Capital One Archives - Easy Travel Points

Credit Card Points & Miles Crash Course

Rob Dulgarian — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 23:51:50 +0000

Are you ready to travel for (almost) free? Here’s the beginner-friendly points and miles crash course you’ve been waiting for.

You can Do it too

If you’ve ever scrolled social media while sitting at home and wondered how that person is always on vacation without a trust fund, we’ve got your answer: it’s points and miles.

No, it’s not magic. Yes, it can be confusing at first. That’s why I created the Points & Miles Crash Course — a no-fluff, beginner-friendly guide to turning your everyday spending into free flights, hotel stays, and the occasional bougie airport lounge experience.

Because here’s the truth: If you’re using a debit card, you’re missing out. Like, big time.

What you’ll Learn

Here’s what you’ll learn (aka how to outsmart the system…legally) in our budget-friendly 3 hour video crash course.

This isn’t some 50-page eBook that collects digital dust in your inbox. This is a practical, easy-to-follow course that walks you through:

How to avoid rookie mistakes like using points on toasters instead of travel (please don’t)
The best starter credit cards for earning rewards
Strategies for ways to earn more points without spending more money
The difference between cash back, airline miles, and flexible points — and why that matters
Real-life examples of how I book free trips for my family (yes, with 5 kids in tow) and step-by-step guides for earning the points you need and how to redeem them for trips to both Hawaii and Europe

This course was designed for normal people — no spreadsheets, no 3 a.m. award searches, and definitely no math degree required. And the best part, it’s only $19!

Why You need this course

Because if you’re going to spend money anyway (hi, groceries and gas), you might as well get rewarded for it. Whether you’re dreaming of a week in Europe, a beach vacay in Hawaii, or just want to take the sting out of your travel budget — this system works.

I’ve personally used points to cover over $100k in airfare, hotel stays and other travel expenses. The best part? Once you understand the basics, the rewards just keep coming. It’s like playing Monopoly, but instead of fake money, you’re earning free vacations.

Who is this course for

Total beginners who want to learn the right way to start
Busy moms and dads who don’t have time for Reddit deep dives
Budget travelers who want luxe experiences without the luxe price tag
Anyone who’s tired of watching others travel while they stay home and pay full price for everything

Let’s Be Real…

The points game can feel like trying to learn a new language. Chase Ultimate Rewards? 5/24? Transfer partners? Player 2? If it makes your eyes glaze over, you’re not alone.

But that’s exactly why I made this course. It breaks down everything you actually need to know to start earning travel rewards today — without the overwhelm. And you won’t need to take out a second mortgage to pay for it.

So if you’re ready to stop leaving free travel on the table, click here to enroll in the Points & Miles Crash Course. Your next vacation (and smug airport selfie) is closer than you think.

Let’s turn your everyday spending into epic adventures together — no coupon clipping required. I promise, this will be the best $19 you spend all year!

The post Credit Card Points & Miles Crash Course appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

Things To Do Before Cancelling A Credit Card

Rob Dulgarian — Sat, 24 May 2025 03:30:00 +0000

Cutting up a credit card only takes a few seconds. However, deciding when it’s time to cancel one of your card accounts should be a more thoughtful process. Before you decide to cancel a credit card, here is everything you should consider before making the decision.

It’s always important to take a minute and periodically evaluate your financial situation. As circumstances around us change, so do our goals and needs. Being a points enthusiast, these changes can sometimes affect which credit cards we carry in our wallet.

Generally, I recommend keeping your credit card accounts open when possible. Especially if the card doesn’t carry an annual fee. In that case, you’re almost always better off just sticking it in your sock drawer and just making a purchase or two each year to keep the account active. However, if you still feel you need to close the account, please consider the following before you do.

Should I Cancel A Credit Card

Being Responsible – There are some circumstances the necessitate closing the account regardless of any other consideration. One of our credit card ground rules for participating in the points and miles hobby is that you pay off your credit card balance IN FULL every month. If you’ve found that this has become an issue for you, then YES, close your account and pay your balance as quickly as possible.

Has It Been A Year – I would never recommend closing a credit card before having it for at least 1 year. This is especially true if you received a welcome bonus for opening the account. Card issuers don’t like it when you open an account, earn the bonus and then close it.

They’re trying to create mutually beneficial relationships with consumers, so this can affect your ability to open a new account in the future. In fact, American Express explicitly states that if you “abuse” or “game” the welcome offer, they will take back the bonus points. Besides, it’s difficult to know if a card is right for you if you only have it for a short time.

Evaluate The Card’s Benefits

Typically the reason you begin to question if you should cancel a credit card is when the annual fee is charged to your account. Most cards that charge an annual fee will give you various benefits for being a cardmember. In my opinion, if you can get more value from a card than what they charge as an annual fee, keep it. Here are a couple of examples.

