American Express® Gold Card: As High As 100,000 Points Welcome Offer, $84 Dunkin’ Credit, $100 Resy Credit, $120 Uber Cash, $120 Dining Credit

Posted on June 27, 2025 // 6 Comments

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The card_name has been refreshed in order to get back to its former glory as a status card with several new perks and credits mostly related to travel and dining. Here are the highlights:

  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards(R) Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • 4X Membership Rewards(R) points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 of purchases per calendar year, then 1X for the rest of the year).
  • 4X Membership Rewards(R) points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 of purchases per calendar year, then 1X for the rest of the year).
  • 3X Membership Rewards(R) points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
  • 2X Membership Rewards(R) points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • 1X Membership Rewards(R) point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 in Uber Cash. Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards(R) points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin’ Credit (NEW): Get up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit (NEW). Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. This is broken down into up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment is required.
  • $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express(R) Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment is required.
  • The Hotel Collection benefit. Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • Apply with confidence. Know if you’re approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you’re approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • $325 annual fee (increased). Additional cards (authorized users) are free.
  • See Rates and Fees

Note the following:

Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this Card or the Premier Rewards Gold Card. We may also consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.

The application will tell you if they detect that you are not eligible for the bonus based on their records.

Membership Rewards points can be converted to the following airline and hotel programs (there are more, this is just a selection):

  • Delta SkyMiles
  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • JetBlue
  • ANA Mileage Club (partner of United Airlines)
  • Air Canada (partner of United Airlines)
  • British Airways (partner of American Airlines)
  • FlyingBlue (Air France/KLM)
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Choice Privileges
  • Hilton Honors
  • Marriott Rewards (Starwood)

You can also transfer to gift cards many retailers at varying rates, but many available at the rate of 10,000 MR points = $100 gift card. My most common redemption is a $100 Home Depot card for 10,000 points, sometimes less when they run special discount. However, don’t expect the cash-equivalent prepaid credit cards at that rate, it’s usually closer to a 0.6 cent/point ratio.

The value this card really depends on if you can use up their long list of annual credits, worth over $400 in value annually. Their target customer is a “food lover” that travels regularly. If you can take advantage of the credits, your potential first year value is higher than $800 with the current limited-offer.

Bottom line. The new card_name has a bunch of new features more targeted at the young, urban traveler including hundreds of dollars of potential credits related to dining out and travel.

(See Rates and Fees)

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General //

New Chase Sapphire Reserve Personal & Business Cards: Huge Bonus, Huge Annual Fee, Huge List of Perks

Posted on June 23, 2025 // 6 Comments

Chase managed to make a media event out of its revamp of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and new Chase Sapphire Reserve Business cards. The personal and business credit cards both have a huge $795 annual fee, huge new cardholder bonus, and long list of perks. Very much like the American Express Platinum, these “coupon book” perks revolve around an upscale “lifestyle” that includes staying at luxury hotels, flying Premium Economy and Business Class, eating at nice restaurants, and so on.

I’m not sure I fit this mold, and it’s definitely going to take a bit of reading to figure out all the angles. At a very high level, the $300 annual travel credits are relatively easy to redeem and after that the net annual fee becomes ~$500. Can I get $500 in value from the rest of the card? 🤷 You may find it fits you better; the application links are now available. Here are the highlights:

New Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card (Personal)

  • 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points + $500 Chase Travel promo credit (must be used all at once, and bought through Chase Travel portal) after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
  • New application restrictions that are more vague, instead of “5/24”. However, if you don’t qualify for the bonus, they will tell you ahead of time and you won’t get a hard credit pull.
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit, which is pretty flexible.
  • 8X points on Chase Travel portal purchases.
  • 4X Points on flights and hotels purchased directly.
  • 3X points on dining worldwide.
  • $500 Annual The Edit Hotels Credit. The Edit is a “collection of over 1,100 hand-picked hotels and resorts around the world”. The ones I’ve seen are all expensive, luxury hotels.
  • $300 Annual Dining Credit. Up to $150 in statement credits from January through June and again from July through December for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of the “Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.” Again, expensive restaurants.
  • Points Boost – Redeem points at up to 2x value on select flights and hotels. You’ll have to book via Chase Travel portal, and the best boost are for Premium Economy class and above.
  • $1,000+ in additional credits – Apple TV+, Apple Music, Lyft, DoorDash, StubHub, Peloton
  • Lounge Access – Priority Pass Select membership, Chase Sapphire Lounges, and some Air Canada Lounges.
  • $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Fee Credit.
  • $795 annual fee. $195 for each authorized user.

New Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business Credit Card

  • 200,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $30,000(!) in purchases in the first 6 months.
  • New application restrictions that are more vague, instead of “5/24”. However, if you don’t qualify for the bonus, they will tell you ahead of time and you won’t get a hard credit pull.
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit
  • 8X points on Chase Travel portal purchases.
  • 4X Points on flights and hotels purchased directly.
  • 3X points on social media & search engine advertising.
  • $500 Annual The Edit Hotels Credit. The Edit is a “collection of over 1,100 hand-picked hotels and resorts around the world”. The ones I’ve seen are all expensive, luxury hotels.
  • $1,000+ in additional credits – Curated Gift Card, Google Workspace, ZipRecruiter Credit, DoorDash, Lyft.
  • $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Fee Credit.
  • Lounge Access – Priority Pass Select membership, Chase Sapphire Lounges, and some Air Canada Lounges. Two guests may accompany the Primary Cardmember to the lounges free of charge.
  • $795 annual fee.

