Where have the Chevrolet customers gone?

I think @adamcar explained the regular earnings on the new card better than I did. There’s no redemption limits anymore on regular earnings, but the amount you earn per purchase is less now. Regular earnings never expire, and I don’t believe that you have to use them all in one shot if you don’t want to. The top off bonus is different though. In general I’ve seen the top off around the beginning of January, and also around the end of May or beginning of June.

For my old copper card:
Do my Earnings expire?

Earnings are valid for seven years from the end of the billing cycle in which they were earned. Expiration after seven years will occur month by month, so seven full years of Earnings are maintained.

For new Buypower card:

  • Earnings do not expire on an open Account

Last March, I had a $1,000 top off that I combined with the $3,000 conquest on an Encore. I was asleep at the wheel and only had $500 or so earned, so I could only use $1,500 on the Encore instead of $2,000 if I had earned at least $1,000.

so once you have enough earnings (like $3000) and they cap you at $1000, you just stop using the card because you’d be earning cash you won’t be able to use because they cap you and you’re set with another $1000 + $1000 for the next two leases for the next 6 years?

Yes, I do not plan on leasing a car that has a $3,000 cap like Caddy or Suburban, so I get to the $1,500 and then wait until the right deal comes along, either with all incentives and my $1,000 earnings, or smaller incentives plus a GM card bonus offer. Ideally, they would both happen at the same time, like March 2018.

Now if I had the new card, that would be more difficult to plan for, since you do not have limits on usage, but you only earn 2% after the first $5,000 spent annually. I would definitely spend the first $5,000 to get the $250. In thinking this through, it seems this card would be better for someone who buys every 6-7 years. There are many other cards you earn more than 2% cash on gas, restaurants, etc… that would be much better to use.

I am glad I have the old card (my wife too).

Considering there’s no annual fee it’s not bad for a Leasehackr either just for the top off bonus if you can plan accordingly. I got a $1,500.00 bonus this summer without even using the card much, if at all. Basically they gave me 45 bucks a month to work with just for having it.

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well now we know the answer to my original question…old card much better. Could still be worth it in combination with top off.

Has there ever been a top off offer in Dec?

Agree you can get more than 2% value out of rewards if you know what you’re doing.

I do not recall ever getting a top off in December. Google search shows most of them are Jan-Feb. But I did get one in March 2018.

I guess the question is: $1000 rewards + top off in a month such as January with little factory incentives, no costco etc VS no top off and just use rewards during Dec to stack with all the other incentives?

Looks like you might be better off using your rewards to stack with big incentives in Dec vs waiting for top off in Jan/Feb.

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The Bolt and Volt are losing half the Federal tax credit on April 1st. Now the Volt is going away anyways but I’ll be interested to see if there is a push by GM to move Bolts in March before the credit drops.