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Amazon bank points deals: Save big by using 1 Amex, Capital One, Chase, or Citi point (YMMV)

December 13, 2020 by Harlan Leave A Comment

I’ve been using bank points of all kinds to save on Amazon purchases recently and wanted to share. This next week is the last dash to purchase gifts before the holidays, and in many cases you save big bucks by adding these promotions to your account and redeeming a single bank point.

These deals come and go frequently. Sometimes I’m targeted, other times not. Still, I always check to see if I’m targeted and add the promotions to my account.

I didn’t need anything the last time I got an offer, so I stocked up on dog food and called it a day. In that way, it’s great to save on basics or things you absolutely know you’ll need in the future. And of course, gifts! 🎁

Save money on Amazon by clicking a link and activating a promotion – as easy as it gets

Y’all know I’m all about the quick, easy wins. And well, this is about as quick and easy as it gets.

Amazon bank points deals: How to use them

Booked: A Texas Road Trip to Austin & Big Bend National Park

October 23, 2020 by Harlan 2 Comments

I don’t post industry news – and as most of the world remains closed to Americans, I’ve withdrawn inward. Instead of planes, I’ve found solace in my car during the pandemic. My last trip was to Arkansas, and that was back in July.

I’ve been mostly shut-in, but am venturing out again, feeling more empowered and eager to explore. A wandering soul needs to wander.

My next trip is to Big Bend National Park via Austin at the end of this month. Two nights in Austin at the Hyatt Place Austin-North Central, then three nights in Terlingua, TX at this cute Airbnb cabin outside the entrance to Big Bend. Then back to Dallas through Midland and Abilene.

The lil cabin I booked in Terlingua, TX

I used Hyatt points and a free night credit from my Chase World of Hyatt card for the two nights in Austin, so they were completely free. And paid for the Airbnb with my Chase Freedom Flex via PayPal, which is a 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points category in Q4 2020.

That Freedom Flex is a beast, I’m tellin’ ya

The only expenses I’ll have on the trip are gas, food, and pet fees at the Hyatt hotel. I’ve been wanting to visit Big Bend for as long as I’ve lived in Texas.

I took election week off to spend in nature and take a break from all the media and craziness. Coincidentally, I’ll be in Big Bend for Day of the Dead this year.

Texas road trip 2020

Inventory: The 23 credit cards I currently have – and why

July 24, 2020 by Harlan 8 Comments

Dang, the last time I did a full credit card inventory was three years ago. Can you believe?

Back then, I had 29 cards. These days I have 23, and currently have my eye on three more (ironically, all cards I’ve had before: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Citi Premier, and US Bank Altitude Reserve).

Of the 29 I had, some I closed, some were discontinued, and others were canceled for me. And I still have a lot of them today. Let’s hop to it!

Recent mainstays

I set up each section with:

Name of card – annual fee amount – # of years I’ve had it – keep or cancel

Amex

Is Citi Double Cash Now the Best Card for Plastiq Payments? (Mortgage/Rent, Auto, HOA)

October 19, 2019 by Harlan 8 Comments

Plastiq is an online service that allows you to pay nearly any bill using a credit card. And now for the “gotchas:”

There’s a 2.5% fee to send a bill payment
You can’t make loan payments (rent, car note, etc.) with a Visa or Amex card, but residential rent and HOA fees are OK
You CAN make loan payments with a Mastercard or Discover card
Capital One cards currently don’t work in their system right now
Most cards only earn 1 point or mile per $1 spent, which doesn’t make the fee worth it

That said, there are a lots of situations you’d want to use Plastiq despite the fee:

To complete minimum spending requirements in literally seconds and earn a sign-up bonus
When they run a promotion for free or discounted payments
When paying the fee gives you wiggle room for unexpected expenses
To reach a big spend bonus for a free hotel night/airline elite status credit, depending which card you have
If your card issuer is running a promotion for bonus miles/points/cash

And there are two cards with a 2X earning rate that work with Plastiq. The first is the Amex Blue Business Plus, which earns 2X Amex Membership Rewards points on all purchases, up to $50,000 spent per calendar year. That’s cool, but many peeps don’t qualify for small business cards, or don’t want to pay personal bills with a business card.