I will be including these both in my lists of Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers and Top 10 Best Business Card Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard: 40,000 Point Offer (Worth $1,000 in Amtrak Fare)

Posted on June 19, 2025 // 8 Comments

Limited-time is back, expires 7/30. The Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard, issued by First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), offers a variety of perks for Amtrak riders. It also currently has a 40,000 points limited-time offer that is worth up to roughly $1,000 value in Amtrak train fare or $400 in Amazon gift cards. This boosted offer came around the same time last year. Here are the highlights:

  • 40,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 billing cycles of account opening.
  • Roundtrip companion coupon upon account opening and card anniversary.
  • One-class upgrade upon account opening and card anniversary.
  • Station Lounge pass upon account opening and card anniversary.
  • 3X points per $1 spent on Amtrak travel, including onboard purchases.
  • 2X points per $1 spent on dining, travel, transit and rideshare.
  • 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • 5% Amtrak Guest Rewards point rebate when you book your Amtrak redemption travel.
  • 20% rebate on food and beverage purchases on board, via statement credit on this card.
  • 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) every time you make at least $5,000 in purchases in a calendar year, up to 4,000 TQPs
  • Amtrak points will not expire as long as your card account is open.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • $99 annual fee.

This offer is not going to be attractive for everyone, but it can be very valuable if you either enjoy recreational train travel or if you can use it for your commuting needs.

Amtrak points are currently worth roughly 2.5 cents per points towards Amtrak train fare. That means 40,000 points is worth approximately $1,000 in Amtrak train fare. Amtrak redemptions are variable and directly-linked to the cash cost, so you can use points on basically any ticket. There is also the potential value of the companion coupon, lounge pass, and one-class upgrade.

The best value is for train fare, but Amtrak points do transfer to certain other hotel programs, although some require elite status in those programs.

Gift cards. You can also redeem for various gift cards at a rate of 5,000 points = $50 gift card. So 40,000 points would get you $400 in gift cards to Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, etc.

You could take the train across the entire country! There is an 18-hour Capitol Limited overnight train from Washington D.C. to Chicago in a “Superliner Bedroom” with a private bathroom.

You could then take the 3-day, 2-night trip on the California Zephyr from Chicago to San Francisco. Enjoy the views as you cut through both the Rockies and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.

Bottom line. The Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard currently has a limited-time offer that can get you roughly $1,000 value in Amtrak train fare, with an $99 annual fee. The potential value is high, but I don’t know if it is too niche to include in my list of Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers. For you folks that prefer cash or near-cash, you could also get $400 in Amazon or Walmart gift cards with 40,000 points, minus the $99 annual fee.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Capital One Spark Cash Review: Simple Business Card with 2% Cash Back on Every Purchase

Posted on June 12, 2025 // 2 Comments

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The card_name is a straightforward business credit card offering a big early spend bonus offer in addition to ongoing unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases (or better). Here are the highlights:

  • Earn a $1,000 cash bonus when you spend $10,000 within 3 months of account opening.
  • Unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, everywhere with no limits or category restrictions.
  • 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One’s travel booking site.
  • Free employee cards, which also earn unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases.
  • Rewards won’t expire for the life of the account, and you can redeem your cash back for any amount.
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $0 annual fee for the first year; $95 after that.

The required spending hurdle may seem like a lot, but many businesses make a lot of purchases for raw materials and/or inventory. If you pay estimated taxes each quarter, you can also pay the IRS via credit card with a 1.75% fee and still come out ahead.

This card does not have all of the bells and whistles like top-level rewards, transferrable airline miles, or airport lounge access. For that, look into the Capital One Venture X Business Card and its higher annual fee.

If you also hold the Spark Miles, Capital One Venture, or the Capital One Venture X rewards cards, you can convert your cash back rewards into their “miles”, which are then transferrable to various airline miles programs including British Airways Avios. With the right companion card, $2,000 in cash rewards could be converted to 200,000 miles.

Many people aren’t aware of the fact that they can apply for business credit cards, even if they are not a corporation or LLC. The business type is called a sole proprietorship, and these days many people are full-time or part-time consultants, freelancers, eBay/Amazon/Etsy sellers, Uber/Lyft drivers, or other one-person business owners. This is the simplest business entity, but it is fully legit and recognized by the IRS. On a business credit card application, you should use your own legal name as the business name, and your Social Security Number as the Tax ID.

Bottom line. The card_name is the flavor of Capital One business cards that has the combination of straightforward and solid 2% cash back rewards, modest annual fee ($0 for the first year; $95 after that), and works like a traditional credit card.

Due to the high current first-year value, I will be adding this to my Top 10 Best Small Business Card Bonus Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General //

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card Review: 140,000 Points Offer

Posted on June 5, 2025 // 17 Comments

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is the premium IHG hotel co-branded card that includes special IHG perks like a free night award every year you keep the card, Elite status, and every 4th award night free. Here are the highlights:

  • 140,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Free Award Night after each account anniversary year at eligible IHG hotels worldwide. Valid at IHG Hotels with a current point redemption cap of 40,000 points. NEW: You can now also pay the difference over 40,000 points to redeem your Anniversary Night at hotels above the 40,000 point redemption level.
  • 4th Award Night Free. Enjoy a free reward night when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG(R) hotel stay. That means if you use points to pay for 3 nights in a row, the 4th night is free. You can even book 8 award nights total and get two of them free, and so on. Works on any award level.
  • Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
  • Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • Automatic Platinum Elite status included as a Premier card member. IHG points also don’t expire when you are an Elite member.
  • Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS statement credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®.
  • $99 annual fee.

Please note the following:

This product is available to you if you do not have a current IHG One Rewards Credit Card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Business Card Credit Card products.

What can you get with IHG points? The best redemption value for IHG points is for free hotel nights. The other options offer significantly less value. While the points don’t translate directly to a dollar value, but overall a conservation valuation is 0.50 cents of value per point, which would make 140,000 IHG points worth an estimated $700 value. You can perform the calculations for hotels that fit your needs. I tried a bunch of other various combinations and got between 0.5 cents and 0.8 cents per point equivalent value.

