One of the biggest events in New York City each year — and one that has become synonymous with the end of the summer — is the U.S. Open. From the matches themselves to the buzz across the entire grounds, it's part world-class sporting event and part New York social experience at its finest, with plenty to do, see, and eat.

Based on my past experiences, it's fair to say that the U.S. Open is unquestionably a lot of fun, but it can also be hot and crowded, with long lines. Being able to duck into a quieter, air-conditioned lounge (thanks to your credit card) and grab a Honey Deuce and maybe even a chair can be the perfect addition to the afternoon out in Queens.

Thankfully, both Chase and American Express again have a presence at the U.S. Open this year, with each operating dedicated lounge spaces just for their cardholders.

Here's what you need to know about the Chase and Amex lounges at the 2026 U.S. Open, including how to get inside.

Related: These are the top card offers of August 2026

Chase Lounge at the 2026 U.S. Open

The Chase Lounge will open in time for Fan Week at this year's U.S. Open. During Fan Week, the Chase Lounge will be open Aug. 24-28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time on a first-come, first-served basis for Chase customers.

During the main part of the tournament, which starts on Aug. 30, the Chase Lounge will be open from 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. during the daytime sessions and 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. during the evening sessions. Note that the lounge is open for sessions 1 - 19 and session 21 and is closed for sessions 20 and 22 - 27.

However, unlike during Fan Week, the Chase Lounge will operate on a reservations-only model for Chase customers during the main draw of the tournament.

Reservations for the Chase Lounge during those main sessions will be released daily at 9 a.m. Eastern on the ChaseGetsYouCloser.com website for the following day's sessions.

Related reading: Here is what the Chase Lounge and Chase Terrace were like at the U.S. Open in 2024

Some of the new offerings at the Chase Lounge this year include a bar featuring matcha lattes and iced blueberry matcha lattes during the daytime sessions and matcha popsicles during evening sessions.

As in previous years, you can also expect some included light bites, mobile charging, live coverage of the matches and the all-important air conditioning.

Chase will also again operate the Chase Terrace at the U.S. Open for Chase customers on a first-come, first-served basis. The Chase Terrace is typically an open-air space at the Grandstand with views of Courts 8 - 10, along with seats and shade. You'll need to show your Chase card to enter the terrace.

During Fan Week (Aug. 24 to 28), the Chase Terrace will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then, during the main draw of the tournament, the Chase Terrace will be open for Sessions 1 to 18 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. It will be closed for Sessions 19 to 27.

Related: Complete guide to Chase Sapphire airport lounges

Amex Lounges at the 2026 U.S. Open

American Express will operate not one, but two lounges at this year's U.S. Open.

First, there's the Amex Centurion Lounge, which will be open to American Express Platinum Card® and American Express Centurion cardholders via same-day, one-hour reservations bookable on Resy beginning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time each day of the tournament, starting on Aug. 30.

Platinum cardholders can make a reservation for up to two people (the cardholder and one guest), while Centurion cardholders can make a reservation for up to four people (the cardholder and up to three guests).

Located on the second floor of Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Centurion Lounge will offer dishes by Kwame Onwuachi and Mike Solomonov of the Culinary Collective, along with drinks and a place to sit and cool off between matches.

You'll want to be sure your Platinum and/or Centurion Card is on file in your Resy account before reservations open.

The information for the Amex Centurion Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related reading: Here's what it was like at the Amex lounge at the U.S. Open in 2024

But don't worry if you don't currently have an Amex Platinum or Centurion card, as the issuer also operates an American Express Card Member Lounge open to all Amex cardmembers (and up to two guests), located on the second level of the Amex Fan Experience.

And for those who don't have any Amex cards, you can still go inside and enjoy the Fan Experience itself.

There are other Amex-related goodies available at the U.S. Open, too, such as an earpiece radio for Amex cardmembers with the ESPN broadcast and live U.S. Open updates.

Additionally, eligible cardmembers can enroll in an Amex Offer to get $10 back after they spend $100 on qualifying purchases on-site at the U.S. Open beginning Aug. 30.

Related: Complete guide to Amex airport lounges

Bottom line

We are just days away from the start of the U.S. Open, and if you are going and want to maximize your Chase or Amex perks while you are there, now is the time to set a reminder to reserve a seat at one of their lounges.

Even if you ultimately don't get a reservation (as we expect them to fill up quickly each day), be sure to bring your Chase or Amex card to access the first-come, first-served spaces.

And if you haven't yet purchased your U.S. Open tickets, remember that some tickets are available via StubHub, which means it could be the perfect time to use your second biannual StubHub statement credit of up to $150 (up to $300 annually) on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) if you haven't already done so (activation required; through Dec. 31, 2027).

From bonus points on your next hotel stay to sales on award tickets, we're always looking for travel deals that help you earn more points and miles and redeem them for maximum value. In other words, we want to help you book the vacation of your dreams.

This week, we found some great back-to-school deals on travel gear, from roomy backpacks to high-tech devices. Plus, for a limited time, you can score 30% off Thrifty Traveler Premium and various discounts on other handy travel tools and services.

Each week, we help our readers by rounding up promotions so they don't have to scour the internet for the best reward redemptions and offers. This includes everything from frequent flyer programs and hotel rewards programs to credit card offers and rental car deals. Here's our latest list of noteworthy new points and miles promotions for August.

Airline loyalty program promotions (August 2026)

Airline loyalty programs can offer trip discounts on specific dates, the opportunity to earn more points or miles for future travel and exclusive deals to accumulate points or miles toward elite status. Below is one of the best offers we found for August.

Save miles on Cathay Pacific redemptions to Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, a 1:1 transfer partner of several credit card currencies, is celebrating 80 years with a special promotion.

You can get 800 miles back for every 5,000 miles you redeem on flights between Hong Kong and anywhere else in the carrier's network, up to a total rebate of 80,000 miles per member. This means you will need to earn (or transfer) the total number of miles needed for your redemption before you can book it, and then you will get roughly 15% of your miles redeposited into your account.

Register and book by Aug. 27 for travel between Sept. 10 and Dec. 10.

Double your Avios and elite tier points with Finnair

Avios are a particularly versatile currency because they can be transferred between seven airline loyalty programs. That means you can earn bonus miles with this Finnair Plus promotion, then redeem them for award flight deals on Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and more.

When you book qualifying Finnair tickets by Aug. 27, 2026, you can earn double Avios as well as double tier points toward elite status. See participating destinations and book your flight here for travel through March 31, 2027.

Earn more Flying Blue miles on flights and cars

Air France-KLM Flying Blue currently has two promotions that can help you boost your balance.

First, you can get a 10,000-mile bonus (worth $145 by TPG's August 2026 valuations) on a single economy flight from the U.S. to any Air France or KLM destination. To qualify, your flight must be operated by either Air France or KLM and must connect at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) or Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). Book through Air France or KLM by Aug. 31, 2026, and fly by Jan. 31, 2027.

Second, you can double or triple your Flying Blue miles on Europcar rentals this fall and winter. The program's car rental platform is offering double miles on rentals of two-plus days or triple miles on rentals of five days or more. Since Flying Blue members typically earn up to 5 miles per euro spent on cars, that translates to up to 12.8 miles per dollar spent with the promotion. Book by Aug. 31, and complete your rental(s) by Dec. 15.

Related: How to choose an airline credit card

Hotel loyalty program promotions (August 2026)

Hotel loyalty programs regularly offer discounted award stays and new ways to earn extra points. Here are some August deals to consider when booking your next stay.

Double your Accor points on a Raffles stay

When it comes to hotel rewards, Accor Live Limitless points are some of the most valuable and simplest to redeem — and right now, ALL members can earn double points at participating Raffles Hotels & Resorts worldwide.

Activate this deal and book here by Aug. 31.

Save and earn at Caesars Rewards properties

With Wyndham's Summer Savings Sale, members can save money and earn bonus points on a stay at participating Caesars Rewards destinations.

Book directly with the "Special Rate," and you'll enjoy up to 25% off cash rates as well as double Wyndham Rewards points. Plus, you'll earn another 5,000 bonus points when staying three or more consecutive nights.

Book by Sept. 11, 2026, and stay by Jan. 1, 2027.

Related: Best hotel credit cards

Credit card promotions (August 2026)

Card issuers offer deals and discounts on a wide range of products, from airfare to dining. Here are some of the offers we've rounded up this week. Note that these are targeted, so they may or may not be available on your account. You must activate these offers on your card and use the enrolled card to make the purchase in order to earn bonus rewards.

Targeted Amex Offer at Delta Air Lines

If a Delta flight is in your future, keep an eye out for this Amex Offer. You could earn a $250 statement credit when spending $2,000 or more on qualifying Delta flights booked through Amex Travel, for a savings up up to 12.5%. Book online, through the Amex Travel App or by phone by Sept. 3.

Targeted Chase Offer at Hyatt Place

If you're planning a business or family trip, Hyatt Place offers useful amenities like extra space, 24/7 fitness centers and round-the-clock dining options. And if you're targeted for this Chase Offer, you can earn 7% cash back (up to $50) on your U.S. Hyatt Place purchase of $100 or more by Sept. 30.

We found this offer on multiple airline credit cards, including the United℠ Explorer Card(see rates and fees) and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees).

Related: The ultimate guide to saving money with Amex Offers

Ongoing travel deals

In addition to these new offers, many others from previous weeks are still available:

• If you have not made and completed a reservation with Delta Stays in the last 24 months, you can earn 3 bonus SkyMiles per dollar on your next stay. Book by Aug. 23, and complete your stay by Dec. 31.
• Earn 3,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points for every stay this summer at participating properties across the U.S. and Canada. Book with code "S2449" and stay by Sept. 8.
• Earn 3,000, 5,000 or 15,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points per stay at participating hotels and resorts across the Caribbean & Latin America, depending on the brand. Book by Aug. 27 with promo code S2449, and complete your stay(s) by Sept. 10.
• Earn 2,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points per night, up to 6,000 total, at 60 participating properties across Thailand. Book with code "S2449" and stay by Sept. 30.
• With Wyndham's summer sale, you can save 10 to 20% at participating hotels in the U.S., Canada and Latin America, depending on how long you stay. Book by Aug. 28 for stays through Dec. 31.
• Score 5,000 bonus Bonvoy points on a stay at select Trailborn adventure lodges. Book with promo code "S2449" by Aug. 31, and stay by Sept. 25.
• After linking your Hilton Honors and Qatar Airways Privilege Club accounts, you can score 1,000 bonus Avios on your first stay at any hotel within the Hilton portfolio of brands. Register for the promotion first, then complete your stay by Aug. 31. Be sure to add your Privilege Club number as your preferred travel partner in your Hilton Honors account prior to check-out.
• If you're heading to Europe, Africa or the Middle East, you can earn 1,000, 2,000 or 5,000 bonus Bonvoy points on a qualifying two-night stay, depending on the brand. Book by Aug. 31 with promo code S2449 for stays through Sept. 15.
• Fast-track your way to Emirates Skywards elite status with this offer. Until Aug. 31, you can earn 20% bonus tier miles on flights, regardless of your booking date, and reach status with just 80% of the usual mileage or flight requirements.
• With IHG One Rewards' "Pick Your Points" offer, you can choose to receive 2,000 bonus points for every two nights you stay this summer or 8,000 bonus points for every four nights, with no earning cap. Register, then book and stay by Aug. 31.
• You can earn twice the IHG points when you dine at participating outlets in Korea and Southeast Asia by Aug. 31.
• Through Aug. 31, you can earn 50% more Miles & More miles and elite status qualifying points when you fly premium economy on Lufthansa or its partners. To take advantage of this promotion, simply book through the participating airline's website with your Miles & More number.
• You can get triple Wyndham Rewards points on up to three stays of two or more nights each in China. Register first, then book by Sept. 3 and stay by Sept. 30.
• Best Western Rewards members can earn 1,000 bonus points per eligible night (with no cap) for stays through Sept. 7. No registration is required.
• WorldHotels Rewards members can earn 1,000 bonus points (redeemable at both WorldHotels and Best Western properties) per night, with no maximum, at participating properties through Sept. 7. Log in here to register before booking.
• AAdvantage members who link their World of Hyatt account can earn 1 bonus AAdvantage mile per dollar spent at Hyatt's Under Canvas collection with this deal. Register by Sept. 12, and complete your stay by Sept. 13.
• Earn 3,000 bonus World of Hyatt points per stay — up to 30,000 total — when you spend at least three nights at participating Hyatt Place and Hyatt Select hotels in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America. Register first, then book and complete your stay(s) by Sept. 30.
• Through Sept. 30, you can double your Hyatt points on eligible dine-in and takeaway spending at participating Hyatt restaurants and bars across Asia Pacific with this promotion.
• Earn 5,000 bonus points when you complete a stay at any Bonvoy hotel by Sept. 30. Link your accounts and register for the promotion here.
• With this lucrative World of Hyatt promotion, you can earn a Category 1-4 Free Night Award for every three nights you stay across Latin America and the Caribbean — up to five free nights total. Register by Sept. 30, 2026, then complete your stay(s) at participating hotels between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2027.
• Marriott Bonvoy is offering a whopping 50,000 bonus points per stay, plus complimentary breakfast for up to two guests, for guests who visit the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Kyoto by Sept. 30. Just be sure to book with the promo code, which can be found here.
• New members who join Chevron Texaco Rewards by Sept. 30 can save $1 per gallon on their first five fill-ups.
• Get a 15% points rebate on stays at World of Hyatt's Under Canvas locations. Register by Nov. 30 for stays through Dec. 1.
• New members of the Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards program can save up to $50 on their next flight simply by joining the program by Dec. 31. U.S. residents outside Alaska, California and Hawaii can register here for their discount code; residents of Alaska, California and Hawaii can register here.
• Earn 5,000 bonus Hyatt points on each stay of five-plus nights at participating Hyatt House and Hyatt Studios properties. Register, book and stay by Dec. 31.
• If you're targeted for Hilton's "Stay More, Earn More" offer, you can earn up to 15,000 bonus points in total on your next five stays. Check to see if you're targeted and register here by Dec. 31, then complete your stay(s) within six months of registration.

Targeted Amex Offers

• Earn a whopping 20,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after you spend $1,000 or more with Air France or KLM. To qualify, your flight must originate in the U.S. and be booked through the airline's U.S. website or U.S. mobile app. You must book and pay for your flight by Aug. 30 to take advantage of this offer, but the flight can take place later. Our data point shows that even taxes and fees on Flying Blue award tickets trigger this bonus.
• Earn a $125 statement credit when you spend a minimum of $500 on room rate and room charges at select WorldHotels properties. Book on the World Hotels website and complete your purchase by Aug. 31.
• Earn 10% back on qualifying prepaid hotel purchases at Hotels.com by Aug. 31. There's a limit of $100 back in total statement credits.
• Get $50 back when you spend $200 in one or more purchases at participating Ascend Collection Hotels in the U.S. and Canada. Book here and stay by Sept. 1.
• Get $100 back when you spend at least $300 at select Cambria Hotels in the U.S. or online by Sept. 1.
• Earn a $40 statement credit after you make a qualifying purchase of $250 or more at viator.com. You can use this offer up to twice, for a total of $80 back, through Sept. 17.
• Earn a $50 statement credit when you spend a minimum of $250 in one or more qualifying purchases of flights booked with Allegiant Air online. This offer expires Sept. 30.
• Get a $350 statement credit after spending a minimum of $1,000 in qualifying purchases at participating Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy properties. Book here by Sept. 30.
• Earn a $15 statement credit on a pet boarding purchase of $75 or more at meowtel.com. You can use this offer up to two times, for a total of $30 back, through Oct. 19.
• Earn a $100 statement credit when you spend a minimum of $500 on room rate and room charge purchases at select Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Luxury Destinations around the world. Book on the Wyndham website, and complete your purchase by Oct. 27.
• Earn a one-time $100 statement credit when you spend a minimum of $500 at participating Hyatt properties in the U.S., the Caribbean and Latin America by Nov. 15.
• Get $50 back on a single purchase of $250 or more with Italo Treno when you book online or through the Italo Treno mobile app by Dec. 27.
• Earn a $30 statement credit after spending $150 or more on a Turo rental in the U.S. or Canada. Your car must be returned and paid for by Dec. 31 to qualify.