Free Nights – Most hotel co-branded credit cards, give you a free night after each anniversary year. Most cards like this charge around a $100 annual fee, but a free night is easily worth more than the fee. Especially when you consider you don’t pay room tax on an award night and some programs don’t charge resort fees on redemptions.

Bonus Categories – A lot of cards give you bonus points for spending in specific categories. The card_name gives you a whopping 4x Membership Rewards points at US supermarkets (on the first $25,000 spent each year) and restaurants worldwide. Terms apply. AMEX values their points at 1 cent per point.

If you were to spend $10,000 in these categories each year, the points you would earn are worth at least $400 (10,000 x .01 x 4), which is more than the $250 annual fee, see rates and fees. And that’s before consider the statement credits that come with this card.

Statement Credits – Cards like the Capital One Venture X come with statement credits each year. Yes, the card comes with a $395 annual fee but it also has an annual $300 credit towards travel purchases made through Capital One Travel. The travel credits are pretty easy to use so it makes getting a lot of value from the card with the other benefits simple to do.

Learn How To Apply

Retention Offer

The next step in the processing should be to contact your credit card company to see if they have any retention offers for you. Credit card companies don’t like to lose good customers, so frequently they’ll offer you an incentive to stay with them by offering you an incentive.

Retention offers can take on several forms. Some of the most common offers are offering to waive the annual fee or giving you a statement credit or bonus points if you spend a specified amount in a specified period of time. I have received all three of these types of offers. Sometimes the offers were worth keeping the card for another year and sometimes it still didn’t make sense for me.

To find out if you’re eligible for an offer, contact the bank’s customer service by phone or secured message in your online account. Be honest with them. Tell them you’re thinking of closing your account and wanted to see if you were eligible for a retention offer. The worst thing that can happen is they say “no”.

Credit Score Considerations

Closing a credit card can have a negative impact on your credit score. The way companies calculate your score is confidential, so it’s hard to know just how much it will impact you. However, here are the two reasons why it will.

Average Length of Credit – One factor of your credit score is the average length of all of your credit accounts. The longer your accounts are open, the higher the average age of your accounts is. Companies that extend credit like to see a longer average age of your accounts. If you cancel one of your credit card accounts, this will low your average and decrease your score.

Credit Utilization – This calculation shows how much of the credit you use based on what you’ve been given. In this case, the lower the utilization, the better. For example, let’s assume you have 3 credit cards and each card gives you a credit limit of $10,000. If you spend $3,000 per month combined each month on your credit cards your utilization rate is 10% ($3,000 / $30,000 = 10%). If you decide to cancel on of your credit cards, your utilization rate will immediately increases to 15% ($3,000 / $20,000 = 15%).

This is where I will generally recommend leaving your account open if the card doesn’t have an annual fee. If there’s no annual fee, it won’t cost you anything to keep it in your sock drawer. This way it will help both your average length of accounts and your utilization rate. Just remember to take it out once or twice a year and make a small purchase with it. This will keep your account active so the bank doesn’t close it thinking you don’t need it any more.

Protect Your Points

After all of these considerations, if you still decide you want to cancel your credit card be sure to protect the points you’ve already earned. This isn’t a problem if you’re closing a co-branded airline or hotel credit card. Those points are automatically deposited into your loyalty accounts each month.

You won’t lose these when you close your account but they are subject to the respective program’s expiration policy. The points for some programs never expire but others do. Make sure you understand how to keep your points active so you don’t lose them.

Cards that earn points with the bank’s own program are at risk of disappearing once you close your account. These programs include but are not limited to, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Venture Miles and Citi ThankYou points. If you have a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card, have a plan in place before cancelling your card.

Each program is a little different. Some will let you transfer your points to another card, while others will let you keep them if you have another card that earns those points. If neither of these is an option, there are other options to redeem your points. You can transfer them to a partner program, redeem them for gift cards, cash or statement credits. Regardless, just make sure you redeem them prior to cancelling your account so you don’t lose any.

Final Thoughts

Before you cancel a credit card, spend a few minutes going through each of these steps. There are many times it makes sense to close your account. However, I think you’ll be surprised how often it’ll be more beneficial to leave the account open. No matter what you decide, following these steps can help you avoid a costly mistake.

The post Things To Do Before Cancelling A Credit Card appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Rob Dulgarian — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 04:20:33 +0000

card_name

Learn How To Apply

My Take – I like card_name because it comes with a valuable welcome bonus, a low annual fee and is packed with some great benefits. I think everyone should have TSA PreCheck, so why not get it for free?

Plus, there are some very easy ways to use your miles, so redeeming them on a fun vacation should be a breeze. You can transfer your points to one of Capital One’s several airline or hotel partners. Or you can simply redeem them for a statement credit on any travel purchase.

Bonus – bonus_miles_full

Highlights – These points can be redeemed for $750 in travel or the miles can be transferred to one of Capital One’s travel partners. You’ll receive up to a $100 fee credit for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry every 4 years. There are no foreign transaction fees on purchases made with this card.

