Wow, where has the year gone? We are about to start THE THIRD QUARTER of 2023! That being said, here are a few travel rewards housekeeping tasks to keep you on track.
Check Your Rotating Credit Card Bonus Category
Select a new bonus category on any credit card you have with categories that change quarterly. Think about your upcoming spending and pick a category that makes sense for obtaining the most points.
- Taking a big trip: Travel
- Getting new tires: Automotive
- Building a new deck: Home Improvement
If you have a card with a rotating category chosen by the issuer, make sure you are aware of what it is so that you can take advantage of any extra points earning potential.
Check for Chase Secret Bonus Categories
Check each of your Chase credit cards for secret points earning categories at chase.com/mybonus. Not every card will have them and the only way to get these offers is to go to the link and check each of your cards.
Last quarter we had 3 cards that offered us 5x points on gas, groceries, and dining. The quarter before that one card offered us 7x points on home improvements. You never know what it will be and the offers are usually good for a 3 month period. Utilizing these offers is a great way to rack up points on a card that is usually a slow earner!
Free Night Certificates and Other Awards
Review the expiration date for any airline travel funds or hotel Free Night Certificates you have. If you have any that will be expiring soon, try to find a use for them.
Also, check your hotel cards to see your progress toward additional Free Night Certificates. Sometimes just a small shift in spending can land you a valuable extra free hotel night.
Review Upcoming Travel Plans
Take a look at your upcoming travel plans and create a strategy for using and/or earning points/miles.
Check to see if there are any hotel or airline promotions that you can register for in order to earn even more points/miles.
Add any Amex Offers to your account that might save you money on airport parking, hotel stays or other travel related activities.
Figure out if paying for your travel with a particular credit card will provide you with extra benefits like primary auto protection for rental cars, free checked bags on your flights or hotel perks.
Do a quick review to see if you need to renew your Drivers License, Passport, Clear, Global Entry, or TSA Precheck. All of these processes are running slower than usual so make sure you give yourself plenty of time when renewing. You may also have credits available on one of your credit cards that cover the cost of renewal for the Global Entry, Clear or TSA Precheck programs.
Coming Soon…
- Amazon Prime Day – July 11th and 12th
- Rakuten – Big Points Deals for the Fourth of July
- Make sure you register for fall hotel and airline promotions
- Watch for Early Bird Deals on 2024 travel
- Bilt Rewards Rent Day – Haven’t heard about Bilt yet? Check out this link and see how you can earn points toward travel and more. Remember to check in on the first of every month (Rent Day) to earn points just by answering some fun trivia questions or participating in a challenge. Earn even more points by paing rent through your Bilt account or by signing up for their credit card.
Final thoughts
I hope you take a minute to do a quick review. None of these things take very long to do but they can have a big impact on your travel, savings and points earnings for the rest of the year.
Dream, Plan, Save, Adventure!
The World According to Dev 