New quarter, new offers. A quick 2026 Q1 reminder that you can discover targeted offers for your Chase-issued credit card at Chase.com/mybonus. This includes both their in-house cards like Sapphire or Freedom Flex and their co-branded cards like United, IHG, Hyatt, Southwest, Amazon, etc. For some reason, these are often offers that they don’t tell you about otherwise by email or snail mail.

You might get 5X points or 5% cash back on up to $1,000 spent on Gas Stations, Groceries, and Restaurants:

You may also simply get a message that your card can’t be found or that you weren’t targeted:

Updated for Rent Day 12/1. Bilt Rewards recently announced “Bilt 2.0” which promises three new credit cards with rewards on both mortgage payments and rent. Applications are not open yet; More details supposedly coming January 2026. If you have the existing card issued by Wells Fargo, it is scheduled to work as usual until February 6th, 2026.

December 1st, Bilt is offering a transfer bonus to British Airways* Avios of between 50% and 100%. (* or Aer Lingus and Iberia Avios.) Avios can be pretty useful in many cases, and this transfer bonus is a potential way of getting excellent value out of your Bilt points, if you have a redemption in mind.

If you haven’t, you should also link your Rakuten account to Bilt for a small but pretty easy bonus. Look for the option in the app.

Rent Day also means 2X double points where you can get 6X on dining, 4X on travel, and 2X on other purchases (except rent). There is a cap of 1,000 bonus points. Remember that you must use your card to make 5 purchases (of any amount) each statement period to earn points.

Existing Bilt members can still earn lots of Bilt points just for paying monthly rent to any landlord with no transaction fees, which is their most important feature.

Full review on the old card:

The updated Bilt Mastercard is a unique credit card that earns rewards on rent payments to any landlord. Bilt is a rent payment platform and they will send your landlord a check or ACH bank transfer so that your landlord will not have to do anything. The credit card itself is issued by Wells Fargo. Bilt has bonus categories and a variety of points redemption options like many other rewards credit cards. Here are the highlights:

• Up to 1X points spent on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year.
• 3X points on dining.
• 2X points on travel including hotels, rental cars, and cruises when booked directly with airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies.
• 1X points on other purchases.
• Earn points when you make 5 transactions that post each statement period.
• When renting at a Bilt Alliance property, you can choose to have your rent payments automatically reported by Bilt to the three major credit bureaus each month; Experian(TM), TransUnion(TM), and Equifax(TM).
• No annual fee.
• World Elite Mastercard perks like cell phone insurance and purchase protection.

That means your rent can be up to $100,000 per year ($8,333 per month) and you would still be able to take full advantage of the 1X points per dollar spent on rent payments. They do require you to make at least 5 transactions per month (rent can be one), otherwise too many people might just put their rent on the card and not use the card otherwise.

Bilt has partnered with the owners of over 2,000,000 apartment units to create the Bilt Rewards Alliance. The easiest way is find out if you live in a qualifying property is to simply type in your address into the Bilt app.

Bilt also offers Double Points on “Rent Day”, aka the 1st of every month. This means that on the 1st day of every month, you can get 6X on dining, 4X on travel, and 2X on other purchases(except rent). They also offer other promos on this day.

Bilt Rewards Points redemption options

Travel partners. Bilt Rewards points transfer on a 1:1 basis to the following hotel and airline partners. You can also get 100 bonus points for every loyalty program you link to Bilt.

• Alaska Airlines Atmos (Hawaiian)
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• United Airlines
• FlyingBlue (Air France/KLM)
• Miles & Smiles (Turkish Airlines)
• Emirates Skywards
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Aer Lingus Aer Club
• Turkish Miles & Smiles
• Iberia Plus
• TAP Air Portugal
• World of Hyatt
• IHG One
• Accor ALL

Hyatt hotel points, Alaska, and United are likely the most useful points for the average US traveler. I am conservative when valuing points and miles due to their redemption hassles and steady threat of devaluation, so I would place the value here a 1 cent a point even though I definitely plan to exceed that. You may wish to use a different value.

Home Downpayment? Bilt says that your points can be redeemed at 1.5 cents per point when used towards a home downpayment. This seems like it might be rather complicated to actually redeem, so I would keep it mind but wouldn’t count on it. If you racked up 100,000 points over time, it would be nice to have $1,500 via this method.