Annual Fee – annual_fees

Final Thoughts

The card_name is a fantastic option for just about everyone. Whether you’re just learning how to redeem your miles or you’ve traveled the world for free, this card will help you go more places.

When you consider the huge welcome bonus, low annual fee and the Precheck credit, there’s really no risk to trying this card out for a year. Capital One is really making this decision a whole lot easier.If you’d like to read more about this card, I have written an extensive review of the card here.

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Best Credit Card Offers For Students

Rob Dulgarian — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 20:52:41 +0000

Making the decision to get your first credit card is a significant one. This will be one of the first steps you take on your financial journey. It will help you begin to establish a credit history and lay a foundation to help you with future financial decisions. Let me help you narrow down the choice to a few options that I think are worth considering.

Recently, my oldest son wanted to get his first credit card. So, the two of us sat down, had a conversation about credit, then reviewed several of the options out there. Since that day, I’ve had several friends ask me which card I would recommend for their kids to get as their first credit card.

I’ve decided to put all of my “fatherly advice” and my recommendations into this post. I’m sure there are countless others in this same situation so I hope you find this helpful.

Credit Card Ground Rules

Making the decision to open your first credit card is an important one. If used wisely, this can help you establish your credit and get better rates in the future on auto and home loans. However, if you use a credit card incorrectly, it can make your life more difficult. With that said, here’s my advice to you if this will be your first credit card.

Pay In Full – Pay your credit card balance in full EVERY month. In my opinion, credit cards are for convenience and security. This is NOT free money to go buy something you can’t afford. If you aren’t able to pay your balance in full each month, STOP using your credit card!

Pay On Time – One of the biggest things that can affect your credit score is paying your bill late. Set up autopay, email/text alerts or any other system you can come up with to pay your bill on time. Don’t ruin your credit score because you’re forgetful.

Get Help – If you ever find yourself getting behind on your bills, get help. I don’t mean, just ask people for money. I mean, talk to a friend, parent or someone else you trust who is GOOD with money and ask them for advice. Don’t let a bad situation snowball into a terrible situation because you were too embarrassed to ask for help.

With all that said, here are my recommendations for your first card.

card_name

My Take – This is the card that I ultimately recommended my son get. This card is geared towards students, so the probability you’ll get approved is higher even though you likely don’t have any credit history.

Welcome Bonus – bonus_miles_full

Highlights – I really like this card because it comes with a small bonus, no annual fee and bonus earning categories on things students typically purchase. Plus, you can earn an unlimited 3% cash back on things like dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart), and 1% on all other purchases. It also doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees.

Annual Fee – annual_fees

Learn How To Apply

card_name

My Take – This card is very similar to the one above. This is also a credit card that is designed for students with no annual fee. There aren’t a lot of frills but that’s not what should be driving this decision.

Welcome Bonus – bonus_miles_full

Highlights – I like this card as well because it comes with a small bonus and no annual fee. You’ll earn a flat 1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases. I also love that this card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees if you’re traveling abroad.

Annual Fee – annual_fees

Learn How To Apply

card_name

My Take – This card is not specifically marketed as a “student” card but it is for those who are trying to build their credit. In case you are declined by Capital One, I wanted to give you another option with a different bank. I love Chase for their travel rewards cards, so starting and maintaining a good relationship with Chase is never a bad thing in my book.

On the Chase website, it does say that if you have at least $250 in any Chase checking or savings account, it can increase your chances of being approved for the card. So if you already have an account with them, this could be a good option for you.

Welcome Bonus – bonus_miles_full

Highlights – I like this card as well because it comes with a small bonus and no annual fee. You’ll earn a flat 1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases.

Annual Fee – annual_fees

Learn How To Apply

Final Thoughts

I just wanted to wish you the best as you begin your financial journey. Remember, credit cards can be a very useful tool if used correctly. Take time your time and go slow. And if you have any questions along the way, leave me a comment below and I’d be happy to answer them.

The post Best Credit Card Offers For Students appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

The Best Credit Card Offers Right Now

Rob Dulgarian — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Credit card companies routinely change the bonuses they offer you to sign up for a new card. I get it, you have a lot going on in your life and you don’t have time to track each offer you see. Don’t worry, let Easy Travel Points do the work for you. I will update this page with all of the best credit card offers currently available to everyone.

All you need to do is bookmark this page and you will have all of the best credit card offers at your fingertips anytime you need them. Without further ado, here are my favorite options right now.

card_name

My Take – While the card_name isn’t co-branded with a specific airline, you can transfer the points earned with this card to several airlines. With the flexibility this card provides, it’s my top choice for the best airline credit card. You can read why this is the card I recommend most often here.

The card_name is my favorite starter card. If you’re just starting out, I would recommend you start with this card 99% of the time. The points are easy to redeem so it makes that first award redemption a slam dunk.

