Going to the gas station is stressful these days not only because the cost of a fill-up is at record prices per gallon but deciding which cash back card to use.
OnePay is a financial app backed by Walmart that combines banking, payment cards and cash-back offers. Here’s a quick look at whether it deserves a spot in your wallet:
• Cost: No monthly account fee or minimum balance. • Where it works: Beyond Walmart, including participating gas stations. • Wallet-friendly: Eligible OnePay cards work with Apple Pay and Google Pay. • Main draw: $1 cash back per gallon on Wednesdays through January 15, 2027. • The commitment: You’ll need an eligible OnePay debit or Builder Card; your existing rewards credit card won’t qualify.
Worth considering if you regularly buy gas on Wednesdays and have participating stations nearby.
We’ve covered ways to save with Casey’s, 7-Eleven and Shell Fuel Rewards. Here’s another offer to check before your next fill-up: OnePay is offering $1 cash back per gallon on Wednesdays at participating stations through January 15, 2027.
There’s an important catch: the rules changed in October. You now need an eligible OnePay debit card or OnePay Builder Card. Linking your favorite rewards credit card to OnePay won’t qualify it for this Wednesday bonus.
Which OnePay card do you need?
A few of the Onepay debit card selections
The eligible cards are the OnePay debit card and the secured OnePay Builder Mastercard. The OnePay CashRewards credit card is excluded, along with third-party cards such as Chase Freedom, Freedom Flex, Discover and Amex—even when linked to OnePay Wallet.
You don’t need Walmart Plus, Sam’s Club, or any membership to get this $1 per gallon discount! If you’re using the debit card, fund your OnePay account before filling up. The promotion doesn’t list Walmart+ or OnePay+ membership as a requirement.
OnePay is backed by Walmart and Ribbit Capital, with banking services provided by Coastal Community Bank or Lead Bank, Members FDIC. “Walmart-backed” is an accurate description, but the cards and gas offers extend beyond Walmart.
Does OnePay’s gas offer work with Apple Pay or Google Pay?
Yes. OnePay’s rewards terms allow its debit and Builder Cards to earn through these gas offers using either the physical card or a virtual card stored in a digital wallet. That supports using the eligible OnePay card through Apple Pay or Google Pay at a compatible pump.
Frugal readers have reported successful Wednesday bonuses with both wallets. Paying inside the 7-Eleven or Speedway app has produced mixed results, however: some received the bonus, while others received only the small regular gas reward.
My practical recommendation is to activate the offer in OnePay, then pay directly at the pump with the eligible OnePay card—physical or through Apple Pay or Google Pay. Treat station-app payment as less predictable based on the current reports.
How to get OnePay’s $1-per-gallon gas cash back
$1 Per Gallon Cash Back but only one day a week. Times things properly to maximize your gas savings.
Find the exact station address in OnePay’s gas offers and activate its fuel offer before purchasing. Check the fuel grade, eligible card and limits, then fill up while the offer remains active. OnePay’s Upside offers normally expire four hours after activation.
Pay with your eligible OnePay debit or Builder Card, and keep your receipt and screenshots until the reward arrives.
Check Casey’s, Murphy, 7-Eleven, Speedway, Shell and other nearby stations in the app rather than relying on a chain-wide list. A participating brand doesn’t mean every location participates. Gas offers are unavailable in New Jersey and Wisconsin, and Wednesday eligibility runs from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
OnePay vs. Upside: Choosing your payment card
The biggest difference is which card you can use. With the standalone Upside app, you can claim a gas offer and pay with an eligible rewards card you already own, such as Chase Freedom, Freedom Flex, Discover or an American Express card. That lets you earn the Upside rebate alongside whatever rewards your card earns on the purchase. Quarterly bonuses still require the correct category, activation and available spending allowance.
OnePay’s current $1-per-gallon Wednesday promotion requires payment with an eligible OnePay debit or Builder Card. You can’t pay with Chase or Amex and also receive that Wednesday bonus, even if you’ve linked the card to OnePay Wallet. You’re choosing between OnePay’s promotional rebate and the combination of Upside plus your credit-card rewards.
For example, if your card earns 5% on a qualifying gas purchase at $3.50 per gallon, that’s 17.5 cents per gallon in card rewards. Add your available Upside rebate and compare the total with OnePay’s $1 offer, taking each station’s starting price into account.
Can you collect both OnePay and Upside gas rewards?
This is a separate stacking question. OnePay’s gas offers are powered by Upside, so claiming the same fill-up in both apps should not be treated as two independent rebates. Upside warns that purchases already processed through an affiliate cash-back program can be ineligible.
The practical approach is to choose one app’s gas offer for each purchase. With standalone Upside, you can also earn your payment card’s applicable rewards. With OnePay’s Wednesday promotion, you must use its eligible debit or Builder Card.
Can you stack OnePay with Chase Freedom, Freedom Flex or Discover?
You can’t combine those cards’ rewards with OnePay’s current $1 Wednesday bonus, because the gas purchase must be paid with an eligible OnePay card.
The alternative is standalone Upside plus an eligible rewards credit card. Upside supports major credit cards, including Discover, and can work alongside credit-card rewards. A Freedom, Flex or Discover card earns its quarterly bonus only when the purchase qualifies for an activated category and remains within the spending cap.
Don’t assume gas earns 5% every quarter. For example, Chase’s October–December 2026 categories are groceries, dining and American Red Cross donations; gas isn’t included. You may have to wait until January 2027 to get that 5 times back on fuel with the Freedom Visa from Chase but you can stack that with the Upside app.
For comparison, at $3.50 per gallon, 5% cash back is 17.5 cents per gallon. Add the actual Upside rebate and compare that total with OnePay’s $1 offer—and compare the stations’ starting prices, too.
Can you stack Casey’s, 7-Eleven or Shell loyalty discounts?
Station loyalty savings are a possible additional layer, but avoid assuming every combination will preserve the full rebate. Upside allows station rewards and coupons while warning that they may reduce its cash back. That general policy doesn’t guarantee how every discount interacts with OnePay’s Wednesday promotion.
Where supported, entering your loyalty number at the pump lets you apply station savings while paying directly with OnePay. Both Casey’s and 7-Eleven offer phone-number redemption options. Some app-specific offers, such as 7-Eleven Price Lock, require mobile payment inside the station’s app, where OnePay readers have reported inconsistent tracking.
OnePay gas cash back: Mistakes to avoid
Nextdoor residents are catching on to the gas hacks from using the One Pay debit card from Walmart where they bought gas at Casey’s and 7 Eleven.
The biggest mistake is following old instructions. The current promotion requires an eligible OnePay debit or Builder Card, and the $1 replaces the gas offer’s normal cents-per-gallon reward. A 10-cent offer doesn’t automatically become $1.10. Some readers report also receiving OnePay’s monthly gas-category percentage reward, but don’t count on that extra reward as guaranteed.
Check the exact station, fuel grade and offer before purchasing. A convenience-store offer may cover purchases inside rather than fuel, and a station that participated last week may disappear from the map. Activate the correct offer before paying and save a screenshot of its terms.
