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.
Ride sharing services have grown in popularity over the past few years to where it’s a must for many. The prices have went up some too in the past few months while these competing companies are trying to do the most to keep drivers and please lawmakers. The great thing is that you can earn cash back using certain credit cards to help offset the increased pricing.
Let’s take a look at how you can maximize cash back points when riding in an Uber or Lyft.
$2 Per Ride with Shop Your Way Integration
This is something you won’t read about on most blogs as they just want you to sign-up for credit cards and they get nothing out of it. You can earn $2 per ride doing nothing after you integrate Shop Your Way with the Uber app. It takes a few minutes to sign-up and you get free money to spend at ShopYourWay.com. I have redeemed almost $1,000 worth of goods such as Foodsaver, blenders, clothes, outdoor grill, and many other things. Sign-up here free or read more about the offer here.
$200 Annual Uber credit
One of the unique benefits of The Platinum Card from American Express ($550 annual fee) is that it offers a $200 annual Uber credit. This benefit is only available on the personal version of the card, and not on the business version. With this card you get a $15 credit posted to your Uber account per month, and in December you get a $35 credit posted to your Uber account. As long as you spend at least $15 per month on Uber (and $35 in December).
To take advantage of this benefit you’ll have to add your Amex Platinum Card to your Uber account. You don’t actually have to use the card to pay but it just has to remain linked for the benefit to be triggered. This is only one of the many benefits of the card, as it also offers a $200 annual airline fee credit, $100 annual Saks credit, Amex Centurion Lounge access, a Priority Pass membership, access to Delta SkyClubs when flying Delta, Hilton Honors Gold status, and more.
We don’t recommend using The Platinum Card from American Express for your Uber spend. Instead consider one of the below cards which don’t have foreign transaction fees, unless otherwise noted, so they’re ideal whether you’re paying for an Uber in the US or abroad. The cards below also earn more cash back than the AMEX Platinum on rideshare.
Best personal credit cards for Uber and Lyft rides
6% Back: Blue Cash Preferred Card
This is the highest amount you can receive in cash back but it takes a trip to the grocery store. You get 6% back at grocery stores with this AMEX Credit Card. The trick is to go in and buy Uber gift cards in your local Kroger and get fuel points on top of that. You can stack this amazing rewards trick. You can get a $250 sign-up bonus with this card if you sign-up now.
5% Back: Discover IT Card
Earlier this year they had a 5% back on the Transportation such as Taxi/Rideshare/Limo’s. This was an easy 5% back on Uber and Lyft up to $1,500 during the quarter which will be back again next year so get your card now and be ready.
5% Back: Chase Freedom Card –
They are currently offering 5% back on Lyft rides. Earlier this year they had a 5% back on the Transportation such as Taxi, black cars, and Rideshare. This was an easy 5% back on Uber and Lyft up to $1,500 during the quarter which will be back again next year.
5% Back: U.S. Bank Cash+ Card
I’ve had this card before and applied again and they have improved it with the Rideshare and Utilities categories at 5% back. You have to sign-in and pick these categories yourself. I don’t recommend this card for any other categories or purchases. I use it for rideshare and utilities and its worthless for anything else.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card ($95 annual fee) — 3% return (or more)
The World of Hyatt Credit Card specifically offers double points on ridesharing services. We value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, so to me that’s the equivalent of a 3% return. You also get a free night at a Hyatt hotel with this card.
Chase Sapphire Reserve ($450 annual fee) — 5.1% return
The Sapphire Reserve offers triple points on all travel purchases, and that includes ridesharing. Most travel experts value Ultimate Rewards points at over 1.5 cents each, so that’s the equivalent of a 5% return on Uber purchases.
Citi ThankYou Premier Card ($95 annual fee, waived the first year)
The ThankYou Premier Card offers triple points on all travel purchases, and that includes ridesharing. Most travel experts value Ultimate Rewards points at over 1.5 cents each, so that’s the equivalent of a 5% return on Uber purchases.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card ($95 annual fee, waived the first year)
The Sapphire Preferred offers double points on all travel purchases, and that includes ridesharing.
What about the Uber Visa Card?
The Uber Visa has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and is an amazing card to use for dining and UberEats. It only offers 2% back on Uber rides so as ironic as that seems we do not recommend this card on actual rides. The card offers 4% back on dining, 3% back on hotels and airfare, 2% back on online purchases, and 1% back on everything else. Uber qualifies as an online purchase, so you only earn 2% back. While we don’t recommend using the Uber Card for Uber purchases we do recommend on using them for other travel and the cell phone warranty that comes free with the card. Many bloggers don’t make commission on this card so they won’t talk about it and instead hype the worthless Sapphire cards they get paid big commissions on. If you don’t have one of the above cards to use with Uber rides then by all means use this card.
Best business credit cards for Uber rides?
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card ($95 annual fee)
The Ink Preferred offers triple points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases every anniversary year on travel which includes ridesharing, shipping purchases, internet, cable, and phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines.
