Breaking Points: Credit Card News

U.S. Bank is targeting some cardholders with an offer for $100 off a hotel booking of $500 or more through the U.S. Bank Travel portal. The offer is valid through September 30, 2026. If you have the Altitude Reserve and are targeted, you may be able to stack this with the card’s annual $325 travel credit, creating a much larger discount on an eligible hotel stay.

Amex is targeting some cardholders with an offer for $80 back after spending $400 or more on flights purchased directly from Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines. Eligible flights must originate in the U.S., so this is a nice 20% discount if you already have a cash booking planned. Even without immediate travel plans, you could book an eligible Alaska Main Cabin fare, wait more than 24 hours, then cancel and receive the value as Alaska wallet funds while still triggering the Amex credit. Wallet funds technically expire 12 months after the original ticket purchase, but booking and later canceling another eligible flight resets the expiration clock.

Starting September 15, 2026, Amex cardholders with Resy credits will have more restaurants where they can use the benefit as Tock restaurants begin joining the program. Amex recently updated its terms to state that restaurants must display an eligible Resy credit badge on the website or app to qualify, which initially raised concerns that fewer restaurants would be eligible. However, the change appears to be preparing for the Tock integration, which should ultimately expand the number of participating restaurants as Tock locations are gradually added beginning September 15. Remember to activate this benefit if you have the Amex Platinum, Amex Gold, or any Delta card that offers one of these credits.

September 22, 2026 update: We have been hearing reports of these same targeted offerse for both the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred, so it's worth a few minutes to check the Chase app or your pre-approved offers through Chase.

Chase is targeting some cardholders with unusually large welcome offers on the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred. Reported offers include 175,000 points on the Sapphire Reserve after spending $6,000 and 125,000 points on the Sapphire Preferred after spending $5,000, matching the public spending requirements but with significantly higher bonuses. These appear to be the highest offers we’ve seen on either card, so if you’re targeted and were already considering applying, these are excellent opportunities. Log in to your Chase account or check your pre-approved offers to see if you’ve been targeted.