Airline  credit cards have been around for a long time, but Delta and American Express have pioneered new ways to offer exclusive benefits to holders of their co-branded products. This process began with cardholders having their checked bags waived, and has now extended to nearly all aspects of traveler’s interactions with their airline. The American Express Delta SkyMiles Reserve card is available to Delta customers who want to be on the cutting edge of credit card rewards.

Upon their first purchase, cardholders will earn 10,000 SkyMiles, which will also count towards elite status in their Medallion program. After that, cardholders will earn one mile per dollar spent, with two miles being offered for all purchases from Delta. Cardholders who spend $30,000 in a calendar year will also be awarded an additional 15,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs), and another 15,000 MQMs when reaching $60,000 of annual spending. These miles can even be gifted to friends or family if the cardholder has already attained their desired status level. (more…)

While many rewards credit cards are tied to an affiliate’s loyalty program, some banks offer their own proprietary points system for use with their credit cards. Integral to these points programs are a means to redeem the currency for products and services. These programs can also allow customers to make purchases at select merchants in order to earn additional rewards. Chase’s Ultimate Rewards mall allows customers to redeem points earned and to earn bonus points for making purchases at featured retailers.

How The Ultimate Rewards Mall Works

Chase’s best credit card offers fall into three different card families that are eligible to participate in their Ultimate Rewards program, their Freedom cash back credit card, Sapphire, and Ink offers which that already earn Ultimate Rewards points from their purchases. When it comes time to redeem these points, cardholders can visit the online shopping portal to redeem points for travel, cash back, experiences, merchandise, and gift cards. Points are generally worth one cent each with most redemption opportunities, but cardholders will receive a 25% bonus when making travel reservations through the Ultimate Rewards web site. (more…)

Frequent flier miles and other loyalty points will always be devalued over time, but cash back is the ultimate credit card reward. Like most other banks, Citi offers a variety of cards that return different levels of cash back based on various merchant categories.  Beyond the standard cash back returned, Citi offers additional rewards for purchases made with merchants in their Citi Bonus Cash Center.

How This Program Works

There are four Citi cash back credit cards that are eligible to participate in the Citi Bonus Cash Center; Citi Dividend World MasterCard – their best credit card offer for rewards – ,  the AT&T Universal Savings Platinum Card, and both the Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa and MasterCard for College Students. Cardholders must then log into their Citi credit card account online before visiting the Citi Cash Bonus Center. There, card holders can link to hundreds of popular merchants. While each individual online store offers a different percentage of cash back, the average is 5%. Once a purchase is made, the cash back earned will be visible online within 45 days, however it will take one to three statement cycles before that amount is credited to your account. The bonus cash back earned is in addition to the cash back rewards normally earned from purchases. (more…)

Frontier Airlines is a scrappy little carrier with hubs in Denver and Milwaukee. It may be best known for its aircraft which feature pictures of animals on the tail. Frontier and Barclays Bank offer two different versions of the Frontier Airlines World MasterCard that allows customers to earn miles in their Early Returns frequent flier program.

Customers can apply for two different kinds of this card; the $59 annual fee card, and the no annual fee version. The card with the $59 annual fee features 25,000 bonus miles after the cardholder’s first purchase, and another 10,000 miles when spending $750 in the first 90 days. Cardholders will then earn one mile per dollar spent, with double miles for purchases from Frontier airlines. The no annual fee version of this airline credit card features only 5,000 bonus miles and offers half the miles for purchase; a half a mile per dollar for most purchases, and a single mile per dollar for purchases from Frontier.  Holders of both cards also enjoy the exclusive benefit of being able to redeem companion award tickets for 5,000 fewer miles. (more…)

Below is a roundup of current business credit card offers that provide sign-up bonuses as well as features and benefits that many businesses can profit from.

Ink Bold Business Card from Chase: Businesses that pay every statement in full do not necessarily need a credit card, they can use a charge card that requires payment in full each month. Chase offers their Ink Bold charge card that allows companies to earn valuable Ultimate Rewards points on each purchase. These points are normally worth one cent each, but they go 25% further when used to book travel through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards web site. Finally businesses can earn up to 45,000 additional points each year at they reach the spending thresholds of $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000. This card has a $95 annual fee that is waived the first year. For more, see Chase credit card offers.

Business Platinum Card from American Express:  With a host of valuable travel benefits, this business card is aimed at the premium business traveler. Cardmembers will receive a $200 statement credit towards any airline fee, and a $100 credit towards a membership in Global Entry from the U.S. Customers and Border Patrol. Cardholders also receive memberships in the lounge programs of Delta, American, and US Airways. When using the card, businesses will earn valuable Membership Rewards points which can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, merchandise, or frequent flier miles. For more, see American Express credit card offers.

Capital One Venture for Business:  This relatively simple card returns two miles for each dollar spent. Each mile can then be redeemed as a statement credit towards any travel related expense. When used as a cash back card, this product returns an impressive 2% on all purchases. When viewed as an travel rewards card, customers can enjoy free travel and still earn miles and be eligible for upgrades. With no foreign transaction fees, this is a great card for conducting business internationally. For more, see Capital One credit card offers.

SimplyCash Business Card from American Express:  Cash back with no annual fee is a winning combination for any business. American Express offers its SimplyCash card with a standard 1% back on all purchases, plus 3% cash back on gasoline. To top it off, 5% cash back is returned on wireless services and office supply purchases. Finally, this card is eligible for 3% -10% off of purchases from businesses in American Express’s OPEN Savings plan. This program automatically applies substantial discounts to purchases from business product and service providers like FedEx, Hertz, and OfficeMax.

Ink Classic from Chase:  The Ink Classic is a credit card that delivers generous cash back to businesses. Companies can earn five points per dollar spent on office supplies, as well as cable, wired, and wireless telecommunications services. Two points per dollar spent is also earned on purchases of fuel and at hotels. All other purchases earn a single point per dollar spent. Points can be redeemed for one cent each as cash back, gift cards, merchandise, or in other ways. Finally, this card is eligible for Chase’s Blueprint program that allows businesses to carry a balance on some purchases while avoiding interest on those paid in full. There is no annual fee for this card.