American Express has partnered with Knot (an Amex Ventures portfolio company) to launch a pilot test run of card of file at select merchants as Bloomingdale’s, Hilton and Macy’s. Cardholders that are included in the pilot are able to automatically add their ‘card-on-file’ at the participating merchants. This is the combination of two technologies:
Knot’s CardSwitcher™, which lets customers change their payment methods easily with different merchants without the need to enter their Card.
American Express proprietary technology, which enables customers to share their payment data securely with their permission
Can’t really see these sorts of things taking off if they are restricted to a single payment network/card issuer.
IHG is offering 1,000-3,000 JetBlue points per stay. Earn 1,000 bonus TrueBlue points for a 1 – 2 night stay and 3,000 bonus TrueBlue points for stays of 3 or more nights at select IHG Hotels & Resorts
Cardless Launches Co-Branded Business Credit Card with Alibaba
Cardless, Mastercard and Alibaba.com have teamed up to launch a new co-branded credit card designed to reward businesses for cross-border and domestic sourcing purchases through Alibaba.com. The Alibaba.com Business Edge Credit Card will be the company’s first co-branded U.S. credit card.
This new credit card will enable Alibaba.com buyers in the U.S. to earn rewards on all of their purchases in the form of cashback, or special financing terms. The waitlist for the Alibaba.com Business Edge Credit Card is live and the credit cards will be available for application later this year.
Amongst the benefits that the new card offers businesses are a choice of 3% cashback or 60-day interest-free payment terms on purchases of up to $40,000 made on Alibaba.com per year. After that, cardholders will continue to earn 1% cashback on purchases made on the platform. For purchases made outside of the platform, cardholders will earn 2% cashback on other business expenses such as advertising and dining, and 1% on all other purchases where Mastercard is accepted.
Purchases from Alibaba.com made with the Business Edge Credit Card are also eligible for an extended 90-day order protection through Alibaba.com’s Trade Assurance service, as well as Mastercard World Elite benefits.
Upon approval, businesses are also eligible to receive a $100 sign-on bonus after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days of account opening, up to $100 in Alibaba.com coupons every year after meeting spending minimums, and bi-monthly discounts on Alibaba.com Logistics shipping costs, valued at up to $120 per year. The card has a $199 annual fee.
Chase is targeting some cardholders with a new offer that can save you $50 on your T-Mobile bill. You need to make two payments in order to get this credit. Here’s how this T-Mobile Chase Offer works:
Earn $50 cash back on your second payment of a T-Mobile plan when you spend $50 or more. Offer expires 9/17/2024.
Important Terms
Valid one time only with two purchase minimum.
Payment must be made directly with the merchant
Must make second payment by 11/1/2024.
About Chase Offers
Chase Offers are available on Chase credit cards and debit cards. With these offers, you usually get cashback when you use your eligible Chase card to shop at a participating store. You can see your offers in the Chase app or in your account online. Here are a few things worth noting about these offers:
You can add the same offer to multiple cards, and you will receive multiple credits. The MaxRewards app helps you add and manage these offers.
Chase Offers could be targeted to certain accounts, so not every offer will be available for everyone.
Credits will appear in your account in 7-14 business days.
Usually the same offers will also show up for US Bank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Regions Bank, Suntrust Bank, BBVA, BB&T, PNC, Columbia Bank and Beneficial Bank customers.
Guru’s Wrap-up
This seems like an easy way to save $50 on your T-Mobile bill. You need to make a payment of any amount, and then a second payment of $50 or more.
Check your accounts at Chase and other banks and add the offer on as many cards as you have it.
Update: There are similar offers for Verizon Wireless and AT&T. The Verizon offer indicates you need two $50 payments (whereas the T-Mobile offer is less clear on how the $50 requirement works exactly).
The Offer
Check your Chase Offers for the following deal:
Earn $50 cash back on your second payment of a T-Mobile plan when you spend $50 or more. Offer expires 9/17/24 or 10/14/24. Must make second payment by 11/1/24.
