Top 5 Best Credit Cards to start 2024: Sign-Up Bonus & Travel Points

by | Feb 29, 2024 | 3% Cash Back, 5% Cash Back, American Express, Chase Cards, Citi Cards, Discover, Grocery, Hilton HHonors, Marriott Rewards

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.

HOT!! 90,000 Points to Transfer to most any Hotel or Airline with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Card

  • NOW 90,000 miles (worth $1,400+ towards travel) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months
  • 2x back on ALL purchases.
  • 10x Venture miles on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
  • 5x Venture miles on flights booked via Capital One Travel
  • The card has no foreign transaction fees
  • Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee
  • Go here for the offer

$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)

Chase Freedom Unlimited $200 Bonus [Best No Annual Fee GAS & Grocery Card to beat Inflation]

  • $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.
  • Compare to Chase Freedom Flex
  • Go here for the offer

Chase World of Hyatt Card [Best Hotel Credit Card]

  • 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.
  • Go here for the offer

Discover it – $100 + Double Cash Back [Highly Recommended No Annual Fee Card]

  • 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.
  • No annual fee.
  • Go here for the bonus!

Earn 50,000 points ($700 worth), A-List elite status, Upgraded Boardings with the Southwest Premier credit card

Grocery & Gas Bonuses to help with inflation

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.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless from Chase

  • Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
  • Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy™.
  • 6X on Groceries
  • 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year.
  • 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster
  • Apply Here

AMEX Blue Cash Preferred $150 Bonus + 6X Groceries

  • Earn a $150 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months.
  • 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%).
  • 2% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and at select U.S. department stores, 1% back on other purchases.
  • 6% Bonus on groceries until the end of July
  • NEW – Earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services. This includes Hulu, Netflix, Spotify and Pandora.
  • NEW – Earn 3% cash back on transit. This includes rideshares, tolls, taxis, buses, trains and parking fees.
  • Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.
  • Apply here

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card – 140,000 Points Bonus

  • 140,000 IHG Rewards club points after $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • Free Night after each account anniversary year (valued up to 40,000 IHG points).
  • $89 annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.
  • Want something lower risk? The no-annual fee Traveler version is now offering 75,000 IHG points.
  • Go here for the bonus points

Honorable Mentions

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Mastercard

  • 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.

Costco accepts what credit cards?

by | Jan 12, 2023 | American Express, Business, Citi Cards, Grocery

costco-amex

Costco has the largest overall membership base of the bulk wholesale clubs with more than 90 million members. They are best known for the bulk family-sized and commercial grocery offerings, it also offers savings on gas, electronics, clothing, and electronics.

One major con with Costco is that your credit card may not be accepted at checkout but you will most likely find that out when purchasing a membership.

Credit cards accepted at Costco

When you shop at Costco, you can use the warehouse club’s co-branded card, the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, as well as any other credit card backed by the Visa network.

Here are some credit cards that can be used at Costco warehouses:

Credit cards not accepted at Costco

Since Costco has an exclusive contract with Visa, shoppers can’t use credit cards backed by the other three main networks — American Express, Mastercard and Discover — at Costco warehouses. However, you’re able to pay with Mastercard and Discover cards for purchases made at Costco.com and the Costco app.

Here are some cards that can be used online or via the Costco app:

Does Costco accept Discover card at the warehouse?

Costco does not accept Discover credit cards as a form of payment at the warehouse in-person. You can use it online.

Does Costco accept AMEX?

Costco stopped accepting American Express as a form of payment at its warehouses and gas stations. However, American Express may still be accepted at Costco-affiliated businesses such as Costco Travel or at certain Costco locations outside of the United States. I would recommend checking with the specific location you plan to visit to confirm their accepted forms of payment.

Costco U.S. accounts for 8% (10% worldwide) of spending on American Express cards overall right now but it appears the agreement will end on in 2016. Warehouse club retailer Costco Wholesale Corp will stop accepting American Express credit cards after a 15 partnership at U.S. stores and the loss of Costco would reduce spending on AmEx cards by about $80 billion a year, including their use at businesses other than Costco’s 468 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico.

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Purchase Guinness Beer & $10+ In Groceries & Get $10 Back

Purchase Guinness Beer & $10+ In Groceries & Get $10 Back

by | Dec 31, 2022 | Free Stuff, Grocery

Buy Guinness Beer and Get $10 Off Groceries 

If you enjoy Guinness beer then check out this deal that will get you up to a $10 discount. This offer is for those of legal purchase age in select states only..

The exact offer varies by state, but you should see one of these offers:

  • To receive a $10 rebate, you must purchase TWO (2) 4/6-packs OR ONE (1) 8/12-pack of any GUINNESS product AND groceries ($10.01).
  • To receive a $5 rebate, you must purchase TWO (2) 4/6-packs OR ONE (1) 8/12-pack of any GUINNESS product.

GO here for the Direct link to offer. If you would like to find delivery deals go here for up to $30 off DoorDash and GoPuff for $10 off first 3 Deliveries that includes New years!

The Fine Print

  • Groceries exclude purchase of lottery tickets, tobacco, money orders, postage stamps, gift cards/certificates and prescription pharmacy purchases.
  • Offer valid to those of legal purchase age on purchases made in AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY, MD, MA, MI, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, WA, WI & WY.
  • FOUR (4) rebates per household per month.
  • Limit ONE (1) rebate per transaction.
  • Offer not to be combined with any other offer. Subject to qualifying purchases and official rules.
  • Offer not valid for employees of alcohol beverage suppliers, wholesalers, retailers or members of their families or households.
  • By texting GROCERIES to 24272, you agree you are of legal age to purchase beverage alcohol and to receive recurring marketing SMS and MMS messages, including text messages, using an automatic telephone dialing system from Diageo Americas, Inc. Msg & data rates may apply.
  • Text STOP in reply to any message to stop our messages.
  • You may also text HELP to 24272 for more info. Not responsible for technological malfunctions of any kind.
  • All rebate submissions must be received by (deal was extended from 12/31/2022) 04/30/2023 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.

