Login before checking the above link. If you get an offer not available link, look for another offer on your AmEx dashboard. (Thanks to Creative_Accounting)
FM notes that the American Express Delta cards have better than public landing page offers for at least two cards during a paid dummy booking:
– Personal Gold: 50,000 SkyMiles and $400 statement credit after $3,000 spend and a single Delta purchase in six months – Personal Platinum: 70,000 SkyMiles and $400 statement credit after $4,000 spend and a single Delta purchase in six months
The regular offer is 70,000 SkyMiles and 90,000 SkyMiles respectively, so you’re effectively selling 20,000 points for 2 cents per point with these offers. I was able to pull up both variants by switching browsers.
We’re going to go short form, followed by long form, followed by short form today because that’s how the wind is blowing. Let’s just call it the churning burger.
Personal Gold (annual fee: $150, up from $99) – $200 flight credit after $10,000 spend – $100 Delta Vacations credit for hotel stays
Personal Platinum (annual fee: $350, up from $250) – $10 monthly Resy credit – $10 monthly rideshare credit – $150 Delta Vacations credit for hotel stays – Companion certificate now valid for first class and for international trips
Personal Reserve (annual fee: $650, up from $550) – $20 monthly Resy credit – $10 monthly rideshare credit – $200 Delta Vacations credit for hotel stays – Companion certificate now valid for international trips
Business Gold (annual fee: $150, up from $99) – $200 flight credit after $10,000 spend – $150 Delta Vacations credit for hotel stays
Business Platinum (annual fee: $350, up from $250) – $10 monthly Resy credit – $10 monthly rideshare credit – $200 Delta Vacations credit for hotel stays – Companion certificate now valid for first class and for international trips
Business Reserve (annual fee: $650, up from $550) – $20 monthly Resy credit – $10 monthly rideshare credit – $200 Delta Vacations credit for hotel stays – Companion certificate now valid for international trips
The annual fee increase starts on May 1. There’s a path to Delta status just by holding a set of these cards too, the Platinums and Reserves each have a $2,500 MQD “head-start”, and according to the terms and conditions each card type is eligible (up to $10,000 MQD per card holder per year), which means you’ve got a path to Gold status just by holding the right set of credit cards.
For those keeping track at home, this leaves 36 refreshes left on the AmEx refresh-o-meter, and I think the Resy credits and annual fee increases are a telling sign of what’s to come.
The Citi Shop Your Way Rewards card, the original MEAB’s Unsung Hero credit card, has a targeted spending bonus for February, March, and April for 15% back on up to $1,200 spend at home improvement stores, once per month. This one arrives either by USPS, email, or both. (Thanks to FlashStash)
Have a nice weekend!
The limited edition churning hamburger gift card; yes, it works on PayPal Bill Pay.
– If you’re going to apply head on, don’t forget that you can probably get a much better offer by trying several browsers and connecting to a Dallas VPN – If you can’t find a better offer through a VPN, at least use a referral link – If you triple dipped Business Platinum cards in December 2022, a downgrade might be a better option than closing the card given the current lack of no-lifetime language (NLL) links – American Express’s calendar day ends before midnight Eastern, but after midnight UTC, because reasons
As is typical with targeted promo codes and Southwest, there are a bunch of excluded days and routes, most of which correspond to the days that normies working with school schedules want to travel.
Look, I’m not planning on staying in a Best Western either, but sometimes it’s the best option and in case that happens the promo will already be attached to your account.
Have a nice Wednesday!
You shouldn’t could combine the second and third items at the Best Western Movie Manor (pictured).
$10/$15/$35 monthly Uber credits (personal Golds and Platinums)
The calculus for me on the on an annual fee’s effective credit offset involves a discount factor representing what the credit is actually worth based on whether I can resell something, whether I’d actually spend that money either way, and how much work I have to put in to liquidate the credit. It also involves the credit face value, and considerations like a double or triple dip.
Let’s walk through a concrete example with the Business Platinum card, assuming we opened it in late November or early December. For a single year’s annual fee, the main credits are:
Combining the two and reading the between the lines, I think it’s safe to say that the likelihood of Dell, Adobe, and Indeed going away in 2025 is at least 2/3. Updating the above math for a triple dip in December 2024 to subtract 2/3 of the Dell credits in 2025 and beyond (given that it’s likely going away) gives a net annual fee of -$695 + $200 + $400 * (1/3) + $480 = +$118. So, the value from those credits with today’s lens has fallen, though remains positive.
