Two hot credit card bonuses for August 2024

NOTE: Some offers mentioned in this post are no longer available.

Hi there, My Cheer Budget fam!

Our gym is getting close to finalizing the competition schedule for this season, which means it’s time to think about making travel reservations! My personal goal for the season is to book all hotel stays using points, so I'm super excited to start booking.

Today I’m sharing awesome offers for new cardholder for two different credit cards that I love. Either, or both, of these cards will give you a nice boost on your way towards booking free travel for your competition travel!

First up is the Chase Freedom Unlimited card, a favorite flexible rewards card.
This card, which boasts a $0 annual fee, is one of my personal favorites! Typically, you earn 5% back on travel booked through Chase, 3% back on restaurant and pharmacy purchases, and 1.5% back on all other spending. I rely on this card for nearly everything except groceries, gas, and travel (I usually book directly with hotel/airline websites, if I'm not using points). As of August 2024, new cardholders can enjoy a special offer of an additional 1.5% back on all purchases for the first year (up to $20,000 in spending). This can earn you an impressive 30,000 extra Chase Ultimate Reward points! Plus, you'll accumulate at least 30,000 more points from the regular 1.5% back, potentially more if you spend more in the 5% or 3% categories. That can bring you up to 60,000 points. (Offer no longer available as of 8/21/24).

Chase’s Ultimate Rewards is my favorite travel rewards programs because of its many flexible redemption options. You can redeem your points as cash back, with 60,000 points equating to $600. That’s exceptional for a card with no annual fee. But there are other ways to squeeze even more value out of these points! The Freedom Unlimited card pairs perfectly with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. This travel card, with a $95 annual fee, lets you transfer your Chase points to various travel partners, including Southwest, Marriott, and Hyatt.

Hyatt has one of the absolute best rewards programs out there. I’ve booked many free nights for 9,000 points per night (or less). See for yourself three upcoming reservations I have in 3 different cities:

If you transfer all 60,000 points to Hyatt, you could potentially book five or more free nights. Assuming you would otherwise pay at least $200 per night in cash, which is a conservative estimate for 2024, your 60,000 points would be worth at least $1,000. That’s an unbeatable value for a total annual fee of just $95.

The second card is the American Express Blue Cash Preferred, a true cash back card with amazing bonus categories. 

Remember when I mentioned that I don't use the Chase Freedom Unlimited for groceries or gas? That's because the Amex Blue Cash Preferred offers 6% back on groceries (up to $6,000 spent each year) and 3% back on gas. You'll also earn 6% back on streaming services and 3% back on transit and parking. All other spending earns 1% back.

While my primary goal for credit card rewards is free travel, I still value having this cash back card. Some competitions may not have any hotels where I am able to book a free night, so for those I can redeem my cash back from the Blue Cash Preferred. So although it's not technically a travel card, I still use it to reach my goal of free hotel stays for the full season. 

Normally, this card has a $95 annual fee, but it is waived for the first year for new cardholders! You can also earn $250 cash back by spending $3,000 in the first 6 months. If you think you'll spend at least $500 per month combined on gas and groceries, this is an excellent offer! 

Are you ready to dive in to credit card rewards? Check out our e-book written just for cheer families!

Disclosure: The cards featured in this post are from companies that compensate us when you are approved through our site. This compensation may impact how and where these products appear. However, our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely our own.