Updated April 2025. Do you have small business income or work as an independent contractor? Freelance, Uber/Lyft, DoorDash, 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 Amex Platinum 150k+$500, Venture X 350k, Citi AA 75k, Marriott 3FreeNights, Hilton 175k, United 125k, Spark $2,000, Amex Gold 100k.
• Removed Alaska 70k, Delta Gold 90k, Marriott 125k, Hyatt 60k+FreeNightAward, JetBlue 60k, Ink Unlimited $900

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.

Capital One Venture X Business Card

• Up to 350,000 bonus miles. 150,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months, and an additional 200,000 miles once you spend $200,000 in the first 6 months. 350,000 Miles can be redeemed for $3,500 towards travel (including airfare and hotel stays). See link for details.
• $300 annual travel credit. Get up to $300 in statement credits when booking through Capital One’s travel booking site.
• Additional 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary.
• Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass(TM) and Plaza Premium Group lounges access. Unlimited visits for primary cardholder and 2 free guests per visit.
• Up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R).
• $395 annual fee.

The Business Platinum® Card from American Express

• 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after $20,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months. Plus, a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months. You can earn one or both of these offers. Offer ends 6/30/25. See link for details.
• American Express Global Lounge Collection® provides complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, including their exclusive Centurion lounges.
• $1,000+ in value per year via statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless. Enrollment required.
• $695 annual fee.
• See Rates and Fees

Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card

• $2,000 cash bonus after $30,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year. See link for details.
• Unlimited 2% cash back spent on all purchases with no limit.
• $150 annual fee; Spend $150,000 annually and Capital One will refund this fee every year.

American Express® Business Gold Card

• 100,000 Membership Rewards points after $15,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
• Up to $240 Annual Flexible Business Credit. Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. Enrollment is required.
• Up to $155 Annual Walmart+ Credit. Get up to $12.95 back in statement credits each month when you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. Enrollment is required.
• Annual fee is $375.
• See Rates and Fees

United^SM Business Card

• 125,000 bonus 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 $160 per roundtrip).
• 2 United ClubSM one-time passes each year.
• $125 United travel credit after making 5 United® flight purchases of $100 or more each calendar year with your United? Business Card.
• $150 Annual Fee.
• Subject to 5/24 rule.*

CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard

• 75,000 American Airlines miles after $5,000 in purchases in first the 4 months. Limited-time offer. See link for details.
• First checked bag free on domestic AA flights for you and up to 4 companions (Up to $80 value per roundtrip, per person).
• $0 annual fee for the first year, then $99.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

• 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $900 straight cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel) after $8,000 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.*

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

• $750 bonus cash back. (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after $6,000 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.*

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

• 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after $8,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Limited-time offer ends 4/29/2025. See link for details.
• Up to $240 in Annual Hilton Credits. Get up to $240 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases made on your Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, with up to $60 in statement credits per quarter.
• $195 annual fee.
• See Rates and Fees

World of Hyatt Business Credit Card

• 60,000 Bonus Points after $5,000 in purchases in first 3 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.
• $199 annual fee.
• Subject to 5/24 rule.

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

• 3 Free Night Awards after $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy(R) points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy(R). Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply. See link for details.
• New award night top-off option: Marriott now allows you to supplement your free night certificates with up to 15,000 points of your own. For example, the 50k Award can be used to book a hotel at 65,000 points level if you spend 15,000 points of your own. This opens up the number of potential hotels available in expensive areas.
• Additional Free Night Award upon card anniversary (worth up to 35,000 Bonvoy points). Earn another additional Free Night Award after spending $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• Annual fee is $125.
• See Rates and Fees

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

• Up to $750 bonus cash back total (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points). Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months. See link for details.
• 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year.
• No annual fee.
• Subject to 5/24 rule.*

Hawaiian Airlines Business MasterCard

• 50,000 Hawaiian miles after $4,000 in purchases in first 90 days. 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.

BofA Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards card

• $500 statement credit after $5,000 in purchases in the first 90 days. See link for details.
• 1.5% cash back on all purchases, which can be increased to 2.62% cash back when combined with the Preferred Rewards program.
• No annual fee.

