Your Coach

Quick and time-sensitive this week: two transfer bonuses close in the next few days, and there's a free tool worth knowing about that you may already have access to.

💳 Card strategy first — two transfer bonuses expire this week

If you're sitting on Chase Ultimate Rewards points, pay attention: Chase → IHG One Rewards is at a 100% transfer bonus through July 30. After that it drops to 70% through August 31.

Amex Membership Rewards → Virgin Atlantic is at 30% through July 31 — worth a look if you're eyeing a premium-cabin redemption on a Virgin or Delta partner flight.

If you don't have a card earning transferable points yet, this is exactly the situation the Chase Sapphire Preferred is built for. It's currently offering 100,000 points (TPG values that around $2,050), and UR points are what let you catch bonuses like the IHG one above.

👉 Referral link: referyourchasecard.com/19x/4U1SUCIDXJ

🗺️ A free perk you might already have

point.me rolled out "Explore" this week — instead of picking one origin and destination, you search by region and date range and get a calendar heat map of where award pricing is best. Good for the "I want to go somewhere in Europe in October, not sure where" crowd.

If you hold any American Express Membership Rewards card (Gold, Platinum, etc.), you don't need to sign up or pay for this — go to amex.point.me and log in with your Amex credentials. It's the same Explore tool, scoped to Amex's airline transfer partners, included free as a cardholder benefit.

Your move: Do you have Ultimate Rewards or Membership Rewards points parked and unused? If a hotel or partner-airline redemption is even a maybe for you, check the IHG and Virgin Atlantic bonuses before July 30/31 — transfers are one-way, so don't move points you're not sure you'll use.

Some links above are my personal referral links. If you sign up through one, we may both earn a bonus — at no extra cost to you. I only share tools I actually use.

You may have seen me post that out in the wild — on purpose, I kept the "system underneath" a mystery. In here, I'll just tell you what it was.

It was two things: I started at Rakuten, and I paid with my Chase Sapphire Preferred. That's the whole trick. Same $1,100 VRBO anyone would book — but Rakuten paid me points for clicking through them first, my Sapphire earned 3x points on the charge (vacation rentals like Airbnb and VRBO now earn 3x), and I was still working through the card's welcome bonus on top. Stack those three, and a trip we were taking anyway quietly earned enough points to cover a one-way flight to London. (To be clear — I'm not flying to London! That's just what those points are worth, and where a system like this can take you down the road.)

So here's that little system, named — the two pieces, plus one thing worth knowing this week.

🛍️ The portal I used: Rakuten

This is the habit I want for you. Before you book or shop online, start at Rakuten — you earn points back at places you already use, and their Hot Deals of the Day keep refreshing with new bonuses. The step almost everyone skips: set your account to earn points (Amex Membership Rewards) instead of cash back. Same shopping, a lot more travel.

👉 Not on Rakuten yet? Sign up with my Rakuten link — and remember to switch your earnings to points, not cash back, once you're set up.

💳 The card I paid with: Chase Sapphire Preferred

This is the card doing the quiet work. It earns 3x points on vacation rentals like that VRBO (plus gas, EV charging, and dining), and those points transfer out to airlines and hotels when you're ready to book a real trip — that's how everyday spending quietly turns into something like that London flight. Worth knowing right now: the welcome offer is at a rare high of 100,000 points after $5,000 of spend in 3 months (about $2,050 in travel), for a $95 annual fee. If a first travel card is on your list, reply and I'll tell you if it's the right one for you.

👉 Ready to apply? Use my link so we both benefit: referyourchasecard.com/19x/4U1SUCIDXJ

✈️🏨 One thing worth knowing: Air Canada + Hyatt teamed up

Two of my favorites — Air Canada (great for flights) and Hyatt (some of the best hotel value out there) — now work together, so your points stretch across both. Nothing you have to do today. I linked my accounts this week so they're ready when I book, and I'll walk you through it when you're ready.

That's the week. You don't have to chase everything — one small habit, done consistently, is the whole game. Reply anytime; I read them all.

Some links above are my personal referral links. If you sign up through one, we may both earn a bonus — at no extra cost to you. I only share tools I actually use.

Hey — quick but important one this week, and it's a move I'm making myself, so let me walk you through it.

💳 Card strategy first: Chase changed the Hyatt math

If you carry the Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) and you love Hyatt the way I do, put this on your calendar. Starting October 1, your CSP-to-Hyatt transfers drop from 1:1 to 4:3 for existing cardholders (and if you applied after June 15, you already have the lower rate). Here's what that actually means for you: 40,000 Chase points that used to become 40,000 Hyatt points will now land as just 30,000. So if there's a Hyatt stay you've been dreaming about, this is your window — transfer what you'll actually use before September 30.

Now the good news, because it's not all doom and gloom. If you already have the CSP, the refresh is mostly a win for you — you now earn 3x at gas stations, EV charging, and vacation rentals (Airbnb/Vrbo), and those upgrades apply to existing cardholders too, not just new applicants. The only piece you can't grab as a current cardholder is the sign-up bonus.

And if you don't have a CSP yet? This is a genuinely great moment to look. It's one of the best starter travel cards out there — strong everyday earning, real travel perks, and right now a 100,000-point welcome offer after $5,000 of spend in 3 months. That's one of the strongest CSP sign-up bonuses I've seen in a while, and for a $95 annual fee, it's a lot of card.

