My selection of the best current mile and point earning deals, which I update often. Check out the Credit Card Resources for more information on when to cancel your credit card, how to get a denied application approved and more! Here are 40+ ways to complete the minimum spending on credit cards if you are concerned about completing the minimum spending requirements.
THE BUSINESS GOLD REWARDS CARD® FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS OPEN
Limited Time Offer: Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card membership†.
- Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card membership†.
- Earn points even faster to get more rewards for your business.
- 3X points on airfare purchased from airlines. 2X points at US gas stations.
- Up to $100,000 in each category per year, then 1 point.
- Terms and limitations apply.
- Reduce travel costs, show appreciation for employees and clients, and offset everyday expenses by using points to get something back and grow your business.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $175.
- †Apply online to qualify for this offer. See offer terms for details.
Daraius’ Tip: The usual offer for this card is zero points, so this is a good offer.
Top Deals
1A) Citi American Airlines Personal Visa – 50,000 Miles
- 50,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $2,500 within 4 months on the Citi Visa. This is NOT my referral link, so YMMV (Your miles may vary), but almost everyone gets the bonus.
- $85 annual fee is waived for the first year; 3% foreign transaction fee
- 1 free checked bag, priority boarding, and get 10% of miles redeemed back (up to 10,000 miles per year)
- Link to FlyerTalk thread with different versions of the offer
2) Chase Sapphire Preferred
- 40,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $3,000 within 3 months on the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa
- $800 – $2,000 value if transferred to airline or hotel partners; $500 value if used for travel; $400 value if used for gift cards
- Points can be transferred to United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Hyatt, Marriott, Priority Club, Ritz Carlton, Korean Air, Southwest, and Amtrak at a 1:1 ratio
- $95 annual fee waived for 1st year; No foreign transaction fee
- Earn 2 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on dining and travel & 1 Ultimate Rewards point per $1 for everything else
- My detailed review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred & how to get the best value from it
3A) CHASE INK PLUS
- 50,000 POINTS AFTER SPENDING $5,000 WITHIN 3 MONTHS WITH THE CHASE INK PLUS
- Points can be transferred to United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Hyatt, Marriott, Priority Club, Ritz Carlton, Korean Air, Southwest, and Amtrak at a 1:1 ratio.
- $800 – $2,000+ value if transferred to airline or hotel partners; $625 value if used for travel; $500 value if used for gift cards.
- Earn 1 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent
- $95 annual fee waived for 1st year; NO foreign transaction fee
- My detailed review of the Chase Ink Plus
Daraius’ Tip: Don’t think you have a business? Read my post “3 ways you may qualify for a business” here. And here’s how to ace your business reconsideration call.
3B) Chase Ink Bold
- 50,000 points after spending $5,000 within 3 months with the Chase Ink Bold
- Points can be transferred to United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Hyatt, Marriott, Priority Club, Ritz Carlton, Korean Air, Southwest and Amtrak at a 1:1 ratio.
- $800 – $2,000 value if transferred to airline or hotel partners; $625 value if used for travel; $500 value if used for gift cards
- Earn 1 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent; 2X on hotels and gas, and 5x on office supply stores and telecom
- $95 annual fee waived for 1st year; NO foreign transaction fee. My detailed review of the Chase Ink Bold
Daraius’ Tip: Don’t think you have a business? Read my post “3 ways you may qualify for a business” here. And here’s how to ace your business reconsideration call.
4) CHASE HYATT
My thoughts on the Hyatt card:
Sign-Up Bonus: 2 free nights at any Hyatt after spending $1,000 within 3 months with the Chase Hyatt Visa. Existing Diamond members get the 2 free nights in a suite; Existing Platinum members get 2 suite upgrade certificates for paid stays
Fees: $75 annual fee NOT waived; NO foreign transaction fee
Annual Bonus: 1 free night in any category 1 to 4 Hyatt every anniversary potentially making up for the annual fee
Other Perks: Free Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum status (free internet!)
Earning: Earn 3 Hyatt points per $1 spent at Hyatt, 2 Hyatt points per $1 spent at restaurants, car rental agencies and airline tickets purchased directly from airlines & 1 Hyatt point per $1 for everything else
Spending Bonus: 2 stay & 5 nights credits toward elite status after spending $20,000 in a calendar year. Total of 5 stay & 10 nights credit towards elite status for spending $40,000 in a calendar year.
Daraius’ Tip: Another offer with a $100 statement credit when you try to make a Hyatt reservation. Not my link, so take a screenshot before applying. 2 free nights are valid for 12 months at ANY Hyatt, but are an amazing value ($1,000 +) at top Park Hyatt’s in Paris, Maldives, or other locations!
5) Citi® Hilton HHonors ™ Reserve Card – 2 Free Weekend Nights +Free Hilton Gold Status
- 2 free weekend nights after spending $2,500 within 4 months on the Citi Hilton Reserve card
- Free Hilton Gold elite status for as long as you have the card (free internet & breakfast!) makes you eligible for discounted Hilton VIP award redemptions
- 1 free weekend night after spending $10,000 each year
- $95 annual fee NOT waived for 1st year; NO foreign transaction fee
- Earn Diamond elite status after spending $40,000 in a calendar year
- Earn 10 Hilton points per $1 spent at Hilton hotels, 5 points per $1 on airlines or car rentals & 3 points per $1 for everything else
6A) BARCLAYS ARRIVAL
- 40,000 Miles after spending $1,000 within 3 months on the Barclays Arrival card
- 1 mile can be redeemed for 0.5 cent in statement credits or 1.1 cents towards travel, so 40,000 miles is worth $200 or $440 if redeemed for travel.