Don’t assume a universal 50-gallon allowance. The individual offer controls its gallon and spending caps. OnePay’s general terms allow up to two gas redemptions at a specific location per day, subject to the offer. Each purchase needs its own active offer.
A delayed reward isn’t necessarily a failed reward. Readers report base rewards and bonuses appearing separately, sometimes days apart. Keep your receipt showing the date, station, gallons and amount paid. If the expected bonus remains missing, that documentation will help when contacting support. OnePay’s general terms allow rewards to take up to 60 days, with individual bonus terms also governing timing.
Finally, leave room for a pump authorization hold. Gas stations can temporarily hold more than the final purchase amount, so funding your account with only the exact amount you expect to spend may lead to a decline. OnePay suggests trying a specific-dollar purchase with the cashier if payment at the pump is declined.
This is cash back after purchase, earned as OnePay Points. If the pump charges $3.36 and you earn $1 back, your effective cost is $2.36 per gallon—you still pay the higher amount upfront.
Offer details checked October 14, 2026. Check the current in-app terms before filling up, since OnePay may modify or cancel the promotion.
Our credit card strategy has changed from travel to earning more points while not traveling during this pandemic. One thing we did while quarantined and ordering online is we collected points and miles in order to save money in the future. Our strategy has changed wanting more benefits with travel and high cash back on Gas.
That space in your wallet or purse is valuable, and you should be the one to get that value. Selected banks are offering strong perks and $500+ value for a single card during the first year to encourage you to apply and try it out. These are the top 10 credit card offers that I would personally apply for right now, if I didn’t already have most of them. Notable changes:
IHG Hotels 140k/75k – 140k still highest ever, new 75k traveler offer.
Chase Freedom Unlimited raised to $250 Bonus plus extra cashback on groceries and gas stations
AmEx Blue Cash Preferred to Add Streaming, Transit Bonus Categories
If you pay off your balances every month, then you can join me and many others in funding a huge chunk of your annual travel budget with cash credits, points, and miles. You don’t need to be a “I only fly business class” world traveler. I mostly use my rewards points on domestic economy flights, mid-class hotels, and cheap car rentals. If you have credit card debt, you should focus on paying that off first as the interest charges could offset most of the perks.
This is a companion post to my Top 5 Best Business Card Offers. Small business bonuses are on average even higher than those on consumer cards.
A top travel card is now offering 100,000 bonus points after $5,000 in spending. That’s enough for a dozen short-haul trips, lie-flat seats, or five-star stays.
✔️ 1:1 transfers to major airline and hotel programs ✔️ 5x points on travel portal, 3x on dining ✔️ $50 annual hotel credit ✔️ No foreign transaction fees
$300 in statement credits every cardmember year for bookings made through Capital One Travel; this can be applied toward any type of travel booked through Capital One Travel, including flights, hotels, rental cars, etc. 10,000 bonus Venture miles on the account anniversary every year; there’s no spending requirement to unlock this, and it’s worth a minimum of $100 toward a travel purchase, or could get you up to 10,000 airline miles (which I value at $170)
Up to 50,000 Hyatt points. 25,000 Bonus Points after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Plus an additional 25,000 Bonus Points after a total of $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months. See link for details and rough valuation of points.
$95 annual fee, free night award upon card anniversary.
INTRO OFFER: Discover will match ALL the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There’s no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, select rideshares and online shopping, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.
Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
Redeem cash back any amount, any time. Rewards never expire.
Use your rewards at Amazon.com checkout.
Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites.* Activate for free.
Marriott credit cards from Chase and American Express now earn an elevated 6X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on eligible grocery purchases amid coronavirus.
60,000 American Airlines miles after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
First checked bag free on domestic AA flights ($60 value per roundtrip, per person).
$0 annual fee for the first year, then $99.
Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard
60,000 American Airlines miles after any purchase in the first 90 days and paying the $99 annual fee. See link for details.
$99 Companion certificate offer. Earn a certificate good for 1 guest at $99 (plus taxes and fees) after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in the first 90 days.
First checked bag free on domestic AA flights ($60 value per roundtrip, per person).
$99 annual fee.
Citi Strata Premier Card
60,000 points (worth $750 towards travel booked at ThankYou.com) after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
3X points for every $1 spent on travel including gas stations.
Must not have gotten bonus from or closed a Citi Rewards+, ThankYou Preferred, Premier, or Prestige card in the past 24 months.
$95 annual fee.
Bank of America Premium Rewards Card
50,000 points (worth $500 towards travel) after $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. See link for details.
2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
$100 annual Airline Incidental Statement Credit.
Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
$95 annual fee.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard (Soon to be Alaska Airlines)
50,000 Hawaiian miles after $2,000 in purchases within 90 days. See link for details.
Free first checked bag for primary cardmember when using your card to purchase eligible tickets directly from Hawaiian Airlines.
Receive a one-time 50% off companion discount for roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and The Mainland on Hawaiian Airlines.
$99 annual fee.
During this Coronavirus pandemic your credit card rewards can help you pay for groceries, food delivery and essentials. This is by using points, gift cards, or statement credits from existing cards or new ones with bonuses.
Note: Certain Chase cards have a “5/24 rule” which is an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 2 years. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so if you are new, you might want to start with those Chase cards.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of our all-time favorite travel rewards cards up there with the Venture X Card — and right now, it’s offering a welcome bonus of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points. There’s never been a better time to apply for this ultra-well-rounded $95 annual fee card. And we’ll show you why.
Welcome Bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Go here and start earning towards summer travel!
Earn 100,000 Points With the Chase Sapphire Preferred
As a new applicant for the Sapphire Preferred, you can earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
This offer is nothing short of incredible; it’s the most generous welcome bonus we’ve seen on this card in nearly four years. We highly recommend this card and this Southwest Airlines offer as our top two deals right now.
What is this Sapphire Preferred welcome offer worth?
The value of the Sapphire Preferred welcome bonus depends on how you choose to redeem your new stash of Ultimate Rewards points. But no matter how you use them, these points are worth a lot.
To get the most value, one of the best strategies is transferring your points to Chase’s 14 travel partners. On average, RewardsCards users redeem Ultimate Rewards points this way for 1.93¢ each — making the bonus worth over $1,900 toward award travel. And Chase has some excellent partners, including Marriott, World of Hyatt, IHG, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and United MileagePlus.
If you’d rather avoid the hassle of transferring points and searching for award space, you can redeem points earned with the Sapphire Preferred at a fixed rate of 1.25¢ each through Chase Travel.
Cardholders can also combine Ultimate Rewards points earned across their entire portfolio of Chase cards into a single account. That makes it easy to maximize card earnings and accumulate enough points toward your next redemption.
Why Should You Get the Sapphire Preferred?
It’s important to remember that the unpredictable economy could limit the availability of large bonuses like this from major banks, such as Chase. This might be the last opportunity before a potential recession or housing market downturn. Accumulate your points and choose the credit cards that will be most beneficial during difficult times, while also investing in future travel and better times.