Targeted Chase Offers

• Earn 15% cash back (up to $50 maximum) on a Uniworld River Cruise purchase before Aug. 31.
• Get 10% back (up to $50) on a stay at select Caesars Rewards properties in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe through Aug. 31.
• Earn 15% cash back on your Great Wolf Lodge purchase of $100 or more, with a $50 cash-back maximum. This offer ends Aug. 31.
• Earn $100 cash back on your Hyatt Inclusive Collection stay when you spend $1,000 or more in a single transaction. You can use this offer on up to two qualifying stays, for $200 total cash back, as long as you make a complete payment for both stays by Aug. 31.
• Get 15% cash back (up to $70 maximum) at Under Canvas, a collection of glamping properties that's part of World of Hyatt, when you spend $450 or more by Aug. 31.
• Earn $30 back on an eligible Turo car rental of $150 or more through Aug. 31.
• Get 8% back on tours and activities booked through Viator or TripAdvisor Experiences by Aug. 31. You can use this offer up to twice, with a maximum of $10 in total cash back.
• Earn 15% cash back on Airalo eSIM purchases of $15 or more (up to $25 back) through Aug. 31.
• Get $100 cash back when you spend $600 or more through Chase Travel℠ in a single transaction by Sept. 30.

Related reading:

• The 10 best places to travel in September
• The 'coolest' vacation spots to escape the heat this summer
• How to pick the right travel credit card for you
• Summer travel checklist: 12 things to do now to make your trip great

I'm spending Labor Day weekend in New York City, and my itinerary is almost entirely built around one credit card perk: presale access.

Getting tickets to popular concerts and sporting events at face value can be an accomplishment in itself — and missing the initial sale can mean paying significantly more on the resale market.

But card presales are the reason I'll be attending two bucket-list events on back-to-back days: the U.S. Open on Friday and Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Many of the cards I carry in my wallet come with terrific perks like automatic elite status, statement credits and travel insurance. But as a huge sports and music fan, presale access has become one of my favorites.

Here's why I love this underrated perk, how it helped me score both tickets and a few tips for maximizing your chances of doing the same.

How credit card presales helped me score Harry Styles and US Open tickets

I've used Amex presales twice this year to get tickets to two events I've been really excited about: Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden and the U.S. Open. In both cases, I accessed the presale with my Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.

First up was Harry Styles. I joined the Amex presale in January and got tickets to his Sept. 5 show, which falls on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. I bought my tickets more than seven months before the concert, which shows just how far in advance you may need to plan if you want to take advantage of cardmember presales.

I paid $175 per ticket during the presale. Now, the show is sold out, and tickets in the same section are selling for more than $300 on the resale market.

A few months later came another Amex presale: the U.S. Open.

Going to the tournament has been a dream of mine, so I was excited to snag two tickets during the late-May presale. My tickets are for Friday, Sept. 4, the men's and women's third round at the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium.

I paid $199 per ticket, and tickets in my section are now selling for more than $250 on resale sites. Inventory is also pretty limited, which makes me even happier that I bought when I did.

Those two presales effectively built my Labor Day weekend. Once I knew I'd be in New York for two events I really wanted to attend, the next challenge was finding somewhere to stay.

I booked my New York City hotel entirely with points

I booked three nights at Hotel 50 Bowery for 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per night, which I earned with my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees).

The same stay would have cost $1,253.45, including taxes and fees, giving me about 1.67 cents per point in value. That's slightly below TPG's current valuation of Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents per point, but using points allowed me to avoid more than $1,250 in hotel costs over an already expensive holiday weekend.

For me, though, the tickets were what drove the trip. The presales gave me the chance to build a weekend around two events I really wanted to attend, while my Chase points helped cover one of the biggest remaining expenses once I knew I was going to New York.

What my Labor Day weekend would've cost without points and presales

The hotel redemption was a nice bonus, but the ticket prices really show why I value presale access. Here's how the prices I paid compare with current prices for similar tickets and what my hotel would have cost in cash.

These aren't perfectly apples-to-apples comparisons; resale ticket prices can fluctuate, and I redeemed points rather than paying cash for the hotel. Still, the numbers illustrate why these perks can be so useful when planning an expensive weekend around popular events.

You don't need a premium credit card to get presale access

One thing I particularly like about cardmember presales is that you don't necessarily need a premium card with a hefty annual fee to take advantage of them.

I used my Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card for both Amex presales. The card has a moderate $150 annual fee (see rates and fees).

Of course, eligibility can vary by presale, so I wouldn't open a card solely for access to a particular event. But if you're already considering a card and regularly spend money on concerts or sporting events, presale access is a perk worth adding to your list.

Related: The best credit cards to maximize your entertainment spending

How credit card presales work

Cardmember presales are pretty straightforward: For select concerts, sporting events and other live events, issuers give eligible cardmembers the opportunity to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public.

With Amex, eligible cardmembers can access Amex Presale Tickets for select events and seats during a specified period before the general on-sale date. You'll need a qualifying Amex card to purchase the tickets, and availability is limited, so having access to a presale doesn't guarantee that you'll get tickets.

Capital One and Citi also offer presale opportunities for select events through their entertainment programs. For example, I used my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to get access to a Capital One presale for Gracie Abrams later this year.

Eligibility and the purchasing process vary by issuer and event, so it's worth keeping an eye on the entertainment offerings from the issuers whose cards you carry. You can learn which Amex cards qualify for Amex Presale Tickets on the issuer's website.

Related: Want concert presale access? Don't be loyal to one bank

Tips for accessing and buying presale tickets

Getting access to a presale is only half the battle. If you're trying to buy tickets to a highly anticipated concert or sporting event, a little preparation can go a long way.

Here are some of my top tips:

• Sign up for artist, team and venue mailing lists. Cardmember presales aren't the only way to get early access, so sign up for email alerts and follow your favorites on social media to stay on top of ticket announcements and presales.
• Get your accounts ready ahead of time. Set up your Ticketmaster or other ticketing account in advance, confirm you have a qualifying card and save your payment information so you're ready when tickets go on sale.
• Know when the waiting room opens. Check the event instructions ahead of time so you know when to join the queue. Ticketmaster recommends joining the waiting room before the sale begins and using just one browser or device.
• Decide what you want to spend before tickets go on sale. Before the presale starts, have an idea of how much you're willing to spend and where you're willing to sit. That way, you can make a decision quickly when it's your turn to buy.
• Move quickly, but don't panic. Popular events can have limited inventory, so be prepared to buy if you find tickets that fit your budget — but don't let low-inventory warnings pressure you into overspending.
• Pay attention to the rules for each presale. Requirements vary: Some presales require registration or an access code, while others simply require you to pay with an eligible card. Check the rules before the sale begins.

Related: The best credit cards for concerts and music festivals

Bottom line

My Labor Day weekend in New York essentially started with two presales.

First, I got Harry Styles tickets for Saturday. Then I scored U.S. Open tickets for Friday. Those two purchases turned what could have been separate bucket-list events into an entire weekend trip — and redeeming 75,000 Chase points for my three-night stay at Hotel 50 Bowery kept $1,253.45 in hotel charges off my credit card statement.

I love automatic elite status and hotel perks, but cardmember presales have become one of my favorite credit card perks. If you love going to concerts or sporting events, having another opportunity to buy tickets before the general public can be incredibly valuable, particularly when an event is expected to sell out.

That said, I wouldn't choose a card solely for its presale access. Instead, look for a card that fits your spending habits and offers benefits you'll actually use, with presale access serving as a nice bonus.

Related: Credit card perks and benefits not to be overlooked

For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass Card, click here.

We love travel rewards here at TPG, but sometimes cash back is king.

With a cash-back card, you don't have to worry about maximizing redemption value or limitations on how you can use your rewards. You can simply use them for anything at almost any time — and sometimes, that freedom is the most valuable option around.

I've been in the points and miles world for more than 15 years and could write all day about the travel I've been able to experience thanks to the credit cards in my wallet. But eventually, I realized I wanted my rewards to help cover things like moving boxes and late-night pizza runs instead of plane tickets and swanky hotel stays. Cash-back cards to the rescue.

If you're in a similar season where flexibility is the name of the game, there's a cash-back card (or two or three) in this list for you. And even if you're focused on travel rewards, some of these cash-back cards can become travel rewards with the right card combinations.

Here are our top picks for cash-back credit cards.

The best cash-back credit cards

• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95; see rates and fees)
• Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees)
• Capital One Spark Cash Plus ($150 annual fee)
• Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (see rates and fees)
• Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees)
• Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees)
• Capital One Spark Cash ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95)
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Comparing the best cash-back credit cards

Pointers from The Points Guy

Here's why TPG's Brian Kelly recommends cash-back credit cards.

Amex Blue Cash Preferred

Welcome offer: Find out your offer and see if you're eligible for as high as $300 cash back after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. (Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.)

Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Standout benefits: The Blue Cash Preferred earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1% back), 6% cash back on select streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back on transit and at U.S. gas stations, and 1% back on all other purchases. (Cash back is received in the form of Rewards Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.)

Plus, this card comes with up to $120 per calendar year in statement credits for Disney streaming purchases, making it a solid option for cash-back fans who also pay for streaming platforms like Hulu and Disney+. You'll get up to $10 back each month on an eligible, automatically renewing subscription with your card (valid at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites; enrollment required).

Think about it like this: If you're able to use this perk fully, it covers the card's entire annual fee.

The Blue Cash Preferred offers a fantastic return on a wide range of bonus categories. When I'm focused on earning cash back, it's my go-to for U.S. supermarket, U.S. gas station, U.S. streaming and transit purchases. Pair it with a solid flat-rate-earning card, like one mentioned in this guide, for a simple overall cash-back strategy.

Note that, unlike many of our favorite cash-back cards, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred has an annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95). Make sure you'll earn enough rewards on this card to justify the annual fee before adding it to your wallet.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Blue Cash Preferred.

Apply here: Amex Blue Cash Preferred

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Welcome offer: Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Standout benefits: The Freedom Unlimited earns 5% cash back on Chase Travel℠ purchases, 3% cash back on dining and at drugstores, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

And if you have a more premium Chase card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees), you can combine your rewards to unlock Chase's full range of hotel and airline partners.

Often, cards will either offer bonus categories with just 1% back on other purchases or a solid flat earning rate across the board. The Freedom Unlimited offers the best of both worlds: some great bonus categories and a higher-than-1% earning rate on all other purchases.

This earning structure makes it a great card on its own, but an even better part of a strategic card pairing or trifecta. When I'm focused on earning Ultimate Rewards points, I use my Freedom Unlimited alongside my Sapphire Reserve to ensure I earn at least 1.5 points per dollar on every purchase.

And when I'm focused on a cash-back strategy, the Freedom Unlimited is an important player thanks to its bonus earnings on dining and at drugstores.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Welcome offer: Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 and, for a limited time, a $500 Capital One Business Travel credit after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Earn an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500,000 spent during the first year.

Annual fee: $150.

Standout benefits: The Spark Cash Plus earns 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel and 2% cash back on all other purchases. Plus, if you spend at least $150,000 annually, you'll get your $150 annual fee refunded.

The Spark Cash Plus is a solid option for small businesses that want a good return on all purchases. With this card, you won't have to keep track of bonus spending categories or worry about earning caps — just a 2% return on all your business expenses.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Spark Cash Plus.

Learn more: Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Wells Fargo Active Cash

Welcome offer: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Standout benefits: The Wells Fargo Active Cash earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. With this card, you'll also get up to $600 in cellphone protection (subject to a $25 deductible) — an excellent perk for a card with no annual fee.

This is the card for ultimate simplicity and flexibility. With it, you won't have any earning caps or bonus categories to keep track of. No matter what you're buying, you'll earn a solid 2% return, making it easy to put cash right back in your pocket.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Wells Fargo Active Cash.

Apply here: Wells Fargo Active Cash

Citi Double Cash

Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Standout benefits: The Citi Double Cash earns unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay).

Unlike most cash-back cards, the Double Cash allows cardholders to transfer their rewards to travel partners, in addition to redeeming them for cash back. Just note that your rewards will transfer at a worse ratio than if you had a more premium Citi card, such as the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees).

If you're looking for simplicity and flexibility, the Double Cash is a perfect choice. Like other cards with a solid flat earning rate, you'll earn a good return on all your purchases (assuming you pay your balance off each month) without having to worry about bonus categories or spending caps.

When I was new to the world of points and miles and overwhelmed with bonus categories and annual fees to keep track of, I added the Double Cash to my wallet — and it remains a go-to for me. When I'm focused on cash-back rewards, I reach for my Double Cash for any purchase that won't earn bonus rewards on any of my other cards. No matter what I'm buying, I know I'll get at least a 2% return thanks to this card (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay).

And while some other cards offer a similar earning rate, the option to transfer rewards to travel partners makes the Double Cash stand out above the rest.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Citi Double Cash.

Apply here: Citi Double Cash

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards

Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Standout benefits: The Capital One Savor earns 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target) and on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, and 1% back on everything else.

The Savor is an excellent option for those who want to earn more in common spending categories without paying an annual fee.

Thanks to its bonus categories, you'll earn bonus rewards whether you're cooking at home and streaming a movie or headed out to dinner and a show.

Even better, if you also have a card that earns Capital One miles, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you can combine your rewards and unlock Capital One's full range of 15-plus hotel and airline travel partners.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Capital One Savor.

Learn more: Capital One Savor

Chase Freedom Flex

Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Standout benefits: The Freedom Flex earns 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories after activating (on up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1% back) as well as 5% cash back on Chase Travel purchases and 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases.

And if you have a more premium Chase card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can combine your rewards to unlock Chase's full range of hotel and airline partners.

The Freedom Flex allows you to earn an impressive 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories after activation (up to $1,500 in combined spending each quarter; then 1% back). While there's no way to know what future categories will be, past quarters have offered bonus earnings on popular categories like Amazon, grocery stores, spa services and home improvement stores.

I love using my Freedom Flex alongside my Freedom Unlimited. With this pairing, I can earn 5% back on the Flex's categories (subject to the above terms) and 1.5% back on all my other purchases. Even better — since I also have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, I can combine my rewards and turn these bonus earnings into travel rewards.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Freedom Flex.

Apply here: Chase Freedom Flex

Capital One Spark Cash

Welcome offer: Earn a $1,000 cash bonus and, for a limited time, a $250 Capital One Business Travel credit after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95

Standout benefits: Similar to the Spark Cash Plus, the Capital One Spark Cash earns unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases.

