The IHG One Rewards Traveler Card is the IHG hotel card that includes special IHG perks but with no annual fee. Here are the highlights:

• Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening..
• Earn up to 17 points total per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Fourth Reward Night Free when you redeem points for any 4+ night stay. That means if you use points to pay for 3 nights in a row, the 4th night is free.
• IHG Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental(R), Crowne Plaza(R), Kimpton(R), EVEN(R) Hotels, Indigo(R) Hotels & Holiday Inn(R).
• No annual fee.

Note the following:

This product is available to you if you do not have a current IHG One Rewards Credit Card and have not received a new
Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Business Card Credit Card products.

What can you get with IHG points? The best redemption value for IHG points is for free hotel nights. The other options offer significantly less value. While the points don’t translate directly to a dollar value, I would use a conservative estimate of 0.50 cents of value per point, which would make 80,000 IHG points worth an estimated $400 value. Not bad for a no annual fee card. You can perform the calculations for hotels that fit your needs. I tried a bunch of other various combinations and got between 0.5 cents and 0.8 cents per point equivalent value.

IHG stands for Intercontinental Hotel Group which has over 5,000 hotels including the following brands:

• Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts
• Crowne Plaza
• Kimpton
• Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express
• Staybridge Suites
• Candlewood Suites
• Hotel Indigo
• EVEN Hotels

IHG points expire after 24 months of inactivity, which is relatively long so with occasional activity you can easily save up these free nights for later. Chase Ultimate Rewards points also convert to IHG points.

The 4th Reward night free perk can be very valuable and nice to see on a card with no annual fee.

Total of 17x points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG. Here’s how this breaks down: Earn 5X points per $1 spent as an IHG® Rewards Club Traveler credit cardmember + 10X points per $1 spent from IHG® for being an IHG® Rewards Club Member, 5X points with this card, plus 2X points from IHG® with Silver Elite Status (a benefit of this card) for a total of 17X points total at any of their 5,400+ IHG® hotels & resorts.

Given my 0.5 cent per IHG point valuation, I would book my IHG nights on this card, but not my everyday purchases on an ongoing basis. I would just put a little spending on there to keep my IHG points from expiring.

• 3 IHG points per $1 spent at gas stations, dining, utilities, internet, cable, and phone services
  and select streaming services.
• 2 IHG point per $1 spent on all other card purchases

Upgrade to Premier? Downgrade to Traveler? If you can reliably use a anniversary night certificate (40,000 point value) and get $99 value out of it, you should consider going with the IHG Rewards Premier credit card mentioned on the same application page. The Premier card also adds some other small perks like Platinum Elite status and a TSA Precheck fee credit.

If you already have the Premier card and don’t want to pay for those added perks, you may consider asking if you can downgrade to this Traveler now without any annual fee.

Bottom line. The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card now comes with no annual fee and a sign-up bonus. As with most of these co-branded cards, the best value is obtained if you can redeem for IHG hotel nights.

Also see: Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is the IHG hotel co-branded card that includes special IHG perks like a free night award every year you keep the card, Elite status, and every 4th award night free. Here are the highlights:

• Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Free Award Night after each account anniversary year at eligible IHG hotels worldwide. Valid at IHG Hotels with a current point redemption cap of 40,000 points. NEW: You can now also pay the difference over 40,000 points to redeem your Anniversary Night at hotels above the 40,000 point redemption level.
• 4th Award Night Free. Enjoy a reward night when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG(R) hotel stay. That means if you use points to pay for 3 nights in a row, the 4th night is free. You can even book 8 award nights total and get two of them free, and so on. Works on any award level.
• Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts.
• Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Automatic Platinum Elite status included as a Premier card member. IHG points also don’t expire when you are an Elite member.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® fee credit up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®.
• $99 annual fee.

Please note the following:

This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.