👉 Ready to apply? Use my link so we both benefit: referyourchasecard.com/19x/4U1SUCIDXJ

✈️ Transfer bonuses worth a look

Two bonuses caught my eye this week — both worth a look if you've got a trip brewing:

And the rule I'll never stop repeating: find the award space first, transfer second. Points are only worth moving once you know exactly where they're going.

👉 My move this week

Here's what I'm doing: deciding, before September 30, exactly which Chase points to move over to Hyatt for next summer's trip. If you want to think yours through, email me at hello@everydaytoextraordinary.ai and tell me what you're dreaming up — I'll help you run the numbers and track down the Hyatt award space.

Big week for card news, and one time-sensitive transfer bonus you need to know about before July 14.

💳 The Chase Sapphire Preferred just got a major refresh — and there's a catch

On June 15, Chase updated the Sapphire Preferred, and if you've been on the fence about this card, here's what actually changed:

The card is still one of the best starter travel cards out there — but if you've been planning to use Chase points for Hyatt stays, this changes the conversation. Let's talk before you apply.

👉 Ready to apply? Use my referral link so we both benefit: Chase Sapphire Preferred →

🔄 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic — Chase version ends July 14

Right now, both Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards have a 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Transfer 10,000 points and you get 13,000 Virgin Atlantic miles automatically — no extra steps.

Only transfer if you have a specific trip in mind — transfers are irreversible and award space can disappear fast. Check availability on point.me or the Virgin Atlantic site first.

💡 If you have the Amex Gold and shop online at all — read this

The most-missed multiplier for beginners: Rakuten. If you shop at any major retailer (Target, Walmart, Nike, Macy's, Sephora, etc.), Rakuten pays you bonus points for going through their portal first.

The key step almost everyone skips: switch your Rakuten earnings from cash back to Amex Membership Rewards points in your account settings. Once you do that, those bonus points go straight into your MR balance and can transfer to Virgin Atlantic, Avianca, Air Canada, and more.

With the current Virgin Atlantic 30% bonus still live for Amex through July 31, Rakuten MR points you're already earning become even more valuable right now.

👉 Not on Rakuten yet? Sign up with my Rakuten link — and remember to switch your earnings to Amex MR points, not cash back, after you set up your account.

What's the most time-sensitive thing on your points to-do list right now? Drop it below — I read every response and will follow up.

Bilt extended the Point Accelerator through the end of June. If you have the Bilt Palladium and haven't activated it yet, this is the nudge. You earn 3x on every non-rent purchase until June 30th — which is a meaningful jump from the standard 1x catch-all rate.

To be clear about the math: at 3x, every $1,000 in everyday spending earns 3,000 Bilt points. Those transfer 1:1 to Hyatt, which values them at roughly $0.02 each. That's $60 in hotel value from $1,000 in spending — before you've touched a travel portal or a transfer bonus.

If you're carrying a card that earns 1x or 1.5x on your everyday spend, now is a good moment to route that through Bilt instead. The window closes June 30th. After that, Bilt reverts to standard earning rates — still worth carrying for rent and dining, but not the blanket 3x that makes it interesting as a catch-all.

One thing worth knowing: the Accelerator requires you to make at least five transactions on rent day to unlock the bonus earning. If you haven't done that yet this month, make sure you hit five before the 30th or the 3x won't apply. Bilt is particular about this — it's not automatic.

If you want more context on how the Bilt card fits into the full stack, the full analysis in Card Strategy covers who it's for and what to check before you apply.

Chase is running a 30% transfer bonus to Hyatt through June 21st. That means 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points become 13,000 Hyatt points when you transfer. For context: a Category 1 Hyatt property costs 3,500 points per night. A Category 4 costs 15,000. At 13,000 points per transfer, you're getting close to a Category 4 night for what used to be a Category 3 transfer.

The question worth asking is whether you have a specific redemption in mind. Transfer bonuses are only useful if you're transferring with a purpose — moving points speculatively into a program you're not ready to use is a way to strand value. If you have a Hyatt stay you're actively planning, this is worth acting on before the 21st.

If you don't have an immediate use, hold. These bonuses repeat. The system works better when you transfer into a redemption, not toward a balance.

Amex restructured the Gold card's dining credit. Starting July 1st, the $10/month Uber Cash benefit is being replaced with a broader $10/month dining credit that works at a wider set of restaurants — not just Uber Eats. For most people, this is a small improvement. Uber Eats has a narrow use case. A general dining credit is more flexible.

The Grubhub credit stays. The Dunkin' credit stays. The total dining credit value doesn't change — it's the Uber Eats piece that's being swapped out. If you were using the Uber Eats credit consistently, note the change so you don't miss the transition.

The card's core value — 4x on groceries and dining — is unchanged. This doesn't move the needle on whether to keep it.

Rakuten raised cash back rates at several major retailers this month. That matters less than you'd think if you're set to cash back — and a lot more if you switch to Amex Membership Rewards points.

Here's the difference: a 3% cash back rate at a retailer becomes 3x Amex MR points per dollar. Those points are worth roughly $0.02 each when redeemed well — so 3x MR is effectively 6% back on travel value. Rakuten cash back is just 3%.

To switch: go to your Rakuten account settings, find the "Cash Back or Points" option, and select "Amex Points." You need an Amex card linked to do this. Once it's set, every Rakuten purchase stacks MR points on top of whatever your card earns — it's additive, not a replacement.

If you haven't done this yet and you have an Amex card, it's a 30-second change that affects every online purchase you make going forward.