Shop with Points at Amazon. You can link your Bilt Rewards points to Amazon and pay for your purchases at rate of 0.70 cents per point.

Rent. Bilt will let you convert points towards your next rent payment at 0.55 cents per point. This is not a good redemption rate when compared to the miles/Hyatt option. It’s too bad there is no easy, decent cash-out option.

Statement credit. Bilt will also let you convert points towards a statement credit on your credit card statement at 0.55 cents per point.

Other options include fitness classes or physical items like “limited-edition” home decor or art in the “Bilt Collection” catalog. Personally, I like being able to add to my Hyatt and Canada Aeroplan stash.

Possibly help your credit score? When renting at a Bilt Alliance property, your on-time payment activity can be automatically reported to the three major credit bureaus. In addition, with the optional “BiltProtect” feature, your rent payments will be immediately withdrawn from a linked bank account so your credit limit is not decreased (and ideally your rent won’t contribute to your credit card debt).

How do I pay my landlord or property manager? They don’t take credit cards due to the transaction fees. Bilt will provide you with a bank ACH routing number and account number that you can use to perform an ACH transfer, or they will simply send a paper check on your behalf. In March 2025, Bilt added a pre-authorization step that you have to do first in the Bilt app. After that they will provide you new routing and account numbers. You don’t actually pay with the credit card, nor do you or your landlord have to pay any credit card transaction fees.

1. Pre-authorize your payment in the Bilt app (before you pay rent)
Each month, pre-authorize your rent payment from the Bilt app, up to five (5) days before paying rent.
Select your rent amount and payment method.
Use your Bilt Mastercard® for your usual rewards and waived fees, or
Use any other credit/debit card to earn both Bilt Points AND your card’s rewards.
First time only: You’ll receive your BillPay by Bilt routing and account numbers. Add these to your property’s payment portal, replacing your old Rent Rewards account details.
Optional: After setting up BillPay, you can enable auto-authorization under ‘Rent Payment Options’ by selecting the day of the month and payment amount you want automatically authorized each month.

Free cell phone protection. Pay your monthly cell phone bill with your Bilt Mastercard and get up to $800 of protection (subject to $25 deductible) against covered damage or theft. For complete coverage details, visit wellsfargo.com/biltbenefits. To file a claim, call 1-800-316-8051 or visit mycardbenefits.assurant.com.

Bottom line. The Bilt Mastercard offers a unique rewards structure targeted specifically at all renters with any landlord. At $2,000 a month in rent, the 1X rewards would add up to 24,000 points per year in rewards = 24,000 Alaska Atmos (Hawaiian) or United miles or 24,000 Hyatt points with no additional transaction fees and no credit card annual fee. You may even do better if you wait for a “Rent Day” promo on the first of the month. Something to consider if you already have to pay rent anyway.

Amazon Cyber Week 2025 has arrived, and I will update this post as new things pop up. My first stop is to check the “Buy Again” tab for any red discounts on the specific stuff that you already buy. There are also several refreshed promos for linking certain credit cards as payment methods and/or using their points. I recommend trying all the links again.

(Note: If you are reading this in an email/RSS reader, unfortunately I am not allowed to include any Amazon affiliate links in e-mails, so they have been removed. Please click here to view the links.)

Some deals require a Prime membership. New members can sign up for a 30-day free trial. Amazon Prime Student (student OR age 18-24) has a 6-month free trial and then 50% off the regular price ($7.49/month). If you’ve already done the trial, you can simply buy a month of Prime for $14.99 ($6.99 with SNAP, EBT or Medicaid card).

Deals and Offers

• List of all current Black Friday/Cyber Week deals (updated constantly).
• Gift Card Sale – Up to 20% Off. Examples include CPK, Ulta Beauty, Applebees, H&M.
• Prime Visa $250 Gift Card. This is usually their biggest bonus of the year – Get a limited-time $250 instant Amazon gift card.
• Already have the Prime Visa? Get 10% back on these Prime Card Bonus items.
• Earn 25 cents/gallon of gas on Fridays with Earnify. After that, save 10¢ a gallon at BP, Amoco, and participating ampm stations when you link your Amazon Prime and earnify™ accounts.
• Amazon Device Deals (Echo, Blink, Eero, Ring, Kindle, Fire, etc).
• Apple Deals (Apple Watch, Airpods, Macbook, AirTags, etc).
• Samsung Deals (Galaxy Phones, Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Watch, etc).
• YETI Deals (YETI tumblers, bottles, coolers, etc)
• Sony Deals (headphones, earbuds, cameras)
• Playstation Deals (headphones, earbuds, cameras)
• Dyson Deals

Amazon-related Services

• Kindle Unlimited – 3 months for $1 trial. Usually $11.99 a month. Targeted.
• Amazon Music – 3 months free. Usually $10.99 a month. Targeted.
• Audible Premium Plus – $0.99/month for 3 months + $20 Audible credit. Includes 1 free credit per month, so that could be 4 free audiobooks. Targeted.
• Amazon Photos – $15 credit with first-time use.