Welcome Bonus – bonus_miles_full This welcome bonus is higher than it usually is, so this really is a phenomenal offer!

Highlights – These points can easily be redeem through the book through the Chase travel portal. If you want to unlock more value, you can also transfer the points to one of several airlines and take advantage of some of the redemption sweet spots like this for flying to Hawaii. This card also offers great travel insurance that covers a lot of those unexpected events that come up while traveling.

Annual Fee – $95 (not waived during the first year)

Learn How To Apply

card_name

My Take – Capital One recently launched a brand new premium card with a great offer. With the recent improvement of their redemption ratio, and the addition of some great travel partners like Turkish Airline’s Miles & Smiles, the card_name definitely warrants some serious consideration.

There are other offers out there but in my opinion, these are the best credit card offers on the market. I know there’s not a single credit card that’s perfect for everyone. If you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or email me with a specific question.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, See Rates and Fees.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® From American Express, See Rates and Fees.

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Capital One Venture X Credit Card Review

Rob Dulgarian — Tue, 23 May 2023 01:56:00 +0000

The card_name is one of my favorite travel rewards cards. This card comes with several great benefits, the miles are easy to redeem and the annual fee is very reasonable. This is why the card is one of my favorites to recommend to most people.

In 2021, Capital One stepped into the premium travel card space when it launched the card_name. This card directly competes with card_name and the card_name. In my opinion, it’s definitely giving both of these cards a run for their money.

Welcome Bonus

Currently, the card_name comes with a solid welcome bonus. bonus_miles_full

These miles can be worth $750 if you redeem them for travel directly through Capital One. However, these miles can be worth significantly more if you transfer them to one of Capital One’s travel partners. I’ll list our the transfer partners down below.

Annual Fee

This card comes with a $395 annual fee. This is significantly less than other premium rewards cards and comes with comparable benefits. Like all cards with annual fees, you should be getting more in benefits than the cost of the fee. So let’s get into the benefits.

Venture X Benefits

This card_name comes with some fantastic benefits. This isn’t a comprehensive list but here are several of my favorite benefits.

Travel Credit – You will get up to $300 in statement credits each year for travel booked directly with Capital One Travel. In my opinion, getting the full $300 credit is super easy to do.

Anniversary Bonus – Starting on your first card anniversary, you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles each year. If you use these miles as a statement credit, their worth $100.

Lounge Access – With this card, you’ll get a free Priority Pass membership to airport lounges around the world and Capital One lounges. This give access for both you and 2 guests. of all the lounges I’ve visited, the Capital One lounge in DFW is by far my favorite!

Hertz Status – You’ll get free Hertz President’s Club status just by having the card. I love this benefit! When you rent with Hertz, you can pick any car from the President’s Circle row when you rent a midsize car or above. Plus, you can skip the rental counter and go straight to your car which can save so much time!

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck – You get up to a $120 statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.

Cell Phone Protection – If you pay your monthly wireless phone bill with your card_name, you’re eligible for up to $800 in coverage per claim with a maximum of two claims and $1,600 per 12-month period. There is a $50 deductible applies per occurrence.

There are other free benefits, like trip delay insurance, primary car rental insurance and extended warranty coverage and others as well.

Earning More Miles

Earning more miles with the card is pretty straightforward. You can earn more miles with the card_name in the following ways:

10X – You’ll earn 10 times the miles on every dollar you spend on hotels and car rentals when booked directly with Capital One Travel.

5X – You’ll also earn 5 times the miles on all airfare purchases made directly with Capital One Travel.

2X – Finally, you’ll earn 2x miles on all other purchases you make with the card.

Redeeming Your Miles

Transferring Miles – Capital One has several fantastic travel partners you can transfer your miles to. Typically, this is the best way to get the most value out of your miles.

Statement Credits – You can also redeem your miles to offset travel purchases via statement credits. You can offset any purchase the codes as travel using your miles at a rate of 1 cent per point. This is a simple way to redeem your miles.

Future Travel – You can book travel directly with Capital One Travel and use your miles to pay for it. Again, you can redeem your points at a flat 1 cent per point for this as well.

Gift Cards – You can redeem your miles for a variety of gift cards at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Cash Back – If you want straight cash back, you can request it at a rate of 0.5 cents per point. Please don’t do this. If you want the cash, just get a bunch of gift cards to stores where you shop.