If you own a small business with lower operating expenses, prioritize cash-back earnings over other credit card reward currencies and do not want to track bonus categories to maximize your spending, the Spark Cash is likely a good fit for your needs.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Capital One Spark Cash.

Learn more: Capital One Spark Cash

Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

Welcome offer: Earn $1,000 cash back after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first four months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0.

Standout benefits: The Ink Business Unlimited earns unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

And if you have a more premium Chase card, like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees), you can combine your rewards to unlock Chase's full range of hotel and airline partners. This is a solid cash-back option for businesses that want to earn a solid return on purchases without paying an annual fee.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Ink Business Unlimited.

Apply here: Ink Business Unlimited

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards

Welcome offer: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Standout benefits: The Capital One Quicksilver earns unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, plus 5% back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

This card is a solid choice for those wanting to avoid annual fees and earn above the standard 1% on nonbonus spending. Whether you're getting the tab at dinner or ordering a bespoke gift, you'll earn 1.5% cash back thanks to this card.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Learn more: Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

What to consider when choosing a cash-back credit card

Spending habits

When it comes to cash-back credit cards, the biggest difference is which — if any — purchases earn bonus cash back. If dining out is a major part of your budget, you'll want to opt for a card like the Chase Freedom Flex or the Capital One Savor to earn 3% cash back on those purchases. But if you spend more on transit and groceries, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred may be a better option.

And if your spending doesn't fit neatly into any card's bonus categories, you'll want to go with a good flat-rate-earning card, like the Citi Double Cash or Wells Fargo Active Cash, to ensure you're earning a solid return on your purchases.

Related: Amex vs. Chase cash-back cards

Welcome bonus

Cash-back cards aren't known for having lucrative welcome offers, but most offer something. If you can't decide between a few cards, considering the value you can get from each card's welcome offer can help you decide which to go with.

Annual fee

There are plenty of great cash-back credit card options that don't charge an annual fee. If you're considering a card that has one, be sure to crunch the numbers and determine whether the rewards you earn will make that fee worth paying.

Rewards potential

Even though we're focused on cash-back cards here, several cards can earn travel rewards as part of the right card pairing. If you know you plan to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred down the line, for instance, it makes sense to opt for the Chase Freedom Unlimited now — so you're already halfway to that great card pairing when the time comes.

Related: Capital One Savor vs. Capital One Quicksilver: Supercharge your leisure spending, or earn flat cash back?

How we chose the best cash-back credit cards

We rated the best cash-back credit cards based on several factors, including reward-earning rates, perks and the overall value each card delivers to you, the consumer.

To learn about how TPG evaluates and chooses cards for our roundups, check out our methodology.

Redemption options for cash-back credit cards

The beauty of having a cash-back credit card is the simplicity of redeeming your rewards for cash. I love saving up my cash-back rewards throughout the year and using them for holiday shopping (and the deals I find for myself) in December.

But my favorite use of my cash-back rewards is often to complement my travel rewards cards. I love using points and miles to cover my hotel and airfare, and then I use cash-back rewards to cover everything else, like airport snacks and tickets to local attractions.

And even though these cards are labeled cash-back cards, they often offer other redemption options as well. Most cards on this list allow you to redeem rewards for gift cards or, in many cases, use them to book travel through the issuer's travel portal.

Bottom line

Travel rewards credit cards are great, but sometimes the simplicity and flexibility of a cash-back credit card win out. Before adding one to your wallet, consider your current spending habits and whether you're willing to pay an annual fee on your cash-back credit card.

With any of these options, you'll be well on your way to covering any kind of purchase with your rewards in no time.

Related: Are cash-back credit cards worth it?

For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card, click here.

Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico fliers can breathe a sigh of relief.

A U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday in favor of the airlines's immunized joint venture. The decision allows the pact to continue after the Department of Transportation attempted to end it beginning in 2024.

The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rested on the DOT's focus on just the Mexico City market in its decision to terminate the joint venture rather than a broad U.S.-Mexico market analysis that was used when it first approved the Delta-Aeromexico pact in 2016.

"The joint venture and its antitrust immunity remain in effect, allowing Aeromexico and Delta to continue providing enhanced connectivity, a broader network, more convenient service options and increased competition for customers traveling between Mexico and the United States," Aeromexico said in a statement.

A Delta spokesperson added that the airline remains "focused on ensuring our customers, employees, and communities continue to benefit from this longstanding partnership."

A joint venture allows airlines to work closely together, flying essentially as one carrier in a certain market rather than competitors. While the depth of the partnerships vary, they typically include coordinated scheduling, pricing and joint sales. They often enable more flights and routes in a market than would otherwise be possible.

Delta and Aeromexico's joint venture covers the U.S.-Mexico market, the largest international market by seats from the U.S., schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.

Since implementation a decade ago, the airlines have added dozens of new routes including from Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) near Mexico City to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Tampa International Airport (TPA).

Many of those new routes were considered to be in jeopardy if Delta and Aeromexico were forced to end their tie-up.

Today, Delta and Aeromexico combined flight schedule would represent the second-largest share of seats between the U.S. and Mexico. American Airlines has just over a 20% share of seats during the year end in August, which compares to just under 20% for Delta and Aeromexico's joint venture, Cirium schedules show. Mexican discounter Volaris is third with a 19% seat share.

The partnership includes reciprocal loyalty benefits for Delta SkyMiles members and Aeromexico Rewards members.

The DOT threat to terminate their joint venture was only the latest challenge for Delta and Aeromexico. The former was forced to suspend its codeshare and coordination with the latter from 2021 through 2023 when the Federal Aviation Administration downgraded Mexico's safety rating — a measure of a country's regulatory regime rather than an individual airline — to Category 2. The pact resumed when Mexico was returned to a Category 1 rating in 2023.

Related reading:

• When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
• The best airline credit cards
• What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations

I use ChatGPT daily to help me with everything from which restaurants to try when visiting a new city to which artists to see at a music festival, both based on things I've previously told ChatGPT I like. Although I've used ChatGPT to plan trips, I've been hesitant to give it access to my loyalty accounts and travel bookings.

However, Gondola AI — the company that provides data for many of our monthly hotel points valuations — recently launched an MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration that works with ChatGPT, Claude Desktop and more. In short, MCP is an open standard that allows AI applications to connect to external tools and data sources, such as Gondola.

I'd already given Gondola access to scan, parse and track travel-related messages in my email accounts, so I decided to try Gondola's MCP integration in ChatGPT to see whether it's a tool I should use going forward.

What can the Gondola MCP do?

Gondola offers MCP tools for travelers, developers and travel advisers. In this article, I'll focus on the Gondola MCP tools designed for and available to travelers.

The most compelling part of the Gondola MCP is that, depending on what you've shared or connected, it can know your travel preferences (such as home airport, preferred hotel chains and preferred airlines), loyalty account details (including status and points balance), upcoming trips and the details of your previous trips.

Gondola says its MCP integration lets travelers use ChatGPT (or another supported AI client) to do the following:

• Search real-time paid and award availability across Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards, Wyndham Rewards and more
• Compare cash rates to points rates for hotel stays, including calculating cents-per-point values
• Predict whether the current rate at a hotel is a good deal based on historical price trends
• Get a checkout link for hotel rates you find (although Gondola facilitates the booking, the reservation is made directly with the hotel, so you can still earn hotel points and elite-night credit and receive applicable elite benefits)
• Create rate alerts for specific hotels and dates, and get notified when the price drops
• Obtain information about hotels, such as amenities, reviews and location data
• Search real-time paid flight fares by route and dates
• Search real-time rental car rates across Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Alamo and more
• Check the credit card rental car coverage by card name

Even if you aren't particularly interested in most of the Gondola MCP capabilities, you may find it adds some useful personalization to the results if you're already using a supported AI client like ChatGPT to help you plan or book travel.

Related: Using AI to write complaint letters? Here's why it doesn't work

Setting up the Gondola MCP for ChatGPT

If you are a ChatGPT user, setting up Gondola's MCP integration is extremely easy. Just head to this page on Gondola's website to learn more, and then click this link to install the ChatGPT plugin. You'll see the following information, which you should read and understand, before clicking the Authorize button.

Connecting Gondola to ChatGPT does give the AI client a new way to request information from your Gondola account, so you should review the permissions before authorizing it. Gondola says access is granted via OAuth and that you can revoke it at any time from the Connected Agents page in your Gondola account.

If you're using ChatGPT through a company workspace, your administrator may restrict which plugins you can install or use. This was the case when I tried to install the plugin on a company-provided ChatGPT account. But I had no issues setting it up on my personal ChatGPT account.

Related: Can Hilton's new AI planning tool help you find the perfect hotel? We put it to the test

My experience using the Gondola MCP in ChatGPT

Gondola suggests several prompts, such as the following, to get started and see what's possible. Consider tagging @Gondola before your prompts for the best results.

• Fetch my travel context and tell me who I am as a frequent traveler. What's my favorite seat on an airplane, and how should I optimize my loyalty travel for the back half of this year? Should I be thinking about any status challenges?
• Are there any upcoming trips on my calendar that I could save money on, earn more points or rebook more effectively?
• Find me the best hotel in London for a stay from September 10 to 12. Compare member cash rates, points, and any free-night awards I can use, and recommend the best options based on my loyalty status, transferable points, and the hotels I've enjoyed staying at in the past.

I was frankly surprised by the usefulness and specificity of the responses, as Gondola clearly incorporated information about my travel plans and preferences. For example, here's the start of the response to a prompt similar to the first one above.

And here's the start of the response to a prompt similar to the second prompt above.

If you try out these prompts yourself, you'll likely get very different responses. And there are notable shortcomings in both responses:

1. The response to the first prompt said I have 58 hotel loyalty program accounts, but 58 refers to all the loyalty accounts Gondola sees for me.
2. The response to the second prompt fails to account for the fact that, based on my travel history, I'm unlikely to pay that much per night for a hotel.

Gondola says its travel profile can incorporate preferences it learns over time. To this point, I used the Gondola MCP in ChatGPT for a week and explicitly told it my hotel preferences in prompts while planning actual trips. As I gave it more details of what I typically like, it began to provide more useful results.

For example, when I asked the third prompt again a week later, it gave an answer better suited to my travel style and preferences.

The detail and depth of the answers to these prompts will depend on how much you've previously shared with Gondola. You'll likely get more personalized results if you've connected the email accounts you use for travel or otherwise given Gondola more context. But doing so also means sharing more of your travel information with the service.

Related: I tested Seats.aero's new AI redemption tool to see if it can maximize the value of your points and miles

Bottom line

It's easy to get started with Gondola and its MCP integration. So, especially if you're already using a generative AI tool like ChatGPT to help plan travel or loyalty strategies, the Gondola MCP is worth trying.

There is a tradeoff, though. The more information Gondola has about your loyalty accounts, travel history and preferences, the more personalized its recommendations can be. But you have to be comfortable making more of your travel information available to Gondola and, through the integration, your AI client. And as my testing showed, having that context doesn't mean every recommendation or conclusion will be right.

This article was the push I needed to start using Gondola's MCP integration. Despite its occasional misses, I plan to continue using it alongside other tools as I research and plan trips.

Here at TPG, we often focus on the value you can get from travel rewards and cash back. However, maximizing your dollars doesn't have to start with a credit card. With the benefits you'll receive from Chime Prime, you can start gaining perks from your money the moment it lands in your checking account.

Here's what you need to know.

What is Chime Prime?

Chime Prime is the top of three membership tiers available to those with a Chime checking account. To access Chime Prime, you must have a Chime checking account and have qualifying direct deposits of at least $3,000.

You'll gain access to a number of perks once you receive Chime Prime status, including:

• 5% cash-back rewards on up to $1,500 in eligible purchases on your Chime Card® each month
• Your first two international ATM fee charges reimbursed each month, provided the ATM isn't from a third-party service
• Up to $200 in fee-free overdraft with SpotMe
• Higher savings APY than other Chime tiers
• Visa Signature benefits, such as access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection, GigSky Mobile deals and a Priority Pass Select membership (limited to two free visits per year)

A Priority Pass Select membership is a perk that's especially worth noting, since it's very rare to see lounge access offered via a financial product that isn't a credit card. While you won't receive unlimited access like you would with a premium credit card, this is a great alternative for lounge access for anyone without one.

How to become a Chime Prime member

Fortunately, it's very easy to become part of Chime Prime. There are no fees to participate. The only requirement is that you receive at least $3,000 in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime checking account at least once every 34 days.

This should be easy for most professionals, even those early in their careers. That makes Chime Prime a great way for beginners to earn rewards on their purchases and enjoy some extra perks.

Chime Prime won't build your credit score, so I still recommend pairing it with a credit card if you don't already have one.

Is Chime Prime worth it?

If you're looking for a checking account that offers cash-back rewards and extra perks, Chime Prime is definitely worth looking into. That's especially true if you don't currently have a credit card that earns rewards or you're looking for a low-cost way to gain lounge access.

Just remember that you need to make at least $3,000 in qualifying deposits every 34 days to maintain Chime Prime. If you fall below that amount, you will drop to a lower Chime tier. You can regain your Chime Prime status once your direct deposits reach that $3,000 minimum again.

Bottom line

Chime Prime is a unique financial product that lets you supercharge your checking account without paying a subscription fee. It's especially great for anyone who isn't into travel rewards or who doesn't yet qualify for a premium credit card.

If you're interested in giving Chime Prime a try, open a Chime checking account and set up qualifying direct deposits of $3,000 or more. Make sure you maintain those direct deposits to stay in Chime Prime.

Nothing says summer vacation like an epic road trip: scenic ocean views, carefree beachside bike rides, eating lobster by the water and laughing with friends.

For us, that meant packing our bags for coastal Maine. Between Portland's restaurant scene, iconic lobster shacks, lighthouse-studded coastlines and sleepy island bike rides, it was everything we were dreaming of in an early-summer getaway.

And along the journey, we were able to put the refreshed American Express® Gold Card, with a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees), to the test by earning bonus points on flights, saving on dining, using some built-in statement credits and enjoying the hotel benefits.

Summer and Eric, here. We've been friends for nearly two decades. Back then, we used to meet up on mileage runs around the globe. These days, our travels have us checking out new hotels and up-and-coming destinations, but we still make time to get together whenever we can — preferably over a great meal (or, let's be honest, several).

Here's how we planned our quick Maine adventure, made the most of our Amex Gold perks and discovered why this stretch of New England deserves a spot on every summer travel list.

Fly and drive

Getting to Maine meant flights from opposite sides of the country: Summer from Houston and Eric from Los Angeles.

We booked our airfare with the Amex Gold because it earns 3 points per dollar on airfare booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™ or directly with airlines. This meant we earned Membership Rewards points before the trip even began.

Next, we took one of the card's new benefits for a spin. Literally.

At the rental counter, Eric's complimentary Hertz Five Star status (enrollment required) paid off with an upgrade from a compact car to a Buick Encore SUV — much appreciated for a few days of driving along Maine's coast. He'd also earned 2 points per dollar on the prepaid car reservation by booking through AmexTravel.com.

Although you cannot attach your Hertz loyalty number to the reservation on AmexTravel.com, you can add your confirmation number to your Hertz account and then your elite benefits should apply, as they did for us.

With the car loaded up, we pointed it toward the Maine coast and officially kicked off the trip.

