Welcome Back!

Hope everyone is doing well 😊

I’ve said before that the Amex Gold is probably the card I use most, and its benefits outweigh the annual fee for me. While that is still the case, I’m finding the $50 resy credit to be a bit confusing…

I feel like I’ve dined at plenty of restaurants that use Resy in the second half of the year, but haven’t yet received a credit. Maybe I’m just being a bit impatient? Either way, it’s making me a little anxious not seeing that credit come up just yet. Does this happen for anyone else?

Hopefully the above doesn’t happen to you. Still a fan of the card in any case!

In today’s edition:

• 💰️ Capital One’s New Signup Bonuses 💰️ 

• 🏦 Transfer Bonuses ✈️

• 💳️ U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Updates 💳️

• 📰 Other Stories & Deals 💰️

• 💳️ Best Card Signup Bonuses 💳️ 

💰️ Capital One’s New Signup Bonuses 💰️

Yes, I usually have the best card signup bonuses section every week, and this week is no different - it’s just that Capital One released a bunch of new signup bonuses, which seem worth covering in a story!

A total of 5 new and elevated signup bonuses on Capital One credit cards are out! They are:

• Capital One Venture ($95 Annual Fee): 75k points + $300 Travel Credit after spending $4k in the first 3 months

• Capital One Spark Business ($95 Annual Fee, waived the first year): $1000 after spending $10k in the first 3 months

• Capital One Quicksilver (No Annual Fee): $200 + $100 Travel Credit after spending $500 in the first 3 months

• Capital One Savor (No Annual Fee): $200 + $100 Travel Credit after spending $500 in the first 3 months

• Capital One VentureOne (No Annual Fee): 20k points + $100 Travel Credit after spending $500 in the first 3 months

There’s a lot of new bonuses here, and they’re all pretty good! The 75k plus $300 travel credit on the Venture is even higher than the previous bonus was, so very exciting. That makes the bonus worth at least $1050, if you value the $300 travel credit at face value (I do) 👍️

If the $100 Travel credit on the no annual fee cards is also something you’ll take at face value, that’s around $300 or so back for $500 in spend - that’s a 60% return on spend!! 😮

The best thing about Capital One bonuses is that even if you earn cash back, if you have another card that earns miles, that cash back can be converted to miles! So if you get the $1000 bonus on the Spark, for example, if you have a Capital One miles earning card, that $1000 bonus can be converted to 100k points, should you wish! Not too bad at all!

If I was eligible for these bonuses I’d probably jump on them - I think the Venture (or Venture X) and the Savor is one of the best credit card duos for rewards! Those 2 cards give you 2x on everything, 3x on groceries and dining, and a bunch of other multipliers and benefits. So yeah, feel free to jump on these bonuses while they are available!

🏦➡️✈️ Transfer Bonuses

A chart of transfer partners by bank, along with other information, can be found here!

💳️ U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Updates 💳️

Most of the talk in this newsletter is around Chase, Amex, Capital One and Citi (some Bilt sprinkled in, and a few others). I’m actually not sure I’ve ever mentioned US Bank before, but their cards are pretty good! I’d say the main reasons they don’t get discussed on Sense per Point is that they don’t have transfer partners, and that their best card is no longer open to new applicants. But that could all change!

The U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve (no longer open to new applicants) is US Bank’s most expensive card, but arguably its best - it earns 3x on all mobile wallet purchases! No matter the purchase, if you use Apply Pay or Samsung Pay (or Google Pay? Is that still a thing?), it will always earn 3x. Crazy stuff! There are other great benefits to it, of course.

However, some of that is changing at the end of the year - from the bank’s own guidance:

• 👎️ 3x Mobile Wallet purchases will be capped at $5,000 per month (then 1x)…

• 👎️ $325 travel and dining credit changed to $325 credit for travel booked through US Bank Travel Center

• 😢 Redemption value for travel dropped to 1c per point from 1.5c per point currently for travel redemptions through US Bank Travel Center. A 33% drop.

• 👍️ US Bank will introduce transfer partners!

These are mostly nerfs, so it doesn’t look like they will reintroduce the card to new applicants anytime soon… For US Bank customers though, transfer partners could be an interesting proposition, as there are always some good redemption opportunities there. That will probably be better than the 1c per point redemption through US Bank’s travel portal, anyway 🤷

Not great stuff from US Bank here, but this card hasn’t had new applicants since last year, so hopefully there are not too many affected. But the nerfs to premium cards are hitting even US Bank. Not looking great 😭

It doesn’t personally affect me, as I don’t have this card, but still sad for those who do have it, and the worrying trend of premium cards losing benefits and getting nerfed continues. Hoping for no more of this bad stuff! 🤞

📰 Other Stories & Deals 💰️

• Honestly, nothing else really going on this week! Hoping for more deals next week 💸 

💳️ Best Card Signup Bonuses 💳️ 

Again, the usual solid cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred^® / Reserve®

• Chase Freedom Unlimited^®/Flex^®

• Amex Gold & Plat

• Capital One Venture X

Do search for public links for the above cards to compare signup bonuses to make sure you get the highest one (incognito mode, Resy, etc.).

For cards with elevated signup bonuses (targeted bonuses are not included), I’ve got:

📤️ Spread the Word! 📤️

Thanks for subscribing! This newsletter is committed to helping you maximize your points and rewards, at no direct cost to you! (appreciate you using any of my referral links, though!)

If you do find this newsletter informative, helpful, or entertaining, I’d greatly appreciate you spreading the word about it! If not, please do give me feedback on how I can improve your Sense per Point experience.

Also, if my newsletter helps you to book travel using points, let me know! It’ll make me so happy 😄 

Hope that all makes sense! That’s all for this week’s edition of Sense per Point.

Wishing everyone a wonderful rest of your day and week 😊 

- Sean Kim

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