Capital One Transfer Partners

All miles transfer at a 1:1 ratio with the respective partners, with the exceptions noted below. You can transfer the miles you earn with the card_name to the following travel partners:

Aeromexico Club Premier – Miles transfer instantly
Air Canada Aeroplan – Miles transfer instantly
Air France/KLM Flying Blue – Miles transfer instantly
Avianca LifeMiles – Miles transfer instantly
Accor Live Limitless (2:1) – Miles transfer in 1 day
British Airways – Miles transfer instantly
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles – Miles transfer in 5 days
Choice Privileges – TBD Transfer Time
Emirates Skywards – Miles transfer instantly
Etihad Guest – Miles transfer within 24 hours
Eva Infinity MileageLands (2:1.5) – Miles transfer within 36 hours
Finnair Plus – Miles transfer instantly
Qantas Frequent Flyer – Miles transfer within 24 hours
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer – Miles transfer within 36 hours
Tap Portugal – Miles transfer instantly
Turkish Airlines – Miles transfer instantly
Virgin Atlantic Red – Miles transfer instantly
Wyndham Rewards – Miles transfer instantly

Some of my favorite ways to use my Capital One miles are to transfer to Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles program to take advantage of their sweet spots. I also like us British Airways for flights to Mexico and nonstop domestic routes.

Final Thoughts

The card_name is one of my favorite travel rewards cards. In fact, both my wife and I have this card in our wallets. I think the benefits are top-tier and easy to use. I think most people can easily get enough value out of this card to make it worth paying the annual fee each year. If you don’t have this card, I would strongly recommend you taking a closer look to see if it’s right for you.

The post Capital One Venture X Credit Card Review appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

Why Allegiant Tickets Are Cheaper At The Airport

Rob Dulgarian — Fri, 19 May 2023 04:26:00 +0000

Allegiant Air is a low cost carrier that flies to several cities across the country. Even though their airfares are notoriously inexpensive, did you know Allegiant tickets are even cheaper when you buy them at the airport? I’m going to show you why that is and how you can save $36 per person on each roundtrip ticket.

We live in the eastern suburbs of Phoenix and constantly see Allegiant flights coming and going from the Mesa Gateway Airport. Every time I see an Allegiant plane I can’t stop thinking about how nice it would be to fly out of a small airport instead of Phoenix.

I’ve never had much of a desire to fly a low cost carrier like Allegiant. Like Spirit or Frontier, Allegiant’s business model is to charge you a low price for the flight and then charge additional fees for each service you use. Everything from choosing a seat to an inflight drink will cost extra. When I’ve compared airfares in the past, the low cost carriers haven’t been much cheaper on the routes we’ve flown. Plus, I have several airline credit cards which helps me save on fees with those carriers.

The nice thing about Allegiant Air is they typically fly nonstop to several smaller airports around the country. These airports are usually not serviced by the legacy carriers or they’re expensive to get to. However, if you need to go where Allegiant flies, you really can’t beat the convenience.

Why It’s Cheaper

My wife and I love to travel and we’ll look for any excuse to get away. When I saw Allegiant had flights to our old college town for $77 per person round trip, I figured it was a great time to fly them for the first time. As I was researching flights, I heard that it’s actually cheaper to buy your tickets at the airport.

From what I knew about Allegiant, this couldn’t be possible. Why would Allegiant want me to go to the airport and talk with an actual person? Isn’t it more expensive that way instead of having me book my flights on their website? I did a little digging and not only found out that it was true but that it also made sense.

Airlines have to pay a 7.5% tax on the airfare portion of every ticket they sell. However, they don’t have to pay this tax on the fees they charge for extra services. By lowering the amount they charge for airfare, they’re able to save money on taxes. While they only save a couple dollars on each ticket, it really adds up when you consider the number of tickets they sell each year. In order for the airlines to be able to call it a fee, it has to be optional. Meaning, there has to be a way for the customer to avoid paying the fee.

Save Money By Purchasing Tickets At The Airport

One fee is called an “electronic carrier usage charge“. Everyone who buys a ticket using Allegiant’s website will pay a fee of $18 per person, per segment. That’s $36 per person roundtrip. Think of it as something similar to a convenience you pay when you buy movie or concert tickets online. You’ll find this fee under the “taxes, carrier charges and government fees” section of the fare breakdown. That means my tickets to Utah could be as little as $41 roundtrip!!!

If you want to avoid this fee, you can purchase your tickets at the airport. Unless you live close to the airport, this probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to do. Allegiant knows this and figures most people won’t deal with the hassle of driving to the airport. For those who do go, Allegiant doesn’t make it easy on them.

According to Allegiant’s website, they only sell tickets at the airport during designated times. As you can see below, the days and times aren’t the most convenient. Here’s a link to the page that shows the full list of times at each airport location. You’ll notice that it also says, “in most cities, airport ticket purchase will be available for one hour following each scheduled departure”. You can take a look at the flight schedule at the airport near you to see what additional days and times might be available. Regardless, I would strongly recommend calling them before you go down to confirm you’ll be able to purchase tickets.

How To Pay For Your Tickets

If you want to pay for your tickets with your points you don’t have many options. Allegiant isn’t part of any of the major alliances so you won’t find any award flights there. Allegiant flights also don’t show up on any of the major banks travel portals, so you’re out of luck there.

