Credit Card BS Podcast

American Express has added a ChatGPT Business credit to the Business Platinum and Business Gold cards. We explain the details of how they work and some tricks you can use to get the most out of those credits.

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At long last, US Bank has released the transfer partners they had promised for the Altitude Reserve. We give you our honest take on whether they are good.

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Did you know Wells Fargo has a secret flavor of the Autograph Journey card, the Premier Autograph Infinite? We walk through the special perks of this card, why you might want to get it, and how to get it.

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Citi is refreshing the high-end American Airlines Executive Card. Are the improvements worth the increased annual fee?

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Hotel owners want better reimbursements from Marriott corporate for points stays in light of the credit card revenue of the loyalty program. We discuss how this might be connected to devaluations for Bonvoy members.

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Amex recently sent out a survey of potential changes to the Hilton Business credit card. We walk through the confusing matrices of strange fee and benefit combinations and make our predictions. We also share our thoughts on what changes would and would not make the card worth getting.

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As airport lounges have become overcrowded, they have started putting guests on waitlists. But what if there was a way to enter the waitlist before even getting to the lounge so you don't need to go and return? We break down how the waitlist system works at each of the major credit card airport lounges, Amex, Capital One, and Chase, and how you can take advantage of it.

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📰J...

Exactly as transpacific premium award space dries up, the programs that unlock it (Cathay Asia Miles, Aeroplan) are devaluing the precise Asia sweet spots, a double squeeze on the premium-cabin Asia routes we know and love.

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Emirates' May 20, 2026 Skywards devaluation raised most premium awards ~15%, but the new one-way business Saver tier is a win, especially on fifth-freedom routes nobody talks about.

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Chase has just announced that points transfers to World of Hyatt will be devalued to a 4:3 ratio on the Sapphire Preferred. We break down what you need to do about it now, and analyze why this is such a shocking change and what it means for the future of the Chase ecosystem.

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American is cracking down on points brokers by limiting its close-in award space to partners, but it quietly kills one of the best AAdvantage hacks for regular people.

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One common way to allow family members to access airport lounges and other premium credit card benefits is to add them as an authorized user. But this usually comes with a fee, and as we argue, is not the optimal strategy. We discuss what you should do instead.

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Chase points were considered so valuable by many people because of its hotel transfer partner Hyatt. Now that Hyatt has significantly devalued its award chart, how should we reassess the value and best use cases for Chase points?

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Hyatt is devaluing its award chart next week. We discuss the properties you should prioritize locking in at the current pricing before the changes take effect.

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American Express has launched a new confusing card: the Amex Graphite Card. What's the point of this card, and why might someone want to pay its $295 annual fee? We discuss the narrow circumstances under which it might make sense and go off a tangent about the highly circumstantial value of Amex points.

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What if we told you there was a way to earn 4x Amex points on almost all your online shopping? We explore the potential lucrative returns you can get from the not-often-discussed Rakuten Credit Card and who it might work well for.

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Hyatt award chart and award category changes are taking effect next month. We analyze the effect and significance of these changes. Learn about what actions you need to take now to preserve the value of your points and how it affects our strategy going forward.

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Citi recently sent out a survey to possible changes to the Citi Strata Premier card. We run through the details and how it changes the math for cardholders.

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We give our brutally honest review of the Robinhood Platinum Card, a new premium $695 card that is launching soon.

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Hyatt sent out a recent survey that foreshadows possible changes to its loyalty program. We discuss what this means for the future of World of Hyatt.

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Citi is changing the transfer ratio to Choice and I Prefer hotels. Chase and BILT are adding Wyndham. We discuss the significance of these changes.

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"Points farms" are hotel properties that charge way higher prices than can be justified by their service and quality but are able to get away with it because of how many people stay there on points. We discuss this phenomenon, how the economics of hotel corporate reimbursement influences point farming behavior, its impact on service recovery, and give some opinionated examples of points farms. This knowledge might totally change how you view the value of points and miles.

OMAAT article: https://onemileatatime.com/insights/hotel-points-farms/

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We break down how hotel Confirmable Suite Upgrade awards work at each of the major chain programs: Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, and Hilton. We discuss key similarities and differences among as well as the relative pros and cons of the programs. And some tips and tricks on how to earn and maximize these confirmable suite upgrades.

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We discuss the details and benefits of the Amex Business Gold card and whether it's worth getting. It turns out its value proposition is geared toward a very specific type of customer.

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We analyze Hyatt's recently announced changes to their award chart taking effect in May 2026.

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Credit card YouTubers love to discuss airport lounges, but what about hotel lounges? We tell you all about how to get access to these lounges and whether they're even worth it.

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For the longest time, the only major airport lounge networks you could get access to with credit cards were Priority Pass and Amex Centurion Lounges. That's changing. Chase and Capital One are opening their own bespoke airport lounges throughout the country. We discuss their access rules and whether it's worth getting their premium cards for these lounges.

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A recent press release from Chase and Hyatt announced that "Hyatt plans to expand its card portfolio" and "Explorist status will be added as a benefit for top spending" Sapphire Reserve cardholders. We offer our predictions on a potential new premium Hyatt card and how the Sapphire Reserve changes will play out.

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We mourn the death of what was once the easiest way to amass tons of credit card points. We explain the new bonus eligibility restrictions Chase has imposed on the Ink cards, their new popup algorithm, and what this means for your credit card strategy.

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Since many things have changed since our last video, it's time for a refreshed episode on one of our favorite places to hack: Las Vegas. Even if you're not a gambler, there are plenty of tricks to maximize value with credit cards. We spill all the secrets in this comprehensive guide.

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So many credit cards offer great multipliers for booking travel through their portal. But the problem is you are almost always worse off booking your travel through a travel portal rather than directly with the provider. We explain the reasons why.

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With more and more premium credit cards becoming annoying coupon books, the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card is more important than ever. Although no longer available to new applicants, there is still a "secret" pathway to getting the card. We talk about that strategy, the card's unusually insane Priority Pass membership, and what makes this a keeper card you might want to consider.

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Rewards debit cards are unusual. Southwest has released a very interesting debit card. It lets you earn Southwest points on debit card purchases and comes with some other unique benefits. We discuss whether the card is worth considering.

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Something strange has been going on with Emirates as a transfer partner. Some banks have downgraded its transfer ratio, while another has discontinued it altogether. We investigate why this might be happening and whether this is a sign of bad things to come in the credit card transfer partner space.

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Some credit card issuers have what are called "family rules": a strict order in which you must open a series of cards to be eligible for their sign-up bonuses. We break down American Express's rules and Capital One's NEW rules so that you don't inadvertently leave tens of thousands of points on the table.

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We break down Citi's new mid-tier AA card, the AAdvantage Globe. Are the benefits worth the $350 annual fee, and who should be getting it?

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The new Coinbase Credit Card advertises itself as giving up to 4% cash back, but what's the catch? We run through its details and give you our honest take.

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BILT is severing ties with Wells Fargo and will be launching a new lineup of cards with annual fees of $0, $95, and $495 issued by Cardless in February. We explain the details of the transition, offer our predictions, and break down what this means for your credit card strategy.

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We discuss the premium Revolut Ultra offering from the UK—its high monthly fee and quirky benefits. Has it been slept on, or do the benefits put us to sleep?

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