Welcome bonus aside, the Sapphire Preferred is an incredibly well-rounded travel rewards card. It’s one we recommend to beginners and seasoned travelers alike. Here are just a few reasons why.
Lucrative earning rates
It’s easy to stock up on Ultimate Rewards points thanks to the Sapphire Preferred‘s many bonus categories. With this card, you’ll earn points as follows:
5X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
3X points on eligible streaming services
3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
2X points on all other travel
1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Several useful benefits
The Sapphire Preferred has a lengthy list of practical benefits, including:
$50 annual hotel credit.
10% anniversary bonus points on the points you’ve accumulated from purchases over the past year.
Complimentary DashPass from DoorDash.
Primary collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance on car rentals worldwide.
Trip delay reimbursement of up to $500 per ticket for delays of 12+ hours.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance up to $20k per covered trip.
Lost luggage reimbursement and baggage delay coverage.
Extended warranty and purchase protection.
No foreign transaction fees.
Reasonable annual fee
The Sapphire Preferred offers cardholders a lot of value — and you’ll get it all for just a $95 annual fee.
Who’s Eligible for This Sapphire Preferred Welcome Bonus?
Chase enforces multiple restrictions on rewards credit card applications. The first is a published application rule stating you can’t get the Sapphire Preferred if you currently hold a Sapphire card or have received a signup bonus for one in the previous 48 months.
“The product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 48 months…”
Keep in mind that you can still get this increased sign-up bonus if you’re currently an authorized user on another Sapphire Preferred account.
Chase cards are also subject to a second, unpublished rule known as the Chase 5/24 policy. If you’ve been approved for five or more personal credit cards in the previous 24 months (from any card issuer), you likely won’t be approved for this card.
$1,050 in foolproof free travel
While not the absolute highest-possible redemption value, the easiest way to use your Chase points for travel is through the Chase Travel Portal.
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can redeem points for airfare, hotel stays, rental cars, and more at a rate of 1.25 cents each. The Chase Sapphire Preferred 100k bonus points offeris worth a guaranteed $1,000 in travel at the very least.
There are several benefits to redeeming your Chase points through the Chase Travel Portal:
It doesn’t require you to be familiar with the intricate aspects of awards travel, such as understanding which airline and hotel transfer partners offer the best value for specific situations.
You can book boutique hotels that don’t participate in a loyalty program.
You won’t have to worry about blackout dates and award availability.
You can also redeem your points in tandem with the Chase Sapphire Preferred annual $50 hotel credit.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers up to $50 in hotel credit each cardmember anniversary year. As long as you pay for a hotel through the Chase Travel Portal with your card, you’ll automatically receive a statement credit within a few days.
Bottom Line
It’s not very often we an increased offer on the Sapphire Preferred — much less one that offers 100,000 points. The offer is normally only 60,000. If you’re eligible to apply for this card and earn the welcome bonus, this is a limited-time card offer that you won’t want to miss!
We recently saw the introduction of the new Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which is Capital One’s new premium credit card. May travel experts are saying this is the card you should be replacing your American Express Platinum and Sapphire Chase travel cards with as the best card. This card builds on the basics of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (review), which has long been Capital One’s flagship travel credit card.
With many Capital One Venture cardmembers trying to make sense of the Capital One Venture X and compare to see which card is better and if you are you eligible for the Venture X if you have the Venture we are looking to address some of these questions here.
Both cards offer 2x Venture miles per dollar spent with no foreign transaction fees, making these the best cards for everyday spending. They both offer a TSA Precheck or Global Entry fee credit once every four years.
Capital One Venture cards are one of the best overall for travel rewards
The Venture X is such a no-brainer over the Venture. The card’s annual fee is $300 higher ($395 vs. $95), but for that you’re getting
A welcome bonus of 100,000 Venture miles plus a $200 vacation rental credit upon completing minimum spending, rather than a bonus of 60,000 Venture miles A $300 credit valid through Capital One Travel every cardmember year, which you can apply towards flights, hotels, and rental cars 10,000 Venture bonus miles on your account anniversary every year, which you can transfer to Capital One’s airline and hotel partners, or can be redeemed for one cent each towards a travel purchase A Priority Pass membership plus Capital One Lounge access (the DFW lounge is amazing); these benefits apply not only to the primary cardmembers, but also to up to four authorized users, which you can add to your card at no cost Hertz President’s Circle status, which will score you upgrades and more when renting with Hertz A variety of protection benefits on account of this being a Visa Infinite Card, including cell phone protection 10x miles on hotel and rental car purchases through Capital One Travel, and 5x miles on flight purchases through Capital One Travel
The math works out very favorably here. For the Venture X you’re paying an extra $300 per year over the Venture, and the $300 Capital One Travel credit should cover that. Then you’re receiving endless incremental perks, like the anniversary bonus miles, lounge access for you and up to four authorized users, and so much more.
Access the Capital One Lounge DFW with the Venture X How should you acquire the Venture X if you have the Venture? Say you have the Capital One Venture, and you decide that you want to pick up the Capital One Venture X. What’s the best way to go about it? You have two options — you can either apply outright, or you can potentially upgrade your card. Let’s go over the details, as well as the pros and cons, of each of these options.
Apply outright for the Venture X and receive the bonus Even if you have the Capital One Venture, you can still apply for the Capital One Venture X, and be eligible for the welcome bonus. This is no doubt the most lucrative path to getting the card:
You’d be eligible for the welcome bonus of 100,000 Venture miles plus a $200 vacation rental credit You don’t have to pick up the phone, as you can apply for the card directly online The downside to this method is that this would be like any other credit card application, so your credit would be pulled, and you’d have to be approved for the card; that being said, there are lots of reports of instant approvals on the card, and you may even end up with a significantly higher credit line than you have on the Venture
Redeem your Venture miles for Emirates first class Product change & upgrade to the Venture X Most credit card issuers will let you product change between cards in the same “family,” assuming you’ve had a card for at least 12 months (generally product changing isn’t possible within the first year). This will be an option for many, but generally isn’t as lucrative:
You don’t receive the welcome bonus if you product change or upgrade from the Venture to the Venture X Some Venture cardmembers are being targeted for an upgrade offer of 50,000 miles if upgrading from the Venture to the Venture X; however, this is targeted (so check your email or online account), and for that matter that’s still a far cry from the standard welcome bonus of 100,000 miles plus a $200 vacation rental credit The benefit of this option is that there’s generally no credit pull when product changing (though you’ll want to officially verify when you make the request, based on your situation); so this could be useful if you don’t think you’d be approved, or if you’re trying to stay under Chase’s 5/24 limit
You may be able to upgrade to the Venture X The strategy I’d take for acquiring the Venture X If it were me, I’d try to apply outright for the Capital One Venture X, given the exceptional welcome bonus being offered. Unless you have a specific reason that this would be problematic, that seems like the best bet. Personally I value Capital One miles at 1.7 cents each, so that welcome bonus is worth around $1,900 to me, which is massive.