Predictions
Yogi Berra famously said “It’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” He’s right, and I think my crystal ball is at least as opaque as average so, yeah. Nonetheless, I’m going to predict with broad strokes based on the previous news items:
Credits that don’t have an analog on other premium credit cards from Chase, Capital One, Bank of America, Citi, or US Bank are going to get the axe for 2025
Credits that are almost certainly paid for by a retailer that don’t lead to additional purchases will be refreshed away, like Saks, for 2025
Credits that bring new incremental revenue to a retailer will stick around, like Uber and Equinox
We’re going to see more monthly or quarterly credits, and fewer annual or semi-annual credits
Will the cards still be worth it? It depends on what kind of AmEx user you are: If the annual credits represent a significant source of value for premium cards, you’re in a tougher spot. If they don’t because you’re taking advantage of category bonuses, employee cards, offers, and other games, then it’s annoying but not a game changer.
Good luck!
2025’s refreshed American Express Green card monthly coupon credit.
This probably isn’t the best option to hold on to after year one, but I do like holding at least one United card at a for expanded award availability (XN acccess).
I’d hold this card if I were regularly flying United out of an airport with a United Club for XN access and club access, but fortunately for all of us I’m not currently doing that; if I was you’d have suffer through me whining about United a lot more than you already do.
– The activation fee recently increased to $6.95 on the $100 cards – You’ll be earning 2x fuel points – You won’t earn a grocery category bonus – These are US Bank cards
You’ll pay shipping too, but the cheapest option is ~ $0.50.
These are Pathward gift cards, so have a liquidation plan in place, in-store limits are $480 every six minutes, unless you get lucky and your store cycles through merchant accounts.
Given Bonvoy’s hyper-inflated currency, 50,000 points may not get you a night at your favorite hotel, so double check that you won’t need to burn these in Lubbock because everything else is priced out of your range. No really, the Courtyard Lubbock is 39,000 points.
Giant Food and Martin’s stores are running a 10x points promotion on Apple gift cards through February 1, limit $2,000 in spend per account. (Thanks to GCG)
– $400 statement credit after meeting $1,500 spend in three months – 30,000 AA miles after meeting $1,500 spend in three months – Waived annual fee the first year
If you’re AA miles poor I’d wait for a higher mileage offer. If you’re not AA miles poor, this is a nice zero cost offer. (Thanks to coole106)
Capital One has increased sign-up bonuses online for the Venture X Business mileage card, and for the Spark Cash Plus card. The bonuses are tiered:
– 150,000 miles or $1,500 cash back after $20,000 spend in three months – 150,000 additional miles or $1,500 additional cash back after $100,000 spend in six months
With the base earning of 2x or 2% cash back on these cards, you’re earning 5x total for $100,000 spend in any category, which is frankly a great multiplier provided you’ll hit the spend.
There’s an even better version of the above two offers, but it’s only available through a business relationship manager:
– 400,000 miles after $250,000 spend in six months – $4,000 cash back after $250,000 spend in six months
With a base earning of 2x or 2% on these, you’ll earn 3.6x total for $250,000 spend in any category. If you’re a heavy hitter, this is almost certainly a better offer. (Thanks to JR)
– 60,000 points after $5,000 spend in 90 days – 15,000 additional points after another $7,000 spend in six months
You can get both back-to-back with a modified double dip. For those of you manufacturing globalist, getting both and hitting the minimum spend will earn you 16 status nights and two category 1-4 free night certificates.
In case you were wondering how airlines in general are doing, or how Delta’s new elite program in particular is doing, the fact that this promotion exists should tell you everything you need to know.
If you have upcoming travel on Spirit Airlines, especially if it’s more than a couple of months away, I’d suggest booking refundable backup flights on another carrier because Spirit is exploring bankruptcy and may file as soon as next week.
Safeway, Albertsons, and other Just4U stores have a promotion for 10x points on $50 or more in certain gift cards running through either Tuesday or Friday depending on your region. The good options for our purposes are Choose Your Card gift cards which can be converted to other high resale value cards.
Note specifically that Choose Your Card gift cards have a Visa BIN, an expiration date, and a CVV. Does this mean anything? I honestly don’t know currently, but always be probing because in the past it’s meant something. (Thanks to GCG)
Have a nice weekend friends!
The currently display on Spirit Airlines’s in-air aircraft alerting system.
The Alaska MileagePlan Personal Visa card said “hey guys, I’m cool too” after yesterday brought an increased MileagePlan Business card sign up bonus. Yes, you can get both under a single hard pull if you apply on the same day:
Advanced churners don’t stop at just these two cards though. Don’t worry too much about bonus language with Bank of America cards either, if you’re approved and hit the spend, you’ll get the bonus.
American Express has new bonuses for adding authorized users and meeting minimum spend on a few personal cards:
Remember that if American Express can correlate an authorized user card with a real person’s identity, it’ll show up on their credit report. (Thanks to SideShowBob233 and Agile.Travel)
