What’s New: Site Updates Log

October 2026

• Merged (October 21, 2026): 23 overlapping guides folded into 17 stronger pages, including the “is it worth it” pages into the benefits guides, the destination guides into sweet spots by trip type and the small-issuer hubs into their rules guides. Old addresses redirect.
• Checked (October 21, 2026): Chase 5/24 still blocks most applicants; added the reported 3/24 screen on sole-proprietor business applications.
• Updated (October 21, 2026): Citi Strata, Strata Premier and Strata Elite bonuses are now once per lifetime; AAdvantage cards keep the 48 month rule. The rules tracker and bonus eligibility checker carry both rules.
• Updated (October 21, 2026): New Amex cards now open a separate Membership Rewards account until linked (Amex transfer partners, Amex trifecta).
• Updated (October 21, 2026): Amex Business Gold: narrower advertising and wireless 4x merchants from February 17, 2027, and UPS in place of FedEx in the $240 credit.
• Updated (October 21, 2026): Amex Platinum lounges: Lufthansa lounges left on October 1 and the Centurion Lounge changes; the Cruise & Yacht Collection; the ZO membership on the Business Platinum.
• Updated (October 21, 2026): Sapphire Reserve DoorDash promos, and the Chase Aeroplan Card changes on Aeroplan transfer partners.
• Updated (October 21, 2026): Southwest’s 2027 tiers and Companion Pass rules and United’s 2027 Premier status, including card PQP caps.
• Updated (October 21, 2026): Bilt added JetBlue at 1:1 (27 partners) and moves Hyatt to 4:3 on January 1, 2027; card switching rules added.
• Updated (October 21, 2026): World of Hyatt: the American Airlines partnership ending, the new Delta partnership and online points sharing.
• Updated (October 21, 2026): Hilton status rules for 2027, IHG timing for existing cardmembers, and former Aviator cards losing grandfathered perks on October 25, 2026.
• Updated (October 21, 2026): Wells Fargo Rewards changes, the new U.S. Bank Business Essentials cards, Capital One and Discover integration and the reopened Discover it Secured, and Bank of America transfers to Atmos in 2027.
• Updated (October 21, 2026): Mortgage score models (FHA and Fannie Mae), the original Chase Freedom product change, and Wyndham’s new award prices.
• Corrected (October 21, 2026): 4 FAQs said non-Chase personal cards do not count toward 5/24; they do. Also fixed the Southwest Priority fee on best airline cards, a claim that Chase points count toward the Companion Pass, a claim that Bilt reaches American Airlines, and Hyatt prices on the sweet spots guide.
• Updated: Chase to World of Hyatt is now 4:3 from the Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred and 1:1 only from the Sapphire Reserve cards, effective October 1, 2026. Corrected on the Chase transfer partners guide, the Hyatt award chart, the transfer partner chart and 13 other guides.
• Updated: Rewrote IHG One Rewards Premier benefits for the October 1, 2026 relaunch: $150 fee for new cardmembers, a 50,000-point free night, Gold Elite status and 2 new annual credits.
• Updated: Chase Freedom Flex no longer charges foreign transaction fees (September 21, 2026).
• Updated: Added Japan Airlines to Citi transfer partners (September 20, 2026) and Amtrak to Bilt transfer partners (September 23, 2026), and moved Etihad to past tense on the Amex transfer partners guide after its June 30, 2026 exit.

September 2026

• New: Added a guide to the authorized user credit card rules and how authorized users count toward Chase 5/24.

August 2026

• New: Added best-of guides for the three card networks: Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.

July 2026

• New: Added premium-card clusters for the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X: deeper benefits, worth-it math (Reserve, Venture X), and lounge access guides.
• New: Added a Chase transfer bonus history, expanded the Chase transfer partners guide with a best-use table, and broadened the Delta companion certificate ITA Matrix walkthrough.
• New: Published an Amex Platinum cluster: an every-credit guide, the worth-it math, lounge access, the Membership Rewards transfer partners, and a free credits tracker tool.
• New: Added four hotel card benefit guides (Marriott Boundless, Marriott Brilliant, IHG One Rewards Premier, Hilton Surpass) and a which cash-back card picker tool.
• New: Added six airline card benefit guides: Delta SkyMiles Gold, Delta SkyMiles Platinum, United Quest, Southwest Priority, Alaska Airlines Visa, and JetBlue Plus.
• New: Added three cash-back comparisons (Freedom Unlimited vs Active Cash, Citi Double Cash vs Active Cash, cash back vs travel points) and three business card guides (Ink Business Cash, Ink Business Unlimited, Amex Business Gold).
• New: Added four how-to-book-with-points destination guides, Japan, the Maldives, an African safari, and Patagonia, with dated 2026 award costs.
• New: Published two premium-card comparisons, Amex Gold vs Amex Platinum and Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Platinum, and cleaned up guide summaries and category descriptions.
• New: Added five cash-back card benefit guides (Freedom Unlimited, Freedom Flex, Citi Double Cash, Active Cash, Blue Cash Preferred) and four how-to-book-with-points guides (Hawaii, Europe, ANA business class, Hyatt all-inclusive).
• New: Added airline co-brand roundups (United, Southwest, American), five card benefit guides (United Explorer, Capital One Savor, Wells Fargo Autograph, Citi Strata Premier, World of Hyatt Card), and new comparisons.
• New: Published 4 hotel and airline card roundups: Best Marriott credit cards, Best Delta credit cards, Best Hilton credit cards, and Best cards for Hyatt points.
• New: Added 6 more card comparisons: Amex Business Platinum vs Ink Preferred, Ink Preferred vs Sapphire Preferred, Amex Business Platinum vs Amex Platinum, Amex Gold vs Sapphire Reserve, Delta Reserve vs Amex Platinum, and Hilton Aspire vs Amex Platinum. The card comparison tool now covers 13 cards.
• New: Added 6 card comparisons: Venture X vs Amex Platinum, Amex Gold vs Venture X, Sapphire Preferred vs Venture, Sapphire Preferred vs Venture X, Amex Gold vs Venture, and Bilt vs Sapphire Preferred.
• New: Added roundups for business cards, cash back, and first credit cards.
• New: Added benefit guides for the Amex Business Platinum, Chase Ink Business Preferred, Delta SkyMiles Reserve, Hilton Aspire, and Bilt Rewards cards.
• New: Published best-card roundups for travel, hotels, dining, airlines, no annual fee, groceries, gas, and lounge access, organized in the Best cards hub.
• New: Added card benefit guides for the Amex Platinum, Amex Gold, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, and Capital One Venture X.
• New: Added head-to-head card comparisons, a points value index, and an interactive card comparison tool.
• New: Restored dedicated Amex Platinum benefits and Delta companion certificate pages at their own URLs.
• Updated: Refreshed 2026 fees and earn rates across the card guides, including the Amex Gold at $325, the Sapphire Reserve at $795, and the Amex Platinum at $895.
• Updated: Reflected the 2026 Sapphire Preferred changes, including the dropped 10 percent anniversary bonus and the new 4:3 World of Hyatt transfer ratio.
• Updated: Cross-linked the transfer-partner guides and added FAQ, HowTo, and ItemList structured data across the roundups and guides.

Figures are dated and confirmed against issuer pages; when a rule or number changes, the affected guide is updated and the change is noted here.