THIS PAGE IS NOT MAINTAINED OR UPDATED. To see all current Credit Card offers, visit our Credit Cards page.
Shortly after “social distancing” entered our vocabulary, we began staying at home as much as possible. Retail stores, restaurants, bars, hotels and airports were replaced with grocery stores, food delivery services and streaming entertainment. Credit card companies quickly noticed these trends, along with increasing calls from customers to cancel or downgrade cards with high annual fees. Why pay large annual fees when many of the perks are travel-related and unusable at the present time? On May 1, 2020 American Express and Chase responded in a massive way, giving their customers many new ways to find value in their cards.
Chase Updates
On April 30, Chase emailed a “targeted” offer to many Bonvoy Boundless cardholders that they would receive 6x at U.S. Supermarkets for up to $5,000 spend by 7/31/20. This offer was expanded today. Presently, Chase has these new offers for bonus spend at grocery stores:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: 5x, up to $1,500 in spend per month in May and June 2020.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: 3x, up to $1,500 in spend per month in May and June 2020.
- Chase United Infinite: 5x, up to $1,500 in spend per month in May and June 2020.
- Chase United Explorer: 3x, up to $1,500 in spend per month in May and June 2020.
- Chase World of Hyatt and Chase Hyatt: 3x, up to $1,500 in spend per month in May and June 2020.
- Chase British Airways/Iberia/Aer Lingus: 3x, up to $1,500 in spend per month in May and June 2020.
- Chase IHG Premier/Club Select: 3x, up to $1,500 in spend per month in May and June 2020.
- Chase Southwest Plus, Premier and Priority: 3x, up to $1,500 in spend per month in May and June 2020.
All in all, each card gives you an opportunity to earn between 4,500-7,500 points/miles each month (9,000-15,000 total).
American Express Updates
Not to be bested by Chase, American Express announced numerous changes to earning structures, added additional monthly benefits to some cards, and modified/extended travel benefits to some co-branded cards. Here are the current changes:
- American Express Platinum: $20 monthly statement credit for wireless telephone charges and a $20 monthly statement credit for streaming services.
- American Express Business Platinum: $20 monthly statement credit for shipping charges; $20 monthly statement credit for wireless telephone charges; and, an additional $200 in Dell credits, $100 between 5/1/20 and 6/30/20 and $100 between 7/1/20 and 12/31/20.
- American Express Green: $10 monthly statement credit for wireless telephone charges
- American Express Bonvoy: earn 6x at U.S. Supermarkets, up to $7,500 spend by 7/31/20.
- American Express Bonvoy Brilliant: earn 6x at U.S. Supermarkets, up to $7,500 spend by 7/31/20. Additionally, the $300 annual credit for Marriott purchases will work for spend at U.S. Restaurants through 8/31/20.
- American Express Hilton Honors Surpass: earn 12x at U.S. Supermarkets until 7/31/20. Additionally, all spend counts as base points for earning Hilton status. Lastly, all weekend night certificates (usually valid only for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights) are valid any night and certificates issued 5/1/20 to 12/31/20 are valid for 24 months.
- American Express Hilton Honors Aspire: earn 12x at U.S. Supermarkets until 7/31/20. Additionally, all spend counts as base points for earning Hilton status. All weekend night certificates (usually valid only for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights) are valid any night and certificates issued 5/1/20 to 12/31/20 are valid for 24 months. Lastly, the $250 annual Hilton resort credit is now valid at U.S. restaurants between 6/1/20 and 8/31/20.
- American Express Delta Cards: all Amex-issued Delta cards earn 4x at U.S. Supermarkets through 7/31/20.
Our Analysis
Of all these offers, these things stand out:
- CSR: 15,000 UR earned in two months.
- Hyatt: 9,000 Hyatt points earned in two months (and earning 3 elite nights per $5,000 in spend).
- Amex Platinum: Maxing the two monthly credits, plus Saks, Uber, and the airline incidental credit means this card is a money maker for you, even after the $550 annual fee.
- Amex Green: if you use the $100 Clear credit, plus $10/month wireless credit, you've more than made up for the $150 annual fee.
- Hilton Surpass & Aspire. WOW. Just WOW. 12x at U.S. Supermarkets through 7/31/20 is bonkers. Plus, any new free night certificates are valid for any night of the week. You can combine these for a long stay for maximum benefits. Switching the Aspire credit to U.S. Restaurants means all cardholders can take advantage of this.
Final Thoughts
If you are like me, your grocery spending is at an all-time high. You should definitely create a game plan for yourself to maximize these new offers on Chase and Amex cards. Come join our Facebook group and we can help you maximize these new offers.
h/t: Doctor of Credit
