American Express recently rolled out a new limited time offer on the no annual fee Hilton Honors Card from American Express, which is valid for a limited time. This is Hilton’s starter co-branded credit card, and it’s currently offering a welcome bonus of 75,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $1,000 within the first three months.
The welcome bonus offered 50,000 Honors points in the past upon completing minimum spend, so this bonus is a 50% increase compared to before. Past increased bonuses had a higher spend requirement to earn the bonus. Since you have no annual fee to pay with this card it’s a no-brainer for a free stay at Hilton.
Click Here to Apply for the 75K Bonus on the No Annual Fee Hilton Honors Card From American Express.
This Hilton Honors AMEX Card offers:
7x Honors points for spend directly with Hilton, 5x points for spend at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and 3x points for all other eligible purchases
Hilton Honors Silver status for as long as you have the card; Hilton Honors Silver members receive a fifth night free on award redemptions, so you’d receive that by virtue of having this card
Hilton Honors Gold status when you spend at least $20,000 on the card in a calendar year
No foreign transaction fees
Rental Car Protection option
Having this card gives you access to Amex Offers, which can save you money with many retailers. I save hundreds a year on this benefit. They normally offer Hilton Hotel offers such as “stay at the Hampton Inn spend $150 get $35 back.”
99% of merchants in the U.S. who accept credit cards now take American Express. Just a fact here if you are wondering if AMEX is accepted as widely as VISA or Mastercard. The most recent Nilson Report found that 10.6 million U.S. merchant locations accepted American Express at the end of 2025.
We recently saw the introduction of the new Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which is Capital One’s new premium credit card. May travel experts are saying this is the card you should be replacing your American Express Platinum and Sapphire Chase travel cards with as the best card. This card builds on the basics of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (review), which has long been Capital One’s flagship travel credit card.
With many Capital One Venture cardmembers trying to make sense of the Capital One Venture X and compare to see which card is better and if you are you eligible for the Venture X if you have the Venture we are looking to address some of these questions here.
Both cards offer 2x Venture miles per dollar spent with no foreign transaction fees, making these the best cards for everyday spending. They both offer a TSA Precheck or Global Entry fee credit once every four years.
Capital One Venture cards are one of the best overall for travel rewards
The Venture X is such a no-brainer over the Venture. The card’s annual fee is $300 higher ($395 vs. $95), but for that you’re getting
A welcome bonus of 100,000 Venture miles plus a $200 vacation rental credit upon completing minimum spending, rather than a bonus of 60,000 Venture miles A $300 credit valid through Capital One Travel every cardmember year, which you can apply towards flights, hotels, and rental cars 10,000 Venture bonus miles on your account anniversary every year, which you can transfer to Capital One’s airline and hotel partners, or can be redeemed for one cent each towards a travel purchase A Priority Pass membership plus Capital One Lounge access (the DFW lounge is amazing); these benefits apply not only to the primary cardmembers, but also to up to four authorized users, which you can add to your card at no cost Hertz President’s Circle status, which will score you upgrades and more when renting with Hertz A variety of protection benefits on account of this being a Visa Infinite Card, including cell phone protection 10x miles on hotel and rental car purchases through Capital One Travel, and 5x miles on flight purchases through Capital One Travel
The math works out very favorably here. For the Venture X you’re paying an extra $300 per year over the Venture, and the $300 Capital One Travel credit should cover that. Then you’re receiving endless incremental perks, like the anniversary bonus miles, lounge access for you and up to four authorized users, and so much more.
Access the Capital One Lounge DFW with the Venture X How should you acquire the Venture X if you have the Venture? Say you have the Capital One Venture, and you decide that you want to pick up the Capital One Venture X. What’s the best way to go about it? You have two options — you can either apply outright, or you can potentially upgrade your card. Let’s go over the details, as well as the pros and cons, of each of these options.
