Hey Reader,
The points and miles world has been busy lately - and if you’re not keeping tabs on the updates, it’s easy to miss something that could affect your travel plans (or your wallet).
So here’s a quick roundup of what I'm keeping my eye on, what matters, and what to do about it.
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Chase raised the annual fee from $550 to $795 for new applicants. Existing cardholders will see the increase starting after their next renewal starting October 26,2025.
They’ve added a few perks to justify the price bump — like $120 Peloton and $250 Apple TV+ credits. But if you're not using those or other platforms? The hike might not feel worth it.
What I think:
This card is still a great travel companion if you’re regularly using the travel and lifestyle credits and transferring points to partners. But for many, the Chase Sapphire Preferred remains the better value at a much lower $95 annual fee. It's the one I still recommend to most people starting out.
What does this mean?
Many are speculating that other premium cards will be raising their annual fees as well. For example, it's expected that the AmEx Platinum (previously the most expensive travel card), will soon raise its fee.
Mesa, primarily known for its mortgage platform, has launched a new no‑annual‑fee card aimed at homeowners.
Before this card, there was no way for homeowners to earn points on mortgage payments. Meanwhile, renters have been able to earn transferrable travel points with the Bilt card.
What makes it stand out:
- 1x Mesa Point per $1 on your mortgage payment (up to 100,000 points annually).
- 3x points on home‑related charges like decor, repairs, utilities, and daycare
- 2x points on groceries, gas, EV charging
- Great credits like $30 quarterly at Lowes and a complimentary big box membership
✈️ Redemption & value
- Points are redeemable via Mesa’s travel portal (~1.0¢/pt) or gift cards (~0.8¢), though statement credit is lower (~0.6¢)
- Transfer travel partners include Accor (1.5:1), Finnair, Air India, SAS, Thai, Hainan, Vietnam, and Air Canada Aeroplan at 1:1
What this means for you
- No annual fee + mortgage rewards = a rare setup that rewards a massive regular expense, perfect for homeowners.
- With strong bonus categories and statement credits, this card can significantly reduce home-related costs.
- But caveats (and a big one IMO): you must make $1,000 in monthly non-mortgage purchases in order to earn the 1x back on mortgage payments, and point value is modest unless transferred creatively.
What I think
The Mesa card could be an interesting no-fee companion card for someone who’s already playing the points game. It’s not a great primary card, but the ability to transfer to partners without an annual fee is rare, and could be a helpful supplement if you’re trying to build points more casually.
For homeowners with daycare expenses, high utility costs, or upcoming renovation projects, I would jump on this card for that 3x back category.
For someone like me with relatively low utility costs, it's difficult to justify the additional $1,000 monthly spend on this card when I have better earning rate travel cards for everyday spend.
The ability to transfer to Aeroplan is HUGE. Aeroplan is well known for super valuable redemptions, such as business class to Europe or Asia. Flying business class to Japan just from paying for your home is pretty cool, what a time to be alive honestly 🤪
✏️ The takeaway? Things change fast.
Annual fees shift. Cards come and go. New offers drop, and old ones get worse.
That’s why staying up to date matters - so you can adjust your strategy before your wallet takes the hit.
If you’re not sure if your current card setup is still working for you — I’d love to help. Hit reply and tell me what cards you currently have and what your 2025/2026 travel plans look like. I’ll point you in the right direction.
Talk soon,
Michelle
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