Category: Gift Cards

  1. Do this now: Register for Wyndham’s 4x points promotion for stays through January 19, limit 15,000 points. If you hold a basic Wyndham credit or debit card, there’s another 5,000 points after two nights stayed, and 10,000 for Premier cardholders.
  2. The Synchrony Venmo Visa card made changes for new cardholders, and I expect that existing cardholders are now on the business end of a ticking time-bomb too:

    – No more 3% earn in your top category (grocery was the regular)
    – 4% on dining and entertainment when you split the bill with venmo

    Synchrony doesn’t like cycling and the credit lines are just ok.
  3. Bilt’s promotion for Thursday will be:

    – 25%-125% to Amtrak based on status and Bilt Cash
    – 75%-200% to Hilton based on status and Bilt Cash
    – A 90 day Hilton status challenge when transferring to Hilton, based on status

    Both are typically a 1:1 transfer ratio and are limited to 100,000 base points, and only Amtrak makes sense generally speaking. You’ve still got time to earn for Thursday.
  4. ShopRite and Fairway stores each have $20 off of your next transaction when you buy $150+ in Visa or Mastercard gift cards.

    These are Pathward / BlackHawk Network gift cards. (Thanks to GCA)

Happy Monday!

Hilton points if they were a chicken patty.

  1. Brex has a new $1,000 sign-up bonus after $4,000 spend in 30 days with new accounts opened in September. A few Brex-isms:

    – Brex doesn’t like sole proprietorships
    – Brex likes tech companies, especially venture-funded companies
    – Brex has interesting transfer partners and spend multiples, but transfer ratios aren’t 1:1

    Blending is best.
  2. Citi changed its bonus language on its Strata family of cards, limiting the bonus to once per lifetime per card. What does this look like in practice? We don’t know yet, but since it’s Citi, the T&Cs are probably implemented to 80% coverage.
  3. Safeway, Vons, Albertsons, and other Just4U stores have 10x points on $50+ in Instacart gift cards through Saturday, coupon clip required.

    Since we’ve now apparently entered the pumpkin-spice era formerly known as autumn, there’s a possibility that 10x+4x=12x on Saturday.
  4. Publix stores have a coupon for $10 off of $100+ Visa gift cards through October 7.

    These are Pathward / BlackHawk Network gift cards.
  5. Niche news of the day: Product changes from Chase Freedom to Chase Freedom Flex cards are back, probably now because the Freedom Flex was retooled by removing cell phone insurance, removing foreign-transaction fees, and adding Points Boost along with other minor changes.

Have a nice Tuesday, friends!

Safeway stores also brought back another favorite this week.

  1. Do this now: Register for IHG’s Q4 promotion for 3x points starting with your second stay through the end of December.
  2. Citi ThankYou added Japan Airlines Mileage Bank as a 1,000:1,000 transfer partner yesterday, and they’ve got a 30% transfer bonus pushing this to 1,000:1,300 through October 24. Caveat emptor: Unused miles expire for normies after three years and can’t be reset unless you transition to a non-normie.

    RIP the usefulness of this program. Which program, you ask? Citi or JAL? Yes.
  3. Citi ThankYou has a 25% transfer bonus to Avianca Lifemiles through October 24.
  4. The reddit churning purge (don’t ask) surfaced some new personal card no-lifetime language (NLL) AmEx links:

    – Platinum: 175,000 points after $12,000 spend in six months
    – Delta Gold: 80,000 SkyMiles + $250 after $3,000 spend in six months
    – Delta Platinum: 90,000 SkyMiles + $300 after $4,000 spend in six months
    – Bonvoy Bevy: 125,000 points + $150 after $5,000 spend in six months (this one is actually not NLL, but is pop-up free)

    Personal is great and all, but the business versions typically have better sign-up bonuses and won’t show up on your credit report unless you’re, uhh, lame.
  5. Staples in-store has fee-free $200 Visas through Saturday, limit nine per transaction.

    These are Pathward / BlackHawk Network gift cards.

Happy Monday!

A reddit /r/churning purge van spotted in the wild (thanks to elezar)

  1. Kroger stores have a 4x fuel points promotion on third party gift cards excluding Amazon and flexible fuel cards through September 29. This sale probably marks the end of Summer 4x being longer than non-4x.
  2. GiftCards.com has 5% off of $100 ThankYou Visa gift cards with promo code ECO5, limit three per account.

    These are Pathward / BlackHawk Network gift cards.
  3. Capital One Shopping has a mystery boosted offer for GiftCards.com today. Last time we saw offers of up to 15% back, but we’ll see what today brings I guess.

    You don’t need a Capital One card to use Capital One Shopping, and if you’re going to sign up for one, use a referral.
  4. Meijer mPerks has 50,000 bonus points with the purchase of a third party gift card excluding Amazon and Apple through September 29, limit one per mPerks account.
  5. American Express Offers has a targeted offer for $50 off of $250+ at National Car Rental through December 31.

Happy Thursday!

Relevant? Yes. How? You’re going to have to guess.

  1. The Bank of America Alaska Atmos Business Visa has an increased sign-up bonus of 85,000 miles after $5,500 spend in 90 days.

    You can get multiple, just don’t try on the same day or the Bank of America gods may smite you.
  2. The Chase IHG Premier Visa has a new sign-up bonus of five 40,000 point free-night certificates after $4,000 spend in three months, and a bonus 10,000 points after adding an authorized user to your account within three months. This link is from an IHG hotel wifi pop-up.
  3. BMO Bank has a personal checking sign-up bonus of up to $600. “Up to” you ask? Well it’s $100 per month for six months, as long as you receive at least $1,000 in direct deposits, or “direct deposits”, that month.
  4. Staples stores have fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards through Saturday, limit nine per transaction.

