Credit Card News

Albertsons forU Amex Card: Is 3% Back Worth It vs a Flat 2% Card?

No annual fee, 5% on app orders, 3% in store, gas, dining and utilities. The break-even math against a flat 2% card shows who should apply.

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Venture X Business $500 Travel Credit: How to Hit the $3,000 Spend by December 15

Existing cardholders can earn a $500 Capital One Business Travel credit by Dec. 15. Here is the return math, the eligibility catch, and who should skip it.

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Amex Retires Cruise Privileges for a New Cruise & Yacht Collection: What Platinum and Business Platinum Holders Get

The onboard credit and 2x points did not change, but three new yacht brands joined, including one whose first ship has not sailed yet. Here is what is actually new.

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Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select and Business Fee Rises to $150 in 2027: Keep, Downgrade, or Cancel?

Both cards jump from $99 to $150 at your first renewal after Jan 24, 2027. New perks land for everyone the same day. Here’s the break-even math and who should keep, downgrade, or cancel.

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Your IHG Premier Card Fee Is Going Up to $150 in 2027: What Existing Cardholders Should Do

Premier goes from $99 to $150, Business from $99 to $200, at your 2027 renewal. New credits can offset it, but only if you’ll actually use them. Here’s the keep-vs-downgrade-vs-cancel math.

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Chase Launches $350 IHG One Rewards Premier Select Card With a 200,000-Point Offer (Ends November 18)

New top-tier IHG card plus a portfolio-wide refresh. Existing Premier and Business cardholders keep their old fee until their 2027 renewal.

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Southwest Plus Card: The Real 80,000-Point Offer Is Targeted. The Public Link Gets You 50,000

Chase’s public page shows 50,000 points today. The 80,000-point version is real, but targeted-only via Southwest email, through Dec 2.

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Amex Platinum’s $600 Lodging Credit Gets a 2-Night Minimum Starting January 2027

Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings currently work on a single night; starting Jan 1, 2027 they need two nights to trigger the credit. Book before Dec 31 to keep the one-night option.

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Amex and Airbnb Just Partnered Up: Platinum Earns 5x Points, Plus a New $250 Credit

Book an Airbnb through the new Amex Travel Homes tab instead of Airbnb.com and Platinum/Business Platinum cardholders earn 5x points, with the $600 lodging credit now covering Airbnb Luxe stays.

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Amex Business Platinum Adds Free ZO Coworking Membership Starting Oct 22

Business Platinum and Corporate Platinum cardholders get unlimited ZO Clubhouse access and a $500 annual credit at no added fee, but it requires manual activation and only covers six launch cities.

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United Is Scrapping Flight-Based Elite Status in 2027, and Its Credit Card Just Got More Important

United is ending the flight-segment path to status and raising the 1K bar to 32,000 PQP. Existing elites who skip a United card are about to lose a re-qualification deposit they used to get for free.

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All four United personal cards got bigger welcome offers October 1. The fee-adjusted math says the no-fee Gateway and Explorer actually net more than the headline Club card offer.

Citi replaced the 48-month wait with a permanent, per-card restriction on Strata, Strata Premier and Strata Elite bonuses, effective September 20.

The transfer ratio jumps from 1:1.6 to 1:1.92 through October 31, but it is only worth using against a specific, already-priced SkyTeam award.

The new $350-fee Premier Select card launched with a 200,000-point bonus, but Chase’s own application pages still show the old terms on the Premier, Traveler, and Business cards as of this morning.

Ink Business Preferred Loses 1:1 Hyatt Transfers October 1: The Fix Most Business Owners Miss

The ratio drops to 4:3 on October 1, but the bigger catch is that Ink Business Preferred can’t transfer to Hyatt at all without a second qualifying card.

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Credit Card Surcharge Laws by State: Where the Fee Is Legal in 2026

Surcharges are banned in 4 states and capped at 2% in Colorado. The full state-by-state breakdown, plus how to spot an illegal fee — and how it ties together our Indiana, Washington, Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania surcharge-law coverage below.