Shop with points (check again if targeted). Offers for using your rewards points to offset your Amazon purchase. If you haven’t linked your card, you may enroll your card and check back in after 24 hours.

• Get $ off with Citi ThankYou points. Refreshed; Try it again.
• Get $10 off with Discover® rewards. Refreshed; Your targeted offer might be better.
• Get 15% off with Membership Rewards points. Refreshed; Your targeted offer might be better.
• Get 10% off with American Express Reward Dollars. Refreshed; Your targeted offer might be better.
• Get $ off with Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Most likely not working at the moment.
• Get $ off with Capitol One Rewards points. Most likely not working at the moment.
• Get $ off with US Bank Rewards points. Most likely not working at the moment.

Stuff I Like

• Lodge 7.5 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid – I am no longer Team Cast Iron. I’m Team Enameled Cast Iron. I hate trying to keep the seasoning on a cast iron when I also like to use a lot of soap when cleaning. Our enameled cast iron dutch oven is used multiple times a week. It works on the stove. It sears. It simmers. It has high walls that hold a lot. It slides into the oven. It goes straight to the table. No PFAS from non-stick. This 7.5 qt size is the biggest Lodge makes, and allows me to make a double batch of recipes like soup and freeze the extra.
• SHOKZ OpenRun Bone Conduction Headphones – I bought these for running about a year ago and they have been great. I can hear cars and other road noise for safety but also enjoy music or audiobooks while outside. I honestly don’t know what the more expensive version offers, I bought this cheaper version and it works just fine through the sweat and rain.
• Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen, most recent) [GPS + Cellular 40mm] . Now $249. I just bought one for Kid #2 for use as a standalone watch with US Mobile service ($78 a year).
• Coway AP-1512HH HEPA Air Purifier. These have now been used nightly for 7 (!) years. The mechanical design is simple and reliable. I have bought both the OEM Coway filters and these VEVA brand filters (usually less than half the price) and found them very comparable. Once you see how much dust these things collect (especially if your kids have allergies), you’ll want keep them running.
• Dyson V11 Origin Cordless Vacuum. Expensive. Powerful. Solid. Used daily.
• Amazon Eero mesh WiFi router system (3-pack). I have the older model, but I appreciate that it continues to just work with minimal fuss. Used reliably every day for years now.
• COSORI Air Fryer 5 Qt. THis is the newest model. Love this air fryer. We use it almost daily, just like a microwave, except it keeps things crispy instead of soggy. Easy to clean. Owned our Cosori since early 2023 and still running fine.
• Vitamix 5200 blender. Had it for many years. Kitchen staple, sometimes we use it a lot, sometimes rarely, but it’s always there ready and powerful.
• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer. 20 years of use on ours and counting.

The Navy Federal Flagship Rewards Card is their “premium” travel rewards card, and it has always had some nice features for those that wanted a single everyday card because it offered a boosted 3X back in travel but also a flat 2X back on everything else. In addition, the points were directly redeemable for cash (not only offsetting past travel purchases).

However, the card also had a $49 annual fee. The sign-up bonus was usually pretty good and included a free year of Amazon Prime membership ($139 value), but it only promised it for a single year. The thing was, there were scattered reports that if you kept the Flagship card linked and charged your next year of Amazon Prime on it, NavyFed would still reimburse you for that second year. But it wasn’t official, and testing it out requires paying for another annual fee, which is a bit risky.

Well, this “secret” perk is finally official! I found this out via an Instagram ad.

I checked and indeed, the application page now says that all cardholders get a “free Amazon Prime® membership (a $139 value, annually)”.

Offer applies only to Amazon® Prime Annual membership that is paid with your Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card and posted to your account. Offer is not valid for monthly payment Prime membership options such as Prime Monthly, Prime for Young Adults, and Prime Access. Limit of one Amazon statement credit per Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card account, per year. Please allow 6-8 weeks after the Prime Annual membership is paid for the statement credit to post to your account.