Our Verdict
Nice offer for those targeted. It seems to be showing on all/most Chase business cards. Non-Tmobile users can possibly get this $50 offer from a friend and the like.
Sounds like you would any small payment now and then another payment of $50 to trigger this credit. You can just set the card up for your monthly bill. Or possibly you can make any small payment now and then immediately make another $50 payment to trigger the $50 credit.
American Airlines is gearing up to bring more travelers to Europe next summer with five new routes. The airline will resume flights to Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI), for the first time since 2019 and add new routes to Athens, Greece (ATH), Madrid (MAD), Milan (MXP) and Rome (FCO).
Tickets will be available for purchase starting Sept. 9 on aa.com and American’s mobile app.
The standard Pepper points will be instantly available and the bonus Pepper points will be awarded on 9/23/24. You can see these deals in your messages tab or notifications tab, and you should see the bonus reflected on the checkout screen. These deals end either today or tomorrow, 9/5-9/6.
The Pepper points system is confusing, so let’s give an example: Let’s say, for example, that Pepper is offering 10x on Amazon. If you buy $100 in Amazon gift cards, you’ll get 8,000 points instantly (4x) which is worth $4 toward your next purchase; that’s 4% back. In a few weeks, you’ll get an additional 12,000 points which is worth $6 and is the same as 6% back. Altogether, you’ll end up with 10x back will is the same as 10% back. It’s easier to just avoid thinking about the points totals and focus on the ‘x’ back since that is the same number as the % back you’ll be getting (1x = 1% back; 10x = 10% back).
Our Verdict
Keep in mind that for most of these deals the bonus points won’t be available for a few weeks, and I wouldn’t recommend buying unless you can manage the risk of something going wrong with the bonus points posting a few weeks down the line. I’d recommend screenshotting and copying the gift card info immediately, and I’d also recommend using up the Pepper points quickly, since people have had issues logging in, etc.
Reports are that Amex Business Gold to earn 4x if it’s one of your top two categories. And reports are that it counts as Online Shopping for BofA cards and Blue Cash card and ShopYourWay card. And it counts as Computer Software category for BofA Customized Cash Rewards cards and for 1.5x on the Business Platinum card.
Note: While there is no limit to most of these deals, you might be limited in overall quantities that can be purchased from Pepper in a day. So you might only get $2,000 or some other number until the app stops you. It’s sometimes possible to increase limits by calling in and verifying. And you might be able to buy again the next day as your limits reset.
My thanks if you enter my signup code 584255 during the initial signup process. Those who signup with a referral code get double Pepper points on all purchases for 15 days. (If you do a bonus offer, you’ll probably get double points on the base and single points on the bonus. E.g. if something typically earns 4x and there is now a 10x offer, you’ll probably get 14x total as the 4x gets doubled to 8x and then you get the bonus 6x on top.) No referral links or references in the comments below, please.
Chase recently launched an improved signup bonus for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card. You can currently earn $900, or 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points.
This elevated bonus first launched in-branch, but it now also available through referral links. But if you have recently applied for the lesser bonus of 75,000 points, then there’s good news.
Chase is matching the previous 75,000 bonus to the new 90,000 Ink Unlimited bonus for those who have applied as far back as July 25, 2024, as reported by Doctor of Credit. That’s in line with their recent policy of matching offers up to 30 days prior.
You can call or send Chase a secure message to request a bonus match, although the latter is probably the easier option. Chase representative will often tell you that they will match the offer, but will instruct you to message them again once you have completed the spending requirement. They will then manually apply the extra bonus points.
This is a best case scenario for those who applied for the 75,000 points bonus while referrals were still at 40,000 points. Now you also get the extra 15,000 points through the match, for a total of 130,000 bonus points.
You can save even more by using the right credit card. The best option is the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Card which earns 6% cash back. The Amazon Prime Visa card will earn 5% cash back on these purchases. Another good option is purchasing Amazon gift cards at Staples or Office Depot with a Chase Ink Business Cash card, so you can earn 5X Ultimate Rewards.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You should always check shopping portals such as Rakuten, TopCashback, RebatesMe and more for possible cashback.