The only way to use your points would be to use a card like the card_name that lets you redeem your points to get a statement credit for travel purchases. bonus_miles_full

Final Thoughts

Purchasing your Allegiant tickets at the airport is definitely cheaper than buying them online. Unfortunately, for most people, the hassle of getting to the airport will offset money you’ll save. However, if you’re going somewhere as a family, or happen to be close by, you can save a significant amount of money. Have you ever purchased your tickets at the airport? How did it go? We’d love to hear your thoughts about Allegiant.

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Best Cash Back Credit Card Offers

Rob Dulgarian — Thu, 18 May 2023 23:00:00 +0000

It’s no secret that I love credit cards that offer great travel rewards. However, I completely understand that it’s not the benefit everyone is looking for. That’s why I put together this list of my favorite cash back credit cards whose offers are currently available to everyone.

Cash back credit cards are simple and straightforward. You typically get a flat rate of cash back and sometimes there are bonus categories to help you accelerate your rewards. While you won’t get the out sized value from these cards that you can get with a travel rewards card, they do reward you for the purchases you make anyway.

I generally don’t like cash back credit cards that charge an annual fee because you earn at a flat rate. Some cards offer bonus categories that reward you at a higher rate for those purchases. Take a look at where you spend the most money each month and choose the card that provides you with the most value.

card_name

Bonus – bonus_miles_full These points are paid as Chase Ultimate Rewards points which can then be redeemed for cash.

Highlights – You will earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Plus, you’ll earn 3x on all dining and drugstore purchases. Finally, you can earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all of your purchases. I also love that you can transfer the points you earn with this card to one of Chase’s premium credit cards to get more value out of them.

I have this card and use a strategy called the Chase Trifecta to maximize the number of points I earn. This card also gives various purchase protections on items you buy with this card which I think are an excellent perk.

Annual Fee – $0

Learn How To Apply

Chase Freedom Flex℠

My Take – Chase just launched the Freedom Flex card and will essentially replace the old Freedom card. While the two cards are similar, there are some excellent additions to the new card.

I like this card because each quarter there are new bonus categories that allow you to earn 5% cash back as noted below and this card has no annual fee. I think it’s a solid choice and it’s a card that I’ve had in my wallet for years.

Bonus – For a limited time, new card holders will earn a $200 dollar bonus (20,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $500 within the first 3 months of opening your account.

Highlights – You will earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Plus, you’ll earn 3x on all dining and drugstore purchases. The card also comes with quarterly bonus categories that earn 5x points (on the first $1,500 in spend) on purchases made in those categories. Finally, you’ll earn an unlimited 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases you make with the card.

Annual Fee – $0

Learn How To Apply

card_name

My Take – This card is another great option to earn cash back. I love the simplicity of the earning structure and your ability to earn bonus cash back in categories where a lot of people spend their money. It doesn’t matter if you normally bank with U.S. Bank or not, this is a great card for earning cash back.

Bonus – bonus_miles_full

Highlights – Each quarter, this card allows you to choose your own bonus categories. You’ll earn 5% cash back on the first $2,000 of purchases in your selected categories. You’ll also earn 2% cash back on an “everyday” category that you choose each quarter. Some of these “everyday” categories include gas and groceries. You will earn an unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Annual Fee – $0

Learn How To Apply

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My Take – I think this is a great option for those who don’t want to worry about rotating bonus categories and want a flat cash back rate on all of their purchases. Plus, I love that there are no foreign transaction fees with this card which is rare for cards that have no annual fee.

Bonus – bonus_miles_full

Highlights – This card is easy and straightforward. It offers an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all qualifying purchases. The card also doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside of the U.S.

Annual Fee – $0

Learn How To Apply

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My Take – I love this card because it gives you the ability to earn a lot of points each year. Anyone with a family should easily be able to max out the extra cash back from U.S. supermarkets. Yes, this card comes with an annual fee after the first year but if spend your money in the bonus categories, that will easily offset that cost.

Bonus – bonus_miles_full Terms apply.

Highlights – With the card_name you will earn an 6% cash back on the first $6,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets each year. You’ll also earn 3% cash back on purchases at U.S. gas stations. You’ll also earned an unlimited 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Be sure to review your spending in the bonus categories, to make sure the bonus earnings will offset the annual fee.

Annual Fee – $0 for the first year and then $95 See rates and fees.

Learn How To Apply

Final Thoughts

Cash back credit cards are a great way to dip your toes into the world of reward credit cards. They’re simple to understand and can be a great option for your first rewards card. If you’re still not sure which of the cash back credit cards is best for you, you can contact us at any time and we would be happy to help.

Though once you get comfortable with one of these cards, you really need to check out some of the awesome travel cards currently available. If you’re new to the world of credit card rewards, take a look at our Beginner’s Guide as well our Ground Rules before you get started. These will provide you with all of the information you need before you get started.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card From American Express, See Rates and Fees.

