Category Archives for Credit Cards.
Inflight credit card announcements aren’t going to go away no matter how much customers complain. However I do think the announcements could be done in a way that’s friendlier for passengers — and more effective for card issuers and their co-brand partners.
Barclays currently issues the Apple credit card. It’s fairly weak — no signup bonus, 3 points per dollar at Apple and 2 points at restaurants, with points you can redeem for Apple and iTunes gift cards.
There are no ‘benefits’ for being an Apple cardmember which I’ve never understood, other than a built-in financing offer for Apple products. Early access to products, special activations at Apple stores, some form of better treatment for cardmembers seems like a no brainer.
American AAdvantage has two banks issuing credit cards to members in the U.S.: Citibank and Barclays. Citibank advertises online, through direct mail, and in American’s club lounges. Barclays advertises in the airport (but not within 100 feet of a club) and on flights.
The Barclays small business card is still new and hasn’t ever offered 50,000 miles before though I imagine after this offer ends we’ll eventually see it back.
Later this month Chase will be adding a new card to the Ink family, that seems more the equivalent of the Freedom Unlimited, offering 1.5 points per dollar on all spend.
I don’t believe that Chase will ever make money on its Sapphire Reserve product. They’re effectively spending all of the interchange on rewards and benefits, and any margin must be coming from customers paying an APR — but with the high income, high credit, and high assets Chase reports about Sapphire Reserve cardmembers you’d expect even that to be a smaller group of customers than usual.
So it’s not surprising that we see the bank looking for cost savings.
American Airlines and Citibank announced that their co-brand credit card will be increasing earning and also that a bigger signup bonus is coming next month.
There’s been a great deal of confusion among readers about new Marriott breakfast benefits. Marriott will be offering Platinums and above breakfast at 23 of their 30 brands, and they’ve eliminated the exclusion of breakfast at resorts from the program.
Here’s what that means in practice.
As a short hand expectation many people figured that would mean that applications for the Starwood Amex product – the one I’ve had for 17 years – would cease August 1. American Express, though, says “the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Consumer card will continue to welcome new Card Members now through August 2018, and beyond.”
Many people believe that means the card will continue to be offered indefinitely. I’m quite certain this is not the case.
After laying out the details of the new unified Marrott loyalty program I covered the new credit cards that will be offered.
One opportunity emerges.
Plastiq will usually charge 2.5% to bill your credit card and send a check to make payments for you.
I love competition, though. Because now that there’s a new player on the scene Plastiq is out with a lower rate promotion to lock in rent payments.
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 »
