Category: Quick Hits

  1. Today is the last day to pay Q3 2025 estimated taxes, a manufactured spend level 102 move. A quick reminder about fees:

    – Pay 1040: 1.75% most credit cards, $2.15 most debit cards
    – ACI Payments: 1.85% personal cards, 2.95% business cards, $2.10 personal debit card

    Wrapping a card with higher fees in something like PayPal will often lower them.
  2. The American Express Business Platinum card has increased targeting on at its public upgrade link 120,000 Membership Rewards after $10,000 spend in three months for existing Business Gold or Green cardholders.
  3. You’ve got until Thursday to:

    – Apply for new American Express Platinum or Business Platinum cards before the annual fee jumps by $200
    – Book any remaining Fine Hotels and Resorts bookings to capture the annual $200 credit before the credit changes to $300 semi-annually and (presumably) resets
    – Use the above upgrade link before the annual fee jumps
    – Finalize preparations for National Cheeseburger Day

    I’d suggest you take 10 minutes and knock these out now so you don’t forget, but you do you.
  4. Staples stores have fee free $200 Visa cards through Saturday, limit nine per transaction.

    These are Pathward / BlackHawkNetwork cards.

Happy Monday!

Flying Spirit on National Cheeseburger Day? There’s a burger for that.

  1. Do this now: Register for Best Western’s Q3 promotions for (1) 2,500 bonus points per paid stay between August 25 and November 30 on up to 10 stays, and (2) double points for paid stays between September 2 and November 30.
  2. The Bank of America Atmos Ascent Visa business has a new inflight sourced sign up bonus of 85,000 Atmos miles after $5,000 spend in three months, which is 5,000 miles more than the current public link. The personal card’s similar bonus is still available:

    – Ascent Personal at https://atmoscard85k.com/
    – Ascent Business at https://atmosbizvisa85k.com/

    Both require a flight attendant code (not to be confused with the flight attendant code), or most any six digit random number that starts with 10. (Thanks to Remster32)
  3. The Bank of America Atmos Summit Visa has a 105,000 Atmos miles bonus by applying by phone at 800-392-2775 with priority code GAATB2. The bonus is 5,000 miles higher than the public link, and the minimum spend is the same at $6,000+ in 90 days.
  4. Alaska has a 15% off of a flight promotional code after signing up for text alerts by texting FLY to 252752 by the end of the day. The code will be delivered tomorrow, and doesn’t work for first class tickets but does work on Hawaiian flights.
  5. JetBlue’s TrueBlue now offers redemptions on German carrier Condor, and the airlines have mileage earning reciprocity too. Pricing for North America to and from Europe:

    – 54,000 – 99,000 points
    – 19,000 – 39,000 points

    The difference in prices seems to be distance related, but we haven’t seen an official award chart or comprehensive data set to confirm that.
  6. Delta’s annual Seattle NFL smash-and-grab fest registration is open at 12status.com. Under the promotion, anyone in Washington, or anyone “in” Washington gets:

    – 1x SkyMiles for every Seattle Seahawks passing yard
    – Zone 5 boarding from Seattle airport

    Delta has learned what GeoIP is so you may need a VPN to explore. (Thanks to notsofedexy).

Happy Wednesday!

The flight attendant code, illustrated.

  1. Southwest has a promotional companion pass valid for travel between January 6, 2026 and March 6, 2026. To earn it:

    – Register at this link, or at the bottom of your ‘My Account’ page
    – Book a two one-ways or one round-trip by Thursday, non basic economy
    – Fly by November 15

    Existing bookings don’t count. Both paid and award tickets are eligible.
  2. Hy-Vee stores have $10 off of $150 in Visa and Mastercard gift cards through Monday. Hy-Vee $10 off coupons typically work in multiples, always be probing.

