Author Archives: Grant

About Grant

Grant is an expert in frequent flyer miles, hotel loyalty points, credit card rewards, and cash back deals. He also has a pretty cool travel blog. Find him on Twitter @travelwithgrant.

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My 2 Retention Offers on Citi Strata Premier Credit Card

Good morning everyone.  A few days ago, the $95 annual fee posted to my Citi Strata Premier Credit Card.  I never use this credit card for purchases (I have other Citi and non Citi credit cards that have better bonus categories and bonus multiples), but I keep this credit card for the ability to transfer my Citi ThankYou Points (TYPs) out to transfer partners.  As part of my routine, whenever a credit card annual fee posts to any of my accounts, I call the credit card company and ask for a retention offer (read my recent post Midyear Review: My Credit Card Retention Offer Thought Process & Results).

Since I haven’t put any purchases on this credit card in several months, I was doubtful that I would receive any retention offers, but I wouldn’t know for sure until I called.  During the call, I told the rep that I was considering closing the account due to the $95 annual fee.  The rep transferred me to the retention offer department.  Surprisingly, the retention offer rep had 2 decent offers available:

1: Receive a $95 statement credit + 1,000 TYPs after spending $1,000 on the credit card each month for 3 consecutive months

2: Receive 10,000 TYPs after spending $3,000 on the credit card in the next 6 months

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How to Trigger $7 Dunkin Credit with $7 Gift Card Reload in Dunkin App

Good afternoon everyone, I hope you had a great weekend.  Along with the new card designs on the American Express Gold Card, you now have a $7 Dunkin credit every month.  There are not many Dunkin locations in the Bay Area, but I didn’t want to let a $7 credit go to waste.  I created a Dunkin account, download the app, signed in, and went through the process to buy a $7 Dunkin gift card, but that transaction kept failing.  I then decided to “gift myself” a $5 Dunkin egift card which I was able to add to my Dunkin account and then proceed with the $7 Dunkin reload.  If you already have a Dunkin card in your Dunkin account, you can skip this first step.

If you are starting from scratch (like me), go to the Dunkin gift card page and click the Buy Now button under the Give the Gift of Dunkin.

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My 2 Ascend Hotel Collection Stays in Helsinki and Stockholm using Choice Points

Good evening everyone.  In late June / early July, Laura and I spent 2 days in Helsinki, Finland, and 3 days in Stockholm, Sweden.  We stayed at 2 Ascend Hotel Collection properties that were bookable with Choice Hotels Points and I wanted to highlight these 2 hotels if you are looking for places to stay in either city.

Up first, we stayed 2 nights at the Hotel F6, Ascend Hotel Collection in Helsinki, Finland.  The hotel is named after the hotel’s address (Fabianinkatu 6).  Unfortunately, the reviews for Ascend Hotel Collection properties on Choice are pretty sparse, but don’t let that scare you.

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Discover It Credit Card $50 Authorized User Bonus (Targeted Offer, SSN Required)

Good afternoon everyone, I just received the following email from Discover regarding my Discover It Credit Card. If I add an authorized user to my account and the authorized user makes a purchase by October 5, 2024, I will get a $50 bonus.  I believe this offer is targeted since I didn’t see any mention of the authorized user bonus when I signed into my Discover online account and went to the Authorized User page. Last week, Discover had a similar promo with their referral program: Discover It Credit Card $100 Referral Offer, Earn up to $500 / Year (Referral Links Needed).  If you have a Discover It, please share your referral link in that post.

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3 Buy Miles / Points Promos Ending Soon: United (90%), Virgin Atlantic (60%) & Air France / KLM (40%)

Good afternoon everyone.  I was working on my Buy Miles & Points Page and found 3 offers that end in the next few days.  Always check the math to make sure that buying miles & points makes sense for you.  Do not buy miles & points speculatively unless you have a use in mind.  With that said, here are the 3 offers that end soon.

Up first, United Airlines is offering up to a 90% bonus, depending on the number of United Airlines MileagePlus Miles you purchase.  This offer expires today – July 31.

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