What can you get with IHG points? The best redemption value for IHG points is for free hotel nights. The other options offer significantly less value. While the points don’t translate directly to a dollar value, but overall a conservation valuation is 0.50 cents of value per point, which would make 140,000 IHG points worth an estimated $700 value. You can perform the calculations for hotels that fit your needs. I tried a bunch of other various combinations and got between 0.5 cents and 0.8 cents per point equivalent value.

(IHG points are worth less than other points like Hyatt or Chase Ultimate Rewards points, but you get a lot more of them with this bonus!)

IHG stands for Intercontinental Hotel Group which has over 5,000 hotels including the following brands:

• Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts
• Crowne Plaza
• Kimpton
• Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express
• Staybridge Suites
• Candlewood Suites
• Hotel Indigo
• EVEN Hotels

Fourth Reward Night Free

For each standard room Reward Night stay of 4 or more nights, every 4th night is free. Applies only to 4 or more consecutive nights within the same Reward Night point redemption room stay at the same property. With this benefit, eligible members will be charged the Reward Night point redemption rate for the first 3 nights, and 0 points for the 4th night of the stay, as applicable. Members can utilize the 4th Reward Night Free benefit on an unlimited number of stays annually.

IHG points expire after 24 months of inactivity, so if you keep up your activity then you can save up these free nights for later. Chase Ultimate Rewards points also convert to IHG points.

Total of 26X points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG. Here’s how this breaks down: Earn 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG One Rewards Member + 10X points with this card + 6X points from IHG® with Platinum Elite Status with Platinum Elite Status (a benefit of this card) = total of 26X points total at 5,400+ IHG® hotels & resorts.

The rewards on other purchases has improved to the following:

• 5X IHG points per $1 spent at gas stations, dining, and travel (including hotels).
• 3X IHG point per $1 spent on all other card purchases

I would keep this card if you can use the anniversary night certificate with the 40,000 point maximum value. You should be able to get $89 value out of it as long as you need a hotel night. Stay must be completed within 12 months from date of issue.

Don’t want a card with an annual fee? The no-annual fee Traveler version has a very competitive bonus right now.

Bottom line. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card includes special IHG perks like a free night award every year you keep the card, Elite status, and every 4th award night free. As with most of these co-branded cards, the best value is obtained if you can redeem for IHG hotel nights.

Also see: Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

Updated with business card limited-time offers, changes to lounge access and status boosts. Delta Airlines American Express cards offer various special perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, and the ability to earn Delta Skymiles with card purchases. As you can only get the welcome offers once on each of these cards per person per lifetime (each card is considered different), I recommend waiting until a limited-time offer to maximize your benefit. Here are the current offers:

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

• Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
• $100 Delta flight credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, receive a Credit to use toward future travel.
• First checked bag free on Delta flights – that’s a savings of up to $240 per round trip for a family of four ($30 each way, per person).
• Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
• 2X miles at Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1 miles per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
• Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
• Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99. (See Rates and Fees)
• Terms Apply.

40,000 Skymiles is worth at least $400 in Delta airfare. Delta offers a minimum value out of your Skymiles via the “Pay with Miles” option. That means 50,000 Skymiles can reduce the price of your Delta ticket by $500 at the very least. (5,000 mile = $50 minimum redemption.) You can still book the traditional award tickets and possibly get better value.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

• Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
• Status Boost(R) details. Earn 10,000 Medallion(R) Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Delta Platinum Card, up to two times through 12/31/23. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card. Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges.
• Up to $100 Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R) after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate: Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
• First checked bag free on Delta flights – that’s a savings of up to $240 per round trip for a family of four ($30 each way, per person).
• Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Delta Sky Club(R) access. Get access to Delta Sky Club(R) at a rate of $50 per person per visit for you and up to two guests or immediate family when traveling on a Delta flight from now until 12/31/23. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available.
• Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
• Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
• Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
• Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• $250 annual fee. (See Rates and Fees)
• Terms Apply.