US Bank Business Leverage Card

• 75,000 bonus points after $7,500 in purchases (on the Account Owner’s Card only) in first the 120 days. 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.

JetBlue Business Card

• 50,000 TrueBlue points total. 50,000 points after $2,000 in purchases in first 90 days and paying the annual fee. See link for details.
• First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 3 companions when tickets are purchased with your JetBlue Plus Card.
• $99 annual fee.

Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card (Bank of America)

• 60,000 Alaska miles + Companion Fare Voucher after $4,000 in purchase within 90 days. See link for details.
• Companion fare voucher is “Buy one ticket, get one for $122” ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from just $23).
• Free checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six other passengers on the same reservation (worth $70 roundtrip per person).
• $70 annual fee for company, plus $25 per card.

Capital One Spark Cash Select Card

• $500 cash bonus after $4,500 in purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
• Unlimited 1.5% cash back spent on all purchases with no limit.
• No annual fee.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

• 60,000 Southwest points after $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. See link for details.
• Southwest still gives everyone two free checked bags.
• $99 annual fee.
• Subject to 5/24 rule.*

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

• 60,000 Bonus Miles after $4,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. See link for details.
• 60,000 Skymiles are worth at least $600 in Delta airfare with “Pay with Miles” option.
• First checked bag free on Delta flights ($70 value per roundtrip, per person).
• $200 Delta flight credit. Get a $200 credit to use toward future Delta travel after $10,000 in purchases within a calendar year.
• $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $150.
• See Rates and Fees

* 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.

American Express(R) Business Gold Card: See Rates and Fees. The Business Platinum(R) Card from American Express: See Rates and Fees. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: See Rates and Fees. Marriott Bonvoy Business(TM) Card from American Express(R): See Rates and Fees. Delta SkyMiles(R) Gold Business American Express Card: See Rates and Fees

New limited-time offer. The card_name is the newest entry into the ultra-premium business card category, with features similar to the Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card for consumers (you can have both at the same time). It has a large new-cardholder bonus, loads of perks, and a hefty annual fee. Right now, there is a limited-time offer targeting those with large annual expenses. Let’s take a look at what it offers:

• For a limited time, earn up to 350,000 bonus miles: 150,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months, and an additional 200,000 miles once you spend $200,000 in the first 6 months. 350,000 Miles can be redeemed for $3,500 towards travel! (including airfare and hotel stays).
• Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit. Get up to $300 in annual statement credits when booking through Capital One’s travel booking site. Book your choice of flights, hotel nights, or car rentals. You can redeem these in partial amounts over the course of the year.
• 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary.
• Up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck(R).
• Airport lounge access. Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and membership to Priority Pass through the Partner Lounge Network.
• $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection.
• This card has no preset spending limit, so you get purchasing power that adapts to your spending needs.
• Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease.
• This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month.
• Annual fee is $395. Free employee cards.

Here is the rewards structure on purchases:

• 10 Miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One’s travel booking site, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options. They offer a Price Match Guarantee.
• 5 Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One’s travel booking site.
• 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.
• Redeem miles for any airline, any hotel, rental cars, and more.
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs.

Redemption towards travel, including airline and hotel purchases. Capital One “miles” can be redeemed directly for a cash statement credit on a 1 mile = $0.01 basis when offsetting any travel purchase made on the card within the past 90 days. In other words, 100,000 miles = $1,000 toward travel. That means you can fly on any airline or stay at any hotel, pay with this card, and then “erase” that purchase using your miles balance later. This even includes AirBNB vacation rentals, car rentals, and Uber rides.

This means that earning 2 miles on on every $1 in purchases essentially makes this a 2% back card when applied towards travel. Earn even higher rewards of 5 miles per $1 spent on on flights booked through Capital One’s travel booking site, and 10 miles per $1 spent on on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One’s travel booking site.

Capital One’s travel booking site offers price matching: if you find a better price on another website within 24 hours of booking, they will refund you the difference.