- $89 annual fee waived for 1st year; No foreign transaction fee
- Earn 2 miles per $1 on all purchases
Daraius’ Tip: This is perhaps the best cash back card if you redeem for travel since you get 2.2% cash back for travel redemptions.
6B) BARCLAYS LUFTHANSA – 50,000 MILES
- 20,000 miles after 1st purchase with the Barclays Lufthansa card & 30,000 extra miles after spending $5,000 within 3 months.
- $79 annual fee NOT waived for the first year; 1% foreign transaction fee
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on Lufthansa; 1 mile per $1 spent elsewhere
Daraius’ Tip: You can use 50,000 Lufthansa miles for 2 domestic round-trip flights on United or US Air or for 3 1-way segments in business class. See my review for more details.
7) Citi American Airlines Business AAdvantage Visa – 50,000 miles
- 50,000 AAdvantage miles when you spend $2,500 on the Citi AAdvantage Business Visa within 4 months
- $75 annual fee is waived for the first year; 3% foreign transaction fee
- Don’t think you have a business? Read my post “3 ways you may qualify for a business” here
8) Chase United Explorer
- 30,000 United miles with the Chase United MileagePlus Explorer card after spending $1,000 within 3 months
- 5,000 additional United miles after adding 1 authorized user within 3 months
- 10,000 additional United miles after spending $25,000 within a calendar year
- 2 free United club passes a year (~2 months after opening card), 1 free checked bag ($50 value roundtrip), priority boarding, and United miles don’t expire for cardholders
- $95 annual fee waived for the first year; 3% foreign transaction fee
Daraius’ Tip: A possible targeted offer for 50,000 United miles + $50 statement credit after spending $1,000 within 3 months if you have a few United miles in your account!
9A) STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST® CREDIT CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
- Starpoints® bonus: earn up to 25,000 bonus points: 10,000 after your first purchase and another 15,000 after you spend $5,000 within the first 6 months of Card membership. That’s enough for a weekend getaway to a Category 4 Hotel like the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, or six free nights at a Category 2 Hotel.
- Earn up to 5 Starpoints® for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG hotels and resorts – that’s 2 Starpoints for using the Card in addition to the Starpoints you earn as an SPG member. Earn 1 Starpoint for all other purchases.
- Free Hotel Nights: redeem Starpoints at over 1,100 hotels in nearly 100 countries worldwide — with no blackout dates.
- Free Flights: redeem Starpoints on over 350 airlines with SPG Flights — with no blackout dates
- Get 5,000 bonus Starpoints when you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to a frequent flyer program with more than 30 airlines.
- No limits on the number of Starpoints you can earn
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65
- Terms and Restrictions Apply
- My detailed review of the SPG program
9B) STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST® BUSINESS CREDIT CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS OPEN
- 10,000 SPG points after 1st purchase and 15,000 points after spending $5,000 within 6 months with the American Express Business SPG card
- $65 annual fee waived for 1st year; 2.7% foreign transaction fee
- Earn 2 SPG points per $1 spent at Starwood hotels & 1 SPG point per $1 for everything else
- Earn 5 nights and 2 stay credits towards elite status with card
- My detailed review of the SPG program
10) Barclays US Air credit card
- Earn 30,000 US Air miles after 1st purchase
- $89 annual fee NOT waived for the first year; 3% foreign transaction fee
- 5,000 mile discount when you redeem for US Air award travel
- Warning: You may get approved for the lower which offers only 15,000 miles with an annual fee of $49
Daraius’ Tip: The links to the 35,000 mile offer on FlyerTalk with the 1st year’s annual fee waived are the better deal because the $89 annual fee is waived AND the terms and conditions do not suggest getting a lower sign-up bonus if you’re approved for a lesser card version.
11) CHASE PRIORITY CLUB VISA
My thoughts on the Priority Club card:
Sign-Up Bonus: 80,000 bonus points through this link on FlyterTalk after spending $1,000 within 3 months OR 60,000 bonus points with the Chase Priority Club Visa after spending $1,000 within 3 months
Fees: $49 annual fee waived for 1st year; NO foreign transaction fee
Annual Bonus: 1 free night certificate every anniversary potentially making up for annual fee
Other Perks: Free Priority Club Platinum elite status as long as you have the card; 10% rebate on Priority Club award redemptions
Earning: 5 Priority Club points per $1 spent at Priority Club hotels, 2 points per $1 on gas, groceries, & dining & 1 point per $1 for everything else
12) Bank of America Hawaiian Airlines – 35,000 miles or 70,000 Hilton Points
- 20,000 bonus Hawaiian Airlines miles after 1st purchase with Bank of America Hawaiian Airline card. 15,000 bonus Hawaiian Airline miles after spending $1,000 within 4 months
- Hawaiian Airline points transfer to Hilton in 1:2 ratio, so 35,000 Hawaiian Airline miles becomes 70,000 Hilton Honors points
- $79 fee NOT waived for first year; 3% foreign transaction fee
- Warning: Bank of America may issue you a lower platinum card, if you don’t qualify for the Signature card, which offers only 10,000 miles!
Bank Accounts
1) Bank Direct’s Mileage Checking account for 22,000 AAdvantage miles
- Earn up t0 22,000 AAdvantage miles by opening a mileage checking account with BankDirect
- Read my review on BankDirect here
- Bank Direct will charge a $12 monthly fee from January which may not make this worthwhile to some
- Earn 1,000 AAdvantage miles when you are referred by an existing account holder. Email me for a referral (Not only will you get an extra 1,000 miles, but so will a blog reader since I’ve run out of referrals!)
