Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers – March 2021 (Updated)

March 4, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 8 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Updated March 2021.That space in your wallet or purse is valuable, and you should be the one to get that value. By being smart and picky, you can find offers worth $500+ for a single card, all to encourage you to apply and try it out. We do this multiple times a year for thousands of dollars in extra income. These are the top 10 credit card offers that I would personally apply for right now (or have already). Notable recent changes:

  • Added Delta 70k, Southwest new easy Companion Pass, Hilton 100k + $100 w/ no annual fee, Hawaiian 60k, Amex Rose Gold 60k+, Sapphire Preferred+.
  • Removed JetBlue 60k, Hyatt 50k, United 70k, Freedom Flex Grocery offer, Barclays AA, Marriott 5 Free Nights.

This is a companion post to my Top 10 Best Business Card Offers. Small business bonuses are on average even higher than those on consumer cards.

Gold Delta Skymiles Card from American Express

  • 70,000 Delta Skymiles after $2,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Limited-time offer expires 04/28/2021. See link for details.
  • 70,000 Skymiles are worth at least $700 in Delta airfare with “Pay with Miles” option.
  • First checked bag free on Delta flights ($60 value per roundtrip, per person).
  • $0 annual fee for the first year, then $99.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

  • 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after $2,000 in purchases within first 3 months. Limited-time offer. See link for details.
  • Additional $150 statement credit after first purchase of any amount within first 3 months.
  • Weekend Night Reward certificate after you spend $15,000 in purchases in a calendar year.
  • $95 annual fee.
  • You can also get 100,000 points + $100 for their no annual fee version.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card

  • Earn a Companion Pass through 2/28/2022 plus 30,000 points after $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Limited-time offer ends 3/10/2021. See link for details.
  • Southwest still gives everyone two free checked bags.
  • New: Fast-track to 2021/2022 Companion Pass. Southwest gave all Rapid Rewards members who joined in 2020 or earlier a 25k credit towards Companion Pass. That means if you put $20,000 in purchases on this card during 2021 and satisfy the bonus requirements to get the bonus 80k, that alone would get you the needed 100,000 qualifying points for a Companion Pass good through end of 2022!
  • $69 annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

  • 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $750 towards travel) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • New: Up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases. Just spend $50 at any grocery store in your first year after opening, and get $50 in statement credits.
  • Short-term COVID-related benefits.
  • 2X points on Travel and Dining at restaurants worldwide.
  • $95 annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.
  • Alternative: Chase Sapphire Reserve Card. 3X on Travel and Dining, Priority Pass airport lounge access, $550 annual fee, $300 annual travel credit.

American Express® Rose Gold Card

  • 60,000 Membership Rewards points after $4,000 in purchases in first 6 months. Limited-time offer. See link for details.
  • $120 in Uber Cash annually (good towards Uber Eats or Uber rides in the US).
  • $120 in annual dining credit at Grubhub, Seamless, and more.
  • 4X points at at restaurants worldwide.
  • 4X points at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 per year.
  • $250 annual fee.

The Platinum Card from American Express

  • 75,000 Membership Rewards points after $5,000 in purchases in first 6 months. See link for details.
  • 10X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. That’s up to another 150,000 points!
  • $200 in Uber/Uber Eats credits annually.
  • 5X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Starting January 1, 2021, earn 5X points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
  • Best airport lounge access program including Delta SkyClub and exclusive Centurion lounges.
  • $550 annual fee.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Card

  • 140,000 IHG Rewards club points after $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • Free Night after each account anniversary year (valued up to 40,000 IHG points).
  • $89 annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.
  • Want something lower risk? The no-annual fee Traveler version is now at 60,000 IHG points.

Capital One® Venture® Rewards Card

  • 60,000 miles (worth $600 towards travel) after $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • 2X miles on ALL purchases..
  • Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
  • $95 annual fee.

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Mastercard

  • 60,000 American Airlines miles after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • First checked bag free on domestic AA flights ($60 value per roundtrip, per person).
  • $0 annual fee for the first year, then $99.

Citi Premier Card

  • 60,000 points (worth $750 towards travel booked at ThankYou.com) after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • 3X points for every $1 spent on travel including gas stations.
  • Must not have gotten bonus from or closed a Citi Rewards+, ThankYou Preferred, Premier, or Prestige card in the past 24 months.
  • $95 annual fee.

Bank of America Premium Rewards Card

  • 50,000 points (worth $500 towards travel) after $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. See link for details.
  • 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • $100 annual Airline Incidental Statement Credit.
  • Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
  • $95 annual fee.

Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard

  • 60,000 Hawaiian miles after $2,000 in purchases within 90 days. See link for details.
  • Free first checked bag for primary cardmember when using your card to purchase eligible tickets directly from Hawaiian Airlines.
  • Receive a one-time 50% off companion discount for roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and The Mainland on Hawaiian Airlines.
  • $99 annual fee.

U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Credit Card

  • 50,000 bonus points ($750 value towards airfare) after $4,500 in purchases within 90 days. See link for details.
  • $325 in annual statement credits towards travel and takeout, food delivery and dining purchases per Cardmember year (based on account opening date)
  • Up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
  • Priority Pass Select membership for airport lounge access.
  • $400 annual fee. (Bigger bonus, big annual fee.)