The post Best Cash Back Credit Card Offers appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

The Ultimate Credit Card Transfer Partners Guide

Rob Dulgarian — Thu, 18 May 2023 14:42:00 +0000

We all want to get the most value out of our credit card points and transferring them to one of their travel partners is the best way to do it. However, it can be difficult to keep track of which credit card points can transfer to each airline or hotel. That’s why I decided to compile a list of all of the major credit card transfer partners into one place.

This master list gives you each of the major banks with their corresponding transfer partners. I have also included the transfer ratio, as well as how long the transfer takes to go through. Hopefully this list makes planning your next vacation a little easier.

Remember, once you transfer your points to one of the travel partners, this can’t be undone. Be sure there is award availability before you transfer your points. A lot of the points will transfer instantly; however, some can take hours or days. Make sure you take this into consideration you transfer your points.

To make them easier to find, I’ve listed the transfer partners for each credit card currency in alphabetical order.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Airline Transfer Partners

Aer Lingus – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

British Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Iberia – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

JetBlue – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Singapore Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Southwest – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

United – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Virgin Atlantic – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hotel Transfer Partners

Hyatt – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

IHG – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 1 day

Marriott – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 2 days

American Express Membership Rewards

The Membership Rewards program from American Express also has fantastic transfer partners. In fact, American Express is the only credit card company that allows you to transfer points to Delta. They also have 18 other airline and hotel transfer partners so there are a lot of great options to choose from.

If you’re a frequent traveler, card_name is a great way to earn Membership Rewards points quickly. bonus_miles_full Terms apply. You can read more about this card here.

Airline Transfer Partners

Aer Lingus – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Aeromexico – Transfer Ratio 1:1.6 – Points transfer in 24 hours

Air Canada – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Alitalia – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

All Nippon – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

British Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Cathay Pacific – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

Delta – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

El Al – Transfer Ratio 50:1 – Points transfer instantly

Emirates – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hawaiian Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Iberia – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

JetBlue – Transfer Ratio 1.25:1 – Points transfer instantly

Singapore Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Virgin Atlantic – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hotel Transfer Partners

Choice Hotels – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hilton – Transfer Ratio 1:2 – Points transfer instantly

Marriott – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Capital One Transfer Partners

Recently Capital One added the ability to transfer their points to one of their 15 airline partners. I love the move because it gives card holders more ways to use their credit card points. Unfortunately, the only US airline transfer partner is Jet Blue, so there’s still room for improvement. Also, the transfer ratios are a little confusing and a lot of the transfers don’t happen instantly.

Capital One does have some good airline partners, so it’s definitely worth taking a look. If you’re looking to increase your points balance, you should consider adding the card_name to your wallet. Right now, new card holders can earn up to 75,000 bonus points!

Airline Transfer Partners

Aeromexico – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Air Canada – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Avianca – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

British Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Cathay Pacific – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 5 days

Emirates – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Etihad – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Eva – Transfer Ratio 2:1.5 – Points transfer in 48 hours

Finnair – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Qantas – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Singapore – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

TAP Air Portugal – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Turkish Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hotel Transfer Partners

Accor Limitless – Transfer Ratio 2:1 – 1 business day

Choice Privileges – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – TBD points transfer time

Wyndham Rewards – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Citi Transfer Partners

Citibank lets you earn ThankYou points when you use some of their cards like the Citi Prestige and card_name. These credit card points can then be transferred to one of Citi’s 15 airline partners. Unfortunately, the only domestic airline on the list you can’t transfer your points to directly is JetBlue.

The last thing to consider with ThankYou points is that most of the transfers aren’t instantaneous, so keep that in mind when you’re transferring your points.

Airline Transfer Partners

Avianca – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Cathay Pacific – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Emirates – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Ethidad – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 7 days

Eva – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 3 days

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Garuda – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Jet Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

JetBlue – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Malaysian – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Qantas – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Qatar – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Singapore – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Thai Royal – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 7 days

Turkish Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Virgin Atlantic – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Final Thoughts

The best way to get the most out of your credit card points is by using one of their transfer partners to redeem your points. I know it can be a little intimidating when you first start out but just remember, you don’t have to be an expert in every program to find a great value. Simply start with the airline you fly most often then do a little research. If you ever have questions, or need help, leave me a comment below or send me an email. I’m always happy to help!

The post The Ultimate Credit Card Transfer Partners Guide appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Review

Rob Dulgarian — Fri, 12 May 2023 14:00:00 +0000

The card_name is a great option for those who are just learning about points and miles, as well as seasoned veterans. This card offers straightforward ways to both earn and redeem your miles. The Capital One Venture card also gives you the flexibility to transfer your miles to one of their airline partners to unlock even greater value.

The card_name is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. It is often compared to the card_name because it has great benefits, it’s easy to earn and redeem your miles and it has a low annual fee. This means you can can take advantage of the new elevated welcome bonus and all of its benefits for an entire year for just a small fee! Let me walk you through just how easy this card is to use and why it can easily earn a spot in your wallet.

