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Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card & Business Card offering free Marriott Platinum status & 100,000 points & more

10/15/2020

In response to Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Visa's crazily lucrative five free 50K-nights offer, Amex has also brought us very impressive offers for both the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card:

For the 2021 calendar year, enjoy free Marriott Platinum Elite status, the second top tier elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program, normally achieved by staying at least 50 nights per year and offering lounge access/free breakfasts, upgrades to a suite, and other perks.
Earn 100,000 points when you spend at least $5,000 within 3 months of new account opening for either card.
Earn additional 25,000 points upon your first anniversary when you renew your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card. The annual fee is $450 but after considering the annual $300 Marriott credit becomes $150 effectively. The card offers a free 50K-night upon each anniversary, which can easily negate the effective annual fee.
Earn up to $150 in statement credits for select U.S. advertising purchases within the first 6 months with your Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, which carries a $125 annual fee and offers a free 35K-night upon each anniversary.

Considering how lucrative Marriott Platinum status could be, we judge these as the best signup bonuses ever for both cards. The only concern is obviously your travel plan during this pandemic.

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Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless best bonus ever: five free nights, each capped at 50,000-point level

10/1/2020

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Chase has brought us an amazing signup offer for Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Visa Signature:

When you spend $5,000 within the first 3 months of new account opening, you will earn five free nights at Marriott International portfolio hotels worldwide, each capped at 50,000 points redemption level.
The free night certificates expire 12 months after issuance.
The potential maximum value for this signup bonus is 250,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, compared to the previous signup bonus of 100,000 points. This is easily the best offer ever for this card, and probably also better than any of the previous offers from Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Starwood credit cards.
The downside of free night certificate compared to outright points bonus includes: (1) the free nights will have the best value when redeemed at hotels that require exactly or at least close to 50,000 points per night, which represent a subset of Marriott portfolio hotels worldwide, while Marriott Bonvoy points can be redeemed at any Marriott portfolio hotels at different redemption levels; (2) free night certificates expire after 12 months of issuance and there is no way to extend them after expiration dates (except for COVID-19 related measures), while Marriott points expire after 24 months of account inactivity and any qualifying activity will keep all points active for another 24 months; (3) Marriott points can also be transferred to frequent flyer miles of 44 partners, and in our book this feature actually represents better value than hotel redemption (currently 0.75 cent per point vs. 0.6 cent for hotels). Partners such as American, United, Alaska, Delta, Southwest, British, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Japan, Air Canada, ANA, Avianca, Singapore, Turkish, Korean, Flying Blue, Etihad, all have their own unique strength and value; (4) you can redeem these free nights separately at different hotels or at the same hotels for different stays, but if you decide to redeem them for a five-night stay at the same hotel, keep in mind that Marriott allows you to pay for 4 nights using points and get the 5th night for free - in this way the five free nights will represent value of 200,000 points instead of 250,000 points as previously discussed.
Of course, it is up to you to decide which hotel(s) you want to redeem these free nights. Here we would like to give some ideas to maximize the value of these free nights. The following is Marriott Bonvoy's current hotel redemption chart, and obviously better value could be found at Category-6 hotels requiring 50,000 points for standard redemption rate, Category-7 hotels requiring 50,000 points for off-peak rate, and Category-5 hotels requiring 40,000 points for peak rate, as circled in red.

Here are some examples of hotels considered as having great value for free night redemption:
Category-6 (standard redemption): Al Bustan Palace=a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi, The Ritz-Carlton Cancun, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, The Ritz-Carlton Budapest, The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, The Ritz-Carlton Abama, The Ritz-Carlton Chicago, The Ritz-Carlton Moscow, The Ritz-Carlton Macau, The Ritz-Carlton Santiago, The Ritz-Carlton Atlanta, The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City, The Ritz-Carlton Bali, The St. Regis Houston, The St. Regis Langkawi, The St. Regis Singapore, The St. Regis Mexico City, Las Alcobas Mexico City=a Luxury Collection Hotel, Tembo del Inka Valle Sagrado=a Luxury Collection Resort, The Shanghai EDITION, W Hollywood, W Miami, JW Marriott Nara, JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn, JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge, Château de la Resle=a Member of Design Hotels, The Westin Miyako Kyoto, The Westin Palace Madrid, Marriott's St. Kitts Beach Club, Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View, St. Pancras Renaissance London, Le Metropolitan Paris=A Tribute Portfolio Hotel
Category-7 (with decent off-peak rate availability): The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, The Ritz-Carlton Bacara - Santa Barbara, The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, The Ritz-Carlton Washington DC, The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds - Lake Oconee, The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah Al Wadi Desert, The Ritz-Carlton Osaka, The Ritz-Carlton Toronto, The Ritz-Carlton Herzliya, The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain, The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong, The Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui, The Ritz-Carlton Vienna, The St. Regis Atlanta, The St. Regis Osaka, The St. Regis Toronto, The St. Regis Washington DC, Hotel The Mitsui - Kyoto=a Luxury Collection Hotel, The Jaffa - Tel Aviv=a Luxury Collection Hotel, Caresse - Bodrum=a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, King George - Athens=a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hotel Grande Bretagne - Athens=a Luxury Collection Hotel, SLS Hotel - Beverly Hills=a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hotel Imperial - Vienna=a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hotel Marqués de Riscal - Elciego=a Luxury Collection Hotel, Excelsior Hotel Gallia - Milan=a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hotel President Wilson - Geneva=a Luxury Collection Hotel, The Bodrum EDITION, The West Hollywood EDITION, The New York EDITION, The Times Square EDITION New York, W New York - Union Square, W Amsterdam, W Bali Seminyak, JW Marriott Essex House New York, The Algonquin Times Square=Autograph Collection, 11 Howard New York=a Member of Design Hotels, Blakes Hotel London=a Member of Design Hotels, The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort, Le Méridien Bora Bora, Paris Marriott Champs Elysees, Wealia Beach Resort - Marriott Maui, Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort, Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, Renaissance Paris Vendome
Category-5 (peak redemption): Sharq Village & Spa=a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Doha, The St. Regis Shanghai Jing'An, The St. Regis Cairo, The St. Regis Doha, Trump Turnberry - Scotland=a Luxury Collection Resort, Hotel Paracas=a Luxury Collection Resort, The Alexander - Yerevan=a Luxury Collection Hotel, The Sanya EDITION, W Muscat, W Santiago, W Brisbane, JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort, JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort, JW Marriott Monterrey Valle, Pier One Sydney Harbour=Autograph Collection, Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay

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Capital One Venture up to 100,000 Miles ($1,000 in travel rewards or 75,000 frequent flyer miles)

9/22/2020

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Capital One Venture Rewards Visa Signature is offering up to 100,000 Miles (50,000 Miles when you spend $3,000 within 3 months of new account opening, and an additional 50,000 Miles when you spend a total of $20,000 within the first year). This comes close to this card's historical high of 100,000 miles with the first year annual fee waiver and low spending requirement in 2011 & 2012.
Since May 2020, the $95 annual fee is no longer waived for the first year.
100,000 Capital One Miles can be redeemed for $1,000 in fixed-value travel rewards, or for food delivery, takeout, streaming services through 9/30/2020 as a COVID-19 relief measure.
100,000 Miles can also be transferred to 75,000 frequent traveler miles/points of the following parter programs: Aeromexico, Air Canada Aeroplan, Alitalia, Avianca, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad, EVA, Finnair, FlyingBlue (Air France & KLM), JetBlue, Qantas, Singapore, and Wyndham Rewards, or 50,000 Accor Live Limitless points.
Our current valuation for Capital One Miles is 1.1 cents a piece based on the miles/points transfer feature, or 1 cent based on fixed value rewards. This card returns 2x Miles on everything, i.e., 2~2.2% rewards. Even though the $20K spending requirement is kind of high, you don't really lose anything compared to a benchmark 2% cashback card such as Citi Double Cash or Fidelity Visa. So if you could spend this much in the first year, opening this card is highly recommended.
Keep in mind that while most other card issuers usually pull from one of the three credit reporting agencies, Capital One is infamous for pulling all three.

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Chase introduces Freedom Flex and revamps Freedom Unlimited

9/14/2020

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Today, Chase introduces a new product Freedom Flex World Elite MasterCard (WEMC), which replaces the popular Freedom Visa while keeping the 5% quarterly rotating categories and zero annual fee. Freedom Flex WEMC offers a few new bonus categories: 5% cashback on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR), and 3% cashback on dining & drugstores. The signup bonus remains the same: $200 with $500 spent within 3 months of new account opening + 5% cashback on groceries up to $12,000 spent for the first year. Freedom Visa will be discontinued for new applications, and the existing cardmembers will have an option to product change to the new Freedom Flex WEMC.
A few words about the 5% cashback on travel booked through UR: it makes a lot of sense to book airfare (other than a few exceptions such as Southwest) to take advantage of the bonus, as the rates are the same as if you book directly with airlines and if you remember to add your frequent flyer number you will still earn miles and be recognized for your elite status; however, you may want to think twice before booking hotels, because several hotel programs won't allow points accumulation or recognize your elite status if you book through a third party; you may also need to be careful about car rentals, as you might not be able to apply certain coupons or promotions.
Chase also revamps Freedom Unlimited Visa, adding 5% cashback on travel booked through Chase UR and 3% on dining & drugstores, while keeping 1.5% cashback everywhere else and zero annual fee. The signup bonus also remains the same: $200 with $500 spent within 3 months of new account opening + 5% cashback on groceries up to $12,000 spent for the first year. The existing cardmembers don't need to do anything to receive the new benefits.
Even though both Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited are advertised as cashback cards, they actually earn UR points and have the "1,000 points = $10 cash" redemption option (starting with 2,000 points minimum per redemption). Both offer impressive rewards, especially for the bonus categories. However, if you have a premium UR card such as Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, or Ink Preferred, you can move the UR points earned from either Freedom card to the premium UR account and take advantage of two premium redemption features: (1) transfer UR points to miles/points of frequent traveler programs (such as United, Singapore, British, Flying Blue, Southwest, JetBlue, Hyatt) at 1:1 ratio, or (2) fixed-value travel redemption when booking through UR at 1.25 cents/point for Sapphire Preferred / Ink Preferred or 1.5 cents/point for Sapphire Reserve. This increases the rewards value of either Freedom card by 50%, based on our current valuation of UR points.
Freedom Unlimited is now rated as #9 Best Credit Card for Rewards, which is only based on 1 cent per point value because our ranking method is based on single-card scenarios. If we use 1.5 cents value assuming pairing with a premium UR card, Freedom Unlimited will easily take the top spot from the current champion Citi Premier, and Freedom Flex will be rated #2.
Freedom Unlimited and Sapphire Reserve make a great combo, allowing you to pool UR points in Sapphire's account for fixed value rewards or points transfer with elevated value. Obviously, you want to use Freedom Unlimited for most purchases, while using Sapphire Reserve for foreign transactions. As for travel, it makes sense to put hotels & car rentals on Sapphire Reserve as previously explained, and you need to decide on which to use for airfare - even though Freedom Unlimited gives you 2 more points, Sapphire Reserve's travel protection is second to none, offering Travel Delay, Baggage Delay, and other coverages with higher insurance amounts. In addition, if you want to throw in Chase Freedom Flex that earns 5x points on quarterly rotating categories, your return will be even higher. Chase is smart to make you keep all three cards if you want to maximize UR point earning.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred 80,000 points ($1,000 in travel rewards, or 80K miles of United, Southwest, JetBlue, Singapore, British, Hyatt, etc.)

