Credit Cards

Category Archives for Credit Cards.

One Credit Card is Now Offering a Bucket to New Customers Who Apply

by Gary Leff on May 8, 2019

May 08 2019

Don’t discount the value of a bucket as a signup bonus!

Along with some pvc pipe, gravel, sand and charcoal you could use a bucket to build a water filter. You can grow food inside of a bucket. Or harvest rainwater. You could even attach a couple of straps to the bucket and make it a backpack. With holes near the bottom of the bucket, and placed inside roasting pans, you might be able to use it to feed chickens. Buckets are also super useful if the ALS Foundation gets the ice bucket challenge to go viral again.

Barclays AAdvantage Business Card Bonus Now at a Record 75,000 Miles

by Gary Leff on May 6, 2019

May 06 2019

The AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard has a new best-ever offer with an initial bonus up to 75,000 miles.

What’s cool is that you can also get the American AAdvantage small business card from Citibank, the CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard, and it has a best-ever initial offer too.

30% Bonus on Transfers From American Express to Virgin Atlantic Through July 1

by Gary Leff on May 1, 2019

May 01 2019

American Express is running a 30% bonus on transfers to Virgin Atlantic through July 1. You have to log in to see the bonus.

Virgin’s miles are fantastic for ANA and Delta redemptions. However I’d only make the transfer to redeem a specific award, rather than doing to preemptively or viewing the program as a store of value.

Pay Bills With Mastercard, Earn Miles, for Just a 1.5% Fee

by Gary Leff on April 28, 2019

Apr 28 2019

Plastiq.com is a service that will charge your credit card and mail checks on your behalf. (With some vendors they also make electronic ACH payments.)

Their usual fee for this is 2.5%. It’s worth it to incur that fee if you’re earning a signup bonus with the credit card charges, or you’re meeting a spending threshold for a bonus.

Right now Mastercard payments are costing just 1.5%, and you can even pay a residential mortgage with a Mastercard.

Are the Poor Subsidizing Your Credit Card Rewards?

by Gary Leff on April 23, 2019

Apr 23 2019

A Brookings Institution piece argues that the “poor subsidize wealthier consumers” in financial transactions from checking accounts to credit card rewards. I do not think this is quite right, but let me first lay out the argument.

Chase Introduces its First Points-Transfer Bonus as Competition Heats Up

by Gary Leff on April 22, 2019

Apr 22 2019

Chase’s points normally transfer one-to-one to their airline and hotel partners. However Chase is offering a 30% bonus on transfers to British Airways through June 16. This is significant because I believe it is the first time Chase has run a bonus on transfers to one of its loyalty program partners.

Mastercard Introduces New Benefits With Lyft, Postmates, Cell Phone Protection Across Tons of Cards

by Gary Leff on April 16, 2019

Apr 16 2019

I’ve been a proponent for about two decades for the idea of having at least one each of Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Entirely apart from a card’s benefits, payment networks often have their own unique benefits and also run promotions in conjunction with travel providers. I always want to be prepared to take advantage of the best offers that come along.

Mastercard has introduced several new benefits to its cards, largely though not exclusively for its premium ‘World Elite’ cards. Fortunately two of the rewards cards I carry are World Elite Mastercards.

The Future of Credit Card Rewards

by Gary Leff on April 14, 2019

Apr 14 2019

In many ways this is the golden age of rewards. There are big initial bonus offers, fast earning for spend, and rich benefits. And rewards expense is higher than ever for card issuers.

There are risks though, and challenges for issuers. Here’s how rewards are going to have to change to be successful.

What Happens to Your Stuff When You Use Credit Card Return Protection?

by Gary Leff on April 11, 2019

Apr 11 2019

Many rewards credit cards come not just with travel protections like delayed flight and delayed baggage coverage, but also with protections for the things you buy.

Cyberkit resells items that have been returned. That’s interesting because it reduces the cost of honoring return protection. And if you’re so inclined you can buy returned items online at a discount.

Why So Many Credit Cards Miss the Mark

by Gary Leff on April 10, 2019

Apr 10 2019

All of marketing, perhaps, boils down to a simple idea: figure out who your customers are, and how to find more people like them.

Too often though products get developed without the first part clearly in mind: the customer. What does your customer need that they aren’t getting now or at least are not getting as well as they could? The most important question to ask when new credit cards come out is: who is the customer for this product?