Top Free Status Deals
1) Free Hilton Gold status – that’s free internet and breakfast! 2) 12 airport lounge passes for ~$40 - link to post on Executive Privileges Club Missing a top deal? Tell us in the comments! * If you liked this post, why don’t you sign-up to receive free blog posts in your email (only 1 email per day!) or in a RSS reader …because then you’ll never miss another way to learn about the best miles and point deals.
Related Posts:
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.
I have earned and redeemed millions of airline miles and hotel points to travel the world for free. Now I'm blogging to help more people do the same! 
@Kathy – If you’re already approved for the AMEX version it will be extremely hard to get approved for the Visa version because you’re considered a prior cardholder.
@Joan – In my experience, they do have good availability, but summer is usually a busy time and rooms may be hard to come by.
@Samuil – Thanks for helping out!
@RK - You could try cancelling the transaction and sending it again.
General question: I recall reading somewhere on this site that you suggest to wait about 65 days after applying for a Chase CC before applying for another Chase CC. Several Qs about this…
1) How many is it okay to put in for in one day assuming I have waited the 65 days?
2) I have 3 businesses – so I figured I could put in for 5 CCs at once (one under my name, one under wife, one under bus1, bus2, & bus3). However, on previous business applications, I noticed they still want my name, my residence, my SSN, etc. So even though I have TINs for all 3 businesses, they still want my SSN. Would that affect my ability to get 5 in the same day? If so, what is the max you suggest I go for at once? (Technically, I could do more than 5 if you think having the 5 separate names has no downside. For instance, I could do one for me, wife, bus1, bus2, bus3 for Chase Saph Pref’d and the same 5 names for Chase United Explorer (as just an example).
Thoughts on all this? The more explanation and substance to your answer – the better – as I really do not know this nearly as well as you do. Thanks!!!
One other question, in addition to the above:
3) On the day that I put in for all these Chase CCs, can I also put in for something non-Chase (like SPG – Amex)? I figure on one hand, I should do all on the same day – to make it seem like the credit pulls happened on one day, instead of spread out over several. On the other hand, won’t Chase or Amex see the inquiries/applications I put in for with the other on the same day? If so, wouldn’t that decrease my chances?
I am just trying to figure out the best strategy behind all of this. Thanks!!
Ok, guys! My annual $95 fee on last year’s British airways card is due in 10 days. My plan is to cancel the card. However, I would like to apply for the Chase preferred Sapphire card prior to the cancel of BA card. That way if I need to move credit or whatever ( if I have to call the reconsideration line), I can offer to cancel my BA card. The Sapphire is a better card for me and I can transfer to BA(if I wanted to) and to Marriott which I have and SW also) Is this a feasible idea. Better than just canceling BA outright and applying for the Sapphire card later? Would like your opinion on it as you know so much better than I what might work. Thanks.
I was previously approved for the Citi American Airlines Personal AAdvantage Visa card on 11/1/2010. When can I safely apply again for both the Citi AA AMEX and Visa cards using the 2 browser trick?
Thanks.
Jay
Stephanie,
If you have already been charged the $95 fee and have 10 days left to pay, if you cancel the card, I believe you are still responsible for the amount due. Just like any other typical charge on your credit card. So you would need to pay it, or it will be seen as a unpaid charge.
If you have 10 days before they charge your account the annual fee, then its up to you to decide to pay or not. I personally just paid mine so i could have those options open in the future, and didn’t mind putting a $95 price on those abilities. Because then I would have wished that i just kept the card open later on.
If you want to apply for other cards immediately, then it may be easiest to keep your overall CHASE relationship as clean and possible. Meaning if you needed to talk to them, it may be easier to not have to explain recent closures or anything along those lines. Just a thought. Good luck.
Daraius, Hope this finds you and Emily great. Quick math question:
The US Airways card is 40,000 miles after first purchase.
10,000 miles for hitting the one year anniversary.
And up to 10,000 for total balance transfers in real dollars.
I believe we all feel that paying the $89 annual fee for the anniversary 10,000 miles, is well worth it. That makes the cost less than .01 cent per mile. Correct?
But if I could balance transfer $10,000.00 over to US Airways to qualify for the remaining 10,000 miles, and then pay that down with cash, is that worth it to?
If there is a 3% balance transfer fee (unless they offer a $0 transfer fee) that would make a $10,000 transfer turn into a $300 transfer charge. Paying $300 bucks for 10,000 miles would make it .03 cents a mile. Which is makes my $300 expensive money for miles, right?
If not, I am in a position to handle this now. Thanks as always. Jp
Hi Darius,
Good afternoon! I want to ask you something before I do anything. Is your link for Citi AA cards are they still working? I would like to apply for both cards.
thanks in advance
I applied for Citi AA Business card 2 days ago and was not approved instantly. Today, I called to check on the application status but the CSR was not able to locate my application. I then called again later and spoke to another CSR and she told me that there is no application under my SSN, phone number or address and suggested that I reapply. Has this ever happened any one before? Thank you!
Hi Darius,
Good morning! I have a question for you I applied for Citi cards (Amex and Visa) using the two browser trick last Thursday, then I didn’t to get into the final summary (stage5 of the application) I stopped at stage3 and it states “approval status” and saying that I will hear from them within 10 business day I will received a letter etc. Then today I called them up to check the status and they said they will send me a letter in the mail and I have to fill up the form and fax it to them but I will need a form from the federal credit bureau stating my credit history. What do you think of my application? Do you think that I’m already denied based on what they are requiring me to do? Please enlighten me. I want to say thank you for taking time answering my question in the past I know you are a very busy man. And I really appreciate your time and effort helping people like me. More power to you!
Hi D,
I used your links for AA VISA/AMEX and got the both cards approved on 6/9. Thanks a lot!
