The trick that got us bumped to a $1,400/night room
Plus this month's best offers
Hi friends!
Big update before we get into it: I now have approval from Chase to talk more directly about cards and offers, which means I can finally name cards outright and point you straight to the application instead of talking in circles. It’s a small thing but it makes this newsletter a lot more useful — so let’s put it to work!
The Best Offers Right Now
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points
after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
If you’re newer to points and miles, this is still my #1 recommendation for families just getting started. The flexibility alone is worth it — these points can transfer to Hyatt for hotel stays, Southwest, United and Jetblue for flights, and so much more. I’ve personally used Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to book trips I never thought we could afford as a family of five.
This is the highest offer we’ve ever seen on this card (it’s only been this high 2 other times in its history!)
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card$750 $1,000 Cash Back (100,000 Chase Points!)
after spending $8,000 in the first 4 months from account opening
If you make any money on the side — freelancing, selling on Etsy, a small service business — this card is worth a serious look. No annual fee, a simple 1.5x on every purchase, and one of the highest offers we’ve ever seen on this card.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card$750 $1,000 Cash Back (100,000 Chase Points!)
after spending $8,000 in the first 4 months from account opening
This one is a quiet workhorse for business owners with regular spending on internet, phone bills, or office supplies. No annual fee, and the highest offer I’ve seen on this card. Not glamorous — but the points add up fast.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points
after spending $8,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
A strong pick for business owners who spend in categories like travel, shipping, or advertising. This one earns 3x in several key business categories, and 100,000 points is a meaningful offer for a card with just a $95 annual fee.
Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
200,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points
after spending $30,000 in the first 6 months from account opening
This one isn’t for everyone — the spend requirement is significant but if you have roughly $5,000 a month in expenses this is worth looking at. 200,000 points from a single welcome offer is genuinely rare!
And starting October 1, 2026, holding either the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® will be required to maintain 1:1 transfer rates to Hyatt — which is one of the most valuable transfer partners in the points world.
Want to see everything on the table this month? I keep an updated list of the best current offers in one place:
✈️ Personal Update
I’m currently in an airport lounge waiting on our flight back from Hawaii — we spent 4 nights on the Big Island, 2 nights at Hana Maui Resort, then 4 nights at the Hyatt Regency Maui. I’ll be sharing more from this trip on Instagram soon, but the short version is, it reminded me all over again why we do this. It was truly a dream of a vacation.
And even better? YOU CAN DO THIS TOO!
If you’re even just a little curious, check out these beginner resources here. Then when you’re ready, start with the card at the top of my Best Offers list!
💡 Travel Tip of the Week: Ask for the upgrade
While we were at Hana-Maui Resort (truly one of the most special places on earth), we used my hotel room upgrade template to ask for a bump — and it worked. We paid $50 to go from a standard room (normally $650/night) to an oceanview bungalow (normally $1,400/night). In terms of points, we paid 35,000 points/night for a room that would’ve cost 60,000 points/night on its own.
To be fully honest with you: our upgrade was a combination of three things — our status, the fact that we asked, and sharing that we were celebrating a special occasion. Status and occasion helped, but “asking” is the one lever every single one of you has, status or not, and it’s the one that costs nothing to try.
I put together the exact template I used — free to grab here:
👉 Get the Hotel Room Upgrade Template
That’s it for this week. Hit reply if you’ve got a question about any of this — I read every one.
Happy travels,
Kim
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Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Congrats!! :)