(If you see any errors or missing cards, please let me know. I try to keep a full list, but it’s a lot of information and I do make mistakes).
Time for the monthly edition of my Top 25 Credit Cards. Again, if you’re a newbie, make sure you read The Newbie Guide. Many of your questions will be answered there. Basic things like not applying for 3 Chase cards at the same time should be known before you continue. For people running out of cards, remember there’s often a Business card option. I listed a few here but not many, so it might be worth exploring more Business cards. Also, “churning” might be an option. The dates here were a guideline but things always tend to vary individually.
- Various American Express Cards – first try for potentially better Amex offers here
- Business Platinum
- Business Gold Rewards
- Spend $10,000 in 3 months. Get 75,000 points.
- Possible smaller spend for the same 75,000 points.
- Premier Rewards Gold
- Spend $1,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- Some people have seen 100,000 points.
- The above links may be dead. As always, if you are aware of something better, please send me the link so everyone can benefit.
- Platinum
- Lots of people are seeing offers worth 100,000 points.
- Sapphire (Chase)
- Spend $4,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- Add an authorized user for 5,000 more.
- Still very valuable points. See Ink Plus.
- Up from the usual 40,000.
- British Airways (Chase)
- Spend $2,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- Spend $10,000 for 75,000 points.
- Spend $20,000 total in the first year for a total of 100,000 points.
- Big spending, but nice to have this back.
- Ink Plus (Chase)
- Spend $5,000 in 3 months. Get 60,000 points.
- The points transfer to United, Southwest, British, Hyatt, etc.
- 5 times the points on purchases at office stores.
- Ink Cash at the same link is also 5X at office stores.
- Worth seeing if you can still get a 70,000-point offer in your local branch.
- Starwood Preferred Guest aka SPG (American Express)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Back down to 25,000 points.
- Some of you are seeing a 30,000-point offer as applying for a new SPG account.
- Great currency to have. See Cash + Points for hotel stays.
- I’m also a big fan of some of their 3,000-point properties.
- The Business version of the card is here.
- Barclay Arrival (Barclays)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 40,000 miles.
- Some of the most flexible, easy-to-use miles around.
- American Airlines cards (Citibank)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 miles.
- Targeted offers worth 60,000 miles have been around lately.
- Executive card links are here.
- United Airlines (Chase)
- Southwest (Chase)
- Spend $2,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- The Premier Personal link is working above. Personal Plus is here.
- Premier Business is here.
- Great time to start planning for your companion pass.
- Possible 60,000-point Business Premier if you call 1-888-883-2721.
- Scroll down to “Not the card for you” for a 40,000-point Plus offer.
- Personal with $100 credit is here.
- Hilton Honors Reserve (Citibank)
- Spend $2,500 in 4 months. Get 2 weekend nights.
- This is the best Hilton card.
- Gold status while you have the card. Upgrades, breakfast, internet, etc.
- Prestige (Citibank)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- Nice benefits including $250 annual airline credit help with big $450 annual fee.
- People are getting a lower $350 annual fee applying in local branches.
- A tool on Citibank’s site shows cards you are prequalified for. You can also get a 50,000-point offer there.
- See if you’re targeted for a 100,000-point offer.
- Ritz Carlton (Chase)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 2 free nights.
- Big $395 annual fee. But a travel credit of $300 makes that much less of a pain.
- Mercedes Benz Platinum (American Express)
- Hyatt (Chase)
- Spend $1,000 in 3 months. Get 2 nights, $50, and 5,000 points for adding a user.
- “Offer only available to you if you have stayed at a Hyatt property since May 1, 2015.”
- No 50 bucks but no stay requirement either here.
- InterContinental Hotel aka IHG aka Priority Club (Chase)
- Club Carlson Premier (US Bank)
- Spend $2,500 in 90 days. Get 85,000 points.
- Great hotel card and not from the usual issuers.
- Fairmont Hotel (Chase)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 2 nights and breakfast at any Fairmont.
- Many of these hotels are very expensive (see: Maui).
- Delta (American Express)
- Marriott (Chase)
- Hilton Honors (Citibank)
- FlexPerks (US Bank)
- Thank You Premier (Citibank)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- Bonuses on this card go up/down often.
- Another version is here.
- Wyndham (Barclays)
- Spend $1,000 in 90 days. Get 45,000 points.
- Offer has fluctuated between 30,000 and 45,000 for a LONG time.
- Book any Wyndham hotel for 15,000 points a night.
- Alaska Airlines (Bank of America)
- Spend $1. Get 25,000 miles.
- Better offer with $100 credit here.
- When links die, use one of these methods:
- Call 1.800.932.2775 and give priority code VACFQ7.
- Shop for a flight and see the offer on the payment page.
- Bank of America cards can be MUCH more “churnable” than most.
- Here’s a great trick to get the most out of this.
