Katie’s Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com and Bankrate.com . This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Cards In This Post
How to Pick a Card
This post includes offers that I think are noteworthy right now. I always include best offers available in these links, even if I don’t earn a commission from it. This is especially true for Amex cards which often have referral offers that are much higher than affiliate links.
Want a super easy to follow plan? Follow my Three Year Plan! This is the best way to keep earning points on auto pilot.
If you’re new to points, make sure you also under the 5/24 rule. This should guide the cards you pick in the early stages.
Think you don’t qualify for a business card? You probably do! Read more here.
Best Beginner Cards
These are my favorite cards to start with and the best overall cards for beginners. The points can be transferred to airlines and hotels. If you already have this card, check out my super easy to follow Three Year Plan! These are the first two cards in my Three Year Plan!
Check out my post on Picking Your First Card to see more on our favorite starter cards and get some basic strategy tips. And make sure you understand the Chase 5/24 rule!
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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- No foreign transaction fees
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Great transfer options to Hyatt, United, Southwest, and more
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027. Plus $10/month for non-restaurant orders. More here.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is THE top beginner card I recommend for miles & points. The travel protections it provides is top tier, too. Get this card early in your travel points journey, it’s a keeper. It’s the first card in my Three Year Plan.
The points you’ll earn are easy to redeem and it’s also easy to keep earning them. Our favorite use is to transfer them to Hyatt for hotel stays but you can use them for cash back, for any travel expense, or for airlines.
It has a fun extra benefit through December 31, 2027: $10 a month for non-restaurant purchases at DoorDash. Read here how to use this benefit.
If you want to learn more about it, check out Season 1 of my podcast — I dive into the benefits and how to use the points.
The standard bonus is 60,000 points. An offer for 60,000 points + $300 credit towards Chase Travel in the first year ran from September – early November 2024.
An offer for 75,000 points ran from early May – mid June 2024.
A publicly available online offer for 80,000 points ran from March 2023-May 2023.
An 80,000 point bonus ended in Fall 2022.
An offer for 100,000 points ended in Fall 2021.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
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Don’t let the annual fee of $395 scare you. The $300 annual travel credit and a slew of other benefits make this card a keeper. Plus you’ll immediately up your travel game with airport lounge access and Hertz Presidents’ Club status. Read my complete guide here.
This is the second card in my Three Year Plan despite the annual fee because I really think it is the easiest premium card to get your value back. Between the $300 annual travel credit and the 10,000 miles every year on account anniversary (redeemable for a minimum of $100 in travel), that’s huge value right there.
When this card was released in November 2021, it had a 100,000 miles bonus offered (with a $10,000 spend requirement over 6 months). Since March 2022, it has had the same 75,000 mile bonus offer.
Starting October 6, 2023 – a new 90k offer was available exclusively through select referral links. This ended early in December 2023.
Personal Cards
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
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Targeted 100k Offer: Some people receive a targeted offer for 100,000 miles after spending $5000 when going through preapproval at certain links (like the one below) Just be careful because many people see a 75k offer and other people are only pre-approved for a different card with low offer. (Community Referral below)
- Miles can be redeemed to erase any travel purchase. 50,000 miles = $500
- Can be transferred to a variety of partners like Wyndham, Avianca, Turkish Airways and more
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Also worth considering the Venture X which has more benefits.
This card often has a very comparable welcome offer to the higher annual fee Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — but with a lower annual fee.
The miles you earn are worth a minimum of 1 cent per mile so 75,000 miles at minimum can be redeemed to offset $750 of any travel expense. You also have the option to transfer miles to airline partners or hotel partners just like you can with the Venture X.
This card also includes a credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry!
An offer expired in July 2021 for a total of 100K: 50K after $3K in the first 3 months + 20K after $20K in the first 6 months.
An offer ended September 2024 for 75k miles + a $250 travel credit to be used in the Capital One travel portal.
Earn 70,000 miles after you spend $1 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
- First checked bag free for you and 4 companions on eligible bags when traveling on domestic itineraries operated by American Airlines.
- Preferred boarding
This is a great card to get now if you have room in your 5/24 count as it is slated to be discontinued in 2024. A great card to earn a lot of points with very minimal spend. When this offer hits 70,000 miles, that’s enough for a round trip ticket to Japan!
