Amazon Credit Card?

"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen) 07/25/2014 at 12:01 • Filed to: None

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I need some bike parts, $70 (incentive for getting the card) off sounds nice, should I get their credit card? I currently only have one credit card, so having two shouldn't be so bad. Just wondering if anyone has experience with this card and/or experience with Chase?

I'm buying a pump, water bottle holder, bike computer, lock, pouch and peddles.

ttyymmnn > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:03

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http://www.experian.com/ask-experian/2…

yamahog > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:06

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Chase is convenient if you already have a checking account with them, but I use my Discover card more (especially on Amazon) because it's easy to rack up lots of cashback which you can then apply straight to Amazon purchases during checkout. If your other card is Visa/Mastercard, you shouldn't have to worry about places not taking Discover, which I still run into occasionally.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > ttyymmnn 07/25/2014 at 12:08

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I'm not doing this to build credit, my credit score is very good. I'm doing this to save $70 on bike parts and since I buy a lot from Amazon anyway this doesn't seem like a bad card for me to get.

ttyymmnn > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:09

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Then go for it.

jariten1781 > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:11

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I wouldn't get one for a one time bonus. I wouldn't get another one unless I needed it for something.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > yamahog 07/25/2014 at 12:13

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Hmm, I do not have a chase account (I'm with a credit union), does Chase do automatic payments? I don't EVER want to carry a balance, haha.

I accept credit cards as a necessary evil, with which I can get rewards and improve my credit score.

Nothing > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:15

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We have one. Yes you can do automatic payments from another account. We don't carry a balance on it, and we order enough from Amazon to make it worth it. Our Chase experience has been good, otherwise, it's just like any other rewards card out there.

Soloburrito > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:15

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I have the Chase Amazon rewards Visa. Use it everyday. End up getting $40-$50 cash back every month. One of the better rewards cards i've seen. No fees. 3% back on amazon purchases, 2% on gas, restaurants and drug stores, 1% everything else.

Also have the amazon store card which is nice for financing big purchases at 0% for 6-18 mo depending on purchase amount.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > jariten1781 07/25/2014 at 12:17

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I could actually make use of it since I shop on Amazon a lot, I've been wanting another credit card, or a higher limit on my current card, so I see this as a good opportunity to get $70 and increase my credit. I'm mostly curious if people had any positive/negative experiences with this particular card.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Nothing 07/25/2014 at 12:18

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great! Thanks.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Soloburrito 07/25/2014 at 12:19

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Ah awesome, so there's a store card as well... 6-18 month no interest is intriguing, I'm going to have to check out mountain bikes on there now, haha.

Nothing > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:22

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One thing to watch out for (if you're against such things) is that Chase, in our experience with this card, raises your credit limit without notifying. We got the letter a month or so after we noticed the limit increase.) Not a terrible thing, but I know there are those opposed to unsolicited credit limit increases.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:24

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I did that a while back for, I think $30 off Planet Earth/Life Blu-ray. I then immediately cancelled the card...as I had no need for it.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Nothing 07/25/2014 at 12:31

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Meh, if that's what they want to do, fine with me. Since I refuse to carry a balance I doubt it would matter, haha.

tromoly > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:35

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I personally do not have Chase, however the people I know with Chase are happy with their service.

Though personally, see what local bike shops are in the area and see what they have. Often if you buy a decent amount of parts they will install them on your bike for free, this is handy because sometimes they can find things that may need attention in the future and give you a heads-up on it.

BoulderZ > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:37

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It used to be that you wanted to cards to ensure that you had one that would be accepted no matter where you went. These days, any old Visa/MC is accepted anywhere, less so for Discover/AMEX. If you've got good, but limited, credit history, getting and properly using a second card (i.e. pay off the parts right away, financing rapidly depreciating goods is bad practice if you can avoid it) is a good way to build a little more credit. However, opening a second card can hurt your credit some, too. Having too many credit checks, too many cards, too much outstanding credit, etc. makes you a less attractive credit risk to lenders if you've got something larger coming up (like a car loan, or a mortgage). So, just plan it out a bit.