If you pay off your balances every month, then you can join me and many others in funding a huge chunk of your annual travel budget with cash credits, points, and miles. I mostly use my rewards points on domestic economy flights, mid-range hotels, and cheap car rentals. If you have credit card debt, you should focus on paying that off first as the interest charges could offset most of the perks.

Note: Certain Chase cards have a “5/24 rule” which is an unofficial 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. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so if you are new, you might want to start with those Chase cards.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers Tagged With:
Last updated: March 4, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Top 10 Best Small Business Credit Card Bonus Offers – March 2021

March 4, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 11 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Updated. Do you have small business income or work as an independent contractor? Freelance, Uber/Lyft, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Airbnb? A small business credit card separates your personal and business expenses and can build up your business credit profile. If you are not a corporation or LLC, you can apply as a sole proprietorship, with your name as the business name and your Social Security number as the Tax ID number. These are the top 10 credit card offers that I would personally apply for right now (or have already). Recent changes:

  • Added BofA $750, United 75k, Amex Gold 70k+$300, Hilton 150k+$150, Hawaiian 70k, US Bank $500.
  • Removed Alaska +$200, JetBlue 100k, Amex Platinum 95k, Wells Fargo $500.

This is a companion post to my Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers for personal cards. Notice that small business bonuses are on average even higher than those on consumer cards.

American Express Business Gold Card

  • 70,000 Membership Rewards points after $10,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • Up to $300 Back in Statement Credits. Earn up to $150 back on both U.S. advertising in select media and U.S shipping, for a total of up to $300 in statement credits on eligible purchases within the first 3 months. Limited-time offer ends 4/7/2021.
  • $295 annual fee.

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

  • 150,000 Hilton Honors points after $2,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • Additional $150 statement credit after first purchase of any amount within the first 3 months.
  • Free Weekend Night Reward certificate after you spend $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year.
  • $95 annual fee.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card

  • $750 bonus cash back after $7,500 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • Flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no limit.
  • No annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.

Chase Ink Business Cash Card

  • $750 bonus cash back after $7,500 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV services each account anniversary year.
  • No annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.

Bank of America Business Advantage Cash Rewards Card

  • $750 statement credit after $5,000 in purchases in the first 90 days. See link for details.
  • 3% cash back on your choice of six categories. 2% cash back on dining and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. The 3% and 2% cash back applies to the first $50,000 in combined category/dining purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter.
  • No annual fee.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card

  • Up to 100,000 Rapid Rewards points. 70,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Plus, earn an additional 30,000 points after you spend $25,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. (100,000 points is redeemable for $1,500+ in Wanna Getaway airfare.)
  • This is enough to qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass in 2020 alone. Or combine with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Consumer Card.
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Fee Credit of up to $100, repeatable every four years.
  • $199 annual fee + 9,000 bonus points after each Cardmember anniversary.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.

US Bank Business Leverage Card

  • 75,000 bonus points after $7,500 in purchases (on the Account Owner’s Card only) in first the 4 months. 75,000 bonus points can be redeemed for $750 in cash back. See link for details.
  • Availability may be restricted to certain states.
  • $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95.

US Bank Business Cash Rewards Card

  • $500 cash back after $3,000 in purchases (on the Account Owner’s Card only) in first 90 days. See link for details.
  • Availability may be restricted to certain states.
  • No annual fee.

United Explorer Business Card

  • 75,000 United miles after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • Free first checked bag for both you and a companion (a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip).
  • Expanded award availability. Having this card makes it easier to redeem for that saver award economy ticket.
  • Primary rental car coverage when renting for business purposes.
  • $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.

American Express Plum Card

  • $600 cash back. Earn a $200 statement credit after each $10,000 you spend in purchases, up to $600 on $30,000 of purchases, within the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • 1.5% early pay discount on all purchases which stacks on top of the bonus above.
  • $0 annual fee for the first year, then $250.

Chase Ink Business Preferred Card

  • 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $1,250 towards flexible travel) after $15,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • 3X points on the first $150,000 spent on travel, shipping purchases, internet/cable/phone services, and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines.
  • Primary rental car coverage when renting for business purposes.
  • $95 annual fee.
  • Subject to 5/24 rule.

Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Business Card

  • Up to 75,000 American Airlines miles. 65,000 miles after $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days. Additional 10,000 miles when a purchase is made on an employee card. Limited-time offer. See link for details.
  • First checked bag free on domestic AA flights ($60 value per roundtrip, per person).
  • $95 annual fee.

Hawaiian Airlines Business MasterCard

  • Up to 70,000 Hawaiian miles. 60,000 miles after $2,000 in purchases within the first 90 days, plua an additional 10,000 miles after a purchase is made on an employee card. See link for details.
  • Receive a one-time 50% off companion discount for roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and The Mainland on Hawaiian Airlines.
  • $99 annual fee.

Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business Card

  • $500 cash bonus after $4,500 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
  • Flat 2% cash back on all purchases with no limit.
  • $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Note: Certain Chase cards have a “5/24 rule” which is an unofficial rule that they will automatically deny approval on new credit cards if you have 5 or more new credit cards on your credit report within the past 2 years. This rule applies on a per-person basis, so if you are new, you might want to start with those Chase cards.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers
Last updated: March 4, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Gold Delta SkyMiles American Express – 70,000 Mile Offer, Annual Fee Waived First Year

March 4, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 4 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express has a new limited-time offer. Highlights:

  • 70,000 bonus miles after $2,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Limited-time offer expires 04/28/2021.
  • 70,000 Skymiles is worth at least $700 in Delta airfare. With this card, you get a minimum value out of your Skymiles via the “Pay with Miles” option. 70,000 Skymiles can reduce the price of your Delta ticket by $700 at the very least. (5,000 mile = $50 minimum redemption.) You can still book traditional award tickets and possibly get better value.
  • New feature – $100 Delta flight credit after $10,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year.
  • First checked bag free. Delta now charges $30 for the first checked bag, each way. That means this perk is worth $60 per person each roundtrip. For a family of four, this perk is worth $240 per person each roundtrip.
  • Annual fee is waived for the first year, then $99.

Here is the new rewards structure on card spend:

  • 2X miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery.
  • 2X miles at U.S. supermarkets.
  • 2X miles on Delta purchases. 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.
  • 1 miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.

I will be adding this limited-time offer to the Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General
Last updated: March 4, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

iCloud Photos Backup Options: Direct Transfer to Google Photos, Bulk Download Tool

March 4, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 4 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

As an iPhone user, I store nearly all of my precious photos on their iCloud service. I used to backup my photos on Google Photos since they offered free unlimited storage at “high” quality, but Google announced it will stop offering this feature on June 1, 2021. After 6/1/21, all photos will count towards your overall storage limit (15 GB free). However, all photos uploaded before 6/1/21 will be grandfathered in and will not be counted towards your storage limit.

New iCloud to Google direct transfer tool. This means I have one last chance to make a free backup snapshot of my current iCloud photos. Uploading via app was taking forever, so thankfully Apple just released a new tool that promises to directly transfer all of your iCloud photos over to your Google Photos account. There are some limitations, but here are the directions from Apple Support:

1. Sign in with your Apple ID at privacy.apple.com.
2. Select Transfer a copy of your data.
3. Follow the prompts to complete your request.

iCloud bulk download to local physical drive. In addition, you use the same data privacy tool to download all of your iCloud photos directly onto your computer (or external hard drive) as one huge file. Look for “Get a copy of your data”. It takes them a few days to put it together, but then the download should be much faster than on a photo-by-photo basis. I don’t have enough space to store all my photos on my laptop, but USB flash drives are cheap enough now that I think it’s worth it to create a physical backup copy annually and just leave it in my safe deposit box or safe.

Amazon Prime membership = unlimited cloud photo storage. Something like 2/3rds of all online shoppers have an Amazon Prime membership. If you have an Amazon Prime membership, Amazon Photos will include unlimited photo storage at full resolution. (They only store up to 5 GB of video.)

Amazon Photos offers unlimited, full-resolution photo storage, plus 5 GB video storage for Prime members. All other customers get 5 GB photo and video storage. Securely store, print, and share your favorite photos from the Amazon Photos app. Keep your memories close at hand on devices like Fire TV, Echo Show, and Amazon Fire tablets. Backup your photos to the cloud. Once you save your pics to Amazon Photos you can safely delete them from your device to free up space.

I admit, Apple got me with iCloud and I also pay for their service. I still back them up elsewhere though, as I don’t want to risk losing any sentimental photos. I try to buy discounted Apple gift cards whenever available, and then load them to my Apple account.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers
Last updated: March 4, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Slide: Up to 5% Cash Back at Instacart, eBay, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Doordash via Instant Gift Cards ($20 Bonus)

March 3, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 8 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Instacart update: Slide now includes 4% back at Instacart (5% cash back if you pre-fund). My Instacart tip is to stay logged into the app on your phone and wait for them to send you periodic promotions. At least once a month, I will either get offered $20 off $100, $10 off $50, or a free delivery fee. Stacking this Slide discount and credit card rewards, it basically allows me to at least break even with tip. My goal is to pay either the same or a little less than if I bought it in-person, while also saving time as I avoid shopping with my kids during COVID. (New users can get $10 off their first order with my Instacart referral link.)

New $20 Slide referral promo: Open a new account via Slide referral link and get $5 credit towards your each of your first four purchases (up to $20 bonus total). Each purchase only needs to be at least $10, so you can get $40 of gift cards (4 times $10) for $20. Thanks if you use it!