Easy $250 Bonus with a 6% Cash Back Grocery Store Credit Card

by | Jul 11, 2021 | American Express, Grocery

If you have a big family to feed you most likely spend tons of money at the grocery store. You can add up coupons all day long but this card will save you the most. A 6% discount on groceries is basically what you are getting with this cash back card at grocery stores. The card has an annual fee but it pays for itself with the generous cash back and the $250 bonus.

Application Link

Benefits

  1. Earn $250 after spending $1,000 in first 3 months.
  2. Earn 6% cash back at US supermarkets; 3% cash back at US gas station and select US department stores; 1% cash back on other purchases.
  3. With this credit card, you can get access to Amex Offers, which often offers very good discounts at some stores. In the past we have seen offers like: Spend $15 or more and get $5 back at Walmart; Spend $75 or more and get $25 back on Amazon.com.
  4. This is also a great card to have to buy Christmas Gift Cards for the stores that you visit frequently (such as Shell, Amazon, Uber,  etc) or Visa Gift Cards in supermarkets, use your Blue Cash Preferred to buy them and you can get 6% cash back (up to $6000 per year)! If you use the card this way than you can make anything 6% back.

Disadvantages

  1. $95 annual fee but the bonus pays for this.
  2. Only first $6,000 purchases per Annual Reward Year (12 billing periods in a row beginning with the one that includes January 1st) at US supermarkets can earn 6% cash back, after that you can only earn 1%.
  3. According to American Express; Target, Walmart, and Costco do not count as supermarkets, and you can only get 1x when shopping there.
  4. This credit card is on the American Express Network, not Visa or MasterCard, so some small stores may not accept it.

Bottom Line

This is a great card for those who do lots of grocery shopping. Personally, I used the card for the bonus and plan to downgrade to the non-annual fee card when the annual fee comes due. AMEX actually prorates the annual fee for those that apply before the end of the year so you can cancel in January and keep most of the $250 bonus. Pretty simple stuff to make some easy money and get 6% back on buying Christmas gift cards for relatives.

After you apply you may check with the AmEx reconsideration backdoor number: 877-399-3083.

Chase Cards To Earn 3x/5x/6x Points Per $1 Spent At Grocery Stores during the Quarantine

by | Jul 21, 2020 | 3% Cash Back, Chase Cards, Grocery

Chase earlier announced that the Chase Marriott cards would earn 6x points per $1 spent at grocery stores until July 31st (maximum $5,000 in spend). Other Chase cards are offering the following bonuses from May 1st until June 30th, with a cap of $1,500 per month in spend on grocery store purchases:

  • Chase Freedom Unlimited 5x points! NEW
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 3x points per $1 spent
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve: Earn 5x points per $1 spent
  • Chase United Club Infinite/Club & Presidential Plus: Earn 5x miles per $1 spent
  • Chase United Explorer, United MileagePlus: Earn 3x miles per $1 spent
  • Chase British Airways, Aer Lingus, Ibera: Earn 3x miles per $1 spent
  • Chase Southwest Plus, Premier & Priority: Earn 3x miles per $1 spent
  • Chase World of Hyatt & Chase Hyatt: Earn 3x points per $1 spent
  • Chase IHG Premier/Club Select: Earn 3x points per $1 spent
  • Chase Disney Premier: Earn 3% back

Obviously the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Southwest or Marriott cards are your best bet. For the best credit cards for grocery store spend normally, 

5% Cash Back Categories include Paypal, Grocery Stores, Chase Pay (Apr-Jun)

by | Jun 10, 2018 | 5% Cash Back, Chase Cards, Grocery

Chase Freedom Card waited until the last minute this coming quarter to announce their 5% back categories and it was worth the wait. They included not only grocery store purchases but also Paypal and Chase Pay. The Chase Pay will continue from the first quarter where we got to get 5% back at purchases at retail stores such as Best Buy and gas stations such as Shell with a bigger bonus.

5% Back on Paypal, Grocery Stores, & Chase Pay 

Earn 5% back on Paypal, grocery stores, and Chase Pay during the months of April, May, and June, up to $1,500 maximum. All of these are useful categories:

  • Paypal. This includes regular online Paypal payments as well as in-store app payments with Paypal. It even includes if you use the Send Money feature in Paypal. If you owe a friend money for concert tickets or for dinner now is the time to send it and get 5% back.
  • Grocery Stores. Includes all regular grocery stores such as Whole Foods, H-E-B, Kroger, Albertsons and more. It does not include purchases made at Walmart, Target, discount stores, or warehouse clubs. You could double up on your cash back by signing up for Ibotta here.
  • Chase Pay. You can use Chase Pay at select merchants online and in-store. While it’s not as good as last quarter with mobile wallets like Samsung Pay and Apple Pay there are a few options such as Walmart and Potbelly sandwiches that take the payment option.

Discover IT Card is also offering the grocery stores category for the second quarter.

$150 Bonus for New Accounts

If you’re new to the Chase Freedom Card you can get a $150 Bonus by applying here. You’ll get a $150 bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.