Welcome Bonus

Right now, new card_name can bonus_miles_full.

Capital One values these at 1 cent per mile if you choose to redeem them as statement credits towards travel purchases you’ve made. While there are other ways to unlock more value, this means the miles you get from the sign-up bonus alone are worth a minimum of $750 in travel.

These statement credits can be used towards anything that codes as travel on your credit card statement. That means, virtually any airline, hotel, cruise line and many more! If you are just learning about points and miles, this card is an easy way to learn.

Earning Miles

The great part about the card_name is that earning miles are easy and straightforward. There are no rotating categories you need to track or having to remember to use the right card at the right store. You’ll earn 2 miles for every dollar you spend with the Venture card.

Like I said, it’s super easy. There is also no cap, so you can earn as many miles as you want. I love using hotels.com whenever I go places where the major chains aren’t all over the place. For me, this includes staying on the Strip in Las Vegas or when we travel internationally and there are a lot of independent hotels.

Using Your Venture Miles

Redeeming your Venture miles for travel is extremely easy. Once you make a travel purchase with your card, you have 90 days to request a statement credit for the charge. Your Venture miles are valued at 1 cent per mile when redeemed for travel. For example, you would need 10,000 miles to receive a $100 statement credit for that travel purchase. The nice thing is there is no minimum amount needed to offset a travel purchase. If you paid a $5 parking fee, you could also get a statement credit for that too by redeeming 500 miles.

One great benefit of doing this is that you are still eligible to earn points and miles on your purchases. Another benefit is that these miles can be used for a wide variety of “travel” purchases. If you’re a fan of Disney, you know visiting the parks can be expensive. When you purchase your tickets through an agency, like Get Away Today, your park tickets will code as travel so you can use your miles to pay for the tickets. Just be sure to check with the agency before you buy them to make sure they purchase will process as travel with your card.

The best way to get the most value from your Venture miles is to redeem them with one of Capital One’s 15 airline partners. This option takes some work but it’ll be well worth your time when you find a great redemption option. One thing to note is that each of the 15 airline partners is also a transfer partner of either Chase’s Ultimate Rewards or American Express’ Membership Rewards programs. If you have a card like the card_name or the card_name, it’s a great way to combine your points to book that dream vacation.

Transfer Partners

Capital One recently updated their program to make transferring them to their travel partners so much better. For most of the partners, your miles will now be able to transfer them at a 1:1 ratio which is huge! In addition, they’ve recently added Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles program which is one of may favorites.

You’ll notice some of the miles won’t transfer instantly, so you’ll want to take this into consideration as you’re making your travel plans. Here is an alphabetical list of the airline partners programs that partner with Capital One.

Travel Partners

Aeromexico Club Premier – Miles transfer instantly
Air Canada Aeroplan – Miles transfer instantly
Air France/KLM Flying Blue – Miles transfer instantly
Accor Live Limitless (2:1) – Miles transfer in 1 day
Avianca LifeMiles – Miles transfer instantly
British Airways – Miles transfer instantly
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles – Miles transfer in 5 days
Choice Privileges – TBD Transfer Time
Emirates Skywards – Miles transfer instantly
Etihad Guest – Miles transfer within 24 hours
Eva Infinity MileageLands (2:1.5) – Miles transfer within 36 hours
Finnair Plus – Miles transfer instantly
Qantas Frequent Flyer – Miles transfer within 24 hours
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer – Miles transfer within 36 hours
Tap Portugal – Miles transfer instantly
Turkish Airlines – Miles transfer instantly
Virgin Atlantic Red – Miles transfer instantly
Wyndham Rewards – Miles transfer instantly

Card Benefits

The card_name comes with a few great benefits for cardholders. This isn’t a complete list of the benefits but these are the ones I think are most important.

Low Annual Fee – The annual fee for this card is just $95.

TSA Precheck/Global Entry Fee Credit – You will receive a statement credit for your application fee with either TSA Precheck or Global Entry if you pay the fee using your Venture card. You are eligible for this credit once every four years. I absolutely love precheck, so if you haven’t signed up for it yet, now you have no excuse not to.

The great thing about this credit, is you can use it to pay for someone else’s application fee if you already have it. I used my credit to pay for my daughter’s application now that she’s old enough to need it. Simply pay for the application with this card and the statement credit will automatically post to your account.

No Foreign Transaction Fees – This card doesn’t charge any transaction fees on purchases made outside of the U.S.

Extended Warranty Coverage – When you use your card to purchase qualifying items your manufacturer’s warranty is extended for free.

Final Thoughts

The card_name is a fantastic option for just about everyone. Whether you’re just learning how to redeem your miles or you’ve traveled the world for free, this card will help you go more places. When you consider the huge welcome bonus, low annual fee and the Precheck credit, there’s really no risk to trying this card out for a year. Capital One is really making this decision a whole lot easier.

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