2025 Credit Card Recap and Happenings This Year

If you have been reading along my series about credit cards, on the last day of 2024, I posted my roadmap for 2025 and you can read that here if you already have not done so. As we close out 2025 all I can say is roadmaps are good for one thing, and that is they are good at getting messed up. My credit card roadmap for 2025 has been nothing but different than what I wrote about here.

I spent the first eight months of the year “gardening” if you are not familiar with that term, it is where people hold off/delay applications or if they do apply, they apply for cards that do not impact personal credit card status (aka getting business credit cards that do not report to personal credit reports).

The main intent of my gardening was trying to get the Capital One Venture X. I held out as long as I could and even cancelled fifteen no-annual fee cards to reduce the number of cards to be more attractive to Capital One’s algorithm.

I did in fact apply for the Venture X on livestream with my friend Joe Barreto and after all of the effort of cancelling cards and gardening; my application was denied. More on Joe later in this blog.

Lets rundown what is in/out and other happenings in 2025.

 

Here is What is Out:

The Chase Business Ink Cash

The ability to collect multiple Ink cards is over, no real sense in trying as all it does is waste a hard pull on credit.

The American Express Business Gold

My accountant worked his magic and this year I actually ended up with a tax return while in previous years, I owed a substantial amount of taxes. Therefore, there was no need to seek out a no lifetime language link to get the Business Gold card again and paying taxes to hit the high spend requirement.

The American Express Business Platinum

Just like with the Business gold, once my accountant worked his magic and this year, I actually ended up with a tax return while in previous years, I owed a substantial amount of taxes. Therefore, there was no need to seek out a no lifetime language link to get the Business Platinum card againand paying taxes to hit the high spend requirement.

The American Express Business Delta Gold

When looking for alternative airlines that I would be primarily flying, I determined that Delta is not going to be it as there are certain routes that I fly (Denver to Phoenix and Denver to Las Vegas) that Delta does not fly. Therefore, if Delta is not going to be my primary airline, it is not worth using up an Amex slot on for me.

The American Express Hilton Business

The intent of getting the Hilton Business card was more just getting the welcome bonus. Since I already hold three Hilton Aspire cards and have other aspirations with my Amex card slots the is put on hold for now.

Here is What is In:

The American Express Blue Business Plus

The Blue Business Plus does not report to my personal credit and since I hold many American Express cards it is only a soft pull on my credit. It also serves as a catch all card for anything that earns American Express Membership Rewards Points.

Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

Jumping back in and actually making things happen I applied for the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card when the Signup Bonus was three free nights in August. The Ritz Carlton card has been on the radar for a long time and to me it was as good as time as any to start the clock on being able to get the card.

United Business

I pulled the trigger on the United Business Card and the reasoning came down to two major factors: an elevated offer and a change in my preferred airline when traveling.

Chase recently rolled out an elevated 100,000-mile welcome offer for the United Business Card. I also intend next year to switch over to flying primarily with United so the priority boarding and first checked bag free are perks to be used as well

The Citi Strata Elite

I also pulled the trigger on the Citi Strata Elite. Two primary reasons for this. The elevated 100,000-point offer and the ability to double dip the hotel and Splurge credits. 

If you are not familiar, each calendar year the card offers a $300 hotel credit when book through the Citi travel portal and a $200 Spurge credit that works with 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation. Applying for this card in November will allow me to use the credits before the year end and once again in 2026.

More to be discussed on the use of the hotels credit below.

The Morgan Stanley Platinum

Folks may ask, Why the Morgan Stanley Platinum when you already have the Platinum card? My answer is, in February my annual fee will post for my vanilla Platinum card at that time I will have to make a decision on keeping it or downgrading it. With the Morgan Stanley Platinum card, I have the ability to use the Saks Fifth Avenue, the Airline credit,  the Fine Hotels and Resorts credit, Lululemon credit and Resy restaurant credit.

If you are not familiar, each calendar year the Platinum card offers $200 in airline credits, each quarter there is a $100 Resy restaurant credit and Lululemon credit. Also, there is a $50 credit with Saks Fifth Avenue each half of the year as well as a $300 credit when booking with the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts program.

Card Denials

Not every credit card application ends with a "Congratulations!” Here are the application denials for the year:

Capital One Venture X

As outlined above I ultimately was denied for the Capital One Venture X

The Chase Business Ink Preferred

My recent attempt at getting the Chase Ink Business Preferred was met with a denial. Calling reconsideration did not work as well. Generally a polite conversation about your business goals or an offer to move credit from an existing card is enough to turn a "No" into a "Yes." with the Chase reconsideration line. 

This time, however, the reconsideration was a no that would not budge. Here’s how it went down:

I offered to shift credit from my Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited to the new Ink Preferred. Usually, this is a winning move because it does not increase Chase's total risk. The agent’s response? A firm "The system has already determined the maximum amount of credit we can extend to your business at this time."

Here is What Else that Happened in 2025:

The Credit Card Meetup in Puerto Rico

In the beginning on November, just like last year, there was a credit card meetup. This time instead of New Orleans, LA; we met up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The host of the meetup this year was Cesar Joel, again this was a great opportunity to meetup with friends in the community.

Here is a picture from the Casa Bacardi Tour

As well as the annual Wepa we did during the actual meetup

Here is a group photo from the meetup

The meetup in New York/New Jersey

In December, I wanted/needed to use my Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts credit as well as the three free nights at Marriott from the Boundless card. There have been discussions between my Friend Joe Barreto and I, and I locked in the dates. The first night was at The Beekman Hotel in New York City and the following 3 nights were at the Envue, Autograph Collection hotel by Marriott in Weehawken, NJ.
Here is a picture of the meetup I had with Joe Barreto where we had drinks and dinner:

The Amex Lounge at Salt Lake City

With the Citi Strata Elite, there was a $300 hotel credit that I wanted/needed to use by the end of the year as detailed above. I decided to use that on a work cationic Salt Lake City. Going to Salt Lake City would allow me to visit the newest Amex lounge in the Centurion lounge network which just opened on October 28th.

The Centurion Lounge at Salt Lake City is the second largest lounge in the Centurion lounge network at 18,000 square feet. While at the lounge I did not feel crowded. There were multiple bars, a coffee bar with Amex branded pumpkin spice cookies, a sorbet station as well as an outdoor terrace area.

Lounge Entrance near Gate B31

Front Desk/Check-in Area

Lounge Artwork

 

Blue Roast Coffee Bar

 

Outdoor Terrace Area

Food/Beverage

Main Room with a Fireplace

Bars

Overall the nicest American Express Centurion Lounge I have been too yet (not surprising as it is the newest). Lots of happenings in 2025. If you are reading this before 2025 is over, wishing you Happy Holidays. Looking forward to 2026 and what the credit card world will bring

Let me know thoughts on my recap in the comments below. I do offer credit card road mapping as a service and am more then happy to map out what make sense for you as well. Interested in coming a credit card roadmap of your own? Reach out to me here to book 1:1 time

Johnny 
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