Miles transfer options. Capital One now allows you to transfer your “miles” into select airline miles programs as well. Here are the airline transfer partners:

• Aeromexico
• Air France/KLM
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Avianca Lifemiles
• British Airways Avios
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad
• EVA
• Finnair
• Qantas
• Singapore Airlines Krisflyer
• TAP Air Portugal
• Turkish Airlines
• Virgin Red

Hotel partners

• Accor Live Limitless
• Choice Hotels

If you know how to leverage one of these international airline miles programs, this can be a very valuable option. Otherwise, it’s nice to know you can always get a certain level of value by redeeming against any travel purchase.

Airport lounge access details. Capital One is creating their own lounges within select airports (currently in Washington DC’s Dulles Airport and Dallas/Forth Worth). Venture X Business cardholders get unlimited access and can bring 2 free guests per visit. Employee cards do not get lounge access benefits.

You also get Priority Pass membership, which includes access to 1,300+ participating VIP lounges and even included credits to spend at some restaurants, in more than 600 cities and more than 148 countries. You can bring yourself and up to 2 free guests.

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.

This card should not show up on your personal credit reports, so your outstanding balance, credit limit, and closure states won’t affect your credit score. You’ll still see a credit check on your personal credit report from the initial application.

Bottom line. The card_name is an ultra-premium business rewards card that earns a minimum of 2 Miles per dollar on all purchases, which you can either redeem against any travel purchase or transfer to one of their airline/hotel partners. There is a generous new-customer offer. If you can take advantage of the $300 annual travel credit, TSA PreCheck(R)/Global Entry fee credit, and add the 10,000 miles on every anniversary, then you’ve effectively offset the $395 annual fee in all future years. To top it all off, the airport lounge access is very nice.

Due to the $1,500+ first-year value, I will be adding this to my Top 10 Best Small Business Card Bonus Offers.

Update for Rent Day 4/1. For Rent Day on 4/1, Bilt Rewards is offering the following additional perks. If you are a renter, this program offers steady stream of free monthly points and a variety of promotional perks. They also recently announced a change to their rent payment system that adds a pre-approval step in the app (probably to counter fraud, but they tease that points for mortgage payments are coming…).

From now until 4/1, Bilt is offering a bonus on their standard Lyft redemption rate, which can boost the value of a Bilt redemption above 1 cent per point. Blue/Silver members get a 50% bonus, which turns the standard 0.7 cent per point to 1.05 cents per point. Gold/Platinum members get a 100% bonus, which makes it 1.4 cents per point. Not amazing, but much better than some other Bilt redemption options if you don’t fly a lot.

On 4/1 only, Bilt is offering a transfer bonus to Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus). Blue gets a 50% bonus (1,000 Bilt points = 1,500 Avios). Silver gets a 60% bonus (1,000 Bilt points = 1,600 Avios). Gold gets a 75% bonus (1,000 Bilt points = 1,750 Avios). Platinum gets a 100% bonus (1,000 Bilt points = 2,000 Avios). Avios are pretty flexible (transfers between British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways) with lots of partners (like American Airlines), so might be worth pursuing.

Rent Day always means their 2X double points promo where you can get 6X on dining, 4X on travel, and 2X on other purchases (except rent). There is now a cap of 1,000 bonus points, so it’s not nearly as exciting as before.

You can still earn lots of Bilt points just for paying monthly rent to any landlord with no transaction fees, which is their most important feature. I don’t know the status of all the other smaller bonuses listed below for new customers.

Just joined recently? Look for these free Bilt Points opportunities (any day). Bilt lets you earn bonus points for a variety of different small activities, which can add up to 1,000+ easy points. I don’t know if these are officially listed anywhere, but I got them.

