Breaking Points: Credit Card News

Chase is targeting some cardholders with a $100 statement credit after spending $600 or more through the Chase Travel portal between July 1 and September 30, 2026. On its own, this isn't a particularly exciting offer. Where it gets interesting is that it stacks with the $250 Edit Hotels credit and the $250 Chase Travel hotel credit offered on the Chase Sapphire Reserve personal and business cards. If you can combine those benefits on the same booking, you could receive up to $350 back on a qualifying $600+ hotel stay. If paying with a combination of Ultimate Rewards points and cash, at least $600 must be charged to the eligible Chase card to qualify. The offer is limited to a single qualifying transaction.

Rakuten is offering a $100 bonus (or 10,000 Bilt points if you've selected Bilt as your earning preference) when applying for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited as a new Chase for Business customer. That stacks with the card's current elevated welcome offer of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points, creating an outstanding return on a no-annual-fee card. If you're in two-player mode, however, the 40,000-point referral bonus is generally the better play. The catch is that the applicant must be a brand new Chase for Business customer to be eligible for that referral offer. If your Rakuten account is set to earn Amex Membership Rewards, you will not see this offer. Your Rakuten earnings must be set to cash back or Bilt points.

Some Delta Business cardholders are receiving targeted upgrade offers on their Delta Business Gold and Platinum cards. The offers include 50,000 SkyMiles after spending $8,000 in 6 months to upgrade from Gold to Platinum, or 60,000 SkyMiles after spending $12,000 in 6 months to upgrade from Platinum to Reserve. Our advice? Don't do it. The current welcome offers on both cards are significantly better: 100,000 SkyMiles on the Business Platinum and 125,000 SkyMiles on the Business Reserve. Since Delta Amex cards are subject to Amex's 7-year family restrictions, you're generally much better off applying for the higher-tier card separately and earning the full welcome bonus instead of accepting the smaller upgrade offer.

The elevated public welcome offers on all three Southwest personal credit cards have ended, but they're still available through referral links, which we've updated on each card page. Earn 90,000 points on the Rapid Rewards Priority card after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, 85,000 points on the Premier card after spending $2,000, or 80,000 points on the Plus card after spending just $1,000. Each offer is 30,000 points higher than the current public offer.

Rakuten is offering a $100 bonus (or 10,000 Bilt points if you've selected Bilt as your earning preference) when applying for the Citi Strata Premier card. That stacks with the card's current welcome offer of 60,000 ThankYou Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. The Strata Premier is one of Citi's best cards, unlocking full access to Citi's airline and hotel transfer partners at the best transfer ratios. The annual fee is $95. If your Rakuten account is set to earn Amex Membership Rewards, you will not see or be eligible for this offer. Your Rakuten earnings must be set to cash back or Bilt points.