Latest news with #rewards
CNET
11 hours ago
- Business
- CNET
Chase Sapphire Reserve Launches New $250 Apple Perk. I'm Not Falling for It
Chase/CNET The Chase Sapphire Reserve®* was updated earlier this week and now includes a number of new annual credits and other features, including an Apple Plus and Apple Music membership, valued at $250 annually (ends June 22, 2027). Chase also upped the card's annual fee. It now costs $795 annually, so you'll have to do more legwork to get enough value from the card to cover the cost. That likely means the average credit card user won't even want to consider this as an option. Which is fair. In my opinion, you shouldn't need to redeem dozens of credits, sign up for several complimentary subscriptions, only book flights and hotels when your points are boosted, or feel like you have to buy a Peloton to make sure you're getting enough value to justify a card's annual fee. The new credits and features sound great on paper, but to me, they just mean more work. There are some important changes to the card's rewards, too. It has a larger welcome offer and new rewards rates, and, less excitingly, Chase is changing how it values the card's points. But we'll get to that. I'm sure some travel experts and credit card aficionados will disagree and could easily get plenty of value from this card, but for credit cardholders like myself who would rather have a more automated, streamlined experience, it just doesn't seem worth the extra effort. Here's everything new with the Chase Sapphire Reserve. What does the new Chase Sapphire Reserve look like? Chase has changed the card's rewards and how much they're worth when it's time to redeem. New and old rewards compared New rewards Old rewards 8x points for all travel booked through Chase Travel 10x points for booking hotels and rental cars through Chase Travel 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly 5x points on flights booked through Chase 3x points on dining 3x points for all other travel 1x point for everything else 1x point for everything else These changes are good. Dining rewards seem like a no-brainer on a travel card, and it's something I was surprised to not see on the card originally. Also, not needing to always book through Chase Travel opens more travel and earning opportunities. The card also includes a higher welcome offer: 100,000 bonus points and a $500 Chase Travel℠ credit for spending $5,000 in the first three months from account opening. However, Chase is also changing the value of the rewards you earn with its new Points Boost program. You used to be able to redeem your points for travel through Chase at a bonus value of 1.5 cents per point. Now, you'll earn 2 cents per point, but only with rotating boosted redemption flights and hotels. And if you redeem your points for any nonboosted flight or hotel, they'll only be worth 1 cent each. You can still transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to Chase's travel partners. This is clearly less flexible than the card's previous reward program, and will likely cause cardholders to miss out on value they would've otherwise secured. What if there are no boosted flights or hotels for when and where you're looking to travel? You'll either need to wait or have less of your trip covered. Or, you could transfer your points where they could be worth more -- but again, that takes more work than simply redeeming through your card issuer's portal for a small bonus, as it was before. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card* now uses the Points Boost program as well. New annual credits The card is also gaining a handful of new annual credits: $500 The Edit℠ credit. The Edit is Chase's new collection of over 1,100 hotels. You get $250 from January to June, and the other $250 from July to December. The Edit is Chase's new collection of over 1,100 hotels. You get $250 from January to June, and the other $250 from July to December. $300 dining credit. Again, split in half -- $150 for January through June, and the other $150 for July to December. Again, split in half -- $150 for January through June, and the other $150 for July to December. $300 StubHub credit. $150 for January through June, $150 for July to December. Ends Dec. 31, 2027. $150 for January through June, $150 for July to December. Ends Dec. 31, 2027. Apple Plus and Apple Music membership , worth $250 annually. Ends June 22, 2027. , worth $250 annually. Ends June 22, 2027. $120 Peloton credit. You get $10 monthly statement credits for a Peloton membership through Dec. 31, 2027, for a maximum of $120 annually. Plus, you'll earn 10x rewards on Peloton equipment purchases. Those are the new credits; there are a number of others, too. You can see them all on Chase's page. The issuer says the card offers more than $2,700 in value, but you'll really need to work to achieve that. For those who spend $75,000 in travel on the card in a calendar year, you'll unlock a $500 Southwest travel credit plus A-list status, IHG Diamond Elite Status and $250 in statement credits for The Shop at Chase. That's a high spending threshold that only the most well-off traveller will likely be able to reach, and it doesn't seem like a great return on investment. And a higher fee Lastly, the card now costs $245 more than it did a month ago. The annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve now sits at $795, one of the highest on the market. While the