• After I first got approved for the Bilt card, they offered me 5X Bilt points on all purchases (except rent) for a limited period of time (reader Eileen reports 5 days). This is a good opportunity to earn 5X points for everyday larger purchases like insurance, tax payment, charitable giving, or utility bills. Max 50,000 points.
• 100 points for linking each transfer partner. Link Hyatt? 100 points. Link Air Canada Aeroplan? 100 points. Link them all! 10+ partners = 1,000+ points.
• 500 points for Amazon Shop with Points. Link your Amazon account and you can buy stuff with Bilt points at the usual mediocre 0.7 cents per points value. Linking gets you 250 points, and using the program (spend at least 1 Bilt point) and get another 250 Bilt points.
• 100 points for each credit card linked to Bilt Dining (up to 300 points). Bilt Dining lets you earn 5X points per dollar when you pay at an eligible restaurant using a linked credit card. Link three different credit cards, get 300 Bilt points.

Important reminder: You must use your card to make 5 purchases (of any amount) each statement period to earn points.

Full review:

The updated Bilt Mastercard is a unique credit card that earns rewards on rent payments to any landlord. Bilt is a rent payment platform and they will send your landlord a check or ACH bank transfer so that your landlord will not have to do anything. The credit card itself is issued by Wells Fargo. Bilt has bonus categories and a variety of points redemption options like many other rewards credit cards. Here are the highlights:

• Up to 1X points spent on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year.
• 3X points on dining.
• 2X points on travel including hotels, rental cars, and cruises when booked directly with airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies.
• 1X points on other purchases.
• Earn points when you make 5 transactions that post each statement period.
• When renting at a Bilt Alliance property, you can choose to have your rent payments automatically reported by Bilt to the three major credit bureaus each month; Experian(TM), TransUnion(TM), and Equifax(TM).
• No annual fee.
• World Elite Mastercard perks like cell phone insurance and purchase protection.

That means your rent can be up to $100,000 per year ($8,333 per month) and you would still be able to take full advantage of the 1X points per dollar spent on rent payments. They do require you to make at least 5 transactions per month (rent can be one), otherwise too many people might just put their rent on the card and not use the card otherwise.

Bilt has partnered with the owners of over 2,000,000 apartment units to create the Bilt Rewards Alliance. The easiest way is find out if you live in a qualifying property is to simply type in your address into the Bilt app.

Bilt also offers Double Points on “Rent Day”, aka the 1st of every month. This means that on the 1st day of every month, you can get 6X on dining, 4X on travel, and 2X on other purchases(except rent). They also offer other promos on this day.

Bilt Rewards Points redemption options

Travel partners. Bilt Rewards points transfer on a 1:1 basis to the following hotel and airline partners. You can also get 100 bonus points for every loyalty program you link to Bilt.

• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (NEW)
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• United Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• FlyingBlue (Air France/KLM)
• Miles & Smiles (Turkish Airlines)
• Emirates Skywards
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Aer Lingus Aer Club
• Turkish Miles & Smiles
• Iberia Plus
• TAP Air Portugal
• World of Hyatt
• IHG One
• Accor ALL

Hyatt hotel points, Alaska, United, and Hawaiian miles are likely the most useful points for the average US traveler. I am conservative when valuing points and miles due to their redemption hassles and steady threat of devaluation, so I would place the value here a 1 cent a point even though I definitely plan to exceed that. You may wish to use a different value.

Home Downpayment? Bilt says that your points can be redeemed at 1.5 cents per point when used towards a home downpayment. This seems like it might be rather complicated to actually redeem, so I would keep it mind but wouldn’t count on it. If you racked up 100,000 points over time, it would be nice to have $1,500 via this method.

Shop with Points at Amazon. You can link your Bilt Rewards points to Amazon and pay for your purchases at rate of 0.70 cents per point.

Rent. Bilt will let you convert points towards your next rent payment at 0.55 cents per point. This is not a good redemption rate when compared to the miles/Hyatt option. It’s too bad there is no easy, decent cash-out option.

Statement credit. Bilt will also let you convert points towards a statement credit on your credit card statement at 0.55 cents per point.

Other options include fitness classes or physical items like “limited-edition” home decor or art in the “Bilt Collection” catalog. Personally, I like being able to add to my Hyatt and Canada Aeroplan stash.

