Earn up to 85,000 points and $1,000 with these [targeted] offers!

Mail time is my favorite time of the day. I love it! Seeing my mailman cruise down my street is one of the highlights of my day – because I know that he could be bringing me some great point and mile opportunities! And that is exactly what happened this week!

While I sadly did not receive a 75,000 point Chase Sapphire Preferred targeted offer  like my fellow point enthusiast here (keep your eyes peeled for this), I did receive a nice variety of offerings from Chase, American Express, and Barclays.

Here is a little breakdown of what I found in my mailbox (which you may have received as well) and which offers I plan to act on (YAY or NAY):

1. Barclay AAdvantage Aviator Card (formerly the US Airways Mastercard) – Earn 15,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles upon spending $500 in three consecutive months (June, July, August).

Verdict – YAY – Spending $1,500 on the card works out to 11 AAdvantage Miles per $1 spent. That is a great 11 mile per $1 ratio and more than enough for me to move some spending to the Barclay AAdvantage Aviator Card.

 

2. Delta Platinum American Express – 70,000 Skymiles – Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $1,000 in 3 months, and an additional 10,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after spending $25,000 in a calendar year. In addition you will earn a $100 statement credit after making any Delta purchase. The Annual Fee is $195. (Note: the current public offer for this card is 35,000 bonus miles and 5,000 MQMs).

Verdict – NAY – Though 60,000 miles is an attractive bonus (not even considering the extra 10,000 given the $25,000 in spending), I will take a pass on this one. I still think there is value in the Skymiles program, but you really have to know where to look! For those wanting to boost your Skymiles balance, be on the lookout for a targeted offer on the Delta Gold American Express card – offering 60,000 miles and a lower $95 annual fee (waived the first year).

 

3. Chase Personal Total Checking + Savings Accounts – Earn a $500 Bonus ($200 Checking & $300 Savings) for opening a new checking and savings account with Chase! I have taken advantage of this offer in the past (twice – once for me, once for the wife)!

Chase Total checking requires direct deposit to be set up and Chase Savings requires $15,000 in new-to-Chase-money (i.e. you cannot transfer money from an existing Chase banking account to fund this account) to be deposited within 10 days (and maintained for 90 days). There are a few additional terms and conditions here, but it is all around a GREAT OFFER!

Verdict – NAY for me, but email me at accountingyourpoints@yahoo.com if you would like to take advantage of this offer and I will send you the coupon!

4. Chase Business Performance Checking – Get $500 Bonus with Chase Performance Business Checking. Ok, so I didn’t technically receive this offer in the mail, but I thought it was worth posting! The $500 is yours after opening a Chase Performance Business Checking account and depositing $500 within 10 business days of account opening, and maintaining that balance for 60 days. The catch here is that the account comes with a $20 monthly fee (waived if you maintain a balance of $50,000 or greater).

Verdict – YAY – Personally, I plan on opening an account and funding with the minimum $500, paying the monthly $20 fee for 6 months (totaling $120), collecting the $500 bonus offer, downgrading the account and then coming out with a net gain of $380! That is an amazing return on a $500 investment!

Get your offer: Visit Chase’s website, login to a pre-existing personal or business account, and then you will receive with a voucher with a unique coupon code. Bring this to your local Chase branch to open the account.

 

Bonus: Conde Nast Traveler Magazine – The Summer Issue! While this magazine is intended for the luxury travelers, all of you points and miles enthusiasts should use it as travel inspiration! Often times I read of luxury flights and hotels (Ritz Carlton, Park Hyatt, Waldorf Astoria – all points properties) that can be experienced with points and miles for a fraction of the cost that the typical Conde Nast clientele will pony up!

Verdict – YAY – Be inspired, set a travel goal, and make it happen with points and miles!

Final Thought

Always keep an eye out for targeted offers – via snail mail, email, and other channels! You never know when you might receive the offer that will allow you to achieve your travel dreams! Have a question on an offer you have recently received? Send me an email at accountingyourpoints@yahoo.com and I will do my best to give you a YAY or NAY decision on the offer!

Happy Mail Time!

DW