Whats the most points you saved on your carnival master card

[pj woods]

Ok so just curious what are the most points have you used on your card. I am up to 70,000 point which will get me 700 dollars in on board credit. But since I already have about 800 dollars worth of credit another 700 is to much. so I think I will hold on to them.

 

Maybe I will go up the 100,000 points to get a grand off my next cruise. Sounds good to me.

[Normal 1]

Just a quick note that the same 100,000 points that get you $1,000 off will also get you $1,500 off. Read that tip here on CC. Try it in the awards area of your on line Barclay account.

Edited August 23, 2014 by Normal 1

[kelkel2]

Just a quick note that the same 100,000 points that get you $1,000 off will also get you $1,500 off. Read that tip here on CC. Try it in the awards area of your on line Barclay account.

 

How in the heck do you guys get all these points? I just opened mine so I got the 10,000 bonus for signing up. But have you guys had your cards a long time?

 

Also-Normal 1, I just had to laugh, I live in Bloomington so it was fun to see someone from Normal on here :)

[cruiserpauld]

Do a google search for manufactured spending

[ShakyBeef]

OK, I'll play. Although I don't participate in the "How much did you spend?" and "How much do you tip?" threads because I feel that's kinda personal, my FunPoints are just free money, not "real money".:p So...

 

The most I have redeemed at once so far: 103,900 (paid off a cruise fare with it as a balance credit = FREE cruise:D)

 

FunPoints I currently have 'saved up': 180,074 (will be cashing some/all in on a statement credit after my September cruise)

 

To answer pp, I have had my card since 2005. I use it for EVERYTHING I possibly can (including bills like cell phone, life and auto insurance, electric, etc.) and pay it off each month. I've never paid a penny in interest or fees since I've had it and I've racked up all kinds of "free money" for cruising, since I was going to buy that stuff and pay those bills anyway. No "manufactured spending" here.:cool:

 

All the points multipliers from shopping thru RewardsBoost (from Barclay's website) also helps.;)

[ShakyBeef]

Ok so just curious what are the most points have you used on your card. I am up to 70,000 point which will get me 700 dollars in on board credit. But since I already have about 800 dollars worth of credit another 700 is to much. so I think I will hold on to them.

 

Maybe I will go up the 100,000 points to get a grand off my next cruise. Sounds good to me.

 

As long as you aren't approaching the 5-year expiration date on those FunPoints, I'd recommend saving up some more and cashing them in on a statement credit for a qualifying purchase amount of more than $1500. Better redemption rate that way.:cool:

 

Forget the OBC and go with the statement credits, everybody!;) You get "paid back" for a Carnival or other qualifying purchase you've made on the card, making whatever that was you bought (such as cruise fare, your S&S balance for a recent cruise, etc.) FREE!:D:cool: You just need to be patient and rack up the FunPoints then redeem them for a qualifying purchase within 180 days of the purchase.;)

[HenanSan]

ShakyBeef you must be reading my mind. I use my card for everything and pay off the balance monthly. I have never paid interest and I always use my points for statement credits because you can get more for less points. My grandkids thank my sea miles card for their WII U. I got it free using points. You just have to search the rewards section for the best returns as sometimes you can get more than the basic 100 dollars for 10,000 points etc.

[sprint180]

Just read an article on manufactured spending. That sounds like a bit more work then I'm interested in. Like the other posters I just pay what I can with my credit card and pay it off every month. I have $1,500 saved up and it is going towards a trip to Europe. I have a cash back Discover card though not a points card but I assume they all work basically the same.

[Normal 1]

How in the heck do you guys get all these points? I just opened mine so I got the 10,000 bonus for signing up. But have you guys had your cards a long time?

 

Also-Normal 1, I just had to laugh, I live in Bloomington so it was fun to see someone from Normal on here :)

 

I too use my card for most purchases and pay it off each month. I am hoping to have 100,000 next year to use for statement credit. Still working on it. I think I got more than 10,000 for my first purchase but not sure.

 

Kelkel2 - cruised from San Juan in May and there was a family from Eureka on our roll call. It really is a small world.

[Shipbound]

OK, I'll play. Although I don't participate in the "How much did you spend?" and "How much do you tip?" threads because I feel that's kinda personal, my FunPoints are just free money, not "real money".:p So...

