Category: Quick Hits

Bank of America is offering $500 or $750 for opening a business checking account at this link. You need to keep either $20,000 or $50,000 on deposit for 60 days and make 5 purchases or payments to get the bonus. I’ll be using debbit for 5 purchases, but not just because I’m a one-trick pony.

The bonus is even better when paired with a BoA Business Cash Rewards card, which you should consider because there’s no annual fee, the 3x categories are bananas, and your 3x actually becomes 3.75x with this checking account. Side note: By holding assets (401k, IRA, brokerage, cash, etc) with BoA, you can work that 3x up to 5.25x. Bloggers don’t talk about it much because it doesn’t pay them any commission, but it’s a gem for MS.

“Trust me, I’m a Bank of America banker!”

1. Staples has fee free $200 Visa Gift Cards, in-store from December 27, 2020 through January 2, 2021, limit 5 per transaction. Call this the deal that just keeps coming back from the dead, probably because it was bit repeatedly by another deal which turned it into a zombie, repeatedly. Use a card that bonuses at office supply stores to goose the deal. (For me, Chase Ink Cash.)

If your normal play is money orders at Walmart, skip the Staples deal unless you have another liquidation strategy.

2. Safeway’s Just4U program (also for Albertson’s, Randall’s, Von’s, Tom Thumb, Acme, and other affiliated grocery stores) is offering $10 off of $100 or more in Visa Gift Cards. Hint: Some variants of the Visa cards sold here are easier to liquidate than others. Make sure to add the offer to your Just4U accounts. You do have more than one, right?

3. You can book a free companion flight on Alaska Airlines between Jan 12 and May 19, 2021 here, but you must book today. Watch out though, there are blackout dates and it’s coach only.

A Zombie holding a visa credit card with the text: Do you take credit cards?
The zombie bit the credit card, which bit the Staples deal, repeatedly.

Use this link for 6 months of free Clear for you and your family. (Clear is an ultra-fast way to get through airport security at major US airports, except RDU for some reason.) Make sure you set a reminder in your phone to cancel 5 months and 20 days from now, otherwise they’ll bill you for a year’s service at the end of your trial. Don’t be that sucker!

True story: My partner doesn’t have Clear and I do. We always race to get through security, and guess who almost always wins? Does that count as an endorsement? Do I ever answer questions or just ask them?

A “clear sucker”

You never know quite what’s inside the PenFed enigma of a bank, but they can be an manufactured spender’s dream. If that weren’t enough, now they have a rather compelling credit card offer for $425 worth of points and $100 in travel credits, which can be double-dipped in 2020 and 2021 if you hurry (so, $625 total). There’s no annual fee for this card if you have an “Access America” checking account, which anyone can sign up for by paying $5 to join.

If you know someone who has a PenFed account of any type already, they can refer you to this credit card and earn $50. This works really well with a player two. If you don’t have a P2 with a PenFed account, find a friend who has one and ask them for a referral. They’ll appreciate the referral bonus I’m sure.

News headline with a pictured bottle of chocolate milk and headline: "Man goes to hospital after drinking unknown liquid from McDonald's chocolate milk container"
Just like with McDonald’s, you never know what’s inside with PenFed.

American Express periodically gives you discounts on Amazon for using Membership Rewards points and now they’ve expanded the ongoing Christmas offer, so check here to see if you’re eligible even if you weren’t before.

Discover jumped on the bandwagon too with more people targeted for a rebate for using at least $0.01 in your cash back balance. Check here to see if you’re eligible. This one was only $10 back for me, so I’ll still do it, but I’ll be frustrated the whole time that it’s only $10.

My recommendation? Buy a $125 BestBuy gift card and resell it at 98% of face, and get $50 off during your purchase by using one Membership Reward point. (Or if you got a lower offer than $50, do what’s right for you.) Scale down as appropriate for Discover.

blurry picture of an everyday young couple on a pile of money.
Actual picture of FlyerTalker ‘AmazonBestBuyCashPileATL’

If you have a Hilton Honors or a Hilton Surpass AmEx, check for an upgrade offer to a Hilton Aspire Card that waives the annual fee for the first year. If you do it quickly, you can get the $250 airline credit in 2020 and 2021, a $250 resort credit, and a free night certificate for nothing out of pocket. Breaking: This may now be dead, but check anyway as nothing is certain with AmEx.

Vince shared that there’s a no lifetime language 100,000 bonus point American Express Business Platinum offer now available (use private mode or a different browser if you don’t see the offer). Of course, don’t forget about the Unicorn AmEx Personal Platinum with 10x at Gas and Grocery.

You can now get $500 Metabank gift cards with no purchase fees and no shipping fees. I don’t expect this to last long, and it doesn’t work in Florida. (Ok, ok, it does work there too.)

Three late teenagers doing a jump kick simultaneously in a line at the camera.
The AmEx-AmEx-Metabank triple threat, personified.

HSBC is a weird bank; they’ve been talking about leaving the US completely for a long time because they keep losing money. They are also paying handsomely for new US customers for some reason. Honestly, they’re a lot like that crazy person you dated right after school. There’s a bonus of $600 for signing up for a new Premier checking account between now and December 31. This is the easiest big bank bonus I know about.

Caveats:

  • There’s a fee of $50 per month that starts after 6 months (can be waived with direct deposit or a big balance, or just by closing the account before then).
  • You have to apply for this account over the phone, or in branch.
  • You have to get a referral code.
  • You have to ACH transfer (“direct deposit”) $5,000 per month into the account up to three times to qualify. I don’t see any reason you can’t just transfer it right back out after.
  • You’ll get a 1099 for the bonus

How do you get a referral code? Find a friend who already has an HSBC Premier checking account and ask. I’m not here to monetize you and I’d rather you find a friend, but if that doesn’t work reach out to me and I can share one.

Young adult girl with huge eyes and a menacing, big-smiled stare.
HSBC, if HSBC was your ex girlfriend.