Game Of Points

Car Payment Hack

7/2/2020

We recently got a brand new 2020 Mercedes SUV! But, we assure you, this isn't a humble brag post.

Afterwards, we went online to set up autopay and were pleasantly surprised to see that Mercedes now allows payments to be made via credit card.

Traditionally, it is very hard to earn credit card points from some of the biggest monthly expenses (mortgage, rent and car payments) because it requires you to pay using Plastiq a company that charges a 2.5% fee (rarely worth it, unless you are in a bind to meet a minimum spend).

However, Mercedes uses Repay which only charges a flat fee of $4.95 per payment.

Is the $5 monthly fee worth it?

Let's pretend your monthly car payment is $500. Set up autopay for it using your Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card which earns you 1.5 points per dollar spent. So each month you will earn 750 points for your car payment. These points are worth $7.50, so you are already ahead with an extra $2.50 more than the fee you paid to use credit card.

Next, transfer these 750 points accumulated each month to the Chase Sapphire Reserve and redeem them for another 1.5 times on travel. This means that now they are worth over 1000 points in travel which is a little more than $10.

So if you subtract the $5 fee from the $10 you gain each month, you end up actually making $5 net profit on each monthly car payment.

How can I set it up?

If you have a Mercedes, and want to collect on this hack, follow these steps:

1. Go to Mercedes Financial Services
2. Login
3. Select your vehicle

4. Click Make a payment
5. Click Visit Repay
6. Click Guest Account Lookup to bring up your account
7. Enter your credit card info

We only know Mercedes to be using Repay services right now, but if you don't have a Mercedes, try it out on your car payment and let us know in the comments if you find any other companies who also have this option!

Points 101: How to Start

2/22/2020

We've been getting many questions lately for more details about how we travel the way we do. If you are just beginning with us in the #Game of Points, start here!

What are points?

Many credit cards and banks are competing for your business today by offering incentives to open an account with them. We open credit card accounts that offer "points" incentives, which means for every dollar you spend you can earn 1-5 points that you can then convert into miles to "buy" plane tickets with, or to book hotel rooms with. While you would have to spend a whole lot of money on your credit card to earn enough points for luxury travel, many cards offer sign-up bonuses. A sign-up bonus means that you open an account, and after spending a certain amount on your credit card for your normal purchases, they gift you a large sum of points. Some credit cards offers are not worth it, so don't open a new account without our recommendation first! We check in to ALL offers and will tell you which ones you should get, and which ones you should pass on.

What is the first credit card I should get?

Your first credit card in the points game should be the Chase Sapphire Preferred. This card earns some of the most valuable points in existence, with a very reasonable annual fee. Our points game began back in 2014 with opening this card, and we continue to hold onto it to this day. Let’s review this card and identify why it’s a solid start for anyone entering the points and miles game.

Why should I get the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

1. The sign-up bonus is HUGE! The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers 100,000 points as a sign-up bonus. This is a 40,000 point increase from its previous bonus (when we opened the card), and significantly higher than other similar cards on the market. Just to give you an idea, 100,000 points will cover two business class flight from Los Angeles to anywhere in Europe, South America or Asia and you will likely still have points to spare.

2. A low annual fee! The annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Preferred is only $95, which is significantly lower than other similar cards. (For reference, a similar card called the Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee!) If you think about it, trading in $95 for business class tickets to your desired destination is not a bad deal at all. Now, if you don't want to close the account after collecting the sign-up bonus, but don't want to pay $95/ year, there is a solution. After opening the account and collecting your sign-up bonus, call customer service and ask to downgrade your card to a lesser card on the same account that doesn't have an annual fee, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited card. This will not impact your credit score like closing the account will, but you will no longer have to pay an annual fee.

3. Valuable Points! Not all points are created equal, so you may get targeted offers from some credit cards for 200,000 points and be tempted to go for it, but how and for what they can be redeemed is the key to knowing whether it's a good deal or not. The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Chase Ultimate Reward points, which are arguably the most valuable points on the market. You can redeem these points in the Chase Travel Portal for 1.25 cents per point, which give you 25% more bang for your buck. However, and perhaps what makes these points so special, is that you also have the option to transfer these points to twelve different airline and hotel companies directly which can make your points go even further. With our sign-up bonus points, we transferred 50,000 points to Virgin Atlantic Airways and then claimed a business class flight from Seattle to Paris on Delta Airlines (because Delta and Virgin are partners).