Day 1: Lighthouses and lobster rolls

Rather than head straight into Portland from the airport, we pointed the car south to rugged Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth, about 20 minutes away. After meandering along tree-lined roads past picturesque clapboard houses, we spotted the two lighthouses from which the park takes its name.

We parked our car and wandered along the rocky headland for a bit before stepping up to the counter at the Lobster Shack at Two Lights, an area institution, for our first lobster rolls of the trip. They were heaped with claw and tail meat plus a healthy dollop of mayo with a sprinkle of Old Bay.

Eric ordered a whoopie pie so Summer could try this quintessentially Maine dessert on her first trip to the state, plus a slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie for good measure.

The salt-tinged Atlantic breeze made that first Maine meal taste even better. As a bonus, Eric earned 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar* by paying with his Amex Gold Card, which is a fantastic return for restaurant purchases.

Our next stop was the Portland waterfront, where we caught the Casco Bay Lines ferry for the half-hour ride out to Peaks Island, enjoying sun-splashed city views along the way.

Just up the road from the dock, we rented bikes and pedaled our way around the island.

We stopped to admire the lovely homes, chat with summer residents and take in the ocean views from various perfectly placed benches.

After our ride, we were parched, so we stopped for lemonades (okay, and maybe a glass of rosé) at Jones Landing Bar and Restaurant so we could spot the ferry when it arrived for the return journey to Portland. At the same time, we earned another round of points.

*Earn 4 points per dollar on up to $50,000 spent on restaurant purchases worldwide each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar for the rest of the year.

A collection of perks with The Hotel Collection

When we docked, we headed up the hill to our hotel, the Press Hotel, Autograph Collection.

The hotel is unique, charming and full of personality, located in the former offices of the Portland Press Herald newspaper.

You can find fun allusions to the building's past, including a wall in the lobby mounted with 62 vintage typewriters, woodblock installations and even vintage Scrabble sets for tests of wit (or vocabulary, at least).

Because the Press Hotel participates in both Marriott Bonvoy and American Express' The Hotel Collection, we were able to double dip a bit, earning Marriott points and elite benefits while also taking advantage of The Hotel Collection perks.

Amex Gold cardholders who book prepaid hotel stays through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App can earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar. Plus, when you book stays of two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App, you receive a $100 credit toward eligible charges, which may include food and beverage, spa, or other on-property charges (eligible charges vary by property).

Other benefits you can enjoy on eligible The Hotel Collection stays include:

• A room upgrade upon arrival, when available (certain room upgrades are not eligible for upgrade)
• 12 p.m. check-in, when available
• 4 p.m. late checkout, when available
• The ability to use Pay with Points on prepaid bookings

We also added our Marriott Bonvoy numbers to the reservation we had made through AmexTravel.com so we could enjoy our elite benefits and earn Marriott points on the stay.

Summer received an upgrade to a Deluxe King while Eric got a Superior King. Both rooms were bright and spacious with large windows, king beds dressed in silky Frette linens with Cuddledown comforters, classic rolling leather office chairs emblazoned with the classic typing test line, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," and marble bathrooms with tea- and amber-scented Ink & Water bath products.

We quickly put our respective $100 credits toward eligible charges through our The Hotel Collection bookings to good use.

They covered practical expenses like overnight parking, but they also turned breakfast at Union into an easy splurge, where we ordered lemon-mascarpone pancakes, fresh fruit drizzled with honey from the hotel's rooftop hives and a few pre-dinner drinks that included a tart mocktail with orange, lemon, honey and a spritz of soda later that evening.

Between the $100 credit toward eligible charges with The Hotel Collection and Summer's selected Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite benefits (which she received since she had added her Marriott Bonvoy number to her hotel reservation after she made it through AmexTravel.com), most of our incidental expenses disappeared, which meant we checked out without paying anything beyond our prepaid stay.

**Earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.

Delicious savings with Resy

A local friend recommended we spend an evening dining at the cozy Wayside Tavern, located in an 1881 Italianate mansion right on Congress Street, and whose dining room is a delightful warren of rooms bathed in natural light and the flicker of candles.

Conveniently, it's bookable on Resy, which meant it was time to put the Resy statement credit benefit on the Amex Gold to use.

Once enrolled, you can enjoy up to $100 in annual statement credits on eligible Resy purchases, up to $50 from January-June and up to $50 from July-December after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases.

We started with sumptuous bites from chef Mike Sindoni's menu, like buttery broiled oysters and clams and silky scallops drizzled with rich bearnaise sauce and a briny dollop of caviar on top. For our mains, we had creamy tonnarelli pasta with guanciale and black pepper and a juicy filet of halibut bathed in brown butter, lemon and capers with roasted mushrooms.

We said we couldn't possibly consider dessert … until five minutes later, when we did just that. The luscious chocolate mousse sprinkled with olive oil, sea salt and hazelnuts was divine.

Day 2: Road trip snacks and seafood shacks

After breakfast at the hotel courtesy of the $100 credit toward eligible charges, we grabbed complimentary coffee in the lobby and stopped at Whole Foods for road-trip essentials such as locally made Maine Root sodas, popcorn and trail mix.

Paying with our Amex Gold Cards meant earning 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases annually, then 1 point per dollar for the rest of the year) before we headed northeast along the coast.

Our drive took us over meandering rivers, across verdant woodlands and through postcard-perfect fishing villages until we reached the seaside enclave of Rockland.

Although we'd filled up on fresh seafood the night before, we both craved lobster for lunch, so we headed for Archer's on the Pier.

Summer had a simple salad of leafy greens and grilled veggies … heaped with nearly a full pound of fresh local lobster, while Eric went in a more purist direction, ordering a simple lobster cocktail with melted butter for dipping.

After that fortification, we dashed into the Farnsworth Art Museum, a local landmark with over 15,000 works of art by American artists who lived and worked in Maine, including the father-son duo N.C. and Andrew Wyeth as well as Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer and Rockwell Kent.

Cultured up, as we were, we hopped back in the car for another scenic drive to the town of Freeport.

Eric had one mission in Freeport: find a summer hat at the flagship L.L. Bean store. He left with a retro-inspired style that should get plenty of use on future beach trips.

Shopping complete, we fueled the last stretch of the road trip with a Berry-Açai Lemonade Dunkin' Refresher and an Oreo Cloud Latte from Dunkin'. That purchase triggered the up to $7 in statement credits available each month on U.S. Dunkin' purchases, up to $84 per year (enrollment required).

A gourmet goodbye

Our final night in Maine called for a fabulous dinner at Central Provisions, another Resy restaurant with lively vibes along bustling Fore Street.

Since Summer had used her Resy credit the night before, it was Eric's turn to use the up to $50 he receives biannually with the Amex Gold Card's Resy credit, plus earn 4 points per dollar.*

With the help of a mutual local friend who joined for the evening, we tucked into specialties like luscious bluefin tuna crudo with radish, fried shallot and scallion in soy sauce; rich Maine peekytoe crab with apple and citrusy yuzu over a savory miso pancake; ribbony mafaldine pasta with lobster, cream and Calabrian chiles; succulent pan-roasted cod with ultrafresh asparagus and green garlic in white wine butter; and tender suckling pig in apple brown butter with marcona almonds.

With the Resy credit on Eric's Amex Gold taking a bite out of the meal, we felt a lot less guilty about again sampling desserts, including a sunshine-bright key lime tart and summery rhubarb-raspberry trifle with nutty pistachio honeycomb.

It was the perfect final meal before a busy summer of travel and proof that some of the best trips are the ones built around good food, great friends and a stretch of road you've never driven together before.

Learn more: American Express® Gold Card

For rates and fees of the American Express Gold Card, please click here.

Dreaming of escaping to the beach on points? World of Hyatt's newest member promises to make your Caribbean dreams come true — whether that means an active vacation, restorative retreat or something in between.

And because Hyatt Vivid Cancun is an all-inclusive property, you can use World of Hyatt points to cover not just your lodging, but most food, drinks and activities during your stay.

Related: 25 best all-inclusive resorts in the world

Hyatt Vivid Cancun is now open

The hotel, formerly the family-friendly Dreams Vista Cancun Golf & Spa Resort, recently transitioned to the adults-only, all-inclusive Hyatt Vivid portfolio.

"The Hyatt Vivid brand was created for travelers who want an all-inclusive experience that feels more flexible, more locally connected and more reflective of how they travel today," Ana Tomicevic, Vice President of Global Brand for Hyatt Inclusive Collection, said in a press release. "Hyatt Vivid Cancun builds on that vision by blending destination-inspired experiences, effortless hospitality and a unique location that encourage guests to be fully present."

The experience starts with Hyatt Vivid Cancun's 416 rooms and suites, each of which features ocean views. For a more personalized stay, guests can upgrade to Vantage Club room types, offering premium accommodations, Vantage Club lounge access, dedicated concierge service and more.

Guests can tailor their experience with dining and activities, as well.

The resort boasts seven restaurants, ranging from Mediterranean fusion to contemporary pan-Asian to Italian classics, as well as seven bars. In keeping with the brand's focus on flexibility over formality, every stay includes unlimited a la carte dining with no reservations required plus 24-hour dining options. Unlimited natural fruit juices, soft drinks and international and domestic top-shelf spirits are also included.

According to the press release, Hyatt Vivid Cancun is "designed to balance movement, restoration, and social connection" and "invites guests to embrace wellbeing on their own terms."

That could mean staying active with a game of padel or pickleball, catching a wave in one of two surf pools or teeing off at the 18-hole golf course. On the other hand, guests may prefer to unwind at one of the hotel's three pools or ocean-view spa. The spa menu includes massages, facials, hydrotherapy and locally inspired treatments like a cacao ritual body wrap.

To help guests connect with the destination on a deeper level, Hyatt Vivid Cancun offers cooking classes, tequila tastings and art workshops inspired by local culture.

The resort's location within the gated Puerta del Mar community, overlooking the Caribbean Sea and Puerto Cancun marina, promises a tranquil beach setting just minutes from Cancun International Airport (CUN) and the Hotel Zone tourist district.

Bottom line

For travelers seeking a simplified vacation where most, if not all, costs are paid upfront, Hyatt Vivid Cancun is an option worth considering. The resort is now open, with nightly rates starting around $280 or 20,000 World of Hyatt points based on double occupancy.

While there's no shortage of business cards on the market, there are limited options for premium cards that provide value year after year.

Chase entered the premium business card market last year with the introduction of the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees).

The popular Capital One Venture X Business and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express have been pillars of the premium business card market for years now.

All these cards have annual fees higher than $395, but they have perks and benefits that can easily help offset the annual fees.

Let's jump into which card is right for your business.

Interested in personal credit cards instead? Check out our review for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, review for the American Express Platinum Card® and review for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Comparison of the Venture X Business vs. Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

***Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

****Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

^Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details.

Related: Your complete guide to travel protections on American Express cards

Venture X Business vs. Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business welcome offer

All three cards have welcome offers worth at least triple their annual fee costs.

New applicants for the Venture X Business can earn 150,000 bonus miles after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. TPG's August 2026 valuations peg Capital One miles at 1.85 cents apiece, making this welcome offer worth $2,775.

Meanwhile, with the Amex Business Platinum, new cardmembers can find out their offer and see if they're eligible for as high as 300,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and they may not be eligible for an offer. TPG's August 2026 valuations peg Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece, making this welcome offer worth up to $6,000.

Lastly, new applicants for the Sapphire Reserve for Business can earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening. TPG's August 2026 valuations peg Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece, making this welcome offer worth $4,100.

For more information, please see our welcome offer histories for American Express cards, Chase cards and Capital One cards.

Winner: Amex Business Platinum.

Venture X Business vs. Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business Benefits

Here's a look at the benefits of each card at first glance:

^*We've excluded the Global Entry and/or TSA PreCheck credits in this calcuation since they're only usable once every four years

*****Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

******Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

*******Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

********Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

^^Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details.

^^^Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply

Each card's standout benefit is lounge access. The Amex Business Platinum takes the cake, as it has unrivaled lounge access with the Global Lounge Collection. However, the Venture X Business and the Sapphire Reserve for Business offer excellent lounge access with their own ever-expanding lounge networks of Capital One lounges and Sapphire Lounges. And all the cards include a Priority Pass membership (enrollment required).

Additionally, the Sapphire Reserve for Business offers the best guest lounge access, hands down. Cardholders can bring two complimentary guests with them into Sapphire lounges. Amex Business Platinum Card members can unlock Centurion Lounge guest access by spending $75,000 or more on their card in a calendar year. Lastly, Venture X Business cardholders will have to spend $75,000 or more per year to unlock guest access, which mirrors the Amex Business Platinum's lounge guest access policy. Regardless of spending, with either of the cards, you'll receive two complimentary guests when visiting Priority Pass lounges.

Additionally, each card has some variation of an annual travel credit. The Amex Business Platinum is the most restrictive, as it is an airline incidentals credit, and you have to designate one airline to use it on. It covers things like checked bags and seat assignments, but it generally won't cover ticket purchases. The Venture X Business annual travel credit is very straightforward to use, with the only caveat being that you have to book travel via the Capital One Business Travel portal. Lastly, the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business has the easiest credit to use, as it will cover anything that Chase broadly defines as travel, including parking, tolls and ferries. This credit is automatic, and you don't have to book through a travel portal.

All these cards also have numerous hotel perks, with two including automatic elite status and all of them having access to luxury hotel booking platforms like Capital One's Premier Collection and Lifestyle Collection, Chase's The Edit and American Express' Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection. When booking through these platforms, you'll receive elitelike benefits and on-property credits.

Lastly, all three cards have excellent travel and purchase protections. The Amex Business Platinum and the Sapphire Reserve for Business offer slightly more protections than the Venture X Business in case your travel plans go awry. However, the Sapphire Reserve for Business takes the cake out of the three, as it offers the most robust protections.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business. It slightly beats the Amex Business Platinum in the total value of its statement credits. It also has slightly better travel protections.

Earning on the Venture X Business vs. Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business

All these business cards are great for earning flexible currencies. The Venture X Business earns:

• 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel (18.5% return)
• 5 miles per dollar spent on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel (9.25% return)
• 2 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases (3.7% return)

The Amex Business Platinum earns:

• 5 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked with amextravel.com (10% return)
• 2 points per dollar spent on purchases of $5,000 or more and in select business categories in the U.S. — construction material and hardware suppliers, electronics goods retailers, software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers — on up to $2 million of purchases in a calendar year, then 1 point per dollar (4% return)
• 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases (2% return)

The Sapphire Reserve for Business has the most bonus categories earning:

• 8 points per dollar spent on Chase Travel purchases (16.4% return)
• 5 points per dollar spent on eligible Lyft rides through Sept. 30, 2027 (10.25% return)
• 4 points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked directly (8.2% return)
• 3 points per dollar spent on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines (6.15% return)
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases (2.05% return)

The Venture X Business offers the simplest earnings with miles, and you'll earn at least 2 miles on every purchase. The Amex Business Platinum earning rates are not the strongest, as they only offer bonus earnings of more than 1 point per dollar spent on purchases over $5,000 and flights and hotels booked through Amex Travel. These earning rates can be limiting for businesses if you don't routinely have large purchases or like to book travel through an online travel agency.