I love AA in particular for international flights. It’s not a card I keep long term (though you might want to if you find the free bags helpful). This card is issued by Barclays which generally likes you to be at 6/24 to get approved — but there are no strict terms on this.
You’ll find AA mentioned as a sweet spot on almost all of our regional guides like Japan, SouthEast Asia, and Africa.
Sometimes we see an offer for 70,000 points on this card.
- Two free checked bags on eligible flights.
- $100 companion discount annually for roundtrip travel between Hawaii and North America on Hawaiian Airlines after each account anniversary.
- Receive a one-time 50%-off companion discount for roundtrip travel between Hawaii and North America on Hawaiian Airlines.
The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is a solid choice if you frequently fly to Hawaii and can maximize the perks. The free checked bags and companion certificate are game-changers, especially for families. However, if you’re a casual traveler or prefer more flexible redemption options, you might want to explore other cards.
This card is slated to be discontinued, so it’s a good time to take advantage of this offer!
Historically, the bonus has hovered around 50,000 to 70,000 HawaiianMiles.
70,000 miles + Companion Fare
Get 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
You may be able to find a code for an extra 5000 points here.
Alternate offer: Earn 60,000 points + a 30% off voucher here.
- Includes Alaska’s Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare + taxes and fees from $23)
- Free checked bag
- Priority boarding
- 10% rewards bonus
- 20% back on all Alaska Airlines inflight purchases and $100 off annual Alaska Airlines lounge membership
High offer on this card. Alaska has some great sweet spot options and includes a free stopover on award flights, even one way flights! Bank of America can be sensitive to lots of recent card openings. Your best chance of approval if you have opened more than 2 cards in 12 months is to open a Bank of America checking account. Business card may be a better option for you if trying to stay under 5/24.
But beware! Bank of America’s website makes it really hard to set up Autopay!
This card fluctuates from 40,000-70,000 miles. Occasionally it will also include a $100 statement credit.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- $75 annual statement credit for Southwest purchases
- 4 upgraded boardings per year
- 7500 points per year on your card member anniversary
- 3x earning on Southwest flights; 2x on local transit, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
- 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $5,000 spent
- Check your Companion Pass strategy before applying
This can be paired with a Business card to easily earn a Southwest Companion Pass and BOGO travel for even longer!
This is my favorite of the Southwest credit cards due to the perks. You’ll easily make up the annual fee with the $75 Southwest credit (we use ours to pay our award taxes), anniversary bonus points, and 4 upgraded boardings.
Southwest offers 3 personal credit cards with different annual fees — they usually have identical offers. Offers change throughout the year typically offering 40,000-75,000 bonus points. Higher bonus points usually require higher spending. The past few years in early Spring, an offer appears that also includes a promotional Companion Pass.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year
- 3000 points per year on your card member anniversary
- 2x earning on Southwest flights; 2x on local transit, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
Southwest offers 3 personal credit cards with different annual fees — they usually have identical offers. Offers change throughout the year offering 40,000-75,000 bonus points. Higher bonus points usually require higher spending. The past few years in early Spring, an offer appears that also includes a promotional Companion Pass.
185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® Bonus points
Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Ends 5/14/2025
All information about this card has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks. This card is no longer available through Katie’s Travel Tricks.
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- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
- With Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
- Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
- 1 Free Night Award annually after your Card account anniversary (up to 85k)
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases, Card Members are eligible to select an Earned Choice Award benefit. Benefit options include: Five (5) Suite Night Awards, 85K Free Night Award, and mattress and box spring $1,000 discount from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
- Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply
Enrollment is required for select benefits
High annual fee on this card but you have a potential to get some great benefits, too. The automatic Platinum status makes you eligible for upgrades (if available) and the monthly restaurant credits are easy to use if you remember to use them.
The free night certificate offers a lot of potential value each year, too.
But that’s still a high annual fee, so you need to make sure you’re really using the benefits well.
Read the terms carefully to determine if you are eligible for this welcome offer as Marriott cards have complicated eligibility.
Offer fluctuates from 75,000 bonus points and up. Welcome offer of 150,000 points after spending $6,000 in 3 months ended August 2023. Welcome offer of 185,000 points ended in May 2024.
