How My Client Scored a FREE Mediterranean Cruise PLUS Used Points for Extras 🚢

 

Picture this: You've just won a Mediterranean cruise through a work promotion, and you're wondering if you can make it even better without spending a dime. That's exactly what happened to one of my clients, and the answer might surprise you!

The Power Play: Using Points as Statement Credits ✨

My client had already hit the jackpot with her free cruise and flights (earned through reaching her sales goals), but she wanted to know if her credit card points could cover the drink package and shore excursions.

Here's the game-changer: Most flexible points programs let you use points as statement credits to offset ANY purchase – not just traditional travel bookings.

Which Cards Offer Statement Credit Options?

• Capital One: Famous for their "Purchase Eraser" feature
• Chase: Through their "Pay Yourself Back" option
• American Express: Via statement credit redemptions
• Citi: Through their rewards portal

Real Results: 290,000 Points = Major Savings 💳

When my client logged into her Chase Sapphire Preferred account (she hadn't checked in ages!), she discovered 290,000 points just sitting there. Here's how she used them:

• Drink package: 30,000 points
• Shore excursions: Several thousand additional points
• Leftover balance: Saved for her upcoming Alaska adventure

Is This the "Best" Use of Points?

Let's be real – you might not get maximum value compared to transferring points to airline partners. But sometimes convenience and cash flow matter more than squeezing every penny of value from your rewards.

The bottom line: If using points means you can enjoy your vacation worry-free without touching your bank account, that's a win in my book.

How to Redeem Points as Statement Credits

The process is surprisingly simple:

1. Log into your credit card account
2. Navigate to "Redeem Rewards" or "Pay Yourself Back"
3. Select the charges you want to cover
4. Confirm your redemption (usually at 1:1 value)

Pro tip: Keep an eye out for bonus categories that might offer better redemption rates during special promotions!

The Takeaway

Don't let your hard-earned points collect digital dust. Whether you're covering cruise extras, hotel incidentals, or any other travel expenses, your flexible points can work harder for you than you might think.

Have you discovered a stash of forgotten points in your account? Share your best redemption wins in the comments below! 👇

If you need more points, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee and right now is offering a 75,000 bonus point offer for a $5,000 minimum spend. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

How You Can Get A $75 Restaurant Credit

 

If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, you just got a bonus $75 restaurant credit from the new booking platform Infatuation. Woohoo! 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of my favorite travel credit cards because Chase Ultimate Reward points are super flexible. They transfer to dozens of airlines and hotels including Hyatt plus you can use them in the Chase Travel Portal. The Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee and right now is offering a 75,000 bonus point offer for a $5,000 minimum spend. We show our clients how to use those 75,000 CUR points to get a few round trip flights to Europe! 

It's easy to sign up and then link your Sapphire Preferred credit card. 

Then just pick your city and favorite restaurant, book a table and you are good to go. There are only 11 US cities represented on the platform, but if you live near one or are traveling to one in the next month, be sure to use the credit. 

Couple of items in the fine print:

1. You must use the credit by October 16th 2025

2. You must spend a minimum of $150 to get the $75 credit

3. It's a one time credit 

4. Purchase must be made from the identifiable restaurant. Delivery, take out and gift cards may not qualify. 

So for just a $95 annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card packs a lot of benefits. It also comes with a $50 hotel credit, a Dashpass membership and a $10 per month DoorDash credit. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Paypal Returns As The 4th Quarter 5x Bonus

Chase Freedom Q4 Bonus Categories Are Here! 🎉

The Chase Freedom 4th quarter bonus categories just dropped, and we're excited because PayPal is making its return!

Chase offers rotating quarterly bonus categories for both the Freedom and Freedom Flex credit cards. These no-annual-fee gems are perfect wallet staples that really deliver value. The bonus categories make them even more rewarding – we've seen everything from gas stations and EV charging to entertainment venues and pet stores in previous quarters.

Here's what Q4 2025 brings us:

• Chase Travel - This category typically earns 5% cash back, so expect an additional 5x points boost 🛫
• Department Stores - Think Macy's, Nordstrom, Kohl's (but not Target or Walmart)
• Old Navy - Great timing for holiday shopping! 👕
• PayPal - December only, so mark your calendars! 💳

You can earn up to $1,500 cash back across all categories during the quarter, but remember to register for the bonus through your account – it's not automatic.