Delta One Business Class from SEA-CDG. We booked this Paris trip using our CSP Sign-up bonus points!

4. Double Points Earning! The Chase Sapphire Preferred will earn you 2 points for every dollar spent on travel or dining. So, when you purchase plane tickets, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and even city trains, buses, taxis, limos, ferries, toll bridges and highways, parking lots, garages and even ride-share companies, you will earn double the points. Also for all purchases made at any restaurant or fast food you will earn double the points. So next time you are out eating with friends, make sure to be the one to put the entire bill on your credit card and have them Venmo you their share of the payment so you can collect those points! Get creative!

5. The option to pool points for your household and add authorized card users for free! The Chase Sapphire Preferred allows for people living in the same household to transfer points back and forth to each other. Let us explain why this is useful. In order to earn your sign-up bonus, you need to spend $4,000 on this credit card in 3 months. For some, that might seem daunting. But we put EVERYTHING on our credit card: gas, groceries, there are even ways to put your mortgage or rent on it! $4,000 quickly adds up! But if your normal living expenses are less than $1350 per month, add your spouse, partner or roommate as an authorized user to your card and all of their spending will also help you earn your sign-up bonus. A great couples strategy would be for partner #1 to apply for the card, and add partner #2 as an authorized user for free. They will send two cards in the mail with your individual names but it is the same account. Between the two of you, you can hit your spending target and earn a sign-up bonus in 3 months. Then, do the reverse. Partner #2 then applies for the same card and adds partner #1 as an authorized user and work together again to earn a second bonus. In this way, in 6 short months, you will have earned TWO sign-up bonuses which is enough for two international luxury tickets wherever you want to go! Bon Voyage!

6. Primary car rental collision coverage! Yes, from now on you can deny insurance coverage when you rent a car, because this card will cover your rental automatically! The Chase Sapphire Preferred even includes vehicle theft protection, in case your rental car is stolen. Other cards might offer secondary car insurance, which means that if you get into an accident in your rental car, you will first have to submit a claim through your personal auto insurance. However, this card offers primary coverage, which means that you can submit the claim directly to the card issuer right off the bat and avoid involving your own insurance policy entirely. In other words, if you get into an accident while driving a rental, it won't affect your personal car insurance rates.

7. Trip cancellation reimbursement if inclement weather or sickness arises. Use the Chase Sapphire Preferred to pay for car rentals, cruises, plane tickets and hotels, because you never know when a trip will no longer be possible. This card will refund your travel purchases, should you be unable to travel due to a death, illness, weather, etc.

8. Other purchase protection! Be sure to also put all other major purchases on this credit card such as new electronics or appliances because this card will protect any purchases for 120 days against damage or theft. That's right, if you drop your brand new cell phone and shatter the screen, the bank will reimburse you right away! It also extends all manufacturer warranties by 1 additional year.

9. Baggage delay insurance and lost luggage! If your plane is delayed, or your luggage is lost on the way, it can be hard to get the airline to take responsibility. Now you don't have to have that fight! With this card, Chase will offer you $500 for the inconvenience of your flight delay, $100 per day for delayed baggage and $3,000 per person in lost luggage reimbursement.

10. Roadside Assistance! Go ahead and cancel your AAA membership because this card has roadside assistance included. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year in the U.S. and Canada. If you are driving and get a flat tire, run out of gas, have a dead battery, are locked out, etc just call the number and they will be available to assist. You can use this service for a total of four times per year.

...And more!

Gain access to exclusive Sapphire lifestyle events, such as the Sundance Film Festival, Radio City Music Hall and private events with celebrity chefs.
Free DashPass for one year, DoorDash's subscription service with unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee.
Earn 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2022.
No Foreign Transaction Fees! Use this card when you are traveling abroad because you don't have to pay those crazy foreign transaction fees.