The Sapphire Reserve for Business offers the most bonus-earning categories and can be a great option for businesses with high advertising spending, as there is no spending cap on the advertising bonus category. Additionally, the Reserve for Business offers businesses the flexibility to book hotels and flights directly and earn the most bonus rewards out of the three cards.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business. It offers the most bonus categories and is the only card with elevated earnings on advertising and direct hotel and flight purchases.

Related: Best credit cards for advertising

Redeeming rewards on the Venture X Business vs. Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business

With all three cards, you can redeem your rewards earned for cash back, Amazon purchases, gift cards and travel booked through each issuer's respective travel portal. However, with these options, redemption rates aren't favorable. They're much lower than TPG's August 2026 valuations and, in some cases, even lower than 1 cent per point or mile.

All three cards have transfer partners in each of the three major airline alliances: Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance. Additionally, every card has at least one domestic airline transfer partner.

The Venture X Business allows you to redeem miles at 1 cent per mile for travel booked via the Capital One Business Travel portal. You can also redeem miles to cover recent travel purchases at 1 cent per mile.

With the Amex Business Platinum, you can redeem points to cover purchases at 0.60 cents per point, or you can use them to book travel via Amex Travel at a rate of 0.70 cents per point for prepaid hotels and 1 cent per point for flights. You also have the Pay with Points perk via Amex Travel that gives you 35% of your points back (up to 1 million per year; enrollment required) on your designated airline, regardless of cabin class.

With the Sapphire Reserve for Business, points can be used to book travel directly through Chase Travel at a value of up to 2 cents per point, depending on the specific redemption, with the new Points Boost redemption feature. Points Boost offers elevated redemption rates of more than 1 cent per point on select Chase Travel redemptions. Select flight and hotel redemptions can be made at a rate between 1.5 to 2 cents per point.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business. Your points with Chase are potentially worth the most when redeeming through a travel portal.

Related: Cashing in Capital One miles? How to get the maximum value when redeeming miles

Transferring rewards on the Venture X Business vs. Amex Business Platinum vs. Sapphire Reserve for Business

With any of these cards, your best bet for the highest redemption value is to transfer your rewards to partners.

Venture X Business cardholders have access to Capital One's roster of 15-plus transfer partners. Popular partners include Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles and Singapore KrisFlyer.

Amex Business Platinum Card members have access to Amex's roster of 16 airlines and four hotel partners. Popular partners include Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

I tend to transfer points earned with my Business Platinum Card to Delta SkyMiles to take advantage of that program's frequent award flash sales.

With the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business, you'll have access to Chase's 14 transfer partners. Popular partners include British Airways Club, Southwest Rapid Rewards and World of Hyatt.

Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business. The Chase business card takes the edge, as it offers outstanding value with hotel partners and is the only card to have World of Hyatt as a partner.

Related: Credit card transfer partners: Guide to transferring points and miles to airlines and hotels

Should I get the Venture X Business, Amex Business Platinum or Sapphire Reserve for Business?

Just because the Venture X Business has the lowest annual fee doesn't mean it's the worst card out of the three. For business owners looking for simplicity with earnings, lounge access and an annual travel credit, the Venture X Business is a solid option.

However, if you want more perks like statement credits, automatic elite status and the best lounge access, the Amex Business Platinum is your pick.

If you want lounge access with the best guest access and the most bonus earnings categories, you should opt for the Sapphire Reserve for Business.

Bottom line

If you're looking for a business rewards card, these options are all great. Any of them would be a solid addition to your wallet. The Venture X Business has a much lower annual fee and comes loaded with perks; however, the Amex Business Platinum and the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business simply offer more value with more statement credits and elite status. If you're really looking to maximize points and miles earning potential, you could add two or even all three cards to your wallet.

To learn more, read our full reviews of the Amex Business Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business and Capital One Venture X Business.

Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business

Learn more: Capital One Venture X Business

For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Both the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (see rates and fees) are strong small-business options, with flat-rate or bonus-category earning structures that can add up quickly.

And new applicants of either card can currently earn $1,000 in bonus cash back after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first four months from account opening. That's the highest welcome offer we've seen on these cards.

Keep in mind that these are business credit cards. You don't need a large company with employees to qualify — even freelancers, sole proprietors and those with side gigs may be eligible. However, you will need a legitimate business to apply.

Turn cash back into Chase points

While the Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash technically earn cash back, you can convert that cash back into Chase Ultimate Rewards points if you also hold a premium card such as a Sapphire card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees).

Doing so can dramatically boost value, since points can be redeemed for travel at elevated rates or transferred to airline and hotel partners.

(Note that while the Chase Ink Business Premier® Credit Card (see rates and fees) is also a cash-back card, its cash back cannot be converted into points.)

Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

Welcome bonus: Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first four months from account opening.

This is the highest offer we've seen on this card.

Annual fee: $0

Earning rate: 1.5% cash back on all purchases

Who should apply: The Ink Business Unlimited is a great option for small businesses and sole proprietors who don't have spending concentrated in specific spending categories. Regardless of category, you'll get a flat 1.5% on purchases.

While it's not the best flat-rate option for business owners, it does come in handy if you have Chase Ultimate Rewards points-earning credit cards to turn that 1.5% cash back into 1.5 points per dollar (a 3.1% return, based on TPG's August 2026 valuations).

To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Unlimited.

Apply here: Ink Business Unlimited

Ink Business Cash Credit Card

Welcome bonus: Earn $1,000 cash back after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first four months from account opening.

This is the best offer we've seen on this card.

Annual fee: $0

Earning rates:

• 5% cash back at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year)
• 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year)
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Who should apply: The Ink Business Cash is great for anyone who spends a lot at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services. These are common expenses for many small businesses, so most business owners should be able to maximize rewards with this card.

To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Cash.

Apply here: Ink Business Cash

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

According to TPG's valuations, this welcome bonus is worth $2,050 when you take advantage of Chase's transfer partners. Other redemption options include redeeming your points through Chase Travel℠ and for cash back, but these options offer less value: up to $1,750 (depending on your booking) and $1,000, respectively.

This bonus is one of the better offers we've seen for the card, so any time it's offering at least 100,000 points (as is currently the case) is considered a good time to apply.

Annual fee: $95

Earning rates:

• 3 points per dollar on shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, travel, and advertising purchases with social media and search engines (on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases across these categories each year, then 1 point per dollar)
• 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

Who should apply: Small-business owners with significant spending in the above bonus categories will be happy to earn up to 450,000 points per year on those purchases. This card also provides access to Chase's airline and hotel transfer partners, so it can provide value even without pairing it with another Chase card.

To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Preferred.

Apply here: Ink Business Preferred

Ink Business Premier Credit Card

Welcome bonus: Earn $1,000 in bonus cash back after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

This has been the standard bonus on this card since it launched in late 2021; we have not seen any elevated offers, so now is a good time to apply.

Annual fee: $195

Earning rates:

• 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more
• 2% cash back on all other purchases

Who should apply: This card is ideal for small-business owners looking for a card with a flexible spending limit. That means you must pay the bill in full each month and cannot carry a balance. If you can pay your balance in full each month, you'll enjoy the unlimited earning potential on this card.

It's worth noting, however, that the rewards from this card cannot be combined with Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning cards.

To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Premier.

Apply here: Ink Business Premier

Are these bonuses worth it?

One of these cards could be worth considering if you have a major purchase coming up that you want to use to earn one of these welcome bonuses, or if you want to take advantage of their earning rates sooner rather than later.

While these cards won't add to your Chase 5/24 total, you need to be under that number to apply for any cards with Chase. If you've opened five or more credit cards (from any bank) in the past 24 months, you will likely be declined when applying.

Business credit cards — or cards with significant welcome bonuses — tend to have higher spending requirements to achieve the bonus. If you can meet that requirement, the welcome bonus is almost always worth the effort.

Related: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions

Are you eligible for a Chase Ink welcome bonus?

If you currently have or previously had a specific Ink card, you may not be eligible for that same card's welcome bonus. However, having one Ink card doesn't necessarily prevent you from earning a welcome bonus on a different Ink card.

For example, if you previously held the Ink Business Preferred, you may not be able to earn a welcome bonus on that card. But, you should still be eligible for a welcome offer on another Ink card, such as the Ink Business Unlimited or Ink Business Cash.

You'll also need to be under 5/24, meaning you've opened fewer than five new credit cards across issuers in the past 24 months. While Chase has never publicly acknowledged this rule, they do enforce it.

Finally, you must have some type of business to qualify for an Ink card, since they are business credit cards. You don't need to own a fully-fledged corporation; freelancing, gig work and sole proprietorships may qualify.

Bottom line

If you can combine your rewards with an existing Ultimate Rewards account, these bonus offers are even more valuable. While you do have to consider 5/24 when applying, it's certainly worth looking at these current offers.

Most small businesses should be able to hit the spending threshold to take advantage of any of the bonuses. One of the Ink Business cards could be a good fit depending on your spending patterns and business needs.

Apply here: Ink Business Unlimited
Apply here: Ink Business Cash
Apply here: Ink Business Preferred
Apply here: Ink Business Premier

There's an outstanding deal available on many of the rewards-earning credit cards that lots of us already have in our wallets, and it has already saved me close to $400 in the last few weeks alone, with more savings still to come.

Before I tell you what this deal is, I want to share a caveat. Even I ignored this deal at first, as it sounded like a complication I didn't need in my life at that time.

So if that's your first reaction, try not to let it be your last if saving a few hundred dollars on everyday spending over the next few weeks would help your budget.

The deal comes from a new mobile wallet called Paze. Think of Paze as sort of a new version of PayPal, Venmo or Apple Pay. It's a middleman between your money and some of the retailers you visit.

Likely to build more name recognition, buzz and traction around the new service, Paze has a really interesting promotion you can take advantage of until Sept. 10.

You can get a $10 statement credit back on $10+ transactions per card when you check out using Paze at the short but growing list of Paze-enabled retailers, such as Domino's, Sephora, Whataburger and Wendy's.

And here's the best part: You can trigger the $10 statement credit up to 10 times per card. That translates to up to $100 in savings per eligible card on rewards cards issued from banks such as Chase, Citi, Capital One, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank and Bank of America, which is a pretty outstanding lineup.

So for the past few weeks, my family has been getting $10 off each transaction on $6.99 one-topping pizzas at Domino's, on grilled chicken sandwich meals at Whataburger, on chili and potatoes at Wendy's, on $10 e-gift cards in the Dunkin app and on face masks at Sephora, to name a few.

With two kids at home this summer, we hit this deal hard and may or may not have done things like order our family's lunch at Whataburger in multiple $10-$12 transactions to maximize the statement credits. In reverse 'Price is Right' rules, you need to go over the $10 mark, but if you want the credit to be as impactful as possible, you don't go too far over.

In total, we've had at least $360 in credits posted to a cross-section of cards so far. We'll likely have $100-$200 more we may use before the deal ends on Sept. 10. So yes, that likely means more Dunkin' coffee, and I'm not mad at that one bit.

A few eligible Paze retailers include:

• Domino's
• Dunkin'
• Whataburger
• Wendy's
• Little Caesars
• Macy's
• Newegg
• Sephora
• StubHub
• United Airlines
• ShopRite

Note that there are some restrictions on what is and isn't eligible. For example, third-party gift cards sold via Newegg are not eligible, but mostly it's been eligible for use on everyday things I've bought from other retailers.

Tips for using Paze to earn $10 statement credits

To get Paze set up, you may need to verify some of the cards by entering the three-digit CVV code on the back of each card at checkout. You likely won't have to set up the cards from scratch, though, since Paze may already have many of your cards linked through its bank integrations.

When you check out at an eligible retailer, be sure to use the Paze option and pay with a card in your Paze wallet that hasn't already hit the 10-transaction cap for the $10 statement credits.

Here's what that looks like on the Sephora website.

With some retailers, Paze is only available as a payment option on their website or in their app, not both.

You also sometimes need to expand the list of payment options to see Paze. You'll also want to ensure the $10 statement credit banner appears at checkout, as shown below.

TPG tip: As a nice bonus, on top of the $10 statement credits, you can also earn 10 points per dollar on Paze transactions if you're using an eligible Chase card (on up to $1,500 per month) through the end of the year.

Here are the details on how that promo works.

Is this too much hassle for saving $10 at a time, or a kind of fun way to keep expenses low this summer? Maybe a little of both.

Once I got Paze set up and got the hang of it, it's actually been mostly fun. I'll tell the kids things like, "You can have anything you want for dinner, as long as it's kind of free!" And they know exactly what that means.

And as an added perk, I've racked up a fair number of rewards in the respective Sephora, Whataburger, Domino's, Wendy's and Dunkin' loyalty programs over the last few weeks. So I'm often not just getting the $10 statement credit back via Paze, but earning or using more deals and rewards at the same time.

Bottom line

With the price of ... almost everything ... being what it is, I'll happily use up $10 statement credits available via Paze on some easy meals on the go, under-eye face masks, etc., this summer.

My cholesterol may be ready for a break once this deal ends on Sept. 10, but in the meantime, I'll keep using the available $10 statement credits on as many of my rewards cards as I can.

Alaska Airlines is adding two more European destinations to its route map as the carrier's global expansion picks up speed.

Nonstop flights from Seattle to Athens, Greece, and Paris will begin in May, giving the carrier a total of five destinations in Europe.

Until 2025, Alaska Airlines had never flown beyond North America and Hawaii. Now, with the addition of Athens and Paris, it will serve a total of seven intercontinental destinations — two in Asia (Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea) and five in Europe (London, Rome and Reykjavik are the others).

But Alaska's 2024 acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines set the stage for its overseas expansion. Using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners originally ordered by Hawaiian, Alaska set out to become the nation's fourth major global airline, using its Seattle hub as a launch pad for its new intercontinental service.

As for the addition of Athens and Paris, Alaska described the cities as "two of the world's most iconic destinations that rank among the most requested by Atmos Rewards members" — the latter underscoring how frequent flyer sentiment is increasingly driving airline decisions on where to fly.

New airline math: How your points and miles are shaping where your favorite carrier flies

"We fly where our guests aspire to go, and Athens and Paris have been high on that list for years," Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement. "As we build to more than 12 international long-haul routes from Seattle in the coming years, we're giving travelers more ways to connect to the world and more opportunities to use Atmos Rewards."

Alaska Airlines' new service to Athens

With its Athens service, Alaska will become the first airline ever to offer regularly scheduled service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Athens International Airport (ATH). Alaska adds that it will become the only carrier to fly to the Greek capital from the West Coast.

The service will be seasonal, beginning May 12 and operating three times a week into October. Alaska says the 6,196-mile route will be the longest one ever flown by the airline.

Flight details are as follows:

Lie-flat upgrades, valuable points: Why the newest US airline loyalty program won a TPG Award in 2026

Alaska Airlines' new service to Paris

Alaska Airlines will fly to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), where it will go head-to-head with both Air France and Delta Air Lines.

Alaska notes that the city is "one of the most searched destinations on alaskaair.com." Seasonal service will begin May 25, with five weekly flights running until the service ends in October.

The route is timed to allow for same-day connections between Paris and Honolulu, the main base for the Hawaiian Airlines brand and Alaska Air Group's second-busiest hub.

Beyond 'visual expression': Alaska's plans for the Hawaiian Airlines brand

Related reading:

• The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
• Best airline credit cards
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• The 8 best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• What are points and miles worth? TPG's monthly valuations

With an American Express card that earns Amex Membership Rewards points, cardholders can redeem points through American Express Travel for hotels (including vacation rentals), car rentals, cruises and flights, or opt to use their points for statement credits, gift cards and more.