credits offered can surpass the price of the card, you'll need to do the work to use everything it has to offer. That means buying and using a Peloton, checking the Points Boost program, ordering DoorDash, using Lyft and taking advantage of the new dining credit and two travel credits, and on and on. It's a lot of homework. If you don't use enough of the extra perks, you'll likely be on the hook for at least part of its annual fee. Should you get this card? In short, I think there are people who will find this card worth it, particularly those with higher-than-average travel budgets (and perhaps some sort of assistant to help them keep track of everything), but for the average traveler or credit cardholder, they are more likely to leave value on the table and be stuck with a high annual fee. There's just so much offered here, which is great, but the change in how points are valued, how much additional work you, as the cardholder, have to do annually to make the card's $795 fee actually worth the cost, doesn't add up to me. But again, I probably view credit cards a bit differently than most card experts. I like the easy route, the one that guarantees value without any financial corrosion or work beyond my usual routine. So I'll happily stick with my Sapphire Preferred, which offers way less, but only costs $95 each year. I use it for my dining and travel expenses, redeem my points for trips home through Chase Travel and take advantage of its annual $50 hotel statement credit. There may not be countless annual credits, memberships and subscriptions, but I barely need to do any additional work -- and definitely don't need to overspend -- to realize its value versus how much it costs me annually. *All information about the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
CNET
18 hours ago
- Business
- CNET
Less Than 2 Weeks Until Amazon Prime Day: The Best Credit Cards Can Help Maximize Your Savings
Amazon's flagship rewards card is going to be your best bet when it comes to shopping on Prime Day. Everything about the Prime Visa* is designed to make your shopping experience with Amazon more worthwhile. However, you'll need to be a Prime member to qualify, which costs $139 annually. But you'll need a Prime membership to shop the best deals this July, too. Right now, you can earn an instant $200 Amazon gift card upon approval. You'll earn 7% cash back for Amazon purchases during Prime Day, and your new purchases will be covered by various shopping protections, including extended warranty and purchase protection, which covers your item against damage and theft for up to 90 days. I've had this card for a few years now, and it's the one I reach for if I'm shopping on Amazon. I've been saving up my rewards over the year and might use them for something this Prime Day. Pro tip: Don't redeem your rewards with Amazon directly. Instead, redeem them for statement credits after you've made a purchase. Not only will your points be worth more, but you won't miss out on any rewards by not paying the full price on your card.
CNET
18 hours ago
- Business
- CNET
This Is the Least Rewarding Card in My Wallet. Here's Why I Still Use It
CNET/Getty Images As a credit card writer, I carefully curate my wallet. I have cash-back cards that earn rewards on everyday spending, travel cards with useful perks and other cards that I've picked up for one reason or another. Most of them earn between 2% and 5% rewards in different categories or provide benefits such as trip insurance. Then there's my humble Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card*, which earns a flat 1.25x miles on all purchases and comes with relatively few travel benefits. It's not a bad card for its niche -- a no-frills travel card meant for those who don't want to pay an annual fee -- but I personally have more rewarding options in my wallet. So why do I use it? For one specific feature: Capital One's virtual credit cards tool. It's invaluable for keeping my card information secure when shopping online. This alone makes my VentureOne worth using over my other, more rewarding cards. What's a virtual credit card and how does it work? A virtual credit card is a unique, randomly generated card number you can use in place of your real card information when making purchases online. The benefit of a virtual card is that you don't have to share your real card number during the transaction, giving you some extra protection from hacking and fraud. A digital wallet like Google Pay and Apple Pay provides similar benefits, but not all merchants accept this payment method. You can use virtual credit cards anywhere online that you'd use a normal credit card. Some issuers will give you a temporary virtual card number for a newly opened card so you can start spending while you wait for the physical card to arrive. But Capital One's virtual cards feature lets you create and manage new virtual cards at will, which is what really makes it useful. How to use Capital One's virtual credit card Capital One's virtual card is available on most of its credit cards, not just the VentureOne. So if you have one of Capital One's other consumer or business cards, you can still use this feature. There are two ways to generate a virtual credit card for your Capital One credit card: Use the Eno browser extension, which lets you automatically generate a virtual card at checkout when shopping online. Manually generate virtual card numbers through