Category Archives: Credit Cards

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Track Hotel Free Night Certificates & Credit Card Annual Fees with my Spreadsheet

Good afternoon everyone.  Last month, I was reading an article by Nick at Frequent Miler called Almost #Bonvoyed: a cautionary tale on free night certs.  In that post, Nick shared that after cancelling a Marriott stay booked with a free night certificate, the free night certificate did not automatically redeposit into his Marriott account.  He had to track down the cancelled reservation and call Marriott to get the free night certificate redeposited into his Marriott account.  Bonvoy!  Toward the end of the article, Nick stated, “You shouldn’t need a spreadsheet to track the history of your Marriott free night certs — but the reality is that you do need to stay organized with them.”

That’s when the idea hit me, I should create a spreadsheet to track my Marriott category 1-5 free night certificates… as well as my Hilton free weekend night certificates, Hyatt category 1-4 free night certificates, IHG 40k free night certificates, and Radisson Rewards anniversary points.  Here is my Hotel Free Night Certificate Tracker, maybe it will help you stay organized too.

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How to Renew your Global Entry Card & Membership Online ($100 Fee Every 5 Years)

Good morning everyone.  A few years ago, I wrote how to sign up for Global Entry, and now I am writing about how to renew your Global Entry membership (most of the process is the same).  I didn’t know my Global Entry membership was expiring in November 2019 until I received this email from Global Entry with the cryptic subject line “Program Expiry”.  I have several credit cards that reimburse the $100 fee for Global Entry (including my Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card), so it was a no brainer to renew my Global Entry membership.  To get started, I went to the Trusted Travel Program website.

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American Express Membership Rewards Points Post Fast for AMEX Card Referrals

Good morning everyone, I hope you had a great Fourth of July Weekend.  I spent the week in Orange County, CA and the weekend in Boulder, CO at a wedding.  While I was down in Orange County visiting my family, I went out to dinner with my grandparents.  My grandpa used his Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card to pay for dinner (3x on restaurant purchases).  My grandpa has been an American Express customer for 30+ years and is a mini travel hacker, so after dinner, I told him that he should get the American Express Gold Card because it offers 4x on restaurants and grocery stores (2 of his most frequent expenses).

Later that week, I was over at his house and he asked me to help him get the new American Express Gold Card.  He asked me to send him a link for the card, so I logged into my American Express online account, copied my referral link, and emailed it to him.  According to the referral page, you can earn 10,000 Membership Rewards Points for each referral, up to a maximum of 55,000 Membership Rewards Points per year.  The referral points should post within 8-12 weeks, but in my experience, the referral points posted within 3 days.  I sent my grandpa the referral link on July 2 and he applied and was approved for the card on the same day.

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First Class Flights Cheaper than Economy with AMEX Business Platinum 35% Membership Rewards Points Rebate

Good morning everyone, happy Friday!  A few weeks ago, I was looking at flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Orange County (SNA).  I found this 7:15pm Alaska Airlines flight that was $155 for Saver (Basic) Economy and $209 for First Class.  The flight is only 1.5 hours long and normally I do not fly First Class, but I remembered that the American Express Business Platinum Charge Card offers a 35% rebate when paying with American Express Membership Rewards Points on First Class flights.  Based on my calculations ($209 x 65% = $135.85), the First Class flight should be cheaper than the economy flight after the 35% rebate.  In this post, I will show you the steps to book the First Class flight using American Express Membership Rewards Points.

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Warning! US Bank Radisson Rewards Credit Cards Charge 3% Foreign Transaction Fees (FOREX)

Good morning everyone.  I guess today is the day that I bash US Bank and Radisson Rewards.  Earlier this morning, I wrote Problem Solved! Missing US Bank Radisson Rewards Credit Card Anniversary Points Posted.  In today’s post, I will tell you to be careful using your US Bank Radisson Rewards Credit Cards internationally and for international purchases because you will be hit with a 2-3% foreign transaction fee (FOREX).

The only reason I am using my (dusty) US Bank Radisson Rewards Credit Cards is because I received a targeted spending offer from US Bank / Radisson Rewards in early May.  Doctor of Credit has more details, but the bonus is simple: spend $500 in May, June, and July to earn 20,000 bonus Radisson Rewards points.  That was a pretty simple targeted spending promotion, so I brought both of my US Bank Radisson Rewards Credit Cards with me to Tahiti and used them a few times.  Unfortunately, I forgot that US Bank / Radisson Rewards charges foreign transaction fees on international purchases, so I racked up a few FOREX fees on my trip :(

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