Whether you're a points expert or not, you can also maximize your Amex Membership Rewards points by transferring them to Amex's airline and hotel partners. With many options to redeem and maximize your hard-earned points, your Amex rewards are extremely valuable.

Here's how to redeem points, maximize Amex benefits and find the best Amex cards for earning Membership Rewards points.

What are Amex Membership Rewards points?

Membership Rewards points are the rewards currency of American Express. If you have an Amex card that earns Membership Rewards points, you will earn them for everyday spending, just as you would earn airline miles with an airline-branded card or hotel points with a hotel-branded card. Plus, depending on your Amex card, you can also earn bonus points in certain spending categories.

How much are Amex Membership Rewards points worth?

In the world of points and miles, American Express Membership Rewards points are considered some of the most valuable and useful points you can earn because of their flexibility. Per TPG's August 2026 valuations, Amex points are worth 2 cents apiece.

However, that doesn't mean you'll always get exactly 2 cents of value per point. The value you receive depends on how you redeem your Membership Rewards points. Transferring them to Amex's airline and hotel partners can provide the best opportunity to meet or exceed TPG's valuation, especially when booking high-value award travel.

Other redemption options typically provide less value. For example, you'll generally get 1 cent per point when redeeming Membership Rewards points for flights through Amex Travel, while some hotel and non-travel redemptions can provide less than 1 cent per point.

Ultimately, TPG's 2-cent valuation serves as a benchmark to help you determine whether you're getting good value from your Membership Rewards points.

Related: How (and why) you should earn transferable credit card points

How do I earn Amex Membership Rewards points?

The easiest way to earn many Membership Rewards points is to apply for a Membership Rewards-earning American Express card.

Earning Membership Rewards points from cards

Here's a look at the welcome offer, bonus-category structure and annual fee for each of the six most valuable Membership Rewards cards to help you choose the best Amex card.

The information for the American Express Classic Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Can I get a Membership Rewards welcome bonus if I've had the card before?

Generally, no. American Express typically limits cardmembers to one welcome bonus per card per lifetime. So, if you've previously had a particular Amex card, you generally won't be eligible to earn its welcome bonus again.

There are also family restrictions on the personal Membership Rewards cards. If you have or previously had the Amex Platinum, you may not be eligible for a welcome offer on the Amex Gold. Because of this restriction, if you want to earn the welcome offers on both the Amex Platinum and Amex Gold (not the Amex Classic Green since it is no longer accepting applications), it's generally best to apply for the Amex Gold and then the Amex Platinum.

There can be exceptions, including targeted offers without lifetime language. Amex will also generally notify you during the application process if you're not eligible for the welcome offer, giving you the option to withdraw your application before proceeding.

Other ways to earn Membership Rewards points

Once you have one (or more) of the above cards, there are additional options for earning Amex points. The first is leveraging Rakuten, one of TPG's favorite online shopping portals. Through Rakuten, you can opt to earn cash back or Membership Rewards points.

If you don't have an account, you can sign up and enjoy a standard one-time bonus of $30 when you spend at least $30 within 90 days of becoming a member.

You can also earn Amex Membership Rewards points through referral bonuses. You'll receive a set number of points when someone uses your referral link and is approved. Keep in mind that rewards earned through referral bonuses are taxable.

Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners

Since you can transfer Membership Rewards points to 16 airline and four hotel transfer partners, you can search for award travel on almost every major route and city worldwide.

Thus, earning Membership Rewards points is usually more lucrative than earning miles or points in a single airline or hotel loyalty program. Remember, you are not locked into one transfer partner — you can send some points to one program and then some to another.

Below, we've listed all those partners, the transfer ratios and the transfer times discovered in our testing.

If you haven't done so, link your transfer partner accounts to your Membership Rewards account now. This will prevent future delays when you need to make a quick transfer.

The best ways to redeem Amex Membership Rewards points

To get the most value from your points, you will want to transfer them to partners.

Here are just a few of our favorite redemptions:

• Fly to Hawaii on points and miles: Transfer your Membership Rewards points to Delta SkyMiles, and you'll pay as little as 18,200 SkyMiles for a one-way flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL).
• Save on business-class award flights: Singapore Airlines operates two of the world's longest flights, one from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and another from SIN to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). You won't want to spend 18 hours in an uncomfortable seat, so transfer your Membership Rewards points to the Singapore KrisFlyer program to book business-class flights. Both routes cost 117,000 KrisFlyer miles one-way (plus taxes and fees), a small price for comfort on such a long flight.
• Transfer to Iberia Club: On off-peak dates, you can fly from JFK and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Spain's Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) for just 16,000 Avios in economy, 29,500 Avios in premium economy and 40,500 Avios in business class each way.
• Transfer to Air France-KLM Flying Blue: Book business-class flights from North America to Europe starting at just 60,000 Flying Blue miles each way.

Just remember that transfers are irreversible, so you should transfer your Amex points only after you've confirmed the award space for the flight or hotel you want.

For more information on maximizing your Amex points for travel, check out our guide to sweet spots and more with Membership Rewards points.

Additionally, you can use your points to book virtually any travel through the Amex Travel platform. You usually receive 1 cent per Amex point. This is an OK value, but not a spectacular way to redeem your points. It's still better than the redemptions we're about to get into, however.

Poor-value ways to redeem Membership Rewards points

Unfortunately, several options for redeeming your points represent less-than-stellar value and should typically be avoided if you want to maximize your hard-earned Amex Membership Rewards.

Some of these options include:

• Using points for charges: This is like a cash-back option covering eligible charges on your billing statement. You can view the list of eligible charges on your current online statement. With this option, you'll only receive 0.6 cents per point.
• Using Pay with Points at checkout: After linking your Membership Rewards account with online merchants like Amazon, Best Buy and Grubhub, you can pay for your purchases at a slightly better (but still poor) value of 0.7 cents per point. Although this option can sometimes be useful for promotions, you may want to turn this off to prevent accidental use of your points.
• Redeeming for taxi rides in New York City: You can redeem points for certain New York City taxi fares at a value of 1 cent per point.
• Redeeming for gift cards: Depending on the merchant, these redemptions range from 0.5 cents to 1 cent per point.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions we've seen about Amex Membership Rewards.

How do I transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to airlines?

To transfer Membership Rewards points, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Amex account.
2. Go to the rewards section.
3. Go to the transfer section under rewards.
4. Ensure the loyalty program you want to transfer your points to is linked.
5. Select the partner you want to transfer to and initiate the transfer.

It's important to note that once you make a transfer, you cannot reverse it.

Are there fees or taxes when I use Amex Membership Rewards points?

While there are no fees to use Amex Membership Rewards points, there is an excise tax offset fee of $0.0006 per point, with a maximum of $99. This fee applies only when transferring points to one of Amex's U.S.-based airline partners, such as Delta SkyMiles or JetBlue TrueBlue.

Can you pool or share Amex points?

If you have multiple Membership Rewards points-earning cards, the points will all be pooled in your Amex account. However, Amex doesn't allow you to transfer points between accounts, even if it's between family members. Amex also doesn't allow you to transfer your points to a partner program in someone else's name, except for an authorized user on your Membership Rewards account who has been on the account for at least 90 days.

Do Membership Rewards points expire?

Membership Rewards points do not expire, provided you keep at least one card open that earns them. If you cancel all of your Amex Membership Rewards cards, you must redeem or transfer your points before closing the last card. Otherwise, you will forfeit the points.

Can you buy Amex Membership Rewards points?

You generally can't purchase Membership Rewards points outright. However, if you're short on points for an eligible redemption, Amex may give you the option to purchase additional points to top up your balance.

This typically isn't the most cost-effective way to acquire Membership Rewards points, since the purchase price exceeds TPG's current valuation of Amex points. Still, it could make sense if you only need a small number of points to complete a valuable redemption.

Bottom line

Thanks to Amex's generous card offers, Membership Rewards points are easy to earn and redeem. They're also easy to use with a variety of transfer partners.

Whether you choose to splurge on a European getaway or use your points to visit family in another state, having Membership Rewards points at your disposal can help you save money.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Business Plus Card, click here.

Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me? We all know the response to that oft-repeated refrain is "Mickey Mouse," but "The Mickey Mouse Club" isn't the only fan club Mickey heads up.

Disney's most devoted fans belong to D23, the official Disney fan club. The "D" should be self-explanatory, and the "23" represents 1923, the year The Walt Disney Company was founded.

D23 serves many purposes, but one of the most important is keeping fans connected to what they love most about Disney — even from afar. Whether you visit Disney theme parks every week or only once a year, a D23 membership is your key to Disney's magical kingdom.

What is D23?

Launched in 2009 under former Disney president and CEO Bob Iger, D23 celebrates Disney's beloved characters, stories and experiences while also providing a new way for fans to connect over their shared love of Disney parks, movies, TV shows, characters, style, books, music, history or all of the above.

Today, D23 has more than 1.8 million members worldwide who receive perks like access to studio tours, movie screenings and other events, dining, merchandise and theme park discounts, exclusive sweepstakes, a newsletter with the latest news and behind-the-scenes details and the chance to extend their fandom beyond their park visits.

D23 members can also attend "D23: The Ultimate Fan Event," held every two years in Anaheim, California. Officially, the biannual event is where Disney announces all the new lands and attractions coming to its global theme parks. But for those who attend, the three-day event is much more than that.

Related: Every new land and attraction just announced for Disneyland and Disney World in 2027 and beyond

I should know because I count myself among them. I just returned from this year's D23 fan event, which took place Aug. 14-16, 2026. I learned firsthand from Walt Disney Imaginers about the projects they are working on, stood in an hourlong line to procure exclusive merchandise, and, yes, listened attentively as Thomas Mazloum, chairman of Disney Experiences, dropped announcement after announcement about what's being planned and built at Disney's theme parks.

If all of this sounds like the Dole Whip on top of your POG juice float, it might be time to become a card-carrying member of the D23 fan club.

How to join D23

Becoming a member is easy and (potentially) free. You can join online, and there are two basic membership types to choose from: General and Gold. There are three levels within Gold with slightly different offerings, but we'll get into that in a moment.

Read through the options before you join, because you may be eligible for a free Gold membership if you have a Disney+ account.

D23 Membership benefits

A D23 General Membership is free and comes with select discounts and events, sweepstakes and a weekly email newsletter.

The various Gold Memberships include additional discounts, special event access and a welcome gift. That is really the only area where the Gold membership levels differ.

How to get a free D23 Gold Membership

There is one additional Gold Membership level I have yet to mention, available exclusively to Disney+ members — the D23 Gold Member Monthly Plan. This comes with most of the perks of a D23 Gold Membership, and you can sign up through the "Perks" section of your Disney+ account.

The only benefits you won't have access to are the physical pins, magnets and other gifts and events that are open only to Gold Members.

Related: The best credit cards for your Disney vacation

Regular Disney+ subscription prices range between $11.99 and $29.99 per month. Here are a few credit cards that can help you eliminate or reduce the out-of-pocket cost for a Disney+ subscription, thereby lessening the cost of a D23 Gold Membership:

• The Disney® Inspire Visa® Card (see rates and fees) gives you up to $120 annual credit on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ purchases (up to $10 in statement credits per month after spending $10 or more on qualifying subscriptions).
• The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers up to $120 annually (up to $10 monthly) as a statement credit for Disney streaming purchases at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites. Enrollment is required.
• The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express from American Express offers a similar benefit of up to $84 annually (up to $7 monthly) as a statement credit for Disney streaming purchases at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites. Enrollment is required.
• The American Express Platinum Card® provides a more broad perk of up to $300 annually (up to $25 per month) in digital entertainment statement credits that you can use toward Disney+, among other eligible services. Enrollment is required.

This is just one of many perks available to Disney+ subscribers. Available benefits are updated regularly, and another current perk gives subscribers a 20% discount when they upgrade their free Gold Member Monthly Plan to a higher-tier Gold Membership.

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event launched in 2009, the same year the fan club was introduced. Tickets to the biannual event are typically open to D23 members at any level, but this year, for the first time ever, only Gold members were eligible to purchase tickets (though they could purchase tickets for guests regardless of their D23 affiliation).

Ticket prices range from $49 for a one-day afternoon-only pass to $2,600 for a three-day pass that includes access to the Anaheim Convention Center and events at the Honda Center. Disney makes tickets available first to D23 Gold Charter Members who have had an active membership since 2009, then to D23 Gold Essential, Choice and Complete members and then, finally, to all other Gold members.

Most of the event is held at the Anaheim Convention Center, but the three nighttime showcases where Disney announces new movies and TV shows, theme park lands and attractions and honors Disney legends take place at the nearby Honda Center.

This year's show floor was the largest in event history, spanning nearly 1,000,000 square feet and welcoming guests from 38 countries and all 50 states. Offerings included everything from panels with authors, filmmakers, Imagineers, composers and some of the biggest stars from Disney entertainment, interactive photo ops, opportunities to trade Disney pins, cosplay meetups and more.

As a huge fan of Disney parks, I spent most of my time browsing memorabilia or strolling through the Imagineering Pavilion. Not only were there models and concept art from the various projects Disney is working on right now at its parks around the world, but we also had the opportunity to speak with the Imagineers involved in their development.

Bottom line

More than any educational panel or immersive photo op, D23 is a place — both physical and digital — where people can celebrate, connect and come together to honor Disney's wide-reaching, imagination-fostering, creativity-inspiring legacy.

Related reading:

• Disney Visa card offers: Earn up to $500 toward your next vacation
• A magical guide for how to plan a trip to Disney World in 2026
• Sun, fun and savings: Tips for visiting Disney World this summer

Thrifty Traveler is one of our favorite ways to find deal alerts — and it's currently on sale.

For a limited time, new subscribers can get 30% off a premium membership using our special TPG code and link. The sale ends soon.

The best part of membership is you'll receive emails about cheap cash deals — and some incredible points and miles bargains — on airline tickets and/or hotel stays. This sale reduces the $129.99 price to $90.99 for the first year for flight deals, or from $189.99 to $132.99 for flight and hotel deals.

To take advantage of this deal, just enter "THEPOINTSGUY" in the promotional box or use our link to skip entering promo codes altogether.

"From dirt-cheap cash fares to ultra-rare award availability to fly first and business class with points and miles, Thrifty Traveler Premium finds deals from more than 200 airports in the U.S. and Canada — more than any other service," the company said in a statement to TPG. "Members can tailor their alerts to get deals only from their home airport, all 200-plus cities, or anything in between."

The service even lets you opt into instant text alerts for mistake fares and the rarest "Unicorn" deals.

Current Premium subscribers can also add hotel deals to their subscription for 30% off the rest of their current subscription year (plus the entire following year).

I've personally used Thrifty Traveler Premium for years. In fact, it's how I scored one of the best points redemptions of my life: a lie-flat Delta One seat from Los Angeles to Brisbane, Australia, for just 73,100 Delta SkyMiles plus $120 in taxes and fees.

The only reason I knew about that rare Delta SkyMiles availability was because of a flight deal subscription email I got early one Saturday.