Updated full review:

Slide is a new iOS and Android app that sells you discounted, new gift cards in exact amounts that are delivered digitally instantly. Basically, it is designed to allow you to wait until the moment before purchase when you already have the final purchase price (in-person or online), and then go buy a discounted gift card via the app down to the penny (usually a $25 minimum). The main problem with gift cards is waste when you don’t use it all. This avoids the waste. You can get 4% cash back at all of these retailers (not the full list):

  • Instacart
  • eBay
  • Grubhub
  • Uber and Uber Eats
  • DoorDash
  • Dunkin Donuts
  • Domino’s
  • Lowe’s
  • Panera
  • Burger King
  • Taco Bell
  • Chipotle
  • Southwest Airlines
  • GameStop
  • Google Play
  • Petco
  • Bass Pro Shops
  • Ulta Beauty

You get 4% cash back from the gift card purchase, but you also get 1% cash back when you pre-load your Slide balance with a credit card. You must pre-load in set increments, but you can but the gift cards down to the penny. In this way, you can actually get 5% cash back total. The app is from company behind the gift card marketplace Raise.com, so I trust it to be reputable, and these are not secondhand gift cards.

You still earn your normal credit card rewards as well (ex. 2% total cash back with Citi Double Cash), although I don’t think Slide will count as any special category. For physical stores, the app will provide a barcode for easy scanning. You can cash out at $15 via PayPal or Venmo, or apply smaller balances towards your next gift card purchase. I have already successfully cashed out my Slide balance via Venmo with no issues.

Grubhub test run. My first use was with my a Grubhub order. First, you’ll want to download the Slide app. As of right now, Slide gives you 4% cash back on Grubhub gift cards of at least $25+. You can get an additional 1% by pre-loading your Slide balance ($25 minimum) via credit card using any amount down to the penny (total 5%).

Then, I did my Grubhub order and got to the final page with the total including tip. Grubhub gift cards can cover tips. If the total is under $25, then you would still need to buy a $25 gift card from Slide and then use the remaining balance later. If the total is, say, $33.44, then you can buy a gift card for exactly $33.44. It works with Apple Pay and Google Pay, so I didn’t have to spend any time entering credit card numbers. I was able to copy/past the gift card code back into the Grubhub app and use it immediately without issue.

I mostly use the food delivery apps only when they have a good promo to offset all those fees, and here I was able to also stack a “free sandwich” promo and Grubhub+ free delivery on top of all these other discounts.

More discounts for even more complexity!? You can also stack with cashback shopping portals. TopCashBack and DollarDig offer cashback on Slide app purchases. Rakuten, TopCashBack, and other portals offer cashback on Grubhub, Uber Eats, and other food delivery apps.

Let’s say you bought exactly $25 of Grubhub food. Right now you could theoretically get 3% back on your Slide purchase from TopCashback ($0.75), 5% cash back from Slide itself on the Grubhub gift card ($1.25), and another 2% from TopCashBack for your Grubhub purchase ($0.50). That’s a total of 10% off for making some strategic clicks. You also get your points/miles/cashback from paying Slide with your credit card.

Slide may also be good for some larger purchases, for example at Lowe’s or Southwest Airlines, but remember that using a credit card can sometimes include other benefits like an extended warranty or travel insurance. I recently used it on a larger eBay purchase (refurbished Dyson vaccuum direct from Dyson) and earned the cash back with no issues.

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate and referral links, where I am compensated if you click through and make a purchase. Thanks if you use them!

Filed Under: Deals & Offers
Last updated: March 5, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Bank of America Business Advantage Cash Rewards Card: $750 Statement Credit

March 2, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 2 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

The Bank of America Business Advantage Cash Rewards credit card is the no-annual-fee “cash back” credit card in the Bank of America small business card line-up. The normal bonus recently has been a $300 statement credit, but this special link has a $750 statement credit after spending $5,000 within the first 90 days. Here are the cash back highlights:

  • 3% cash back on your choice of one of the following six categories: gas stations (default), office supply stores, travel, TV/telecom & wireless, computer services or business consulting services.
  • 2% cash back on dining and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. The 3% and 2% cash back applies to the first $50,000 in combined category/dining purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter.
  • No annual fee.

This card really gets interesting if you can take advantage of their Preferred Rewards for Business program, which can boost your effect cash back rates by up to 75% (to effectively 5.25% on your selected choice category, 3.5% on dining, and unlimited 1.75% cash back on all other purchases.) Unfortunately, the Preferred Rewards for Business program is separate from the consumer version of Preferred Rewards. You will need a eligible Bank of America business checking account, as well as 3-month combined average daily balance of $20,000 or more in qualifying Bank of America business deposit accounts and/or Merrill® business investment accounts.

You can find more information on the consumer Preferred Rewards program in my review of the consumer version of this card, the Bank of America Cash Rewards card.

Due to the increased bonus offer, I will be adding this to the Top 10 Best Small Business Card Bonus Offers. This $750 bonus brings it to the same level as the Chase Ink Business Unlimited, Chase Ink Business Cash, and US Bank Business Leverage cards on that list. Each has different rewards structures, and the best ongoing card will depend on your business expense needs.