Possibly help your credit score? When renting at a Bilt Alliance property, your on-time payment activity can be automatically reported to the three major credit bureaus. In addition, with the optional “BiltProtect” feature, your rent payments will be immediately withdrawn from a linked bank account so your credit limit is not decreased (and ideally your rent won’t contribute to your credit card debt).

How do I pay my landlord or property manager? They don’t take credit cards due to the transaction fees. Bilt will provide you with a bank ACH routing number and account number that you can use to perform an ACH transfer, or they will simply send a paper check on your behalf. In March 2025, Bilt added a pre-authorization step that you have to do first in the Bilt app. After that they will provide you new routing and account numbers. You don’t actually pay with the credit card, nor do you or your landlord have to pay any credit card transaction fees.

1. Pre-authorize your payment in the Bilt app (before you pay rent)
Each month, pre-authorize your rent payment from the Bilt app, up to five (5) days before paying rent.
Select your rent amount and payment method.
Use your Bilt Mastercard® for your usual rewards and waived fees, or
Use any other credit/debit card to earn both Bilt Points AND your card’s rewards.
First time only: You’ll receive your BillPay by Bilt routing and account numbers. Add these to your property’s payment portal, replacing your old Rent Rewards account details.
Optional: After setting up BillPay, you can enable auto-authorization under ‘Rent Payment Options’ by selecting the day of the month and payment amount you want automatically authorized each month.

Free cell phone protection. Pay your monthly cell phone bill with your Bilt Mastercard and get up to $800 of protection (subject to $25 deductible) against covered damage or theft. For complete coverage details, visit wellsfargo.com/biltbenefits. To file a claim, call 1-800-316-8051 or visit mycardbenefits.assurant.com.

Bottom line. The Bilt Mastercard offers a unique rewards structure targeted specifically at all renters with any landlord. At $2,000 a month in rent, the 1X rewards would add up to 24,000 points per year in rewards = 24,000 Alaska/United/Hawaiian miles or 24,000 Hyatt points with no additional transaction fees and no credit card annual fee. You may even do better if you wait for a “Rent Day” promo on the first of the month. Something to consider if you already have to pay rent anyway.

The Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard, issued by First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), offers a variety of perks for Amtrak riders. It also currently has a 40,000 points limited-time offer that is worth up to roughly $1,000 value in Amtrak train fare or $400 in Amazon gift cards. This boosted offer came around the same time last year. Here are the highlights:

• 40,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 billing cycles of account opening.
• Roundtrip companion coupon upon account opening and card anniversary.
• One-class upgrade upon account opening and card anniversary.
• Station Lounge pass upon account opening and card anniversary.
• 3X points per $1 spent on Amtrak travel, including onboard purchases.
• 2X points per $1 spent on dining, travel, transit and rideshare.
• 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• 5% Amtrak Guest Rewards point rebate when you book your Amtrak redemption travel.
• 20% rebate on food and beverage purchases on board, via statement credit on this card.
• 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) every time you make at least $5,000 in purchases in a calendar year, up to 4,000 TQPs
• Amtrak points will not expire as long as your card account is open.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• $99 annual fee.

This offer is not going to be attractive for everyone, but it can be very valuable if you either enjoy recreational train travel or if you can use it for your commuting needs.

Amtrak points are currently worth roughly 2.5 cents per points towards Amtrak train fare. That means 40,000 points is worth approximately $1,000 in Amtrak train fare. Amtrak redemptions are variable and directly-linked to the cash cost, so you can use points on basically any ticket. There is also the potential value of the companion coupon, lounge pass, and one-class upgrade.

The best value is for train fare, but Amtrak points do transfer to certain other hotel programs, although some require elite status in those programs.

Gift cards. You can also redeem for various gift cards at a rate of 5,000 points = $50 gift card. So 40,000 points would get you $400 in gift cards to Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, etc.

You could take the train across the entire country! There is an 18-hour Capitol Limited overnight train from Washington D.C. to Chicago in a “Superliner Bedroom” with a private bathroom.

You could then take the 3-day, 2-night trip on the California Zephyr from Chicago to San Francisco. Enjoy the views as you cut through both the Rockies and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.