Chase is like any other large financial institution (that's the marketing name for the consumer/commercial division of JPMorganChase). That means they have plenty of issues going back many decades, if you want to look it up (most recently, $16B in fines in 4 years, moving gold for Iranian banks, defrauding consumers, etc.). It doesn't mean you can't use them for your own purposes, just keep your eyes open and be ready to close accounts and walk if they try to pull something on you.

As far as if the card is any good, there are really only a few things to consider with any card, much as they try to make it confusing with marketing and promotions and so on. Read the really boring fine print that describes exactly how the card works. Compare it against other cards for a little perspective, too: http://www.bankrate.com/credit-cards.a…

First: fees, particularly annual fees. This is a fee you pay every year for the privelege of giving the card company your business. Not that you don't get some good things in return: transaction management, tracking, billing, often fringe benefits like insurance, ability to finance pretty much anything, and so on. But, bottom line, you're paying money to do business with them. Make sure you're not paying more than you feel you're getting in value in return. If you're not getting a lot of high value service or rewards (airline points or status for big travellers, big cash back benefits for family supply runs, free products you use a lot, etc.), you should not be paying any annual fee at all.

Other fees may or may not matter to you, like balance transfer fees, late fees (you won't have any of those, right?), and so on. Watch out for these, as many card companies have tried using creative billing cycles to charge late fees to customers who were in fact on time. They just count on the fact that if you charge a $5 BS fee to 10,000 customers, only 50 or 100 will even notice, and even fewer will protest it. Foreign transaction fees can be awful on some cards, so if you travel abroad, be sure about what card you use and terms it carries for global use.

Second: rates. If you're paying the card off every month, than the rate almost doesn't matter at all. If there's a chance you might use the card to finance something, though, then pay special attention to the rate. Variable rates are a bit suspect (you don't really believe they'll vary it lower, do you?). You want a low, fixed rate if you're going to use the card for financing/cash flow. Just like fees, there are "other" rates on the card, too. There might be a low intro rate, but for how long, how low, and then what? What about rates on cash advances, or balance transfers? Rates on foreign transactions? What does the rate do if you're late with a payment? How long is the fixed rate fixed? Again, some of these might not matter in your case, but some most certainly do. Be sure you know what you're getting.

Here's the thing, though: the card company has to (and does) make money somehow, preferably several ways. So, you'll never find a card with a low, fixed rate, no annual fee, no extra rates/fees, and a great rewards package. You need to just find the blend that works for you, your circumstances, and your likely near future scenarios.

Good luck, and happy shopping and cycling!

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > tromoly 07/25/2014 at 12:42

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The local shop here wanted to sell me a Raleigh bike, I wasn't very impressed. Especially as bikes with similar components could be had for a couple hundred less..

Although on parts, perhaps that's a good call. Although I do intend on learning everything there is to learn as far as fixing and maintaining my bike.

Manny05x > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 12:45

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use ebay way cheaper.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Manny05x 07/25/2014 at 13:04

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$15 peddles, $8 water bottle holder, $18 pump, $7 lock, $16 computer.

Will I really do much better than that on ebay?

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > BoulderZ 07/25/2014 at 13:12

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I've had my current card for roughly 3 years, I'm mostly getting this one to get $70 amazon cash and to get rewards for all the shopping I do on Amazon (it's a lot between personal + work expenses). I haven't done any credit inquiries in a long time, not since I bought my car over a year ago.

On top of that, I do not use my credit cards to finance ANYthing. I never carry a balance, I pay them off every month, maybe even more frequently, it's more a rewards/credit building tool for me than it is to have money available, I despise spending money if I don't have it, the only things I am likely to do it on is a car or a house.

I think I am the kind of person credit card companies don't like, I never incur fees and I never carry a balance, haha. As far as I know there are no fees with this Amazon card, but I'll investigate before committing to having one...

Manny05x > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 13:20

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hmm not bad.

BoulderZ > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 13:40

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Good on you! That's how to make credit work for you ! Might be a nice chance to take the $70, pay off the purchase, cancel it after the required period, and walk away while they cry in their beer. :) Also limits how long you have to remain in a business relationship with Chase. I've got one of their cards right now, and really need to shop for a new one. Dealing with Chase is kind of like owning a vicious dog. You might get some good home/stranger defense, but sooner or later you or your family will get bit. Have to watch them very, very carefully. BTW: new bike, or new accessories/upgrades for an old bike?