155,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points
Earn 155,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months. Offer ends 05/14/2025.
All information about this card has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks. This card is no longer available through Katie’s Travel Tricks.
- Earn a free night award (up to 50,000 points) after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year
Earn up to 18.5X total points per $1 spent at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
Earn 4x points at restaurants including takeout and delivery
Automatic Gold Elite status
- Enrollment is required for select benefits
I’ve never really understood the appeal of this card compared to the other lower annual fee Marriott personal cards. You don’t even get an annual free night certificate automatically. Ultimately, I don’t think this has easy-to-access value for the average person but you might find otherwise.
It can be good during an elevated offer to earn a lot of Marriott points. Note that Marriott has very convoluted application rules so pay close attention to terms before applying. You won’t be eligible for this offer if you’ve held the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
We’ve seen elevated offers of 125,000 or as high as 155,000 points.
Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first six months.
- 10% redemption discount on points redeemed for go free® awards
- Receive 7,500 Bonus Points each anniversary year after payment of the renewal fee
Wyndham has some good hotels but my favorite use is to use the points to book Vacasa vacation rentals. When you hold this card, you’ll get a 10% discount which means each night at a one bedroom Vacasa costs just 13,500 points. Barclays seems to prefer people to be at 6/24 or less. This does add to your 5/24 count.
We personally opened the business version of this card instead just to save a 5/24 slot but this one often has a lower spend requirement.
This card’s standard offer is 45,000 points. In 2021, they ran an offer with 90,000 bonus points. 100,000 points is the all time high!
EARN A $200 BONUS after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.opens overlay to offer details
(Reader Referral) All information about this card has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks. This card is no longer available through Katie’s Travel Tricks.
This card has great earning potential and is perfect to pair with a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for ongoing earning. When you combine these cash back points with a Sapphire, they can become transferrable to programs like Hyatt and United.
$200 (20k points) is the standard offer.
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$0 annual fee
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more;
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- Earn 1.5% cash back on all spend
Generally, I prefer the Chase Freedom Flex® to this card for the 5x earning opportunities. But this elevated offer is a great option for people who are just getting started with credit cards!
If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can transfer the Freedom points to the Sapphire card to get all the airline and hotel transfer benefits.
The standard welcome offer is $200 after you spend $500.
Business Cards
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
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- If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can transfer the Ink points to the Sapphire card to get all the airline and hotel transfer benefits!
- Earn unlimited 1.5% Cash Back rewards on every purchase
Chase Ink cards are our favorite option when we have larger expenses coming that help us to meet the higher minimum spend. The bonus for this card is listed as cash back.But if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can actually combine the “cash back” points with your Sapphire card. (If you have a Chase Ink Business Premier® Credit Card you cannot combine the points.)
You can get a Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card . You can also get multiple if you have multiple businesses. Don’t forget to refer your spouse to this one!
For many years, the bonus on this card offered $500 after you spent $3000 in 3 months. The offer changed to $750 after spending $7500 in 3 months during the pandemic. In fall 2022, the offer went to $900 after spending $6,000 in 3 months. In fall 2023, we saw the $900 offer return from September to mid-January 2024.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
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- If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can transfer the Ink points to the Sapphire card to get all the airline and hotel transfer benefits!
This offer is a lot easier to earn than other cards in the Ink family due to the longer time you have to do the full amount of spending.
The bonus for this card is listed as cash back. But if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can actually combine the “cash back” points with your Sapphire card. (If you have a Chase Ink Business Premier® Credit Card you cannot combine the points.)
You can get a Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card . You can also get multiple if you have multiple businesses. Don’t forget to refer your spouse to this one! Full guide here
For many years, the bonus on this card offered $500 after you spent $3000 in 3 months. The offer changed to $750 after spending $7500 in 3 months during the pandemic. In fall 2022, the offer went to $900 after spending $6,000 in 3 months. In fall 2023, we saw the $900 offer return from September to mid-January 2024.
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
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- Earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Redeem cash back at any time with no minimums
- If you have a card that earns Venture miles, this cash back can convert to miles and be used to then transfer to hotel and airline partners
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a great option if you have a lot of expenses coming up. The current welcome offer offers a hefty $2,000 cash back bonus.
