Day: January 2, 2024

Since we missed major news items over the last two and a half weeks, it’s time to play ketchup catchup:

1. Do this now: Register for 5x bonus categories for rotating bonus category cards:
   
   – Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex: 5x at groceries, gyms, and spas, $1,500 max per quarter
   – Discover IT: 5x at restaurants and drug stores, $1,500 max per quarter
   – Citi Dividend: 5x at Amazon and streaming, $6,000 max per year
   – US Bank Cash+: I choose utilities and electronics retailers, $1,500 max per quarter
   
   The Cash+ currently has a measly $200 sign-up bonus, the Freedom is only available via product change, the Freedom Flex has a $200 sign-up bonus and 5x at grocery on up to $12,000 in spend, and the Dividend isn’t generally available any more.
   
   Gaming most of these should be easy with gift card purchases at grocery stores, CVS, and Amazon. For the Cash+, look in to how your local utilities deal with card payments, especially when the payment doesn’t match the bill.
   
2. The Citi Shop Your Way Rewards card, which incidentally hasn’t been mentioned on this blog in the entirety of 2024, has a few new targeted offers that stack with other spend offers:
   
   – 15,000 ThankYou Points per month on $1,500+ in spend at grocery, gas, or restaurant
   – $150 statement credit per month on $1,500+ in spend at grocery, gas, or restaurant
   
   The Citi SYWR card isn’t just interesting for spend bonuses, especially in the face unregulated debit cards. (Thanks to Brooke)
   
3. Staples has fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards through Saturday, limit eight per transaction. I’d say Staples is trying to make 2024 look like 2023 with this sale, except technically the promotion started in 2023 so I’m legally prevented from saying so by the Staples and Uber Eats cabal. The cabal also prevents buying these cards via Uber Eats as far as I can tell.
   
   These are Metabank Pathward gift cards, so have a liquidation plan in place.
   
4. American Express Offers has a few interesting new promotions:
   
   – $125 back on $600 or more in spend with Delta
   – 25,000 Membership Rewards after $1,000 or more in spend with ANA
   – 15% to 20% back on up to $100 in spend at Martin and Giant grocery stores
   
5. Do this now: Register for a 10% bonus from Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles, paid when transferring points in from credit card programs.
   
6. PayUSATax has lowered the cost of tax payments with a credit card to 1.82%. Games people play:
   
   – Lower W-2 federal tax withholdings and make up for it with quarterly estimated tax payments
   – Overpay taxes with a credit card and wait for a refund
   
   Don’t attempt either unless you’ve got the discipline to ride it out if you run into any issues, like the IRS delaying refunds for months or years. Remember what the 33rd president of the United States and former head of the IRS, Spiderman, said: with great power comes great responsibility. (Thanks to GodLovesFrags)
   

When Texas cities play ketchup, Lubbock misses the point.