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express (no annual fee) — 3.4% return
The Blue Business Plus offers double points on all purchases, for the first $50,000 spent every calendar year. That’s an incredible return for a no annual fee card. So while there’s not even a bonus for ridesharing or travel, as long as you’re within the first $50,000 of spend in a calendar year, this may be the best Amex card for ridesharing purchases.
Buy Uber gift cards
Keep on the lookout for deals on Uber and Lyft gift cards. Many office supply stores also sell Uber/Lyft gift cards, so you can always purchase gift cards there to earn up to 5x points.
Bottom line
My personal Uber strategy is was use the Citi ThankYou Premier Card but I got approved for the the U.S. Bank Cash+ at 5% so i’ll be switching to that. My favorite card to use is the Discover IT or Chase Freedom cards when they do 5% back on rideshare. For example, I’m using my Chase Freedom card to get 5% back on Lyft for my current rides.
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:
We know it says $2 in the photo above but stay tuned we’ll show you $3. Shop Your Way (SYW) and Uber have teamed up to give SYW members the opportunity to earn SYW points for their Uber rides. Shop Your Way is a points currency where you can redeemed at Sears, Kmart and/or at shopyourway.com. You cannot redeem SYW points as payment for an Uber ride. You can redeem your rewards at Sears, Kmart, Lands’ End, or online for clothing, electronics, entertainment and much more.
Not only can you earn cash back from UBER rides with Shop Your Way but you can also connect the Ibotta app for an extra dollar per ride! This gets you three dollars per ride. You’d be amazed at the thousands of points I’ve redeemed since November last year on ShopYourWay on things such as a George Foreman Grill and kitchen utensils paying no shipping and not even connecting a credit card.
Step 2: Connect Shop Your Way with the UBER App. This automatically earns you $2 per ride.
Step 3: To earn the $1 extra cash back, download Ibotta (YOU GET $10 to start you off with Referral Code UNCVEUI). Here are more details on Ibotta. You must open the Ibotta app before booking the UBER ride and it stacks with with Shop Your Way promo.
Bonus: Earn 10 points per $1 (1%) with the Drop app. This also stacks on top of the $3 per ride you’re earning above. This really doesn’t take much time to all set-up and then you are banking on each UBER ride! You can also get the same points per ride on Lyft with this app.
ShopYourWay and Uber Points Work When You Least Expect It
A few things we discovered with the $2 per ride cash back from ShopYourWay is that not only do you get it for U.S. rides but it has worked for Europe and Australia and other destinations when traveling. We’ve also discovered that you can earn points on Uber Eats transactions which is a huge deal if you order on-demand often. Another plus is that it works using points such as Membership Rewards from AMEX and gift cards and credits — so basically any transaction out of the Uber or Uber Eats app will earn you SYW points.
I’ve earned over $300 in SYW points since I connected the shopping portal to Uber just a few months ago. This is mainly because they had a $4 bonus a few times per Uber ride so I’ve been extremely happy with this new found earning treasure chest because it’s FREE MONEY.
Earn 3 Additional Points Per Dollar on Uber Rides
We’ve discussed the amazing Uber Credit Card which is one of our favorite rewards cards out on the market now from any bank. You can read a full review here for the Uber Visa. We have also discussed maximizing the Altitude Visa and Citi Thank You Cards for 3x on Uber Rides which count as Travel.
In what could be the future of the mobile banking and purchasing experience a new contender, Zerocard, combines debit-style functionality with the cash rewards of a credit card. Zero gives you up to 3% cash back on all of your Zerocard purchases, based on your annual spending or referrals, plus you’ll earn high interest rates on your deposits, so that you can earn more money with your online banking experience. Not everyone gets 3% back as it is a tiered cash back based on things such as spending or how many friends you have referred.
The great news is this card puts most other cards to shame when it comes to earning cash back but the Zerocard is not out yet.
Simply Register for the Zerocard Waitlist Now by entering your email address, and you’ll automatically be provided with Zerocard Magnesium level which is 2% cash back on all purchases when you share it on Facebook or Tweet it. Plus, you just have to refer 3 more people to sign up for the wait list to automatically receive Zerocard Carbon level (3% cash back on all purchases).
Zerocard provides higher cash back rates than traditional credit cards, from 1% to 3% on all of your unlimited purchases, while the Zero app provides a way for users to benefit from debit-style functionality via the Zero banking experience.
Zerocard 1%-3% Rebate Earning Levels
You start with Zerocard Quartz (1% rebate) and earn progressively more cash back as you level up to Zerocard Carbon (3% rebate). You can level up and maintain status by meeting a minimum annual spend requirement or by referring others to become Zero customers.
Zerocard Quartz – 1% Cash Back: Base Card for which All Users Qualify.
Zerocard Graphite – 1.5% Cash Back: Requires $25,000 in annual spending or qualified referrals (also qualify with Twitter share after registering for wait list).
Zerocard Magnesium – 2% Cash Back: Requires $50,000 in annual spending or qualified referrals (also qualify with Facebook share after registering for wait list).
