Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions [2025]

Reviewed byJT Genter

Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions [2025]

by Ian Snyder

6 hours ago

128

Reviewed byJT Genter

Wondering which credit card you can apply for next? Issuer rules vary widely — and much of the information out there is incomplete or unpublished. This guide breaks down major bank restrictions, including Chase’s 5/24 rule and which issuers expect you to have a checking account. We’ve compiled what’s known, plus community data points, all in one place.

Marriott Is Considering Airport Lounges — Here’s How the Hotel Giant Might Get Into the Game

by Tyler Glatt

October 30, 2025

Marriott’s CEO hinted that the hotel giant might be wading into the airport lounge wars. Now, you’re probably thinking, why would Marriott, a hotel brand, want to get into the airport lounge game? I’m wondering the same thing. So, let’s explore what that might look like.

Choice Adds New Sports Experiences: Bid on VIP Packages for College and Pro Football from 15K Transferable Points

by Sam Helmy and Zhanna Startseva

October 30, 2025

Choice Privileges just added a new round of racing experiences to its "Experiences" platform. Currently, you can bid as few as 15,000 Choice points (just 7.5k transferred points!) for VIP access to college football games — including sideline passes! Or, bid Choice points for Canadian Football League playoff packages or VIP NASCAR experiences.

Wyndham Announces End of Vacasa Partnership — Here’s the Last Day to Book

by Tyler Glatt

December 1, 2025

It’s nearly Halloween, so it’s as good a time as any to pay a quick visit to the graveyard of award travel deals. Soon, you’ll find the Wyndham–Vacasa partnership among the many that have disappeared in recent years. Vacasa is set to stop participating in the Wyndham Rewards program entirely in 2026. Here's what to know.

Should You Earn Points or Miles on Hertz Car Rentals?

by Mark Jackson

October 30, 2025

Hertz offers the opportunity to earn points and miles with your favorite airline and select hotel partners. While common sense might think to credit to Hertz for car rentals, there are a number of program sweet spots with partners that are worth paying attention to.

[Extended] Support Hurricane Relief and Earn 10X American Airlines Miles on Red Cross Donations

by Skye Class and Tyler Glatt

November 19, 2025

Hurricane Melissa is causing massive devastation across the Caribbean. American Airlines is partnering with the American Red Cross to support relief efforts. To encourage members to donate, American Airlines is offering 10X AAdvantage miles donated to the Red Cross through November 18, 2025. Here's how to donate.

Air France–KLM Adds Redemptions on Bangkok Airways — Here’s the Award Chart

by Cameron Laufer

October 29, 2025

A new partnership has been announced between SkyTeam member Air France–KLM’s Flying Blue program and Bangkok Airways, a small independent regional carrier. With this tie-up, travelers can now earn and redeem miles through both Flying Blue and FlyerBonus, Bangkok Airways’ loyalty program. Here's what to know.

Marriott Adds New Restrictions to 48-Hour Guarantee, Quickens Points Posting Window, and More

by Tyler Glatt

October 29, 2025

In the past month, Marriott introduced new restrictions on benefits like the 48-hour guarantee, changed how quickly points post after a stay with certain brands, and made several other smaller tweaks. Here’s a quick look at the most important Marriott Bonvoy terms and conditions changes from the October update.

Earn Statement Credits, Companion Pass-Qualifying Points, and More With the New Southwest Debit Card

by Mark Jackson and Tyler Glatt

October 29, 2025

After months of teasing a rewards-earning debit card, Southwest's brand new Rapid Rewards® Debit Card is open for applications! Here's everything you need to know about its benefits (of which there are several), fees, and how to apply.

Bilt Rewards Adds Partnerships With Venmo, UWM, GoPuff, and More — Here’s How You’ll Earn Points

by Mark Jackson

October 29, 2025

Over the past month, Bilt Rewards has introduced several new ways to earn Bilt Points, including parking, home delivery, and mortgage payments. Here’s a look at each new addition so you don’t miss any earning opportunities.

Frontier Miles Members Can Now Redeem Miles for Bags, Seats, and Priority Boarding

by Harrison Pierce

October 29, 2025

Frontier Miles members can now redeem miles for bundle add-ons when booking a cash fare. Bundles start as low as 2,000, offering perks like no change or cancel fees, a carry-on bag, and more. Here's what you need to know and how to redeem miles for these perks.

Say Bonjour to Bonus Miles: Earn up to 35k Flying Blue Miles on Paid Air France or KLM Flights to Europe

by Skye Class and Tyler Glatt

October 29, 2025

Want to earn bonus Flying Blue miles on your next trip across the pond? Flying Blue is offering up to 35,000 bonus miles on select Air France and KLM flights between the U.S. or Canada and Europe. Here are the details on this limited-time offer.

VantageScore Unveils America’s Average Credit Score — Is Your Score Above Average?

by Cameron Laufer

October 28, 2025

VantageScore just unveiled the average credit score for Americans. We highlight the score as well as several ways you can learn about, monitor, and manage your credit score to help earn valuable points and miles.

Targeted Hyatt Promotions: 2X Elite Nights, Points Back When Redeeming Free Night Awards, & More

by Sam Helmy and Skye Class

December 4, 2025

World of Hyatt launched a new round of targeted promotions that are open for registration through December 1, 2025. These promotions offer a wide range of bonuses, such as double elite night credits, suite upgrades, free night certificates, bonus points, and even triple points on stays. Here's a roundup of the numerous available offers and how to register.