Hat tip to Doctor of Credit.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers
Last updated: March 2, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Chase United Explorer Card Review – 65,000 Miles Offer + Annual Fee Waived First Year

February 25, 2021 By Jonathan Ping Leave a Comment
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

The United Explorer Card is a Chase-issued credit card that offers unique perks on United Airlines including free checked bags and expanded award seat availability for redeeming miles. Right now, they are offering 40,000 bonus miles with the annual fee waived during the first year. Here are the highlights:

  • 40,000 bonus miles after $2,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
  • Plus, an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you spend $10,000 in the first 6 months.
  • Free first checked bag for both you and a companion (a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your ticket.
  • Expanded award availability. Having this card makes it easier to find that saver award economy ticket.
  • Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Credit
  • Priority boarding + 2 United Club one-time passes every year for your anniversary.
  • 2X miles at restaurants, on hotel stays, and on United purchases.
  • Earn 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants and eligible delivery services including GrubHub, Caviar, Seamless and DoorDash.
  • 25% Back on United inflight purchases (Wi-Fi, Food and Drinks).
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • Your miles don’t expire as long as your credit card account is open, with no limit to the number of miles you can earn.
  • Use your miles for any seat, any time, on any United flight.
  • Annual fee waived for the first year, then $95.

Keep in mind the following terms and conditions:

This product 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.

This card is very focused on making it a better experience to fly on United. You have the first checked bag for free on United flights, both for your and a companion traveling on the same reservation. The bag fee is usually $35 per person, each way, so that adds up to $140 each roundtrip. Before you board, you might use one of your free United Club lounge passes. You also get Priority Boarding, which helps you find space for your carry-on. While onboard, you get 25% back on your inflight purchases of WiFi, food, and drinks.

Expanded award seat availability. You earn United miles for all your purchases (double miles on restaurants and hotel stays), but then they also make it easier for you to redeem those miles on Saver level tickets with no blackout dates. Expanded award seat availability is another of the top perks from this card, and I’ve found a very significant difference when searching. If you’re constantly trying to find economy tickets for the entire family like me, this is a big deal. Saver Award ticket redemptions start at 12,500 miles one-way within the continental U.S. and Canada.

Another unique feature of this card is that it offers primary coverage on the Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. On most other consumer cards, this coverage is offered as secondary coverage, meaning it only kicks in after your personal auto insurance has been exhausted.

Bottom line. The United Explorer Card offers great perks for folks that fly United even just once or twice a year. The card provides lounge passes, a free checked bag, priority boarding, and inflight discounts. There are bonus categories to earn more miles, and special expanded award seat inventory for credit card holders to make it easier to actually redeem those miles for flights.

Also see: Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General
Last updated: February 25, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

United Business Card Review: 75,000 Bonus Miles, First Year Annual Fee Waived, New Perks

February 25, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 2 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

The UnitedSM Business Card offers unique perks for regular United customers including free checked bags and expanded award seat availability for redeeming miles. Here are the highlights:

  • 75,000 bonus United miles after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months.
  • Free first checked bag for both you and a companion (a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your ticket.
  • Priority boarding for you and companions on the same reservation on United-operated flights.
  • Two one-time United Club passes each year ($100+ value)
  • Expanded award availability. Having this card makes it easier to redeem for that saver award economy ticket.
  • $100 annual United travel credit after 7 flight purchases of $100 or more.
  • 5,000 miles annual bonus miles when you have both the United Business Card and a personal Chase United credit card.
  • 25% back on United inflight purchases.
  • 2X miles per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including train tickets, taxi cabs, mass transit, tolls and ride share services.
  • 2X miles at restaurants, gas stations and office supply stores.
  • 2X miles on United purchases and 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • Your miles don’t expire as long as your credit card account is open, with no limit to the number of miles you can earn.
  • Employee cards at no additional cost.
  • $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $99.

This card is considered a “new” card, differ from the old Business Explorer card:

This product 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.

In addition, you can get this card and bonus if you had the consumer version of the United Explorer in the past 24 months (or have one now).

Many people aren’t aware of the fact that they can apply for business credit cards, even if they are not a corporation or LLC. The business type is called a sole proprietorship, and these days many people are full-time or part-time consultants, freelancers, eBay/Amazon/Etsy sellers, Uber/Lyft drivers, or other one-person business owners. This is the simplest business entity, but it is fully legit and recognized by the IRS. On a business credit card application, you should use your own legal name as the business name, and your Social Security Number as the Tax ID.

Note that Chase has an unofficial rule that they will most likely 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 rule applies on a per-person basis, so in our household one applies to Chase while the other applies at other card issuers.

The good news is that small business cards from Chase hardly ever show up on personal credit reports, so getting this card in itself won’t affect your future 5/24 eligibility. This it makes a “free” application if you are already eligible.

This card is very focused on rewarding you for being a United customer. Before you board, you might use one of your free United Club lounge passes. You have the first checked bag for free on United flights, both for your and a companion traveling on the same reservation. The fee is usually $30 per person, each way, so that this how they get the value of $120 each roundtrip. You also get Priority Boarding, which helps you find space for your carry-on.

Expanded award availability. You earn United miles for all your purchases (double miles on restaurants and hotel stays), but then they also make it easier for you to redeem those miles on Saver level tickets with no blackout dates. Expanded award seat availability is another of the top perks from this card, and it is actually a significant difference. Saver Award ticket redemptions start at 12,500 miles one-way within the continental U.S. and Canada.