Earn Double Elite Night Credits with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott has launched a new promotion for its vacation rental platform, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Members and above can now book stays through the end the year and earn Double Elite Night Credits. Check out the details below.
Promotion Details
Plan your getaway in a private vacation rental with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy before the end of 2024 and earn Double Elite Night Credits on every qualifying stay of $1,000 or more. Offer applicable to Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Members and above.
Book by September 20 and earn Double Elite Night Credits on every qualifying 2024 stay.
Offer valid for stays between September 1 – December 31, 2024.
A “stay” is defined as two (2) or more consecutive nights spent at the same property.
Registered Marriott Bonvoy Members earn double Elite Night Credits for each eligible paid night during their stay at a participating home rental booked between September 1, 2024 (12:01 AM EST) – September 20, 2024 (11:59 PM EST) through the Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy website (“HVMB Platform”). Payment for the stay must be made in cash or credit card.
Stays of two (2) or more consecutive nights must be completed during the promotion earning period, beginning September 1, 2024, up to and including nights stayed on or before December 31, 2024.
Members will earn one bonus Elite Night Credit per eligible paid night during the stay. Bonus Elite Night Credits will be awarded to the Member’s account within three (3) to six (6) weeks (21 – 42 days) business days after checkout. Bonus Elite Night Credits will count only toward the status year in which the Elite Night Credits are posted.
Members earn five (5) base Points for each U.S. dollar, or the currency equivalent, on all Qualifying Charges incurred and paid for by the Member through the HVMB Platform.
A minimum spend for the stay is $1,000 USD (or foreign currency equivalent)
Charges that do not qualify for Points include, but are not limited to, taxes, booking fees, cleaning fees, security deposits, and extra add-on services purchased and/or applied to home rentals booked through the HVMB Platform.
Home rentals booked through third-party online retailers are ineligible to earn for this promotion.
Marriott Participating Brand Residences may be featured on the HVMB Platform: however, they do not participate in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program and do not participate in this promotion.
Marriott branded hotels, branded residences, and Marriott Executive Apartments are not included/eligible for this promotion.
Foodies, take notice: Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can earn 10 points per dollar on dining purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards — including prepaid reservations, takeout, delivery, unique dining experiences and more.
Here’s how this perk works and how you can take advantage when booking your next dining reservation.
Earning 10 points per dollar on dining with the Sapphire Reserve
The Sapphire Reserve earns 10 points per dollar on dining purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You’ll also get 3 points per dollar on all other dining purchases worldwide.
That’s a pretty big difference in earnings, though — so you’ll want to make sure you’re dining through the Chase portal to maximize your rewards.
OSCAR WONG/GETTY IMAGES
To do so, you’ll want to take advantage of the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, which can be used to book dining through prepaid reservations and even order takeout, delivery and more. Logging in to your Chase account will give you access to these options and ensure that you earn 10 points per dollar on your next big dining outing (or takeout night in).
Since TPG’s August 2024 valuations place Chase points at 2.05 cents apiece, you’ll essentially be getting a 20.5% return on all dining purchases made through Ultimate Rewards — not too shabby.
How to use the Ultimate Rewards portal
For those unaware, Ultimate Rewards points are the currency for most Chase-branded credit cards. You can use these cards to rack up points and then redeem them for a wide range of rewards, including travel and dining.
To book dining experiences in the portal, you’ll simply log in to your Chase Ultimate Rewards account and hover over the “Shopping and Experiences” tab. Then, click “Explore dining” to see your current options.
CHASE
Once there, you’ll see a few different dining options, including local delivery and pickup options, through a service called Tock.
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CHASE
Or, if you’re looking for a night on the town, you can search for private dining events in different cities nationwide, all at exclusive and renowned restaurants like Majordomo.