We recommend you apply outright, even if I had the Venture Card. However, in the event that you get denied or have issues with approval, you can always later try to product change from the Venture to the Venture X. Even if you get rejected for the application, that wouldn’t impact your odds of being able to product change to the card in the future.
Bottom line The new Capital One Venture X is a highly lucrative travel rewards credit card. It’s a no-brainer to get this card over the Capital One Venture. While the annual fee is $300 higher, there are so many incremental perks that should prove worthwhile for anyone who travels with any frequency.
For those who already have the Venture, there are a couple of ways you could acquire the Venture X. You could apply outright, which is what I would do, since you’re eligible for the massive bonus on the card. Alternatively, you may also be able to product change. The catch is that you won’t be eligible for the full bonus — you may be targeted for some sort of an upgrade offer, but it will be at most 50,000 Venture miles.
We are so ready for Halloween! On October 3rd starting at 10 a.m. the first 150 MyLowe’s reward members can get an exclusive FREE Trick or Treat Tote Bag! Limited quantities. One per member. While supplies last.
Make sure to always spend wisely and maximize your cash back using Ibotta and 5x Credit Cards at home improvement stores such as Lowe’s.
Reminder: You can get a FREE Craft Ice Mold by LG at Lowe’s on September 19th!
Free Holiday Ornament from Lowe’s
Lowe’s is offering a Free Holiday Ornament to MyLowe’s Rewards Members. Reserve now for pickup 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov 8th or Saturday, Nov 9th. Save more on hardware and department store purchases with these rewards credit cards.
Free 1-pint flower at Lowe’s
Head over to Lowe’s for a Free 1-pint flower on May 14. On Sunday, April 30 at midnight eastern you can RSVP for a Free Mother’s Day Flower Giveaway at Lowe’s stores on May 14 at 10AM. Mark your calendars.
Chase just announced a new limited-time offers for its Southwest consumer credit cards, allowing cardholders to earn the #1 rated airline’s amazing Companion Pass plus 100,000 bonus points when they meet a minimum spending requirement.
If you frequently travel with a plus-one, the Companion Pass allows you to add them to any Southwest flight for just the cost of taxes and fees.
How to Qualify for the New Southwest Companion Pass Offer
Credit card issuers often offer increased sign-up bonuses for a limited time, and this one is no different. To qualify, you’ll need to do the following.
Imagine flying with a companion for virtually free for two whole years! Southwest Airlines is making that dream a reality with an incredible new offer on all three personal Chase Southwest credit cards. This is your chance to snag the highly coveted Southwest Companion Pass for 2026 and 2027, and potentially even for the last few months of 2025!
Here’s how to seize this fantastic opportunity:
The Generous 100,000 Point Signup Bonus
Southwest is currently offering a massive 100,000 point signup bonus when you open any of their personal Chase Southwest credit cards. To earn this bonus, you’ll need to spend $4,000 within the first five months of account opening. This extended spending window gives you plenty of time to meet the requirement at your own pace. But don’t wait too long – this limited-time offer is scheduled to end soon.
Your Path to the Companion Pass
To earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you typically need 135,000 qualifying points. However, here’s where this offer gets even better:
10,000 Point Head Start: Every year, Southwest sweetens the deal by depositing 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points into your account by January 31st. This means you effectively only need to earn 125,000 points to secure the pass.
104,000+ Points from the Bonus: Once you meet the $4,000 spending requirement, you’ll have at least 104,000 points (100,000 bonus + 4,000 from spending), possibly more depending on your spending categories.
Bridging the Gap: You’ll only need to earn approximately 21,000 additional points to reach the 125,000 effective threshold. There are many easy ways to do this, such as everyday spending on the card, making purchases through the Southwest shopping portal, or even transferring points from partners.
Double the Fun: Two Years of Companion Pass
By hitting the 135,000 point threshold in 2026, you’ll not only enjoy the Companion Pass for the remainder of 2025 but also for the entirety of 2027 and 2028. That’s up to two full years of bringing a friend or family member along for just the cost of taxes and fees on your Southwest flights.
Don’t miss out on this incredible chance to maximize your travel and explore more with a companion by your side!
Compare Southwest Consumer Credit Cards
CREDIT CARD
ANNUAL FEE
INTRO BONUS
PERKS
LEARN MORE
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
$69 (Free with benefits)
Companion Pass®SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS POINTS More Info
Lost luggage reimbursement Baggage delay insurance
Visit the offer page: The offer is currently not available when you visit the card landing pages on Chase’s website, so be sure to use one of the above links to apply.
Apply by the offer deadline: The limited-time offer won’t be around for more than a few weeks, so be sure to apply as soon as possible if you’re interested.
Meet the spending requirement: You’ll need to spend $4,000 in the first three months. Keep in mind that the clock starts when you open your account, not when you receive the card.
The Southwest Companion Pass could be your ticket to amazing family adventures. It lets you bring a kiddo (or any companion!) for free (just pay taxes and fees) on any Southwest flight you book. Sounds awesome, right? Remember that each Southwest credit card has its own benefits, so compare them to find the one that suits your family’s travel style.
Do your research, weigh the pros and cons, and then jet set to incredible memories with your loved ones!
Also keep in mind they do these amazing special offer via Chase Offers such as below 10% back at Panera and 10% on Jersey Mike’s and Walmart:
There is a certain kind of airline credit card that does not need to win on earning rates, lounge access, or flashy premium perks. It only needs to solve one problem often enough to justify its annual fee. The free checked bag card is the classic example. These are not necessarily cards to spend on every day. They are often cards to keep because the math works at the airport, not at the grocery store.
That framing matters because bag-fee cards are easy to underestimate. In a wallet full of 5x categories, transferable points, and premium travel cards, a co-branded airline card can look underwhelming on paper. Yet a single family trip, a couple of domestic roundtrips, or regular work travel with checked luggage can make a “boring” airline card one of the most practical cards in the portfolio.
The keeper logic for bag-fee cards
A checked-bag benefit is one of the easiest airline perks to value because it replaces a direct out-of-pocket cost. When the perk is reliable, the cardholder does not need a speculative redemption or a perfect award chart sweet spot in order to come out ahead. The card either avoids baggage charges or it does not.
That is why bag-fee cards fit neatly into a “keeper card” framework. These cards do not have to be the best earners in the wallet. They simply need to pay for themselves often enough. In practice, that often means they stay open even when other cards get downgraded or canceled for annual-fee reasons.
Southwest: downgrade, don’t necessarily dump
Southwest is the easiest place to start because it illustrates how quickly the value proposition of a card can change. Southwest’s co-branded consumer cards currently advertise first checked bag free for the cardmember and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation, provided the Rapid Rewards number is attached appropriately. All of the consumer Southwest cards participate in that benefit, not just the premium Priority version.