I value bank points at 2 cents each, so earning 2X points per $1 spent is a 4% return.

If you maximize your per-point value, it can easily offset Plastiq’s fee. Like when you get an international long-haul flight in a premium class. For that reason, I’ve been using my Amex Blue Business Plus on Plastiq a lot – but as noted above, I can’t pay my mortgage or car payment.

Enter the second option…

Citi Double Cash Plastiq payments

Review: 3 Ways the Amex Platinum Card Is Worth the $550 Annual Fee

June 10, 2019 by Harlan 7 Comments

If you can’t tell, I’ve been thinking about ultra-premium cards a lot lately. Which ones to keep and pick up… and my overall card strategy.

All roads lead back to the Amex Platinum Card (learn more here) – the original, and a current stronghold.

Several years ago, it was my first card that had a big annual fee. Lots has changed in the industry since, but it’s held up remarkably well. It’s still the card to have if you’re seeking lounge access (though admittedly denigrated a bit in the past few years).

Among ultra-premium cards, it holds its own – especially if you can get maximum value from the long list of benefits.

There are three main ways to approach recouping the cost of the $550 annual fee: through lounge access, with statement credits, or from ancillary bennies.

In each case, the card earns its keep – making the rest of the perks gravy. 🤤 Let’s dig in a bit more.

And don’t forget the 60,000-point welcome bonus, worth ~$1,200 by itself!

Use the Amex Priority Pass to take a nap in airport Minute Suite locations – and many other lounges around the world

Here’s my expert analysis. 🧐

Amex Platinum Card review – how to make the $550 fee worth it

PSA: Don’t Make This Mistake With US Bank Altitude Reserve Travel Credits

June 9, 2019 by Harlan 22 Comments

Upon logging into my US Bank online account, I noticed something weird.

I have a decent amount of points from using mobile pay at Costco for 3X points (a 4.5% return because each point is worth 1.5 cents toward travel). And I have my Real-time Rewards threshold set to $10.

So when I make a travel charge over $10, I get a text asking if I’d like to redeem points to “erase” it.

Just say the magic word and your charge is gone. (The magic word is “Redeem”)

I used this for a few Uber rides recently. Great, great, love it.

But then… I noticed my $325 annual travel credit had recently reset – and doubly covered the charges.

~$82 of charges got double credited – one from Real-time Rewards, the other from my travel credits

Not only did I redeem points for those charges, but somehow it ate up ~$82 worth of my travel credits, too. If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve saved my points.

So when your travel credits reset, DO NOT use Real-time Rewards to erase your charges. You’ll end up paying double!

Oh, and US Bank was beyond lame when I alerted them to what happened. So lame that I’m thinking of dumping this card altogether – after I drain the remaining credits and points, of course.

US Bank Altitude Reserve travel credits don’t play well with Real-time Rewards redemptions

Does Your Biz Spend $5,000+ a Month? Get 85,000 Points, $700+ in Credits, Lounge Access, Elite Status…

June 4, 2019 by Harlan 7 Comments

a man sitting in a chair holding a drink

UPDATE: This offer Is no longer available. Click here to see the latest deals!

Who’s never had the small business version of the Amex Platinum Card? *raises hand*

This card doesn’t count against your Chase 5/24 status. But I didn’t include it on my list of 6 best cards if you’re over 5/24 because:

It will only appeal to a small segment of people
The minimum spending requirement to earn the welcome offer is $15,000 (!) in the first 3 months of account opening

But there are several huge reasons to get this card, namely 85,000 Amex Membership Rewards points as a welcome bonus. Plus it comes with a long list of benefits – like $200 in airline credits, 5x points on flights, and 35% points rebate on an airline of your coach (for coach flights, and any airline for Business or First Class).

You can learn more about the card here.

I always make sure to eat full meals and enjoy a couple free cocktails at Amex Centurion Lounges

The annual fee is NOT waived the 1st year. But man, if you make good use of the lounge access and annual statement credits… it’s a total GOAT.