CHASE
Booking your next dining experience through Ultimate Rewards using your Sapphire Reserve will ensure you get that sweet return on investment, too, meaning you can do it all again that much sooner.
Bottom line
If you’re looking for reasons to get the Sapphire Reserve — one of our favorite travel cards, bar none — earning 10 points per dollar on dining purchases through Ultimate Rewards is as good as any.
It’s one more notch in the belt of the Sapphire Reserve, which we think more than justifies its annual fee and wins out as one of the best credit cards on the market.
While some truly valuable credit card bonuses are available right now, sometimes the most lucrative offers are reserved for targeted individuals. One of the best places to look for these elevated targeted offers is by using the CardMatch tool, where you might find introductory bonuses that are much higher than those posted elsewhere.
For the Platinum Card, you could be pre-qualified for an offer of up to 175,000 points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within your first six months of card membership. The card has an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees).
This astronomical bonus number is worth grabbing if you’re eligible. The highest publicly available welcome offer for the card is 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening.
We also see possibilities for a 90,000-point targeted welcome offer on the American Express Gold Card available for some through the CardMatch tool. This offer is prequalified, and the Gold Card has a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees).
THE POINTS GUY
Targeted cardmembers can earn 90,000 points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of account opening. TPG’s August 2024 valuations peg 90,000 Membership Rewards points at an impressive $1,800. Others may see a prequalified 60,000-point offer after spending $6,000 in the first six months of card membership. This almost matches the publicly available offer on the Amex Gold Card.
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Cardmatch offers vs. public offers
These CardMatch offers are significantly better than those publicly available for both of these American Express cards. Here’s a snapshot for comparison:
The Amex Platinum Card‘s public offer is 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership. That means you could get an additional 95,000 bonus points if you’re targeted for this higher CardMatch offer.
The Amex Gold Card‘s public offer is 60,000 bonus points for making $6,000 in purchases in the first six months of account opening. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first six months of card membership, up to $100 back. The offer ends Nov. 6. So, you may be eligible to get up to 30,000 extra bonus points if you’re targeted for an elevated welcome offer via CardMatch.
It’s important to note that all offers are subject to change at any time, and not everyone will be targeted for an elevated offer.
American Express welcome offers are also “not available to applicants who have or have had this product,” and that limitation also applies to CardMatch offers.
So, if you have had either of these cards in the past (including the Premier Rewards Gold Card, the previous version of the Amex Gold), you might be out of luck, even if you are targeted for these offers through CardMatch.
While there are some reports of being able to get a welcome offer for the same card many years after closing the account, this “once-per-lifetime” welcome offer limitation is an important restriction to keep in mind.
Finally, make sure to check your offer closely. Some potential cardholders have reported seeing different offers through the CardMatch tool than those posted here.
How to use CardMatch
CardMatchis straightforward to use, but you may wonder how it works if you haven’t used it before. Here are the simple steps to check your offers:
Enter your first name, last name, home address, last four digits of your social security number and email address.
Click “Get matches.”
Check the box to accept the terms and conditions, and click “Submit.”
After a 60-second or less search, your preapproved offers will appear.
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Note that this process generates a “soft” credit inquiry on your credit report. This means the inquiry will show up on your credit report but won’t impact your credit score, similar to if you checked your credit report through a free annual check or a paid service.
No one knows the exact criteria that banks, airlines and hotels use to target certain customers for elevated bonus offers, but many people may not realize their accounts are eligible.
Make sure to go into your account settings for all your cards and loyalty programs and opt in for marketing communications and emails, as this is often how targeted offers are communicated.
Opting in is just the first step, though. While no one likes wasting time reading through junk mail, it’s important to at least skim emails or snail mail sent from banks, airlines and hotels to see if they contain any elevated offers.
Some targeted offers require you to apply with a unique invitation code or a specific link. If you throw away the letter or delete the email containing that code, it’s possible that you won’t receive the same offer again.
Is the American Express Platinum Card worth it?