the Capital One online account portal or mobile app. To create a virtual card in the online portal, click on your profile picture in the top right corner, then select "digital wallet manager" in the drop-down menu. Screenshot by Raina He/CNET You'll be directed to a new page. Click on the "virtual cards" tile to go to your virtual cards manager. Screenshot by Raina He/CNET Here, you can see and manage all your existing virtual cards. You can check the card information and lock, unlock or delete them. Screenshot by Raina He/CNET If you click on the "create virtual card" link at the top, you'll be prompted with a pop-up to choose which credit card you want to link your virtual card to (if you have multiple compatible Capital One cards). You can then give your virtual card a nickname. You can also choose whether you want to limit the virtual card to a single use. By default, each virtual card is good for repeated use at one store only. Once you create your virtual card, you'll be presented with a virtual card number, CVC and expiration date. Use this card like you would your physical credit card when shopping online. When I use my VentureOne virtual card (and when I don't) Because the VentureOne's 1.25x flat rewards rate is lower than what most of my other cards earn, using its virtual card feature typically means losing out on some rewards or benefits. But I think the trade-off is worth it for these situations: Online purchases on sites I don't completely trust: Whenever I buy something from a website I'm not familiar with or I don't trust completely, I'll use a virtual card for some extra security. Depending on whether I think I'll shop there again, I'll either generate a single-use virtual card or a repeated-use card for the specific merchant. In the latter case, I'll lock the virtual card after purchasing and keep it locked until I need it again. Whenever I buy something from a website I'm not familiar with or I don't trust completely, I'll use a virtual card for some extra security. Depending on whether I think I'll shop there again, I'll either generate a single-use virtual card or a repeated-use card for the specific merchant. In the latter case, I'll lock the virtual card after purchasing and keep it locked until I need it again. Services that require me to keep a credit card on file: Some services, like rideshare apps, require you to keep a payment method on file. I'll use a virtual card for these services so that if my account is hacked, my real credit card won't be at risk, and I can easily disable the virtual card in my Capital One dashboard. Some services, like rideshare apps, require you to keep a payment method on file. I'll use a virtual card for these services so that if my account is hacked, my real credit card won't be at risk, and I can easily disable the virtual card in my Capital One dashboard. Subscriptions, memberships and free trials: I currently don't have many subscriptions or memberships, but if I did, I'd use a virtual card for them. I've heard horror stories about subscriptions that are easy to sign up for but hard to cancel, and I'd want an easy way to cut off payments if a company doesn't honor my cancellation request. The same goes for free trials, which often automatically turn into ongoing subscriptions if you don't cancel in time. Using a single-use virtual card can help prevent this. And here's what I don't use the card for, because I either don't need to or I don't think the trade-off is worth it: Anywhere I can use my digital wallets: While creating a virtual card through Capital One's tool is relatively simple, it's still an extra step. When a site lets me use my digital wallets, which offer the same protections as a virtual card but are more streamlined to use, I'll use that instead. While creating a virtual card through Capital One's tool is relatively simple, it's still an extra step. When a site lets me use my digital wallets, which offer the same protections as a virtual card but are more streamlined to use, I'll use that instead. Expensive purchases from trustworthy sites: For high-value purchases on sites I trust, the potential for additional rewards outweighs the security risks, so I'll use the card with the highest rewards. Generally, that means a tiered rewards card or a 2% flat rewards card (depending on the purchase). For high-value purchases on sites I trust, the potential for additional rewards outweighs the security risks, so I'll use the card with the highest rewards. Generally, that means a tiered rewards card or a 2% flat rewards card (depending on the purchase). Travel purchases (with a caveat): I use my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for most travel purchases to activate the card's various trip protections. However, sometimes I'm forced to book travel through sites whose security I'm not entirely confident in. In these situations, I weigh the risk of not having my Chase Sapphire Preferred's travel protections if something goes wrong versus the risk of having my credit card information potentially compromised, then make a decision on a case-by-case basis. I use my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for most travel purchases to activate the card's various trip protections. However, sometimes I'm forced to book travel through sites whose security I'm not entirely confident in. In these situations, I weigh the risk of not having my Chase Sapphire Preferred's travel protections