The Platinum version can be a worthy upgrade from the Gold version if you can take advantage of the annual Companion Certificate (i.e. book two tickets together on Delta at least once a year). I’ve used it several times in the past and it is easy to use while booking tickets online at Delta.com. My savings from using the companion certificate has ranged from $200 to $500.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

• Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
• Status Boost(R) details. With Status Boost(R), earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card through 12/31/23, up to four times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card. Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges.
• Delta Sky Club(R) access. Enjoy Delta Sky Club(R) access at no cost and bring up to two guests or immediate family at a rate of $50 per person per visit. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
• Centurion Lounge access. Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion(R) Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
• Save 15% On Award Travel. Eligible Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Up to $100 Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R) after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• First Class Main Cabin domestic round-trip companion certificate. Receive a domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+(R) or domestic Main Cabin round trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
• First checked bag free on Delta flights – that’s a savings of up to $240 per round trip for a family of four ($30 each way, per person).
• Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases.
• Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
• $550 annual fee. (See Rates and Fees)
• Terms Apply.

The Reserve version can be a worthy upgrade for frequent Delta fliers. Enjoy Delta Sky Club and/or Centurion Lounge access on your Delta flights, that First Class companion certificate can be worth thousands, earn additional MQMs on your purchases, etc.

BUSINESS Card Versions

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

• Limited Time Offer: Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn an additional 5,000 Bonus Miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new card within your first 6 months. Offer Ends 10/25/23.
• Save 15% On Award Travel. Card Members save 15% when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta flights when using delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• $100 Delta flight credit. Additionally, receive a $100 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel after you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• First checked bag free on Delta flights – that’s a savings of up to $240 per round trip for a family of four ($30 each way, per person).
• Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
• Earn 2 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases at U.S. shipping providers and eligible U.S. advertising purchases in select media. Effective 1/1/2024, this benefit will have a cap of $50,000 in eligible purchases per category, per year. Earn 2 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent at restaurants. Earn 1 Mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases.
• $0 annual fee for the first year, then $99. (See Rates and Fees)
• Terms Apply.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

• Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $8,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 Bonus Miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 6 months. Offer Ends 10/25/23.
• Save 15% On Award Travel. Delta SkyMiles(R) Platinum Business American Express Card Members save 15% when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Status Boost(R) details. With Status Boost(R), earn 10,000 Medallion(R) Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to 2x per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card. Learn more at delta.com/skymilesprogramchanges.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Worth up to $100 towards Global Entry (which includes TSA PreCheck).
• Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate. You can receive a domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
• First checked bag free on Delta flights – that’s a savings of up to $240 per round trip for a family of four ($30 each way, per person).
• Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
• Earn 3 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent on purchases made directly with hotels.
• Earn more miles on big purchases with 1.5 miles per dollar on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (that’s an extra half mile per dollar), up to 50,000 additional miles per Calendar year. If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply (ex. you would earn 3X miles on purchases made directly with Delta and hotels instead of 1.5X).
• Delta Sky Club(R) Access. Get access to Delta Sky Club(R) at a rate of $50 per person per visit for you and up to two guests or immediate family while flying together on Delta. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available.
• $250 annual fee. (See Rates and Fees)
• Terms and limitations apply.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

• Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after spending $12,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 Bonus Miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 6 months. Offer Ends 10/25/2023.
• Save 15% On Award Travel. Card Members now enjoy savings on Delta flights. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Status Boost(R) details. With Status Boost(R), earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card through 12/31/23, up to four times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status.* MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights.*Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card. Learn more.
• Delta Sky Club(R) Access. With complimentary access into Delta Sky Club(R), you can relax before your Delta flight, or find downtime between connections.* You’ll also receive two Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year so you can share the experience with others when you’re traveling together. *Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
• Centurion Lounge access. Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion(R) Lounge or Escape lounges -The Centurion(R) Studio Partner when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Worth up to $100 towards Global Entry (which includes TSA PreCheck).
• First Class Main Cabin domestic round-trip companion certificate. Receive a domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+(R) or domestic Main Cabin round trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card.*Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
• First checked bag free on Delta flights – that’s a savings of up to $240 per round trip for a family of four ($30 each way, per person).
• Enjoy 3X miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases.
• After you spend $150,000 on your Card in a calendar year, you earn 1.5 miles per dollar (that’s an extra half mile per dollar) on eligible purchases the rest of the year. If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply (ex. you would earn 3X miles on purchases made directly with Delta instead of 1.5X).
• $550 annual fee. (See Rates and Fees)
• Terms and limitations apply.