The Amex Platinum‘s 175,000-point welcome bonus through CardMatch — which, per TPG’s August 2024 valuations, equates to a hefty sum of $3,500 — is a fantastic offer.
MORSA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
Once you learn to maximize the value of your Membership Rewards points, you can potentially get even more value than that.
Even without the sky-high welcome offer, the Platinum Card is one of the best cards available for frequent travelers.
On the spending side, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly through the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotel bookings made with American Express Travel.
The card also rewards frequent Uber users with up to $200 per calendar year in Uber credits (only in the U.S.).
Plus, you’ll get up to $200 in statement credits for airline fees on your selected airline and up to another $200 in annual statement credits toward prepaid hotel bookings made through Amex Travel at Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection properties (the latter requires a minimum stay of two nights). Enrollment is required for select benefits.
In fact, there are more than $1,500 in annual credits that you can unlock with this card.
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Then there are the airport lounges. Cardmembers are granted access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Amex’s own fantastic Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Airspace lounges, Escape lounges and Delta Sky Clubs. (Effective Feb. 1, 2025, eligible Platinum Card members will receive 10 visits per eligible Platinum Card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta Air Lines-operated flight.)
The card has a $695 annual fee, but it can be well worth it if you utilize these perks to their full extent. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
The Amex Gold‘s 90,000-point welcome bonus through CardMatch is also much better than the current public offer of just 60,000 points and is worth around $1,800 based on TPG’s August 2024 valuations.
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With a lower annual fee and more varied bonus-earning categories, the Amex Gold is more versatile than the Amex Platinum for everyday spending.
With the Gold card, you’ll earn 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spent in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and on dining at restaurants (up to $50,000 spent per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), plus 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with an airline or through American Express Travel. You’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases.
You’ll also get a solid lineup of perks, including up to $120 in annual dining credits (available as up to $10 in monthly statement credits for eligible dining partners), $10 per month in Uber Cash credit (up to $120 Uber Cash annually) that you can use for U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S., up to $100 in annual Resy credits ($50 biannually), up to $84 in annual Dunkin’ credits (up to $7 monthly) and access to The Hotel Collection booking benefits. Just make sure you add the card to your Uber app to receive the Uber Cash benefit. You must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber app, and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
The card does charge a $325 annual fee, but that is easily offset when you take full advantage of the card’s built-in perks. Terms apply.
TPG credits cards writer Chris Nelson says, “I can use all the credits organically, which easily covers the annual fee and even nets me positive value, which is a no-brainer considering it earns 4 points per dollar on dining and 3 points per dollar on flights, and these are some of my biggest spending categories.”
While the Platinum and Gold offers are likely the most appealing, you may see other appealing offers through CardMatch.
Previous cards have included the American Express Cash Magnet® Card and the American Express® Green Card. We recommend comparing any offers you receive against the publicly available offers to make sure that the targeted offers through CardMatch are better.
The information for the Amex Cash Magnet and Amex Green cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Other ways to find good welcome offers
Targeted offers can be a great way to get extra bonus points on a card you already planned to apply for, but they aren’t the only way to find a good deal.
Banks often extend limited-time, elevated bonuses that are publicly available to anyone who wants to apply for them, and you can check our list of the best elevated bonuses available right now that’s updated regularly.
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If you’ve been on the hunt for the best credit card that suits your spending habits and also features a generous welcome offer, using the CardMatch tool can help you get there.
If you’re looking to fill a specific hole in your points and miles strategy, you may want to consider the following curated lists of best credit cards:
Bottom line
The CardMatch tool is great because it allows you to find better welcome offers than what is publicly available.
The Amex Platinum and Gold are two of Amex’s most popular cards. The 175,000-point offer for the Amex Platinum and the 90,000-point offer for the Amex Gold available to eligible targeted customers are the highest we have seen. If you’re in the market for a new rewards card, now is a great time to see if you qualify for one of these offers.
For more details, check out our full reviews of the Amex Platinum and Gold cards.
Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for up to a 175,000-point welcome offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express offer or up to a 90,000-point American Express® Gold Card offer. These offers are subject to change at any time.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here. For rates and fees on the Amex Gold Card, click here.
RWRDS Canada is 23 years old and to celebrate, they are hosting the RC23 – RWRDS Canada’s 23rd Anniversary contest! So today, we are bringing back Patrick Sojka to share more! Patrick, this is such an amazing accomplishment to have such longevity. You continue to inspire and provide such helpful content. Looking forward to your next 23 years!
1) It has been a year and a half since our last interview, what’s new at Rewards Canada?
In the year and half since we last chatted we’ve really deepened Rewards Canada’s coverage of more of non-travel loyalty programs, whether it’s Triangle Rewards, Petro-Points, PC Optimum, PetSmart Treats Rewards or others, we are continuing our mission to being the all encompassing loyalty rewards and credit card resource for Canadians. Speaking of PC Optimum, our role of being an advocate for Canadian consumers has grown exponentially this year due to ongoing issues that have been frustrating many members of that program. I really hope we get some positive movement from them by the end of the year.
See also: Patrick was on Global News last night to discuss some of the issue surrounding PC Optimum.
2) Seems like you are hosting your 23rd Anniversary contest. That is an amazing accomplishment! Can you tell us more about it and how someone can participate?
Yes we are having a big contest to celebrate 23 years of Rewards Canada! We figured 23 is a good time to celebrate and hopefully it sets the stage for an even bigger birthday bash in two years when we hit 25 years. The contest is open to all Canadians aged 18 and over. Entering the contest is easy, simply leave a comment on our contest page and subscribe to our newsletter. Additional entries can earned by following us on our various social media channels. The 12 prizes we are giving away are amazing and they consist of points, miles, flight vouchers, elite status, and a smart phone. We have to give a big thank you to the contest sponsors who are Coast Hotels, Porter Airlines, Rogers Bank, Air France KLM, WestJet, Loyalty Status Co. and Air Canada. The contest runs until September 17 and people can enter at RWRDS Canada’s 23rd Anniversary Contest!
3) What can we look to with Rewards Canada?
There’s lots you can look forward to with Rewards Canada in the short and long term. We’ve got an exclusive loyalty program offer launching shortly that we are super excited about, our Canada’s Choice awards will be coming soon where Canadians vote for their favourite credit cards and loyalty programs. Plus, we are going to continue our no holds barred coverage of the all the cards and programs. And by that I mean if a card or program is good, we’ll tell you it’s good. If a card, or program sucks, we’ll tell you it sucks. No fluff to try to sell you on it.
4) Any closing thoughts?
I would like to thank all of Canada (and many people from outside of Canada) for their continued support of Rewards Canada for over two decades now. And a big thank you to Pointshogger for letting us share our latest story!
Chase is targeting select cardholders with an offer to earn a $15 credit for paying their bills. The offer was sent out by email, but you can also check the Chase My Bonus page to see if any of your Chase credit cards are eligible. Check out the full details below.
Offer Details
Earn up to $15 back for paying your bills by 10/15/2024. Registration is required. There are different versions of this offer. That includes:
$15 statement credit when you spend $100 or more.
$15 statement credit when you spend $150 or more.
$10 statement credit when you spend $100 or more.
10% statement credit, up to a maximum of $15.
Eligible categories include:
fitness club and gym memberships
utilities
internet, cable, and phone services
insurance
local transit/commuting (excluding airline purchases)
To be eligible for this bonus offer, you must activate by 10/15/24.
Please allow up to 8 weeks after qualifying for statement credit to post to your account.
“Purchases” do not include balance transfers, cash advances, travelers checks, foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers or similar cash-like transactions, lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, race track wagers or similar betting transactions, any checks that access your account, interest, unauthorized or fraudulent charges, and fees of any kind, including an annual fee, if applicable.)
To qualify for this bonus offer, account must be open and not in default at the time of fulfillment.