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The DoorDash restaurant credit triples and now covers any order type, pushing total DoorDash-linked value to $516/year, enough combined with the $300 travel credit to cover the $795 annual fee.

Indiana has no surcharge law for private merchants, but one statute lets its Alcohol and Tobacco Commission override bank-card agreements to add a fee on permit payments.

Washington has no law banning credit card surcharges, but WAC 458-20-108 means the surcharge itself is taxable: B&O and retail sales tax apply to the full pre-surcharge price.

Michigan’s Treasury ruled the surcharge itself is taxable, the opposite of what Alabama just decided.

The Interchange Fee Prohibition Act regulates bank fees, not surcharges, and it’s currently blocked in federal court.

HB13 would undercut Visa and Mastercard’s own caps. It hasn’t passed, and it hasn’t died either.

Ohio has real surcharge statutes, but they only regulate the state, county, and township offices charging you, not the store.

HB1780 was tabled Sept. 8. Here is what actually governs credit card fees in PA right now, and how to spot a non-compliant one.

Chase Freedom Flex: What Changes on September 14 and September 20, 2026

Activate Q3 categories by Sep 14, then the card drops its 3% foreign transaction fee (and cell phone protection) on Sep 20.

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Citi AAdvantage Executive Card Refresh: Annual Fee Jumps to $695 on August 23

The Citi AAdvantage Executive annual fee rises from $595 to $695 on August 23. Here is exactly what changed and whether the new credits are worth the extra cost.

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Amex Adds 350+ New Hotels to Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection

Amex just added 350+ properties to Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, topping 3,400 hotels in 116 countries. Here’s what’s new and how the $600 credit works.

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Priority Pass and LoungeKey members lose Sapphire Lounge access entirely on Aug 15. Here’s who’s unaffected, what it costs now, and where the lounges actually are.

Chase Sapphire Reserve, J.P. Morgan Reserve, and Ritz-Carlton cardholders get free access to the new 18,000-square-foot lounge at DFW Terminal D, plus two guests before a $27 fee kicks in.

Points now redeem directly at Apple Pay checkout at about 0.7 cents each, roughly a third of what transfer partners can be worth. Here’s when it makes sense.

Q3 2026 Citi Dividend categories are gas stations and home improvement stores at 5% through September 30. Key angle: the annual $6,000 cap works differently from Chase and Discover’s quarterly limits.

On July 1, Bilt Rewards offers up to 200% more Hilton Honors points on every transfer. Here is the math on whether it makes sense for your account.

Delta and Amex upgraded the full SkyMiles card lineup on June 4, adding a second free checked bag and a new $120 rideshare credit to the Gold card with no fee increases.

American Express is permanently ending its MR transfer partnership with Etihad Guest on June 30. Here’s what to do with your points before the deadline closes.

Chase Sapphire Reserve WHOOP Offer: Get Up to $359 Back on a Fitness Wearable

CSR cardholders get $359 back on a WHOOP Life Membership Annual Plan. CSP cardholders get $100 on any WHOOP membership. Activate in Chase Offers before purchasing. Offer expires May 12, 2026.

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Barclays AAdvantage Cards Move to Citi on April 24: Checklist for Cardholders

All Barclays AAdvantage Aviator and Platinum Select accounts migrate automatically to Citi on April 24, 2026. Earn rates and benefits stay the same. Three steps every cardholder must take now: cancel Barclays autopay, set up Citi online access April 27, and watch for a possible new card number.

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Amex Account Shutdowns: What Triggered the March 2026 Wave and How to Protect Yourself

Buying group activity and heavy international spend drove the closures. Here’s whether your account is at risk.

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Amex Platinum Fee Hits $895: Is It Still Worth It?

The fee increased at renewal from January 2, 2026. New credits were added. Honest math on who benefits.

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