This business card generally is known to not report to personal credit reports so it should not add to your 5/24 count.
Overall this is a strong card option if you can meet the spend requirements. Because you earn 2% cash back, you’ll have earned $2600 cash back total after spending $30,000. It would be a great card to add to my Three Year Plan if you have high expenses.
Note that this does require to you pay off your bill in full each month.
Previous offer was “Earn a $1,200 cash bonus when you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months” and other previous offers required up to $50,000 in spend to reach a bonus.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable, social media and search engine advertising, and phone services
- Travel Benefits: Get 25% more when you redeem your points through Chase TravelSM, No Foreign Transaction Fees and Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance.
- No foreign transaction fees
Learn more about this card here. Learn more about qualifying for business cards here (even without an LLC business)
Chase Ink cards are our favorite option when we have larger expenses coming that help us to meet the higher minimum spend. This card will allow you to transfer its points to all of Chase’s travel partners like Hyatt, United, Southwest, and more.
I also love the 3x earning on travel expenses and no foreign transaction fees — along with a good suite of benefits.
This card used to offer 100k points but required a $15,000 spend. An offer for 120,000 points after spending $8000 in three months ran from July to early September 2024.
IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
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- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier card member
- Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck Fee Credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
This is a great way to earn some IHG points! I prefer this to the personal version of this card since it has less of an impact to your credit score and 5/24 status. You will get TSA Precheck or Global Entry, Platinum Elite status (which can give you room upgrades), and 4th night free when you book with points.
IHG has a large footprint in Europe of hotels that sleep 4. You can also check out my map of Holiday Inn Vacation Clubs — they have villas with kitchens and some sleep 6. We often use IHG points at Holiday Inn Express, avid, or Staybridge Suites on road trips. Or love a stay at a Kimpton.
140,000 points is the standard offer. A 165,000 point offer ended in June 2023. A 175,000 point offer ended May 16, 2024.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
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- 2 Early Bird Check Ins per year
- 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $10,000 spent
- 3x earning on Southwest flights; 2x on local transit
- 6000 points per year on your card member anniversary
- $500 Fee credit for points transfers
This card is the lowest annual fee business card to help you earn a Companion Pass. The offer is also typically lower than on the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card. I like that you get Early Bird Check in credits, too!
If you’re using the 3 card/2 pass method, this is the ideal business card for the 2nd person get. Overall, you’ll always need to pay attention to your timing when applying if you’re trying to maximize the Companion Pass.
The standard offer on this card is 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 in 3 months. In Summer 2023 and 2024, we saw an offer that also included a a higher tier bonus (but required an additional $12,000 of spending to get another 60k points).
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
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- TSA Precheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS statement credit (up to $120 every 4 years)
- 4 upgraded boardings per year
- Free in-flight wifi
- 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $5,000 spent
- 4x earning on Southwest flights; 2x on local transit, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
- 9000 points per year on your card member anniversary
- $500 Fee credit for points transfers
This card really helps make it so easy to get a Southwest Companion Pass. Just pay close attention to your timing when applying if you’re trying to maximize the Companion Pass. It has some great perks like 4 upgraded boardings per year and a credit every 4 years for TSA Precheck or Global Entry. It also gives you free internet on Southwest flights!
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. Also, earn 25,000 bonus points after spending $12,000 on purchases within the first 365 days. Free nights can require up to 30,000 points per bedroom at participating properties and are subject to availability.
- Earn 15,000 bonus points on account anniversary
- 8 points per dollar on gas
- Automatic Diamond status which gives free upgrades
- Status match to Caesar’s Diamond for a free 5 night stay at Atlantis Bahamas
- Great for booking vacation rental homes.
The 15,000 points on account anniversary easily offers more than $95 of value. I actually prefer it to getting a free night certificate because it doesn’t expire in a year. Great earning on gas purchases. And. with the Caesar’s status you get, you can get 4 nights at the Atlantis each year!
This current offer requires a steep spend, though, to get all the points.
The standard bonus is 45,000 points and seems to raise once a year. In 2021 we saw a bonus of 90,000 points. The 100,000 point bonus is best ever but requires a high spending for full bonus.
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 5 months from account opening.
