Sometimes nothing really makes sense. We have have our entire lives tried to throw out heavy change when we have it in our pockets being one of the main reasons we have switched to credit cards. Now there is a battle brewing over who has the heaviest credit card. Pretty soon if they get any heavier you will need a trainer to carry around the weights. These cards are definitely cool to look at but I am not so sure I want to carry too many of these around in my wallet just to show off. I would much rather use Apple Pay and get the transaction over with. Heavy seems to be the new Black with some card owners who love to show off their credit card fashion before it all goes digital.
Plastic credit cards normally weigh around 5g while the heaviest of luxury cards starts out at 28g. Some of these are made with plastic and some of metal.
#1: Chase Ritz Carlton weighs 28g with a heavy annual fee of $450. You at least get some elite benefits and possible free hotel nights to keep your heavy card inside.
The Chase Freedom Flex Card is easily one of the best no annual fee cards out there, as it offers 5x points in rotating quarterly categories, for up to $1,500 of spending per quarter. Most people use this as a cashback card, meaning the 5x points really translates into 5% cashback in these categories.
$200 Bonus when you make a purchase for spending $500 in the first 3 months
5% cash back on Lyft rides
5% cash back on Amazon, Hotels, & Restaurants starting in April 2024! 5% back on GAS is coming back for another quarter but for now Discover offers 5% back.
1.5% cash back on all other purchases
0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers
No annual fee
No minimum to redeem for cash back
Standard offer on both has typically been $150/$500, so this is a small boost. There are occasionally targeted or branch offers of $300 for either of the cards.
Casey’s Gas Rewards – Play a game to win each day savings on snacks and gas!
What’s included with Chase Freedom Flex Q4 2024 bonus categories?
There’s often some confusion about what purchases qualify with the bonus categories, so let me recap Chase’s definitions.
Here’s what’s included with the gas station bonus category:
Merchants in the gas stations category sell automotive gasoline that can be paid for either at the pump or inside the station and may or may not sell other goods or services at their location. Merchants that do not specialize in selling automotive gasoline are not included in this category; for example, truck stops, boat marinas, oil and propane distributors, and home heating companies.
Here’s what’s included in the car rental agencies bonus category:
Merchants in the car rental agencies category rent vehicles for the purpose of driver and passenger transportation. Car rentals not booked directly with the car rental agency will not qualify; for example, car rentals purchased through travel agencies, discount travel sites, vacation clubs, tour operators, or as part of a package offered by merchants such as cruise lines and railways. Merchants that provide RV rentals or vehicle rentals for the purpose of hauling are not included in this category. Qualifying car rental agency purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards® will only earn a total of 5%.
Here’s what’s included in the movie theaters bonus category:
Merchants in the movie theaters category show motion pictures to an audience, including at drive-in theaters. Theaters that provide live entertainment and merchants that sell and rent movies or provide movie subscription or streaming services are not included in this category. Purchases other than your tickets will not be included in the category unless they classify as a movie theater; for example, in theatre dining, food and beverage, or merchandise purchases.
Here’s what’s included with the select live entertainment bonus category:
Merchants in the Select Live Entertainment category sell tickets for in-person entertainment such as major sporting events, zoos and aquariums, concerts, theatrical productions, museums, tourist attractions and exhibits, amusement parks, circuses, carnivals, bands, and entertainers. Ticket agencies selling on behalf of the entertainment venue are included. Some merchants that sell tickets for in-person entertainment are not included in this category; for example, movie theaters, bowling alleys, horse racing tracks, casinos, and dance hall/clubs. Purchasing from a hotel/concierge is not included nor excursions or purchases as part of a travel package.
My take on Chase Freedom Flex Q3 2024 bonus categories
Everyone has different spending patterns, though I can’t say I’m terribly excited about the Q3 2022 bonus categories:
Gas is a legitimate expense for many, so it’s great to be able to earn 5x points on that
I wouldn’t put a rental car purchase on the Chase Freedom, since I’d want to use a card offering primary rental car coverage
Both the movie theater and select live entertainment bonus categories are pretty niche, and personally don’t have much appeal for me
Of course we’re not all going to love all these bonus categories equally, but for me Q3 will be a tough one to maximize.
Bottom line
The Chase Freedom Flex is one of the best no annual fee cards out there, thanks largely to the ability to earn 5x points in rotating quarterly categories. Registration has just opened for the Q3 2024 bonus categories, and as of July 1 you’ll start to be able to earn 5x points on the first $1,500 spent with gas stations, car rental agencies, movie theaters, and select live entertainment. This is a great opportunity for maximizing your spending.
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 30,000 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.
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.
Once you meet the spending requirement, you’ll earn a Companion Pass, which will be valid through February 28, 2025, along with 30,000 Rapid Rewards points.
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:
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 $200 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.