    These are Pathward / BlackHawk Network gift cards.
  5. Wyndham points are on sale for 0.68 cents each through October 21, which is still a good deal for certain use cases. Stated annual limits are a lie too. (Thanks to DDG)

Happy Monday!

Bank of America’s multiple card application dashboard.

  1. The Chase Aeroplan Mastercard relaunched with a new structure and 75,000+40,000 mile sign-up bonus, and they’ve removed 3x grocery:

    – $195 annual fee is not waived the first year
    – 2x dining, grocery, and gas, 1x elsewhere
    – 75,000 Aeroplan miles after $4,000 spend in three months
    – 40,000 Aeroplan miles after $20,000 spend in one year
    – $50 semi-annual Air Canada statement credits
    – 15% discount on some Air Canada metal redemptions
    – Low level 25k Aeroplan status for holding the card

    This card doesn’t do referrals.
  2. The NFCU Flagship Rewards Visa launched yesterday with 50,000 points after $4,000 spend in 90 days. The vitals:

    – $95 annual fee is not waived the first year
    – 4x travel, 3x dining, 1x elsewhere
    – Points are worth 1 cent each, no uplift
    – $100 airline credit
    – Yet another global entry or pre-check credit

    NFCU doesn’t love cycling, so hope for a big credit line.
  3. The American Express Hilton cards have increased sign-up bonuses:

    – Aspire: 200,000 Honors points after $6,000 spend in six months
    – Surpass: 130,000 Honors points and a free night certificate after $3,000 spend in six months
    – Honors: 70,000 Honors points and a free night certificate after $2,000 spend in six months
    – Business: 150,000 Honors points and a free night certificate after $8,000 spend in six months

    These are all available via referrals, please use another player’s referral or a churner’s referral rather than applying through a blog or head-on.
  4. The Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express has an increased sign-up bonus of 100,000 Bonvoy points and a 50,000 point free-night certificate after $8,000 spend in six months. The card’s $125 annual fee is not waived for the first year.

    This is available via referrals. The sign-up bonus is definitely worth the $125 annual fee with no credit reporting, but that doesn’t mean it’s a super strong bonus thanks to the terrible value of Bonvoy points.
  5. Stop & Shop, Giant, and Martins stores have 8x points earning on Zift gift cards through Thursday, limit $1,500-$2,000 per week. Meanwhile Giant Food has 2x earning on Mastercard gift cards with seemingly no cap? Finally Giant Food gets some love I guess.

    These are Pathward / BlackHawk Network gift cards.
  6. If you like picking up pennies: Register for Marriott Bonvoy’s Q4 promotion for 1,500 bonus points at non-resorts and 4,500 bonus points at resorts on stays of at least two nights through November 22.

    What’s the value of 1,500 Bonvoy points, you ask? I mean probably not over $5. Thanks Marriott.

Have a nice weekend!

A churner proves that hiking around a Marriott property is probably more valuable than their promo.

  1. Kroger stores have a 4x fuel points sale on dining gift cards through Tuesday.

    The latest quick-hit Kroger status: (1) Best Buy still is intrusive, (2) working when Kroger isn’t is better, (3) fuel points command a premium in high-cost oil markets, (4) sometimes new stock is great, (5) sometimes old stock is great, (6) making things harder to correlate makes things hard to correlate, and (7) dining doesn’t always mean what you probably think it does.
  2. Giftcards.com has more promotions and heightened bonuses across lots of portals, like 3x at AA, 6x at Radisson, and 4% with USAA. Check your favorite portals here. LDV10 for 10% off of $100 Visas and DAILYDEAL for 10% off of other brands are widely listed.

    And the latest quick-hit Giftcards.com status: (1) Portals don’t usually work with promo codes that aren’t on their site, (2) lots of these promo codes found their way to portals, (3) Mastercards are broken up with portals again, and (4) old limits are no longer accurate, things have gotten better.
  3. Safeway’s 5x on Zift cards isn’t working well this week; many cards are earning 0x or 2x despite the promotion, and Safeway customer support has been reluctant to help. It’s probably best to skip this one unless you’re a masochist, in which case, have at it.

Happy Thursday!

Next time on information density theater: Quick analysis of Zift conversion methods.

  1. Do this now: Register for double points at Hyatt’s Thompson hotels via the Hyatt mobile app through November 10.
  2. The Capital One Venture Rewards Visa card has an increased sign-up bonus of 75,000 miles and a $300 hotel credit when booked through the Capital One Travel portal after $4,000 spend in three months.

    This offer is widely available via referrals too, so use another churner’s referral and make their day. If you refer someone else to the card, apologize for the stupid Capital One Travel portal in advance.
  3. Giftcards.com has 10% off of gift cards including Visas with promo code SAVE10, limit $20 back per account. This one should stack with a shopping portal.
  4. American Express Offers has an offer for $200 off of $450+ at North American Marriott properties through November 30.
  5. Breeze Airways has 25% off of roundtrip base fares with promo code POSTCARD for travel between September 21 and February 10, 2027 with carveouts around the holidays.

    And I know you know what this means: it’s time for the next callout on Breeze Route Bingo™. Today’s route is VRB-PVU (Vero Beach, FL and Provo, UT)! If you got a bingo, reach out for validation and your prize.

Happy Wednesday friends!

The Breeze route planner’s previous delivery job was … weird.