Amex Platinum business card offer

Hacking Uber: Earn Points, Cashback, and Credits Every Time You Ride 🚙

May 2, 2019 by Harlan 12 Comments

Updated 5/23/19.

I’ve been riding Uber more lately because they make it so easy to stack multiple offers when you ride.

Oh, Uber. I am “getting there”

And, I’m hopeful they’re slowly but surely turning things around.

With Lyft, you can only earn 1X Delta miles – and 30 JetBlue points on airport trips. Which, meh.

I’d rather earn cashback and Drop points, use travel credits, and get Uber credits for shopping around town. And many times you can stack these deals. You know I love a good stack!

1. Earn points and get cashback with Freebird

Awesome Targeted Deal: Up to 50% Off at Amazon With 1 Amex Membership Rewards Point

January 10, 2019 by Harlan 3 Comments

Talk about an amazing deal – you can get $30 off a $60+ Amazon purchase when you use 1 Amex Membership Rewards point and put the rest on a qualifying Amex card.

This deal is targeted. You can check your account at this link to see if you’re eligible.

It was in my account, so I immediately got a $60 Whole Foods gift card for only $29.99. That’s 50% off!

The deal works on items sold and shipped by Amazon, and excludes digital content. I love easy wins like this.

I can get everything I need for my heavy metal detox smoothie for 50% off with this latest Amazon Amex promotion

Here are more deets!

Amazon Amex $30 Off $60+

How Many $400+ Annual Fee Cards Is Too Much (or Just Enough)?

January 8, 2019 by Harlan 11 Comments

Right now, I have 3 ultra premium credit cards with annual fees of $400 and up:

Chase Sapphire Reserve – $550
Citi Prestige – $495 (though mine renewed at $450 for one more year)
US Bank Altitude Reserve – $400

That’s $1,345 in annual fees! 😵

Still, I find myself wanting the Amex Platinum biz card ($595, but $450 through January 2019) and Amex Hilton Aspire ($450), both for vastly different reasons.

But I can’t justify getting another ultra premium card with a big annual fee. Am I capping out at 3?

I’m really considering downgrading my Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Getting a 4th – or 5th – would be overkill, wouldn’t it?

No way I’m dumping the best card for Costco shopping! All my high AF cards have a special utility

Here’s a rundown of the major cards with annual fees – and how I get value from them.

Ultra Premium Credit Cards – How Many Does One Need?

Targeted: 20% Off (up to $100) at Amazon When You Use 1 Amex Point – Easy Savings!

November 22, 2018 by Harlan Leave A Comment

Too good not to share. When you shop at Amazon, you can get 20% off items sold and shipped by Amazon when you use 1 Amex Membership Rewards point as part of your payment method – if you’re targeted.

The discount is good for up to $500 in purchases, which means you can save a maximum of $100. But you can only use the discount once, and it’s good through December 23, 2018 – so use it for a big purchase this holiday season! Although Amazon could pull it way before that date.

Click the page and “Click to activate” 20% off at Amazon

Easy win if you shop at Amazon!

Save up to $100 (20% off) at Amazon with this promotion

$3,000 or 225,000 Airline Miles From ONE Sign-Up Bonus – But They’re Not for Everyone

November 18, 2018 by Harlan 7 Comments

Update: This offer is no longer available. Check here to see the latest card offers!

Capital One shook things up this week when they announced mondo 200,000-mile sign-up offers on their Spark Miles and Spark Cash cards. And on the Spark Miles card, those rewards will become transferable to 12 airlines starting December 2018, which is stellar. It’s always good to have more options – especially with flexible rewards programs.

In fact, peeps looking for a single-card solution to most points dilemmas finally found their match. You can redeem the points for 1 cent each, and with the Spark miles card, transfer them at a 2:1.5 ratio to useful airlines like Air Canada, Etihad, and Qantas.

They’re excellent deals if you want a rewarding small business card without hassle. You’ll end up with $3,000 or 225,000 airline miles after the minimum spending is complete.

The required spending and opportunity cost are high with this one

But they’re NOT for everyone. I’ll explain why.