Breaking Points: Credit Card News

Citi has changed the eligibility requirements for signup bonuses on its Strata cards, and it's not great. Citi has three Strata cards: the Strata, Strata Premier, and Strata Elite. All three previously had 48-month language, meaning you could earn the bonus on each card once every 48 months. Citi recently removed that language and replaced it with lifetime-style restrictions similar to Amex and the Chase Sapphire and Ink cards. The new terms say, "New account bonus offer is not available if you currently have or previously had a Citi Strata Elite® account. You also may not be eligible for the new account bonus offer based on a number of factors, such as your history of opening, closing and using credit cards." We'll have to wait and see what "lifetime" means in Citi's case. With Amex, data points suggest lifetime is typically around 7-10 years. Chase added similar restrictions to its Sapphire and Ink cards within the last year, but data points there are still mixed, so we don't yet have a firm handle on how long its version of "lifetime" lasts.

The IHG One Rewards Premier Card has a welcome offer for five 40,000-point Free Night Awards after spending $4,000 in the first three months, which could provide up to 200,000 points worth of hotel nights. You can top off each 40K Free Night Award with your own points for a more expensive stay. The catch is that the five Free Night Awards expire after 12 months, making them much less flexible than points. Go here to find this offer. This is an alternative to the public offer of 140,000 IHG points after spending $3,000 in three months. Which offer is better depends entirely on your travel plans over the next year. If you know you'll use all five certificates before they expire, this offer provides the equivalent of 60,000 more points. Keep in mind that you cannot use IHG's fourth-night-free benefit when redeeming Free Night Awards, but you can when booking entirely with points. The 140,000-point offer is more flexible for anyone who isn't certain they'll use all five Free Night Awards.

Citi ThankYou Rewards has added Japan Airlines Mileage Bank as a new transfer partner and is celebrating the launch with a is offering a 30% transfer bonus to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank. The standard transfer ratio is 1:1 for eligible cards with an annual fee and 1:0.7 for eligible no-annual-fee cards, so with the bonus, you’ll receive 1,300 JAL miles for every 1,000 Citi ThankYou Rewards points transferred with an annual-fee card, or 910 JAL miles with a no-annual-fee card. Offer expires October 24, 2026.

Citi ThankYou Rewards is offering a 25% transfer bonus to Avianca LifeMiles. The standard transfer ratio is 1:1, so with the bonus, you’ll receive 1,250 LifeMiles for every 1,000 Citi ThankYou Rewards points transferred. A minimum transfer of 1,000 points is required. Offer expires October 24, 2026.

Southwest is offering double Rapid Rewards points on qualifying flights booked by September 21, 2026, and flown by December 16, 2026. You must register before booking, and while the promotion is officially targeted, it appears to be widely available. The bonus applies to paid fares, including Cash + Points bookings on the cash portion, but the extra points do not count toward A-List status or Companion Pass qualification. This isn't enough of a bonus to choose Southwest over a better flight option, but it's certainly worth registering if you're planning to book a flight on Southwest anyway. If you already have an eligible flight booked, you can also check the current fare and consider canceling and rebooking after registering if the price hasn't increased.