9/14/2020

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Chase just brought us an improved signup bonus for Sapphire Preferred:

80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (=$1,000 travel rewards via Chase, or 80K miles/points of United, Singapore, British, Flying Blue, Southwest, JetBlue, Hyatt, etc.) after spending $4,000 within 3 months of new account opening. Note that there is no more first annual fee waiver as before.
This bonus is not available if you currently have a Sapphire card (Sapphire, Sapphire Preferred, or Sapphire Reserve) or have received signup bonus from any Sapphire card in the past 48 months.
Based on anecdotal reports, this card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (you won't be approved for this card if you have opened 5 or more new accounts within the past 24 months; any new account with any issuer will count, not just with Chase; new accounts include most credit cards and charge cards but exclude non-Chase business cards and store charge cards).
The historical high of the signup bonus for this card was 100,000 points, but it was many years ago in 2012. This 80K points offer is the best bonus we have seen since 2012.
Sapphire Preferred is a great card to pair with the newly enhanced Chase Freedom Unlimited which offers 5x points on travel through Chase, 3x on dining & drugstores, and 1.5x everywhere else, because you might move points earned from Freedom Unlimited (which is ineligible for miles/points transfer) to Sapphire Preferred's account so they become eligible for miles/points transfer as well as the 1.25 cents per point fixed-value travel redemptions, greatly improving Freedom Unlimited's value.

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BofA Alaska Visa historical high @signup (personal 65K miles + $99 companion pass, business 40K miles + $200 + $99 companion pass)

9/7/2020

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BofA Alaska Visa has offered the best historical bonuses for both the personal version and business version:

Personal version: up to 65,000 miles + one $99 companion certificate (40,000 miles + one $99 companion certification which allows you to take a companion for $99 plus fees and taxes starting $22 when you pay your own ticket, after spending $2,000 within 3 months of new account opening, and additional 25,000 miles after spending a total of $8,000 with 6 months). Based on our current valuation of 1.8 cents a piece, the signup bonus is worth $1,180.
Business version: $200 statement credit + 40,000 miles + one $99 companion certificate after spending $2,000 within 3 months of new account opening. The signup bonus is worth $945 in our book.

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Revamped Citi Premier becomes #1 Best Credit Card for Rewards by Dr. Credit Card

8/23/2020

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Citi Premier has been revamped to offer 3x ThankYou points on groceries & gas & dining & airlines & hotels & travel agencies, almost single-handedly covering all important bonus categories. Previously, Citi Premier offered 3x on gas & travel, and 2x on dining & entertainment. Our current valuation for ThankYou points is 1.5 cents a piece based on the miles/points transfer feature (partners including Avianca, Singapore, Cathay Pacific, Flying Blue, JetBlue, Etihad, etc.), and thus Citi Premier returns 4.5% travel rewards for all its 3x categories. With this substantial improvement, Citi Premier is now #1 Best Credit Card for Rewards, unseating the long reigning Amex EveryDay Preferred, and also rated #3 Best Credit Card by Dr. Credit Card. Note that 3x bonus on groceries & gas has been offered to cardmembers since June, ahead of the schedule revamp as part of temporary COVID-19 relief by credit cards. Here are the before and after snapshots for our Top 10 list.

However, Citi Premier only returns 1x for non-bonus spending, and we recommend looking somewhere else for general spending. For example, Citi Double Cash which usually returns 2% cashback can be a great card to pair with Citi Premier, as you may transfer Double Cash's cash rewards to ThankYou points and activate miles/points transfer feature to unlock the full potential of the card - an unmatched 3% travel rewards based on our valuation.

On the other hand, leveraging the flexible miles/points transfer feature can be both very rewarding and challenging at the same time. If you don't know how to use the transfer feature effectively / just don't want to bother with the hassles and rather prefer fixed-value travel rewards, you probably want to check out the competitors such as Chase Sapphire Reserve, US Bank Altitude Reserve, and Wells Fargo Propel Amex, each of which offers a 1.5-cent fixed-value travel redemption option.

We also updated the Best Credit Card for Rewards review to reflect this change. Now we recommend Citi Double Cash + Citi Premier as one of the four best two-card combos for rewards.

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Summary of all the temporary credit card benefits during this pandemic (updated 8/17/2020 - Amex Delta cards)

8/17/2020

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We are continuing updating the featured review and also posting in the blog section. The new updates are highlighted in cardinal below: Delta Gold Amex (personal & business) gets 4x miles on dining & 5x on Delta purchases; Delta Platinum Amex and Delta Reserve Amex (personal & business) get 5x miles on Delta and 500 miles + 500 MQMs per $1K spent, up to 25K bonus miles. In addition, we rearranged quite bit of other parts of the write-up to make it easier to navigate. We also added annual free night extension by Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and IHG.