Guru’s Wrap-up
Easy savings. Just register and pay one eligible bill of $100 or $150+ and you will receive a $10 or $15 credit.
Update 9/4/24: readers discovered that there are some annuities which are taxed immediately each year and those might not have the 10% penalty for those who are less than 59 1/2 years old. Some of these offer better yields than long term CDs, so these might be something to think about.
Original Post 5/20/22:
A reader recentlymentioned using fixed annuities called MYGAs (Multi-Year Guarantee Annuity), or CD annuities, as an alternative to the traditional CD. Let’s take a quick look.
Here are two lists (link,link) you can look through to get a feel for the rates offered on MYGAs.
MYGAs are quite similar to traditional CDs in that you deposit a certain amount of money for a fixed amount of time and you get the money back with the interested added on top after the fixed timeframe. Like CDs, your money is often locked up for that fixed timeframe and you may have to pay a penalty or lose the interest gains if you withdraw before the agreed timeframe.
The primary way that MYGAs differ from traditional CD’s is that they are issued by insurance companies instead of banks. This means there’s no FDIC insurance backing you up in case of default. Most people will only buy an annuity from an insurance company highly rated by respected rating agencies.
(It’s worth noting that you aren’t entirely dependent on the insurance company going under water since all insurance companies are required to belong to a state guaranty association. These associations guarantee balances up to the state’s statutory limit, typically $250,000. As I understand it, you won’t really lose money unless all insurance companies in your state go bankrupt since they are all ‘tied together’ to cover each others balances. Still, for larger investments, it’s definitely important to research the insurer well and make sure they are top rated.)
The most important distinction, though, between CDs and MYGAs is that the latter is meant as a retirement product, and thus comes with is a 10% penalty for withdrawals made before the age of 59.5. Someone who is currently 50 and wants to buy a 10-year MYGA won’t have any penalty issues given their 60 year age at time of withdrawal. Often the MYGA rate might be high enough to be worth buying even after factoring in the 10% penalty.
MYGAs are typically between 3 and 10 years. Interest gets compounded annually. Each MYGA will have a different minimum investment amount, e.g. $10,000 or $20,000 or more.
A major advantage to MYGAs is the ability to continually renew the annuity (or even exchange it directly into a new annuity) and take all of the gains at a future date of your choosing, thus delaying a taxable event until a more favorable time.
It’s important to note that there are all types of annuities out there, some of which are variable or tied to the stock market, some which pay out in monthly increments, etc, etc. Here we’re only discussing fixed annuities which offer a fixed return percentage for a set number of years and operate much like a CD with an initial deposit and a payout at end of term. Before locking into anything, be sure to do your research in understanding the product offered.
Conclusion
In the end, there are a few scenarios that MYGAs make sense:
MYGAs can make sense as a retirement plan and a means of getting a predictable income stream in those years. (Of course there are many other types of annuities which work well for retirees as well.)
They can also make sense for someone who plans to hold cash for many years and who doesn’t plan on needing the cash any time before they are 59.5 years old.
Finally, an MYGA can make sense for anyone as a means of holding cash if the rates are significantly above traditional CDs. The MYGA rate might be superior to CDs even when factoring the 10% penalty.
Often, there can be a mixture of the above scenarios which can make an MYGA useful, especially after factoring in the tax deferment flexibility that these annuities offer.
Feel free to chime in below with your own thoughts or corrections. Also, please let me know if you find this kind of content useful which we’ll keep in mind for the future.
Chase, Bank of America and other banks are targeting some cardholders with new offers for savings at select Marriott brands. Here are some of the offers that you might find in your accounts, and some of the details for each one:
Get 10% back at Aloft Hotels when you spend $100 or more
Max $57 back.
Expires 9/30/24.
Get 10% back at Renaissance Hotels when you spend $100 or more
Max $75 back.
Expires 9/30/24.
Get 10% back at Sheraton Hotels & Resorts when you spend $100 or more
Max $57 back.
Expires 9/30/24.