Bottom line. The Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard currently has a limited-time offer that can get you roughly $1,000 value in Amtrak train fare, with an $99 annual fee. The potential value is high, but I don’t know if it is too niche to include in my list of Top 10 Best Credit Card Bonus Offers. For you folks that prefer cash or near-cash, you could also get $400 in Amazon or Walmart gift cards with 40,000 points, minus the $99 annual fee.

American Express is celebrating their 175th birthday (!) with a “Member Week” from March 17-21. They are touting various special offers. I honestly don’t know if they will be awesome or disappointing, but I figure that it’s worth logging into your AmEx account/app and checking your AmEx Offer. Here is the press release and the official Member Week page.

Besides a chance at tickets to see Gracie Abrams and a free martini at “participating restaurants in New York, Washington D.C., Miami, Atlanta and Chicago”, here’s their teaser on the retail offers:

In honor of its 175th year, American Express will introduce new, limited-time Amex Offers for eligible U.S. Consumer and Business Card Members. Eligible Consumer Card Members can access more than $290 in statement credits when they make qualifying purchases from brands like Kiehl’s, Levi’s, barnesandnoble.com, Brooks Brothers and Shiseido; eligible Business Card Members can access more than $500 in statement credits on qualifying purchases from HP, Lowe’s and more. More information about Amex Offers and redemption deadlines can be found here (terms apply).

The big news in travel is that Southwest Airlines has basically given up their unique “We are different!” corporate identity and become just another commodity airline that tries to look as cheap as possible upfront (only $200!) while adding multiple fees on the backend for all the things that used to be included (want to sit next to each other? checked bags? decent legroom? ok sure it’s really $500). As educated consumers, our job is to understand the changes to their value proposition and adjust accordingly. Here’s a list of the new Southwest realities:

• Basic Economy has arrived to Southwest. The cheapest fare tier is now called “Basic”, not “Wanna Get Away”. You can no longer make free changes; you only get a non-transferrable credit that expires after only 6 months. Earns only 2X points, down from 6X points (elite status-holders get a little more). They are stripping everything possible because Southwest believes that people just pick the lowest fare regardless of features when listed on a comparison site like Google Flights or Expedia.
• No more free bags. Starting 5/29, on most fares you’ll no longer get two free bags included and they’ll start charging you like everyone else. Business Select fares and A-List Preferred elites will get 2 free checked bags. A-List elites and co-branded credit cardholders will get 1 free checked bag.
• No more open seating. Must pay for seat choice. Southwest is moving to assigned seats as well, which means Basic fares will have to pay up to pick their seats or be stuck in the worst middle seats or in the back.
• No more reasonable legroom for everyone. Southwest used to be known for decent seat width and legroom in all its seats. Southwest is now adding “premium” extra-legroom seats if you pay extra $$$. This usually means the rest of Economy loses a few inches in return (right now it looks like seat pitch will go down to 31″ from 32″, similar to Basic Economy for other major airlines).
• Changes to Rapid Rewards points redemptions. When redeeming Rapid Rewards points for flights, it will not longer be directly linked to the current cash fare. Basically, they want to be able to charge whatever amount they want, and limit the number of award tickets available on certain flights.

I wouldn’t actually read this Southwest press release because it has so much PR-spin that it is quite trifficult to understand what they are actually doing, but this attached graphic is useful:

It’s almost funny because you can still look up their old talking points and interviews on why open seating is better, why keeping free checked bags is better, why the fact that Southwest treats everyone well is important, but now it’s just the exact opposite. Your unique brand was around for 50 years, but now you’ve traded it all for a temporary bump in share price.

Well, Southwest, if you want us to just judge you on price, that’s fine with me. Selling a commodity product is usually a tough business, though. Prediction: The next step is to be merged away with another major airline soon.

In the meantime, I’m not sure if this makes their co-branded credit card more desirable or not. The card has basically added a free checked bag benefit that can be valuable, and some of them offer seating choice perks, but if you were a loyal Southwest flier, these new changes may cause you to not fly them as much anymore and now try out other airlines.