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Another somewhat interesting deal for the big spenders out there: The Amex Plum card is currently offering 3.5% cash back on your first $30,000 in spend. Here’s a promotion pic:
The terms seem straightforward to me. It’s not a smokin’ hot deal, the kind where you have to drop the final “g” in “smoking” because the deal is just so good, but it’s not bad either if you can figure out how to spend $30K. Note that the $250 annual fee is waived the first year.
Anybody considering this one?
I’ve been very busy as of late, and unfortunately the blog takes a back seat to things like work, family, and sleep. But anyway…
PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ: The 70K Marriott offer has apparently just expired, but there is still a potentially lucrative 70K Ritz-Carlton offer out there, and in case you didn’t know already you can use Marriott’s points at Ritz-Carlton and vice versa. Andy at Lazy Travelers has fallen in love with this offer and has a great rundown on it: [Read more…]
AMEX STARWOOD 30K: The bonus on the Starwood Amex is usually 25,000 points, but it’s currently 30,000 points since there’s a 5,000-point referral bonus in effect. You can have a friend refer you, or you can refer a friend. Failing that, you can use a referral link from you favorite blogger (your favorite other than me, that is, since I don’t have a referral link.)
MMMM… FREE DOUGHNUTS: Amex is offering $5 off $5 at Dunkin’ Donuts via either the “Deals For You” page in your online account or via Amex Sync (Tweet #AmexDunkinDonut). That and other Amex deals are listed here at Slickdeals.
$400 FROM CHASE: The Doctor of Credit tells you how to maximize your Chase account opening bonuses:
Chase bank regularly mails out coupons for their checking and savings account. They recently sent out a bunch of coupons that give you a sign up bonus of $200 for each account (maximum bonus of $400). If you didn’t receive one, don’t worry you can purchase them on eBay for anywhere between $5-$20. The new coupons will be valid for awhile and new ones often pop up so you have plenty of time.
So that’s $800 (minus expenses) if you’re married, and maybe more if you have other family members who like to open accounts. Speaking of which: I took part in a Sharebuilder promo a while back where you could open custodial accounts for children and get a bonus. Are there any other financial institutions which let you collect sign-up bonuses for kids’ accounts?
WALMART BLUEBIRD CHANGES: Walmart recently changed the point-of-sale software, and that’s making it more difficult to load Bluebirds at the register. Freequent Flyer is there to show the way:
Over the past few days I’ve visited many different Walmart store locations and processed all of the transactions popular among my readers. I’m pleased to say that there is no transaction that previously could be conducted with a prepaid Visa debit card that cannot, today, be conducted with a prepaid Visa debit card.
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Upon each swipe of a prepaid debit card, you have exactly one chance to alert the point-of-sale system to process your transaction as debit, instead of credit. That chance comes immediately after swiping the debit card, while the customer-facing keypad appears to still be “thinking.”
On the keypads at my Walmart registers, you’ll first see a red button in the bottom right corner of the screen. Then, within less than a second, a yellow “Change Payment” button will appear in the bottom center of the screen. That, and only that, is your cue to push the yellow button on the right side of the keypad, embossed with a left-facing arrow.
If you miss that chance your transaction will be processed as credit, and fail.
If this is how you roll, please read his article for more details. Note that those of you loading Bluebirds with Money Center ATMs will be unaffected by all this. I loaded a few cards this past weekend with no issues, and others have reported the same.
CALLING ALL PARENTS: The Deal Mommy is putting on a travel seminar aimed at real live actual families, which in my humble opinion is an underserved segment of the points-n-miles scene. The details:
With your support, I’m so happy to announce that “Family Travel For Real Life” is live! FT4RL will be held August 23 at the Hyatt House Dulles Airport in the Washington DC suburbs. Registration will begin at 9AM and sessions will run from 10-4:00 (possibly 5:00) with a lunch and afternoon snack break included in admission.
As this is a labor of love, I’ve worked with the Hyatt House to keep costs as low as possible. I’m thrilled we can offer the first 25 tickets for only $49, with tickets after 25 going for $59. At the moment we are capped at 50 attendees, but I will consider renting a 2nd ballroom if demand is through the roof.
Hyatt House also offered me a group room rate of $85 (pre-tax), but I’d keep an eye on prices as weekends tend to go lower. I’ll have a booking link soon. If you’ve never stayed at a Hyatt House, you’re in for a treat! All rooms are full suites and breakfast is complimentary and includes fresh omelettes. I’ll definitely be there Friday night and will be happy to co-ordinate a dinner or happy hour for any staying over.
Click here for more, and best of luck to Dia!
FLYERTALK, BOARDINGAREA.COM TO BE ACQUIRED BY INFAMOUS LBO FIRM: Internet Brands, the company that owns both Flyertalk and frugaltravelguy.com, has been purchased by the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts for $1.1 billion. KKR specializes in leveraged buyouts, also known as “the kind of buyout where you load up on debt to increase your rate of return and hope nothing goes wrong.”
KKR was a key player in the largest LBO in history: $45 billion for energy utility TXU in 2007. That deal has gone very badly. Hopefully this one turns out better.
This has been in the works since last year, but Wells Fargo’s new Amex credit cards are now live: the Propel 365 and the Propel World. Here’s the rundown:
Here are the key bullet points from Wells:
- 3X points at U.S. Gas Stations, 2X points at U.S. Restaurants, and 1X point on all other net purchases (purchases minus returns/credits).
- You will earn an annual bonus of 10%, 25% or 50% more on non-bonus rewards points if you maintain a qualifying consumer Wells Fargo Checking or Savings Account, or PMA® Package.
- Your points do not expire, and there is no cap on how much you can earn.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year and only $45 after that.
- Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in net purchases (purchases minus returns/credits) in the first 3 months.
It sounds a little like Bank of America’s 3-2-1 flagship card, except the bonus categories are uncapped, plus there are relationship bonuses. You would need $25,000 $250,000 in deposit account balances to qualify for the 50% relationship bonus. Note that the relationship bonuses are paid out annually.
I don’t see anything here that really wows me. I’m sure some folks could make good use of 4.5% back on gasoline purchases, but then you can get 5% back with PenFed’s card. (EDIT: the bonus points are on non-bonus earnings, so that makes this 3.5% on gas, not 4.5%.) You can also get 3% back at restaurants with the no-fee AARP credit card.
In basketball there’s the phenomenon of the “tweener“, which is somebody who’s kind of in between two different positions and doesn’t really fit at either. This card strikes me as a tweener: not quite a no-annual-fee workhorse, but not quite good enough to warrant paying an annual fee. I don’t see any compelling reason to get it.
This one is more upscale; Wells seems to have the Amex Gold in its sights. The details:
- No foreign currency conversion fees
- Up to $100 per year in reimbursements toward incidental airline charges
- Complimentary room upgrades and more from the Luxury Hotel Program
- 3X points on Airlines, 2X points on Hotels, 1X point on all other net purchases (purchases minus returns/credits)
- $0 Introductory Annual Fee for the first year, $175 for each year after that.
- Earn 40,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in net purchases (purchases minus returns/credits) in the first 3 months
I don’t know what the luxury hotel program is, but at 40,000 points it might be worth a look. Beyond that, I can’t see paying $175 per year for this thing.
Those are my first impressions. Thoughts?
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