Updated August 17, 2020.
COVID-19 has obviously changed consumer behavior in a way that most of us probably would had never anticipated before, and it only makes sense that credit card issuers have been making adjustments accordingly. This review summarizes all the temporary benefits provided by credit card issuers during this pandemic.

American Express

For those who open an Amex card (personal or small business) between 12/1/2019 and 5/31/2020, the period to meet spending requirement to receive signup bonus is extended for three months.
Platinum Card (personal): (1) Receive up to $320 in statement credits for U.S. wireless phone services & select U.S. streaming services (up to $20 per category per month, between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020). (2) Cardmembers that renew between April and December 2020 will receive $200 in statement credits for Amex Travel (Amex's travel booking portal) between 8/1/2020 and 12/31/2021.
Business Platinum Card: (1) Receive up to $320 in statement credits for U.S. wireless phone services & U.S. shipping (up to $20 per category per month, between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020). (2) Receive up to additional $200 in statement credits for Dell purchases in U.S. (up to $100 between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020; up to $100 between 7/1/2020 and 12/31/2020) - this is on top of the annual $200 Dell credits that are already part of this card's benefits. (3) Select cardmembers also receive a $200 statement credit when they renew between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020.
Green Card: Receive up to $80 in statement credits for U.S. wireless phone services (up to $10 per month, between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020).
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card: (1) The annual $300 Marriott statement credits can be used towards U.S. restaurants, between 6/1/2020 and 8/31/2020. (2) Annual free night certificates expiring in 2020 will be valid until 1/31/2021. (3) Earn 6x points at U.S. supermarkets, up to $7,500 in purchase, between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (4) Earn 10x points at Marriott portfolio hotels & gas & dining, up to $7,500 in purchase in each category, between 8/1/2020 and 10/31/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this benefit via Amex Offers in your account.
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card: (1) Select cardmembers receive a $50 statement credit when they renew between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020. (2) Annual free night certificates expiring in 2020 will be valid until 1/31/2021. (3) Earn 10x points at Marriott portfolio hotels & gas & dining, up to $7,500 in purchase in each category, between 8/1/2020 and 10/31/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this benefit via Amex Offers in your account.
Hilton Aspire Card: (1) The annual $250 Hilton resort credits can now be used towards U.S. restaurants, between 6/1/2020 and 8/31/2020. (2) Earn 12x points at U.S. supermarkets between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (3) Hilton points earned through this card between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be considered base points for qualifying Hilton elite status as well as Lifetime Diamond status. (4) Unexpired free weekend night certificates as of 5/1/2020 and newer certificates issued through 12/31/2020 will be valid for any night of the week; unexpired free weekend night certificates as of 3/11/2020 and newer certificates issued through 4/30/2020 will be valid until 8/31/2021, and those issued between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be valid for 24 months (instead of 12 months).
Hilton Surpass Card: (1) Earn 12x points at U.S. supermarkets between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (2) Hilton points earned through this card between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be considered base points for qualifying Hilton elite status as well as Lifetime Diamond status. (3) Unexpired free weekend night certificates as of 5/1/2020 and newer certificates issued through 12/31/2020 will be valid for any night of the week; unexpired free weekend night certificates as of 3/11/2020 and newer certificates issued through 4/30/2020 will be valid until 8/31/2021, and those issued between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be valid for 24 months (instead of 12 months).
Hilton Card (personal): Hilton points earned through this card between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be considered base points for qualifying Hilton elite status as well as Lifetime Diamond status.
Hilton Business Card: Select cardmembers receive a $50 statement credit when they renew between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card, Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card: (1) Between 5/31/2020 and 12/31/2020, select business cardmembers receive a $125 statement credit upon renewal, while select personal cardmembers receive a $100 statement credit upon renewal. (2) The personal cardmembers earn 4x miles at U.S. supermarkets, between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (3) Both versions earn 5x miles on Delta purchases, between 8/17/2020 and 12/31/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this benefit via Amex Offers in your account. [New] (4) Both versions earn 500 miles + 500 Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQM) per each $1,000 spent on the card, up to 25K miles and 25K MQMs, between 8/17/2020 and 12/31/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this benefit via Amex Offers in your account. [New]
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card: (1) Between 5/31/2020 and 12/31/2020, select business cardmembers receive a $75 statement credit upon renewal, while select personal cardmembers receive a $50 statement credit upon renewal. (2) The personal cardmembers earn 4x miles at U.S. supermarkets, between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (3) Both versions earn 5x miles on Delta purchases, between 8/17/2020 and 12/31/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this benefit via Amex Offers in your account. [New] (4) Both versions earn 500 miles + 500 MQMs per each $1,000 spent on the card, up to 25K miles and 25K MQMs, between 8/17/2020 and 12/31/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this benefit via Amex Offers in your account. [New]
Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card: (1) The personal cardmembers earn 4x miles at U.S. supermarkets, between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (2) Both versions earn 4x miles at U.S. restaurants and 5x miles on Delta purchases, between 8/17/2020 and 12/31/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this benefit at americanexpress.com/deltagoldoffers. [NEW]
Delta SkyMiles Blue Card : Earn 4x miles at U.S. supermarkets, between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020.