if something goes wrong versus the risk of having my credit card information potentially compromised, then make a decision on a case-by-case basis. In-person purchases: Since I can't use a virtual card to make in-person purchases (except through a digital wallet, which makes a virtual card unnecessary), I'll generally use my other, more rewarding credit cards over my VentureOne card. There are many different Capital One credit cards, and some offer competitive rewards in their category. Depending on which card you have and what you're buying, your virtual card may well be your most rewarding card. In that case, feel free to use it for everything. Other tips to keep your credit cards safe Using a virtual card is one good way to keep your money safe, but it shouldn't be your only line of defense. Here are some other strategies I personally use and recommend: Lock any cards you aren't regularly using: I have a lot of credit cards, and some see more frequent use than others. Any card I'm not using on a daily basis, I keep locked, which blocks new purchases but generally allows established recurring transactions to go through. Most banks allow you to lock and unlock your card at will through your account dashboard. If you have virtual cards that allow repeated use, lock those too when you're not using them. I have a lot of credit cards, and some see more frequent use than others. Any card I'm not using on a daily basis, I keep locked, which blocks new purchases but generally allows established recurring transactions to go through. Most banks allow you to lock and unlock your card at will through your account dashboard. If you have virtual cards that allow repeated use, lock those too when you're not using them. Don't save payment methods in your browser or online accounts: I try to avoid saving my credit card information in my browser or on any website that doesn't require it. The convenience isn't worth the security risk if your account gets hacked or the site experiences a data breach. I try to avoid saving my credit card information in my browser or on any website that doesn't require it. The convenience isn't worth the security risk if your account gets hacked or the site experiences a data breach. Regularly monitor your accounts and report any unauthorized transactions immediately: Make a habit of going through your credit card transactions on a regular basis. If you find anything that looks wrong, report it to your issuer immediately. This way, they can deactivate and replace your card to prevent further unauthorized transactions, as well as potentially refund your money. And if your physical card has been stolen or you suspect your card information has been compromised, you should also report it, even if no unauthorized transactions have occurred. *All information about the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
PayPal CEO Says Long-Term Adoption of Stablecoins Will Take Time
PayPal Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Officer Alex Chriss said adoption of stablecoins in the US still faces significant hurdles and will take time to achieve. 'From a consumer standpoint, there isn't a real incentive to drive adoption, which is why we are starting to create things like rewards and starting to incentivize users,' Chriss said in a Bloomberg TV interview Thursday.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Yonder Credit Card Review
Especially for city-dwellers who travel frequently and habitually clear their monthly credit card balance, Yonder could be a good fit for day-to-day spending. The provider also offers a choice between a free and pay-monthly option depending on the level benefits you want to access. rewards tend to centre around major cities £15 monthly fee to access top rewards high interest rate on card balances Yonder is a Mastercard travel and rewards credit card that offers benefits including yonderpoints, which are redeemable against restaurant bills and lifestyle experiences. There are no foreign exchange (FX) fees when using the card abroad. There are also no cash withdrawal fees both abroad and in the UK. However, limits apply*. There are two versions of the card: one with free membership, and another that charges a monthly fee but offers additional perks such as boosted points earning, cashback on spending and worldwide travel insurance . The full membership credit card also offers Yonder Flights, which allows customers to redeem points to pay towards the cost of tickets with any airline. Who is Yonder? Yonder is a fintech start-up company that launched its first app-based rewards credit card in 2022. The card was primarily targeted at Millennial and Gen Z professionals living in and around London, but it has since broadened its reach to other cities including Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Bath. In April 2025, NatWest became a minority investor in Yonder. Here are the key points of both the Free and Full Membership Yonder credit cards: no monthly or annual fee reward points scheme with selected partners no FX when you spend overseas. £15 per month fee (or £160 if paid annually) 0.5% cashback on spending enhanced rewards scheme and welcome bonus free worldwide travel insurance redeem points against any flight with any airline no FX fees when you spend overseas. Cardholders earn yonderpoints on spending on their Yonder credit card at a rate of one point per £1 spent with the free membership