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    New Access Restrictions for Amex Centurion Lounges

    In an effort to reduce overcrowding at its popular Centurion Lounges, American Express has been piloting various access restrictions in certain airports at certain times. Some of those will now be made permanent. Beginning March 22, 2019, Platinum and Centurion Card Members will only be permitted to access a Centurion Lounge within 3 hours of their scheduled flight departure time or between connecting flights. Card Members will not be permitted access upon arrival at their destination. I’ve seen enough complaints about overcrowding at Centurion Lounges, even while the temporary restrictions have been in place that I’m skeptical that making these permanent will have any noticeable effect. The arrival restriction seems…

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    Today Only – Ebates April Flash Sale 14% Cash Back

    Ebates, one of my favorite cash back shopping portals, is running an April Flash Sale. Today only, get 14% cashback at over 200 top stores when you click through their portal. Here’s a small sample of featured 14% cash back merchants. If you’re not familiar with shopping portals, you can read my full primer here. In short, shopping portals are websites that provide links to various retailers’ websites. In return for directing customers to their site, those retailers pay a commission to the portal for each customer that makes a qualifying purchase. The portal then allots a portion of that commission–in the form of points or cash–to the original customer. If you’re not…

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    Comparing Amex Everyday and Everyday Preferred Cards

    Whenever I’m asked what the best credit card is, my answer is always, “It depends.” Even making a recommendation between just two cards leads me to respond the same way. Case in point: the Everyday and Everyday Preferred cards from American Express. If you are a fan of Amex’s Membership Rewards program, one of these two cards is a good choice for you. I can’t tell you which is the better choice, but at the end of this post you’ll find a calculator that will help you decide for yourself. Lets take a look at each card’s benefits. Amex Everyday Card 2x Membership Rewards points at U.S. Supermarkets (on up…

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    Targeted: SPG Amex 5000 Bonus Points After $5000 Spend

    If you have the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express, check your email for a targeted offer. You may be able eligible for an extra 5,000 Starpoints. You can also check to see if you’re targeted by clicking this link and logging in to your American Express account. The Offer American Express is offering 5,000 Bonus Starpoints after spending $5,000 in qualifying purchases on your enrolled SPG card between the time you complete enrollment and May 31, 2017. The enrollment period ends on March 31, 2017. Qualifying purchases can be made by the cardholder and any authorized users and do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases…

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    Southwest Companion Pass Now Tougher to Get

    The Companion Pass is a great perk for Southwest Airlines flyers. It lets you choose one person to fly free with you every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight. Southwest has made qualifying for the pass a little more difficult. The basic rule hasn’t changed: earn 110,000 Qualifying Points in a calendar year, and you’ll earn Companion Pass for the following full calendar year, plus the remainder of the year in which you earned it.  So what’s changed? The definition of Qualifying Points. Southwest defines Qualifying Points as follows (I’ve highlighted the change in bold): Companion Pass Qualifying Points are earned from your revenue flights booked through…

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    Ebates Double Cashback at 500+ Stores – Today Only

    Ebates, the popular cash back shopping portal, is running a Black Friday 500 special today only. Get double cashback at over 500 stores when you click through their portal. If you’re not familiar with shopping portals, you can read my full primer here. In short, shopping portals are websites that provide links to various retailers’ websites. In return for directing customers to their site, those retailers pay a commission to the portal for each customer that makes a qualifying purchase. The portal then allots a portion of that commission–in the form of points or cash–to the original customer. For example, today only you can get 10% cashback at Macy’s and Bloomingdales. Check your…