That is important because it means a downgrade from Southwest Priority to a lower-fee Southwest credit card can preserve the checked-bag benefit while reducing the annual fee burden. For someone who already has A-List status, that matters even more. A-List now already covers preferred or standard seat selection at booking and allows extra legroom seat selection within 48 hours when available, reducing the distinct value of the higher-end card’s travel-day perks.
In other words, Southwest is a case where the right move may be to keep the airline relationship but simplify the card. The checked-bag feature survives the downgrade, while elite status picks up much of the slack on the travel experience side.
Alaska: a classic bag-fee keeper
Alaska’s co-branded credit card remains one of the clearest examples of a bag-fee keeper card. Bank of America’s Alaska/Atmos consumer card offers a free checked bag and preferred boarding for the cardholder and up to six guests on the same reservation when the eligible Alaska or Hawaiian flight is purchased with the card. That can add up quickly for anyone traveling with companions or checking luggage even a few times per year.
This is the kind of benefit that can quietly justify the annual fee without any help from bonus categories. It does not need to compete with transferable points cards on everyday spend because its value shows up exactly when Alaska is the airline being flown. That is often the hallmark of a successful keeper card: it is not trying to be universal, only useful in the right moments.
American Airlines: not flashy, still useful
The Citi AAdvantage cards fit the same mold. Citi notes that eligible AAdvantage cardmembers receive a free first checked bag on domestic American Airlines itineraries for themselves and up to four companions traveling on the same reservation. On the Platinum Select side, Citi explicitly states that the first checked bag is free on domestic itineraries for the primary cardmember and up to four companions.
That is enough to make the AAdvantage card easy to justify for someone who flies American often enough to encounter checked-bag fees. This is not necessarily a card to use for general spending if stronger transferable-points cards are already in the wallet. But as a bag-fee tool, it is straightforward and practical.
Delta: useful benefit, awkward timing
No bag fee right!
Delta’s co-branded American Express cards offer one of the stronger versions of the first checked bag free benefit. Delta states that eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express cardmembers can check the first bag free on eligible Delta flights, with the waiver extending to up to eight travel companions on the same reservation, for a total of nine passengers. Delta specifically lists Gold, Platinum, and Reserve personal and business SkyMiles cards as eligible for the first-bag-free benefit.
On pure utility, that is appealing. On timing, it may not be. The issue is not the bag benefit itself. The issue is American Express’s bonus policy. Amex is widely known for a “once per lifetime” welcome-offer rule, under which a card’s bonus is generally available only once per person per product. That means applying for a Delta SkyMiles card just to lock in a checked-bag perk can be a poor trade if there is any chance that same product might be more valuable later when a strong welcome bonus or a different travel need comes along.
That makes Delta the odd one out in this strategy. The checked-bag benefit is real and useful, but it is not compelling enough right now to justify consuming a valuable Amex slot and potentially burning long-term bonus eligibility just for baggage savings.
How these cards fit in a sophisticated wallet
A mature points-and-miles wallet does not need every card to serve the same role. Some cards exist to earn 5x. Some exist to unlock transfers. Some exist to provide travel protections. And some exist because a checked bag costs real money and the card reliably waives that cost.
That is why bag-fee cards often survive even after more glamorous cards get downgraded. They are purpose-built. Southwest may be worth keeping in a cheaper version because A-List already covers so much of the premium card overlap while the checked-bag feature remains in the card family. Alaska remains compelling because the bag perk can extend to multiple travelers on the same reservation. Citi AAdvantage remains a useful American Airlines companion even if it is not the first choice for daily spend.
The common thread is simple: these are not cards being kept for theoretical value. They are being kept because they make travel cheaper in a direct, repeatable way. In a hobby that can sometimes overcomplicate value, that kind of simplicity is a feature, not a bug.
There is a certain point in a points-and-miles journey where the goal stops being “find the single best card” and becomes “make the cards already in the wallet work together.” That is the sweet spot here. This setup is not about starting from scratch with a beginner two-card strategy. It is about extracting outsized value from a mature portfolio of personal cards, business cards, legacy products, rotating-category cards, and a few keeper cards that continue to earn their place year after year.
At the center of the strategy are three ideas. First, the wallet leans heavily on multiple 5x and 5% opportunities, including a legacy Amex SimplyCash Business, two Discover cards, and two Chase Freedom-family cards. Second, business cards do a lot of the heavy lifting, especially where they can complement personal cards and unlock point transfers or specialized bonus categories. Third, annual fees are being treated pragmatically: cards stay when they provide real, recurring value and get downgraded when elite status or overlapping perks make the premium version unnecessary.
The 5x foundation
The biggest strength in this wallet is not one premium travel card. It is the number of ways it can generate elevated returns on ordinary spending. That begins with the legacy Amex SimplyCash Business card, which earns 5% cash back at U.S. office supply stores and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, on up to $50,000 per calendar year in combined purchases. For anyone paying a sizeable cell phone bill, that alone can make the card worth keeping, especially because few other cards still offer true 5% back on wireless service without a complicated portal or temporary promotion.
That is only part of the story. Two Discover cards create two separate 5% quarterly category caps, and that matters. Discover’s rotating categories earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases per quarter after activation. When a quarter lines up with restaurants, that effectively creates two separate $1,500 caps to work with. For someone who reliably maximizes restaurant bonuses, that means a total of $3,000 per quarter can be pushed through Discover at 5% before the category is tapped out.
It’s not just credit card bonuses we also live for long-term 5x and stack-able cash back!
The Chase side is similarly strong. One legacy Chase Freedom card and one Freedom Flex create two additional 5x rotating-category lanes, each with its own $1,500 quarterly cap after activation. The Freedom Flex also brings permanent bonus categories such as 5% on travel booked through Chase Travel and 3% on dining and drugstores, but the more important point here is structural: having two Freedom-family cards means more room to exploit strong quarterlies when categories are useful. In practice, this kind of setup turns a routine quarterly promotion into a genuine strategy rather than a novelty.
Why the business cards matter so much
If the 5x cards are the engine, the business cards are the transmission. They determine how the rest of the wallet functions. That is especially true in the Chase ecosystem, where the distinction between a simple cash back card and a full-fledged transferable points card can come down to whether a premium Ultimate Rewards card is in the mix.
Ink Business Preferred is the most important business card in the current setup. It earns 3x on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per account year. That broad mix makes it unusually practical for a real business owner because it catches categories that are common but rarely covered well by consumer travel cards: phone service, internet, paid social, search ads, and travel spend that does not need to go through a portal.
That matters because business expenses are not hypothetical here. Travel, telecom, and digital advertising are real recurring costs. Ink Preferred can cover airfare, hotel stays that code as travel, car rentals, rideshare, tolls, parking, mobile phone service, and paid ads on platforms like Meta and Google Ads. Unlike many “business rewards” cards that mostly just reward office supply spend, Ink Preferred works well for a modern media or online business that buys traffic, depends on connectivity, and spends heavily on travel.