Don't have a Freedom Flex yet? You can snag one with a sweet $200 bonus after spending $500. This free card is seriously worth keeping around – it earns 3x points on dining and drugstores, 5x on Chase Travel Portal purchases, and 1x on everything else.

Pro tip: Earn points on this card, then transfer them to your Sapphire Preferred or Reserve for maximum flexibility and value! ✨

Ready to register for Q4 bonuses or apply for the card? Your wallet will thank you!

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

Lounge capacity issues are real and incredibly frustrating! But here's something you might not know: you can visit multiple lounges on the same day, or even enjoy one while you're on the waitlist for another. Several credit cards offer free membership in the Priority Pass Lounge network which offers entry for you and up to two guests into more than 1,700 lounges around the world. 

Recently, I had a three-hour layover at JFK in New York. I wanted to check out the Chase Sapphire lounge, but the line stretched on forever. I decided to add my name to the waitlist anyway. The agent estimated a 20-40 minute wait, which operates through text notifications—and you only have 10 minutes to reach the lounge once they text you. While some lounges let you join waitlists through the Priority Pass app, this particular Sapphire Lounge requires in-person sign-up.

Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

Ten minutes isn't nearly enough time to switch terminals, but it's plenty of time to visit another lounge within the same terminal. Terminal 4 offers several Priority Pass network options:

• Air India Lounge
• Virgin Atlantic
• Hello Sky
• Chase Sapphire - restricted hours for non Chase Sapphire card members

I headed downstairs to the Hello Sky pop-up lounge. No line whatsoever—I checked in quickly and walked right in. The space is compact but not overcrowded, and I immediately found a comfortable couch with a nearby charging station. An attendant approached within moments and offered me a glass of wine. What a welcome!

The food and drink selection pleasantly surprised me, featuring both hot and cold options plus an impressive variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. A large monitor, computer, and printer were available for business needs. The only downside to this pop-up lounge? No restroom facilities inside.

Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

After 40 minutes of relaxation, my phone buzzed with the text I'd been waiting for—time to head to the Chase Sapphire Lounge. I gathered my belongings and headed upstairs, passing a Capital One Lounge along the way.

The Chase Sapphire Lounge was busy but manageable when I arrived. An attendant immediately seated me at a spot with charging capabilities. The amenities included hot and cold food buffets, an extensive drink selection, and an espresso machine. There's also a full-service bar with a QR code menu featuring items like hamburgers, grilled cheese, and french fries.

The takeaway? You have numerous options available, so explore them all and don't hesitate to visit multiple lounges during a single layover!

How to Get Access

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card: This remains the best way to access the Priority Pass lounge network. The current offer includes 100,000 points for meeting a $5,000 minimum spend requirement. While the $795 annual fee might seem steep, the credits and benefits provide excellent value. We hear this offer is ending soon! 

Capital One Venture X Credit Card: This alternative offers access as well, currently providing 75,000 points for a $4,000 minimum spend. The $395 annual fee comes with fewer benefits compared to the exceptional Chase Sapphire Reserve offer.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into th coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Chase Sapphire DoorDash Credits: How to Actually Use Them

 

Chase recently updated their Sapphire credit cards, and the DoorDash benefit got a makeover. Here's what changed:

Chase Sapphire Reserve holders now get:

• Two $10 credits for grocery and convenience stores per month
• One $5 restaurant credit per month

Chase Sapphire Preferred holders get:

• One $10 grocery and convenience store credit per month 

The credits are use it or lose it. No rollovers. The big question: How do you actually make the most of these credits?

The Obvious (But Not Always Practical) Approach

Sure, you could just use these credits to offset DoorDash delivery fees and service charges. If you're already ordering delivery regularly, this works great. But if you're like me and prefer picking up food to avoid those extra costs, you might be wondering if there's a better way.

My Search for Pickup Options

I started by filtering DoorDash to show only pickup locations. While plenty of restaurants appeared, remember that the $10 credits don't work at restaurants. I had to dig deeper to find grocery and convenience options.

The map feature became my friend here – restaurants show up with a little fork icon, making them easy to skip. Unfortunately, when I checked my local grocery stores, they only offered delivery, which meant no pickup credit for me.

What Actually Works

The convenience stores in my area – 7-Eleven, CVS, and Walgreens – all allow pickup. That's helpful occasionally, but shopping at these stores twice a month feels like a stretch.

Then I discovered something interesting: DashMart.