Get 10% back at TownePlace Suites by Marriott when you spend $100 or more
Max $57 back.
Expires 9/30/24.
About Chase Offers
Chase Offers are available on Chase credit cards and debit cards. With these offers, you usually get cashback when you use your eligible Chase card to shop at a participating store. You can see your offers in the Chase app or in your account online. Here are a few things worth noting about these offers:
You can add the same offer to multiple cards, and you will receive multiple credits. The MaxRewards app helps you add and manage these offers.
Chase Offers could be targeted to certain accounts, so not every offer will be available for everyone.
Credits will appear in your account in 7-14 business days.
Usually the same offers will also show up for US Bank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Regions Bank, Suntrust Bank, BBVA, BB&T, PNC, Columbia Bank and Beneficial Bank customers.
Guru’s Wrap-up
These are good offers if you are planning any stays at eligible hotels. Check our accounts and hopefully you see some of these offers on your Chase cards. Let me know if you see any different versions of these offers, or any different brands.
Breeze Airways has launched a new promotion, offering 50% discount on base fares. The discount applies only to new reservations for round-trip flights when using promo code BIGDEAL.
Promotion must be purchased at flybreeze.com or on the Breeze app now through September 5, 2024 (11:59 pm PT). Travel must take place between September 18, 2024 and May 13, 2025.
There are considerable blackout dates. This promotion excludes travel from November 21, 2024, through November 27, 2024, from November 29, 2024, through December 2, 2024, from December 20, 2024, through December 24, 2024, from December 26, 2024, through January 5, 2025, and from February 5, 2025, through April 27, 2025.
Travel must be flown on qualifying travel dates for discount to be applied in full. The discount will apply only to flights on qualifying travel dates. Certain flights and/or days of travel may be unavailable. You can see full details here.
Breeze offers guests both bundled and a la carte options known as No Flex Fare, Nice, Nicer and, on flights operated with the Airbus A220-300, Nicest. With the No Flex Fare, flight changes are not permitted but partial credit is issued for cancellations. This is the cheapest fare available.
The Nice bundle includes a carry-on bag while the Nicer bundle includes a checked bag, a carry-on, and free inflight WiFi as well as a premium economy seat in its “extra legroom” section. The Nicest bundle includes two checked bags, priority boarding and Breeze Ascent—the carrier’s inflight experience featuring 2×2 recliner seating, free inflight WiFi, and complimentary snacks and beverages, including alcohol.
Breeze doesn’t charge change or cancellation fees up to 15 minutes prior to departure.
Unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase + up to an additional 2% cash back when paired with a US Bank savings account or investment account:
Earn a total of 2.5% cashback with a qualifying balance of $5,000 – $49,000;
Earn a total of 3% cashback with a qualifying balance of $50,000 – $99,000;
Earn a total of 4% cashback with a qualifying balance of $100,000 or more.
US Bank Smartly Savings currently (2024.9) has an APY 4.10% (if your balance is $25,000 or more), which is quite competitive among savings accounts. US Bank Self-Directed Investing has an annual fee of $50, it has 100 free trades per year, therefore if you just invest in VOO and never trade again then there’s not much cost.
Disadvantages
We are not sure yet whether the 4% cashback is unlimited, or how much is the limit. According the current wordings on the official page, it seems like unlimited.
We are not sure yet how much is the annual fee.
We are not sure yet how much is the welcome offer.
We are not sure yet when it will become available.
Recommended Application Time
We recommend you apply for this card after you have a credit history of at least two years and you are very comfortable with the credit card game.
Summary
If the 4% cashback is unlimited, or the limit is huge, then obviously this is a fantastic card for big spenders. There are too many unknowns yet, let’s wait and see. If you are interested, you can join the waitlist now.
After Applying
To check the application status, you can visit this webpage or call (800) 947-1444. If you see the 7-10 days message, it just means they will do a manual review and the outcome could be either approved or denied.
US Bank reconsideration line: (800) 947-1444.
Historical Offers Chart
Not available yet.
Application Link
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