RECENT POSTS
  • Credit Cards,  Travel Rewards

    Primer on Chase Sapphire Reserve $300 Travel Credit

    Update: Due to the lack of travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chase has extended the ability to apply the travel credit to purchases at grocery stores and gas stations through June 30, 2021. The annual $300 Travel Credit is easily the most lucrative benefit of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Questions about what it covers and when it resets have been plentiful. It’s important to understand the benefit to know if and/or when you should apply. Fully monetizing the credit each year will effectively reduce the annual fee of the Sapphire Reserve from $550 to a net $250. You can receive this benefit twice in the first year of holding…

  • Credit Cards

    Don’t Downgrade Your Chase Sapphire Reserve. Not Yet, Anyway.

    UPDATE 2: The $300 travel credit applies to purchases at grocery stores and gas stations through June 30, 2021. UPDATE: Chase recently changed it’s annual fee refund policy for product changes from 60 days for a full refund to about 40 days. The premise of this post still works, just mind the timing if you choose to downgrade/product change. In late 2016, Chase introduced the Sapphire Reserve to it’s stable of credit cards. It carries a hefty $550 annual fee ($450 for renewals), but it also offers a myriad of travel benefits that offset that fee. These include an annual $300 travel credit, complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge access, and…

  • Benefits,  Credit Cards

    Can You Still Double Dip Sapphire Reserve Travel Credit?

    UPDATE: Chase recently changed it’s annual fee refund policy for product changes. The premise of this post still works, just mind the timing if you choose to downgrade/product change. One of the most generous benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve (referral link) credit card is its $300 annual travel credit. Right now, since the credit resets each December, you could receive the full travel credit twice–that’s $600–while paying only one annual fee of $450. Earlier today, news broke of a change in the reset timing of the annual credit. Instead of the travel credit resetting each December, it will reset based on the anniversary of the date you opened your account. …

  • Credit Cards

    Amex Slashes Business Platinum Pay with Points

    According to a post today by TPG, American Express is drastically reducing a recently improved benefit of its Business Platinum Card effective June 1. The 50% Pay with Points Airline Bonus is being reduced to 35%. This bonus was only recently enhanced for Platinum Business Card Members back in October, 2016. The enhancement lasted a mere 9 months. In addition, Amex is putting a 500,000 cap on rebates each calendar year. The cap will only affect heavy users of this benefit. There are also recent reports that the Airline Bonus rebate, which had been taking only a day or 2 to hit Cardmember accounts, is now taking weeks. If you…

  • Travel Rewards

    Double-Dipping the Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Credit

    NOTE: For applications after May 21, 2017, Chase has changed the date that the Reserve’s annual travel credit resets from each December to the first statement after your account anniversary. If you applied prior to May 21, 2017, the information in this post still applies. For those who applied more recently, please refer to the double-dipping information in this updated post. One of the most generous benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is its $300 annual travel credit. Even better, during the first year you have the card, you can receive the full travel credit twice–that’s $600–while paying only one annual fee of $450. You will have more…

  • Credit Cards,  Travel Rewards

    Amex Announces New Platinum Card Benefits

    After recent buzz about potential new benefits coming to the Platinum Card, today American Express announced the changes. Beginning October 6, consumers with a Platinum Card from American Express will receive 5X Membership Rewards points on airfare booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel. Also, Business Platinum Card Members will now earn 50% points back (up from 30%) when using Membership Rewards Pay with Points through American Express Travel to book an economy flight with their selected airline or a first or business class ticket with any airline. In addition, Business Platinum Card Members can earn 1.5X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on any individual purchase of $5,000 or more. “Our new…