(IHG points are worth less than other points like Hyatt or Chase Ultimate Rewards points, but you get a lot more of them with this bonus!)

IHG stands for Intercontinental Hotel Group which has over 5,000 hotels including the following brands:

  • Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts
  • Crowne Plaza
  • Kimpton
  • Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express
  • Staybridge Suites
  • Candlewood Suites
  • Hotel Indigo
  • EVEN Hotels

Fourth Reward Night Free

The 4th Reward night free perk can be very valuable and nice to see on a card with no annual fee. You get the fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay (only pay for 3 nights with points). It showed up automatically for me when booking with points online.

For each standard room Reward Night stay of 4 or more nights, every 4th night is free. Applies only to 4 or more consecutive nights within the same Reward Night point redemption room stay at the same property. With this benefit, eligible members will be charged the Reward Night point redemption rate for the first 3 nights, and 0 points for the 4th night of the stay, as applicable. Members can utilize the 4th Reward Night Free benefit on an unlimited number of stays annually.

IHG points expire after 24 months of inactivity, so if you keep up your activity then you can save up these free nights for later. Chase Ultimate Rewards points also convert to IHG points.

Total of 26X points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG. Here’s how this breaks down: Earn 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG One Rewards Member + 10X points with this card + 6X points from IHG® with Platinum Elite Status with Platinum Elite Status (a benefit of this card) = total of 26X points total at 5,400+ IHG® hotels & resorts.

The rewards on other purchases has improved to the following:

  • 5X IHG points per $1 spent at gas stations, dining, and travel (including hotels).
  • 3X IHG point per $1 spent on all other card purchases

I would keep this card if you can use the anniversary night certificate with the 40,000 point maximum value. You should be able to get $99 value out of it as long as you need a hotel night. Stay must be completed within 12 months from date of issue.

Don’t want a card with an annual fee? The no-annual fee Traveler version has a very competitive bonus right now.

Bottom line. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card includes a sign-up bonus and special IHG perks like a free night award every year you keep the card, Elite status, and every 4th award night free. As with most of these co-branded cards, the best value is obtained if you can redeem for IHG hotel nights.

I will be adding this to the Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

The information for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by My Money Blog. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Merrill Edge + BofA Preferred Rewards = Up to $1,000 ACAT Transfer Bonus, Improved Credit Card Rewards

Posted on May 27, 2025 // 43 Comments

Updated May 2025. Merrill Edge is the self-directed brokerage arm formed after Bank of America and Merrill Lynch merged together. They are currently offering an increased cash bonus of up to $1,000 for moving “new money” or assets over to them from another brokerage firm. The offer code is 1000PR. Offer valid for both new and existing IRAs and taxable brokerage accounts (they call them Cash Management Accounts).

Here’s an overview along with my personal experience as I’ve had an account with them for a few years now.

Cash bonus. If you are holding shares of stock, ETFs, or mutual funds elsewhere, you can simply perform an “in-kind” ACAT transfer over to Merrill Edge. Your 100 shares of AAPL will remain 100 shares of AAPL, so you don’t have to worry about price changes, lost dividends, or tax consequences. Any cost basis should transfer over as well. Make a qualifying transfer and/or deposit to your new account within 45 days and maintain your balance for at least 90 days. The fine print version:

  1. You must enroll by entering the offer code in the online application during account opening or by providing it when speaking with a Merrill Financial Solutions Advisor at 877.657.3847.
  2. Fund your account with at least $20,000 in qualifying net new assets within 45 days of account opening. Assets transferred from other accounts at MLPF&S, Bank of America Private Bank, or 401(k) accounts administered by MLPF&S do not count towards qualifying net new assets.
  3. You must be enrolled in Preferred Rewards as of 90 days from meeting the funding criteria described in Step 2.
  4. After 90 days from meeting the funding criteria described in Step 2, your cash reward will be determined by the qualifying net new assets in your account (irrespective of any losses or gains due to trading or market volatility) as follows:
  • $100 bonus with $20,000+ in new assets
  • $200 bonus with $50,000+ in new assets
  • $400 bonus with $100,000+ in new assets
  • $1,000 bonus with $250,000 or more in new assets

Customers not enrolled in Preferred Rewards as of 90 days after funding will receive the following cash reward: qualifying net new assets of $20,000 to $49,999 receive $100; for $50,000-$99,999, receive $150; for $100,000-$249,999, receive $250; for $250,000 or more, receive $600.

Note that Preferred Rewards tiers usually requires a while to reach, unless you satisfy their “fast track” requirements:

You can enroll, and maintain your membership, in the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program if you have an active, eligible personal checking account with Bank of America® and maintain the balance required for one of the balance tiers. The balance tiers are $20,000 for the Gold tier, $50,000 for the Platinum tier, $100,000 for the Platinum Honors tier, and $1,000,000 for the Diamond Honors tier. Balances include your combined, qualifying Bank of America deposit accounts (such as checking, savings, certificate of deposit) and/or your Merrill investment accounts (such as Cash Management Accounts, 529 Plans). You can satisfy the combined balance requirement for enrollment with either:

– a three-month combined average daily balance in your qualifying deposit and investment accounts, or
– a current combined balance, provided that you enroll at the time you open your first eligible personal checking account and satisfy the balance requirement at the end of at least one day within 30 days of opening that account.

After I did a similar bonus a couple years ago with a partial transfer (just enough to satisfy one of the tiers), a Merrill Edge rep contacted me and offered me a custom bonus to move even more assets over. (The bonus ratios were about the same, but higher limits.) Therefore, if you are considering this and happen to have more than $250,000 to transfer over, you may want to give them a call and see if they can offer even more money.