Bank of America

Premier Rewards: Receive $50 statement credits for grocery & dining through 12/31/2020.
Travel Rewards: You may redeem points for statement credits towards grocery & dining at 1 cent per point value through 12/31/2020 (in addition to the regular travel redemption option at this value).

Capital One

Venture, VentureOne: Receive 5x miles on Uber Eats between 7/14/2020 and 1/31/2021.
Savor, SavorOne: Receive 5% cash rewards on Uber Eats between 7/14/2020 and 1/31/2021.

Chase

For those who open a new credit card (personal or small business) between 1/1/2020 and 3/31/2020, the period to meet spending requirements to receive signup bonus is extended for three months.
Sapphire Reserve Card: (1) The annual fee will be reduced from $550 to $450 when you renew between 4/1/2020 and 12/31/2020. (2) The annual $300 travel credit will apply automatically to groceries and gas stations between 6/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 (in addition to the regular travel category). (3) Between 5/31/2020 and 9/30/2020, Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed in statement credits for groceries & dining & home improvement at a fixed value of 1.5 cents per point (in addition to the regular travel category redemption through Chase booking portal). (4) Between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020, earn 5x points on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchases per month. (5) Between 7/1/2020 and 9/30/2020, (a) earn 10x points on select streaming services*, up to $1,500 in purchases, (b) earn 5x points on gas stations, up to $1,500 in purchases, and (c) earn 5x points on Instacart, up to $3,000 in purchases; *eligible streaming services include Apple Music, Disney+, ESPN+, Fubo TV, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Sling, SiriusXM, Spotify, Youtube TV, and Vudu. (6) Receive up to $50 in statement credits towards Instacart Express membership; Instacart Express membership usually costs either $9.99 per month or $99 per year, and provides the following benefits: (a) zero delivery fees on orders over $35 (typically $3.99-$7.99 per order), (b) reduced service fees (typically 5%), and (c) zero busy pricing fees during peak delivery hours. (7) Don't forget the two useful DoorDash benefits that has already existed before the pandemic: (a) one year DoorDash DashPass subscription service for free - activate before 12/31/2021; this subscription service offers zero delivery fee and reduced service fees on food orders over $12 via DoorDash; (b) Receive $60 statement credits for DoorDash purchases through 12/31/2020 and another $60 through 12/31/2021.
Chase Sapphire Preferred: (1) Between 5/31/2020 and 9/30/2020, Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed in statement credits for groceries & dining & home improvement at a fixed value of 1.25 cents per point (in addition to the regular travel category redemption through Chase booking portal). (2) Earn 3x points on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020. (3) Between 7/1/2020 and 9/30/2020, (a) earn 5x points on select streaming services, up to $1,500 in purchases, (b) earn 3x points on gas stations, up to $1,500 in purchases, and (c) earn 3x points on Instacart, up to $3,000 in purchases. (4) Receive up to $50 in statement credits towards Instacart Express membership. (5) Sapphire Preferred cardmembers also continue to receive this DoorDash benefit: one year DoorDash DashPass subscription service for free - activate before 12/31/2021.
United Club Infinite Card, United Club Card, United Presidential Plus Card: (1) Earn 5x miles on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020. (2) Select cardmembers receive 5x miles on groceries and gas, up to $1,500 in combined purchases per month, between 8/1/2020 and 9/30/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this one on Chase website via the link in your email or at chase.com/mybonus.
United Explorer Card, United MileagePlus Select Card: (1) Earn 3x miles on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020. (2) Select cardmembers receive 5x miles on groceries and gas, up to $1,500 in combined purchases per month, between 8/1/2020 and 9/30/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this one on Chase website via the link in your email or at chase.com/mybonus.
Southwest RapidRewards (RR) Plus Visa, Southwest RR Premier Visa, Southwest RR Priority Visa: (1) Earn 3x points on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020. (2) Select cardmembers receive 5x points on groceries and gas, up to $1,500 in combined purchases per month, between 8/1/2020 and 9/30/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this one on Chase website via the link in your email or at chase.com/mybonus.
British Airways Visa, Iberia Visa, Aer Lingus Visa: (1) Earn 3x points on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020. (2) Select cardmembers earn 7x points on groceries & gas & dining, up to $1,500 in combined purchases per month, between 8/1/2020 and 9/30/2020: Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this one on Chase website via the link in your email or at chase.com/mybonus.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, Bonvoy Bold, Marriott Rewards Premier: (1) Annual free night certificates (for Marriott Bonvoy Boundless & Marriott Rewards Premier) expiring in 2020 will be valid until 1/31/2021. (2) Earn 6x points on groceries, up to $6,000 in purchase, between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (3) Earn 10x points on dining & gas, up to $3,500 in purchase, between 7/15/2020 and 9/15/2020 - unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this one on Chase website at chase.com/mybonus.
World of Hyatt Visa, Hyatt Visa: (1) Annual free night certificates with an expiration date between 3/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be valid until 12/31/2021. (2) Earn 3x points on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020.
IHG Rewards Club Premier WEMC, IHG Rewards Club Select MC: (1) Annual free night certificates with an expiration date between 3/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be valid until 12/31/2020; newer certificates issued through 12/31/2020 will be valid for 18 months (instead of 12 months). (2) Earn 3x points on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020. (3) Select cardmembers earn 5x points or miles on groceries and gas, up to $1,500 in combined purchases per month, between 8/1/2020 and 9/30/2020.
Disney Premier Visa: (1) Earn 3% on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020. (2) Select cardmembers receive 5% on groceries and gas, up to $1,500 in combined purchases per month, between 8/1/2020 and 9/30/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this one on Chase website via the link in your email or at chase.com/mybonus.