I have a question on the $100 statement credit. do I get $100 back on the statement for any AA purchase such as $50 gift card or I have to spend $100 on AA to get $100 credit back? Thanks
Can I apply for both United Mileage card (55K miles) and Chase sapphire card (40K) miles at the sametime? Or Do I need to wait for one month between the cards. I already have 50K miles in United and trying to get additional 95K points so that I can book two business class tickets to India in Nov-Dec timeframe.
Hello:
All the Citi AA offers are for first time applicants. I dont have a current card, but used to have in the last 12 months. Can someone point me to a card which I can apply for and receive 30-40-50K miles?
Regards.
hi there! first of all, just really eanted to thank you guys for all the great work youre doing and i hope you keep up the great work!!!!!
i applied for the amex/visa Citi credit cards and got approved… i just wanted to know when you think would be the best time to apply for the citi business card… is it within 65 days or after 65 days… just not exactly sure what the best timing is…..
also, can you elaborate on the $100 statement credit by AA that comes with the card… what is the best way to take advantage of that promotion… should i purchase a $100 gift card with AA and end up getting a full refund for that…
thank you in advance!!
I second @SanMan. Am I correct that for the for 50k bonus Citi card (Amex and Visa) you need a $3,000 minimum spend for each? Is that broken in to 25k after first purchase and 25k after meeting the minimum spend?
However, is there a 40k bonus Citi card (Amex and Visa) for a lower minimum spend? Something like $1000? Or am I crazy?
Thanks everyone for all the great info!
Great Blog Darius!
I was wondering how many credit cards would you try to apply for in one day? This is all very new to my husband and I. We both have great credit. We both currently use the costco mx card bus exec and thought it was the greatest, until i read your blog. Should we both apply for the same cards at the same time? My husband just received a letter yesterday for chase sapphire pref for 40k pts after 1st purchase with no spending req. So he’ll be applying for that for sure.
We prob take 2 major trips a year (one international and one domestic) but are not loyal to any carriers, since we pay for air tickets for a family of 5 and usually find better deals for the select destinations on diff carriers. And the flights was purchase thru expedia for lower cost, we couldn’t earn miles on the international flight, which would have been helpful. Our last trip our hotel stay was at the Hilton grand wailea in Maui which was purchased on a deal site. We would love to go back again, but perhaps this time on points.
What credit cards should we apply for? Ba British airways, citi 2 browser, mx gold 75k? The spending req will take lots of creativity and thanks for posting advice on that.
@J. Lyons I like how u roll ^_^ hope I can get there. Can you provide your applying cycle?
I just saw these posts, so apologies for the delay in getting back to you!
@Andrew – You can usually get 2 Chase cards in day (my experience), but beyond that will vary, but a few months in between should help. All business card applications will pull your personal credit score, so I wouldn’t do more than 2 or 3 Chase apps at a time. And you will have to call the reconsideration line to get approved since Chase will reject the second application online within a short period of time.
But you could apply for cards from other banks on the same day so that there is a less chance of the other banks seeing the inquiries. That’s why you’ll see many folks apply for a few cards once every 3 to 4 months. Please email me if you have any other questions!
@stephanie – I’d apply for the Sapphire Preferred and then call the reconsideration and offer up the British Airways card to get approved for the Sapphire Preferred.
@Jay – Folks report getting the bonuses again 18+ months since they were last approved for the Citi personal card. But YMMV.
@Jp – You’re right that paying less than 1 cent per US Air mile makes sense, but it doesn’t make sense at 3 cents per mile since you can often buy them from US Air for less!
@Joan – Some readers report this happening to them and then getting the card in the mail! I’d call back, but if there is still no trace of your application, it could be that your application didn’t get processed.
@Chess17 – Did you get that request for each application? Usually folks who don’t get approved at once online, find it harder to get approved for both cards later on.
@liw5215 – You get the statement credit for any purchase of any amount which is coded from AA.
@RK – You can apply for both at the same time, but would have to call the reconsideration line to get approved for the cards.
@SanMan – If you were last approved for the Citi AA cards within the last 18 months, you may not be able to get approved for more personal AA cards. But if you were last approved more than 18 months ago, you may be able to get another Citi AA personal card.
@michael – You should wait at least 65 days to apply for the business card otherwise you will get rejected since Citi allows only 2 apps every 65 days. That said, waiting at least 3 months may be better. You could purchase a $50 gift card from AA or pay a fee for baggage etc. and you’d get the $100 statement credit. Good luck!
@Matt – You get 50K miles after spending $3,000 within 4 months – it is all or nothing! There are offers for fewer miles available as well.
@Dc – Glad you like it! How many cards to apply for depends on which credit bureaus banks will use in your area and if you can meet the minimum spending on the cards to get the sign-up bonus. Hilton has a lot of cards so you can gradually get those. The 2 Citi AA cards are very good deals because you can get 100K AA miles.
Boa Hawaii airline card link is broken
Can you please help?
I’m sure this has been answered before but I have no recall as to the answer. What do I need to buy from AA to be able to get the $100 statement credit on my new AA business card? Got card in March
Love the blog! Do you mind sharing which airline and hotel cards allow you to sign up again and again after waiting for a period of time. It seems that Chase doesn’t like to let you get bonus points but one time. Do you find that to be true? What is your experience with signing up for hotel cards multiple times? Thanks.
@Naga – I updated the link. Thanks for letting me know.
@stephanie – Any purchase from AA such as a gift card, baggage fee, food on a flight etc.
@Jeff – This post may help!
on the two browser trick for the AA Citi cards, there’s nothing on the application sites that specify how many miles you will get. can anyone confirm that it’s still 50k per card?
if you search for that card, the main site references only 30k.
thanks!
@zach – Based on the comments, most folks seem to be getting 50K.