 

The most I have redeemed at once so far: 103,900 (paid off a cruise fare with it as a balance credit = FREE cruise:D)

 

FunPoints I currently have 'saved up': 180,074 (will be cashing some/all in on a statement credit after my September cruise)

 

To answer pp, I have had my card since 2005. I use it for EVERYTHING I possibly can (including bills like cell phone, life and auto insurance, electric, etc.) and pay it off each month. I've never paid a penny in interest or fees since I've had it and I've racked up all kinds of "free money" for cruising, since I was going to buy that stuff and pay those bills anyway. No "manufactured spending" here.:cool:

 

All the points multipliers from shopping thru RewardsBoost (from Barclay's website) also helps.;)

 

I use it for everything also but it would take me ten years to save 103 thousand points up

besides I believe there is a five thousand dollar limit that can be charged to the card per month is that correct?. I have about 20 thousand points so far but I will charge car insurance, homeowners insurance and property taxes this year and everything else and maybe I'll have 30 thousand by next year.

 

Gary

[ShakyBeef]

I use it for everything also but it would take me ten years to save 103 thousand points up

besides I believe there is a five thousand dollar limit that can be charged to the card per month is that correct?. I have about 20 thousand points so far but I will charge car insurance, homeowners insurance and property taxes this year and everything else and maybe I'll have 30 thousand by next year.

 

Gary

 

I've not heard of any such $5000 monthly spending limit, unless you're referring to your particular credit limit on the card. If that is the case, no, my available credit limit is much higher than that. Everyone's spending habits and income and budgets are different, of course. It doesn't take us long to pile up the FunPoints using the card the way we do, while living modestly according to our means.:o

 

If you haven't already, check out the RewardsBoost shopping portal on your credit card website - sooooo many stores from which you surely already buy. But if you buy from them thru RewardsBoost, you can get some big-time points multipliers.;) And very often, free shipping. Saving you money while racking up extra FunPoints.:D

 

Keep piling up those FunPoints!:) Just keep an eye out for that 5-year expiration date and you'll be fine.:cool:

[kelkel2]

Ugh the manufactured spending seems like so much work :rolleyes::eek: but I am with you guys I opened my card because I have a cruise planned in January 2016 and I hope to have enough for $200 obc and if I get that I will be happy enough. I got the 10,000 points for signing up and now my husband and I each have a card linked to the same account and we use it for everything. Gas, groceries. I bought a couch, every small silly purchase I make I use that card and it gets paid off every month so I don't pay interest.

[Heartkrazy]

Just signed up yesterday, planning to use the card for everything between now & our cruise in April!!

[MEOWSMURPHY]

I'll play also...I've also had my card for quite sometime...back when it was initially called "seamiles"...they gave me 5K points to sign up..like others I use my card for anything and everything making sure to pay it off each month...One previous poster said that points start to expire after 5 years...NOT TRUE...they are good for however long you keep your card in good standing..I too had read about an expiration date and I'm creeping up on holding points for 5 yrs...I called and Barclay assured me that my points will not expire...also...there is no cap to the amount you can charge per month..just your own individual cap on YOUR card...I now when we were having work done on the house one month I went way over the 5K amount and had no problems...just be sure to pay it off each month as the interest rate is a killer...

 

So currently I have 83K points...I want to do a 16 day cruise to Hawaii in 2 years for our 50th anniversary so I'm thinking that if I continue spending the way we currently are I should be able to pay for one fare for that cruise...would be like paying for a 7 day totally...Back in February 2011..I was able to "cash in" 142K points and pay for a cruise to the Panama Canal ( aft balcony) tips included and also buy air fare...that was a totally free vacation...sweet..I know there are better cards to be had but for us this one works fine..

[Cruise-Crazy]

Same here, just pay for everything you can with the card. I have done a few free cruises with points over the years. Always pay off the card at the end of the month, sometimes sooner if I need to free up space on the card.

 

Keep in mind if you use it onboard it's double points...

[ShakyBeef]

I'll play also...I've also had my card for quite sometime...back when it was initially called "seamiles"...they gave me 5K points to sign up..like others I use my card for anything and everything making sure to pay it off each month...One previous poster said that points start to expire after 5 years...NOT TRUE...they are good for however long you keep your card in good standing. I too had read about an expiration date and I'm creeping up on holding points for 5 yrs...I called and Barclay assured me that my points will not expire...also...there is no cap to the amount you can charge per month..just your own individual cap on YOUR card...I now when we were having work done on the house one month I went way over the 5K amount and had no problems...just be sure to pay it off each month as the interest rate is a killer...

