Glossary

TRAVEL HACKING AND CREDIT CARD CHURNING TERMINOLOGY

AcronymTermDefinition
IncognitoOpening a new browser window in "private mode". This allows you to hit a website without any cookies, and thus possibly be targeted for better offers.
Interchange FeesInterchange fees are transaction fees that the merchant's bank account must pay whenever a customer uses a credit/debit card to make a purchase from their store. The fees are paid to the card-issuing bank to cover handling costs, fraud and bad debt costs and the risk involved in approving the payment.
Premium CardRefers to any high annual fee card requiring a high credit score. Usually reserved for clients with a high income that will spend a lot on travel or dining.
StopoverRefers to stops of greater than 24 hours in duration on award tickets
*AStar AllianceThe world's largest airline alliance that counts Air Canada, Lufthansa, ANA, and United as members
AAAmerican AirlinesN/A
AAoAAverage Age of AccountsThe average age of all of your credit card accounts opened in the last 10 years. This is used as one factor in determining your credit score. The higher your AAoA, the better.
ACAir CanadaFlag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by fleet size and passengers carried.
ACHAutomated Clearing HouseA bank to bank transfer of funds
AFAnnual FeeThe yearly fee associated with having a credit card.
AMEXAmerican ExpressN/A
APAeroplanAeroplan, an airline rewards program which was owned by Air Canada but then not owned by Air Canada and now owned by Air Canada.
ASAlaska AirlinesN/A
AUAuthorized UserA secondary user of an account (typically a credit card)
AYORAt Your Own RiskTaking such advice has its drawbacks, the decision and repercussions are on you.
B6Jetblue AirwaysN/A
BGRBusiness Gold RewardsAmerican Express Premier Rewards Gold Card
BWBorrowellA free credit score provider for Equifax (EQ) in Canada. 
BWBest WesternThe hotel chain. 
CBCash BackA cash reward credited back to a customer after meeting some criteria (min spend, age of account, percentage cash back, etc...).
CBCredit BureauThe major ones are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion (only Equifax and TransUnion in Canada).
CKCredit KarmaA free credit score provider for TransUnion in Canada, and both TU and EQ in the USA. 
CLCredit LimitThe total amount that is allowed to be charged on a particular credit card.
CLICredit Limit IncreaseAsking your credit card issuer for an increase in your total spending limits on a particular credit card.
CPP/CPMCents Per Point / Cents Per MileRefers to the monetary value out of reward redemptions. 1cpp is the general minimum offered by all points/miles partners, meaning $0.01 per each point/mile earned.
CSRCustomer Service RepresentativeA representative of a bank/credit institution.
CXCathay PacificN/A
DDDirect DepositThe act of taking a payment directly from an employer directly into a checking/savings account by an ACH.
DLDelta AirlinesN/A
DPData PointPeople will usually post 'DP' when posting some information to the community that others may find useful/helpful.
DYORDo Your Own ResearchA common phrase popularized by cryptocurrency enthusiasts. It is commonly used throughout the internet due to how fast and easily misinformation can spread.
EKEmirates AirlineN/A
EQEquifaxOne of the two major credit bureaus in Canada (three in the USA).
EQNElite Qualifying Night / CreditA stay qualifying towards elite status at a hotel. This can either be in the form of an actual paid stay or a credit earned through promotions or as part of a credit card perk. 
ESBEarly Spend BonusN/A
EYEtihad AirwaysN/A
FFirst ClassN/A
F/JFirst Class/Business ClassFlying in either first or business class.
FFFrequent Flyer MilesAn airline currency redeemable for flights/goods directly through an airline partner.
FRFinancial ReviewWhen a creditor puts an account under financial review, usually for abnormal spending behavior.
FTF, FOREXForeign Transaction FeeFees charged by credit cards when used outside of your own country. Typically fees range between 2-3%. There are many cards that offer 0% fees when used abroad. If you travel abroad, its advisable to have at least one card with 0% foreign transaction fees.
FYFFirst Year FreeA common credit card offer which rebates the yearly fee for the first year of card membership. 
GCRGreatCanadianRebatesA popular cashback rebate website. 