Ink Cash as the no-fee utility card
There is a strong case for downgrading Ink Preferred to Ink Cash and letting Sapphire Preferred carry the transferable-points burden on the personal side. Ink Business Cash has no annual fee and earns 5% cash back on the first $25,000 per account year in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services, plus 2% at gas stations and restaurants on the first $25,000 per year in combined purchases. If the goal is to reduce fees while still maintaining strong category coverage, Ink Cash is one of the most useful downgrade targets in the Chase system.
This is where Chase’s ecosystem design becomes especially valuable. Points earned on Freedom, Freedom Flex, and Ink Cash can be combined with a premium Ultimate Rewards account, such as Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred, and then transferred to airline and hotel partners. That means the no-fee cards are not merely “cash back” tools. In the right setup, they are effectively 5x transferable points cards. That is the core reason business cards complement the personal cards so well: the no-fee cards do the earning, and the premium card unlocks the redemption power.
In other words, a business card like Ink Cash is not just a downgrade path. It is part of a deliberate division of labor. The business side can rack up 5x on telecom and office-related spend, while the personal side keeps the transfer capability and consumer-facing perks alive.
Sapphire Preferred versus Ink Preferred
The fee question becomes more interesting because both Sapphire Preferred and Ink Preferred carry roughly the same annual fee, but they do different jobs. Sapphire Preferred brings the $50 annual hotel credit through Chase Travel, a 10% anniversary points bonus on base points earned from spending, the ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards to partners, and useful personal travel protections. Ink Preferred brings broader 3x business categories and cell phone protection when the bill is paid with the card.
For a user whose spending skews toward business travel, phone service, internet, and advertising, Ink Preferred can easily out-earn Sapphire Preferred. For a user who values dining, streaming, the hotel credit, and personal travel benefits, Sapphire Preferred can feel richer for the same annual fee. That is why the most sensible medium-term structure may be to keep Sapphire Preferred as the premium Ultimate Rewards anchor while converting Ink Preferred into Ink Cash, at least until there is a compelling reason to reopen or newly apply for another Ink Preferred for a bonus.
The Citi side: pairing Strata and Custom Cash
The same “team game” philosophy also applies in the Citi ecosystem. Citi Strata Premier is the premium ThankYou card in the wallet, with 3x on air travel and hotels, plus 3x on restaurants and gas, alongside the ability to transfer ThankYou points to partners. Citi Custom Cash, by contrast, is a tactical card that earns 5% back on the top eligible spend category each billing cycle, on up to $500 in purchases, then 1% thereafter.
On its own, Custom Cash is a nice niche card. Paired with Strata Premier, it becomes much more interesting. That pairing allows category-specific 5x earning on the Custom Cash side while keeping access to Citi’s broader transfer ecosystem through Strata Premier. It is the Citi equivalent of using Freedom or Ink Cash to feed points into a premium Chase card. The formula is familiar because it works: cheap earners on the front end, premium transfer card on the back end.
One note of caution remains important here. Custom Cash’s “select travel” category does include hotels when they code as travel, but not every stay thought of as a hotel will actually code that way. Extended stays, boutique properties, or payments processed through rental/property-management platforms may code as real estate or rentals instead of lodging, which means they will not trigger travel bonuses on Citi or Chase travel cards. That lesson is especially relevant for anyone who books unusual or longer-term lodging arrangements.
Keeper cards and practical annual-fee logic
Not every card needs to be an earning star to deserve a place in the wallet. PenFed Pathfinder is a perfect example of a “keeper by credit” card. Its main role here is simple: it is being retained for the $100 annual travel credit. There is value in that kind of simplicity. A card does not need to win every spending category if it reliably returns more than it costs.
The same logic cuts the other direction for cards whose premium features are now redundant. Southwest is the clearest example. With A-List status already in hand, the premium Southwest Priority card loses much of its on-boarding and seat-selection distinctiveness because A-List now already provides preferred or standard seat selection at booking and access to extra legroom seats within 48 hours when available. That makes a downgrade to a lower-fee Southwest card far easier to justify.
In that situation, the choice between Southwest Plus and Southwest Premier becomes mostly a math problem centered on annual fee, anniversary points, and the value of the flight discount code rather than a question of airport experience. If A-List is already doing the heavy lifting on travel-day benefits, paying extra for overlapping card perks becomes much harder to defend.
Cell phone bills: one of the most interesting battlegrounds
One of the more revealing spending categories in this wallet is the cell phone bill because several cards compete for the same spend. The legacy American Express SimplyCash earns 5% on wireless purchased directly from U.S. service providers. Ink Preferred earns 3x on phone services and also provides cell phone protection when the bill is paid with the card. Ink Cash, if adopted via downgrade, would earn 5x on phone service with no annual fee.
That makes the “best” card for the bill surprisingly context-dependent. If the goal is raw return, SimplyCash and Ink Cash have the edge at 5% or 5x. If the goal is balancing rewards with insurance benefits, Ink Preferred has a strong argument. The real complication is T-Mobile’s autopay policy: using a regular credit card can cost the monthly autopay discount because T-Mobile limits the discount to bank account, debit card, or its own card payment methods. That turns what looks like a simple “5x versus 3x” question into a larger optimization decision involving foregone discounts, insurance value, and rewards.
A portfolio built for combination plays
The most interesting part of this wallet is not any one card. It is the interaction between them. Two Discover cards mean quarterly category depth instead of just occasional convenience. Two Freedom-family cards mean quarterly Chase bonuses can be pressed harder than they could with a single card. A premium Ultimate Rewards card makes those rotating-category points much more valuable because they can be transferred out rather than merely redeemed as cash back.
The business cards deepen that effect rather than sitting off to the side. Ink Preferred captures the kinds of business expenses that a modern digital business actually incurs. Ink Cash can be a no-fee way to keep harvesting 5x from telecom and office-related spend while preserving the ability to combine points with Sapphire Preferred. Citi Strata and Citi Custom Cash do the same thing on the ThankYou side.
This is what a mature wallet should look like: not a pile of isolated cards, but a system. The premium cards are there to unlock value. The no-fee cards and legacy cards are there to generate it. The keeper cards (such as these bag fee prevention cards) hold niche perks that still beat their cost. The downgrade candidates are the ones whose benefits have been overtaken by elite status or duplicated elsewhere. That is how a large portfolio becomes more manageable and more profitable at the same time.
AutoPay Discount with T-mobile can be lost with most credit cards.
T-Mobile Has Officially Killed the AutoPay Credit Card Loophole: Here’s Why Every “Workaround” Fails
T-Mobile is no longer the un-carrier charging “fees” for using credit cards.
For years, award travelers, credit card maximizers, and savvy consumers used a reliable “cheat code” to handle their T-Mobile bills. When T-Mobile stripped standard credit cards of AutoPay discount eligibility the community quickly found a loophole: link a valid debit card or checking account to secure the $5-per-line discount, but log into the app early to manually pay the statement with a high-yield rewards credit card. Because the balance dropped to $0 before the AutoPay date, the debit card was never charged, and consumers got to stack credit card points and mobile insurance perks while keeping their discounts.