- First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 4 travel companions on the same reservation
- Preferred boarding
Even at the standard 65,000 offer,I leave it on this page because it is a good one to get to stock up on AA miles.
It’s not a card I keep long term (though you might want to if you find the free bags helpful). I usually get it every 48 months as the terms allow. I generally wait for an offer of 65,000 miles or higher.
65,000 miles is the standard offer on this card. The highest we have seen is 75,000 after spending $6,000 in 6 months. A 75,000 mile offer ended in June 2024. A 75,000 mile offer ended in January 2025.
Capital One Venture X Business
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- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere-with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get the best prices on thousands of options
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
- Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and membership to Priority Pass through the Partner Lounge Network
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
The Capital One Venture X Business is very similar to the consumer (or personal) version of this card. The Business version has a few notable differences. Most notably negative — if you add an authorized user, they don’t get any lounge benefits.
Overall this is a strong card option for one person to get great lounge benefits without adding to their 5/24 count. The welcome offers typically require a higher spend, so best for businesses with large expected spends coming up.
This card was released in fall 2023 and at that time required a $30,000 spend to get 150,000 miles. Then we saw a lower spend required ($20,000) to earn 150,000 miles with an option to spend more and earn more. In March 2024, it went back to 150,000 miles after spending $30,000.
Earn 50,000 bonus HawaiianMiles® after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 90 days.
- Receive a one-time 50%-off companion discount for roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and North America on Hawaiian Airlines.
Our personal strategy is to open business cards whenever we can and to alternate banks for those cards. At least once a year, we each try to open a business card issued by Barclay so when we see an elevated offer like this (and we can meet the spend requirements), we go for it.
This is a good time to get this card since it is slated to be discontinued.
This card bonus has been as high as 90,000 in the past but with a higher spend requirement — and not since 2021. A 70,000 miles offer ended in summer 2024.
Amex Community Referral Offers (Personal Cards)
When my affiliate links don’t match the best available offer, I still have a commitment to sharing only the best offers available.
American Express often gives current cardmembers access to high referral offers that they can share with their friends and this section includes those referral offers. These are collected from our community members. If you have a link that matches these offers that you’d like to share, we send out a form in our first newsletter of the month (on the first Saturday of the month) and anyone is invited to share their links at that time.
Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
(Reader Referral) All information about American Express® Gold Card has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks. The American Express® Gold Card is no longer available through Katie’s Travel Tricks.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment is required for select benefits. Visit americanexpress.com
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- 84 Dunkin’ Credit: With the $84 Dunkin’ Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Dunkin’ locations.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
Amex almost always has higher personal referrals on this card than the public affiliate offers and I always try to post them on my blog when I have them! This is a strong offer for points that transfer to a lot of airline partners.
If you’re interested in this card, just know that getting this offer will make you ineligible to get the a welcome offer on the American Express® Green Card. So to maximize your points you’d want to get that card first. Also if you have (or have had recently) a The Platinum® Card from American Express, you’ll be ineligible for thos offer.
Public offer is usually closer to 60k. The current 90,000 offer is the highest widely available offer. Occasionally highly targeted offers to certain people will be higher.
40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
All information about this card has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks.
- $189 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express® Green Card.
- $100 LoungeBuddy credit each year
- 3X points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 3x points on transit, including trains, buses, ferries, subway, and more
- 3x points on travel, including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, and more.
Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Great way to start earning Membership Rewards points. That’s because while it has a lower bonus — if you get the Gold or Platinum cards FIRST, those will make you ineligible for the offer on this card.
This card does add to your 5/24 count so not the best for newbies. You’ll also have to use some of the perks to make up the annual fee.
The standard offer on this card is around 40,000-45,000 bonus points. In summer 2023, there was a 60,000 point bonus.
175,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Earn 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.†
Resy Link for 100k + 10x on Restaurants
All information about The Platinum Card® from American Express®has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks. The Platinum Card® from American Express® is no longer available through Katie’s Travel Tricks.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com
- Up to $200 annual airline incidental statement credit, enrollment required
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
- Lounge access to Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass lounges and more, enrollment required
- Hilton Honors gold status, enrollment required
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status, enrollment required
- Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Benefit renews annually. Enrollment required. Terms Apply. You must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible Platinum Card from American Express must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex benefit may only be used in United States.