    These are Pathward / BlackHawk Network gift cards.
  3. More Citi cards can transfer to AA Advantage miles:

    – The Strata, Preferred, Double Cash, and Custom Cash transfer at 1:0.7
    – The Strata Premier, Strata Elite, and Prestige cards transfer at 1:1

    (Thanks to DoC)
  4. Citi ThankYou Points has a 25% transfer bonus to Wyndham Rewards through September 20. In semi-related news, Wyndham Vacasa booking windows have dropped to six months.
  5. American Express offers has a targeted offer for $180 back on $1,200+ at Eva Air for flights originating in the US. It may be possible to turn this into discount Southwest Airlines travel through their interline agreement announced yesterday if you want to make life hard and ticket changes even more frustrating.
  6. Capital One Shopping has targeted referral bonuses that offer $40 to both the referrer and referred.

    Capital One Shopping has gotten better about recognizing self-referrals, but good hygiene continues to pay dividends.
  7. Singapore Airlines changed award redemption rates. Most rates are going up 5%-10%, though Asia and South Pacific redemptions drop 5% in price. Flights to Africa and the Middle East are getting 10-20% increases, and there’s new, variable pricing for non-saver awards.

    PSA to travel bloggers: It’s possible to summarize this sort of thing in less than 1,250 words, I promise.

Happy Tuesday!

Another helpful PSA.

  1. Meijer MPerks has a digital coupon for $10 off $150+ in Visa gift cards through Saturday, and it appears to be the type of coupon that you can re-clip after use. With the right liquidation path this could easily be worth a trip to Meijerland, but don’t mistake that for Michigan.

    Meijer sells both Sunrise and Pathward / BlackHawk Network gift cards.
  2. Synchrony quietly launched the Walmart OnePay CashRewards Mastercard. The vitals:

    – $0 annual fee
    – $35 sign-up bonus after $75+ spend in 30 days
    – 5% for Walmart+ members or 3% back at Walmart otherwise
    – 1.5% cash back elsewhere

    This card is compelling for scaling buyer’s group activities, at least to the extent that Walmart lets you get away with it and the credit line allows, and also to the extent that Synchrony lets you cycle (they don’t).
  3. Office Depot / OfficeMax stores have $15 off of $300+ in Mastercard gift cards through Saturday. For best results:

    – Buy in even multiples of $300
    – Try for multiple transactions back-to-back
    – Look for the lower fee “Everywhere” cards, which despite the name, don’t work everywhere
    – Cry about Dosh being gone

    These are Pathward / BlackHawk Network cards.
  4. Alaska MileagePlan Atmos has free points for residents that live within 75 miles of several cities:

    – San Diego [SDFC registration] [Wave FC registration]
    – Los Angeles
    – Portland
    – Seattle

    You earn 100 miles per goal scored by your local soccer team for the season, and San Diegans have chances with two teams, probably because one of those teams sucks? Idk, I just work here.
  5. Some Capital One cards have a heightened card-linked offer for 60,000 miles with a $299 purchase at the Motley Fool, effectively buying points at 0.5 cents each.

    Just: (1) set a reminder in your phone to cancel the automatic renewal of the subscription after the bonus pays out, and (2) be ready for the frustration of figuring out how to take address off of their email spam list. It sounds easy, but it’s really not. (Thanks to DDG)

Happy Monday!

Motley Fool email preferences page.

  1. Do this now: Register for IHG’s promotion for 10,000 bonus points for two night (plus) stays through September 30, maximum of 30,000 bonus points.

    If you really want to hack this and don’t value your life, Motel 6 continues to be an IHG brand.
  2. The Wells Fargo Choice Privileges Mastercard has a targeted sign-up bonus of 70,000 points after $1,000+ in three months, and carries no annual fee.

    Note: This offer was emailed to certain members, but I was able to extract the link and strip away the member specific identifying parts of the URL. I don’t think the link is risky, but always know a link’s provenance.
  3. Citi ThankYou has a 25% transfer bonus for Leading Hotels of the World’s Leaders Club through August 23. If you haven’t looked into Leading Hotels of the World, this is probably a good opportunity.
  4. Chase Offers has a widely targeted offer for 10% back on up to $400+ at Southwest.com through September 12.
  5. American Express Offers has a targeted offer for $200 back after $1,000+ at Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, or LXR properties through December 31.