According to Thrifty Traveler, here are a few of the deals it has sent to subscribers:

• Cheap economy fares to locations like Las Vegas from $57 round-trip, Italy from $347 round-trip and Tokyo from $377 round-trip
• More than 40 award deals with step-by-step instructions to help members redeem their points and miles, like a Delta SkyMiles deal to Cancun or Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for less than 8,000 SkyMiles; a flight on Delta Air Lines' new route to Marrakech, Morocco, for 25,000 SkyMiles round-trip; and a deeply discounted American Airlines flight to New Zealand for just 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles
• Incredibly rare Qatar Airways Qsuite award space bookable from 54,000 Avios each way and a trio of American Airlines business-class deals to Australia and New Zealand, including the airline's new Flagship Suites
• A business-class mistake fare to London next year from $1,281 round-trip — a third of the normal price
• An unprecedented amount of business-class award space to Europe in lie-flat seats, such as wide-open Air France and KLM award seats bookable at just 60,000 Flying Blue miles, seats in United Airlines' Polaris cabin for 53,000 United MileagePlus miles and seats in American Airlines' business class for 62,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles
• Rare and fun award deals, including some of the cheapest SkyMiles rates we've seen in years to fly in Delta One to Seoul, South Korea; Taipei, Taiwan; and Barcelona

Here's another example of a deal alert from Thrifty Traveler that alerted members to a wide-open Air France-KLM Flying Blue deal for just 60,000 miles each way:

Again, this 30% off deal is a limited-time offer that's ending soon. After that, using our "THEPOINTSGUY" code will continue to net you $20 off your purchase — but you should take the steeper discount while it's available.

Bottom line

This is a great time to sign up for the very useful deal-finding website Thrifty Traveler. Its Premium subscription is currently available for just $90.99 instead of $129.99 — or only $132.99 for a full year of flight and hotel deals (down from $189.99). But this huge sale won't last long, so act soon.

Simply visit this link or use our promo code "THEPOINTSGUY" at checkout to sign up. If you use our link, the discount will automatically be applied at checkout.

Related reading:

• The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
• Best airline credit cards
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• The 8 best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status

Business travel is often one of the largest expenses for growing companies. Between flights, hotels, rental cars and everyday purchases made on the road, those costs can add up quickly.

While many businesses already use travel rewards credit cards to earn points on that spending, Engine X* takes a different approach, combining travel booking, expense management and rewards into one platform.

Engine X is a business charge card built into Engine's travel platform. More than 30,000 businesses use Engine to book and manage business travel, and Engine X is designed to help those companies earn additional rewards while simplifying travel spending.

The card has no annual fee,** earns up to 10% back in points on eligible Engine travel bookings and 1.5% back on everyday purchases,*** and doesn't require a personal credit check or personal guarantee.****

And right now, new Engine X cardholders can earn 20,000 Engine points after activating their card and spending $2,000 in qualifying off-platform purchases within 30 days of approval.

Earn more from the travel you're already booking

For businesses that regularly book hotels and rental cars, Engine X offers its highest rewards through the Engine travel platform.

Cardholders earn 6% back in points on hotel and rental car bookings made through Engine. As annual spending increases, the earning rate can climb to 7%, 8% and ultimately 10% (or the Roman numeral "X", like Engine X).***

Beyond travel booked through the platform, the card earns 1.5% back on flights and most other eligible business purchases***, all without annual fees or rewards caps.**

The elevated earning rates are possible because Engine combines several business travel functions into a single platform. Engine allows businesses to book travel, manage company spending and track expenses in one place.

Engine Rewards is the platform's loyalty program. Companies earn points when booking travel through Engine, while Engine X boosts those rewards by providing additional points on eligible purchases.

Those points can be used in several ways, including:

• Pay down a company's Engine balance
• Book future travel through Engine
• Gift rewards to individual employees or teams
• Redeem for gift cards to grant to employees

For companies already managing significant travel spending, it can be an easy way to generate additional value from expenses they're already making.

Triple-dip on business travel bookings

One of Engine X's more distinctive features is the ability to stack several travel benefits on the same hotel reservation.

When booking eligible hotels through Engine, businesses may be able to:

• Access discounted Engine hotel rates (up to 60% lower than publicly available prices).
• Earn hotel loyalty points and elite-night credit (where eligible).
• Earn Engine Rewards points on the booking.

Many third-party booking platforms require travelers to give up hotel loyalty benefits in exchange for lower prices. Engine's model is designed to preserve those benefits, giving businesses the opportunity to combine discounted rates with hotel rewards and Engine Rewards on the same reservation (where participating hotel programs allow).

Engine Rewards can be redeemed toward future travel booked through Engine or as a statement credit. However, a statement credit will be at 50% value compared to 100% value on bookings.

Businesses also have flexibility in how rewards are distributed. Administrators can choose to keep rewards with the company or allow employees to earn rewards directly for personal travel. Companies can also gift points to individual employees or groups as an incentive or recognition program.

For organizations with frequent travelers or field-based employees, that flexibility may help improve employee engagement while still maintaining centralized travel management.

Give employees flexibility while maintaining control

Managing business travel often involves balancing employee flexibility with company oversight. Engine X offers several tools designed to make that process easier.

Businesses can issue virtual cards immediately for online purchases or provide physical cards when needed. Administrators can also establish spending controls based on individual employees, merchants, spending categories or transaction limits.

The platform also provides real-time visibility into company travel spending, enabling finance teams to monitor expenses as they occur rather than waiting until the end of a billing cycle.

These features may be particularly useful for businesses with employees who regularly travel or make company purchases, helping reduce manual expense tracking while maintaining spending controls.

Built for growing businesses

Unlike many business cards, Engine X doesn't require applicants to undergo a personal credit check or sign a personal guarantee.****

The application typically takes about 15 minutes to complete, and most eligible businesses receive a decision within 24 hours.

While businesses of many sizes can apply, Engine X is likely to be the best fit for small and midsize businesses that have:

• Meaningful travel spending
• Recurring hotel bookings
• A need for centralized visibility into company expenses
• Companies that rarely book business travel may find fewer opportunities to maximize the platform's travel-focused rewards.

Bottom line

Engine X combines business travel booking, rewards and spend management into a single platform.

For businesses with frequent employee travel, Engine X offers several potential advantages. The ability to earn elevated rewards on Engine bookings, stack those rewards with hotel loyalty benefits and manage company spending from one dashboard makes it an attractive alternative to a traditional business rewards card.

If your business regularly books hotels, rental cars and flights, Engine X is a strong fit for a travel management strategy.

And for a limited time, new Engine X cardholders can get 20,000 Engine points after activating their card and spending $2,000 in qualifying purchases within 30 days of accepting their approved credit limit. Points can be used toward flights, hotels, cars, statement credits and more. See terms.

Learn more about Engine X.

*Engine X Visa® Commercial cards issued by Fifth Third Bank N.A., Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. All applications subject to credit approval.

**See cardholder agreement/terms and conditions for details: https://engine.com/x/program-terms.

***Earn up to 10% back in points on qualifying Engine travel purchases. Actual reward rates vary by purchase category and may change. Points have no cash value and are redeemable for rewards through our program. See full rewards terms for details.

****Subject to review of company's application including but not limited to requested financial information.

Looking for a no-annual-fee business credit card that'll help you earn valuable rewards? You're in the right place — and you've got some solid options.

These cards are especially useful for freelancers, side hustlers and small-business owners who want to earn points or cash back without adding another fixed cost to their monthly expenses. While no-annual-fee cards typically include fewer premium perks than their high-fee counterparts, many still offer strong welcome bonuses and competitive rewards earning rates.

Here are our top seven picks.

At a glance: The best no-annual-fee business credit cards

Related: The best business cash-back credit cards

Blue Business Plus: Best for transferable points

Welcome offer: Earn 15,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership.

TPG's August 2026 valuations peg Amex points at 2 cents apiece, making this offer worth $300.

Why it's worth it: The Blue Business Plus earns a flat rate of 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on all eligible purchases (on the first $50,000 you spend each calendar year; 1 point per dollar thereafter). This means there are no bonus categories to keep track of or activate — you'll earn the same reward rate across every purchase you make with this card.

Spend the full $50,000 in a calendar year and you'd earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points — worth $2,000 at TPG's valuations — before purchases begin earning 1 point per dollar. Plus, there's no additional fee to add employee cards (see rates and fees).

Keep in mind: Amex generally limits cardmembers to one welcome bonus on each card per lifetime, so this offer may not be available if you've held the card before.

To learn more, read our full review of the Blue Business Plus.

Apply here: Blue Business Plus

Ink Business Cash: Best for office and telecom expenses

Welcome offer: Earn $1,000 cash back after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first four months from account opening.

Why it's worth it: The Ink Business Cash earns 5% cash back at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV service (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each year), plus 2% back at gas stations and restaurants (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each year). You'll earn an uncapped 1% cash back on everything else.

This Chase business card is unique in that it allows you to redeem rewards as cash back (with each point earned equal to 1 cent), but if you have an Ultimate Rewards-earning card — such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees) — you can choose to convert your cash-back earnings to Ultimate Rewards points that are transferable to Chase's airline and hotel partners.

That flexibility, coupled with the Ink Business Cash's bonus categories, can lead to a healthy return on spending.

To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Cash.

Apply here: Ink Business Cash

Ink Business Unlimited: Best for pairing with a premium Ultimate Rewards card

Welcome offer: Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first four months from account opening.

Why it's worth it: The Ink Business Unlimited is essentially the business version of the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) (minus the bonus categories on the Freedom Unlimited).

It earns at least 1.5% back on all purchases, uncapped. On its own, that's a lower baseline return than the Blue Business Cash or Blue Business Plus, so this card's case rests almost entirely on what you do with the rewards next.

The 1.5% cash back you earn can be boosted with a card that earns Ultimate Rewards, since you can transfer your cash back to redeem it as points, getting you an approximate 3.1% return on spending based on TPG's August 2026 valuations. Without an Ultimate-Rewards-earning card in your wallet, there's little reason to pick this over the Blue Business Cash.

The Ink Business Unlimited offers higher purchase protection limits than the Freedom Unlimited, plus primary car rental insurance when renting for business purposes.

To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Unlimited.

Apply here: Ink Business Unlimited

Blue Business Cash: Best for straightforward cash back

Welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases on your card in your first three months of card membership.

Why it's worth it: If you want a simple business card that earns cash back, the Amex Blue Business Cash is a terrific option, as there are no bonus categories.

You'll earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases up to $50,000 spent each year (then 1%; cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement).

You can also access expanded buying power when your business has to spend beyond your credit limit. Additional employee cards are free (see rates and fees).

To learn more, read our full review of the Blue Business Cash Card.

Apply here: Blue Business Cash

Spark Cash Select: Best for international expenses

Welcome offer: Earn a $750 bonus after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Why it's worth it: The Capital One Spark Cash Select doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, making it a good choice if your business requires you to travel abroad. On $10,000 in overseas purchases (or purchases with foreign merchants), avoiding a typical 3% foreign transaction fee alone is worth $300 — on top of the cash back you earn on your spending.

You'll earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel and an unlimited 1.5% back on everything else. This makes the Spark Cash Select an excellent choice for business owners who don't want to worry about bonus categories and just want simplicity.

To learn more, read our full review of the Spark Cash Select.

Learn more: Capital One Spark Cash Select

BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards card: Best for BofA Rewards members who travel

Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 online bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening, which can be redeemed for a $500 statement credit toward travel or dining purchases.

Why it's worth it: The Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards earns an uncapped 1.5 points per dollar spent on every purchase, making it a great choice if you're looking for a flat-rate earner.

BofA Rewards members can earn as much as 75% more per purchase with this no-annual-fee card. When it's time to redeem, you can use points toward statement credits for travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent per point or for cash back or gift cards.

To learn more, read our full review of the BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards.

Apply here: Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards card

BofA Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards: Best for customized bonus categories

Welcome offer: Earn a $500 online cash rewards bonus after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.

Why it's worth it: The Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards can be a great option if you want to customize your earnings. Each month, you can designate one of the following categories and receive 3% cash back on those purchases:

• Business consulting services
• Computer services
• Gas stations and EV charging stations
• Office supply stores
• Travel
• TV/telecom and wireless services

Also, you'll earn 2% back on dining and 1% back on all other purchases, though your heightened cash-back rates are capped at $50,000 in combined purchases each calendar year (then 1%). Couple your custom category with the earning power of Bank of America's Preferred Rewards to maximize your rewards.

To learn more, read our full review of the BofA Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards.

Apply here: Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards card

How to choose a no-annual-fee business credit card

The best no-annual-fee business credit card for you depends on your spending habits and how you want to use your rewards.

Here are a few factors to consider when choosing a card:

• Decide between cash back and travel rewards. Cash back is generally simpler and can help offset everyday business expenses, while travel rewards may offer more value if you're willing to learn how to maximize points and transfer partners.
• Consider flat-rate rewards vs. bonus categories. If your business spending varies from month to month, a flat-rate card can make earning rewards effortless. If you consistently spend heavily in categories like office supplies, internet service, gas or travel, a card with bonus categories could be more rewarding.
• Think about how you want to redeem your rewards. Some cards offer straightforward statement credits or cash back, while others earn points that can be redeemed for travel or, in some cases, transferred to airline and hotel partners. If you already use a rewards program like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards, choosing a card that complements that ecosystem can make your rewards more useful.

Related: The key differences between personal cards and business cards

When a business card with an annual fee may be better

A no-annual-fee business credit card can be a great choice if you want to keep costs down, but paying an annual fee can make sense if the card's benefits provide enough value to offset that cost.

Cards with annual fees may offer higher earning rates, more valuable welcome offers and additional perks such as travel credits, airport lounge access or enhanced travel protections. If your business spends heavily in a card's bonus categories or you can regularly use its statement credits and other benefits, you could come out ahead even after paying an annual fee.

Before deciding, consider whether the value you expect to get from a card's rewards, credits and other perks will outweigh its annual fee. Our guide to the best business credit cards includes both no-annual-fee and premium options to help you find the right fit.

Related: How to decide if a credit card's annual fee is worth paying

Bottom line

No-annual-fee business credit cards can be a smart way to earn rewards while keeping overhead low. Whether you're launching a side hustle, running an established small business or simply looking to separate personal and business expenses, these cards offer solid earning potential without an upfront cost.

While they may not include the premium perks of higher-fee options, many pair well with other rewards cards, making them a practical starting point or long-term keeper for cost-conscious business owners.

Related: Do I need a business to get a business credit card?

For rates and fees of the Blue Business Plus Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Business Cash Card, click here.

I've been lucky enough to experience all kinds of trips over the years, from a multigenerational holiday in Germany to an outdoorsy honeymoon in Madagascar. But until recently, I had never really taken a big solo trip.

Sure, I've done my fair share of solo travel around the U.S. — but most of my trips are to visit loved ones or attend work events, so I'm not really alone. The last and only time I flew internationally by myself was when I studied abroad in Ireland over a decade ago, and even then, I had no shortage of fellow students to pal around with.

I decided it was time to see what solo travel is all about, so I booked a weeklong trip to Lisbon, party of one. Here's what I learned, why I would absolutely do it again — and what I might do differently next time.

Travel is more draining

The first thing I noticed about solo travel is that the travel part is more demanding. You are 100% responsible for getting yourself to your destination — that includes keeping tabs on your flight status, reading signs (sometimes in foreign languages), navigating public transportation and more.