Citi

For those who open a credit card (personal or small business) between 12/1/2019 and 5/31/2020, the period to meet spending requirement to receive signup bonus will be extended for three months.
Citi Prestige: (1) The annual $250 travel credits can be used towards groceries & dining, between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020. (2) Earn 5x points on online purchases, up to $1,500 spent in this category (in addition to the regular 5x on airlines | travel agencies | dining, 3x on hotels | cruise lines), between 6/2/2020 and 8/31/2020.
Citi Premier cardholders who applied on or after April 10, 2020: (1) Effective June 2, 2020, earn 3x points on groceries & dining. (2) Continue to earn 3x on travel & gas and 2x on entertainment through August 22, 2020. (3) Effective August 23, 2020, earn 3x on airlines & hotels & gas & groceries & dining and 1x everywhere else. (4) Effective August 23, 2020, earn $100 annual hotel credits when you purchase a hotel stay $500 or more through ThankYou.com. (5) Effective April 10, 2021, the fixed value travel redemption will be reduced from 1.25 cents to 1 cent per point.
Citi Premier cardholders who applied before April 10, 2020: (1) Effective June 2, 2020, earn 3x points on groceries and dining. (2) Continue to earn 3x on travel & gas and 2x on entertainment through April 9, 2021. (3) Effective April 10, 2021, earn 3x on airlines & hotels & gas & groceries & dining and 1x everywhere else. (4) Effective August 23, 2020, earn $100 annual hotel credits when you purchase a hotel stay $500 or more through ThankYou.com. (5) Effective April 10, 2021, the fixed value travel redemption will be reduced from 1.25 cents to 1 cent per point.
Citi AA Executive: Cardholders that renew after 3/31/2020 receive a $225 statement credit, which equals to half of the annual fee.
Citi AA Platinum Select: The annual $125 flight discount certificates (after $20K annual spending) that are expiring between 3/31/2020 and 5/31/2020 will be extended for 6 months.
CitiBusiness AA Platinum Select: The annual $99 companion certificates (after $30K annual spending) that are expiring on 12/31/2020 will be extended for 6 months.

HSBC

Premier Word Elite MasterCard: (1) Earn 3x points at groceries stores & wholesale clubs & convenience stores between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (2) You may now use the annual $100 Uber credits towards Uber Eats between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020 (regularly this credit can only be used towards Uber ride share service).

U.S. Bank

US Bank Altitude Reserve: (1) The annual $325 travel credits can be used towards dining, between 6/1/2020 and 12/31/2020. (2) Earn 3x points on dining (in addition to the regular 3x on travel & mobile wallets), between 6/1/2020 and 12/31/2020.

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Chase Southwest personal Visa 65,000 points each (Plus, Premier, Priority) & Southwest Premier Business 60,000 points & United Explorer 60,000 miles & United Business 60,000 miles & United Club 100,000 miles

8/5/2020

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Chase has just brought back some good signup offers for Southwest and United cobranded credit cards:

Chase Southwest RR Plus Visa (personal, annual fee $69): 65,000 points after $2,000 spent within 3 months of new account opening.
Chase Southwest RR Premier Visa (personal, annual fee $99): 65,000 points after $2,000 spent within 3 months of new account opening.
Chase Southwest RR Priority Visa (personal, annual fee $149): 65,000 points after $2,000 spent within 3 months of new account opening.
Chase Southwest RR Premier BUSINESS Visa (annual fee $99): 60,000 points after $3,000 spent within 3 months of new account opening.
Chase United Explorer Visa (personal, 1st year free, $99 thereafter): 60,000 miles after $3,000 spent within 3 months of new account opening.
Chase United Club Visa Infinite (personal, $525 annual fee): 100,00 miles after $5,000 spent within 3 months of new account opening.
Chase United BUSINESS Visa (1st year free, $99 thereafter): 60,000 miles after $3,000 spent within 3 months of new account opening.

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Summary of all the temporary credit card benefits during this pandemic (updated 8/5/2020: Amex Marriott cards 10x points on Marriott & gas & dining)

8/5/2020

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We will regularly update this review and also post in the blog section.

Updated August 5, 2020: Amex Marriott cobranded cardmembers will earn 10x points on Marriott & gas & dining through 10/31/2020 via Amex Offers. See details highlighted in cardinal below.

COVID-19 has obviously changed consumer behavior in a way that most of us probably would had never anticipated before, and it only makes sense that credit card issuers have been making adjustments accordingly. This review summarizes all the temporary benefits provided by credit card issuers during this pandemic.

