Breaking Points: Credit Card News

Chase has increased the Pay Yourself Back value for Aeroplan points when using it toward paying the Aeroplan card's annual fee. You can now use Pay Yourself Back at 2¢ per point to pay for the increased annual fee of $195. So at the new redemption rate, it only takes 9,750 Aeroplan points to fully offset the fee, compared with 7,600 points under the old $95 fee and 1.25¢ redemption rate. If you were on the fence about keeping the card after the refresh and annual fee increase, the relatively small increase in the number of points needed may help push certain cardholders to keep the card. The 2¢ rate applies specifically to the annual fee, but the card also allows Pay Yourself Back redemptions against eligible travel purchases at 1.25¢ per point. If you value Aeroplan points at less than 2¢ each or simply want to reduce the card's out-of-pocket cost, this is a very strong redemption option.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping is offering 2,000 bonus points after spending $200 or more through the portal by October 12, 2026. The $200 requirement is based on cumulative purchases, so you can earn the bonus on multipled shopping trips. That's an extra 10 Rapid Rewards points per dollar if you spend exactly $200, on top of the normal points earned through the shopping portal. Returns, cancellations, taxes, shipping, and most gift card purchases don't count toward the $200 requirement. The 2,000 bonus points do not count toward A-List status or Companion Pass qualification.

Marriott Bonvoy Silver elite members and above can earn 3,000 bonus points per night on qualifying Homes & Villas stays, up to 12,000 bonus points. You must register for the promotion then book by November 13, 2026. The stay must be at least two nights and happen between October 7, 2026 and March 31, 2027 and also have a minimum spend of $1,500 before taxes and fees. This promotion should stack particularly well with the targeted Homes & Villas Amex Offer we covered yesterday, which gives you $350 back after spending $1,000 or more through December 31. A qualifying four-night stay could therefore earn the full 12,000 bonus points plus the $350 Amex credit, along with the normal Marriott points and elite-night credits earned on the stay. You may also be able to stack available shopping portal offers, making this a particularly good time to compare Homes & Villas pricing if you're looking for a vacation rental that falls under the timelines for each promo.

Amex has several new targeted Amazon offers that can earn bonus Membership Rewards points or cash back on purchases through December 5, 2026. One of the best versions we've seen offers 1,000 bonus points after spending $40 and can be used up to three times, allowing you to earn 3,000 bonus points on $120 in purchases. Other versions include $5 back after spending $40, 500 points after spending $50, and 1,200 points after spending $150, with offers varying by cardholder. Enrollment is required, so check the Amex card you plan to use before making an Amazon purchase. Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days are underway, so these offers could also stack nicely with the separate targeted Amazon promotion offering up to 40% off when redeeming a small number of Membership Rewards points.

American Airlines is rolling out a new option that will allow AAdvantage members to combine cash and miles when booking American Airlines flights. The feature will appear during checkout on AA.com and in the American app, where you'll be able to use a slider to choose how many miles you want to apply toward the cost of your ticket while being able to pay the remainder in cash. American has not said how much each mile will be worth, so while this could be useful if you don't have enough miles for an award or simply want to reduce the cash cost of a flight, it will completely depend on how they value each mile. The feature is expected to roll out to eligible members over the coming weeks, and we'll update here as soon as we have more information.