(Additional Outgoing ACAT Fee Reimbursement: Merrill Edge will also reimburse you any outgoing ACAT transfer fee or final closure fees that your old broker may charge you. You will need to contact Merrill directly and then send them a copy of your final statement with the fee shown.)

You can even transfer in Admiral Shares of Vanguard mutual funds – they won’t let you buy any additional shares, but you can only hold or sell them. You can, however, buy more shares of the corresponding Vanguard ETF if you wish. (Alternatively, you should consider having Vanguard convert your Admiral share into ETFs on a one-time basis that will preserve your original cost basis. After you have ETFs, you can move those over to Merrill Edge and trade them as you wish.)

The features for the account itself seem like most other online brokerages. Unlimited commission-free online stock, ETF and options trades (+ $0.65 per-contract fee). You can trade ETFs, fixed income, mutual funds, and options.

Preferred Rewards bonus. The Preferred Rewards program is designed to rewards clients with multiple account and higher assets located at Bank of America banking, Merrill Edge online brokerage, and Merrill Lynch investment accounts. Here is a partial table taken from their comparison chart (click to enlarge):

BofA checking accounts. With Gold status ($20k in assets) and above, you’ll get the monthly maintenance fee on up to 4 checking or savings accounts waived. That means you no longer have to worry about a minimum balance or maintaining direct deposit, depending on your account type. You’ll also get waived ATM fees at non-BofA ATMs at Platinum and above (12/year at $50k assets, unlimited at $100k). Free cashier’s checks.

Credit card rewards. With the Preferred Rewards boost, you can get up to 2.6% cash back on all your purchases with the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards card, or 2.6% towards travel and no foreign transaction fees with the Bank of America Travel Rewards Card. You can also get 5.2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined grocery/wholesale club/gas purchases each quarter with the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Card.

My personal experience. In terms of Merrill Edge, I’ve had an account with them for several years now and my lightning review is that they have a “okay/good” user interface and solidly “good” customer service (i.e. real, informed humans available 24/7 on the phone, not email-only customer service that takes hours to days like Robinhood). I am not an active trader and only make about 10-15 trades a year, but have been quite satisfied with the account. I can also move money instantly between my Merrill Edge and Bank of America checking accounts, making it relatively easy to sweep out idle cash into an external savings account, as their default cash sweep pays nearly zero interest. Don’t leave too much cash there!

The biggest financial benefit to this BofA/Merrill Edge combo with Preferred Rewards has probably been the 75% boost to their credit card rewards, allowing me to get a flat 2.625% cash back on virtually all my daily purchases. The second biggest benefit has probably been this cash bonus, and the third is the waived checking and ATM fees.

The ongoing credit card rewards would be the main reason to do this deposit offer, as the bonus percentages alone aren’t that high. For example, a $400 bonus on a $100,000 transfer amount is only 0.4%. Other brokerage transfer bonuses can be 1%, even 2%, and up.

Bottom line. Merrill Edge is currently offering up to $1,000 if you move over new assets to their self-directed brokerage. This can simply be mutual fund or ETFs shares currently being held elsewhere. When you keep enough assets across Bank of America and Merrill Edge, their Preferred Rewards program can offer ongoing perks like waived bank account fees and boosted credit card rewards.

Filed Under: Banking, Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, Investing //

Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Card Review: 2% Cash Back for First Year (Up to 3.12% With Preferred Rewards)

Posted on May 26, 2025 // 8 Comments

New limited-time offer. The Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Card is the most simple, straightforward, no-annual-fee credit card in the Bank of America line-up. If you are a Preferred Rewards client, you can increase the cash back earned by 25% to 75%. Right, they are also offering a special offer during the first year. Here are the highlights:

  • New customers: $200 cash rewards bonus after $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days.
  • 2% cash back on purchases for the first year from account opening. After that, the standard structure is unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Redeem as a statement credit, deposit to BofA bank account, or deposit to Merrill brokerage account (including 529).
  • Bank of America Preferred Rewards® members earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. However, Preferred Rewards bonuses are not applied to the 0.5% first-year bonus. Details below.
  • 0% Introductory APR offer. See link for details.
  • 3% foreign transaction fee.
  • No annual fee.

During the current limited-time offer, the cash back rewards are boosted to 2% for the first year. The 75% Preferred Rewards bonus for Platinum members does not apply to the extra 0.5%, so the net cash back during the first year for Platinum members would be 1.5% * 1.75 + 0.5% = 3.125% cash back on everything during the first year. I wonder if this is in response the recent US Bank Smartly card changes… now that new applicants can’t get a similar deal at 4% cash back, this might be the best deal in town again.

Preferred Rewards bonus basics. The Preferred Rewards program is designed to rewards clients with multiple account and higher assets located at Bank of America banking, Merrill Edge online brokerage, and Merrill Lynch investment accounts. Here is a partial table taken from their comparison chart (click to enlarge):

bofa_pref1

Let’s consider the options. Bank of America’s interest rates on cash accounts tend to be lower than highest-available outside banks (read: nearly zero), so moving cash over to qualify may result in earning less interest on your cash deposits. Merrill Lynch advisory accounts also usually come with management fees. The sweet spot is therefore the Merrill Edge self-directed brokerage, where you can move over your existing brokerage assets like stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs held elsewhere (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, etc).

In the past, moving over to Merrill Edge at the Platinum and Platinum Plus levels also led to 30 to 100 free online stock trades every month. Fast forward to now, and nearly all major online brokers offer commission-free trades anyway.