- Propel (Wells Fargo)
- Lufthansa (Barclays)
- Spend $1,000 in 90 days. Get 35,000 miles.
- I like it better at 50,000.
- Spark (Capital One)
- Spend $4,500 in 3 months. Get 50,000 miles.
- Redeem the miles for $500 in travel purchases.
- Venture (Capital One)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 40,000 miles.
- Has been up from 20,000 miles for a while.
- Hilton Honors (American Express)
- Spend $750 in 3 months. Get 40,000 points.
- Better offer for 60,000 points here.
- Go to Hilton.com, begin making a reservation, and you can also see a 50,000-point offer on the payment page. Thanks jakobv84 for saying this is gone for now.
- Hilton Honors Surpass (American Express)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 60,000 points.
- Currently, a working 80-000 point link is here.
- Get the previous card, and you’ll get tons of offers to upgrade to this one.
- Gold Charge Card and/or Green Charge Card (American Express)
- Spend $1,000 in 3 months. Get 25,000 points.
- Not the greatest, but nice to have different Amex options.
- Hawaiian Airlines (Barclays)
- Lifemiles (US Bank)
- Spend $2,500 in 90 days. Get 35,000 miles.
- Offer supposedly ends (again) at the end of 2015.
- Diners Club Elite (BMO Harris Bank)
- 3x points at gas station, grocery stores, and pharmacies.
- Killer way to pick up Starwood points.
- Big annual fee.
- Application links have been down lately.
- Aeroplan (TD Bank)
- Spend $1,000 in 3 billing statements. Get 25,000 miles.
- Unspectacular, but low spend and not the usual issuer.
- Virgin America (Comenity)
- 2 different card offers I discussed here.
- Issued by Comenity Bank, which is the best thing about these cards.
- Oh, and flights to glorious Hawaii now!
- Freedom (Chase)
- Worth having in your collection for the 5% quarterly bonuses.
- Extra 2,500 points for adding an authorized user.
- No reason to close this one.
- Maybe a better bonus here?
- Currently with a $150 bonus.
- Korean (US Bank)
- Make 25 purchases. Get 25,000 miles.
- Back up from 15,000.
- Bank Americard Travel Rewards (Bank of America)
- Spend $1,000 in 90 days. Get 20,000 points.
- This is double the normal offer. Worth $200.
- LAN (US Bank)
- 20,000 miles after first use. Was 25,000 before March 1.
- Down from a 40,000-mile offer.
- Also a bonus 10,000 miles for making 45 transactions in 90 days. Ends 12/31.
- Frontier Airlines (Barclays)
- Spend $500 in 3 months. Get 40,000 miles.
- Moved way down. These miles suck. Expire after 6 months of no activity.
- Interesting use for the miles here.
- Amtrak (Bank of America)
- Two versions – 20,000 and 12,000 points.
- Big limitations on the point transfers that made this card great.
- Expedia (Citibank)
- Spend $2,000 in 3 months. Get 20,000 points.
- Also a 10,000-point version with no annual fee.
- Virgin Atlantic (Bank of America)
- Blue For Business (Amex)
- Spend $5,000 in 6 months. Get 20,000 points.
- Higher offer is through January 25th.
- Everyday (Amex)
- Sun Country (First National Bank of Omaha)
- Spend $500 in 3 billing cycles. Get 40,000 points.
- Not the most popular airline in the world. Sorry Omaha.
- Best Western (First Bank of Omaha)
- 4 different card options. Up to 70,000 points on one.
- Better than the old Barclays Best Western card.
- NFL (Barclays)
- Spend $500 in 90 days. Get $100 credit.
- Offer has been higher in the past.
- Choice Hotel (Barclays)
- I keep this as the last card mostly out of tradition.
- If you’ve been reading this far, I salute you!
Recently Dropped:
- Navy Federal Card (Military Only) – Nobody cared about this one. Oh well.
- JetBlue – Application links aren’t around until 2016. Moving from Amex to Barclays.
- Asiana (B of A) – Down from 25,000.
Beyond this mile/point list, the following are some great cashback cards:
- Discover IT – Double cashback for a year makes this very, very attractive.
- Amex SimplyCash – 3% cashback in chosen category. 5% at office stores.
- JCB Marukai – 3% cashback after $3,000 spending/year. Limited states.
- TD Easy Rewards – 5% cashback select categories for 6 months.
- Wells Fargo – 5% cashback select categories for 6 months.
- Fidelity – 2% cashback.
- Citi Double Cash – 2% cashback.
- BB&T Spectrum – 3% cashback for 90 days, plus bonuses. Limited states.
- B of A Americard Cash Rewards – 2% grocery and 3% gas.
- Capital One Quicksilver – 1.5% cashback.
- Capital One Spark Business – 2% cashback. Big bonus right now.
- NBA – 5x twice a year.
- AARP – Thanks Dale. $200 bonus and 3% categories.