Top 10 Cards That Earn Us Nothing!
Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.
Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.Folks often ask how Emily and I make money from the blog, and we’ve always been very transparent about it.
We tell you about the best credit card offers for Big Travel with Small Money. And we earn a commission when you are approved for some (but not all) of those cards.
It’s our belief that by doing the right thing and informing you about the best deals — whether or not they earn us anything — you’ll feel good about what you see on Million Mile Secrets. And just as importantly, we’ll feel good about what we do!
Emily and I want you to always get the best offer when you sign-up for a credit card – even if it means we don’t earn a commission.
And we always appreciate it when readers let us know about better offers!
I’ll show you the top cards that currently do NOT earn us a commission but DO earn you Big Travel with Small Money!
Why Do We Tell You About the Best Offers?
Link: Hot Deals
We’re so fortunate to have the best blog readers! And we love it when you share your Big Travel adventures and experiences from the tips and tricks you’ve learned here.
When we started the blog, I said I’d always let you know if I found a better public offer for any credit card, even if it means giving up our commission on the card.
We earn a commission on cards that have an image of the card under the card’s name on the Hot Deals page. But if you only see a link with the card’s name, and no card image beneath, that means Emily and I get nothing if you apply.
Yes, but Why?
Because it’s the right thing to do.And we won’t ever stop doing it!
I’d rather you get the most miles, points, or cash back. Even if there’s a lesser offer that would earn us a commission.
In fact, the top 3 cards on 10 Best Deals in Travel link to cards that earn nothing for the blog.
And that’s fine by us!
Thank you for reading our blog all these years. We really do have the best readers!The Top 10 Deals That Earn Us $0!
I’ll show you the best public offers on 10 top cards – that currently earn us nothing if you apply!
Chase Ink Plus
Link: Chase Ink Plus
You’ll earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you sign-up for the Chase Ink Plus small business card and spend $5,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account.
That’s worth:
- $600 in cash back
- $750 in travel with NO blackout dates through the Chase Travel Portal
- Big Travel when you transfer points to partners like United Airlines and Hyatt
Here’s my review of the Chase Ink Plus card.
Chase Hyatt
Link: Chase Hyatt
You’ll earn 2 free nights at ANY Hyatt (even luxury resorts!) with the Chase Hyatt card after completing the minimum spending requirements.
Emily and I have had wonderful stays at many Hyatt hotels, like the Park Hyatt Vendome Paris, Grand Hyatt Kauai, Park Hyatt Goa, and Park Hyatt Milan. And with this card, you can do it too!
Depending on where you use your free night certificates, you could get a stay worth over ~$1,000 at the pricier Hyatt hotels.
And many folks pay the $75 annual fee on this card year after year, because you get a free night certificate each year you’re a cardmember for a stay at a Hyatt Category 1 through 4 hotel.
Hilton Cards
Link: Hotel Cards – Hot Deals
It’s a great time to earn lots of Hilton points! There are currently improved sign-up bonuses on 3 Hilton cards, and we don’t earn a commission for any of them!
Here are the best current Hilton credit cards available, and none of these offers earn us a penny:
- Hilton Honors™ Card from American Express – Earn 70,000 Hilton points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account (EXPIRED.)
- Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express – Earn 85,000 Hilton points after spending $3,000 on purchases within 1st 3 months of opening your account (EXPIRED.)
- Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Reserve Card – Earn 2 weekend night certificates good at select hotels & resorts within the Hilton portfolio after $2,500 in purchases within 4 months of account opening
- Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Visa Signature® Card – Earn 75,000 Hilton points after spending $2,000 in purchases within the 1st 3 months of account opening (EXPIRED.)
Check out my post on how to decide which Hilton credit card is best for your travel plans.
Bank of America Alaska Airlines Card
Link: Bank of America Alaska Airlines Card
Alaska Airlines miles aren’t just good for award travel on Alaska Airlines! They have terrific airline partners, including American Airlines, Emirates, and Icelandair.
With the Bank of America Alaska Airlines card, you’ll earn 25,000 Alaska Airlines miles after your 1st purchase. And you’ll earn a $100 statement credit after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the 1st 90 days of opening your account. (EXPIRED.)
Here are some ideas on how to use Alaska Airlines miles for Big Travel!
Chase Ink CashLink: Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card
If you have a small business and don’t like paying an annual fee, the Chase Ink Cash card is an excellent deal.
You’ll earn 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points ($200 cash back) when you sign-up and spend $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account.
You’ll also get:
- 5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 you spend (5% cash back) on the 1st $25,000 spent per year at office supply stores and on cell phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services
- 2 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 you spend (2% cash back) on the 1st $25,000 spent per year at restaurants and gas stations combined
- 1 point per $1 you spend (1% cash back) on everything else
- Primary auto rental insurance (CDW) when renting for business purposes, plus purchase and extended warranty protection
- No annual fee
This card is more flexible if you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Plus, or Chase Ink Bold (no longer offered) card. Because you can transfer points earned from the Chase Ink Cash to 1 of these cards, then to travel partners like British Airways and Hyatt!
Chase United Explorer Card
Link: Chase United MileagePlus® Explorer Card
The Chase United Explorer Card is a good option if you fly United Airlines often.
That’s because when you have this card, you’ll get access to even more award seats. And when you use your card to pay for your ticket, you’ll get their 1st checked bag free!
And you’ll get priority boarding on United Airlines flights.
You’ll earn 30,000 United Airlines miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account. And a $50 statement credit after your 1st purchase.
To find this deal, search for a flight on United.com and you’ll see an ad for the card. The regular offer doesn’t have a $50 statement credit, so apply for the better offer!
United Airlines miles are very useful! That’s because:
- They have more airline partners than any other US airline
- They never add fuel surcharges to award tickets
- It’s easy to search for award flights
- You can instantly transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United Airlines
That said, the sign-up bonus on this card has been as high as 50,000 United Airlines miles, so if you’re not in a hurry to earn United Airlines miles, you might consider waiting for that offer to return.
Barclaycard Wyndham Rewards
Link: Barclaycard Wyndham Rewards
You can earn free nights at any Wyndham hotel when you sign-up for the the Barclaycard Wyndham Rewards cards and complete the minimum spending.
That can be worth over $1,000 in Big Travel!
The sign-up bonus on the premium version of the card with a $69 annual fee is currently 45,000 Wyndham points. Because a night at ANY Wyndham hotel costs only 15,000 Wyndham points, you’ll have enough for 3 free nights at Wyndham’s top hotels and all-inclusive resorts!
Bottom Line
Emily and I thank you for reading the blog through the years! And for trusting us to show you the best credit card deals!
We’ll always tell you about the best public offers we’re aware of, even if they don’t earn us a commission.
Remember, any offer you see in Hot Deals that does NOT have an image of the credit card, does NOT earn Emily or me a commission. We share these with you because it’s the right thing to do!
And we hope when you travel, you’ll let us know about your adventures! If you’d like to be considered for our reader success story series, please send me a note!
Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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