Since there seems to be a lot of questions about it, wanted to let everyone know that I just applied for both Citi AA cards using the links above and 2-browser trick. Got instant approval after a minute online chat and confirmed the 50k miles and statement credit.
@Sam – Thanks for letting us know!
I applied for the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Visa from the link above and was confirmed for 70K points when I was approved through the reconsideration line. They couldn’t confirm the additional free night because they only get limited rewards information, so I guess I’ll have to wait till I get it. I also applied on the same day for the Chase United card 65K miles plus $50 statement credit from the link above and was approved for that one as well. The Chase associate that answered the reconsideration line confirmed the offer as well. I had to click on the link several times for the offer to actually show up but eventually it did and I jumped on it. That only happened though when I transferred 1,000 Ultimate Reward points to my United account and signed in. If you don’t have any miles on the account you won’t get the targeted offer.
Btw, I have had a Chase Freedom card now for years and two months ago (68 days to be precise) I applied for the Chase Hyatt and Sapphire Preferred, so now I have 5 cards from Chase. I think I’ll wait a little bit before I apply for another one.
@Daraius – another Chase card that I have currently set my eyes on is the Chase Ink Bold business card for my LLC. Given my history, should I wait a while before I apply for it or would I be ok since it’s a business card? I know that they’ll run my personal credit anyways.
@rilys – I’d wait a bit before applying for the Bold. If you’ve had a Marriott card in the past, you likely won’t get the free night (just the sign-up bonus).
@Daraius – this is the first time I apply for the Marriott card, so I should get the free night without issues. Thanks.
Hi,
Today using your links for all. I have applied for
Chase BA Visa – wasn’t instantly approved had to call them to verify some information and was – APPROVED
Citi Visa – wasn’t instantly approved chat with someone then – APPROVED
Citi Mx – was instantly – APPROVED
Barclay Master Card – instantly – APPROVED
Bank of America hawaiian airlines – instantly – APPROVED ( I really wanted to applied for the 50k BA virgin but the link is no longer available)
I wanted to do one last card for MX – what do you suggest? SPG or the hilton MX? I have an offer for platinum from mx open can earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months but the fee is pretty huge $450
what do you suggest?
btw
Thank you for your help
Pingback: Dear Sherpa: What’s the best credit card for me? | The Trip Sherpa
Not sure if something changed on the Citi Apps, but their website only lists the two AA cards at 30,000 each with lower spend reqs. I know sometimes you get better incentivized links. Do you know when the 50k will go away or if it already has? I want to include both of them in my next one 3-4 months from now but was hoping to catch them at at least 50k and hopefully 75k if they bring that offer back. I already did my 3 cc’s for the month and was instantly approved on all of them (BA @ 100k (50K up front, 50K after 1st anni.), Priority Rewards (60k up front), and US Air (40k upfront)). Not bad for my first churn.
@DC- paying 450 essentially for 50k mr points isnt really worth it in my opinion. Therefor you need to consider the benefits the 45o gives you. If you travel alot and will use the 200 travel credit, the lounge access (and you dont have it from another source) then it can be worth it. If you just want the points take the gold reward personal card for free the first year 25k points and only need to spend 2000 for them. or wait for another appearance of the business card where you can get 75k points for 10k spend in 4 months with no first year fee. Having said all that it is possible if you cancel within a few months to receive a prorated amount of the fee back. But in general cards with large yearly fees are only worth it to those who actually want to pay for the benefits you get from the card besides the point. (exception to this rule would be cards with fees under 100 like bank of america cards for transfer to hilton miles or even the BA card from chase paying 2 years of fee for 100k avios)
My husband applied for the Citi American Airlines Business AAdvantage Visa and did not get instant approved. He called the application status phone number a few days later and was told that his application had been approved. It has been 2 weeks and he still has not received the card. My husband called and talked to the Citi rep today and the rep asked him a few questions about his job, and the address, etc.. Then the rep told my husband that his application was denied because he does not have a established business. It’s very odd that he was told 2 weeks ago his application was approved but today the citi rep told him that the application was declined?? Do you have any suggestions on what my husband should do? He also has not received the denial letter from citi regarding his application. Thank you so much for your help!
@mike fein – thanks for your reply…I ended up getting the spg card with the link above. I don’t travel that much to make the $450 worth it! My husband got an offer for a target sapphire card with for 40k with 1st purchase. Should he apply for that or the british airways with the “ticket” purchase offer to get the 100k? — probably the sapphire with no spending req? Can he also get the new ink bold? he is an independent contractor. We don’t spend that much but prob can just to get the points. thanks for your help.
Confusion Confusion:
I was applying for the VISA and AMEX from citi, its been 22 months since the last time i had applied.
Now by mistake, i applied Citi AMEX twice (1-chrome, and 1-firefox), got approved for both
I also applied for Citi Visa – and its pending, called the 888 number, and they said they are reviewing
Will i get 50k for Citi AMEX both cards = 100k
If i get approved for citi Visa, will i get 50k more,
@DC- if you arent travelling much then UR points (Sapphire and ink bold) are better than BA avios- however the spend on ink bold now is a factor. The BA is a great offer via the airline purchase route bec you have no minimum spend for 100k avios (or 50k if you dont want to pay the second year). No reason with good credit you cannot get approved for 2 personal and one business card using a 3 browser method it amy produce only one credit pull. I have done this twice in last 10 months with chase and had to call reconsideration. when calling reconsideration discuss only one card per call. then call back
@Mango- I suspect you will.. good luck !
Just wanted to report that I got the VISA and AMEX Citi AAdvantage cards in the mail a couple of days ago. I had applied over 2 weeks ago and got instant approval on neither. I called in to try to get them to approve it on the phone and had no luck on either card.
