5/24: Chase’s rule that you cannot get a new Chase product unless you have less than 5 new credit card accounts in the (rolling) prior 24 months. Read our post about this here
AF: Annual Fee
AI: All-Inclusive, as in a resort. Typical AI’s covered here are Hyatt due to the option to cover the entire stay with points, but there are plenty to choose from. Join our Hyatt AI Facebook group for more info
AO: Amex Offers (targeted offers from Amex on specific cards for bonus points or cash back at specific merchants)
AU: Authorized User (on a credit card)
BBP: Amex Blue Business Plus Card. Learn more about the different credit cards we recommend here
BRG: Best Rate Guarantee
C1 Points: Capital 1’s loyalty program currency
CB: Cash Back
CF: Chase Freedom; Visa with rotating 5x categories. Not open to new applicants. Popular PC card for the Sapphire Switcheroo. Learn more about the different credit cards we recommend here
CFF: Chase Freedom Flex; Mastercard with rotating 5x point categories. Learn more about the different credit cards we recommend here
CFU: Chase Freedom Unlimited; 1.5x points on all spend. Learn more about the different credit cards we recommend here
CIC: Chase Ink Cash Business Credit Card; 5x at office supply stores that sell Visa Gift Cards. Learn more about the different credit cards we recommend here
CIP: Chase Ink Preferred Business Credit Card; 3x on Internet & advertising, among other things. Enables sharing points to transfer partners. Learn more about the different credit cards we recommend here
CIPremier: Chase Ink Premier Business Credit Card. Marketed as a UR-earning card, but is actually only cash back and doesn’t have the ability to transfer to partners. Learn more about the different credit cards we recommend here
CIU: Chase Ink Unlimited Business Credit Card; 1.5x points on all spend. Learn more about the different credit cards we recommend here
CL: Credit Limit
CLI: Credit Limit Increase
CP: Companion Pass (refers to Southwest Companion Pass). Read our guide on how to acquire the CP here
CPP/CPM: Cents Per Point/Mile (used to determine the value of points/miles)
CS: Chase Sapphire
CSP: Chase Sapphire Preferred; 2x on travel, 3x on dining, enables partner transfers with Chase. Learn more about the different credit cards we recommend here
CSR: Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card; 3x on travel & dining, enables partner transfers. (alt: Customer Service Rep). Learn more about the different credit cards we recommend here
DP: Data Point (anecdotal information shared by other travel hackers)
FNC: Free Night Certificate
EIN: Employer Identification Number; a special ID number for business entities. May make applying for business cards slightly easier, but by no means necessary
GE: Global Entry (trusted traveler program)
HUCA: Hang Up, Call Again (strategy of calling customer service multiple times until you reach a helpful representative)
MCGC: Mastercard gift card. Sold at Office Supply stores during fee-free promotional times.
ME3: Middle Eastern Three, three luxurious (and heavily subsidized) airlines with desirable premium cabin products. Comprises Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad.
MR: Membership Rewards Points (Amex loyalty program)
MS: Manufactured spending, a risky method of generating points. Not to be confused with MSR.
MSR: Minimum Spend Requirement (amount you need to spend to earn a credit card bonus)
NLL: No Lifetime Language (refers to a welcome offer that can be received multiple times; common with Amex)
OTA: Online travel agent, e.g. Expedia or the Chase Travel portal.
P1/P2/P3/P4/etc: Player 1, 2, etc… Refers to another member in your household who plays the ‘travel hacking’ game with you. Usually you’ll leverage the p1/p2 relationship for referral opportunities between each other
PC: Product Change (switching from one credit card to another offered by the same issuer, aka upgrade / downgrade)
Reconsideration Call: aka Recon (process of contacting a credit card issuer to inquire about approving a pending or denied credit application). Schedule a coaching appointment with thePointsPage to prepare for your recon call here.
PYB: Pay Yourself Back, a feature that Chase rolled out in 2020 when nobody was traveling, which allowed you to redeem your UR at slightly elevated rates to offset expenses in certain categories.
RTW: Round the World (trip)
Sapphire Switcheroo: The process in which the cardholder PC’s (downgrades) their Sapphire credit card to a Freedom in order to receive another SUB from a new Sapphire application. Read our post about this here.
SM: Secure Message. This is the term used for Chase private messages through the website or the app, but other banks also utilize private messaging for customers, too.
SUB: Sign-Up Bonus (points or miles offered for opening a new credit card)
T&C: Terms and conditions.
TY/TYP: ThankYou Points (program offered by Citibank credit cards)
UR: Ultimate Rewards points (Chase loyalty program)
VA: Virgin Australia, a middling airline of no use to anybody.
VGC: Visa gift card, a prepaid debit card that may be useful in pursuing SUBs or trying to score extra points in a lucrative category (e.g. CIC at Staples – Read our post about this here).
YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary (indicates that results may differ for each individual)

Credit Card Issuers:
Amex: American Express
BOA/BofA: Bank of America
Barclays: Barclays Bank
CapOne: Capital One
Chase: Chase Bank
Citi: Citibank
Discover: Discover Financial Services
US Bank: U.S. Bank

Airline and Loyalty Programs:
AA: American Airlines; AAdvantage
AS: Alaska Airlines; Mileage Plan
AV: Avianca; LifeMiles
BA: British Airways; Avios (Can be used for codeshare bookings with American Airlines)
DL: Delta Airlines, SkyMiles
EK: Emirates, one of the ME3 airlines; Skywards
ET: Ethiopian Airlines; ShebaMiles
EY: Etihad; one of the ME3 airlines
KL/AF: Flying Blue (combined program of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air France)
LH: Lufthansa, flag carrier of Germany and Star Alliance partner of United and Air Canada; Miles & More
LX: Swiss Airlines, flag carrier of Switzerland and Star Alliance partner of United and Air Canada; Miles & More.
QR: Qatar Airways, on of the ME3 airlines; Privilege Club
SQ: Singapore Airlines, flag carrier of Singapore and operator of desirable premium cabins; KrisFlyer
UA: United Airlines; MileagePlus
VS: Virgin Atlantic, a useful airline transfer partner, not to be confused with VA; FlyingClub
WN: Southwest Airlines, a Chase airline transfer partner and low-budget carrier. Airline of the coveted Companion Pass.

Hotel Loyalty Programs:
Hilton Honors: Hilton Honors program
IHG Rewards: IHG Rewards Club program
Marriott: Marriott Bonvoy program
Hyatt: World of Hyatt program
Radisson: Radisson Rewards program