The DashMart Discovery

DashMart is primarily designed as a fulfillment center for Dashers, but here's the thing – you can actually place orders there and pick them up yourself. I decided to give it a shot. The selection surprised me. It's essentially a compact grocery store with produce, dairy, household items, and snacks.

When I visited, they had a special on pasture-raised eggs that actually beat my regular grocery store's price. No alcohol was available, but most other items were competitively priced.

I scheduled an afternoon pickup and got a ready notification about 20 minutes later. The location is just 10 minutes from my house – a pickup window in a strip mall. The whole process took under 5 minutes.

Was It Worth the Effort?

Absolutely. Saving $10 for a quick detour when I'm already in the area? That works for me.

Your other solid option is hitting up 7-Eleven, CVS, or Walgreens for household essentials or alcohol when you need them anyway.

The Bottom Line

For a card with a $795 annual fee, this credit does require some creativity to use effectively. I would have preferred a simple $20 off any restaurant delivery, but with a little planning, you can definitely extract value from this benefit.

The good news? The Chase Sapphire Reserve's other credits and perks still make it a fantastic card overall.

Current Chase Sapphire Reserve Offer: You can earn 100,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first few months. Despite the $795 annual fee, the combined credits and benefits deliver solid value. This offer is ending August 21st and sometimes the offers are pulled early so don't wait.  

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into th coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Find Out If You Qualify For 5,000 FREE Aeroplan Miles

 

One of my favorite travel credit cards just dropped a great offer! 5,000 FREE Aeroplan points, yes! Aeroplan is the loyalty program for Air Canada which is a transfer partner and offers great flight deals. A few years back, I flew the whole family for FREE on Air Canada to Dublin, Ireland. You can read about it here. 

Find Out If You Qualify For 5,000 FREE Aeroplan Miles

If you are a current Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card holder, you are eligible. It does not matter if you were a card holder before the refresh or if you are new card holder. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve underwent a refresh in June which you can read about here. We still love this card despite the annual fee increase as long as you utilize all the benefits and credits. 

Now if you have the Reserve credit card, it just takes minutes to register here and claim your 5,000 points. If you are not yet a member of Aeroplan, you can join first and then register. 

Find Out If You Qualify For 5,000 FREE Aeroplan Miles

If you don't have the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card yet, there is an amazing bonus offer right now:

• 100,000 bonus points 
• $5,000 minimum spend in 3 months 
• $500 promo travel credit 
• $300 Stub Hub credit 
• $500 Edit hotel credit 
• $120 Door Dash credit 
• $120 Global Entry credit 
• $795 annual fee 

This offer is valued at more than $2,750. And now, a bonus 5,000 Aeroplan points! 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. 

Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Have You Applied Yet?

Now that summer is in full swing, you might have some fomo watching all your friends go on fab trips or you are enjoying your trip and already planning the next one. 

Either way, the new Chase Sapphire offers could help you make those vacations super affordable. We don't know when this latest offer will end so it's better not to wait. 

Chase announced three whopper deals on its Sapphire line of credit cards. We will detail these for you and help you decide if you should jump on any of these offers. We knew the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card was undergoing a refresh and you can check the details here to see how you will be affected if you already hold the card. It's good! 

 

Now if you don't have a Chase Sapphire Credit Card yet or if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, there are some awesome new benefits on this card too plus a 75,000 bonus offer. Not as good as the 100,000 bonus offer that ended in May, but better than the regular 60,000 point offer. 

The new Reserve business credit card has a crazy high minimum spend of $30,000, but if you can swing it, the 200,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points bonus is outstanding. 

You can read here about why we love Chase Ultimate Reward points and their flexibility. 

Let's break down the offer on each card:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred - Bonus offer 75,000 points (valued at $750) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This is our all time favorite travel credit card. Annual fee of $95 and it comes with a $50 hotel credit when you book through the travel portal. You earn 3x points on dining, 3x on online grocery, 2x on travel, 5x on travel booked in the Chase Travel Portal and 1x on everything else. It also comes with a $120 DoorDash credit and points boost when you book in the Chase Travel Portal. 
• Chase Sapphire Reserve - Bonus offer 100,000 points (valued at $1,000) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This was our all time favorite premium travel credit card, but it now has an increased annual fee of $795. We still think it's a great deal, but you need to make certain that you will use the credits to make the high annual fee worth it. We detailed the credits and benefits of the new refreshed card here. 
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Business - Bonus offer 200,000 points with a $30,000 minimum spend in six months. This is a brand new card and if your business can swing the spend, it's a great deal for you. You can squeeze as much as $4,000 value out of those 200,000 points. Plus annual credits on the Chase Travel Portal, DoorDash, Zip Recruiter, Edit Hotels, Google Workspace, Lyft and more. 

