How do you churn between credit cards

[Deleted User]

Looking at retiring a few "old" credit cards in order to achieve more FF harvesting. Whats everybody's thoughts on the best way to do this...?

• By Phone
• By Mail

Generally I would call but I really hate call centers and don't want a discussion, I just want to flick them...!:evil:

 

[cove]

Make the calls prior to the dates of renewal.
They may give you a free year renewal.
I was thinking that Westpac Platinum Kris Flyer had a real cheek moving the points earn goalpost on their Visa on 15th March but the attached Amex is still a winner.
As a result that card survives the cull.
Flyer talk has a discussion on churning especially to do with American Airlines which is a Qantas points partner and Citibank.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Flyer talk has a discussion on churning .

However bare in mind that the USA banking and CC system is different in many ways.


Back to the OP. I would ring as they may offer you an inducement to stay. A fee free year would not sway me though unless I wanted to keep the cad as keeping it may impede a future points offer from that company.

 

[burmans]

However bare in mind that the USA banking and CC system is different in many ways.


Back to the OP. I would ring as they may offer you an inducement to stay. A fee free year would not sway me though unless I wanted to keep the cad as keeping it may impede a future points offer from that company.

Depends if you really want to be enticed to stay, after hanging on the phone for 1/2 hour (transferred once) for ANZ Visa I just sent them a fax and letter. If you think you may stay with the right inducements phone is probably the way to go though I have sent letters which basically say I'm leaving because "I can get a better rewards rate" or "I can get card with a cheaper annual fee" and they have ALWAYS rung offering an inducement, all that is except ANZ.

 

[nonpop]

We recently did this.
We went to each bank in person and went through the cancel process with them.
With the CBA, they called their own call centre - we were offered fee free etc at that time, but we had already decided to pull the plug and consolidate.

I originally tried over the phone but found the shuffle and wait times were painful. Was quicker in branch (picked a quiet time).