Visa is giving away a million dollars as ten $100,000 grand prizes in its holiday sweepstakes this year. When you use your Visa card between November 1 and December 31, 2006, you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win.
For more information, visit: http://www.visa.com/100K.
Reuters is reporting that Sam’s Club will begin accepting MasterCard payments today. Previously, Sam’s would only accept Discover or its own store brand cards. The full story is here.
According to FW, the Chase PerfectCard is now offering $50 (5,000 bonus points) in the form of cash or a gift card after you make your first purchase.
The card itself earns 3 points for each dollar spent on gas purchases and 1 point on all other purchases. You need 2,500 points to redeem for a $25 gift card. Note that this version of the PerfectCard is points-based, as opposed to the original version which credited the cash rebate to your statement monthly. There is also an associated intro balance transfer offer for up to 12 months.
To apply, call 877-506-3455 by November 30, 2006 and mention offer code: RZN
FW points out the following offer for the Citi Diamond Preferred Amex, where you get 10,000 ThankYou points upon first purchase, rather than the standard 6,000, and the BT intro period lasts until December 2007. All other terms are basically the same as the standard offer. That is, there’s no fee associated with the balance transfer, and you get 5 ThankYou Points for every $1 spent at supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations for the first 12 months.
To sign up under this offer, visit http://www.signup.citicards.com and enter offer code F1M3 or call 800-601-8595.
Between now and the end of the year, you can get a free $20 Discover gift card by spending $200 on your Discover Card at select malls, per SD:
Get something extra when you shop at the mall this holiday season. Get a free $20 Discover Gift Card instantly by spending $200 on your Discover Card at select malls from November 1 through December 31, 2006. You can get up to five gift cards per Account for the duration of the program.
It’s simple. Take your receipts totaling $200 to the customer service desk of any of the participating malls by December 31, 2006 to receive your Discover Gift Card. Use it as a gift for someone on your list or treat yourself to something special.
The full list of participating malls can be found here.
Amex is running another double Membership Rewards points promo targeted towards its Business card holders from November 1, 2006 through January 31, 2007. However, instead of earning double points on all purchases, you’ll only earn double points on your monthly spending above the amount of your October 2006 spending:
For example, if you spend $1,000 in October, $1,200 in November, $1,500 in December and $800 in January, the positive difference in your spending would be $700 and you would earn 700 bonus points in addition to the 3,500 regular points you would have earned for your spending from November through January.
In addition, when you register for this promotion, you’re automatically entered into a sweepstakes with a Grand Prize of a $100,000 statement credit. There are also four first prizes of a $10,000 statement credit and 2,000 second prizes of a $25 Starbucks gift card.
You can register for this promo either online at www.open.com/sweeps or by calling 1-866-537-1397.
The double points promotion is back for the Amex Gold card, per FT. Enroll your card by December 31, 2006 and earn double Membership Reward points on nearly every purchase between October 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006.
To enroll, visit http://www.AmericanExpress.com/earnpoints.
American Express has introduced a new benefit to reimburse cardholders in cases where they have purchased event tickets, but cannot attend due to unexpected circumstances:
With the Event Ticket Protection Plan, you may be eligible for coverage when you cannot attend an eligible Event for certain reasons covered by the Plan. Some eligible Covered Incidents would be a Medical Emergency, a Transportation Accident in which you are involved, the theft of a Ticket, or jury duty.
The free benefit is available to consumer and business Gold, Platinum and Centurion cardholders. More information can be found here.
Amex has an attractive new business card, the SimplyCash Business Card, that offers 5% cash back on gas, office supplies, and wireless services, and 1% cash back on everything else, with no cap to the rewards you earn. You also don’t have to wait until the end of the year to receive your cash back, as it’s credited to your statement each month. In addition, there is a 0% intro APR for the first 12 months with no annual fee.
Credit goes to FW for spotting this one. To learn more about this card, visit this link.
According to CardTrak, new travel benefits have been added to the Worldperks Visa:
The [Worldperks Visa] now includes free membership into the “Hideaways Aficionado Club.” The “Club” offers exclusive access to an eclectic portfolio of the world’s top hotels, intimate resorts, city-center oases, luxury cruises, and special tours. Partners in the portfolio offer “Club” members preferred rates, room upgrades, and complimentary welcome amenities and services such as free snorkeling, spa treatments, or beachfront dining. For example, when “Club” members stay at the Windjammer in St. Lucia, they not only get the best rates guaranteed, they also get a sunset cruise at no additional charge, plus early check-in and late check-out.
While I couldn’t find further details about this benefit on NWA’s web site, a search found what appears to be the “Hideaways Aficionado Club” web site at http://www.hideaways.com. It shows the cost of one year of standard membership to be $135, so take that for what it’s worth.