Last week I got an email confirmation of approval for only one of the cards. Then in the mail I received two approval letters dated one day apart so I was afraid only one may have the bonus offer applied to it. I called once for each card today to activate and stayed on the line to confirm the bonus with an agent : 50k miles after 3k spend in 4months starting from application date, not the date of activation. I should probably call and ask about the statement credit.
Question: I see in this thread several people have asked and gotten the response that any purchase from AA such as gift card, baggage fees, onboard spending would result in a statement credit. Does that apply to gift cards purchased from AA.com? I see them on sale with a standard shipping fee of 4.95 per order.
@Ahmed – I bought a $50 AA gift card via AA.com and got $150 statement credit.
@dc – Congrats on the successful application. SPG has had a 30K offer for the last 2 summers, so I’d wait a bit before applying for that. 50K MR for the Platinum is a good offer compared to the standard 25K offer, but it may not be worth it unless you value the lounge access and other perks. You also get a $200 airline fee credit and lounge access – if you value these perks, it could be worth it to pay the fee.
@Victor – The links in the post here still work for 50K. I wouldn’t count on seeing a 75K offer any time soon. The official offer is for 30K, so the 50K offer could disappear any time.
@Joan - That is very strange! I’d call again a few times to see what really happened.
@Mango – You should get the bonus on both the Citi AMEX cards.
Thanks, Daraius.. He called again today and spoke to a very nice laday and she told him that his application was denied due to his business is still very new and told him that he can apply for the card later. Do you know how long does he need to wait before he can reapply for the Citi American Airlines Business AAdvantage Visa? Thank you!
@Joan – thanks for letting me know, I’ll give it a shot – probably after I confirm with a csr on the phone that the card indeed qualifies for a credit.
On a related note, I would like to report something I tried today that may help out others. Perhaps this is common knowledge and I’ve just never known about it. I’ve got 3k in spend to clear within 4 months on these Citi cards and of course AMEX is the tougher one since it is not as widely accepted. Case in point: paying the Progressive car insurance bill online. It was up for renewal this month and they of course offer a decent discount for making a full one-time payment. I didn’t see AMEX on there and brought up an online chat session to confirm with one of their agents. She confirmed that AMEX was not accepted as a form of payment online. Well, I did see a Paypal option so I opted to go with that, since I already have an established/verified account. Added the new AMEX as a linked card and tried paying (after a little hiccup of this triggering a fraud and me having to call an automated system to confirm this charge, I tried again) and the payment posted. I don’t see it on citicards.com yet as pending but got a payment confirmation from Progressive!
For those who didn’t know before, looks like this might be a viable option if a merchant doesn’t take AMEX but akes Paypal.
Cheers!
@Joan – I’d wait at least 3 months since the last application date.
@Ahmed – That’s a great tip, and thanks for sharing!
Hi Daraius
i applied for both the AA visa and AA amex from citi using the 2 browser trick. it seems like only the amex comes with a companion pass. do you know anything about the pass? is it something physical that i wlil receive with a code to get my companion to fly with me for free? thanks!!
@sash - I still haven’t got my companion pass, but I believe you have to buy a higher fare code for it to be eligible, which may not be worth it.
I confirmed credit on both Amex when I activated the card. Got rejected for visa. But well after 225k last time. 100k more is good
Also what is the least expensive way to transfer money. PayPal is too expensive
I don’t think I will be able to spend all 4 cards me and wife in 4 months
@Mango – See this post for more information on how to meet minimum spending requirements.
I was asking if there is anything cheaper then Paypal fees. I have read that page once again
Does some one have a better way
Help. Did an AppO for my wife today. Got both Amex SPG pers and biz, and both AA Visa/Amex. Chase Hyatt Visa with $75 credit pending. So far, good. HOWEVER, tried every trick from every source to get United 65K Explorer but kept getting re-deirected to the 40K version EVEN THOUGH after logging in to United acct containing miles and SEEING a 65K offer, it still directs me to 40K offer. Anyone know how to, in fact, get the 65K application? It’s on the United website but doesn’t send you there.
Sign in to your United account and go to https://www.theexplorercard.com/MPConsumer65k50AFWIC.aspx
That’s how I did it.
Just tried that. Also tried it earlier. That link takes me to the 40K offer. Closed browser and deleted all cookies/history before trying. Then signed in to United account and clicked on the link. Very strange since the 65K offer is shown all over their website. Any suggestions?
Tried it in both IE and Chrome. Is anyone able to actually get the 65K application?
I get it. Do you have any points in your United account? I thought I read somewhere that you need at least 1 point.
By the way, now you have to spend $1K/3 month to get 50K+5K UA miles for UA Explorer Visa card (i.e., not after first purchase). You can see this when logging on your UA account and checking UA Explorer offer.
I applied for the Chase british airways card. I did it at ba.com. The offer said it was for 50,000 bonus points now and for 50,000 at the 1st year anniversary. I received the card and called to activate it and they only gave me the offer where I have to spend 20,000 in the first year to get the 2nd 50,000 points. They said that is all they are offering and even though the offer i signed up for was the other one I could not get it!
is there a way i can get them to give me the offer that was on the application when I signed up for it? or is it at their discretion? Just curious.
On the high note. I also applied for the 2X 50,000 miles citi cards and got both those, The chase united explorer card (which I had an offer for) and got 60,000 miles and the us air card for 40,000 miles. I plan to wait a bit and apply for a couple more business cards to rack up even more miles. It pays to have good credit! thanks for all the suggestions on this site….very helpful
If you’re holding onto the citi personal visa/amex, can you applied for the citi business card for the 50k bonus?