Another big change is the 48 month rule. You are now only eligible for a bonus on a Chase Sapphire card once in a lifetime. Chase will alert you when you apply if you are eligible or not. Even though you can technically hold two Sapphire cards at the same time now, you will not be eligible for a bonus if you already hold one.

And if you have had a Sapphire credit card before, but no longer hold the card, you can only apply for one you have never held before and get the bonus. It's similar to the Southwest credit card strategy with personal cards. Another option is to downgrade your Sapphire card to a non Sapphire and then apply for a Sapphire card you have never had before. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Not ready to dive into th coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

How I Scored A Flight To Europe for $50 And 20,000 Points

  

Number one million why I love flexible points! You have been hearing a lot about Chase Ultimate Rewards points these days because of the recently announced incredible bonus offers, but this story is about another brand of flexible points. One that you don't hear about as often and one that doesn't get enough credit. 

How I Scored A Flight To Europe for $50 And 20,000 Points 

We are talking about Avios, the loyalty points program for British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways and Finnair. But it doesn't stop there because these airlines are part of the One World Alliance that also includes partners like American Airlines, LATAM, and Vueling. 

The flexible part here is that you can transfer the points between the main four airlines depending on which one offers you the best deal. And you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Capital One points to Avios too. 

Let's look at the path I took to find this great deal of 20,000 points and $50 on a one way flight from Chicago to Madrid, Spain. 

How I Scored A Flight To Europe for $50 And 20,000 Points 

1. Start with Google Flights to see your options. We find this American Airlines red eye flight for $464 in economy. 

2. Next let's check American Airlines. Now I actually don't have any American Airlines miles and it is not a transfer partner for any flexible points, but let's check anyway. It's being offered for 27,000 miles and $5.60 so that gives us a starting point. We are looking at off peak fares.  

3. I always like to check seats.aero to see what other options may be out there. You can see 90 days out with a free account. 

4. Then I check the Chase Travel Portal and the Capital One Travel Portal to see if the flight is listed and how many points are needed or the price if I decide to buy it in the portal and earn 5x points. 

Now that the Chase Travel Portal has added the "Points Booster", it's always a good idea to look because you never know what you are going to get and it changes constantly. The Capital One Travel Portal is always one cent per point so it's usually a better place to pay cash, earn 5x points and then erase the purchase with your points. In the Chase Travel Portal, the same flight would cost 30,993 points. In the Capital One Travel Portal, the same flight would cost 46,400 points.  Big difference! 

4. American Airlines is in the One World Alliance with British Airways so we try searching there. The same flight shows up for 20,750 Avios and $213. I like the the number of points, but those taxes, Yikes. 

5. So can we do better? Since Madrid is the base for Iberia Airlines and we have a stash of Avios from the Iberia Airlines credit card bonus offer a few years ago, let's see what's happening there. 

Wow! 20,750 Avios and $51.70, now that's a deal. Remember when we mentioned that Iberia is part of the One World Alliance with American Airlines? This deal is for the same American Airlines red eye flight from Chicago to Madrid. Crazy, right?

And guess what? We look for the return flight and snag that one for just 16,000 Avios and $100 taxes. That's how we do it here at Almost FREE Family Travel. 

So if you just got your Chase Sapphire Preferred 100,000 bonus, this could be one way to use those points. Click here to read about other ways. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

 Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

Avios 

20,000 $50 Chicago to Madrid 

16,000 $131 Madrid to Chicago 

Iberia Avios 

How Does The New Chase "Points Boost" Work

 

Part of the new refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is the "Points Boost" bonus in the travel portal. The "Points Boost" is replacing the fixed bonus 1:1.5. But we noticed that the points boost is also live in the portal for existing Chase Sapphire Preferred card holders where the fixed bonus was 1:1.25 points. Reserve card holders as of June 22nd 2025 will still have the fixed bonus through October 25th 2025. In theory, you should be offered the better bonus offer.

So how does it work? It went live today and here's what we found. 

