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How To Book A Safari With Points, New Rewards Updates, and More!

How To Book A Safari With Points, New Rewards Updates, and More!

Discover the latest news in the world of points.

PointsParadise
July 06, 2023

Welcome Back!

If you’re new to Points Paradise, welcome to the community! Otherwise: welcome back to your go-to source for points updates.

We’re already into July: have you gone on any summer trips yet?

I’m currently bankrolling points for a Europe trip in the fall, but if you’re going on a fun trip soon, send a reply! It’s great to feature trips and stories from the Points Paradise community.

News From This Week

Chase Freedom Flex Now Giving 5% cash back at theme parks, sporting events, and more

From July 1st through September 30th, the Chase Freedom Flex is giving 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar spend) on the following Summer entertainment categories:

Theme parks, marine exhibits, musical groups, fairgrounds, traveling shows, live music events, performers, high-profile sports events, art galleries, stage plays, visitor sites and displays, animal parks.

Chase lowers Ink Business Preferred from $15,000 in spend to $8,000

If you’re a freelancer, self employed, or run a business and looking for a business rewards card you’re in luck: Chase has lowered the required spend on the Ink Business Preferred by nearly 50%!

Valued at approximately $2,000, the 100k bonus points offered by the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card upon signup render it one of the most rewarding business cards in the market.

How To Book A Safari With Points: JW Marriot Masai Mara Lodge Now Open For 2024

Looking for a fun trip to use your points on? The best travel experiences tend to fill up fast, but the JW Marriot in Kenya just opened up availability for early and mid 2024.

Each room is currently below 80k points (though that might change by the time you look at this).

With limited rooms assigned for points redemption, these opportunities are usually quickly snapped up.

So check it out if you’re looking for a fun vacation!

Resource Roundup

A quick roundup of the top offers, deals, and more that you should know:

New Chase IHG Bonus Offers: Chase's updated IHG Premier and Traveler cards offer up to 140,000 and 80,000 IHG points respectively, plus $100 and $50 statement credits for IHG stays.

Targeted Offer of 5 AMEX points per $1 on Amazon: American Express offers selected cardholders 5 extra points per dollar on Amazon purchases until August 21, 2023, with a cap of $200 spending.

Chase Freedom Now 5% Cash back On Q3 Categories: Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders can earn 5% back at gas stations, EV charging points, and selected entertainment from July 1st until Sep 30, 2023, for up to $1,500 spending, after category activation.

New Hyatt Offers Announced: Hyatt offers two new promotions: 1) Earn 1,000 bonus points per night at Dream Hotels, registration until August 15. 2) Double points on qualifying international stays, registration until July 31.

Increased Capital One Transfer Rate For Miles: Capital One offers a 20% transfer bonus to AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue. This makes the transfer rate from 1,000 Capital One points to 1,200 Flying Blue miles.

6% Cash Back for Amazon Prime Visa Cardholders: On Prime Day (July 11-12, 2023), Amazon Prime members will receive 6% cash back on their credit card for purchases at Amazon and Whole Foods.

British Airways Card Bonus: Earn 10X Avios per $1 spent up to $1,500 on combined purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants.

Pro Tip of the Week

How Reading The Fine Print Can Make You Money and Save Your Points

Credit card rewards programs typically have conditions around when points expire, what credits can specifically be used for, and more.

Some holders ignore these, and end up losing out on benefits, thousands of points, and credits which is terrible!

While each program has different conditions, always be sure to take note of their specific details when joining.

Some examples from popular programs:

The British Airways Visa Signature Card is always popular choice for travelers. Their points do expire after 36 months if you there’s no activity on your Avois account.

Citi ThankYou points do not expire and there is no cap on the points you can earn, as long as your account remains open and in good standing. However, points earned from a sign-up bonus may expire after a certain period, usually mentioned in the offer.

Reward Reminder of the Week

What Is The Chase 5/24 Rule and Can It Stop You From Opening Credit Cards?

In the world of credit card rewards, there are few rules as infamous as the Chase 5/24 Rule. As savvy card users, it's vital to understand what this rule is, how to avoid getting stung by it, and indeed, how you might even turn it to your advantage when it comes to reaping credit card rewards.

What is the Chase 5/24 Rule?

Simply put, Chase's unofficial 5/24 Rule stipulates that if you've opened five or more credit cards with any bank in the last 24 months, Chase may reject your new card application. This rule generally applies to most Chase cards, including popular ones like the Chase Sapphire series.

Avoiding the Pitfalls of the 5/24 Rule

To avoid the 5/24 Rule's impact, strategically plan your credit card applications. Aim to open fewer than five new cards every two years and prioritize applying for Chase cards early on.

Also, keep in mind that not all credit inquiries count toward the 5/24 limit. For instance, most business credit cards (even those from other issuers) do not show up on your personal credit report and therefore do not contribute to your 5/24 count.

Travel Tool Alert

If you want to maximize your points & rewards, tools are must.

I’m always on the lookout for new tools, and this week came across a new one in Beta from Baily @bailey___fisher on Twitter

He’s built https://statusachiever.com: a platform to calculate SQM, SQD & PTS you'll earn from flying with AirCanada while being an aeroplan member.

It’s currently in closed Beta but he’s taking signups: if you’re interested checkout the link here

Community Corner

I’ve had a rough year with rent and my credit got lowered substantially. I want to qualify for a new rewards credit card but keep getting denied, any ideas?

- Question from a subscriber

Our Answer:

I'm sorry to hear about the challenges you've faced this year. Navigating financial difficulties can be tough, but please remember, it's totally possible to rebuild your credit and become eligible for reward credit cards once again!

Here are a few cards that can help you get your credit back on track, before applying for the bigger cards:

Discover it® Secured: This card offers cash back on purchases and matches all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. There is no annual fee, and after eight months, Discover begins automatic monthly reviews of your account for potential transition to an unsecured card.
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card: With no annual fee and a possible low deposit, this card could be a good option for building credit. Capital One also periodically reviews your account for possible credit line increases.
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card: This card does not require a credit check, making it accessible for those with severely damaged credit or no credit history. There is an annual fee, but no requirement for a bank account, which is unusual among secured cards.
Citi® Secured Mastercard®: This card requires a security deposit but has no annual fee. It's a simple, straightforward card intended for building credit rather than earning rewards.

Remember, improving your credit score is a marathon, not a sprint. With careful planning and disciplined financial behavior, you'll be able to qualify for a rewards credit card in the future.