Apply outright for the Venture X and receive the bonus Even if you have the Capital One Venture, you can still apply for the Capital One Venture X, and be eligible for the welcome bonus. This is no doubt the most lucrative path to getting the card:
You’d be eligible for the welcome bonus of 100,000 Venture miles plus a $200 vacation rental credit You don’t have to pick up the phone, as you can apply for the card directly online The downside to this method is that this would be like any other credit card application, so your credit would be pulled, and you’d have to be approved for the card; that being said, there are lots of reports of instant approvals on the card, and you may even end up with a significantly higher credit line than you have on the Venture
Redeem your Venture miles for Emirates first class Product change & upgrade to the Venture X Most credit card issuers will let you product change between cards in the same “family,” assuming you’ve had a card for at least 12 months (generally product changing isn’t possible within the first year). This will be an option for many, but generally isn’t as lucrative:
You don’t receive the welcome bonus if you product change or upgrade from the Venture to the Venture X Some Venture cardmembers are being targeted for an upgrade offer of 50,000 miles if upgrading from the Venture to the Venture X; however, this is targeted (so check your email or online account), and for that matter that’s still a far cry from the standard welcome bonus of 100,000 miles plus a $200 vacation rental credit The benefit of this option is that there’s generally no credit pull when product changing (though you’ll want to officially verify when you make the request, based on your situation); so this could be useful if you don’t think you’d be approved, or if you’re trying to stay under Chase’s 5/24 limit
You may be able to upgrade to the Venture X The strategy I’d take for acquiring the Venture X If it were me, I’d try to apply outright for the Capital One Venture X, given the exceptional welcome bonus being offered. Unless you have a specific reason that this would be problematic, that seems like the best bet. Personally I value Capital One miles at 1.7 cents each, so that welcome bonus is worth around $1,900 to me, which is massive.
We recommend you apply outright, even if I had the Venture Card. However, in the event that you get denied or have issues with approval, you can always later try to product change from the Venture to the Venture X. Even if you get rejected for the application, that wouldn’t impact your odds of being able to product change to the card in the future.
Bottom line The new Capital One Venture X is a highly lucrative travel rewards credit card. It’s a no-brainer to get this card over the Capital One Venture. While the annual fee is $300 higher, there are so many incremental perks that should prove worthwhile for anyone who travels with any frequency.
For those who already have the Venture, there are a couple of ways you could acquire the Venture X. You could apply outright, which is what I would do, since you’re eligible for the massive bonus on the card. Alternatively, you may also be able to product change. The catch is that you won’t be eligible for the full bonus — you may be targeted for some sort of an upgrade offer, but it will be at most 50,000 Venture miles.
These Disney credit cards offer up to a $200 statement credit bonus with qualifying purchases in addition to special Disney rewards and perks. If you are planning summer travel to one of the Disney parks or buying retail store purchases then make sure you get one of these cards first. We are huge fans of Disney World Resorts and have written several posts on saving money in their parks.
Disney’s Premier Visa Card $200 Bonus The Disney’s Premier Visa Card offers a $200 statement credit after you spend $500 within the first 3 months from account opening. You’ll also earn 2% in reward dollars on card purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and most Disney locations as well as 1% on all your other card purchases. Save 10% on merchandise purchases of $50 or more at the Disney Online or in-store.
Here is a list of some of the hottest credit card bonus offers out there for air travel and hotel stays.
#1 Hilton Visa – 80,000 Bonus Points after $2k spend in 3 months . 80,000 points is a great start but not enough for even one night at most of their top tier hotels but is enough for 3 nights in a Hilton Garden Inn or Hampton Inn. You still need to jump on this offer as it is one of the best they have had in the last few years. Also, the Hilton Visa does lots of promotions that are targeted such as a few I have right now. A few examples are spending $700 and getting 7,000 points and spending $10,000 for 10,000 points. Every bit helps you get towards your ultimate goal of a free night or two at a Hilton Resort. Also, make sure to grab the American Express version of the Hilton HHonors Rewards Card to the right.
#3 Citi Premier – 50,000 Bonus Points after $3k spend in 3 months. We applied for this card mostly because the annual fee of $95 is waived the first year. You could get both the Prestige and Premier cards to get up to $848 in American Airlines Flights.
#4 Marriott Visa – 80,000 Points after $3k spend in 3 months. You have until August 31, 2015 to take advantage of this offer but the annual fee is $85 is not waived. This is the best deal we have seen with Marriott Visa in some time and you can get another 80,000 with the business card for small business owners. If you do not plan on spending $3k and $2k instead there is also a 70,000 points offer available. It gives less miles but the $85 annual fee is waived and you get 1 free night (category 1-4) after you are approved. 80,000 is enough for 8+ free nights at category 1-2 hotels or 2 nights at the better hotels. Don’t forget about the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Visa Sign-Up Bonus which was as high as 140,000 Points a few months ago and all of those points convert to Marriott Rewards if you use your Marriott number on the application.