Another unique feature of this card is that it offers primary coverage on the Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. On many other cards, this coverage is offered as secondary coverage, meaning it only kicks in after your personal auto insurance has been exhausted.

Bottom line. The United Business card offers valuable perks for folks that fly United even just once or twice a year. The card provides lounge passes, a free checked bag, priority boarding, and inflight discounts. There are bonus categories to earn more miles, and special expanded award seat inventory for credit card holders to make it easier to actually redeem those miles for flights. Right now, there is a boosted 75k bonus and the annual fee is waived for the first year.

Due to the increased bonus offer, I will be adding this to the Top 10 Best Small Business Card Bonus Offers.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General
Last updated: March 2, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

PPP Updates For Self-Employed and Independent Contractors: Single-Page Forgiveness Form, 2nd Draw Applications Open

February 23, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 7 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Updated. There are many people who are eligible for 100% forgivable federal assistance from the Paycheck Protection Program, but aren’t applying for it, either due to misinformation or being discourage by all the bureacracy. Many PPP loan recipients are self-employed workers, sole proprietors, freelancers and/or independent contractors that file a Schedule C who may be eligible only for a modest amount, but that amount can still make a big difference. I am not an accountant nor a lawyer, but I encourage the (really) small businesses out there to get help if impacted by COVID. It’s not too late, and COVID isn’t over!

New focus on business with LESS than 20 employees. The Treasury Department just announced that businesses with more than 20 employees will be shut out of the PPP for a two-week period starting Wednesday, 2/24. In other words, only businesses with less than 20 employees can apply for PPP loans during the next two weeks. From ABC News:

In an attempt to improve equitable distribution of loans, administration officials said changes would also be aimed at helping sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals to receive more financial support by revising the program’s funding formula.

PPP Round 2 loan applications now open. First of all, if you never took a PPP loan, you can still apply for a first-draw PPP loans under the more lenient first-draw eligibility rules. Second-draw PPP loans have a different set of eligibility rules, notably you need to show a reduction in revenue. If you are a self-employed worker with no other employees and have higher than a $100,000 net income (2019 IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line 31 or equivalent), then you must reduce it to $100,000. Here are the full SBA 2nd Draw guidelines. In terms of loan size, you can still get 2.5 times your average monthly net profit from 2019.

The next general hurdle is that you must show a 25% drop in income when comparing the same quarter in 2019 and 2020:

Applicant must demonstrate that gross receipts in any calendar quarter of 2020 were at least 25 percent lower than the same quarter of 2019. Alternatively, Applicants may compare annual gross receipts in 2020 with annual gross receipts in 2019 if they were in business in 2019.

Looking for a PPP lender? One problem is that most banks are restricting PPP applications to those with existing business credit relationships. Many freelancer and independent contractors don’t have that. The small-business fintech Fundera has an open PPP loan application (both for first and second-draw loans) to help freelancers and independent contractors find a lender without any no prior relationship.

Single-page form for PPP Round 1 loan forgiveness now available. If you have an existing loan under $150,000, there is now a single-page form that requires you to submit no additional documentation (it must still exist, of course, and they may ask you for it later if audited). That form, called the PPP Loan Forgiveness Application Form 3508S, has been released and lenders are starting to accept them. You may even be able to use the longer 24-week covered period and get more of your loan forgiven than with the previous 8-week period. (I haven’t heard of widespread final forgiveness being granted by the SBA yet.)

Looking for a self-employed or small business payroll provider? I want to mention Gusto here, as I use them for payroll and saw them create many tools this year to help their users satisfy the PPP documentation requirements and help them take advantage of this relief. If you are a single-person company, they have a basic tier that costs only $25 per month, which is much less than the major payroll providers. (You can also split up your direct deposit however you like, handy for various banking promotions.) Right now, referred user can get a $100 Visa gift card after running your first payroll with Gusto (my referral link).

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers, Entrepreneurial, Self-Employment
Last updated: February 24, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Blue Cash Preferred from American Express Review: 6% Cash Back at US Supermarkets ($6,000/Year), $300 Welcome Bonus, No Annual Fee First Year

February 18, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 21 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Update: This offer has been improved to include a $300 statement credit and the annual fee is waived during the first year. The previous offer was a $250 statement credit without an annual fee waiver.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has been in heavy rotation recently: 6% cash back at US stand-alone supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases. If you spend $100 a week at supermarkets, that alone will earn you over $300 a year in rewards. The welcome offer has also been improved. The highlights:

  • $300 statement credit after $3,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
  • 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
  • 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
  • 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations.
  • 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more.
  • 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
  • $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Max out your benefit by buying gift cards at US supermarkets. I use this card to buy gift cards at a standalone US supermarket to use up the annual limit and get 6% back. My local Safeway has an entire wall of options, but I usually go with Amazon, Apple, or Starbucks (gifts). You can easily confirm that your purchase still gets 6% cash back on your account online:

Supermarkets details. “US stand-alone supermarkets” means that superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are not considered supermarkets. This means no Super Wal-Mart, no Super Target, no Costco. Examples of merchants that do count (and this is not a complete list!) are Safeway, Whole Foods, Meijer, Vons, Winn-Dixie, Gristedes, Shoprite, Stop and Shop, and online supermarkets such as FreshDirect.

