New 100% hotel transfer bonus

Gooooooooood morning and happy Friday from my apartment, where I’m trying a new thing called “bed-maxxing.”

It’s where I stay in bed all day and do nothing (except write this newsletter). So far, it’s going reallyyyyy well.

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

• 🏨 100% transfer bonus to IHG

• 💳 New targeted spending offers

• ✈️ Earn an easy 2,500 Southwest points

🏨 100% transfer bonus to IHG

Our favorite bank is back with a new transfer bonus.

This time, we’re seeing an all-time-high 100% bonus when transferring UR points to IHG One Rewards.

This bonus is valid until July 30, after which the bonus will be reduced to 70%.

100% sounds like a lot… and it is. But since IHG points are generally less valuable than most points, it’s not as crazy as it sounds.

However…

With the right strategy, it can absolutely be worthwhile.

Pair this with my favorite credit card

My favorite card in my wallet is this IHG co-branded card. That might come as a surprise to most people, but here’s why:

Holding this card means you get every 4th night free when redeeming IHG points.

When you pair that with a tasty-ass transfer bonus like this one, the stars align. ⭐️

For example, let’s look at this hotel in New York City. It’s a brand-spanking-new Voco in Times Square, and it can cost just 22,000 IHG points per night.

If you have an IHG credit card, a 4-night stay here would cost just 66,000 points with the 4th-night free perk.

Throw in a 100% transfer bonus, and the same 4 nights would run you just 33,000 UR points, or less than 9,000 points a night… in Times Square…

Don’t listen to the haters

Most bloggers and influencers would tell you to ignore this bonus (in fact, they’re all literally saying that) because “you can get more value from Hyatt points or other partners.”

But don’t listen to them. They’re silly goose(s).

Show me one example of a hotel in Manhattan that can be booked for fewer points using any of the other UR transfer partners.

Yeah… I thought so.

Look. Don’t focus too much on “cents per point value.” It’s an okay way to measure value between points and programs, but at the end of the day, just book the deal that works for you, your trip, and your points budget.

If you can transfer 33,000 points and get four nights in Times Square at a new hotel, screw everyone who tells you not to book that.

Rant over. 🎤🫳

Anyway, this 100% bonus is why it’s ALWAYS good to have some UR points handy.

There are a bunch of different cards that earn UR points, including this card with a limited-time welcome offer of 100,000 UR points (which is rare).

If you rack up some points now, you’ll be ready to pull the trigger when offers like this come around in the future.

💳 New targeted spending offers

This bank is back with another set of targeted spending offers on its portfolio of cards.

Every quarter, you can check your accounts on this website to see if you’ve been targeted.

Just enter your info and see what happens.

Personally, the only offer I got was on this IHG co-branded credit card: earn 7x bonus points on grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants – which is pretty sweet.

As discussed above, IHG points aren’t considered super valuable. But I also love having more IHG points, so earning them on very common everyday purchases is fine by me.

Generally speaking, these offers pop up more on co-branded cards than UR point-earning cards – but check all your accounts anyway just to be safe.

It’s also worth noting that this is a total of 7x points, not an additional 7x on top of the normal earnings.

But still, you can max this out and earn 7,000 IHG points, which is enough to get you a little closer to a free night somewhere in the world.

Not bad for doing literally nothing (except registering for the offer).

Anyway, this is yet another reason it’s good to have a card or two from this bank.

✈️ Earn an easy 2,500 Southwest points

If you’ve got back-to-school shopping, home improvement plans, or just want an excuse to buy another pair of Nikes you don’t need – now’s a good time to do it through the Southwest shopping portal.

From now through August 10, you’ll get a bonus of up to 2,000 Southwest points when you shop through its portal:

• Spend $100 = 500 bonus points

• Spend $250 = 1,000 bonus points

• Spend $500 = 2,500 bonus points

Keep in mind that you can only earn one of the above bonuses, not all of them. One bonus amount will be awarded at the end of the promo period based on your total spend.

Buttttt… these are in addition to the points you already earn from the retailer itself – and many stores are offering boosted rates. For example:

Whether you’re picking up a new fridge, stocking up on beauty products, or shopping for school supplies, make sure to click through the portal first.

It’s also worth remembering that you can stack these portal earnings with your credit card rewards.

For example, if you use a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you’ll earn 2x miles on top of the portal points.

Always compare portals

I personally use the Atmos Rewards shopping portal all the time, even when the rates aren’t the highest. Atmos Rewards points are just that valuable to me.

Plus, some merchants like Marriott and Viator (which are currently offering 2x to 7x in the Atmos portal) are brands I already spend with anyway.

So, no matter what you’re buying – use a portal. The only thing worse than overpaying for shampoo is missing out on free miles for it.

That’s it for this week, amigos! I hope you enjoyed these three simple but effective deals to maximize your points journey.

Take care and see you on Monday,

6.9175° S, 107.6191° E

With contributions by Sam Anthony and Katie Begnoche.