Korean Air Business Class from LAX-ICN. Another flight booked with our sign-up bonus!

How do I redeem my points?

When you are ready to redeem the points you’ve earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, that's when the card’s flexibility really comes in handy. You have several options for how to redeem. First, you can always use your points to purchase airfare, reserve hotel rooms and rent cars in the Chase Travel Portal, which is accessed through your card's personal login on the card website. So, at an absolute minimum, Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for 1.25 cents each towards a travel purchase, meaning that 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points will get you $1250 worth of travel if redeemed in the portal.

However, while it is easiest to use your Ultimate Reward Points this way, it is not the most cost profitable choice. The way to get top value for your points, is to transfer points to any of Chase's 13 airline and hotel partners, which are:

Aer Lingus
Air France/KLM
British Airways
Emirates Airlines
Iberia Airlines
JetBlue Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
Virgin Atlantic
IHG Hotels
Marriott Hotels
Hyatt Hotels

If you go this route, it will take a little research to learn which partners are best utilized for which trips and searching for award availability, and remember you can always shoot us a comment or DM for advice!

So, what are you waiting for?

Apply today for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card with a 100,000 point sign-up bonus and get traveling! Please use our referral link so we can get a bonus along with you ;-)

APPLY NOW!

1 Week in Tunisia Itinerary

12/12/2019

If you've always wanted to go to the beautiful blue and white city of Santorini or the gorgeous beaches in the south of France, consider a trip instead to the lovely country of Tunisia. Located on the warm waters of the Mediterranean in North Africa, Tunisia is an often overlooked travel destination as it gets overshadowed by Morocco to the west and Egypt to the east. But we wholeheartedly recommend taking some time to explore this hidden gem, with its ancient ruins, exquisite beaches, and Sahara sand dunes, you won't be disappointed. Even better still, it is significantly cheaper and less crowded than its popular neighbors. Use our one week Tunisia itinerary and we'll make sure you see the best there is!

Days 1-3: In and Around the Capital City, Tunis.

Three to four days in the capital is plenty of time to see the sights and acquaint yourself with the culture and history of the region and its people.

Day 1. Bardo Museum and Habib Bourguiba Ave

Make your first stop in the capital city of Tunis be the Bardo Museum. The Bardo Museum is Tunisia’s oldest, biggest and most important museum, housing the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world. Open daily from 9:00am-5:00pm, entry fee is only 11 TND which is currently less than $4 per person.

Traditional Tunisian appetizers

After spending the morning immersing yourself in the history of the region, drive over to the impressive Habib Bourguiba Ave for shopping and lunch. A major street in Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba Ave is named after the country's first president following independence from France and was modeled after the remarkable Champs-Élysées of Paris. It is the perfect place to people watch, shop, eat and see the tangible influence the French have had on the country in terms of both its architecture and culture. Start near the Monument of Ibn Khaldun in the Place de l'Indépendance and stroll your way east down the one mile street, ending at the large Clock Tower.

Day 2: Carthage and Sidi Bou Said

After breakfast on your second day, head to the ancient ruins of Carthage. Over 3000 years ago, General Hannibal from modern day Tunisia used elephants to attack and nearly conquer Rome, but his army was defeated and his city of Carthage was conquered by the Romans. Many of the Carthaginian ruins have been very well preserved, and in better condition than some of the Roman ruins of Rome! Don't miss the Antonin Baths, some of the largest thermal baths the Romans ever made. Take a few hours to explore the great history of this region.

At lunch time, head over to the nearby magnificent city of Sidi Bou Said, our personal favorite area in all of Tunisia. With its whitewashed buildings with bright blue accents along charming cobblestoned streets, built high up on cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, this city bears a striking resemblance to the popular island of Santorini. It’s hard not to fall in love with this delightful seaside town just outside of Tunis.

Park near the bottom of the hill, just passed the mosque and meander your way up the hill through the small souq. At the top, you must pay a visit to the famous Café des Délices, known to locals as Cafe Sidi Chebaane. This restaurant/ cafe/ hookah lounge is built into the cliffs and has stunning views of the seaport down below with the blue sea and green mountains of Tunisia behind. Stopping in here for a drink or quick snack to admire the views is an absolute must! However, we do not recommend eating lunch here because sadly, service is painfully slow and dismissive, and the food is lackluster. Instead, we recommend dining at the beautiful Dar Zarrouk restaurant, which serves delicious traditional Tunisian plates amid a delightful setting.