Gasoline details. “US stand-alone gas stations” means that superstores, supermarkets, and warehouse clubs that sell gasoline are not considered gas stations. This means no Target, no Costco, no Sam’s Club. Examples of merchants that count (and this is not a complete list!) are Exxon, Mobil, Hess, Shell, Gulf, Murphy USA, Murphy Express.

US Streaming Subscriptions details. These are all included at 6% cash back:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Music
• Audible
• CBS All Access
• Direct TV Now
• ESPN+
• Fubo TV
• HBO Now
• Hulu
• iHeartRadio
• Kindle Unlimited
• MLB.TV
• NBA League Pass
• Netflix
• NHL.TV
• Pandora
• Prime Video Unlimited
• Showtime
• Sling TV
• SiriusXM Streaming and Satellite
• Spotify
• YouTube Music Premium
• YouTube Premium
• YouTube TV

Annual fee. There is a $95 annual fee (may be waived during the first year), so you’ll want to utilize that 6% cash back on groceries to maximize your value. If you spend the max cap of $500 a month at supermarkets, at 6% back that would net you $360 cash back in a year vs. $60 at 1% cash back. Note that simply spending $31 per week at supermarkets at 6% cash back will result in over $95 Reward Dollars per year to cover the annual fee.

Alternatively, you could look at it this way. If you spend the max cap of $500 a month at supermarkets, at 6% back that would net you $360 cash back in a year. Minus the $95 annual fee, and you’ll still earn $265 net cash back on $6,000 of spending, for an net overall cash back rate of 4.4%. That’s still a good year-round cash back rate for groceries, and I’m completely ignoring the US streaming subscriptions category.

If you still don’t like the idea of paying an annual fee, the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express offers 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases with no annual fee. It currently offers a $200 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months.

Cash back is officially given in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit, gift cards, and merchandise. I always just stick with statements credit to directly pay down my monthly bill.

Bottom line. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has the key feature of 6% cash back at US supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year). You can now also get 6% cash back on Netflix/Spotify/HBO Now as well as 3% cash back at US gas stations and transit (Uber/Lyft/train). This has been a “keeper” card for me for many years now. I treat it like one of my 5% cash back cards, except there are no rotating categories or activations to worry about. Right now, there is also a welcome offer including a $300 statement credit and the first year annual fee is waived.

Filed Under: Credit Cards, Deals & Offers, General
Last updated: February 19, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Mint Mobile Review: Now $15 a Month for 4 GB, $20 a Month for 10 GB 5G/LTE Data

February 18, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 11 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

Update 2021: I just renewed with Mint Mobile again. I’m still happy with the service, including the new faster 5G speeds and increased data limits (added automatically without raising the price). I now pay $20/month for 10 GB 5G/LTE data (up from 8 GB). I also consolidated all the important info from my previous Mint Mobile posts into the full review below.

Full review:

Mint Mobile is a prepaid cellular MVNO which runs on the T-Mobile network. They offer very competitive pricing on 5G/LTE data plans, as long as you “buy in bulk”. To switch, they will send you a SIM card to place in your existing phone. New customers can get the lowest price for the first 3 months for a lower upfront commitment. After that, you’ll need to renew for 12 months. Here are the current plan options:

  • 4 GB 5G/LTE Data + Unlimited Talk/Text for $15/month
  • 10 GB 5G/LTE Data + Unlimited Talk/Text for $20/month
  • 15 GB 5G/LTE Data + Unlimited Talk/Text for $25/month
  • Unlimited* 5G/LTE Data + Unlimited Talk/Text for $30/month (*Throttled after 35 GB)

I like that Mint Mobile acts like Vanguard in that I keep automatically getting more for my money without me having to be a new customer. $15 a month used to get me 2 GB of data, then 3 GB, and now 4 GB. $20 a month used to get me 5 GB of data, then 8 GB, and now 10 GB.

After you run out of 5G/LTE high-speed data, Mint Mobile plans still include “unlimited” slow data at 2G speeds (128kbps). This is nice to keep your messages and e-mail even if you accidentally binge-watch something on Netflix over cellular. All plans also include free international calls to Mexico and Canada.

Bring your own phone. You can bring your own unlocked GSM phone including both Android and Apple iPhones. Input your zip code first and then they will help you check your phone compatibilty. The most reliable way is to look up your IMEI number in your phone settings. Alternatively, they are offering the new iPhone SE for $15 a month, which means you can get a new phone + service for $30 a month total.

eSim now available. If have an iPhone that supports eSim (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR to the current iPhone 12 line-up), you can now switch to Mint without even waiting for a physical SIM card. Look for the eSim option during the sign-up process. Android support is supposed to come mid-2021, but unfortunately there are currently no plans to support the Apple Watch.

Number porting tip. Don’t forget to collect the following info from your existing carrier before starting the transfer process: Account number, Account PIN/password, and zip code on bill. Other than that, I was able to swap SIM cards and activate everything in under 10 minutes.