In other words, you must be constantly "on." You can't risk dozing off at your gate; you can't even go to the restroom without squeezing your luggage into the stall with you. And you might be surprised how scary it is walking up to a Portuguese metro ticket machine for the first time, especially after a long, sleepless transatlantic flight.

I'm used to divvying up these responsibilities when I travel with my husband, but on my solo trip to Lisbon, they all fell to me. As a result, I felt more drained by the time I reached my first Lisbon hotel — but I also felt empowered.

Traveling solo wasn't as difficult as I had imagined, and once I realized this, I began to see the possibilities.

It's not as hard for introverts as you may think

Once I arrived at my destination, a new concern began to sink in. I'm a fairly introverted person, and I don't have much of a track record of chatting with strangers. I worried I would feel awkward while dining alone or self-conscious about taking selfies near Lisbon landmarks.

But I forced myself to do it anyway. (For science, of course.)

And the results surprised me.

While navigating airports and metro stations was more draining as a solo traveler, I found everything else more relaxing. Rather than feeling awkward, dining alone felt calm and mindful. Sightseeing was less exhausting, too. Without companions to converse with, I was able to be more present and really soak in every new experience.

Plus, when I did meet other people, it was actually easier for me to talk to them one-on-one. Without my (much chattier) husband around, I found myself making small talk with servers at restaurants and bonding with my tuktuk tour guide, which helped me build confidence and stave off loneliness.

However, by the end of my week in Lisbon, my social battery was running low. I was ready for a break from the city's hustle and bustle, so I planned an urban hiking day in the huge Monsanto Forest Park. A day spent in the company of trees and birdsong was just what I needed.

That's the beauty of solo travel: You can design your trip according to what you want — and change plans on a dime if needed — without worrying about anyone else.

Related: The best places for a solo weekend getaway

It's easier to book with points and miles

For points and miles enthusiasts, it's easier to find epic award flight deals when you only need one ticket rather than two or more seats together. Plus, you don't need to amass as many points to book your dream trip.

When it comes to lodging, you may pay more in cash when traveling alone since you won't be splitting costs with anyone else — that's where points come in. I stayed at points properties, including Andaz Lisbon and The Vintage, to minimize out-of-pocket expenses.

You can even book activities in your destination with points or other travel rewards.

After using most of my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card's annual $300 Capital One Travel credit on a previous trip, I had around $40 left over — just enough to snag a ticket for one to the world-famous Lisbon Oceanarium. I didn't pay anything out of pocket, which I would have if I had been traveling with a companion.

You can fly standby with ease

Because I wanted to test out TAP Air Portugal's new economy prime cabin on my way home from Lisbon, I needed a positioning flight from New York's Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Denver International Airport (DEN).

United had several direct options, but I didn't have MileagePlus miles at my disposal. Instead I had Amex points, which I could transfer at a 1:1 ratio to Air Canada Aeroplan, one of United's Star Alliance partners. On my date, Air Canada offered a nonstop United flight from EWR to DEN for just 15,000 Aeroplan points and 47 CAD (roughly $34) — a steal for a four-and-a-half-hour cross-country flight.

The catch? The flight departed at 9 p.m. and would land just shy of midnight.

I didn't mind having a day to kill in New York City, but I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of getting home in the middle of the night, especially when I was already jetlagged. So, at the last minute, I put myself on the standby list (United makes it easy to do this on the app) and showed up at EWR a few hours ahead in the hopes of catching an earlier flight.

It worked, and I managed to experience the best of both worlds: Spending my free day visiting family in New York City and returning home at a reasonable hour.

Some travelers may shudder at the uncertainty of flying standby, but I kind of enjoyed the thrill. When you travel solo, you have the freedom to play things by ear if you want. Plus, you have a much better chance of snagging one seat on your standby flight than two or more.

Everything takes less time

One of the unwritten rules of travel is the more people you travel with, the longer everything takes. More people means more time required to get ready, a higher chance of forgetting something, and a longer wait to get into popular restaurants or attractions.

As a result, I always build a little extra time into our schedule when I travel with my husband; I add even more when we travel with friends or relatives.

But on my solo trip to Lisbon, everything took less time than I expected. I left early for the Oceanarium because the website suggested allotting two to three hours, and as a self-identified fish nerd, I figured I would need a little extra time. Instead, I was in and out in just over an hour.

I spent the extra time exploring colorful street art in the surrounding neighborhood and browsing used books in the nearby metro station, then found my way back to my hotel without feeling rushed.

For travelers seeking a relaxing getaway, a solo trip can provide a gentle pace and plenty of time to discover hidden gems. On the other hand, if you want to pack in as much as possible, flying solo allows you to fill your schedule with much less buffer time between activities.

Related: The best cruise lines for solo travelers

Decisions can be tough

The one area that didn't take less time on my solo trip was decision making.

In my pursuit of a relaxing solo retreat, I deliberately didn't plan much ahead of time. I thought choosing what to do or where to eat would be easy with just one of me.

As it turns out, I am a very indecisive person when left to my own devices. Without anyone else to help narrow down my options, I often felt overwhelmed. The most stressful part of my trip was spending the evening in my hotel room, agonizing over a plan for the next day.

I hope this will get easier as I take more solo trips, and I will probably plan more activities in advance next time to avoid falling into this trap.

European cities are great candidates for solo trips

Ultimately, I was glad I had chosen Lisbon for my first solo trip. If you want to dip your toe into international solo travel, most European cities are good options.

English is widely spoken, there are plenty of award flights and points hotels, and there is no shortage of things to do to keep you busy (or not). Plus, the public transportation and rideshare services make it easy to explore farther afield without the cost and hassle of renting a car.

When planning a solo trip, you can choose the destination based on your interests without having to factor in anyone else. Love art and museums? Head to Paris or Amsterdam. Hungry for a fabulous dining scene? Try Athens or Berlin. Looking for a lively pub scene with friendly locals? You can't beat London or Dublin.

Related: The best places to travel solo in 2026

Bottom line

My favorite trips are still the ones I get to share with loved ones. But friends and family may not always be able (or willing) to go on some trips, and that's no reason to pass up an opportunity to see the world.

It may seem daunting to plan your first international solo trip and tackle new challenges on your own — whether that means navigating a foreign airport or deciding where to eat dinner. But I think you'll find solo travel is incredibly empowering and rewarding.

One trip was all it took for me to get over my nerves and discover the many joys of solo travel. I'm already thinking about where to go next — and no metro ticket machine can stop me.

One of the best reasons to apply for a travel rewards card is the welcome offer. By hitting certain minimum spending requirements, you can often earn tens of thousands of points or miles within the first few months of opening a new card.

Welcome offers change frequently, and part of any successful travel rewards strategy is knowing when it's the right time to apply for a specific card. After all, you wouldn't want to miss out on a haul of bonus points by applying too early — or too late.

However, without tracking the welcome offers on specific cards over time, you may not have the necessary context to determine whether a particular offer is worth applying for at any given moment.

Luckily, we've done that work for you and compiled all of the information you'll need into one handy guide. You can also check our frequently updated list of the best increased card offers to apply for.

In this article, we'll focus on American Express, which offers some of the best cobranded and proprietary rewards cards available from any issuer.

Best American Express welcome offers

Here are some of the most popular Amex cards, with guidance on when you should apply for each.

Just note that we're only discussing publicly available welcome offers. Some folks may receive targeted offers with more bonus points or cash back. Additionally, offers may change at any time, and some of the offers mentioned below may not be available at this time.

Keep in mind that American Express only allows you to earn one bonus per lifetime on each of its cards, so make sure to wait for the best time to apply. In addition, you may not be eligible for a welcome offer if you've already held a higher-tier card in the same family. For example, if you have or had the American Express Platinum Card®, you may not be eligible for a welcome offer on the American Express® Gold Card.

American Express Platinum Card

The Amex Platinum has long been one of the most popular premium cards on the market, despite its steep $895 annual fee (see rates and fees).

It offers a slew of luxury-skewing, value-added benefits that can save cardmembers money on everything from airline fees to hotel stays.

Here are the offers we have seen on the Amex Platinum:

Welcome offer history

*Valuations are based on TPG's August 2026 valuations and are not from the issuer.

Highest welcome offer

When the Amex Platinum ran its highest-ever offer, applicants could earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Plus, they could earn an additional 10 points per dollar spent on Shop Small purchases in the U.S. and at restaurants worldwide (on up to $25,000 in combined purchases) in the first six months of card membership. (for a total of up to 250,000 additional points). In all, this bonus offered up to 350,000 points when maximized.

Historically, the Amex Platinum's welcome offer has typically ranged from as low as 60,000 points to as high as 175,000 points (not including welcome offers with multiple spending requirements), although we've heard of prospective applicants being targeted for as few as 50,000 bonus points.

When to apply

Generally, aim to apply for this card only if you can secure a welcome offer of 150,000 points or more, whether through a targeted offer or a limited-time offer.

Learn more: Amex Platinum

The Business Platinum Card from American Express

The Amex Business Platinum often extends even more lucrative welcome offers than its personal counterpart and offers many of the same luxury perks, though some of its statement credits are focused on typical business expenditures.

Cardmembers pay the same $895 annual fee for the Business Platinum (see rates and fees) as the consumer Platinum.

Here are the offers we have seen on the Amex Business Platinum:

Welcome offer history

*Valuations are based on TPG's valuations and are not from the issuer.

Highest welcome offer

With the current welcome offer on the Amex Business Platinum, you may be eligible for as high as 300,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. If you receive an offer for the full 300,000 points, that's by far the best we've seen.

Over its history, the Amex Business Platinum's welcome offer has ranged between 75,000 bonus points and 300,000 bonus points.

When to apply

Any time this card's welcome offer equals or tops 200,000 points, it's worth considering.

Learn more: Amex Business Platinum

American Express Gold Card

The Amex Gold is an excellent everyday choice for foodies since it earns 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter) and on up to $25,000 per calendar year at U.S. supermarkets (then 1 point per dollar spent). These are solid earning rates for a card with a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees).

It has also fielded some valuable welcome offers.

Here are the offers we have seen on the Amex Gold:

Welcome offer history

*Valuations are based on TPG's valuations and are not from the issuer.

Highest welcome offer

The best public welcome offer we've seen on this card was short-lived. In June 2022, the Amex Gold upped its welcome offer for new applicants to 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership — but it only lasted a few days.

However, now you can find out your offer to see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. (Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.)

Over the course of its history, the Amex Gold's welcome offer has ranged from as low as 25,000 points to as high as 100,000 points.

When to apply

If you're able to get at least 60,000 points in your offer, it's worth considering an application.

Learn more: Amex Gold

American Express Business Gold Card

The Amex Business Gold card is great for small businesses thanks to its strong earning structure. It earns 4 points per dollar spent on your top two eligible spending categories each billing cycle (up to $150,000 per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent). Cardmembers pay $375 each year to hold this card (see rates and fees).

It has also provided some tremendous welcome offers in the past.

Here are the offers we've seen on the Amex Business Gold:

Welcome offer history

*Valuations are based on TPG's valuations and are not from the issuer.

Highest welcome offer

With the current welcome offer, new cardmembers may be eligible for as high as 200,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. (Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.) If you receive an offer for 200,000 bonus points, that's by far the best offer we've heard of for this card.

The lowest welcome offer we've seen for this card is just 35,000 points, while the highest is 200,000 points.

When to apply

If you see an offer for this card with 100,000 points or more and a spending requirement that you and your small business can easily meet, it's worth applying.

Learn more: Amex Business Gold

American Express Graphite Card

The American Express Graphite Card is Amex's newest card. With a $295 annual fee (see rates and fees), it's aimed at high-spending businesses that want to earn cash back with American Express.

Welcome offer history

Since this card hasn't been around for too long, its current welcome offer is the only one we've seen. Currently, new cardmembers can earn $1,500 cash back in the form of Reward Dollars after spending $50,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. (Reward Dollars can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.)

When to apply

While we can't say for certain what future offers on the Amex Graphite Card will look like, we encourage you to apply for the current offer if you're interested in the card.

Learn more: Amex Graphite Card

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express

The Blue Cash Preferred is one of the best cash-back cards currently available, with high 6% cash back earning rates on U.S. streaming subscriptions and U.S. supermarkets (U.S. supermarkets are subject to a $6,000 spending cap per calendar year, then 1%; users receive cash back in the form of Reward Dollars that they can redeem as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.)

These earning rates help justify its $95 annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year; see rates and fees).

Here are the offers we have seen on the Amex Blue Cash Preferred:

Welcome offer history

Highest welcome offer

This card's welcome offer doesn't vary much, but it has offered up to $350 cash back (as a statement credit) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.

This welcome offer hasn't changed too much over time, ranging between $150 and $350 back.

When to apply

If you are eligible for at least $250 cash back.

Learn more: Blue Cash Preferred

Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express

Though its earnings aren't as solid as the Blue Cash Preferred, the Blue Cash Everyday still racks up cash back at a steady clip. This card's lower earning rates are understandable, given that it lacks an annual fee (see rates and fees).

(Users receive cash back in the form of Reward Dollars that they can redeem as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.)

Here are the offers we have seen on the Amex Blue Cash Everyday:

Welcome offer history

Highest welcome offer

With this card's best-ever welcome offer, in the past, new cardmembers could earn up to $250 cash back: First, they could earn 20% back as a statement credit on purchases (up to $150 back) when using the card to check out with PayPal at merchants in the first six months of card membership. Plus, they could earn $100 back as a statement credit after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.

This card's welcome offer has seen little disparity over time, ranging from $100 to $200 back.

When to apply

Go for the easiest offer with at least $200 bonus cash back.

Learn more: Blue Cash Everyday

Delta American Express cards

American Express is the sole issuer of Delta's cobranded consumer and business cards. Amex's Delta cards feature elevated offers more commonly than most of their proprietary cards, so it's very important to know when it's the right time to apply.

If you're interested in one of Amex's Delta cards, check out our guide on Delta's cards' offer history to help you decide when it's the best time to apply.

Hilton American Express cards

American Express offers a range of cobranded Hilton cards to suit every traveler, from beginners to hardcore Hilton loyalists. Like Amex's Delta cards, the Hilton cards receive elevated welcome offers more frequently than the cards we've featured in this guide.

If you're interested in one of Amex's Hilton cards, we have a guide on when it's the best time to apply, based on the offer history of all the Hilton cards.

Marriott American Express cards

Marriott's portfolio of cards can be more challenging to track, since they have cards issued by Chase and American Express. American Express and Chase don't necessarily put elevated offers on their Marriott cards at the same time. Plus, both issuers have their own application rules and restrictions.

If you're interested in one of Amex's Marriott cards, we have a guide on all of the Marriott cards' offer histories to help you know when it's the right time to apply.

Bottom line

Pay attention to the welcome offers of any travel rewards cards you may be interested in, as offers can change frequently. Applying at the wrong time could mean missing out on thousands of bonus points or hundreds of dollars in cash back.

Before applying for any new card, look at the range of its previous welcome offers. Then, when an offer hits the higher end of that range, you can feel sure you're getting a great deal and making the right choice for your rewards strategy.

To learn more about credit card bonus offers over time, see the following:

• The best time to apply for these popular Capital One credit cards based on offer history
• The best time to apply for these popular Chase credit cards based on offer history
• The best time to apply for these popular Citi cards based on offer history
• The best time to apply for these 10 popular travel credit cards based on offer history

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Graphite card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday, click here.