The highlights including current sign-up bonus:

• 35,000 bonus points when you spend $3,500 within the first 90 days of opening a new card. 35,000 points is worth $350.
• Free year of Amazon Prime membership. Use the card to purchase an Amazon Prime annual membership, and they’ll reimburse you ($139 value). This now works once a year.
• 3X points per net dollar spent on travel.
• 2X points per net dollar spent on everything else.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit (up to $120), once every 4 years.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• $49 annual fee.

The overall catch here is that in order to apply, you must first become a NavyFed credit union member. Membership eligibility for NavyFed now goes beyond active duty members of the armed forces and DoD employees to include veterans and their immediate family members — including spouses, siblings, parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren.

A smaller catch is that each point is worth $0.01, with a minimum redemption 5,000 points = $50 statement credit. There is a max of $1,500 cash back redeemed each year this way, and you can also redeem 4,900 points to offset the $49 annual fee. Sometimes it gets annoying waiting to reach that $50 threshold. But at 2% cash back on base purchases and 3% back on travel, it’s not a horrible idea to put some purchases on this card. From the fine print:

Visa Signature Flagship cardholders can redeem points for cash (1 point is equal to $0.01). The minimum redemption level is 5,000 points for $50 cash back. The maximum level of redemption is $1,500 cash back, which is equivalent to 150,000 points. Cash back rewards will be credited to your Navy Federal savings account.

I don’t know how NavyFed mathed this one out, but if they keep this structure then this card moves solidly into the “keeper” category for those that already pay for Amazon Prime membership, as the card more than pays for itself each year at $139 vs. $49 annual fee. I also appreciate the straightforward rewards system and $120 towards Global Entry/TSA PreCheck every 4 years.

Side note: NavyFed shares their rules about credit card applications publicly as follows:

Is there a limit on the number of Navy Federal credit card accounts I can open?

Yes. Currently, Navy Federal allows each member to be a primary cardholder on up to 3 Navy Federal credit cards. In addition, we’ll approve only 1 new credit card per member within a 90-day period. This means we’ll decline your application for a new credit card if you opened a credit card within the last 90 days. Note: Home Equity Line Platinum credit cards and GO BIZ® Rewards credit cards aren’t included in this 3-card limit.

Citi has joined in the ultra-premium rewards card category with the Citi Strata Elite credit card. As with similar cards, there are a lot of travel-related perks, some associated “lifestyle” perks, and a hefty annual fees. Yet our “lifestyle” is more about sneaking the 3rd kid into a Hampton Inn and booking affordable Airbnbs so we can hike in a national park with our free 4th grader pass.

I recently finished up the spending requirements for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, and I realized that while I will get a lot of first-year value out of the card, I will also leave many of the benefits completely unused. And that’s okay! I don’t want to spend $200+ on a fancy dinner only to then have to worry about it not being reimbursed and then spend additional time arguing with customer service about it. I will pick up the easy stuff, and move on. So that is the lens for this review, as I consider my next credit card.

(Side note: You can read about some the drama surrounding this card (WSJ gift article) during its initial launch. Not the best way to treat “premium” customers… I hope Citi has ironed out these kinks.)

Perk highlights:

• Limited-time offer: 100,000 ThankYou points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months.
• $300 annual hotel credit for prepaid stays of at least two nights booked via Citi Travel portal.
• $200 annual “Splurge Credit” at select sites (includes Best Buy, Apple, Airbnb, American Airlines, Delta Airlines).
• $200 annual Blacklane chauffeur credit ($100 January–June, $100 July–December).
• Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, once every 4 years.
• Priority Pass Select membership for access to 1,500+ airport lounges worldwide.
• 4 annual American Airlines Admirals Club lounge passes.
• Travel and purchase protections including trip cancellation/interruption, delay protection, lost/damaged luggage, MasterRental coverage, extended warranty, and purchase assurance.
• $595 annual fee.

Rewards structure highlights:

• 12X points hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal.
• 6X points on air travel booked through the Citi Travel portal.
• 6X points at restaurants (including delivery) every Friday and Saturday from 6p to 6a ET (“Citi Nights”).
• 3X points at restaurants otherwise.
• 1.5X points per dollar on all other purchases.