GEGlobal EntryA trusted traveler program, which also includes TSA Pre Check.
HPHard PullRefers to a check that the bank will perform on your credit profile. This will result in a temporary hit to your credit score. Excessive amounts of hard pulls is detrimental to your churning profile as this appears to the bank that you are a "credit risk" seeking to incur a large debt without hope of repayment (See: Not Worth the Hit)
Hub CaptiveTerm designating that you're a flyer that's locked into to a certain airline. Most of your travel is through this airline's hub and thus they control the majority of your travel destinations.
HUCAHang Up and Call AgainGiving up on a phone call with a representative of a banking institution and calling back in. The hope being that you may have better luck with a different representative.
JBusiness ClassN/A
JL, JALJapan AirlinesN/A
KEKorean AirN/A
MRMembership RewardsAmerican Express in-house rewards currency
MR-SMembership Rewards Select Lower tier of Membership Rewards, earned by the Cobalt and Business Edge cards. 
mRTWMini-RTW, a.k.a Aeroplan Mini-Round-the-WorldA type of trip redemption, typically with Aeroplan, where one uses stopover and open-jaw allowances to visit 3+ destinations on a single award ticket. 
MSManufactured SpendingUsing your credit card to purchase items considered cash equivalents in order to meet spending requirements. This includes gift cards, money orders, and the loading of prepaid debit cards. MS'ing has many benefits and detriments. Usage of MS is AYOR.
MSRMinimum Spend RequirementThe minimum amount that must be spent on a credit card in order to qualify for a sign up bonus.
NWTHNot Worth The HitThe reward given as the sign up bonus is not worth the credit inquiry and decreased average age of accounts that will temporarily hurt your credit score.
OPOriginal Post/PosterThe person (who created) or post (that was created) for the initial thread/discussion on reddit.
OVOneVanilla CardA reloadable debit card.
P2Player TwoA common phrase used by churning communities to refer to their significant other, family member, or less commonly a friend who they partner with for churning. Churning with a P2 allows for better strategy with referral bonuses and cost-sharing.
PCProduct ConversionConverting one credit card to a different one. Banks will generally allow you to upgrade/downgrade to similar cards in the same product category. It's often used by churners to signup for a card with an AF waived for the first year, earn the bonus, and PC down to a $0 AF. Doing this doesn't affect your AAoA. PC is also known as Product Switch (PS)
POPost Office
PoTPrince of TravelA prominent Canadian points blogger
PPPriority PassAirport lounge pass program
PSProduct SwitchConverting an existing credit card you hold with a bank to another one of their products. Most commonly done with CIBC, TD, and RBC. 
RCRitz-Carlton
RECONReconsiderationThe telephone line for a credit card company to call to get your application reconsidered. This is usually as a result of an online application being put on hold.
RFDRedFlagDeals A Canadian forum for deals, including travel and credit card related subforums. 
RTRound TripA flight to and from a particular destination booked during the same checkout process.
RTWRound-the-world TicketsFlight packages that let you visit a number of destinations around the world for one price, are offered by airline alliances like SkyTeam, Oneworld, and Star Alliance. Also possible to book RTW using third parties, and certain airline mileage programs. 
SARSuspicious Activity ReportA financial tool filed by a financial institution that observes suspicious activity in an account. 
SMSecure MessageMessaging your bank using its secure messaging system.
SPSoft Pull/Soft InquiryA credit check that does not show up on your credit score. Usually performed by banks for checking accounts or by free credit score estimate services like Quizzle, CreditKarma or CreditSesame.
SPGStarwood Preferred Guest
SWSouthwestN/A
T&CTerms & ConditionsA legal contract you abide yourself to while signing up for a particular service.
TATLTransAtlanticTravelling overseas.
TPGThe Points GuyA prominent points blogger in the USA
TUTransUnionOne of the two major credit bureaus in Canada (one of three in the USA).
UAUnited AirlinesN/A
VGCVisa Gift CardsVisa Gift Cards purchasable in many retail locations. Fixed face value from $25 - $500, usually charges an activation fee between $3.95 - $6.95.