Again, Delta offers a minimum value out of your Skymiles via the “Pay with Miles” option. That means 100,000 Skymiles can reduce the price of your Delta ticket by $1,000 at the very least. (5,000 mile = $50 minimum redemption.) You can still book the traditional award tickets and possibly get better value.

In my opinion, the Delta Gold is still the best for most casual Delta customers because of the free checked bag, new $100 flight credit, and relatively big sign-up bonus. The main draw of the Platinum is the MQMs for those that want to achieve status (and thus free upgrades), along with the Main Cabin companion certificate. The main draw of the Reserve cards is MQMs, the airport lounge access and the First Class companion certificate. I have used the companion certificate several times in the past and have gotten good value out of it.

During a limited-time offer, I will add these to my list of the Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

Improved 75k offer. The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card issued by Chase is the small business version of the consumer World of Hyatt credit card. Here are the highlights:

• Up to 75,000 Total Bonus Points. 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Additionally, earn 15,000 Bonus Points after you spend $12,000 in the first 6 months.
• Up to $100 in Hyatt statement credits – spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property and earn $50 statement credits up to two times each anniversary year.
• 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt – 4 Bonus Points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member.
• 2X Points per $1 spent in your top three spend categories each quarter through 12/31/24, then your top two categories each quarter.
• 2X Points per $1 spent on fitness club and gym memberships
• 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• 5 Tier-Qualifying night credits toward status and Milestone rewards for every $10,000 you spend in a calendar year.
• World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open. Plus, gift Discoverist status to up to five employees.
• 10% Redemption bonus. Spend $50,000 in a calendar year and get 10% of your redeemed points back for the rest of the year.
• $199 annual fee.

Under-the-radar benefit: The “2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in your top three spend categories each quarter through 12/31/24, then your top two categories each quarter” is pretty good if you want to earn 2X Hyatt points per dollar spent. Eligible categories are:

• Dining
• Shipping
• Airline tickets when purchased directly with the airline
• Local transit & commuting
• Social media & search engine Advertising
• Car rental agencies
• Gas stations
• Internet, cable & phone services

Application details. Note the following:

This bonus offer is available to you if you do not have this card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus for this card in the past 24 months.

The 5/24 rule is believed to apply to this card. On many Chase cards, there is an unwritten rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer on your credit report within the past 2 years (aka the 5/24 rule). This rule is designed to discourage folks that apply for high numbers of sign-up bonuses. This is applied on a per-person basis, so in our household one applies to Chase while the other applies at other card issuers.

The value of Hyatt hotel points. The most valuable redemption options are for free hotel nights, points+cash hotel combinations, and/or room upgrades. Hyatt allows you the flexibility of combining your points with any other World of Hyatt member to redeem an award. They are also somewhat unique in that you can book a suite directly with points.

Below is their points award chart, and here is their award search tool. Free rooms start at 3,500 points, and you can book suites with points as well.

If you compare with the cash cost of these hotels, the number varies but you are nearly always getting between 1 cent and 2 cents per point value on the low end, and possibly much more on the luxury end. We stayed at Grand Hyatt Kauai on Hyatt points (earned via credit cards), where the cash value is $701 per night when you include all taxes and the $35/night resort fee. That worked out to 2.8 cents per Hyatt point.

I am conservative with point valuations, so I prefer to use a simple value of 1 cent per Hyatt point. After the Marriott/Starwood merger, I believe that Hyatt points are now the most valuable hotel points on a per-point basis. In general, I would rather convert my Chase Ultimate Rewards points into Hyatt points than any other hotel program.