That era is officially over. T-Mobile quieted the community with a massive system update that permanently welded that loophole shut. If you are reading online forums or talking to customer service agents who claim you can still bypass this system, you are getting outdated or flat-out wrong advice.
Here is an exhaustive, highly detailed breakdown of how T-Mobile’s modern billing engine works, why customer service representatives are leading people into costly mistakes, and the only viable strategies left.
The Core Rule: It’s the Payment Method, Not the Timing
Apple Pay and Credit Cards are ineligible for AutoPay discounts
According to T-Mobile’s official AutoPay policy, the billing system is entirely binary. The automated system no longer evaluates your eligibility based solely on what payment method is linked to your account profile; it evaluates the actual method used to pay the bill.
The moment a manual, one-time payment is processed, the system triggers a simple validation check: Is this an ineligible payment method (like a standard credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay)? If the answer is yes, the system retroactively strips the AutoPay discount from that specific billing cycle and sends an automated text alert warning you that your discount has been forfeited.
Debunking the Myths: 3 Representative “Tricks” That Will Cost You Money
Frontline customer support agents frequently guess how the backend billing system handles code changes. If you call in, you are highly likely to receive one of three suggestions. Every single one of them is an automated trap that will cost you your hard-earned discounts.
Myth 1: “Pay early with a credit card, then flip your AutoPay settings back to a bank account before next month.”
Why it fails: Representatives assume the system looks forward, but it actually looks backward at the current bill. Flipping your AutoPay settings back to a bank account a few days later will successfully restore your eligibility for the following month’s statement. However, it cannot retroactively undo the penalty triggered on the current statement the moment your credit card touched the system. You will lose the discount for the current month entirely.
Myth 2: “Pay the majority of the bill with your credit card, and leave a partial balance for AutoPay to pull from your debit card.”
Why it fails: People often try to leave a portion—say, $100—on the bill to let the linked debit card sweep it up, thinking the system will see the debit transaction and grant the discount. The billing code explicitly states that any manual payment made with an ineligible method on a statement cycle invalidates the discount for that entire cycle. The moment the credit card processes, the discount is stripped, your remaining balance instantly inflates by $5 per line, and your debit card is simply forced to auto-pay a higher remaining balance on the scheduled date.
Myth 3: “Just overpay the bill by the exact amount of the lost discount to beat the system.”
Why it fails: Let’s look at the math for a standard $253.63 bill that includes a $30 total AutoPay discount across multiple lines. An agent might tell you to pay $283.63 manually via credit card so that when the $30 penalty hits, the extra money covers it and you break even.
The Reality: You aren’t tricking the system; you are just voluntarily paying the penalty upfront.Starting Bill: $253.63Your CC Payment: $283.63System Reaction: Strips the $30 discount→New Bill Total: $283.63Final Balance: $0.00While your account balance successfully hits zero and avoids past-due fees, you didn’t save the discount. You physically handed T-Mobile $283.63 out of pocket instead of letting them pull $253.63 from a debit card. You effectively paid a 11.8% penalty just to use your credit card—completely wiping out any value your credit card rewards points would have provided.
What Has Been Tried (and Failed) on Reddit
If you browse historical threads on communities like r/tmobile, you will see a trail of dead workarounds that users attempted immediately after the loophole was closed:
Prepaid Visa/Mastercard Gift Cards: Savvy users tried buying prepaid debit cards at grocery or office supply stores using a rewards credit card to mask the transaction as a “debit card” payment to T-Mobile. However, as documented by reports on The Mobile Report, T-Mobile’s merchant processing gateway aggressively updates its Bank Identification Number (BIN) filters. The system now routinely flags and blocks prepaid gift cards or processes them as ineligible commercial cards, automatically dropping the discount.
Overpaying Months in Advance: Some users attempted to load massive statement credits onto their accounts via credit card before the policy went live. While this worked as a temporary shield for a couple of billing cycles, the moment that credit balance runs out and a new credit card hit occurs, the penalty rules apply instantly.
The Real Pivot Strategies: What Actually Works Now
If you want to maximize your value or protect your financial security, you have to abandon the old tricks and choose one of three realistic pathways:
1. The “Math Sacrifice” (Trading Cash for Cell Phone Insurance)
Many credit card rewards enthusiasts carry premium cards (like the Capital One Venture X or select Chase and American Express cards) that feature complimentary Cell Phone Protection Insurance if you pay your monthly wireless bill with that card.
The Calculation: If you only have 1 or 2 lines, losing your AutoPay discount means your bill increases by $5 or $10. Paying $5 to $10 a month to maintain premium device protection is significantly cheaper than buying third-party insurance or T-Mobile’s proprietary protection plans (which can cost upwards of $18 per line).
The Catch: If you have a massive family plan with a $30+ total AutoPay discount, the math flips. It becomes much cheaper to self-insure or buy AppleCare+ directly than it is to forfeit $360+ a year in cash discounts to T-Mobile.
2. The “Buffer” Checking Account Strategy
A massive concern for consumers is security. Giving a carrier direct ACH access to your primary checking account or primary debit card feels highly risky given the telecom industry’s history of data breaches.
The Fix: Open a completely isolated, free secondary checking account or digital debit card (such as a Capital One 360 checking account, a dedicated Venmo/PayPal debit profile, or a Cash App card). Link that specific isolated card to T-Mobile to lock in your AutoPay discount safely. Then, set a recurring transfer from your main bank account to pull only the exact bill amount into that buffer account 24 hours before your AutoPay processes. Your primary money remains completely safe, and you keep your discount.
3. The Branded Ecosystem Route
The absolute only credit card permitted by the billing system to unlock the AutoPay discount while earning credit card rewards is the co-branded T-Mobile Visa Credit Card. If you refuse to use checking accounts or standard debit cards but are unwilling to walk away from your monthly discounts, shifting your line of credit to their internal ecosystem is the final official avenue remaining.
Shifting Strategy: Top Credit Card Alternatives to Outsmart the Policy
If you refuse to give T-Mobile direct access to your bank account, you don’t have to let them win. For many award maximizers, the play is to pivot to a card that completely offsets the lost $5-per-line discount by offering high cash-back/point multipliers or premium Cell Phone Protection Insurance (saving you from paying $18/month for T-Mobile’s protection plans).
Here are the best credit card alternatives on the market that provide enough elite value to counteract T-Mobile’s strict rules:
1. The Official Loophole: The T-Mobile Visa Credit Card (New)
Capital One and T-Mobile partnership credit card offer but it does not include cell phone protection.
If your absolute priority is keeping that $5-per-line AutoPay discount without handing over your routing and checking account numbers, this is your only official option. Co-branded with Capital One, this card is specifically coded to bypass the credit card penalty.
Annual Fee: $0
The Math Counter-Act: Fully preserves your $5 monthly AutoPay discount (up to 8 lines, or $40/month in value).
Rewards Rate: Earns an impressive 5% back on T-Mobile devices, phones, and accessories, alongside a flat 2% back on your monthly T-Mobile statement, groceries, dining, and entertainment, and 2% on all other purchases.
