Start Of Week Stuff

  • Here’s a 20% bonus converting Diners Club points to Virgin Atlantic miles.
  • Looks like the IHG card anniversary night is going to be awesome for another year.
  • Nerds With Inks can buy a Visa gift card with no fee through Saturday at Staples.
  • Get 15% cash back at a bunch of stores from Ebates.

Sapphire Preferred 80,000 Points

Very interesting offer for the Sapphire here. I can’t remember seeing a bonus going as high as 80,000 points on this one. The “catch” is that it takes a very big amount of spending over a long period of time. Here’s the details:

  • 50,000 points for spending $4,000 in 3 months
  • 30,000 points for spending $20,000 in a year

Definitely an unusual offer for this card. As always with Chase (other than Ritz, Hyatt, IHG, British/Iberia, and Marriott Business) don’t waste time applying if you’ve gotten 5 or more credit cards in the last 24 months. Like the Freedom offer, this isn’t for everyone but will be VERY attractive to the right person.

Have a great weekend, nerds!

Top 25 Updates

Some things in the world are a lock…

Rain the day after washing your car.

Teenagers seeing parents stroll into the room just in time for the movie’s only nude scene.

And, of course, credit card updates a day or two after every Top 25 post.

The JetBlue Business bonus is up to 40,000 points and the new Marriott Premier Plus is 100,000.

Wednesday Stuff

Lots to catch up on after yesterday’s Top 25…

  • If you haven’t joined American’s Business Extra program yet, now is a good time. You can collect points there and earn regular miles when flying. Stacking is good.
  • Get 50% off some reward nights from IHG. I might have already posted this. If so, just remember that I’m old and possibly senile.
  • Thanks to reader Dan, I have a few Southwest drink coupons expiring at the end of the year. First few people to email me early this morning will get one. As always, they’ll go very fast. If you don’t hear back by noon, you won’t be hearing back. Gone.
  • 250 points for Starwood mobile check-ins. Not a lot of points and not a lot of effort.
  • THIS IS CRAZY BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 3 MINUTES, THERE IS A JETBLUE SALE.
  • Also one from Alaska. Apologies for the yelling. After deep personal reflection for the last 12 seconds, it appears I am a weirdo.

 

 

The Top 25 Credit Cards

(If you see any errors, please let me know. I try to keep a full list, but it’s a lot of information and I do make mistakes)

 

Significant Changes Since Last Month:
-Added American Business link from Barclays.
-Removed Starwood Business link.
-Cathay Pacific up to 60,000 for more spending.
-There’s a new Barclays Arrival card but it’s not good enough for the list.
-$500 on the Amex SimplyCash Plus card. Plus the usual 5% at office stores.
-The Chase Freedom Unlimited deal is very strong for the right person.
-Multiple readers seeing 100,000-point Ink Preferred offer in-branch at Chase.
-Southwest personal cards are down to 40,000.

 

Before Playing This Game:
-Find a new hobby until you can pay off all balances each month.
-Take a second to look at what you’re applying for and confirm a bonus is what you expect.
-Get a screenshot of the bonus description in case you have issues collecting it later.
-Take 2 minutes to read the small print before applying.
(Look for “once in a lifetime,” “no bonus for cardholders in last 24 months,” etc.)
-Keep everything very organized in a spreadsheet. You’ll thank me later.

 

Time for my monthly Top 25 Credit Cards. It’s called “Top 25” out of tradition, but you’ll get many more links than that below. Again, if you’re a rookie, make sure you read The Newbie Guide. It’s a little outdated but many basic questions can still be answered there. For people running out of cards, remember there’s often a Business card option. Also, “churning” (getting the same card more than once) might be an option. The dates here were a guideline but things always tend to vary individually. If you’re new, it might be wise to start with Chase cards because of the limitations they’ll place on you soon.

Miles and points are far from an equal currency. 50,000 Delta SkyMiles are worth less to me than that amount from Alaska Airlines. 25,000 Hyatt points mean way more than the same number from Hilton. And so on. These links work right now (May 1st at midnight). If you read this later, many of the offers will have changed. Things move fast so read offer details and terms before applying. Especially all that small print when you’re trying to get bonuses more than once on the same card. Ok, enough chatter…here we go! My “Top 25” current credit cards are below.

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