This has a high annual fee. BUT may be worth it for some people, especially if you can leverage the airline, digital entertainment, and Uber credits. The airline incidental statement credit is per calendar year. That means most people can actually get the $200 airline credit twice in the first year of holding the card.
Just note that if you get this offer, you’ll become ineligible to earn a welcome offer on the Gold or Green cards. To maximize your points earned, start with the Green card, then get the Gold, then this one.
The offers on this card fluctuate greatly. It has been as low as 80,000 points. Typically personal referral links show higher offers than affiliate links and I always try to keep my pages updates with these.
175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points + Free night certificate
Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
You also earn a Free Night Certificate after opening the card and every year on renewal.
All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is no longer available through Katie’s Travel Tricks.
- Hilton Honors Diamond Status: Earn instant Diamond status, providing access to exclusive benefits like complimentary room upgrades, Executive Lounge access, and free breakfast.
- Annual Free Night Award: Receive one free night at any Hilton property worldwide each year.
- Up to $400 Hilton Credit: Earn up to $200 in statement credits twice per year for eligible Hilton purchases each year.
- Up to $200 Airline Credits: Earn up to $50 each quarter in statement credits for eligible airline purchases each year.
Travel with Ease:
- CLEAR® Plus Credit: Get up to $199 back annually for a CLEAR® Plus membership, speeding up airport security.
- $100 Property Credit: Enjoy up to $100 credit on qualifying charges at Waldorf Astoria® and Conrad® hotels with a 2-night minimum stay.
- National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® Status: Receive perks like priority service with complimentary status.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees: Avoid extra charges when using your card internationally.
Peace of Mind While Traveling:
- Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance: Decline rental car collision damage waiver (CDW) and get coverage for theft or damage in most countries (except Australia, Italy, and New Zealand).
- Premium Global Assist® Hotline: Access 24/7 emergency assistance for medical, legal, and financial needs while traveling over 100 miles from home.
- Baggage Insurance Plan: Get reimbursed for lost, damaged, or stolen luggage (up to $3,000) when your entire fare is paid with the card.
- Trip Delay Insurance: Receive up to $500 for additional expenses if your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours for a covered reason.
- Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: Get reimbursed for non-refundable trip expenses (up to $10,000) if your trip is cancelled or interrupted due to a covered reason.
Shopping Protections:
- Purchase Protection: Get reimbursed for stolen, accidentally damaged, or lost purchases within 90 days (up to $10,000 per purchase, $50,000 annually).
- Extended Warranty: Extend original manufacturer warranties by one year on eligible purchases (up to $10,000 per item, $50,000 annually).
Lifestyle Perks:
- Concierge Service: Enjoy complimentary access to a concierge for help with tasks like finding restaurants or event tickets.
- Events with Amex™: Get priority access to tickets for popular events like concerts and sports games.
- Return Protection: Return unwanted purchases to American Express (up to $300 per item, $1,000 annually) if the seller won’t take them back within 90 days.
Fine Dining:
- Global Dining Access by Resy: Unlock exclusive reservations and experiences at high-end restaurants through Resy.
On top of its travel benefits, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers a range of features that can simplify your daily life:
- Cell Phone Protection: Get reimbursed for repairs or replacements (up to $800 per claim, 2 claims per year) for damaged or stolen phones on eligible wireless bills paid with the card.
- Send & Split®: Easily send money and split purchases with friends using Venmo and PayPal directly through the Amex app, avoiding their fees. You can also split Amex purchases and get paid back directly to your card, earning rewards on the full amount.
- Dispute Resolution: American Express can help you resolve billing errors or charges you don’t recognize.
- Year-End Summary: Review your annual spending with a convenient year-end summary.
- Plan It®: Split eligible purchases of $100+ into fixed monthly installments with a fee, allowing you to pay over time while still earning rewards.
Enrollment is required for select benefits
If you’re a frequent Hilton Honors member who values luxury and convenience, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is a fantastic option. This premium card offers a suite of benefits that can significantly enhance your travel experiences.
From the instant Diamond status and annual free night award to the travel credits, this card delivers exceptional value. The card’s everyday perks, such as cell phone protection and concierge services, further elevate its appeal.