@Mango – Amazon payments has a $1,000 monthly limit.
@nycforme – I still see the 65K offer when I log into my account. Perhaps clear cookies or apply for regular version and ask for a match to the 65K version.
@Sergey – Thanks for the update!
@Anah – I’d call again to check the terms of your offer. You usually get the offer you signed up for online.
@webazoid – You can have the Citi AA business cards even if you have Citi AA personal cards.
I got the chase united card with 55K bonus 3 weeks ago. Can I apply for the Chase Sapphire now? Will chase accept another one within a month. I have another Chase card (Slate) applied 4-5 months ago.
@RK – Folks have been able to get more than 1 Chase card, but it really depends on your risk profile with Chase. Good luck!
Darius, I just applied for Chase sapphire using the link above. Not instantly approved. Says Decision pending and will inform in 10days.Does it mean just wait for the response till approved?
@RK – Thanks for using our link! You can always call the reconsideration line to expedite the approval. Good luck!
I couldn’t see the 65,000 offer from United so I transferred 3000 miles into united account. Cleared my cache and signed back in and still seeing the 40,000 mile offer. Has it expired or am I not doing someting correct. Any help is greatly appreciated.
@Kevin – It was not showing the 65K offer when no miles present it my United account. When I added few miles, it showed me 65K offer and it worked. Received my card two weeks ago.
Just now called the chase reconsideration line – I was told first that sapphire application was denied because of the number of applications in short time frame. Told the rep that My company’s preferred airlines changed from American to United (other applications were AA ones). that’s the reason why I applied for United and now for Sapphire because of Foreign transactions. The rep asked me if it’s ok to split the credit limit from United explorer between sapphire and united. Approved for new sapphire after agreeing to split the existing limit between United explorer and Sapphire. I had Slate and pulled out some money with 0% during an offer in JAn. Enquired about that also. I was paying more than minimum (Approx 200$) per month on that.
Hello, Guys
I have a question regarding Ink Bold and Ink Classic. I know the major difference is that Ink Bold card holders transfer the points to the airliners/hotel while Ink Classic can not. I already have Chase Sapphire Preferred so it is not an issue for me.
If I apply for Ink Class card now. After one year, apply for Ink Bold card, will it give me 75K points ( 25k from Ink class and 50K from Ink Bold)? Thanks
@liw5215 – They are separate products so you should be able to get the points for both cards.
I have been a AA bronze card holder for the last 5 years.
I have not had a Platnum or Amex AA card in over 2 + years.
Would I be a candidate for the 50k offer ..???????
Thanks in advance for the reply.
@John - You should be able to get the Citi AA personal cards again, but as always, your miles may vary.
2 Q’s :
1)What about using 2 separate iPods ? Is it good for the 2 browser needed for the citi offer?
2)I applied for the “Citi Select AAdvantage AmEx” & for the “Citi platinum select AAdvantage Visa Signature” cards 16 monthes ago and was denied, will I still get the 50k miles?
@Ephraim – 2 separate iPods should work. I can’t comment specifically, but folks who wait 18+ months are usually able to get the cards again.
I just received the US Air Mastercard from Barclay’s which came with a 40k point bonus on first use. I just wanted to post here to let people know that the detailed offer terms sent to me with the card stipulate that any bonuses, unless otherwise stated, will only be awarded to first time owners of this card. It goes on to state that they may ask US Air to revoke miles or charge a fair value for them, at their discretion. If anyone manages to churn this card again, I’m sure everyone here would be interested in hearing about it.
@Ahmed – Many cards say that in the terms and conditions…
The link for #9 appears to be dead.
@ Ahmed … Tnx for informing us. Very disturbing.
@ Million Mile Secrets Does Citiban AA cards have this ? (yet)
Just Got approved for CITI AMEX waited the required the 18+ months ( as previous account holder) confirmed with rep Earn 50,000 AAdvantage miles + 1 Companion Pass for paid tickets +$100 statement credit for an eligible AA purchase when you spend $3,000 within 4 months on.
@Ari Awesome. Just FYI, I purchased two e-gift cards ($100 each) on AA.com – one on the Citi AMEX and one on the Citi Visa AAdvantage cards. Within just 4 days of posting, the VISA card credited me back 100$ on the statement – still waiting on the credit on the AMEX.
The most exciting part of the above purchase is when looking at my AA account i see that I got 100 miles for the purchase on the AMEX even though it was credited back! Not only that, I saw 2 more entries:
CITI AA PURCH 2ND MI. BNS – 100 miles
CITICARD BONUS MILES – 100 miles
So it looks like buying the e-giftcard was entirely free + 300 miles!
@David0603 – Link fixed. Thanks for letting me know.
D,
Thanks a lot as soon I Rx the card will follow your suggestion of purchasing purchase Gift cards as you suggested as i have to purchase flights for the end of the year and AA is the first choice.
Again thanks Darius for all your help!!
Hi Daraius,
Stumbled upon your site by accident…thanks for all the great info and tips! Applied to Citi AA cards for both my wife and myself through links above, so you should get credit for 4 applications! Will got for business cards in 2 month!
Question…suppose 3.5 month from now, I realize that I forgot to charge the $3000 to get miles on a card, and have no major expenses coming up. Would going on American Airlines website and buying $3000 gift cards satisfy the requirement? I figure I would get 2 miles per dollar, get the bonus and have time to use the gift cards.
Or would you suggest a different pathway?
Thank you!