Personally, I moved over $100k of brokerage assets from Vanguard to Merrill Edge to qualify for Platinum Honors. You should ask Merrill Edge if they will cover any ACAT transfer fees involved. I realize not everyone will have this level of assets to move around, but if you do then it is worth considering. Keep in mind that it will take a while for your “3-month average combined balance” to reach the $100k level and officially qualify for Platinum Honors. (In certain cases, when you open a new Merrill Edge account and new BofA Checking with a asset transfer bonus offer, you may be eligible to “fast track” to a higher tier.) You might become Gold first, then Platinum, and so on. After that, the 25%-75% rewards bonus on credit card rewards kick in. Once you reach a certain tier, BofA guarantees that you will stay there for a year no matter what, even if your balance fluctuates.

Boosted cash back percentages with Preferred Rewards. The standard structure is a flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Here’s how the numbers work out after you reach each tier:

  • Platinum Honors: 2.625% cash back on all purchases (75% bonus).
  • Platinum: 2.25% cash back on all purchases (50% bonus).
  • Gold: 1.875% cash back on all purchases (25% bonus).

I consider the bar set at 2% cash back to be considered a “great” rewards card. The Platinum and Platinum Honors levels allow you to surpass that bar. Again, not everyone will have this level of assets to move around, and so this offer is not available to everyone. BofA is willing to pay such high cash back on the credit card because they hope to make it back through their other products (banking, brokerage, loans).

Their plan worked on me because Bank of America has managed to convince me to go from only having a checking account with them to now also having a Merrill Edge brokerage account and a Bank of America credit card.

Comparison against other BofA credit cards. Not all Bank of America consumer credit cards qualify for Preferred Rewards. Other cards of interest that do qualify are:

Honestly, these are all solid cards if you qualify for Preferred Rewards. I can see any one of them being a good choice for those that want relatively simple rewards after setting up a “relationship” with BofA.

My slight personal favorite is the Travel Rewards credit card. The rewards structure on the Travel Rewards is similar to the Unlimited Cash Rewards card including the 1.5% back (up to 2.62% with Preferred Rewards) earning rate and no annual fee, except that the rewards can only be used to offset past travel and dining purchases made on the card in the past 12 months. I have redeemed thousands of dollars in statement credits and never run out of travel/dining purchases to offset. Their redemption process is quick and easy. One difference is that the Travel Rewards has no foreign transaction fee, while this Unlimited Cash Rewards card has a 3% foreign transaction fee. Together, this makes the Travel Rewards card a great “catch-all” card that I always have in my wallet. You may prefer the Unlimited Cash Rewards card if you have very little travel/dining charges.

The Premium Rewards card may be better if you can reliably utilize the $100 annual Airline Incidentals credit (seat upgrades, baggage fees, lounge fees) to offset the $95 annual fee, as then the increased cash back on travel/dining is all net profit. The Customized Cash Rewards cards with its 3/2/1 structure is also tempting as a companion to the Travel/Unlimited Cash, but you may prefer other rewards card for specific categories.

Bottom line. The Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card is an “okay” cash back rewards card with a 1.5% cash back on everything structure, but turns into an “excellent” 2.62% cash back rewards card if you can take full advantage of their Preferred Rewards program. If you transfer $100,000 of existing brokerage assets (could be ETFs or mutual funds) over to Merrill Edge, you can qualify for the highest Platinum Honors tier. This won’t be a good option for everyone, but something to be aware of if you can swing it.

During the current limited-time offer, the cash back rewards are boosted to 2% for the first year. The 75% Preferred Rewards bonus for Platinum members does not apply to the extra 0.5%, so the net cash back during the first year for Platinum members would be 1.5% * 1.75 + 0.5% = 3.12% cash back on everything during the first year.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Card Review: 6% Cash Back in One Category for First Year (Up to 8.25% with Preferred Rewards)

Posted on May 26, 2025 // 36 Comments

New limited-time offer. The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card is the “3-2-1” cash back rewards credit card in the Bank of America line-up. If you are a Preferred Rewards client, you can increase the cash back earned by 25% to 75%. Right, they are also offering a special offer during the first year. Here are the highlights:

  • New customers: $200 cash rewards bonus after $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days.
  • Earn 1% cash back on every purchase, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 3% on your choice category up to the first $2,500 in combined grocery/wholesale club/choice category purchases each quarter. During the first year, you’ll get an extra 3% cash back on the choice category.
  • Cardholders will be able to choose their 3% cash back category from one of these 6 options: gas and EV charging stations; online shopping, including cable, internet, phone plans and streaming; dining; travel; drug stores and pharmacies; or home improvement and furnishings.. You can change your category once each calendar month in-app or online. Do nothing and it will stay the same.
  • Bank of America Preferred Rewards® members earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. However, Preferred Rewards bonuses are not applied to the 3% first-year bonus. Details below.
  • 0% Introductory APR offer. See link for details.
  • No annual fee.

During the current limited-time offer, the cash back rewards on your special choice category are boosted by an additional 3% for the first year. The 75% Preferred Rewards bonus for Platinum members does not apply to the extra 3%, so the net cash back during the first year for Platinum members would be 3% * 1.75 + 3% = 8.25% cash back on your Choice Category during the first year, subject to the $2,500 cap per quarter which includes grocery/wholesale club purchases. You would also get 3.5% cash back on your grocery/wholesale club purchases during the first year, again subject to the $2,500 cap per quarter which includes any purchases in your Choice Category.

Theoretically, if you only used your card for the Choice Category and spent exactly $2,500 in that Choice Category per quarter, in one year you would rack up $825 in rewards from $10,000 in purchases. This would be separate from the one-time $200 new customer cash bonus.

Personally, I think the “Online Shopping” category is the most flexible. Per this page: “Online Shopping category includes purchases made online via a website or a digital application (an app). Here are the provided examples of eligible merchants: Amazon, Walmart, Comcast, Etsy, Netflix, Nordstrom, Ticketmaster.