Upgrade to a higher data plan later and only pay the difference. During the pandemic, I found myself eating through a lot more cellular data. After I bumped into my data cap (3 GB at the time for $15/month) for the second time, I contacted Mint to upgrade to their next tier (8 GB at the time for $20/month). They allowed me to upgrade to the higher data plan for the rest of my 12-month term by only paying for the future difference. I did not have to retroactively pay to upgrade the entire term, or even renew for a new term.

What’s the catch? Any drawbacks? I did not experience any “catch”. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have kept renewing with Mint for three years in a row. If I’m being picky, here are potential drawbacks:

  • As with all MVNOs, you don’t get the roaming that you get when you pay full price from the Big 3 carriers of Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile. However, I never noticed any ongoing issues with cell coverage. The only time that I remember lacking service was during a large public event (remember those?) – a music concert in a stadium.
  • As with any time you switch carriers, the porting process can sometimes be a hassle. You’ll need to call your existing carrier and get a secret passphrase, which might involve a phone call and some hold time. Mint tries to do everything online, but does have a phone number and human reps if needed.

How’s the 5G data speed? If you have a 5G-capable phone and 5G towers around, you can get download speeds that rival or perhaps exceed your home internet connection. I did various tests with the SpeedTest app and sometimes had blazing 5G speeds (200 Mbps+), while sometimes the 5G with only one bar was slower than normal LTE (50 Mbps). Supposedly, Mint will automatically allow to connect to whichever is faster, 5G or LTE.

Can I use my phone as a WiFi hotspot? All Mint plans include free hotspot tethering up to your data allotment (5 GB hotspot on unlimited plan).

7-day money back guarantee details. It is important to note that their “7-Day Money Back Guarantee” starts at activation, not order date or ship date. So activate, and make sure the coverage works for you within those 7 days. If not, you can request a full refund online (minus shipping if any). You don’t even need to ship back your SIM card.

Bottom line. Mint Mobile works best for my needs, as I get unlimited talk, text, and 10 GB of 5G/LTE data for $20 a month. Other recs? If you want to unlimited talk and text only, you can find from Tello for only $8 a month (now a T-Mobile MVNO). If you want unlimited data on Verizon towers, look into Visible Wireless at $25 to $40 a month.

Also see:

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links above, I may be compensated.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Frugal Living
Last updated: February 20, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

Debit Card Arbitrage: $4.7M Tax Payment Results in $47,000 Cash Back

February 15, 2021 By Jonathan Ping 4 Comments
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards and may receive a commission. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned.

An under-the-radar loophole is now out in the open, thanks to fintech app Jiko* publishing a PR release bragging about their $4.7 million debit card charge, which led to Axios writing about it as quite likely the “largest consumer debit transaction ever”. In a nutshell: Someone made a $4.7 million tax payment to the IRS using a Jiko debit card, paying less than $4 in fees while earning $47,000 in cash back!

As noted in my post on How Fintech Bank Apps like Chime Make Money, a significant portion of fintech revenue comes from debit card fees. Large banks have their debit card interchange fees regulated, as Durbin fee limits only apply to large banks with $10 billion in assets and above. But smaller banks are classified as exempt, and the Federal Reserve shows the average intercharge fee is 1.4% for exempt transactions. This is why small fintech banks can offer 1% cash back on debit card purchases.

Meanwhile, it appears that the fee that the IRS payment processors charge is based on the regulated interchange fee of 0.05% (yes, 1/20th of 1%!) plus 21 cents per debit card transaction. That means even a $10,000 tax payment would result in a regulated interchange fee of $5.21, and the vast majority of tax payments are much less than $10,000. Perhaps they have some sort of special agreement? Either way, they all charge a flat fee ranging from $2.55 to $3.95 on any payment amount.

This creates an arbitrage opportunity between the fees paid and cash back earned for those can that justify really large tax payments (usually those with really large incomes). On a $10,000 payment, your net profit would be about $96. Meanwhile, making an unnecessarily high payment might encourage an audit or raise other flags. You’ll also need to fund and use an appropriate fintech bank that offers 1% cash back with no limits. I’m not sure if this was a smart move by Jiko, as the added spotlight may also end this important source of revenue for all fintech banks.

* The Jiko app doesn’t act as a bank as they hold your money in a brokerage account and invest your money in US Treasury bills (essentially equally safe, but not the same). However, they do have their own bank charter, apparently to process debit card charges – Jiko Bank, a division of Mid-Central National Bank, Member FDIC. I’m confused too! But interestingly since funds are backed by T-Bills, it made it safer to hold $4.7 million at Jiko, as that huge balance would have exceeded the FDIC insurance limits.

Filed Under: Banking, Deals & Offers
Last updated: February 15, 2021
My Money Blog has partnered with CardRatings and Credit-Land for selected credit cards, and may receive a commission from card issuers. All opinions expressed are the author’s alone, and has not been provided nor approved by any of the companies mentioned. MyMoneyBlog.com is also a member of the Amazon Associate Program, and if you click through to Amazon and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support.

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