Lazy Points of the Week
Story of the Week: Target Circle
Starting today, it’s officially Target Circle Week, which means some extra savings opportunities for members of Target’s free Target Circle loyalty program. Highlights of this week’s deals include some opportunities to earn Target gift cards after spending certain amounts in a given category:
A $15 gift card after spending $50 on “household essentials”
A $10 gift card after spending $40 on select beauty and health care items
A $5 gift card after spending $30 on select Ulta Beauty at Target products
There are also various other deals on items ranging from bedding to groceries, so it may be worth checking out. As an added bonus, Rakuten is currently offering 1% cash back (or Amex points) on online purchases from Target, so you can stack those rewards with your credit card points (a 2x card with purchase protections like the Venture X is probably best for Target shopping) and these Target Circle savings. If you’re not a Rakuten member, you can sign up with our referral link and get $30 cash back after spending $30, whether at Target or elsewhere.
Other card and points news
Points for points. Marriott is giving 134 lucky Bonvoy members one Marriott point for each point scored in the 134 men’s and women’s college basketball games played over the course of the NCAA tournament. Now, that’s not a huge prize—assuming about 120 points per game that works out to roughly 16,000 points, probably worth about $80. And your odds aren’t great, given that there are 200 million Bonvoy members. But it only takes a couple clicks to put your account in the running.
If you’re not a member yet, I recommend getting referred first, especially if you have any Marriott stays planned. But once you’re a member, sign up is quick and easy HERE. Sign up ends ends at 11:59 PM ET on March 27th.
Sign up bonus of the week: Amex Marriott Cards
Amex is back with their best-ever offers on their Marriott co-branded cards: the $250-fee Bevy and the $650-Brilliant.
The Brilliant can be a good card for certain people, namely those willing to pay a premium to upgrade their travel and Marriott power users. Its $650 fee is offset by a free night each year (up to 85k points), $300 in statement credits toward dining, and Priority Pass lounge access. It offers Platinum Elite status, and a 25 Elite Night Credit head start towards higher status, which begins at 75 nights.
The Bevy is, in my opinion, one of the worst credit cards on the market. It has no statement credits to offset its fee, not even the free night that is a staple for cards from other hotel brands charging less than half the Bevy’s annual fee (including another Marriott card, Chase’s Boundless). It offers Marriott Gold status, but that’s the same status you can get from an Amex Platinum, which offers far more robust benefits, albeit at a higher annual fee. And the Bevy’s earning rates (6x with Marriott, 4x on restaurants and supermarkets, and 2x otherwise) are dreadful given the (recently decreasing) value of Marriott points. Although normally I recommend starting with the lower-tier card to maximize bonuses under Amex’s bonus rules, I’m not sure even a record bonus on the Bevy could justify that approach.
Previously highlighted bonuses with offers still available:
•75k miles on the Citi AA Platinum Select
•80-100k miles on Delta cards
•75k points + $250 travel credit on the Venture Rewards
•30k points + Companion Pass on Southwest Airlines cards
•170k points on the IHG Premier
•70k on the Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard
•75k points on the Citi Strata Premier
Lazy tip of the week: avoid flight disruptions
Want to minimize the risk of cancellations and delays? Read this quick primer from Going on a couple steps you can take to make an on-time departure more likely or a schedule disruption less painful.