Category Archives for Credit Cards.
Josh Hawley calls it “destructive corporate consolidation at its starkest” and says it will “create a new juggernaut in the credit card market, with unprecedented powers to extort American consumers.” Unprecedented? American Express operates closed loop payments (card issuer and payments network) today, and Chase issues nearly as many cards as this combined business would.
Durbin-Marshall seeks to require cards to be used either on the American Express or Discover networks as a challenge to Visa and Mastercard. This deal massively bolsters Discover, creating more competition in payments processing.
Ultimately by promoting competition without legislative action (and legislative destruction), this is great for consumers and rewards.
IHG and Hyatt both offer “Milestone Rewards.” American’s concept is “Loyalty Point Rewards,” formerly called “Loyalty Choice Rewards.” Of these, Hyatt was first. They award benefits for progress as you progress through the program, not just on achieving status tiers. That makes earning your next award closer than before, more accessible and keeps members wanting more because the next thing is achievable.
Bilt Rewards has introduced its own Milestone Rewards.
Bilt Rewards runs bigger points transfer bonuses than any other program. But they last only a day – when they come around, it’s for the first of the month, “Rent Day,” since Bilt makes rent more rewarding.
What’s really interesting is these new markets. Student housing means expanding beyond the core urban professional renter, but is still adjacent, reaching a demographic likely to graduate into their current core – earlier.
But “single-family” is interesting, too, since they also say that “Bilt plans to venture into mortgage payment rewards.” So earning rewards paying your mortgage like they currently offer rewards for paying rent.
Competition is heating up between the big banks to serve premium customers across travel, dining and experiences, with American Express looking to hire a leader that will help them build a new app ground-up.
Fifteen months ago Bilt raised $150 million at a $1.5 billion valuation. It became one of the fastest companies to ever become a ‘unicorn’.
Now they’ve raised an additional $200 million at a $3.1 billion valuation.
This blog post delves into the intricate and often concealed aspects of banking and payment systems, drawing on insights from an expert interview. It explores various elements of the finance world, from the motivations behind banking operations to the complexities of credit card processes and the impact of crypto on transaction fees.
Bilt Rewards get ‘first to know’ advance reservations for New York City Restaurant Week, January 16 – 24. Plus, take advantage and earn up to (3) $10 statement credits on $45+ spend at participating restaurants.
Answering this question starts with looking at the transfer partners each program has (they’re all different), which partners provide the most value, and also how flexible each currency is when you want to use your points directly against a paid ticket or hotel night rather than redeeming for a free flight or free hotel award night.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