American Express

For those who open an Amex card (personal or small business) between 12/1/2019 and 5/31/2020, the period to meet spending requirement to receive signup bonus is extended for three months.
Platinum Card (personal): (1) Receive up to $320 in statement credits for U.S. wireless phone services & select U.S. streaming services (up to $20 per category per month, between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020). (2) Cardmembers that renew between April and December 2020 will receive $200 in statement credits for Amex Travel (Amex's travel booking portal) between 8/1/2020 and 12/31/2021.
Business Platinum Card: (1) Receive up to $320 in statement credits for U.S. wireless phone services & U.S. shipping (up to $20 per category per month, between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020). (2) Receive up to additional $200 in statement credits for Dell purchases in U.S. (up to $100 between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020; up to $100 between 7/1/2020 and 12/31/2020) - this is on top of the annual $200 Dell credits that are already part of this card's benefits. (3) Select cardmembers also receive a $200 statement credit when they renew between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020.
Green Card: Receive up to $80 in statement credits for U.S. wireless phone services (up to $10 per month, between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020).
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card: (1) The annual $300 Marriott statement credits can be used towards U.S. restaurants, between 6/1/2020 and 8/31/2020. (2) Earn 6x points at U.S. supermarkets, up to $7,500 in purchase, between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (3) Earn 10x points at Marriott portfolio hotels & gas & dining, up to $7,500 in purchase in each category, between 8/1/2020 and 10/31/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this benefit via Amex Offers in your account. [NEW]
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card: (1) Select cardmembers receive a $50 statement credit when they renew between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020. (2) Earn 10x points at Marriott portfolio hotels & gas & dining, up to $7,500 in purchase in each category, between 8/1/2020 and 10/31/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this benefit via Amex Offers in your account. [NEW]
Hilton Aspire Card: (1) The annual $250 Hilton resort credits can now be used towards U.S. restaurants, between 6/1/2020 and 8/31/2020. (2) Earn 12x points at U.S. supermarkets between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (3) Hilton points earned through this card between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be considered base points for qualifying Hilton elite status as well as Lifetime Diamond status. (4) Unexpired free weekend night certificates as of 5/1/2020 and newer certificates issued until 12/31/2020, will be valid for any night of the week, and those issued between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be valid for 24 months (instead of 12 months).
Hilton Surpass Card: (1) Earn 12x points at U.S. supermarkets between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (2) Hilton points earned through this card between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be considered base points for qualifying Hilton elite status as well as Lifetime Diamond status. (3) Unexpired free weekend night certificates as of 5/1/2020 and newer certificates issued until 12/31/2020, will be valid for any night of the week, and those issued between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be valid for 24 months (instead of 12 months).
Hilton Card (personal): Hilton points earned through this card between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 will be considered base points for qualifying Hilton elite status as well as Lifetime Diamond status.
Hilton Business Card: Select cardmembers receive a $50 statement credit when they renew between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve, SkyMiles Platinum, SkyMiles Gold, SkyMiles Blue cards (personal): (1) All personal Delta cobranded Amex cards earn 4x miles at U.S. supermarkets, between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (2) Select personal SkyMiles Reserve cardmembers receive a $100 statement credit when they renew between 5/31/2020 and 12/31/2020. (3) Select personal SkyMiles Platinum cardmembers receive a $50 statement credit when they renew between 5/31/2020 and 12/31/2020.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business: select cardmembers receive a $125 statement credit when they renew between 5/31/2020 and 12/31/2020.
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business: select cardmembers receive a $75 statement credit when they renew between 5/31/2020 and 12/31/2020.

Bank of America

Premier Rewards: Receive $50 statement credits for grocery & dining through 12/31/2020.
Travel Rewards: You may redeem points for statement credits towards grocery & dining at 1 cent per point value through 12/31/2020 (in addition to the regular travel redemption option at this value).

Capital One

Venture, VentureOne: Receive 5x miles on Uber Eats between 7/14/2020 and 1/31/2021.
Savor, SavorOne: Receive 5% cash rewards on Uber Eats between 7/14/2020 and 1/31/2021.