VRVanilla Reload CardOne of many reloadable prepaid cards which is frequently used to engage in manufactured spending. 
WJWestJetN/A
WJDWestJet DollarsThe rewards currency of the WestJet loyalty program.
WMWal-Mart
WNSouthwest Airlines
WUWestern UnionA US based company used to transfer money throughout the world. Similar to MoneyGram.
YEconomy Class
YMMVYour Mileage May VaryA saying meaning "I had these results, but you may not actually have the same outcome as I did."
YQFuel surchargeAlso known as carrier-imposed surcharges, these are additional fees that make up a ticket price. They are tacked on to award tickets, and don't actually represent fuel, but rather are a practical way for airlines to quickly change flight pricing without re-filing fares.

TRAVEL HACKING AND CREDIT CARD CHURNING TERMINOLOGY - USA SPECIFIC

AcronymTermDefinition
1/8One for EightCiti only allows one credit card application in 8 days.
2/30, 1/30, 0/30Two for ThirtyChase only allows two credit card applications within a 30 day span. This includes personal and business cards. The #/30 is the number of cards this person has applied for from Chase in the past 30 days.
2/65Two for Sixty-FiveCiti only allows two credit card applications in sixty-five days.
2/90Two for NinetyAmex has a limitation of only allowing 2 credit card approvals within 90 days. This applies to both business and personal credit cards. Charge cards do *not* count against this limit. This is not a hard and fast rule, but it does apply to most applicants.
5/24, 4/24, 3/24, 2/24, 1/24, 0/24Five for Twenty-FourChase only allows 5 credit card applications in the past 24 months. If you have more than this, you will be auto denied for more cards from them. This includes credit cards from other banks. The count does *not* include business cards. #/24 is the number of cards this person acquired in the past 2 years.
A+Barclays Arrival PlusN/A
AGC AmEx Gift CardA gift card offered by American Express
AORApp-O-RamaApplying for multiple credit cards on the same day. An old tradition that many people still use, it has its benefits and detriments.
BBAmex BlueBird A Prepaid Debit Card from American Express
BBPBlue Business PlusAmerican Express Blue Business Plus Card
BBRBetter Balance Rewards cardN/A
BOABank of AmericaN/A
BRMBusiness Relationship ManagerA Chase manager responsible for dealing with business clients at banks.
CBTYPCitiBusiness Thank You PointsN/A
CFU, FUChase Freedom UnlimitedChase Freedom Unlimited
CICChase Ink CashChase Ink Cash
CIPChase Ink PreferredChase Ink Business Preferred
CNBCity National BankN/A
CPCChase Private ClientA higher tier Chase customer who has an established history with Chase banking. They are occasionally targeted for personal/business offers that are not offered to the general public.
CPCompanion PassA Southwest airlines promotion offered to fly a designated passenger for free every time you fly after meeting certain requirements. Details at southwest.com
CSPChase Sapphire PreferredChase Sapphire Preferred credit card
CSR, CS(R)Chase Sapphire ReserveChase Sapphire Reserve
CTRCurrency Transaction ReportA report that U.S. financial institutions are required to file with FinCEN for exchange, payment or transfer, by, through, or to the financial institution which involves more than $10,000.
EXExperianOne of the three major credit bureaus.
HHHilton HonorsHilton Honors Reward Program
MGMoneyGramA US based company used to transfer money throughout the world. Similar to Western Union.
MILMonetary Instruments LogA financial tool used by institutions as part of the Banking Secrecy Act.
MOMoney OrderA Bank or Post Office Certified document redeemable for a specified amount of cash. It is more trusted than a check as funds are provided at time of issuance, rather than time of withdrawal.
MPEUnited MileagePlus ExplorerN/A
PPBDMCPayPal Business Debit MasterCardN/A
PPMCPayPal MyCashN/A
RATRewards Abuse TeamAn American Express team that monitors their reward systems for abuse.
RedbirdCommonly used name for the Amex Target Prepaid RedCard.
TYPCiti's Thank You PointsN/A
URUltimate RewardsN/A
USPSUnited States Postal ServiceN/A
WFWells FargoN/A