My two newest travel cards

☀️ Good morning and welcome back to Daily Drop — if you love credit cards, you’re in for a treat. If you don’t… well, you might after this issue.

Here’s today’s card-themed lineup:

• 🕵️‍♂️ Points Mythbusters: Can you get two cards in one day?

• 💳 My two newest credit cards

• 🏡 A card built for homeowners (with a points kicker)

• 🎥 Cash back or points?

🕵️‍♂️ Points Mythbusters: Can you get two cards in one day?

It’s one of the most common questions in the rewards world: “Can I apply for two credit cards on the same day and get approved for both?”

Here’s the reality:

Most banks won’t approve two new cards on the same day.

You can certainly apply, and sometimes those applications even get lumped together as a single hard pull on your credit report. But in practice, it’s very rare to walk away with two approvals from the same bank on the same day.

That doesn’t mean same-day applications are pointless. If you’re applying with different banks, you’ve got a much better shot.

In some cases, applying for multiple cards in a single day can be strategic (as I’ll tell you a little later). You can time applications in a way that increases your overall chances of being approved for both.

The trade-off? You’ll need to be prepared to hit two minimum spend requirements at the same time, which can be a lot of spend to manage.

What about your credit score?

Applying for multiple cards in one day won’t destroy it.

Yes, each application triggers a hard pull, which can ding your score by a few points. And new accounts can lower your average age of credit.

But as long as you pay on time and keep balances low, the effect is usually temporary — and in some cases, having more available credit can even help your score over the long run.

There is a risk that if you’re applying for too much new credit at once, it looks sketchy in the eyes of banks. So while two cards in one day can be reasonable, going beyond that raises more red flags.

Bottom line

You can absolutely apply for more than one card in a single day.

Just don’t expect two approvals from the same bank — the better play is pairing different issuers and making sure you’ve got the spend capacity to back it up.

If you want to learn more about this and how credit cards generally affect your credit score, we’ve got you covered. 👇

And now that we’ve cleared that up, let me tell you about my two newest cards… which I did apply for on the same day last week. 👀

💳 My two newest credit cards

Last week I pulled the trigger on not one but two new cards — all on the same day. Here’s what I grabbed and why.

First up: a business card with a CRAZY offer

This one is basically a no-brainer right now…

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is currently offering $900 cash back after meeting the minimum spend, which translates into 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points (because I hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve®) and also comes with a $0 annual fee.

For that kind of upside, it’s an easy win. I can use the welcome offer points for around $2,000 of value by transferring them to World of Hyatt.

Next: a premium Marriott card

Until last week, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card had a 185,000-point welcome offer — one of the biggest we’ve seen for a Marriott card, which can take me very far.

For example, I’ve been eyeing a trip to Tbilisi, where there’s a budget Marriott hotel that runs just 14,000 points per night.

With Marriott’s fifth night free perk, a five-night stay here will run me 56,000 points – barely making a dent in my new Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant points stash.

Beyond the points, it automatically grants Platinum Elite status, which means suite upgrades, free breakfast, late checkout, and other perks that would otherwise take a ton of nights to earn each year.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant also comes with an annual 85,000-point Free Night Award, which you can top up with an extra 15,000 points.

That unlocks even aspirational properties — like this Ritz-Carlton Reserve, which regularly goes for over $1,500 per night:

Between the elite status and the free night certificate alone, the annual fee on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant is easy to justify…

Why I applied for both on the same day

Since I’m rarely in the U.S., this two-week visit was the perfect chance to apply for some new hefty welcome offers and actually get them in my hands without international shipping headaches.

I also wanted to lock in the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant before it expired the next day.

Here’s where the strategy came in: One issuer (American Express) lets you see if you’re approved before they actually pull your credit.

So I applied for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant first, got the pre-approval, then quickly submitted the Ink Business Cashapplication before accepting the Marriott approval.

That way, my second application was evaluated without the first inquiry showing up yet — and both went through instantly.

To be clear: inquiries can hit different bureaus, and timing isn’t always that precise, so this method isn’t a guarantee. But it’s a smart way to reduce the odds of getting flagged or having to call in to explain yourself.

Now all that’s left is convincing my friend to let me buy his new oven so I can hit that minimum spend faster. 🔥

🏡 A card built for homeowners (with a points kicker)

We’ve covered just about every flavor of rewards card out there — but here’s one we haven’t talked about before: the Mesa Homeowners Card. And it just so happens there’s a limited-time offer worth flagging. 👀

For starters, Mesa does something most cards don’t: it actually rewards you on your mortgage payments.

You don’t charge your mortgage to the card (no massive processing fees here) — instead, Mesa tracks your regular payments and gives you 1 point per dollar, up to 100,000 points per year.

For anyone with a mortgage, that’s a serious pile of points from money you’re already spending.

On top of that, the card earns:

• 3x points on “home & family” purchases (think home improvement, utilities, childcare)

• 2x points on groceries, gas, and EV charging

• 1x everywhere else

And those points are more than just Monopoly money — Mesa Points are transferable to some solid airline and hotel partners, including some of my favorite programs:

• Air Canada Aeroplan

• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

• Finnair Avios

• Accor Live Limitless

These programs alone open the door to some incredible redemptions, which is pretty cool for a card that rewards you for mortgage payments and offers other solid perks for homeowners.

Speaking of that…

You’ll also find perks like statement credits for home services, warranties, pet care, and popular retailers like Costco, Lowe’s, and Thumbtack — which can take some sting out of those never-ending household expenses.

Now about that offer:

If you apply with code SEPT50 and spend $12,000 in the first 3 months, you’ll earn 50,000 bonus Mesa Points.

That’s enough to:

• Fly across the Atlantic in business class using Avios

• Fly around North America on United or Air Canada

• Transfer to Accor for a fixed value of over $900 in hotel stays

Not bad for a no-annual-fee card. The offer expires September 30, so the clock is ticking.

🎥 Cash back or points?

If you’ve ever dipped a toe into the world of rewards cards, you know the age-old debate: cash back vs. points.

Cash back gives you instant savings you can see right in your pocket. Points, on the other hand, dangle the possibility of a first-class flight or luxury hotel stay… if you’re willing to put in a little effort.

So in this week’s Daily Drop YouTube video, we break down the pros and cons of each, and help you figure out which one can deliver the most perks for your everyday spending.

That’s all for today, folks. I know today was a little credit card heavy, but I hope you found the information useful nonetheless.

Take care and see you tomorrow,

42.9956° N, 71.4548° W

With contributions by Tiffany Eastham, McKay Moffitt, and Benji Stawski