Chase

For those who open a new credit card (personal or small business) between 1/1/2020 and 3/31/2020, the period to meet spending requirements to receive signup bonus is extended for three months.
Sapphire Reserve Card: (1) The annual fee will be reduced from $550 to $450 when you renew between 4/1/2020 and 12/31/2020. (2) The annual $300 travel credit will apply automatically to groceries and gas stations between 6/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 (in addition to the regular travel category). (3) Between 5/31/2020 and 9/30/2020, Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed in statement credits for groceries & dining & home improvement at a fixed value of 1.5 cents per point (in addition to the regular travel category redemption through Chase booking portal). (4) Between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020, earn 5x points on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchases per month. (5) Between 7/1/2020 and 9/30/2020, (a) earn 10x points on select streaming services*, up to $1,500 in purchases, (b) earn 5x points on gas stations, up to $1,500 in purchases, and (c) earn 5x points on Instacart, up to $3,000 in purchases; *eligible streaming services include Apple Music, Disney+, ESPN+, Fubo TV, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Sling, SiriusXM, Spotify, Youtube TV, and Vudu. (6) Receive up to $50 in statement credits towards Instacart Express membership; Instacart Express membership usually costs either $9.99 per month or $99 per year, and provides the following benefits: (a) zero delivery fees on orders over $35 (typically $3.99-$7.99 per order), (b) reduced service fees (typically 5%), and (c) zero busy pricing fees during peak delivery hours. (7) Don't forget the two useful DoorDash benefits that has already existed before the pandemic: (a) one year DoorDash DashPass subscription service for free - activate before 12/31/2021; this subscription service offers zero delivery fee and reduced service fees on food orders over $12 via DoorDash; (b) Receive $60 statement credits for DoorDash purchases through 12/31/2020 and another $60 through 12/31/2021.
Chase Sapphire Preferred: (1) Between 5/31/2020 and 9/30/2020, Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed in statement credits for groceries & dining & home improvement at a fixed value of 1.25 cents per point (in addition to the regular travel category redemption through Chase booking portal). (2) Earn 3x points on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020. (3) Between 7/1/2020 and 9/30/2020, (a) earn 5x points on select streaming services, up to $1,500 in purchases, (b) earn 3x points on gas stations, up to $1,500 in purchases, and (c) earn 3x points on Instacart, up to $3,000 in purchases. (4) Receive up to $50 in statement credits towards Instacart Express membership. (5) Sapphire Preferred cardmembers also continue to receive this DoorDash benefit: one year DoorDash DashPass subscription service for free - activate before 12/31/2021.
United Club Infinite Card, United Club Card, United Presidential Plus Card: (1) Earn 5x miles on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020. (2) Select cardmembers receive 5x or 7x miles on groceries and gas, up to $1,500 in combined purchases per month, between 8/1/2020 and 9/30/2020. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this one on Chase website via the link in your email or at chase.com/mybonus.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, Bonvoy Bold, Marriott Rewards Premier: (1) Earn 6x points on groceries, up to $6,000 in purchase, between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (2) Earn 10x points on dining & gas, up to $3,500 in purchase, between 7/15/2020 and 9/15/2020 - unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this one on Chase website at chase.com/mybonus.
The following cards earn 3 points or miles on groceries, up to $1,500 in purchase per month, between 5/1/2020 and 6/30/2020: United Explorer Card, United MileagePlus Select Card, Southwest RapidRewards (RR) Plus Visa, Southwest RR Premier Visa, Southwest RR Priority Visa, British Airways Visa, Iberia Visa, Aer Lingus Visa, World of Hyatt Visa, Hyatt Visa, IHG Rewards Club Premier WEMC, IHG Rewards Club Select MC, and Disney Premier Visa.
Select cardmembers of the following cards earn 5 or 7 points or miles on groceries and gas, up to $1,500 in combined purchases per month, between 8/1/2020 and 9/30/2020: United Explorer Card, United MileagePlus Select Card, Southwest RapidRewards (RR) Plus Visa, Southwest RR Premier Visa, Southwest RR Priority Visa, British Airways Visa, Iberia Visa, Aer Lingus Visa, IHG Rewards Club Premier WEMC, IHG Rewards Club Select MC. Unlike most other benefits that are automatically applied, you need to activate this one on Chase website via the link in your email or at chase.com/mybonus.

Citi

For those who open a credit card (personal or small business) between 12/1/2019 and 5/31/2020, the period to meet spending requirement to receive signup bonus will be extended for three months.
Citi Prestige: (1) The annual $250 travel credits can be used towards groceries & dining, between 5/1/2020 and 12/31/2020. (2) Earn 5x points on online purchases, up to $1,500 spent in this category (in addition to the regular 5x on airlines | travel agencies | dining, 3x on hotels | cruise lines), between 6/2/2020 and 8/31/2020.
Citi Premier cardholders who applied on or after April 10, 2020: (1) Effective June 2, 2020, earn 3x points on groceries & dining. (2) Continue to earn 3x on travel & gas and 2x on entertainment through August 22, 2020. (3) Effective August 23, 2020, earn 3x on airlines & hotels & gas & groceries & dining and 1x everywhere else. (4) Effective August 23, 2020, earn $100 annual hotel credits when you purchase a hotel stay $500 or more through ThankYou.com. (5) Effective April 10, 2021, the fixed value travel redemption will be reduced from 1.25 cents to 1 cent per point.
Citi Premier cardholders who applied before April 10, 2020: (1) Effective June 2, 2020, earn 3x points on groceries and dining. (2) Continue to earn 3x on travel & gas and 2x on entertainment through April 9, 2021. (3) Effective April 10, 2021, earn 3x on airlines & hotels & gas & groceries & dining and 1x everywhere else. (4) Effective August 23, 2020, earn $100 annual hotel credits when you purchase a hotel stay $500 or more through ThankYou.com. (5) Effective April 10, 2021, the fixed value travel redemption will be reduced from 1.25 cents to 1 cent per point.
Citi AA Executive: Cardholders that renew after 3/31/2020 receive a $225 statement credit, which equals to half of the annual fee.
Citi AA Platinum Select: The annual $125 flight discount certificates (after $20K annual spending) that are expiring between 3/31/2020 and 5/31/2020 will be extended for 6 months.
CitiBusiness AA Platinum Select: The annual $99 companion certificates (after $30K annual spending) that are expiring on 12/31/2020 will be extended for 6 months.

HSBC

Premier Word Elite MasterCard: (1) Earn 3x points at groceries stores & wholesale clubs & convenience stores between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020. (2) You may now use the annual $100 Uber credits towards Uber Eats between 5/1/2020 and 7/31/2020 (regularly this credit can only be used towards Uber ride share service).

U.S. Bank

US Bank Altitude Reserve: (1) The annual $325 travel credits can be used towards dining, between 6/1/2020 and 12/31/2020. (2) Earn 3x points on dining (in addition to the regular 3x on travel & mobile wallets), between 6/1/2020 and 12/31/2020.

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Summary of all the temporary credit card benefits during this pandemic (updated 8/17/2020 - Amex Delta cards)

Chase Southwest personal Visa 65,000 points each (Plus, Premier, Priority) & Southwest Premier Business 60,000 points & United Explorer 60,000 miles & United Business 60,000 miles & United Club 100,000 miles

Summary of all the temporary credit card benefits during this pandemic (updated 8/5/2020: Amex Marriott cards 10x points on Marriott & gas & dining)

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