@WeiC – I actually do not get a referral for the 50K offer. I would get a referral for the 30K offer, but that is less miles for those who apply. Buying AA gift cards should help you meet the requirement, though you may need to buy $3,100 worth because you get a statement credit for $100 for an AA purchase. Here’s another post on how to meet minimum spending requirements. http://millionmilesecrets.com/2011/07/20/40-powerful-ways-to-complete-your-credit-card-minimum-spending-requirements/
Number 13, Chase BA card, 100,000 points by FT method, seems to be dead. Posts on FT are saying offer doesn’t show up anymore, and I haven’t been able to pull it up either. I tried two different browsers. Anyone else been able to access the offer in the last couple days?
I’ve been approved for and cancelled both the CITI AAdvantage personal and business Visas. At this moment I have no active CITI credit cards. Would I be eligible for the CITI AA 50K AMEX? I’d really like to have this card permanently for its new benefits.
Do you have any idea if the 2 50,000 air mile deals with AA are still valid?
@Greg – I removed it since folks don’t seem to be able to pull it up anymore.
@Trevor – Depends on when you were 1st approved for the personal cards. You may be able to get them after 18+ months since you last were approved for the personal card. For the business card, you may be able to get them again much sooner.
@Laura – Based on reader comments, they still appear to be working, but your miles may vary.
I used it last Wednesday 7/25 and got approved for both !!!!!!!
Thank you everyone. Now I’m just waiting for the cards to arrive
Q: “I’ve been approved for and cancelled both the CITI AAdvantage personal and business Visas. At this moment I have no active CITI credit cards. Would I be eligible for the CITI AA 50K AMEX? I’d really like to have this card permanently for its new benefits.”
A: “Depends on when you were 1st approved for the personal cards. You may be able to get them after 18+ months since you last were approved for the personal card. For the business card, you may be able to get them again much sooner.”
Thanks for your quick response. I understand it’s possible to be re-approved for the personal AA cards after 18 months. However, since I’ve NEVER been approved for the personal CITI AA AMEX—only the personal CITI AA VISA which I cancelled a few months back—I was wondering if I could apply for the AA AMEX in my next churn, as a new customer. Any insights?
Hi Daraius,
I applied for the Amex SPG, B of A Alaska Airlines, and Hawaiian Bank card at the same time. I was approved instantly for the SPG card and denied the Alaska and Hawaiian Bank Card (I have a Virgin Atlantic and Hawaiian Airlines already) for too many inquiries. I called B of A today and the analyst said she would approve me for only one card so I chose the Alaska Airlines. Do you think I should wait a couple of days and call back try to get approved for the Hawaiian Bank card also? Thank you
@Trevor – If you have has the personal Visa (even if you didn’t have the personal AMEX) you will be considered an existing customer and won’t be able to get the sign-up bonus (unless it is 18+ months since when you applied for the personal Visa).
@Bryan – I’d call back and if the agent is still reluctant, I’d try to offer one of your existing BOA cards to get approved for the new card.
Was just approved for a 65k mi UA Chase card: http://www.TheExplorerCard.com/Earn65kMiles
Ever hear of this before? I know people have been having trouble with the link to the Citi AAdvantage 50,000 mile bonus card. Here’s what happened with me: I started off with two different browsers; one for the Visa and one for the Amex. I had both forms filled out and ready to hit the ‘Verify Application’ button (submit is on the second page). The page I had open originally for the Amex was fine. I got to the submit page for both browsers and clicked. Amex went through, approved on the spot. The page I had open for the Visa, however, reloaded to the form again, blank. I panicked because I thought I wouldn’t get both cards because of the delay. I quickly filled it out again and submitted. Phew. Wait. What?? Upon closer inspection, I realized that this page was ALSO Amex. I thought I had goofed and just had two Amex pages open to start with. I started the process again for my husband. For the Visa page, the same thing happened: it reloaded blank. I had double checked that it was Visa to start with. So the page had reloaded with the Amex page! I think I just reloaded Visa page, which went through the second time. He ended up getting the normal one Visa one Amex. We confirmed that we would receive 50,000 points after spending $3,000 in 4 months.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention: I ended up getting 2 Amex cards!
@Josh Lang – You can also send them a secure message asking for a $50 statement credit as well.
@Grace – Thanks for sharing. You should get the 50K bonus for each card which you received.
“You can also send them a secure message asking for a $50 statement credit as well.”
No way. Just send them a message asking for a $50 statement credit? That’s all? Do I have to give a reason?
@Josh Lang – You could mention that you found another offer for 65K AND a $50 statement credit and could they please match you to that offer.
D,
Where can I find The Free companion pass info on the amex?
Thanks
@Ari – You should get it a month after receiving the cards. Emily just got hers and it is a very restricted companion pass.
Now that you’ve made me freakishly obsessed over miles and points, and poised on the brink of my first ever App-O-Rama app-fest, I have just discovered that American Express has a page to check your eligible targeted offers. It’s, naturally enough, on the credit card page.
I JUST signed up for the 50K Gold Card personal card via mail targeted offer. Boy was I surprised to see that I’m eligible for a 72500 Delta Gold and my husband is eligible for a 75K Gold personal AND a 72500 Delta Gold. There’s some pretty sweet deals out there. OHOHOHOH! Just got to get my mortgage refinanced before I can dip my toes in the water.
@ Jill P. what is the website for the targeted offers you are talking about? Would like to check mine also.
https://www304.americanexpress.com/credit-card?intlink=US-Homepage-GetACard-PersonalCards#!view-your-special-offers
Not sure if that will link up, but basically it’s
go to http://www.americanexpress.com
Click Credit cards.
Click “get the card that’s best for you”, then click “personal cards”.
Then click “view your special offers” and enter in your personal data.
I tried the same thing with “small business cards” but nothing impressive showed up.
Let us all know what you see when you get there!
Jill, I got there and it pulls up all the cards but it doesn’t tell you what the offers are. Did you have to click on each card individually?