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > BoulderZ 07/25/2014 at 13:51

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New bike and new parts for a new bike :D

I currently have a vintage Fuji Espree 12 speed, I believe it's of the 1980's vintage, I really really like it for road riding.

But I recently got into mountain biking so I am getting myself an entry level 29er bike and figured I may as well get the accessories I will inevitably need (pump, computer, water bottle holder, pouch/bag, lock).

I've heard good/bad things about Chase, I think the good things come from people that don't carry a balance and therefore don't get bit in the ass by them.

BoulderZ > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 14:32

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Sweet! Love cycling. My road ride is an '89 Giant Cadex (frame's the only original part left), and my MTB is a 95 Trek Y (again, frame's the only stock part). They still work great for me, after years of racing, so I can't justify a new ride.

Yeah, I've not had any direct problems with Chase (like you said, always pay it off well ahead of time), but I think we can get a better card at our house in terms of benefits. Some of the non-airline-specific mileage cards are really good deals the last couple of years.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > BoulderZ 07/25/2014 at 14:59

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Ah cool, my Fuji is mostly stock, except for newer tires haha. I think I may look into upgrading the wheels so i can get the tires up to their full potential PSI wise. The shifters on it are the ones near the steering stem that you have to manually adjust (no distinct positions). On the one hand I want to upgrade them but on the other hand they are really neat. It's currently a 2x6, but I never use the small front-sprocket, so a 1x10 setup on that would be awesome, haha.

Not familiar with the Trek Y, I imagine it's a 26 wheel mountain bike? Got some nice components on there? Nice front Fork? I'm going to be ordering a bike off of bikes direct, because awesome deal for an entry-level mtb'r. I eventually want to upgrade the cheap Suntour XCT to some kind of airfork.

BoulderZ > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 15:34

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LOL re: tires. I always like when people complain about the price of econobox car tires. "Really? $60 is expensive? Check out a good clincher for a road bike, or god forbid a tubular. And they'll only last a few thousand miles if you're lucky." What are you using? I'm on Michelin Pro4 Race 700x23 and very happy with them so far. Nice in the canyon turns, climb well, run all day at 120 psi, low rolling resistance while spinning, decent flat resistance. I swore by Continental Grand Prix's in the 90s, but they changed something and were really flat prone after that. I still miss them though, they were ridiculously fast in the turns and velvety smooth even at high pressure.

The 1x10 is an awesome idea. I've got friction thumb shifters on my commuter (old school XT top mounts), which is nice because I can force shift even when it's icing up the drivetrain.

Yeah, the Trek is a 26-er, which has always been fine, but parts are going to get really hard to find soon. On it I have: XTR hubs laced to Mavic 517s with DT Revolution spokes (14/17 double butted), radial front, radial/3x tied-and-soldered on back. XTR brakes, Kooka Racha cranks (apparently about the only pair that hasn't cracked yet...), Real rings (26-36-46), SRAM 9.0 drivetrain. RockShox Judy SL coil-oil converted fork. It's old, but I just love that bike, even had some nice race results on it. My wife once asked me, "What are you going to do when that frame finally breaks?" My answer: "First? Probably cry. Then I guess I'll have to start shopping..."

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > BoulderZ 07/25/2014 at 15:40

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Haha, my tires are nearer the $150-200 mark on my SHO. I do love the RSA2's. As for my roadbike? They are some type of continental, they came with the bike. The guy I bought it from works with my dad, gave me a grrreat deal and he was known to be meticulous on the maintenance of it and I can tell the thing is in great working order when I ride it.

How do you like a coil-oil fork? I hear they are a lot better than a strictly oil-fork.

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/rode-39-miles-…

BoulderZ > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 07/25/2014 at 15:50

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That is a gorgeous, nicely un-molested earlier Fuji!

I hear you on tire cost! I have 29s (BFG TA KO) on the truck, and on the Z I get whatever track tires I can fit, usually $200 each, and they last about 2000 miles.

The coil-oil fork setup is great. Even if a seal goes on a ride, I could still get home (albeit in an undamped fashion). Simple and easy to maintain, and not bad on weight. I just got really tired of rebuilding air shocks in my years at the shop. I got very fast at it, but the interest really waned after about the 500th fork job.