$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)
$200 Bonus when you make a purchase for spending $500 in the first 3 months
5% cash back on Lyft rides
5% cash back on Amazon, Hotels, & Restaurants starting in April 2024! 5% back on GAS is coming back for another quarter but for now Discover offers 5% back.
1.5% cash back on all other purchases
0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers
No annual fee
No minimum to redeem for cash back
Standard offer on both has typically been $150/$500, so this is a small boost. There are occasionally targeted or branch offers of $300 for either of the cards.
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 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
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.
Southwest Airlines known for a low-cost carrier in the United States has been expanding non-stop (we mean that literally) since the main hub in Dallas can fly without so many restrictions. They are not only adding more direct flights but international flights to places such as Puerto Rico. Now is a great time to take the airline up on some of these bonus offers and save up miles or as they call them points for some free flights.
Read here how to earn 50,000 points worth nearly $700, A-List elite status, Upgraded Boardings with the Southwest Premier credit card.
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards offers a Premier Card with a 50,000 bonus after you spend $2,000 within 3 months of opening a new account. That is for the personal card so if you double up and apply for a business card you can add another 60,000 miles to your account. The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is offering 60,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points after $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
With the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Card you’ll get 50,000 points after spending $2,000 within 3 months. You also have the opportunity to get 6,000 bonus points every year after your card member anniversary. If you have a balance transfer in mind you can earn up to 15,000 bonus points within 90 days. You will have a $99 annual fee with the personal and business cards that are not waived the first year as other airlines offer at this time. (more…)
Southwest Airlines has a few co-branded credit cards with Chase to choose from but one sticks out for us. Of the three personal cards, our favorite one is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card.
This card offers some exceptional perks for anyone who flies Southwest frequently or a few times a year. We have to say it is the best Southwest Airlines Visa Card to have in your wallet or at least attached to your Southwest Airlines account to book flights.
50,000 Bonus Southwest Points with the Priority Card
The Southwest Priority Card is offering a welcome bonus of 50,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $1,000 within the first three months.
Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based frequent flyer program,valued at around 1.2 cents each. So basically, the 50,000 Rapid Rewards points are worth $600+.
Earning Points With The Southwest Priority Card The Southwest Priority Card offers the following points for credit card spending:
3x points on Southwest purchases
2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
Happy Baby Companion flying A-list on Southwest Airlines flight
One of the very best values in travel is the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass. With Southwest Companion Pass you can have someone travel with you for the entire year (whether on a cash ticket or award ticket), and just pay taxes and fees for them. This is such an incredible deal, and basically doubles the value you can get from flying Southwest.
Southwest Companion Pass requires earning 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year, though you get a boost of 10,000 points toward that just for having a co-branded Southwest card.
Only certain types of points accrual qualify, including Southwest credit card spending, as well as Southwest credit card welcome bonuses. So this bonus would get you a good way toward earning Companion Pass.
Earn Southwest A-List Status
In addition to being able to earn Companion Pass through spending on the card, the Southwest Priority Card also lets you earn unlimited Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs). Specifically, you can earn 1,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $10,000 spent on the card.
A-List is Southwest Airlines’ version of status, and offers perks like priority boarding, a 25% points bonus, same-day standby, priority check-in and security lane access, and a dedicated phone number.
A-List status requires earning 35,000 TQPs in a calendar year, so spending on a Southwest Priority Card could help you earn that. This is the only personal Southwest card that offers that feature. Whether or not that’s worth it depends on how much you’d otherwise fly with Southwest.
Major Perk: No Change fees with Southwest airlines ever!
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Southwest Priority Card has no foreign transaction fees, so this could be a useful card for your spending abroad. This is a Visa as well, and Visas are accepted pretty widely around the globe.
Incredible Southwest Priority Card Perks
Free Drink Coupons get mailed out to Southwest airlines patrons now and then just to reach out.
The reason to get the Southwest Priority Card (beyond the welcome bonus) is because of the perks, including anniversary bonus points, upgraded boardings, a $75 annual Southwest travel credit, 25% savings on eligible inflight purchases, and more.
Let’s take a look at what you need to know about each of these perks.
On your cardmember anniversary each year you’ll receive 7,500 bonus points. For context, Southwest Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based frequent flyer program, and generally speaking you need to redeem 83 points per dollar of airfare. That means each Rapid Rewards point gets you roughly 1.2 cents toward the cost of an airline ticket.
In other words, you can get around $90 worth of Southwest airfare with those 7,500 points, and that recoups almost two-thirds of the annual fee on an ongoing basis.
Get anniversary bonus points with the card every year
Southwest Priority Card $75 Annual Credit
The Southwest Priority Card offers a $75 credit every anniversary year. While the 7,500 point anniversary bonus only kicks in after 12 months, this credit kicks in immediately.