account, and five points per £1 spent with the full membership card. Points can then be redeemed against a range of dining and lifestyle benefits with Yonder partners. These include theatre tickets, restaurants and bars, meal prep companies, fitness brands, car rental and – for full membership card holders – flights. Yonder's team of specialists select between 15 and 20 tailored offers and experiences at which cardholders can opt to redeem their yonderpoints. Partner brands include the likes of Bao and Fallow restaurants, Frive meal kits, Sucre, Grind, Padella, Hoppers and Soma cocktail bars. Full membership cardholders will have access to the full range of yonderpoint rewards partners. Yonderpoints have no expiry date. How to use yonderpoints You can redeem yonderpoints by simply selecting 'use points' in the Yonder app. When using your Yonder card, if you have enough points, they will be used automatically to pay – up to Yonder's fair use limit. You can check the fair use limits for each offer or experience in the Yonder app. Yonder also offers a top-up feature, which means customers can pay money onto their card to effectively increase their credit limit. This can make monthly card bill payments more manageable, while the extra can be used for purchases to earn points without using credit. Rewards and benefits With the Free Membership, cardholders earn one yonderpoint for every £1 spent on the card, plus up to five points on spending at selected partners. On the Full Membership plan, points are earned at a rate of five per £1 spent or up to 25 per £1 with selected partners. In addition, you'll get 10,000 yonderpoints as a welcome bonus when you sign up. The yonderpoints you earn are rounded down to the nearest pound on card spend. So if you're a free member and you spend £1.99 on the card, for example, you would earn one yonderpoint. Referring a friend can earn you up to 10,000 yonderpoints if they take a Full Membership card or 2,000 for the Free Membership card. Points have different values depending on where you choose to redeem them. As a benchmark however, one yonderpoint under the Free Membership plan is worth around 0.5 pence and one point under the Full Membership plan is worth up to 2.5p at redemption. Full members can also earn cashback in addition to their yonderpoints, where one point earned will be worth 0.5p in cashback. Other benefits of both types of Yonder card include fee-free overseas use. The Full Membership account offers additional perks, including worldwide travel insurance and cashback on purchases. Interest rates and fees The purchase rates on the Yonder credit card are relatively high at 32.26% APR variable for the free card, and 29.32% APR variable for Full Membership. The monthly fee applied on the full membership card means that the overall representative APR – which includes the interest rate and fees – is high at 66.0% (variable). There are no late fees if you don't pay your credit card bill but you'll accrue interest on any unpaid bills and interest charges. Are my purchases protected with the Yonder card? Yonder is a credit card, which means cardholders can benefit from payment protection under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act . This means purchases of more than £100 and up to £30,000 – even if just the deposit is put on the card – are protected. You'll need to be aged between 18 and 65 and a UK resident to be eligible for a Yonder card. You're also likely to need a regular income and a relatively strong credit score. There's an eligibility checker tool on Yonder's website so you can find out your chances of being accepted first using a soft credit check that won't show up on your credit report. This can be a prudent step before making a formal application, because you could harm your credit score if you're rejected. Yonder customer service The Yonder card must be both applied for and managed in the app. Yonder has a support hub on its website with a broad range of FAQs – such as about redeeming points or setting up automatic payments to clear your card balance. You can email with questions too – but customers are encouraged to use the live chat facility offered in the app. While this is marketed as 24/7, it may use AI chatbots at certain times and you may have to wait for the on-call human assistant. Yonder has a 4.5 Trustpilot rating (out of 5) from more than 1,200 customer reviews. Among the comments, users talk about Yonder being 'a card I can use abroad without it costing me a fortune in fees' and 'great rewards, and customer service has consistently been fantastic'. What are the alternatives to the Yonder card? If you're looking for a rewards credit card , there's a wide range to consider. These deals tend to come with perks, such as cashback or airmiles on spending, and various other lifestyle and travel rewards. Again, however, the standard purchase interest rates can be high, so you'll get the best value if you can pay off your balance every month to avoid interest charges. There is also a range of travel credit cards on the market that can save considerable money in charges. *Up to £150 per day (spread across three transactions) and up to five withdrawals every seven days to a total maximum of £600 per week. Note also that cash withdrawals are reported to credit reference agencies. Frequent or large withdrawals may affect your credit score, so Yonder advises to use cash withdrawals responsibly.