When you click on the travel portal and enter your search criteria, the first thing you see is a banner with "Points Boost" offers applied. I entered a search for hotels near Seattle Tacoma Airport in my Chase Sapphire Preferred account. These two hotels were offered to me with the points boost bonus which appears to be approximately  1.5 value of points. 

When you open the map view, you see little rocket icons next to the hotels where the points boost has been applied. I was happy to see that the majority seem to have the rocket icon. I clicked on the $169 to see the offer. The portal points out that the boost has increased this offer to better than the usual 1:1.25 value. 

Then I clicked on the travel portal in my Chase Sapphire Reserve account and entered the same search for hotels near Seattle Tacoma Airport to see the difference. 

Here's what it gave me:

It returned the same banner, but this time with point booster offers on Edit hotels in the area. The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a $500 credit ($250 every 6 months) for Edit hotels booked in the portal so that makes sense and can help you decide whether to use your credit or points.  

When I open the map, there are less options near the airport, but the $169 hotel is on there. 

But you can see the points boost offers are better than when I accessed the portal with the Sapphire Preferred. The boost does not appear to be a full 2x though. 

Points boost promised up to 2x. 

I also tried searching for flights. The points booster showed up primarily for business and first class flights in a banner across the top. 

On a different search, the banner offered me a variety of fares with the points boost. Again, first or business was offered at a better points boost than the economy plus fare on the same flight and the price difference was only $6. 

If I scrolled down though, some flights had points booster rocket icons next to various fare rates, but I couldn't figure out why some flights were targeted for a boost. Again, you can see on this search that the points needed for the first class fare end up being less than economy even though the flight is priced higher. 

At this point, you might want to check any reservations you already have booked to see if you get a better offer and can rebook. Just be careful if the original reservation is non refundable or offers you a credit. 

We will have to wait and see how the points booster evolves.

If you want to apply for the new refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve, use this link to get the 100,000 bonus points and $500 travel credit.  

If you want to apply for the 75,000 bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, use this link. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Or book a 1:1 consulting call.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities. 

New Chase Sapphire Offers Are Announced And They Are Big!

 

Wow! Chase just announced three whopper deals on its Sapphire line of credit cards. We will detail these for you and help you decide if you should jump on any of these offers. We knew the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card was undergoing a refresh and you can check the details here to see how you will be affected if you already hold the card. It's good! 

 

Now if you don't have a Chase Sapphire Credit Card yet or if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, there are some awesome new benefits on this card too plus a 75,000 bonus offer. Not as good as the 100,000 bonus offer that ended in May, but better than the regular 60,000 point offer. 

The new Reserve business credit card has a crazy high minimum spend of $30,000, but if you can swing it, the 200,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points bonus is outstanding. 

You can read here about why we love Chase Ultimate Reward points and their flexibility. 

Let's break down the offer on each card:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred - Bonus offer 75,000 points (valued at $750) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This is our all time favorite travel credit card. Annual fee of $95 and it comes with a $50 hotel credit when you book through the travel portal. You earn 3x points on dining, 3x on online grocery, 2x on travel, 5x on travel booked in the Chase Travel Portal and 1x on everything else. It also comes with a $120 DoorDash credit and points boost when you book in the Chase Travel Portal. 
• Chase Sapphire Reserve - Bonus offer 100,000 points (valued at $1,000) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This was our all time favorite premium travel credit card, but it now has an increased annual fee of $795. We still think it's a great deal, but you need to make certain that you will use the credits to make the high annual fee worth it. We detailed the credits and benefits of the new refreshed card here. 
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Business - Bonus offer 200,000 points with a $30,000 minimum spend in six months. This is a brand new card and if your business can swing the spend, it's a great deal for you. You can squeeze as much as $4,000 value out of those 200,000 points. Plus annual credits on the Chase Travel Portal, DoorDash, Zip Recruiter, Edit Hotels, Google Workspace, Lyft and more. 

Another big change is the 48 month rule. You now are only eligible for a bonus on a Chase Sapphire card once in a lifetime. Chase will alert you when you apply if you are eligible or not. Even though you can technically hold two Sapphire cards at the same time now, you will not be eligible for a bonus if you already hold one.

And if you have had a Sapphire credit card before, but no longer hold the card, you can only apply for one you have never held before and get the bonus. It's similar to the Southwest credit card strategy with personal cards. Another option is to downgrade your Sapphire card to a non Sapphire and then apply for a Sapphire card you have never had before. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program. Or book a 1:1 consulting call.  I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable. 

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.