The Catch: Your rewards accumulate as T-Mobile Rewards, meaning they can only be redeemed toward your T-Mobile bill or future device upgrades.
2. The Simple 2% Cash-Back Champion: Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
For those who want straightforward cash back that can be deposited straight into a real bank account, this card pairs an industry-leading flat rate with elite consumer protections.
Annual Fee: $0
The Math Counter-Act: While you will lose the T-Mobile AutoPay discount, this card provides up to $600 of cell phone protection per claim against theft or damage (with a tiny $25 deductible, max 2 claims per year).
Rewards Rate: Unlimited flat 2% cash rewards on every single purchase, every day.
The Verdict: If you have 1 or 2 lines, losing a $5 or $10 discount is completely neutralized by gaining $600 in free phone insurance and earning 2% back on the total inflated bill.
3. The No-Fee Multiplier: Chase Freedom Flex [Highly Recommended for Cell Phone Protection and Everyday Spend]
If you prefer earning flexible rewards points that stack into the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, the Freedom Flex is an absolute powerhouse for a no-annual-fee card.
Annual Fee: $0
The Math Counter-Act: Includes premium cell phone insurance covering up to $800 per claim ($1,000 max per year) against theft or damage with a $50 deductible.
Rewards Rate:5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in quarterly rotating categories (which often include PayPal or wholesale clubs), 5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on everything else.
For high-earning travelers, this premium card makes forfeiting the AutoPay discount an easy pill to swallow by offering elite protection and a massive baseline multiplier.
Annual Fee: $395 (easily offset by a $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles)
The Math Counter-Act: Premium cell phone protection covering up to $800 per claim (maximum 2 claims per 12-month period, $50 deductible).
Rewards Rate: Earns an unlimited 2x miles on every purchase, making it a fantastic card to put your phone bill on if you want to aggressively fund your next vacation.
But wait… The forgotten card that no one mentions is the American Express Simply Cash card that gives 5x back on cell phone purchases but you need to have a business to be qualified which can include a sole proprietorship. Earning 5x back will help pay for the Auto Pay penalty each month but the Simply Cash card does not have cell phone protection included.
The Ultimate Comparison: Forfeiting the Discount vs. Switching Cards
To help your blog readers choose their exact path, here is how the numbers stack up side-by-side:
Pro Tip: We tried to change cards from the Capital One Quicksilver card to the newly introduced TMO Visa and they said they cannot do changes to partnership cards.
Bottom Line
If you have a massive family plan (4+ lines) where losing the AutoPay discount would cost you $20–$40 a month, the T-Mobile Visa Credit Card or the “Buffer Checking Account” strategy are your most financially sound moves.
However, if you only have 1 or 2 lines, stop stressing over the lost $5 to $10. Pay the bill with a card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash or Chase Freedom Flex. You will easily recoup that value by walking away with hundreds of dollars in free cell phone insurance and highly flexible rewards points that T-Mobile can’t touch.
The Bilt Mastercard recently started accepting applications for anyone who wishes to apply after a waitlist program. This is an innovative no annual fee card that virtually anyone who pays rent in the United States should consider picking up.
Bilt June Rewards Promo Madonna Vinyl
The no annual fee Bilt Mastercard is issued by Wells Fargo. The card has lucrative bonus categories, and earns points that can be transferred to popular airline and hotel partners. But the truly unique feature of the card — and really the fundamental value proposition — involves the ability to pay rent with the card with no fee, all while earning rewards.
That’s right, you can pay your rent with no fee even if your landlord doesn’t accept credit card payments, or would otherwise charge a fee. For many people that probably sounds too good to be true.
The Bilt rewards card makes sense for anyone who pays rent and doesn’t currently earn rewards doing it. Rent for many people is the largest monthly expense. The national average or median rents are in the $1100-$1300 range per month
Finally a credit card you can pay your rent with!
Earning points with the Bilt Mastercard
The Bilt Mastercard earns the following rewards when you have at least five posted transactions per billing cycle:
3x points on dining
2x points on travel
1x points on rent payments without any transaction fees, up to a limit of 50,000 points per year
The card also has no foreign transaction fees and is a World Elite Mastercard, so has great global acceptance, and is a good card to use abroad (especially given that a lot of foreign spending is on dining and travel).
Redeeming points with the Bilt Mastercard
You” be earning 1-3x points per dollar spent with a variety of ways to redeem points (ranging from experiences to merchandise). Frequent travelers would be most interested in the ability to transfer these points to airline and hotel partners.
Bilt has the following travel transfer partners, all offering 1:1 transfers:
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
American AAdvantage (the only program that transfers to American Airlines 1:1)
These transfer partners are competitive with what you’ll find with major transferable points currencies. What some might find most exciting is the World of Hyatt partnership, as well as the American AAdvantage partnership. That’s because the former only otherwise partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards, while the latter doesn’t otherwise partner with any major transferable points currencies.
Disadvantages of the Bilt Rent Payment Card
The most intriguing aspect of the Bilt Mastercard is the ability to pay rent by credit card without fees and earn up to 50,000 points per year. This works even if your landlord doesn’t accept credit card payments, as Bilt will send a check. We assume that Bilt loses money when giving out rewards and then mailing a check to a landlord it has no relationship with. They most likely hope to get rental companies on its platform, hoping that being associated with Bilt gets more renters, and streamlines the payment process.
My two biggest cons with the card is that The Bilt Mastercard doesn’t offer any sort of a welcome bonus, some apartments do not take anything but money orders or cashier’s checks, and you have to spend a certain amount ($250) to get the cash back on your rent payment. You also have a minimum redemption of $50 which is more than most programs including Discover where you can redeem at any amount.
Is the Bilt Mastercard worth it?
Is it worth getting the Bilt Mastercard? If you’re a renter in the United States and you can’t currently pay your rent by credit card, or have to pay a fee to make such a payment by credit card, then yes, this card is absolutely worth it. You can earn valuable rewards for money you have to spend anyway, so that’s a complete no-brainer.
If you don’t pay rent and have a mortgage it may still make sense for some because of the transfer partners. Given that you can’t make fee-free payments for mortgages, HOAs, etc., could it still make sense to get the card? Earning 3x transferable points on travel and 2x transferable points on dining on a no annual fee card is still a great deal.
For someone looking to earn transferable points without an annual fee, I’d say this is an excellent option, especially if you spend a lot on dining and travel.
Bottom line
The no annual fee Bilt Mastercard is issued by Wells Fargo, and recently opened to applicants without a waitlist. This card is mostly targeted for those who rent an apartment who can pay up to $50,000 per year in rent without fees. This happens when you pay through the Bilt app, and a check will be sent to your landlord on your behalf. A fascinating way to earn money when paying rent.
The Bilt card offers 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and those points can be transferred to several valuable partners, ranging from American AAdvantage to World of Hyatt.
I think this card is absolutely worth it for renters, and even for non-renters this could be a great no annual fee card option, assuming you’re looking for travel rewards and spend a lot on dining and travel.