Preferred Rewards bonus basics. The Preferred Rewards program is designed to rewards clients with multiple account and higher assets located at Bank of America banking, Merrill Edge online brokerage, and Merrill Lynch investment accounts. Here is a partial table taken from their comparison chart (click to enlarge):

bofa_pref1

Let’s consider the options. Bank of America’s interest rates on cash accounts tend to be lower than highest-available outside banks (read: nearly zero), so moving cash over to qualify may result in earning less interest on your cash deposits. Merrill Lynch advisory accounts also usually come with management fees. The sweet spot is therefore the Merrill Edge self-directed brokerage, where you can move over your existing brokerage assets like stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs held elsewhere (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, etc).

In the past, moving over to Merrill Edge at the Platinum and Platinum Plus levels also led to 30 to 100 free online stock trades every month. Fast forward to now, and nearly all major online brokers offer commission-free trades anyway.

Personally, I moved over $100k of brokerage assets from Vanguard to Merrill Edge to qualify for Platinum Honors. You should ask Merrill Edge if they will cover any ACAT transfer fees involved. I realize not everyone will have this level of assets to move around, but if you do then it is worth considering. Keep in mind that it will take a while for your “3-month average combined balance” to reach the $100k level and officially qualify for Platinum Honors. You might become Gold first, then Platinum, and so on. After that, the 25%-75% rewards bonus on credit card rewards kick in. Once you reach a certain tier, BofA guarantees that you will stay there for a year no matter what, even if your balance fluctuates. (In certain cases, when you open a new Merrill Edge account and new BofA Checking with a asset transfer bonus offer, you may be eligible to “fast track” to a higher tier.)

Cash Back Rewards after Preferred Rewards bonus (standard):

Recall that the basic structure is “1/2/3”; you get 1% cash back on every purchase, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs and 3% on choice category for the first $2,500 in combined grocery/wholesale club/gas purchases each quarter (1/2/3). Here’s how the bonuses work out:

  • Platinum Honors: 1.75% cash back on every purchase, 3.5% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 5.25% on choice category for the first $2,500 in combined grocery/wholesale club/gas purchases each quarter.
  • Platinum: 1.5% cash back on every purchase, 3% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 4.5% on choice category for the first $2,500 in combined grocery/wholesale club/gas purchases each quarter.
  • Gold: 1.25% cash back on every purchase, 2.5% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 3.75% on choice category for the first $2,500 in combined grocery/wholesale club/gas purchases each quarter.

Not all Bank of America consumer credit cards qualify for Preferred Rewards. Other cards of interest that do qualify are:

Bottom line. The Bank of America Cash Rewards Credit Card is an “okay” cash back rewards card with a 1/2/3 structure, but turns into an “excellent” rewards card if you are willing to do deal with the added complexity of tracking purchase categories and can take full advantage of their Preferred Rewards program. If you transfer $100,000 of existing brokerage assets over to Merrill Edge, you can qualify for the highest Platinum Honors tier. This won’t be a good option for everyone, but something to be aware of if you can swing it.

During the current limited-time offer, the Choice Category purchases are boosted by an additional 3% for the first year. The 75% Preferred Rewards bonus for Platinum members does not apply to the extra 3%, so the net cash back during the first year for Platinum members would be 3% * 1.75 + 3% = 8.25% cash back on your Choice Category during the first year, subject to the $2,500 purchase cap per quarter which includes any grocery/wholesale club purchases.

Filed Under: Banking, Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: 75,000 Miles (Worth $750 in Travel)

Posted on May 8, 2025 // 12 Comments

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The card_name is a premium travel rewards card with a flat 2 Miles per dollar on all purchases. 75,000 miles can be redeemed as a $750 credit towards any travel purchase made with the card (any airline website, any hotel website, AirBNB stays, Uber rides, no blackout dates). Here are the highlights:

  • 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening – that’s equal to $750 in travel.
  • 2x miles on every purchase, every day.
  • 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. They offer a Price Match Guarantee.
  • Up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.
  • Enjoy two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or to 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges through the Partner Lounge Network. This perk is valid through December 31, 2024.
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase-or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel.
  • Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn.
  • $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • $95 annual fee.

Note the following about existing or previous cardholders:

Existing or previous cardmembers are not eligible for this product if they have received a new cardmember bonus for this product in the past 48 months.

(Capital One’s “ultra-premium” card is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which has more perks including Priority Pass airport lounge access and a $300 annual travel credit through Capital One Travel, but also a higher $395 annual fee. This Venture card is more directly competitive with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, while the Venture X competes more directly with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.)

Redemption details. Capital One “miles” can be redeemed directly for a cash statement credit on a 1 mile = $0.01 basis when offsetting any travel purchase made on the card within the past 90 days. In other words, 50,000 miles = $500 toward travel. That means you can fly on any airline or stay at any hotel, pay with this card, and then “erase” that purchase using your miles balance later. This even includes AirBnB vacation rentals, car rentals, and Uber rides.

This means that earning 2 miles on every $1 in purchases essentially makes this a 2% back card when applied towards travel. You also have the option of booking travel through their travel portal, similar to Chase Ultimate Rewards, but you are not required to do so. You have the flexibility of booking through them or making the purchase directly through the airline, hotel, car rental counter, etc. This makes it easy to combine and spend all your Capital One miles.

Miles transfer options. Capital One now allows you to transfer your “miles” into select airline miles programs as well. Here are the airline transfer partners:

  • Aeromexico
  • Air France/KLM
  • Air Canada Aeroplan
  • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
  • Avianca Lifemiles
  • British Airways Avios
  • Emirates Skywards
  • Etihad
  • EVA
  • Finnair
  • Qantas
  • Singapore Airlines Krisflyer
  • TAP Air Portugal
  • Turkish Airlines
  • Virgin Red

Hotel partners

  • Accor Live Limitless
  • Choice Hotels

If you know how to leverage one of these international airline miles programs (my favorites are Aeroplan and Avios since you can combine family points), this can be a very valuable option. Otherwise, it’s nice to know you can always get a certain level of value by redeeming against any travel purchase.