While the annual fee is on the higher side, the benefits it offers can make it a worthwhile investment for those who frequently stay at Hilton properties and appreciate a luxurious travel experience.
Welcome offers on this card have ranged from 100,000 to 180,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points. A 175,000 point offer ended 1/8/25.
130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points + Free night certificate
Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/29/2025.
- Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
- Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations
- Complimentary Gold status
- Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club® program is required. Terms apply.
Enrollment is required for select benefits
If you stay at Hilton regularly, it’s easy to recoup the annual fee
Ended 7/19/23: 130k points + free night award after spending $2,000.
Ended 1/17/24: Earn 170k points.
Ended 7/31/24 130k points + free night certificate after spending $3,000.
70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points + Free night certificate
Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/29/2025.
- No annual fee
- Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
Hilton generally requires more points for a redemption (up to 95,000 points for a standard rate) but you do get the 5th night free with award bookings.
This is a good offer on a no annual fee card — some people may prefer an offer we’ve seen before that includes a free night certificate.
Offers fluctuate from 70,000 points and up. I recommend waiting for a 100,000 point offer.
An offer of 70,000 points + a free night certificate ended 7/31/24.
Amex Community Referral Offers (Business Cards)
Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Note: Sometimes these links will show some people higher offers. You can also test them in other browsers or incognito.
(Reader Referral) All information about The Business Platinum Card® has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks. The Business Platinum Card® is no longer available through Katie’s Travel Tricks.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection(R) can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 10/2024. Access is limited to eligible Card Members.
- Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card(R). Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card(R).
- Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- NEW! Make the Business Platinum Card(R) work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required.
- $199 CLEAR(R) Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR(R) Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card(R).
This has a very high spend as well as high annual fee. BUT may be worth it for some people, especially if you can leverage the statement credits. The airline incidental statement credit is per calendar year. That means most people can actually get the airline credit twice in the first year of holding the card, up to $200 each time.
The offers on this card fluctuate greatly. It has been as low as 80,000 points.
Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
**This offer has no lifetime language and may be available to you even if you’ve had this card previously.
Note: Sometimes these links will show some people higher offers. You can also test them in other browsers or incognito.
All information about American Express® Business Gold Card has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks. The American Express® Business Gold Card is no longer available through Katie’s Travel Tricks.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment is required for select benefits. Visit americanexpress.com
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
- The Business Gold Card comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and White Gold. White Gold design is only available while supplies last. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
If you’re new, I’d prioritize the Ink cards. But if you have been at this a while and can’t open Ink cards right now, or want to take a breather from Chase, this is a solid offer. I also like that American Express generally doesn’t run a hard pull on your credit report if you are an existing customer so this should not have any affect on your credit score at all.
Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases with your Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership
(Reader Referral) All information about The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks. This card is no longer available through Katie’s Travel Tricks.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card.
- You may receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status if the total eligible purchases on your Card Account during a calendar year reach $40,000 or more.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Business Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you’re enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply
- Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the Hilton Honors Business Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter.
- Get up to $60 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.
Enrollment is required for select benefits
This is a great way to earn a Hilton points and not affect your 5/24 score! Hilton points are especially valuable when you can stay 5 nights — the 5th night will be free. You can also use them to stay at a lot of Small Luxury Hotels, independent hotels around the world.
Ended 6/5: 175K welcome offer. Another recent good welcome offer was 150k welcome offer + a free night award.
after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.† Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
(Personal Referral) All information about this card has been collected independently by Katie’s Travel Tricks. This card is no longer available through Katie’s Travel Tricks.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card
- Receive a 7% discount on eligible bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy® member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.
Enrollment is required for select benefits
Opening this business card versus one of the personal Marriott cards will help you stay under 5/24 longer and that’s the main benefit of this card. I do like the annual free night certificate, too — and that you can top it off with up to 15k points.
Be sure to pay close attention to all the eligibility rules when applying for any Marriott card as they are pretty convoluted!
Check out my map of family friendly Marriotts for inspiration.
Bonus fluctuates from 75,000 bonus points to 125,000 points. Sometimes the bonus is 3 free night certificates for up to 50k per night – highest ever was 5 free nights (up to 50k and ended March 2024, was offered again and ended July 2024). Note that personal referral offers often don’t match the best available offer.