#5 Citi Executive AAdvantage – 75,000 Mile Bonus after $7,500 spend in 3 months. While this card has a $450 annual fee that is(not waived it comes with several valuable benefits including but not limited to Admirals Club membership and 2 guests, credit up to $100 to pay for expedited Global Entry, priority check-in, and free 1st checked bag which more than pays for the card. Plus you get reimbursed on some charges when flying. You can score up to 3 domestic round trip tickets. If you do not mind paying the huge fee that you will get back and spending $7,500 then this works out to be one of the best cards on the market. [aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/earnMiles/beyondTravel/creditDebit/citi-executive.jsp]
Wells Fargo enters the transferable points card market with the new Autograph Journey Card. It offers lucrative bonus categories and a compelling welcome offer, making it immediately interesting for many travelers.
The Highlights
Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 within the first three months
Annual Fee: $95, but a $50 annual airfare credit brings the effective cost down to $45
Earning Power: Get 5x points on hotels, 4x on airlines, 3x on travel and dining, and 1x on everything else. No foreign transaction fees!
Points Transfers: Transfer your points to frequent flyer programs including Air France, KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus, AerClub, and Choice Privileges.
Other Perks: Travel protection and exclusive concert access through Autograph Card Exclusives
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey VISA credit card review
Is it Worth It?
With strong earning categories for travelers and the ability to transfer points to valuable airline partners, the Autograph Journey is worth a look. There’s already solid value in this card, but keep these considerations in mind:
Competition: The transferable points market has well-established players. Cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or American Express Gold Card offer richer rewards ecosystems and more partners.
Future potential: Wells Fargo’s points transfer program is brand new. More transfer partners could make this card significantly more valuable.
Transferring Points:
Airline and Hotel transfer partners for the new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey travel credit card.
Autograph Journey: Offers transfers to a select group of airline loyalty programs including Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club Avios points, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub, and Choice Privileges. (Availability to start on April 4th, 2024).
Bilt:Bilt points (known as the “Rent Day card”) have a wider range of transfer partners, including many popular options like United MileagePlus, American AAdvantage, and Emirates Skywards. Bilt also frequently offers transfer bonuses.
Strategy to Downgrade Autograph Card to BILT?
Possible, but not ideal: While downgrading to the Bilt Card after getting the Autograph Journey bonus is technically possible, it might not be the best strategy. Wells Fargo might have restrictions, you’d lose benefits, and miss out on a potentially lucrative system for earning transferable points.
Autograph Card Exclusives
The Autograph Journey Card gives access to the “Autograph Card Exclusives” program. This offers intimate concerts with big-name artists in smaller venues. A past example is a Mumford & Sons performance in Los Angeles for 1,500 people. They are currently offering an exclusive experience with Imagine Dragons. This can be a fantastic perk for music lovers.
New Wells Fargo Travel Card Review Verdict
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card is a competitive newcomer with notable earning rates on travel and potential within its airline points transfer program. If you frequently fly with its airline partners, or absolutely love the idea of the exclusive concerts, this card could be a good fit.
However, if your travel goals are less focused and you want broad flexibility for earning and transferring points, the Bilt card might be a better long-term play, even without the initial bonus.
Ibotta is an app and site which offers rebates and cash back for in-store purchases and, app purchases, and online shopping.
Sign-up here to get a $10 Bonus from Ibotta! See how to get the bonus below.
In-Store Rebates
My recent run to Walmart got me a free 2 Liter of Cherry Coke, soup, a free energy drink, and the best deal was the totally free 4-pack of IZZE sparkling juice.
The majority of the site is dedicated to in-store rebates which offers cash back when you purchase specific items from a participating store.
After saving a specific deal in the app, proceed to buy the product and get cash back into your Ibotta account. You might get $.75 back on the purchase of Toiletry Wipes, $.25 back on milk, or $3 back on a case of beer, for example. They normally offer cash back on just taking a photo of a receipt or buying a generic (any) brand of milk or cheese.
Just make sure to save or unlock the deal before making the purchase. Go to the Unlocked Deals tab in the app to see which ones you’ve already added. Once added, it doesn’t need to be added again until it expires.
Sometimes you have to answer a poll or question about the brand before being able to save the deal. Which is no hassle at all and is probably how the brands pay iBotta to give you generous discounts.