Zerocard Carbon – 3% Cash Back: Requires $100,000 in annual spending or qualified referrals (or refer 3 friends).
Zero automatically deposits your cash back at the end of every month with no limits on how much you can earn.
Zero Financial Mobile Banking
Zero acts like a traditional debit card in the sense that when you make deposits, your balance in the Zero app goes up, and when you spend on your Zerocard, your balance goes down. In addition to cash back earned on Zerocard spending, you will earn interest on deposits made to Zero at a higher rate than leading savings accounts. Zerocard will be issued by a partner bank as a solid metal physical card and is usable anywhere credit cards are accepted, with free ATM access in over 50,000 locations. In addition, Zerocard will be usable via mobile payment systems such as Apple Wallet and Android Pay.
Zero does not charge any of the typical fees that traditional banks charge, including no overdraft fees, no bill pay service fees, no stop payment fees, no wire transfer fees, no add-on ATM fees, and no inactivity fees. You will be able to send checks using Zero’s Bill Pay feature, which issues and sends a physical check on your behalf, and you will have the ability to receive direct deposits and send and receive ACH and wire transfers as well.
The Zero App displays Zerocard purchases, along with other deposits and withdrawals, in one place with a real-time net balance to help users better manage your finances. Deposits are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 via Zero’s partner institution, and the zero liability policy protects you if your card is ever lost, stolen, or fraudulently used. Those of you seeking to move your relationship with Wells Fargo this may be a great time to look into this once it starts up.
Zerocard Debit-Style Rewards Card
Zerocard is technically a credit card, since all cards have to be classified as one type or the other, but the user experience presented by the Zero app provides debit-style functionality. Also, unlike traditional debit cards, you can earn a flat 1% to 3% cash back rate, depending on which level Zerocard you have, on all of your spending with no exceptions based on purchase category or merchant type.
Similar to a credit card a bill is generated each month. Although, you don’t have to worry about it or pay it manually if you agree to the recommended terms of the Zero banking experience. These include automatic payments in full and paperless statements.
Our Take on the “Debit/Credit” issue with the card:
While this is a debit-style rewards card you do not get to pay taxes and health insurance and such like you can with a true debit card. Mainly because is coded as a credit card. This may carry Visa Infinite benefits but we are not certain of this yet.
There are 2 ways to level up your earning power with Zerocard:
1. Register for the Zerocard Waitlist to gain early access and take advantage of the referral program. The early access referral program allows users to level up faster if you successfully invite friends to also sign up.
People who level up via waiting list referrals unlock the ability to initially receive a higher level card (i.e., Zerocard Carbon) and will maintain it for the remainder of the calendar year in which you become a customer, plus all of the following calendar year.
2. Meet Annual Spending Levels.
Current minimum annual spending requirements are $25,000 for Zerocard Graphite, $50,000 for Zerocard Magnesium, and $100,000 for Zerocard Carbon. Higher level Zerocard status is earned by meeting the minimum annual spending requirements in a given calendar year.
How long will benefits last?
Customers will enjoy the benefits of higher level Zerocard status from the day that it is earned through the end of the following calendar year. This is similar to other elite programs offered by Marriott or travel programs.
How To Qualify for Zerocard
Obtaining Zerocard requires that you apply once they begin accepting applications, and approval is based on a variety of factors. You must be a permanent resident of the United States, at least 18 years old (or 19 if in you are in Alabama or Nebraska), and have a valid social security number. You will need a physical address (but you can later add a PO Box as a mailing address if you are approved). You must also satisfy certain other underwriting criteria and pass a credit check, although you’re welcome to apply even with a thin credit history or no credit history. If approved, Zero will mail you a physical Zerocard and give you immediate access to your Zerocard for a mobile payment system such as Apple Wallet or Android Pay.
Zero will begin accepting applications in early 2017 with plans to support iOS first, followed by Android.
Ride sharing services have grown in popularity over the past few years to where it’s a must for many. The prices have went up some too in the past few months while these competing companies are trying to do the most to keep drivers and please lawmakers. The great thing is that you can earn cash back using certain credit cards to help offset the increased pricing.
We know it says $2 in the photo above but stay tuned we’ll show you $3. Shop Your Way (SYW) and Uber have teamed up to give SYW members the opportunity to earn SYW points for their Uber rides. Shop Your Way is a points currency where you can redeemed at Sears, Kmart and/or at shopyourway.com. You cannot redeem SYW points as payment for an Uber ride. You can redeem your rewards at Sears, Kmart, Lands’ End, or online for clothing, electronics, entertainment and much more.
Bonus: Earn 
In what could be the future of the mobile banking and purchasing experience a new contender, Zerocard, combines debit-style functionality with the cash rewards of a credit card. Zero gives you up to 3% cash back on all of your Zerocard purchases, based on your annual spending or referrals, plus you’ll earn high interest rates on your deposits, so that you can earn more money with your online banking experience. Not everyone gets 3% back as it is a tiered cash back based on things such as spending or how many friends you have referred.