There are also several small art museums and galleries worth exploring in Sidi Bou Said, and definitely don't miss the Dar El Annabi. This was the former residence of Sidi Bou Said's founder, which has now been turned into an attractive museum, showcasing Tunisian daily life. Don't forget to enjoy a free cup of mint tea in the back courtyard, or go up onto the roof for more views.

After exploring the city, make sure to try "bambalouni" from a street vendor for an afternoon treat. Bambalouni are fried donut-like sweets doused in sugar, and are the Sidi Bou Said specialty!

Day 3: Old Medina, Zaytouna Mosque, La Marsa, Gamarth
On your third day, start off downtown in the old city of Tunis called the "Medina". Wander through the souq alleyways for a peek at traditional North African/ Islamic architecture. Visit the impressive Zaytouna Mosque, which is the oldest mosque in Tunis, with its columns originally brought in from the ruins of Carthage. For a sky view of the Medina, head to the El Ali store and check out the views from the roof.

Spend the second half of your day contrasting old with new by visiting the ritzy neighborhoods of La Marsa and Gamarth. These cities have opulent white villas, beaches, and greenery that will rival the French Riviera. They are littered with five-star hotels and upscale restaurants and are the playgrounds for Tunisia's upperclass. They are great areas to have a special dinner, take a stroll, eat gelato and people watch.

Days 4-7 Djerba

In Homer's Odyssey, Ulysses details how high winds drove his ships to the shores of an island where the locals fed them lotus flowers, causing them to forget all thoughts of returning home. Legend has it, that this place was the island of Djerba- a small island off the coast of Southern Tunisia. .

Today, tourists flock to this extraordinary island to enjoy its incredible beaches-- arguably the very best in Africa! The island is still mainly rural, with wild stretches of beach and uninhabited plains in the center. There are numerous all-inclusive resorts on Djerba, our favorite of which is the Raddison Blu Palace Thalasso, a gorgeous new property with an extensive amount of sea-water pools, traditional hammams, and thalasso treatment rooms-- a therapy involving the use of sun and seawater to treat conditions ranging from eczema to depression.

Although it might be tempting to just remain in your luxurious beachfront resort, try to branch out some and explore what else this island has to offer. Reserve one day for the popular pirate boat attraction to Flamingo Island. Several large pirate ships leave each morning from the port, and as you sail through the sea, pirate actors do exciting tricks on the ship's masts high above. Your stop is Flamingo Island, a small uninhabited private island that is home to flocks of wild flamingos. The water there was the clearest water we've swum in in our entire lives, and is well worth the trip for this reason alone! After swimming, the pirates prepare a huge feast of traditional couscous and fresh grilled fish with all the usual accompaniments, to enjoy on the beach with a show, before sailing back in the afternoon.

A Djerba Pirate Ship

The clearest sea water I've ever seen!

Pirate Show

Djerba is also home to one of the largest Jewish populations in North Africa, and the island's El Ghriba synagogue is one of the oldest in the world, dating back over 2,000 years. It is worth it to also pay a visit there and learn about Tunisia's Jewish heritage. In addition, there is also a large castle called Borj El Kebir that is interesting to explore, as well as a large crocodile farm to visit. But mostly, Djerba is a beach destination, so save lots of time for the clearest blue and warmest waters you've ever seen!

We return to the country of Tunisia every summer as we have family to visit there, and are thus experts in every area, restaurant, hotel, and attraction. So feel free to drop us a comment if you have any other questions or need further recommendations for your trip, we'd love to help you out. There are many other beautiful sites to see should you find yourself in Tunisia for over a week, such as the Roman colosseum of Jem, the Star Wars film sites of Tataouine, the music festivals and night life of Hammamet, and the gorgeous port city of Bizerte. More articles spotlighting these places will definitely come in the future! Happy travels!

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