Wondering if Credit Card YouTube should keep quiet about CC churning and travel hacks

Discussion / Conversation Forum
1

It feels like credit card companies are starting to notice some of the churning and travel hacks, and they are closing off options for the rest of us, like with the recent changes to Chase Ink.

I think most of the attention comes from credit card YouTube, especially from the larger channels, and I wish we could keep things a little more private.

YouTube gets a ton of views, and it’s hard to believe that credit card companies aren’t seeing these videos.

I know that devaluations will happen over time, but it feels like they are happening faster than before.

Is it just me feeling this way?

2

Credit card companies definitely know about all the churning. They aren’t clueless. They understand that most people will spend more money, so they come out ahead in the end. Chase didn’t become a billion-dollar company without knowing what they were doing.

3

@Brook
Exactly. Similar to how Las Vegas accepts a few professionals winning money due to system flaws: the vast majority are casual gamblers who lose and balance out any wins by the pros.

4

Raven said:
@Brook
Exactly. Similar to how Las Vegas accepts a few professionals winning money due to system flaws: the vast majority are casual gamblers who lose and balance out any wins by the pros.

Great point, and just like casinos, they implement rules to restrict us when they see we are winning too much.

5

@Brook
They definitely know but have a level of risk about how many customers will catch on and play the game. The more this info is available, the less likely it will last for everyone who has been involved.

6

@Brook
They usually tone things down over time when enough churners are successful without paying interest.

7

@Brook
But do we know how much profit comes specifically from their credit card business?

8

Fielder said:
@Brook
But do we know how much profit comes specifically from their credit card business?

Sometimes they are okay with losing money on credit cards if it brings you into their ecosystem. I have several Chase cards but also accounts and investments with them, which is what they really want.

9

Fielder said:
@Brook
But do we know how much profit comes specifically from their credit card business?

Not sure, but I think they thought about churning strategies long before we did.

10

Sure, YouTube plays a role but this forum and others are searchable databases of card hacks. If anything, the written resources here are easier for a business person to understand than a bunch of lengthy videos.

11

@Raven
This is why this forum moved to a daily thread format. It makes it tougher for search engines to find information because they have to sift through a bunch of comments instead of just looking at post titles.

12

@Elizabeth3
Also, this format has made the forum less user-friendly.

13

Flint said:
@Elizabeth3
Also, this format has made the forum less user-friendly.

Yeah, I don’t go there much anymore, but I see why they made that choice.

14

I think a lot of people having multiple Ink cards and constantly applying for more signaled something more than just YouTube videos.

15

patrickseed said:
I think a lot of people having multiple Ink cards and constantly applying for more signaled something more than just YouTube videos.

For sure.

16

Banks are well aware of churning just like Google knows about ad blockers. They only take action when it becomes an obvious issue.

17

Lilnim said:
Banks are well aware of churning just like Google knows about ad blockers. They only take action when it becomes an obvious issue.

Banks could easily ask for a tax ID for business cards, but they don’t.

18

@Ashby
Don’t they already? For sole proprietors, that tax ID is an SSN.

19

I don’t think YouTube or even this forum are the issue. Devaluations happen due to rising costs, inflation, and unsustainable loss-leading products.

Most everyday Americans fall into one of these groups:

  1. Not interested or unwilling to churn.
  2. In too much credit card debt to get approved for most point cards.
  3. Don’t travel.

We are just a small part of the credit card rewards ecosystem, so decisions about loyalty programs likely don’t have much to do with that YouTuber with the huge following.

20

@Sal
Exactly. This forum only has 600k members, and it’s not a secret. Neither are forums like Doctor of Credit or The Points Guy. Chase knows about all of them, but most people don’t even think of churning.