Hyatt points expire after 24 months of inactivity, but earning points via this credit card counts as activity. Chase Ultimate Rewards points also convert to Hyatt points and the transfer counts as activity.

The free Discoverist status from this card gets you a free bottle of water daily, a free upgrade to premium WiFi internet, dedicated check-in area, and a 2pm late checkout upon request at participating locations. You are also eligible for a minor room upgrade within your type booked.

Bottom line. The new World of Hyatt Business Credit Card offers the best value to small businesses that frequently stay at Hyatt properties. (World of Hyatt is my favorite hotel rewards program.) The first-year value on this business card is very strong. 60,000 Hyatt points even at a conservative 1 cent per point value is worth $600. One perk missing that is included with the consumer version of this card is the Free Night award each after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort, but that is effectively replaced by the $100 statement credit. As long as you have two $50+ charges at a Hyatt property (including a food or spa purchase), that is another $100. Ignoring every other perk and subtracting the $199 annual fee, that’s still an estimated first-year value of $500.

I will be adding this to my Top 10 Best Small Business Card Bonus Offers.

The American Express(R) Green Card is one of AmEx’s classic cards, and they have revamped the rewards structure and added new travel perks. The current welcome offer includes 40,000 Membership Rewards points. Here the the highlights:

• Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards(R) Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards(R) points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards(R) Points on transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards(R) points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.
• $189 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express(R) Green Card.
• $100 LoungeBuddy Credit: No airport lounge membership? No problem! Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app using the American Express(R) Green Card and receive up to $100 in statement credits annually.
• Trip Delay Insurance: If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased on the same Eligible Card, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per eligible account per 12 consecutive month period. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• $150 annual fee. (card_name)

Note the following language:

You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or previous versions of this Card. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you prior to processing your application so you have the option to withdraw your application.

This card has not been heavily marketed in the past, so many people (including myself) are still eligible for the welcome offer. The application will tell you if they detect that you are not eligible for the bonus based on their records. Given that you can only get the welcome offer once time per lifetime, it is best to apply during a limited-time offer. (Update: I was approved for this card without issue.)

Membership Rewards points can be converted to the following airline and hotel programs (there are more, this is just a selection):

• Delta SkyMiles
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue
• ANA Mileage Club (partner of United Airlines)
• Air Canada (partner of United Airlines)
• British Airways (partner of American Airlines)
• FlyingBlue (Air France/KLM)
• Singapore Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• Emirates
• Etihad Guest
• Qantas
• Virgin Atlantic
• Choice Privileges
• Hilton Honors
• Marriott Bonvoy

They also run limited-time 25% to 40% bonuses on points transfers. You can also transfer to gift cards many retailers at varying rates, but many available at the rate of 10,000 MR points = $100 gift card. My most recent redemption was a $100 Home Depot card for 10,000 points, sometimes less when they run special discount. However, don’t expect the cash-equivalent prepaid credit cards at that rate, it’s usually closer to a 0.6 cent/point ratio.

40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth an estimated $400. Some folks value these points much more highly, but I prefer to stick to a simple and conservative 1 cent per point.

CLEAR Plus membership gets you through airport security significantly faster at 50+ airports nationwide via designated lanes at TSA checkpoints. (CLEAR offers separate and short ID check lines, getting you to the x-ray machines faster. But you should also have TSA PreCheck for optimal speed.) If you value this service, then the recurring $189 value can offset the $150 annual fee at renewal time.

Compared with its siblings at American Express, this card has a tighter focus on frequent fliers (3X on travel, CLEAR Plus membership) and the lowest annual fee:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• American Express® Gold Card

Bottom line. The American Express(R) Green Card is a premium travel card with a welcome offer, revamped 3X rewards categories, and new travel perks. You’ll have to see if your travel habits match up to the perks that this card offers. (card_name)

Also see: Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by MyMoneyBlog.com.