Getting low-effort value out of Citi ThankYou points. If you prefer “cash back” rewards, then you might already have the Citi Double Cash card as it allows you to earn a flat 2% cash back on all your purchases. (Notice the Double Cash still beats this fancy card for most purchases!) However, technically you earn 2X Citi ThankYou points on all your Double Cash purchases, which you are then allow to redeem at a rate of $0.01 per point. Therefore, if you have both this Strata Elite and the Double Cash, then you can combine the points and redeem that 100,000 ThankYou point bonus for $1,000 cash (statement credit). Without the Double Cash, you are only going to get 75% of that amount ($750 for 100,000 points.)

(My second-favorite option would probably be to transfer to American Airlines miles, which are probably the most flexible and valuable option for a US domestic traveler. You can use their “Cash + Miles” option when booking a flight and reliably get more than 1 cent per mile value without having to use them in huge blocks. Finally, you could wait to redeem for a gift card during a promo, or you can redeem ThankYou points at Amazon at 0.80 cents per point using their “Shop with Points” feature. 100,000 points = $800 to spend at Amazon.)

Getting low-effort value out of the $200 “Annual Splurge Credit”. Here’s their text:

Every calendar year, earn up to $200 in statement credits on your choice of up to 2 of the following brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines (exclusions apply), Best Buy®, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation (exclusions apply).

I would simply pick Best Buy as my option and then promptly buy an Amazon gift card from Best Buy for $200 and load it directly into my Amazon account balance. (Airbnb and Apple gift cards would be my next choices.) Easy. Done. Won’t forget to use up. Notice also that the credit is based on calendar year. If you apply for this card before the end of 2025, you can get $200 in 2025 and also $200 in 2026 during the first year of paying that huge $595 annual fee.

The rest is gravy on top. For example, I might use the annual hotel credit, but I also already have a ton of hotel points and not that much travel planned. I don’t want to spend $1,000 to “save” $300. I probably won’t use the Blacklane credit; I looked up my home/airport combo and it cost $165 vs under $50 for Uber/Lyft. The airport lounge access is nice but honestly most of these Priority Pass lounges are so crowded nowadays. I’ll probably use the $120 Global Entry credit depending on expiration timing, but won’t count it for now.

The main point is that you often still do well without maximizing every potential benefit. With just the easiest non-travel rewards listed above, I am already at $1,000 statement credit + $400 in Amazon gift cards – $600 annual fee = $800 net first-year value.

The One Key and One Key+ credit cards are travel rewards cards offered by Expedia Group (Expedia, Hotels.com, and VRBO) and issued by Wells Fargo. Rewards are earned as “OneKeyCash” which can only be used to offset travel bookings on one of those three sites. Personally, the main draw for me is VRBO as we often book one larger space instead of two hotel rooms for our family of five. Right now, there is a limited-time offer. Highlights:

One Key Card

• New cardholder bonus: $400 in OneKeyCash after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
• 3% back in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
• 3% back in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores and on dining.
• 1.5% back in OneKeyCash on all other purchases.
• Automatic Silver One Key status. Supposedly, this includes “savings of 15% or more on over 10,000 hotels worldwide.” Unlock Gold when you spend $15,000 per calendar year.
• Other benefits include no foreign transaction fees, cell phone protection, and travel protections like travel accident insurance and trip cancellation insurance.
• No annual fee.

One Key+ Card (note the plus sign!)

• New cardholder bonus: $600 in OneKeyCash after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
• 3% back in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
• 3% back in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores and on dining.
• 2% back in OneKeyCash on all other purchases.
• Automatic Gold One Key status. Supposedly, this includes “savings of 20% or more on over 10,000 hotels worldwide.” Unlock Platinum when you spend $30,000 per calendar year.
• $100 in OneKeyCash each year on your Cardholder anniversary.
• $120 Global Entry/TSA credit. Receive one statement credit up to $120 for a Trusted Traveler Program, such as Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck®.
• Other benefits include no foreign transaction fees, cell phone protection, and travel protections like travel accident insurance and trip cancellation insurance.
• $99 annual fee.

The credit card rewards stack on top of the standard OneKeyCash earned for booking on Expedia, Hotels.com, and VRBO. However, it’s often cheaper to book a hotel directly at their own website, so I usually don’t use Expedia or Hotels.com. With VRBO, often the same house is also listed on Airbnb and on a small independent management site. Sometimes VRBO is the cheapest (after all their fees and taxes) or offers the best refund policy, so I still use VRBO in those cases.

