Breaking Points: Credit Card News

Chase is notifying some holders of the original Chase Freedom Card, which is no longer open to new applicants, that their accounts will automatically be converted to the Chase Freedom Unlimited by November 20, 2026. The original Freedom earns 5X Ultimate Rewards points in rotating quarterly categories, similar to the Freedom Flex, while the Freedom Unlimited offers 1.5X on everyday purchases instead. This could be a significant downgrade for cardholders who regularly maximize those quarterly categories. If you're affected and want to keep earning 5X, you can contact Chase about switching to the Chase Freedom Flex instead, which also offers rotating 5X bonus categories. Keep in mind that Freedom Flex is a Mastercard, while the original Freedom and Freedom Unlimited are both Visas. That distinction matters most for Costco shoppers, since Costco warehouses only accept Visa credit cards. Not all original Freedom cardholders appear to be affected.

Wyndham Rewards is offering a 100% transfer bonus to United MileagePlus, improving the standard 5:1 transfer ratio to 5:2. That means you'll receive 2,400 United miles for every 6,000 Wyndham points transferred. Members can transfer up to 90,000 Wyndham points during the promotion, and no expiration date has been announced. While that 100% bonus sounds impressive, you're still giving up 2.5 Wyndham points for every United mile received. Wyndham recently devalued its award chart, adding a new 45,000-point category and moving many properties into higher categories. This transfer could make sense if you have a large Wyndham points balance that you value less after the devaluation and a specific United redemption in mind. We wouldn't recommend transferring speculatively. You can view the offer and initiate transfers here.

Choice Privileges has officially launched free points sharing between members, a feature first announced last year as part of its loyalty program changes. Members can now transfer points to any other Choice Privileges member at no cost, giving members an opportunity to combine balances for award stays. There are several parameters for transfering. First, the minimum number of points you can transfer is 5,000, with additional transfers in 1,000-point increments. Members can send up to 200,000 points but can only receive up to 100,000 points per calendar year. Perhaps the biggest one to be aware of is that both accounts must be at least 30 days old, so make sure any family member you may transfer to or from has an account set up. Transfers should be completed within 24 hours, but we've already seen some reports that these are instant. The biggest caveat is that receiving points from another member does not reset your points expiration date like transferring in from a transferable points system like Amex or Wells Fargo. This means you can't use this as a way to extend the validity of your points. You can transfer points directly through Choice's website.

As of October 1, 2026, World of Hyatt has ended its longstanding promotion offering 500 bonus points per night at new properties. They are replacing it with a new offer for 2X points on eligible paid stays. The biggest changes are that the old bonus was automatic and applied to both paid and award stays, but the new 2X points offer requires booking a specific "New Hotel Member Bonus Offer" rate. As you might imagine, the new special rate isn't always the cheapest available, and to top it off, award stays no longer qualify for the bonus. Members earn an additional 5 points per dollar spent at most Hyatt properties, up to 25,000 bonus points per stay. That means a $200 nightly rate would earn 1,000 bonus points instead of the previous 500, but only if the "New Hotel Member Bonus Offer" rate is comparable. While the new offer could be more rewarding for some paid stays, losing the automatic bonus and the ability to earn points on award nights makes this a disappointing change overall. Be sure to compare the special rate against other available rates before booking.

Amex has two targeted ANA offers right now. One gives you 30,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $2,500 or more in one or more qualifying purchases through November 30, 2026, and one offers $300 back with the same requirements. The points offer effectively earns an extra 12 Membership Rewards points per dollar when spending exactly $2,500, while the cash-back version provides a 12% rebate. The points offer could be really nice if you're targeted on an Amex Platinum or Gold Card, as each card earns 5X and 3X, respectively, on eligible airfare purchased directly from airlines. That could give you a total of 42,500 Membership Rewards points on $2,500 in ANA airfare with the Platinum Card or 37,500 points with the Gold. Qualifying flights must originate in the U.S., be charged in U.S. dollars, and be marketed and operated by ANA. Bookings must be made directly through ANA's U.S. website, app, or U.S. reservation phone line. If you're planning on paying cash for an upcoming trip on ANA that meets the requirements, make sure you check your Amex Offers before booking.