vendors on my ATT over that.
But if the language is new , and copying ATT's sort of , they do (somewhere) have the code to change the Sears rewards crediting. And it would take months for users to find out, and be hard to truly reconcile, since rewards earning is murkier there. One doesn't know what time frame a reward was awarded for, nor how to tie it back to spending. I suppose one could make a big excel and unleash solver on it....but even then still lots of guessing.
I'm not pushing my Sears nor ATT hard at all. They are easy enough to use for daily life, and more generous than anything else I know (short of SUBs)
I'm also not interested in pushing my luck as I am staying abroad now and would incur 3% foreign transaction fee as it is. The offers have been extremely lucrative even with that 3% ding but it BUUUUUUUURRRRNNNNNSSS when there is code issues....
Anyone ever tried to cash out the rewards for "mortgage" *wink wink* which is worth 1 cent per piece? Would love to know if it works! Only Sears not Premier nor Prestige~
Nov 6, 2020, 11:53 am
#341
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
my understanding is that the mortgage cash out option is that the check is made out to the servicer/bank you specify, but mailed to you. they probably have some guard rails to stop people from getting it mailed to them directly. maybe an edge case someone could get it made out to a business name they control and redeem that way. but if one really wants to cash out TYP, its generally going to be 'profitable' in year 1 to just get a prestige, get the SUB, double up the travel / other credits etc. and its the season (late in year) to do all that.
Nov 9, 2020, 5:34 am
#342
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 127
I'm also not interested in pushing my luck as I am staying abroad now and would incur 3% foreign transaction fee as it is. The offers have been extremely lucrative even with that 3% ding but it BUUUUUUUURRRRNNNNNSSS when there is code issues....
Anyone ever tried to cash out the rewards for "mortgage" *wink wink* which is worth 1 cent per piece? Would love to know if it works! Only Sears not Premier nor Prestige~
Anyone ever tried to cash out the rewards for "mortgage" *wink wink* which is worth 1 cent per piece? Would love to know if it works! Only Sears not Premier nor Prestige~
Nov 10, 2020, 7:41 am
#343
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum Ambassador, Singapore Airlines Kris Gold
Posts: 49
Nov 13, 2020, 9:29 am
#344
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,535
Looks like the Sears card now has Gift Card redemptions "live" via Raise.com now. It used to be a temporary offering months ago. But it shows up now in my account (tried last month and it had a message that the temporary offering had ended and would be "live" again). Not sure how they determine the points, but I have like $237 in points (237,000) and they expire on 3/31/2021. But when I go into my account it shows $237 in SYP but $137 in "gift card" points. But the GC points redemption seems to be $0.01/point. So $25 Home Depot GC is 25,000 points. Not too bad. Debating about saving my points and getting a new lawnmower, but then again could just redeem for Home Depot/Lowes GC. Except I have the "full" amount in SYP points vs. $137 in GC.