Bottom line. The card_name earns 2x miles on every purchase, which you can either redeem against any travel purchase or transfer to one of their airline/hotel partners.

Due to the $700+ potential first-year value, I will be adding this card to my list of Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General //

Aven Advisor: Track Your Finances, Get $5 Starbucks Gift Card Every Week (Homeowners w/ 700+ Credit)

Posted on April 22, 2025 // 35 Comments

Update June 2025: This offer now appears to be severely limited very soon to occasional gift cards.

Update April 2025: I’ve continued to receive my $5 in SBUX credit every week with no issues, up to over $50 so far. Honestly, getting $5 worth of caffeine every week feels better than it should, no wonder Starbucks is effectively running its own currency. You do need to remember to log into the app every week (Fridays for me, not sure if same day for everyone). Now you can either sign up for Starbucks or Dunkin credit (thanks to DoC).

You can still get an additional one-time $5 cash bonus if you open through Aven.com/advisor and use my invite code JP25DJVG7K during the app sign-up. You’ll need to link a bank account via Plaid to get the $5 transferred to you.

Some caveats: Don’t accidentally sign-up for their credit card, it is not required to get this $5 weekly credit. They have also added new fine print that the offer is limited to residents of AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MS, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, UT, VA, WI, WY. This was not the case originally.

Original post from 2/3/2025:

Aven Advisor is a new app that promises to help to track your financial situation. Kind of like the old Mint app, you have to give them your personal info and link up bank accounts/credit cards, and then they offer a unique mix of things:

  • Free weekly credit score (VantageScore 4.0 for me, even though some screenshots show FICO).
  • Find your hidden subscriptions by mining your transactions.
  • Track your home value, neighborhood home prices, and show you nearby house listings.
  • Get a free lien report on your property.
  • Track your bank balances, brokerage balances, and credit card debt.
  • Track the value of your car.
  • Shows you nearby Facebook Marketplace listing for cars and other random things.

So why give them your data? Well, if you are a homeowner with a good credit (700+), they will give you $5 in Starbucks credit once every week. You have to manually open the app and tap the link on every Monday (so they know you’re actively using it), but I’ve successfully gotten my credit. Loads right onto my Starbucks app, see screenshot below.

Join at Aven.com/advisor (remember, only homeowners get the Starbucks offer). You can also get an additional one-time $5 cash bonus with my referral code JP25DJVG7K. Thanks if you use it. You’ll have to link a bank account via Plaid to transfer the $5 into your account.

Filed Under: Banking, Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Capital One Venture X Business Card Review: 150,000 Bonus Miles

Posted on April 15, 2025 // 11 Comments

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Negative changes to lounge access starting February 2026. The card_name is the newest entry into the ultra-premium business card category, with features similar to the Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card for consumers (you can have both at the same time). It has a large new-cardholder bonus, loads of perks, and a hefty annual fee. Right now, there is a limited-time offer targeting those with large annual expenses. Let’s take a look at what it offers:

  • 150,000 Bonus Miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening 150,000 Miles can be redeemed for $1,500 towards travel! (including airfare and hotel stays).
  • Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs.
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit. Get up to $300 in annual statement credits when booking through Capital One’s travel booking site. Book your choice of flights, hotel nights, or car rentals. You can redeem these in partial amounts over the course of the year.
  • 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary.
  • Up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R).
  • Airport lounge access. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass(TM) lounges, after enrollment.
  • $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection.
  • This card has no preset spending limit, so you get purchasing power that adapts to your spending needs.
  • Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease.
  • This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month.
  • Annual fee is $395. Free employee cards.

Here is the rewards structure on purchases:

  • 10 Miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One’s travel booking site, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options. They offer a Price Match Guarantee.
  • 5 Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One’s travel booking site.
  • 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.
  • Redeem miles for any airline, any hotel, rental cars, and more.
  • Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs.

Redemption towards travel, including airline and hotel purchases. Capital One “miles” can be redeemed directly for a cash statement credit on a 1 mile = $0.01 basis when offsetting any travel purchase made on the card within the past 90 days. In other words, 100,000 miles = $1,000 toward travel. That means you can fly on any airline or stay at any hotel, pay with this card, and then “erase” that purchase using your miles balance later. This even includes AirBNB vacation rentals, car rentals, and Uber rides.

This means that earning 2 miles on on every $1 in purchases essentially makes this a 2% back card when applied towards travel. Earn even higher rewards of 5 miles per $1 spent on on flights booked through Capital One’s travel booking site, and 10 miles per $1 spent on on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One’s travel booking site.

Capital One’s travel booking site offers price matching: if you find a better price on another website within 24 hours of booking, they will refund you the difference.

Miles transfer options. Capital One now allows you to transfer your “miles” into select airline miles programs as well. Here are the airline transfer partners:

  • Aeromexico
  • Air France/KLM
  • Air Canada Aeroplan
  • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
  • Avianca Lifemiles
  • British Airways Avios
  • Emirates Skywards
  • Etihad
  • EVA
  • Finnair
  • Qantas
  • Singapore Airlines Krisflyer
  • TAP Air Portugal
  • Turkish Airlines
  • Virgin Red

Hotel partners

  • Accor Live Limitless
  • Choice Hotels

If you know how to leverage one of these international airline miles programs, this can be a very valuable option. Otherwise, it’s nice to know you can always get a certain level of value by redeeming against any travel purchase.

