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🤙🏿 Welcome back to the Better Than Points Newsletter - the premier place for all things Credit Card Points News and Travel

My name’s Luis and I’m the one writing this (hit me up here!)

Hey everyone, and howdy to all the new faces!

Today, we’ve got a little bit of everything, some luxury hotel news, new credit card updates, and even some tasty treats that won’t cost you a thing.

So, instead of rambling on, let’s get right into it!

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🗞️ Travel News

New 4% Cash Back Card Launching Soon (LINK)

I’m going to skip right to the bad news first. If you don’t have a cool $100k lying around that you can just move over to U.S. Bank, you’re not going to get 4% cashback.

While, in theory, a 4% cash-back card sounds great for those who just want cash and don’t care about travel rewards.

I don’t know about you, but I definitely don’t have $100k to park in an account so that I can earn 4% on a credit card.

I bring this up because eventually, other cards might start entering the space, offering 4% cash back with more reasonable requirements.

While I’ll always value transferable points more, it’s nice to see cash-back cards stepping up their game.

The no-annual-fee U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card will earn:

• 2.5% if you have $5,000 – $49,999 on deposit with U.S. Bank,

• 3% if you have $50,000 – $99,999 on deposit,

• and 4% if you have $100,000 or more on deposit.

So, while it’s great to see these kinds of rewards, it’s not exactly useful unless you’ve got a hefty amount of money sitting in your account. Here’s to hoping we’ll see more competitive cards soon!

St. Regis Belgrade Opening November 2024

I’d be lying if I said Southeast Europe was on my list of places to visit next year, but when it’s a new hotel, especially a luxury one, I pay attention.

With the St. Regis set to open next month, you know I had to check if it's bookable with points.

To my surprise, rates for half the year are hovering between 30,000 and 37,000 Marriott points, which, for a $380 room, isn’t too bad. Especially when you factor in the fifth night free when using points.

Everyone gets free coffee (LINK)

OK, this one isn’t exactly points-related, but who doesn’t love free coffee or tea?

Starting tomorrow through the end of the 2024 MLB World Series (11/2), if you have a Capital One Café in your city, you can fill out this form, and they’ll send you a QR code to get a handcrafted beverage every day for free.

You don’t even need to have a Capital One Card!

But be careful not to use the wrong link because this one only gives you a free drink every Monday during the MLB season.

If you don’t know, here’s the full list of all the Capital One Café locations.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited®

If you’re a business owner and have been on the fence about whether you should apply for the Chase Ink Unlimited, well you only have until November 7th, 2024 by 7am ET

Right now, they have the best ever offer on the card.

Get $900 (in the form of 90,000 Ultimate Reward points) when you spend $6,000 in your first 3 months.

It’s simple and straight to the point with unlimited 1.5% cash back on all eligible spending.

This card is a popular choice given it has no annual fee.

An offer for 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, 17.99% - 23.99% thereafter.

And the ability to turn those $900 into transferrable points if you hold a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred®

Learn how to apply for the Chase Ink Unlimited

🤓 Hacks

• If you’re having a hard time keeping track of your cards, bonuses and redemptions but don’t want to use an app. Here’s an old-school Excel sheet you can use. Just make a copy of it and edit it however you’d like.

• With the holidays coming up, make sure you’re using sites like Rakuten to get cash back on things you were already going to buy. And don’t forget to switch your settings so you can get paid out in American Express Membership Rewards points instead of cash. That way, you can transfer them to partners and get even more value.

🧑🏿‍💻 Question From You

Every week I answer one question from the community. Reply to this email with yours because you’re probably not the only one that has it.

Question

With the year coming to a close, Jenny asked for tips on booking a trip to Hawaii next year.

While getting to Hawaii can be tricky depending on where you’re starting from, here are three tips I always recommend.

First, if you don’t live near a big airport, try to position yourself near a major airport, this gives you a better chance of finding award availability.

Second, the more flexible you are with your dates, the better your odds of booking flights with points.

And third, try to take your trip during Hawaii’s “slow season” you’ll likely have more luck.

If you can’t, try booking out as far in advance as you can, like a year out.

P.S. Hawaii is beautiful all year long, so there’s no bad time to visit. 🏝️

For even more details on getting to Hawaii using points, make sure to check out my Points Digest, where I have a whole section dedicated to it.

👀 My Favorite Finds

This section includes some of the best links videos and articles of the week around the points and travel community

• Delta Partnered with an Italian Luxury Brand for amenity kits (LINK)

• Easy way to get 2,000 free Skyward miles (LINK)

• Cool tap-to-cash feature on iPhones (LINK)

🏨 Hotel Of The Week

• Instead of paying high prices for hotels in Copenhagen try checking out this Category 1 hotel in Malmö where you’ll be able to use your free night certificates.