Score 85K Bonus Rapid Rewards Points With These Southwest Airlines Credit Card Offers

by Tyler Glatt

October 28, 2025

If you care about saving money when you fly Southwest, you'll want to have a co-branded Rapid Rewards card. And right now, all personal Southwest cards are offering new applicants 85,000 bonus points after meeting a reasonable spending requirement. Here's why now is a good time to apply.

Amex Opens New Centurion Lounge at Salt Lake City (SLC) — Access, Amenities, and a Look Inside

by Tyler Glatt

October 28, 2025

The American Express Centurion Lounge at Salt Lake City International Airport sets the bar as high as the Wasatch Mountains visible from its outdoor terrace. Here’s a look inside the new space, including its amenities, hours of operation, and how to access the lounge.

Accor ALL Hotel Promotions: Double Points, 30% Off, 4k Bonus Points, 4X at New Hotels, and More

by Skye Class

December 1, 2025

Planning an Accor stay and want to make it cheaper — or simply more rewarding? Current Accor promotions include up to 30% off at select properties in North America, double points on 2+ night stays, 4,000 bonus points with three stays, and 4X points at new properties worldwide.

Inside Delta’s Massive New Sky Club at SLC Concourse B: Hours, Amenities, and Access

by Tyler Glatt

October 27, 2025

The massive 34,000-square-foot Delta Sky Club in Concourse B at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is now open. Here’s a first look inside the Delta Sky Club at Salt Lake City Airport and what to know about its hours, amenities, and entry requirements.

Capital One Tightens Bonus Eligibility on Venture-Branded Cards by Adding New ‘Family’ Rule

by Harrison Pierce

October 27, 2025

Capital One just introduced new language restricting who is eligible to earn sign-up bonuses on Venture-branded credit cards. Here's what you need to know about these new restrictions.

Lyft Launches New Cash Rewards Program: Earn Up to 5% Back on Rides Plus Extra Perks

by Skye Class

October 27, 2025

Lyft has launched a new loyalty program called Lyft Cash Rewards, offering riders up to 5% cash back on rides plus other benefits. Best of all, it's free to join. Lyft boasts that members can save up to $450 per year with cash back, cancel credits, and Extra Comfort upgrades. Here are the details, who can join, and why you should consider doing so.

Best Points and Miles to Fly Between New York and London — Cross the Pond From 6k Points

by Ross Denkin and Harrison Pierce

October 27, 2025

New York to London is the busiest long-haul international route in the world. There are seven carriers that connect these two cities, so it can be challenging to know how to book a good value award flight. Read more to learn the best ways to book any of the wide variety of potential flights using points and miles.

Why I’m Finally Getting the Chase Sapphire Reserve

by Lauren Wynn

October 26, 2025

Through its first decade, the Chase Sapphire Reserve never excited me. However, that's changed with the recent revamp of this premium travel card. Here's a breakdown of why I'm finally getting the Chase Sapphire Reserve — even after the annual fee jump.

Hilton Silver Status: Why It’s Actually Worth Getting Hilton’s Entry-Level Status — And How to Do So

by Harrison Pierce

October 26, 2025

Hilton Silver status is the entry-level elite status for Hilton, scoring you perks at more than 8,000 properties across the globe. Here's how to earn the first tier of elite status, the perks that make it worth doing so, and how you can do so for a cost of just $0.

How to Use JetBlue Travel Bank Credits and Keep Them From Expiring Worthless

by Tyler Glatt

October 26, 2025

Canceled a JetBlue flight? You might receive a Travel Bank credit. Using them is simple, but finding your credits and checking their expiration can take extra steps. Here’s what you need to know to find, use, and keep your JetBlue Travel Bank credits from expiring.

All the Ways to Earn American Airlines Miles and Loyalty Points Through Flying, Shopping, and More

by Tyler Glatt and Andrew Kunesh

November 3, 2025

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage® Miles and building up a hefty sum of Loyalty Points are critical steps to helping you work towards your next redemption and flying in style — with lots of benefits. In this post, we dive into all of the ways to earn AA miles and Loyalty Points.

The 10 Best World of Hyatt Points Redemptions for Luxury Stays

by Tyler Glatt and Toni Southam

October 26, 2025

The World of Hyatt program has no shortage of incredible luxury properties, but some give you far more value for your points than others. So, which ones come out on top? We analyzed thousands of AwardWallet user bookings to uncover the ten Hyatt properties that offer the best value for your points.

Get Alerts When Your Points Post with AwardWallet Balance Watch

by Erik Paquet and JT Genter

October 25, 2025

Have you ever found the perfect award itinerary but didn't have enough points to book it yet? Here's how to use the AwardWallet Balance Watch feature to find out the moment your transferred or purchased miles arrive in your account.

Maximize Your Amex Hotel Credit With This Fine Hotels & Resorts Search Tool

by Scott Sikes and Brie Bash

October 25, 2025

Many travelers use credits from American Express Platinum Card®, but maximizing the $600 Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) credit through the Amex Travel portal can be tricky. MaxFHR simplifies the process by highlighting bookable properties. Here’s how to use the tool to find cheap FHR stays.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® Review: Solid Earnings, Lucrative Benefits, and a Big Annual Fee

by Harrison Pierce

October 25, 2025

The Citi / AAdvantage Globe Mastercard is an excellent choice for American Airlines loyalists, offering a suite of benefits ranging from a path to elite status to an annual companion certificate. Here's everything you need to know about the new card, including its earning potential, benefits, application restrictions, and more.

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