Happy Wednesday!

Motel 6s (pictured) don’t catch on fire too often, statistically speaking.

  1. AirCanada has a targeted offer for Chase Sapphire Reserve card holders for a 5,000 point Aeroplan Rewards Certificate, which reduces the cost of a flight award by 5,000 points. You’ve got until August 18 to register, and the certificate is good for a year.

    This works on both business and personal Sapphire Reserves, but not everyone is targeted. (Thanks to IronDukey)
  2. The Barclays JetBlue Business Mastercard has an increased sign-up bonus of 80,000 TrueBlue points after $2,000 spend and paying the $99 annual fee within 90 days.

    Side note: How many people paid everything but the $99 fee and let the bill default, causing this rule?
  3. Citi Shop Day offers 20x rewards when shopping through the Citi Shop browser extension to several online retailers, including buyer’s club favorites like BestBuy and Kohls. Watch for exclusions though, they’re real and they’re not spectacular.
  4. US Bank is sending bonuses for spend in August and September, registration required. Check for email from [email protected]:

    – $50 statement credit after 10 transactions
    – $100 statement credit after 20 transactions
    – $150 statement credit after 30 transactions

    To qualify, each transaction must be $75+, making this a bonus 6.67% cash back in addition to regular rewards for maximizers. (Thanks to Jonathan)
  5. Alaska is adding flights ton London, England and Reykjavik, Iceland from Seattle in Spring 2026 on 787-900 and a 737-MAX8 aircraft respectively, and these will likely be easy awards for the first couple of weeks that they’re bookable.

    I wouldn’t want to fly the Iceland route for eight hours on a domestically configured narrow body aircraft, but you do you, dear traveler.
  6. Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, and other Just4U stores have a coupon 10x points on Zift Zillions through Saturday, as reported a couple of days ago. Starting today, there’s an additional $10 grocery certificate with $50+ purchased on various gift cards, including Zift Zillions cards, limit one per transaction.

    Obviously if you thought 10x was good on its own, 10x + $10 in a slightly annoying to use grocery certificate is slightly better. (Thanks to SideShowBob233)
  7. Southwest has a paid and award sale for 40% off of base fares booked by tomorrow night with promo code LUVFALL, a promo code obviously created to celebrate their fall from grace.

    The concept of “base fares” didn’t used to matter much with Southwest, but now that we’re in the “Southwest-is-basically-Ryanair” era of travel, I’d like to share a reminder that anything not included in the fare itself won’t be discounted, like seat selection fees and checked bag fees. Sometimes booking a bundle that’s 40% off that includes seats and checked bags in the fare is cheaper than booking basic and paying for add-ons, but only sometimes.

Happy Wednesday!

LUV’s fall from grace, illustrated.

  1. Discover has a 15% discount when redeeming points for Apple gift cards through August 31. With resale rates on those cards at approximately 91%, this route gives an indirect cash out of 1.07 cents per Discover post.
  2. US Bank has increased sign-up bonuses for new business checking accounts with promo code Q3RPS25 through September 30:

    – Business Essentials: $400 bonus with $5,000 deposited
    – Platinum Business: $1,000 bonus with $25,000 deposited

    Both require five transactions (even five $1 ACHs is fine), and that you have the money present between days 30 and 60 after opening. If you’re good with a calendar, both of these are slam dunks, earning either 8% or 4% respectively with a 30 day money lock-up.
  3. Hyatt has new targeted promotions, you can look for one on your Hyatt Offers dashboard, or try the following links compiled by DDG if you like disappointment:

    – Tiered bonuses for up to 90,000 total bonus points
    – 20% back on points redemptions up to 30,000 points
    – 2x points for two night stays
    – 2x points for three night stays
    – 3x points for two nights stays
    – 3x points for three night stays
    – Category 1-4 free night certificate for two night stays
    – Category 1-4 free night certificate for three night stays
    – Suite upgrade award for five night stays
    – Suite upgrade award for 10 night stays
    – Double elite qualifying nights, up to 20x
    – 1,000 bonus points per night, maximum 10
    – 1,500 bonus points per night, maximum 10
    – 1,500 bonus points per night, maximum 20
    – 2,000 bonus points per night, maximum 10
    – 2,000 bonus points every two nights, maximum 10 nights
    – 3,000 bonus points every two nights, maximum 10 nights
    – 3,000 bonus points every five nights, maximum 50 nights
    – 5,000 bonus points for every five nights, maximum 25 nights
    – 10,000 bonus points for every five nights, maximum 25 nights
    – 10,000 bonus points for every 10 nights, maximum 30 nights

    I got exactly zero of them to work on my account, does that mean I win?
  4. Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, and other Just4U rewards stores have a digital coupon for 10x points on Zift Zillions cards through Saturday. If you’re going for this deal, the blue ones tend to work best. Why those? I guess because they’re made with genuine artificial Zillions powder.

Happy Monday!

Unlike Zillions, these are made with real powder.

I didn’t realize that July 31 was national weird credit card offer day, but here we are. Since we’re not savages, we’ll start with a Hyatt promotion as an amuse bouche before the deluge.

  1. Do this now: Register for Hyatt’s promotion for 15% back on points booking at Under Canvas properties between August 8 and December 1.
  2. The Marriott Bonvoy American Express card line-up has increased bonuses, and all are available through referrals so go that route first:

    – Brilliant: 185,000 Bonvoy points after $6,000 spend in six months
    – Bevy: 155,000 Bonvoy points after $5,000 spend in six months
    – Business: 125,000 Bonvoy points after $8,000 spend in six months

    These are all time high offers, but Marriott properties are also at all time high points redemption cost, so maybe check a couple of bookings to decide if these really make sense for your travel patterns.
  3. The Citi Shop Your Way Rewards card has new beginning of month targeted spend offers for online and in-store “retail, including Sears” spend, and each is valid for three months, so you can get the maximum statement credit monthly in August, September, and October). We’ve seen:

    – 10% back on $800+ (max $80 back monthly)
    – 10% back on $800+ (max $100 back monthly)
    – 10% back on $1,000+ (max $100 back monthly)
    – 15% back on $1,000+ (max $175 back monthly)

    They’ve excluded grocery, wholesale clubs, and home improvement stores from the promotion, but explicitly included office supply stores, department stores, and miscellaneous general merchandise stores as eligible, in addition to some more niche merchant types. (Thanks to K, Shmuel, Fish, Matt, and Josh)
  4. There are increased sign-up bonus for the American Express Business Gold and Platinum cards, some of which are no-lifetime language (NLL):

    – Business Gold (via referrals): 200,000 Membership Rewards after $15,000 spend in three months
    – Business Platinum (via referrals): 250,000 Membership Rewards after $20,000 spend in three months
    – Business Gold (NLL): 175,000 Membership Rewards after $15,000 spend in three months

    If you don’t have another player for a referral, reach out to a churning friend and use theirs.
  5. The FNBO Amtrak card has an increased sign-up bonus of 40,000 points after $2,000 spend in three months for applications through August 13. Unlike the all-time high bonus for this card, the $99 annual fee is not waived with this bonus.

    Amtrak points are worth about 2.6 cents per point. (Thanks to hic2482w)
  6. The Chase Freedom Flex card was pulled for new applications on June 30, but it’s again available for applications and for product changes. Let’s hope the Shop Your Way Rewards card comes back too.
  7. Reader Oslo let me know that Kroger’s 4x fuel promotion has a new third-party gift card exclusion: In addition to Amazon, all fuel retailer cards are also excluded.
  8. Chase Offers has a targeted offer for $100 back on $600+ travel portal spend in a single transaction through September 30.

Happy Thursday!

Confirmed: The gorilla foot car store codes as general merchandise, rest easy friends.