It’s no secret that rewards programs constantly change. Benefits increase, benefits are lost, signup bonuses appear and disappear, and mileage and award-night charts are forever being revalued. And usually this all happens with little (or no) notice. For people who want to get the most out of a travel rewards credit card, here are four great offers currently available:
1) Chase Ink Plus Business Card
New card members have the opportunity to earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after making $5,000 in eligible purchases on the card during the first three months that your account is open. The signup bonus alone is worth $750 towards travel rewards when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Additional benefits include:
- 5X points per dollar spent at office supply stores, on cell phone, land line, internet and cable services (capped at $50,000 annually)
- 2X points per dollar spent on hotel accommodations and at gas stations (capped at $50,000 annually)
- 1X point on all other transactions
- Ability to transfer points to numerous travel partners including British Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Hyatt
- No foreign transaction fees
The annual fee for this card is $95 (not waived).
This card is now offering new account holders 40,000 Ultimate Rewards points. To qualify, you must spend $4,000 on the card within the first three months that your account is active. When you add an authorized user and make a purchase on the card within the first three months, you will earn an additional 5,000 bonus points.
Chase Sapphire cardholders earn double points on travel and dining purchases and one point on all other transactions. Additionally, members are able to transfer points to travel partners including Hyatt, Marriott, Southwest, and British Airways.
This card has an annual fee of $95 which is waived for the first year.
New members can earn 25,000 points after making $3,000 in purchases on the card within the first three months that your account is open. Cardholders earn 2 Starpoints per dollar on purchases at participating Starwood hotels – this is in addition to what you earn through the SPG program itself. Members also earn 2 stays/5 nights of credit toward elite status each year. You earn automatic Gold status after spending $30,000 per year on the card. American Express has recently added new benefits such as no foreign transaction fees, complimentary unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi, and complimentary premium in-room internet access.
The Starwood Preferred Guest rewards program stands out from the competition in that it offers both hotel redemptions and has over 30 airline transfer partners. Members can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to many of these partners making it a good choice for people who have various frequent flyer accounts.
There is an annual fee of $95 (waived for the first year).
This card is currently offering new members the opportunity to earn a $100 Bonus. To qualify, you have to spend $500 on eligible purchases during the first three months that your card is active. When you add an authorized user and make a purchase during the first three months, you will earn an additional $25 bonus. There is also a 0% introductory APR available on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles.
Chase Freedom cardholders earn 5% cash back in rotating, quarterly categories (capped at $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter). The current merchant bonus categories include Amazon.com as well as others. Important: You must activate the 5% bonus rewards feature each quarter in order to receive your rewards.
This card is basically a cash-back rewards card but if you also have a Chase premium Ultimate Rewards card (like Chase Sapphire), you can combine points and transfer them to travel partners such as United, Southwest, Marriott, and Hyatt.
There is no annual fee for this card.