Limitations on Expedia flight bookings. You can use OneKeyCash for a flight, but note the following limitations:

To use OneKeyCash on a flight, you will need enough OneKeyCash to cover the entire cost of your eligible flight, including taxes and fees, and may not add any optional extras like checked bags or seat assignments. You can purchase those extras after booking your ticket. OneKeyCash may only be used on selected flights.

In contrast, you can use OneKeyCash to partially offset a VRBO rental, down to the penny. Note that not all VRBO properties are eligible for OneKeyCash redemption (VRBO must be their payment processor) and you must use the “Pay Now” option.

I personally don’t usually use Expedia or Hotels.com on a regular basis, but I do book on VRBO regularly enough to expect to use up the OneKeyCash bonus. For those that have done most of the other big credit card bonuses, this card still offers some good potential value, even if it is in a more restricted rewards system.

Mesa is a new fintech focused on “homeowners”, currently with a credit card and mortgage lending product. Their Mesa Homeowners Visa Card (issued by Celtic Bank) currently has a 50,000 points bonus albeit with a pretty high spending requirement. The card does have a unique set of perks that could be valuable.

Bonus details:

• 50,000 bonus points after $12,000 or more on eligible purchases within the first 3 months (90 days) of Card Membership. Offer currently set to expire 10/15/25.
• To receive this offer you must apply and be approved for the Mesa Homeowners Card between 9/19/2025 – 10/15/2025 Must use code SEPT50 or CHRIS50 at card application to qualify for the offer.
• Must apply via iOS or Android app.
• Bonus points will be credited to your account within 8–12 weeks after the qualifying purchase threshold is met.
• You are not eligible to receive this welcome offer if you currently have the Mesa Homeowners Card, or if you are a previous Mesa Homeowners Card holder.

Card details:

• 1X Mesa Point per $1 on your monthly mortgage payment, up to 100,000 points annually, when you spend at least $1,000 during your statement cycle on eligible purchases with your Mesa Homeowners Card.
• 3X Mesa Points on purchases categorized under Home Decor, Home Improvement, General Contractors, Cable & Streaming Services, Home Insurance, Property Taxes, Maintenance, Telecom, Utilities and daycare. 2X Mesa Points on groceries, gas, EV charging. (Note: Target, Amazon, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club do NOT count as 2X.) 1X Mesa Points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
• This is a confusing statement, and indeed the rewards system is a bit funky. You can earn points based on your stated monthly mortgage amount, BUT you don’t actually pay your mortgage with this credit card. However, you must charge $1,000 to the card on other things, in order to trigger the mortgage-linked rewards.
• $65 Costco Annual Credit – When you join Costco or renew your existing membership on the card.
• $120 Lowe’s Annual Credit – Maximum of $30 per quarter. Must link your myLowes Rewards account.
• $200 Thumbtack Annual Credit – Hire trusted pros for home projects
• $100 Armadillo Home Warranty Credit
• $120 Wag! Annual Credit – On-demand pet care
• $120 The Farmer’s Dog Annual Credit – Fresh, healthy meals for your pup
• No annual fee.

Fine print on the credits here.

What can Mesa points be redeemed for? Yet another currency and point system to track.

• 1.2 to 1.4 cents per points via their Travel Portal.
• 0.8 cents per point when you cash out towards your mortgage, even though you don’t actually pay your mortgage with it (it goes into your linked bank account).
• 0.8 cents per point towards gift cards.
• 0.6 cents per point as a credit card statement credit.

You can also transfer to the following at a 1:1 ratio, except for ALL which is only at a 1.5:1 ratio.

Air Canada Aeroplan
Air India Maharaja Club
Finnair Plus
Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club
SAS EuroBonus
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
Vietnam Airlines LotusMiles
Accor Live Limitless (1.5 Mesa -> 1 ALL point)

Personally, I’d probably either go with the 0.8 cents value virtual mortgage offset, or transfer to Air Canada points.

Bottom line. This is a new fintech and so there may be some hiccups with applications, identity verification, and them changing up their features and workarounds. However, the potential first-year value is very high if you can satisfy the high initial spending hurdle. That’s up to 50,000 points upfront + 100,000 points per year on mortgage, which is worth at least $400 + $800 in cash (technically towards your mortgage).