Airport lounge access details. Capital One is creating their own lounges within select airports (currently in Washington DC’s Dulles Airport and Dallas/Forth Worth). Venture X Business cardholders get unlimited access and can bring 2 free guests per visit. Employee cards do not get lounge access benefits.

You also get Priority Pass membership, which includes access to 1,300+ participating VIP lounges and even included credits to spend at some restaurants, in more than 600 cities and more than 148 countries.

(UPDATE: Starting February 1, 2026, authorized users will no longer receive complimentary access and will need to pay $125 per year for each additional cardholder to retain lounge access. Primary cardholders still receive two complimentary guests to Priority Pass lounges, and additional cardholders who get lounge access get two complimentary guests (after, $35 per guest). Guest access for Capital One lounges and Landings will cost $25 to $45.)

Many people aren’t aware of the fact that they can apply for business credit cards, even if they are not a corporation or LLC. The business type is called a sole proprietorship, and these days many people are full-time or part-time consultants, freelancers, eBay/Amazon/Etsy sellers, Uber/Lyft drivers, or other one-person business owners. This is the simplest business entity, but it is fully legit and recognized by the IRS. On a business credit card application, you should use your own legal name as the business name, and your Social Security Number as the Tax ID.

This card should not show up on your personal credit reports, so your outstanding balance, credit limit, and closure states won’t affect your credit score. You’ll still see a credit check on your personal credit report from the initial application.

Bottom line. The card_name is an ultra-premium business rewards card that earns a minimum of 2 Miles per dollar on all purchases, which you can either redeem against any travel purchase or transfer to one of their airline/hotel partners. There is a generous new-customer offer. If you can take advantage of the $300 annual travel credit, TSA PreCheck(R)/Global Entry fee credit, and add the 10,000 miles on every anniversary, then you’ve effectively offset the $395 annual fee in all future years. To top it all off, the airport lounge access is very nice.

Due to the $1,500+ first-year value, I will be adding this to my Top 10 Best Small Business Card Bonus Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers //

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review: 75,000 Bonus Points

Posted on April 7, 2025 // 141 Comments

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a premium travel rewards credit card that has gotten very popular due to its useful rewards structure and flexible Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed for cash, travel credits, or transferred to airline miles and hotel points. I’ve had it for years. Here are the highlights:

  • 75,000 bonus points after $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
  • 5X total points on all travel purchased through Chase TravelSM.
  • 3X points on on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out.
  • 3X points on select streaming services. Includes Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Netflix, Sling, Vudu, Fubo TV, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Pandora, Spotify and YouTube TV.
  • 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
  • 2X points on all other travel purchases.
  • 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
  • $50 Annual Credit on hotel stays purchased through Chase TravelSM. New cardmembers will start earning towards the credit immediately and existing cardmembers will start earning after their next account anniversary.
  • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
  • 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase TravelSM. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
  • 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
  • 10% Anniversary Point Bonus. Each account anniversary, cardmembers will earn bonus points equal to 10% of total purchases made the previous year. That means, $25,000 in spend will earn an additional 2,500 bonus points.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
  • $95 annual fee.

Note the following text:

The product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 48 months.

Chase has an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 2 years (aka the 5/24 rule). This rule is designed to discourage folks that apply for high numbers of sign-up bonuses. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so in our household one applies to Chase while the other applies at other card issuers.

Ultimate Rewards points. This card offers a special 25% bonus on travel redemptions made through the Chase TravelSM site. For example, 60,000 Ultimate Rewards = $750 in travel. 75,000 Ultimate Rewards = $937.50 in travel. Similar to Expedia or Travelocity, you can book flights on most major airlines and hotel chains. This makes it much more flexible to spend your points. You can even buy something more expensive than your points can cover and pay the difference in cash.

If you have other Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points like the Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited, you can transfer points into this card account and take advantage of the this higher premium. In other words, your existing Ultimate Rewards points balance could be increased in value by getting this card.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card is the “ultra-premium” rewards card that offers a bigger 50% bonus on travel redemptions, along with more perks and a higher annual fee.

Prefer airline and/or hotel points? This card also allows you to transfer Ultimate Rewards points into hotel and/or airline miles. Transfer to United Airlines, British Airways, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Southwest, Hyatt Hotels, IHG Hotels, and Marriott Hotels at a ratio of 1 Ultimate Rewards point = 1 mile/hotel point. Miles redemption continue to offer great value for savvy travelers, especially for last-minute travel and business class seats. I personally use the transfers to “top off” my account to reach a free coach ticket or free hotel night when I don’t have enough points otherwise. My favorite options are United miles, Southwest miles, and Hyatt hotel points. I usually try to save up my points for a Hyatt hotel stay that gets me over 2 cents per point value.

Cash redemptions are a simple and easy option at straight conversion of 100 points = $1.

Sharing points. Ultimate Rewards points are instantly transferable to other accounts including family members, as long as they have their own Chase card with Ultimate Rewards as an authorized user. This way, you can pool points together for transfers and redemptions if you like.

Additional card benefits:

  • Primary car rental collision damage waiver insurance. Decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary and provides reimbursement up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad. Most other cards only offer secondary coverage that kicks in only after the deductible of your individual insurance policy is used.
  • Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance. If your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, and hotels.
  • Trip Delay Reimbursement. If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 6 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket

Bottom line. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a popular premium travel rewards card with 3X points on dining out and 2X points on travel. Ultimate Rewards points are very flexible, either transferrable to several airline/hotel programs or directly redeemable to offset a hotel/airfare purchase through Chase TravelSM.

Compare with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, which offers a bigger 50% bonus on travel redemptions, along with more perks and a higher annual fee.

This offer is on my list of Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

The information for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has been collected independently by My Money Blog. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, Reviews //
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