The way this works, the first $75 in Southwest flight purchases each cardmember year will be reimbursed. The statement credit should post as soon as the eligible charge posts to your account. Assuming you spend at least $75 per year on Southwest Airlines tickets (or even taxes and fees, if redeeming points), then this should more or less be worth face value.
Between this benefit and the 7,500 point annual bonus, we’re talking about $165 worth of value, which is more than the annual fee.
Southwest Priority Card Upgraded Boardings
Just for having the Southwest Priority Card, you get four upgraded boardings per anniversary year (starting with your first year), when available. The way this works, you’ll be reimbursed for the purchase on the day of departure of up to four upgraded boardings in positions A1-15.
The upgraded boarding fees will be reimbursed within eight weeks, though in reality generally post much faster than that. Since the price of upgraded boardings varies by flight, it’s hard to put a dollar value to this benefit.
Southwest Priority Card Drink & Wi-Fi Savings
If you pay with your Southwest Priority Card you can save 25% on inflight Wi-Fi and drink purchases. You’ll receive statement credits for the 25% within two billing cycles of your purchase (though usually much faster than that).
Southwest Priority Card Travel & Purchase Protection The Southwest Priority Card offers a variety of travel & purchase protection benefits, including:
Auto rental collision damage waiver coverage; it’s secondary within the United States, and primary internationally
Baggage delay insurance, which can reimburse you up to $100 per day for three days when your bag is delayed by at least six hours
Lost luggage reimbursement, which reimburses you up to $3,000 if your bag is damaged or lost
Travel accident insurance, with the maximum coverage ranging from $250,000-500,000, depending on the situation
Extended warranty protection, which extends your United States manufacturer warranty by a year on eligible warranties of three years or less
Purchase protection, which covers you for up to 120 days for damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account
The Cons of Applying for Chase Southwest Credit Cards
Chase and Southwest have some pretty strict rules when it comes to who is eligible for the card. The card is not available to anyone who currently has a Southwest Rapid Rewards personal card, or anyone who has received a welcome bonus on a Southwest Rapid Rewards personal card in the past 24 months. However, you are eligible if you have a Southwest business credit card.
This is in addition to Chase’s general application rules, including the 5/24 rule, whereby you typically won’t be approved for a Chase card if you’ve opened five or more new card accounts in the past 24 months.
Southwest Priority Card $149 Annual Fee The Southwest Priority Card has a $149 annual fee. As a point of comparison, the other personal cards have annual fees of $69 and $99, so the annual fee on this card is a bit higher. However, as I’ll explain below, the benefits justify the premium annual fee.
No Question The Southwest Priority Card Is Worth It for You and Your Family
If you’re eligible for the Southwest Priority Card and fly Southwest with any frequency, then this card is absolutely worth it. I’d argue this card is a better value all around than the two other Southwest personal cards.
Many people love flying Southwest for the ability to earn the Southwest Companion Pass, the lack of change fees and vouchers that don’t expire, and the two free checked bags. For others, Southwest a practical airline to fly on occasion, given its massive route network. Regardless, there’s lots of value in having points and benefits on Southwest.
For the card’s $149 annual fee you’re getting a 7,500 point anniversary bonus annually, a $75 Southwest credit, and much more. Let’s look at a few other things to consider regarding this card, and Southwest cards in general.
If you’re looking to complement your Southwest Priority Card with a Southwest business card, consider the incredible Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (review). This card has outstanding perks, including:
A welcome bonus of 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $5,000 within three months
A 9,000 point anniversary bonus
Four upgraded boardings per year
Up to 365 $8 Wi-Fi credits per year on Southwest, which could get you a lot of Wi-Fi
$500 toward points transfer fees per anniversary year
A Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
The ability to earn A-List status or Companion Pass with spending
This card is the single best Southwest card because of the Wi-Fi credit, as far as I’m concerned.
How Do Southwest’s Personal Bonus Cards Compare?
In addition to the Priority Card, Chase and Southwest also have the $69 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card and the $99 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card. All cards have the same welcome bonuses, but the perks are significantly different.
Why do I think the $149 annual fee Priority Card is almost universally better?
Neither the Plus nor Premier offer a $75 annual Southwest credit, which should more or less be worth face value; so to do a direct comparison, that’s almost like lowering the “out of pocket” on the Priority Card from $149 to $74.
The Priority Card offers 7,500 anniversary bonus points, while the Plus offers 3,000 bonus points and the Premier offers 6,000 bonus points. Those two perks alone should show why the Priority Card is worth the annual fee by comparison, and that doesn’t even account for upgraded boardings, a better rewards structure, the ability to earn A-List status through spending, and more.
Southwest Airlines known for a low-cost carrier in the United States has been expanding non-stop (we mean that literally) since the main hub in Dallas can fly without so many restrictions. They are not only adding more direct flights but international flights to places such as Puerto Rico. Now is a great time to take the airline up on some of these bonus offers and save up miles or as they call them points for some free flights.
