If you’re a Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholder, it’s worth noting that today is the first Friday of the month. That means you’ll earn an extra point on dining. This isn’t anything earth-shattering, especially considering the Chase Freedom card pays out 5 points per $1 on dining this quarter. However, if you don’t have a Freedom card, this is the next best thing. Combine your 3 points per $1 from the card with a dining rewards program bonus and you’re looking at a substantial point haul. Simply register your Sapphire card with the program of your choice. Then earn bonus points the next time you dine at a restaurant.
In addition to paying out upwards of 8 points per $1 spent, these dining rewards programs also offer “first dine” bonuses. These bonuses go upwards of 1,500 points when you meet a first-spend spending requirement (around $25-50). The best way to meet this spend is to pick up a gift card from your favorite restaurant or coffee shop. Then use it at a later time. This is an easy way to generate extra bonus points each month and keep an airline/hotel program account active.
Can we give it a rest already? Do you have to subject your readers to this every month? How about treating your readers as if we have a brain?
Say, any comments about the new Amex cards? How about the WF cards? Oh, I forgot. They don’t pay to bother mentioning them, so they don’t get mentioned…
Yes, I’ll run a reminder post about First Fridays every month. You’re welcome to skip it. My blog’s focus is manufactured spending and I frankly don’t have a whole lot of time to devote to it. I have a day job that keeps me busy and am not a full time blogger whose livelihood depends on pushing credit cards. Feel free to read one of the other dozen blogs that talk about Amex credit cards and accuse them of pimping.
Hi Ariana 🙂
Which of the dining programs do you think is the best bang for your buck to combine with this? Also, I know with some of the programs once you reach a 10-12 purchase threshold, you start earning say 8 points per dollar instead of 5 points per dollar. Would it make sense to buy starbucks gift cards (even for 5 bucks each) just to reach this ? thanks for the advice! 🙂
Hi Jill! I like to earn through United’s dining program, since I generally convert those extra Ultimate Rewards from First Friday to United miles anyway. However, you should pick the program that’s most valuable to you. If you’re a frequent Starbucks customers, buying gift cards to reach that threshold sounds like a great plan since you’re not spending extra cash out of pocket to get there.
off the subject of first friday, but i have american express gift cards, $3000, and $2000 visa gift cards which i bought with the amex ones from staples at $7 for each $200. i thought i could put the visa on bluebird but i have no idea what to do with these now. i’m up the creek. any ideas? at all???? all $5000 was bought at bigcrumbs for 3.5% a few days ago. great deal – but now what?
sorry – i meant to add that evolve doesn’t have the bills that i want to pay. so that’s out.