Introduction PFS Buyer’s Club is a group that allows you to pre-register for the ability to sell them limited-edition coins before they go on sale from the US Mint. The process is simple. Register and “opt-in” for the deal with PFS, buy and receive the coin you paid for with a credit card from the US Mint, mail the coin…
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Introduction Credit card signup bonuses offer the most efficient and cost-effective way to earn miles, points, or cash back. As a followup to my post 66 Credit Card Approvals in 3 Years, I break down the return you can expect from new accounts associated with each type of rewards currency, and show how I earned a 21.4% return on signup bonuses…
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[Update 2017.4] – See Signup Bonus Math: The Best Return on Credit Card Spend for details regarding my return-on-spend. Introduction In June 2014, I came across the term “travel hacking” while reading a personal finance blog. It sounded interesting, so I learned about the basics of credit card points. At that time I had only one credit card, a Capital One Venture,…
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Update [2017.06.19] – I just received my third installment of up to 10 rides at 50% off within the past three weeks. HOWEVER, this time the promotion seems to be targeted for use anywhere “in the United States.” Previously the promotion was only available for use in specific cities within the U.S. The email subject line is the same as posted…
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Introduction My fiancé recently accepted a new position with a company in Tampa, FL, which means we will be relocating from Seattle at a time when hotel and gasoline prices increase for the summer tourist season. Since I’m a practical man with an affinity for saving money, this trip provides a great opportunity to burn some points while saving money on travel we…
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Update 2017.5.30: I just chatted with an Amex rep and my third upgrade round for 100,000 Hilton points is pending! Hopefully the points will post today so I can try to downgrade and upgrade one more time before the offer expires on May 31. If you haven’t upgraded yet and are eligible via the link below, now is the time! Introduction American Express…
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Chase just sent out emails to Freedom and Freedom Unlimited cardholders for a promotional offer where you earn $15 in cashback by making 5x purchases with Android Pay at the grocery store. The subject line of the email is “It pays to use your Chase Freedom card with Android Pay.” It appears that I received this offer on only one…
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[Update 2017.5] – This post has been edited from the original version as reader Kan noted a math error in the original post. Upon review, Hilton actually awarded points based on an award stay immediately prior to the cash stay, in addition to the cash stay described below. This is not standard and the post has been rewritten to reflect solely…
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The Lounge at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) is one of three airside Priority Pass accessible lounges at BOS. I was recently flying Jet Blue out of the C terminal and stopped in for a light breakfast and pre-departure beverage. Access is provided for all C Terminal departures EXCLUDING Gate C40 and C42, and from Terminal E via the walkway near Gate E1. While The Lounge is…
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Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) are arguably the most valuable transferrable points currency due to the number of products that can be used to acquire points, the breadth of their transfer partner redemption options, and their baseline value of 1.0 cent per point (cpp) when redeemed for cash. In Part 1 of this chapter on Chase UR, we focus on how…
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The Chase Ink Preferred business card is now available for participation in the Chase Refer-A-Friend program. The referrer will receive 20,000 Ultimate Reward (UR) points per referral up to 100,000 UR per year. The referred will receive the standard public offer of 80,000 UR after spending $5,000 in 90 days. To generate referrals for an eligible Chase account, click here. Once you…
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Introduction American Airlines (AA) miles used to be one of the most sought after currencies for frequent fliers looking for outsized value when traveling on AA metal, both domestically and abroad. When AA completed their merger with US Airways in 2015, Saver award availability suddenly became scarce. With a few exceptions (flights to/from Asia), award availability remains relatively dismal. We recently told you about a 25%…
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2017.4 Update: Recent data points imply that, starting from Apr 21, 2017, Radpad + Apple Pay / Android Pay no longer counts as travel purchases, and thus no longer earns 3x points on CSR/Prestige. Data points: 1, 2, 3. If you still want to potentially earn 3x UR on Rent, check out Plastiq. Introduction RadPad is primarily a residential rental finder website/app…
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[Update 2017.4] – Referral bonuses are posting less than a week after a referred party is approved for one of the accounts mentioned below. I just received a promotional offer in my email from Capital One for the ability to earn up to $600 in their Refer a Friend program. The email subject line is “Your Name, a $200…
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Introduction With good timing and a little bit of planning, I was able to stack multiple deals to get 33% in savings off retail for the custom engagement ring of my fiance’s dreams. Keep reading if you want to learn how! Background In late 2016, I started shopping for an engagement ring. It took a few months, but I finally…
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