 

So currently I have 83K points...I want to do a 16 day cruise to Hawaii in 2 years for our 50th anniversary so I'm thinking that if I continue spending the way we currently are I should be able to pay for one fare for that cruise...would be like paying for a 7 day totally...Back in February 2011..I was able to "cash in" 142K points and pay for a cruise to the Panama Canal ( aft balcony) tips included and also buy air fare...that was a totally free vacation...sweet..I know there are better cards to be had but for us this one works fine..

 

 

Sorry, it is true. At least according to Barclay's website and the printed terms and conditions that come with the card. I would be very careful about letting those points get to be 5 years old if I were you. I wouldn't trust everything a customer service rep says. The printed material on their website, to the best of my knowledge has always stated what it does as of today:

 

From Barclays website, FAQ on the "Rewards Details" page after clicking on "Manage Rewards":

 

Will my points ever expire?

 

Yes. "FunPoints" will expire 5 years from the date of issuance, or if your credit card account is closed.

 

I've had it since it was SeaMiles, too. I liked that card design (picture of the ship) a lot better, but FunPoints have turned out to be a much better reward system than SeaMiles ever were!:D

[ShakyBeef]

As further illustration that you shouldn't trust everything you hear from every CSR (or, while we're at it, everything you read on the internet:rolleyes::p), I called Barclay's just now and asked about it. The 'relationship manager' (a very nice lady actually in the USA!:eek::)) had to put me on hold for awhile to get the answer, but she confirmed that what the website says is indeed true: the points expire after 5 years. So which one was right? I'll stick with what the website says and use my points before they get five years old and would advise y'all (as I already did:cool:) to do the same.;)

 

Oh, and on the spending cap thing: I frequently go well over $5000 spending on the card in a month and have hit no such limit. Shipbound must be thinking of his own credit line on the card maybe?

Edited August 24, 2014 by ShakyBeef
spelling of course

[pj woods]

I know for a fact there is no 5000 dollars limit. One month when i bought my truck I put 2 5000 dollar payments down as a deposit and received full credit for it.

[path145]

When I had a large purchase to make, I've actually charged up to my credit limit, paid it off the next day, and charged back up to my limit again in the same month. Of course then I paid the final charge off by the due date. Never had any fees!

 

I think we've used $700 from our points plus I remember one cruise there was a $50 OBC given to us that said Compliments of Barclay. I don't know how we got that one because I didn't ask for it and they didn't take any points off. We only have 16,000 points available currently but we've been charging everything we can to it.

 

I usually take my points as OBC. I'll have to look into the benefits of using it for a statement credit.

[crazyfrazee]

I own an award business and a sign shop and have thought about getting one of these cards for my business. How does it work? My personal bills range from 6-8 thousand a month plus my business bills. My business spends about 100 thousand per year. If I switched all of it to the card, how will I do? I read on here a few years ago about a business owner cruising for free every year using his card.

[ShakyBeef]

I own an award business and a sign shop and have thought about getting one of these cards for my business. How does it work? My personal bills range from 6-8 thousand a month plus my business bills. My business spends about 100 thousand per year. If I switched all of it to the card, how will I do? I read on here a few years ago about a business owner cruising for free every year using his card.

 

I suppose you might be able to use it for a business. But when my DH was looking into credit cards for his business when he first bought it, we both thought it would be great to get this one and turn his 100s of thousands spent each year on his business line of credit into free cruises for us.:D Sadly, Barclays doesn't offer this card as a business credit card. So he went with Capital One Spark Business Platinum Visa, which gives points and we use them to shop for some pretty decent stuff (just not cruises:().

 

Be careful, though - the comingling of personal and business expenses on one credit line is asking for the IRS to pounce and rake you across the audit coals.:eek: And if you used the card for strictly business expenses and kept it all perfectly clean and kosher in the eyes of the IRS, you might run into a problem with Barclays. They don't offer this card as a business card, so when they see those large, obviously business-related purchases going on it regularly, they may just decide to not give you any FunPoints. They may not want to "pay" the FunPoints out as fast as a business line of credit would make possible.;)