- I’ve added this news item last Friday, but in case you’ve missed it: Discover has introduced a new card Discover It Miles. It gives 1.5 miles per dollar, but as a new applicant, you get double that amount, though only for the first year. Here is the link, pays no commission.
My reader Cheapblackdad has asked about the best possible combination of cards to collect cash back for one year. Well, friend, this one is for you! If you are willing to use up a credit pull, that is. It doesn’t come with any sign-up bonus, so it’s a no-go for me.
The card effectively gives 3 percent cash back, so it would make sense to pair it up with a card that has bonus categories like Amex Blue Cash Preferred, US Bank Cash Plus, Chase Freedom or Discover It. You can see the list of all best “keeper” cards here
- Get 1,000 Hilton HHonors points for updating your password before March 8th.
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February 28th is the last day to apply for an increased offer on Amex Hilton HHonors Surpass card. This is actually a pretty good deal, and I wrote about it in this post. As always, consider your future plans before signing up for any bonus. The offer doesn’t pay me referral.
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Stay 2 times, get one free Choice night (8,000 points) between now and April 22nd. (h/t Milesremaining)
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The new IHG PointBreaks list preview should be available today. Check LoyaltyLobby for the latest info. You’ll be able to book hotels sometime tomorrow.
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According to The Points Guy and Frequent Miler, Qantas is now added as a Citi Thank You transfer partner. Only cards like Citi Prestige and Citi Thank You Premier card are eligible.
The airline is a member of Oneworld alliance, but the chart isn’t all that compelling compared to Avios (British Airways program). If you don’t have access to Avios, it could come in handy, especially for short flights that cost 8,000 miles one-way. Here is more info:
- Full list of SPG category changes. Book your desired hotel (if going up in category) before March 10th. (h/t Dansdeals)
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If you haven’t yet applied for US Airways Premier World MasterCard, I can once again refer you if you apply before March 14th. Check my page “Best credit card deals for family” for more details. Email me if interested.
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Not miles or points related, but if you are a fan of Thomas series, check out the schedule for annual Day Out with Thomas tour. It’s a lot of fun and quite affordable. I recommend you take your kids if it comes to your state.
Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Playing catch up this week, so you’ll have a few throwback responses to give.
I’ve been pondering the DisoverIT card. And in General, Discover cards have incredible cash back offers through portals. What I am trying to do is a strategy that gets at least one decent sign up bonus, and then leverages 2-3 every day cards for cash back and buying things through portals longer term. So an initial $200+ to grease the cash back wheels a bit followed by portal purchasing and buying discounted gift cards. I have to sit down and wrap my head around this but it feels very doable. There’s got to be a Unified Theory of Cashback that can result in serious $$s over the course of 6-12 months.
@Cheapblackdad You may want to look into TD Easy Rewards Visa.
The reason I mentioned it is because it gives 5% on certain purchases for 6 months
From terms: “Earn 5x rewards points on eligible purchases with your TD Visa credit card, including dining, groceries, gas and cable, phone and utility bill payments for the first 6 billing statements after account opening” It looks not to be capped. If you are willing to purchase $500 Visa gift cards in grocery stores, you can theoretically get 5% on almost all purchases. Just stock up for the rest of the year. Obviously, you risk your account being flagged if you overdo do it. I don’t have any experience with this card, but it’s worth investigating. It is listed on my affiliate site or look here http://www.tdbank.com/personal/credit-cards.html One caveat they mention is that you have to be TD bank customer. The sign-up bonus is $100, but my affiliate site mentioned $200. It does redirect to the same $100 offer, though. This card might be worth it for you even if you have to get a checking or savings account with TD bank. If you hit it hard with $500 Visa gift cards in grocery stores, it would pay off nicely.
@Cheapblackdad Forgot to mention. Even though Citi Thank You Preferred is not a cash back card per se, you may want to check into it. It is listed in my “Best credit card deals for family’ page and (full disclosure) pays me referral. The points can be redeemed for Walmart gift cards 1:1, which is almost as good as cash.
In general, decent sign-up bonus will give you the best return with minimal effort. To me, it’s the number one criteria when choosing a card. Take Discover It Miles. With $24,000 yearly spending, I’ll get $720. If I get Citi Thank You Preferred, I’ll get $320 in Walmart gift cards after spending $2,000. You get the point.
Of course, everyone is different and you need to do what works for you.
I’m not thrilled with the IHG PointBreak hotels in Texas…so I’ll save my 5000 points and see what the next quarter offers! 🙂
Shoesinks, I agree! The only hotel in Florida doesn’t appeal to me either. That said, we’ve got a lot going on right now, so most likely wouldn’t add another vacation anyway. I do hope you find something you like on summer list.