The Points Daily Briefing: Giftcard bonus, Amex hotel deal, Rakuten card deal, TopCashback rates
Today we cover a $10 Giftcards.com bonus, Leading Hotels Amex points, Rakuten's Bilt offer, higher TopCashback travel rates, and a 15% GHA Discovery D$ discount.
This is the public episode archive for The Points Daily. Subscribe to get the timely morning briefing before these stories become archive material.
Today’s stories
Giftcards.com: $10 Bonus Giftcard With $100+ Purchase With Code TREATMORE
Giftcards.com is handing out a $10 bonus gift card with a $100+ purchase when you use code TREATMORE. It runs through October 31, with a limit of 3. The code is showing up on shopping portals, so it should stack with a portal payout. Check your portal rate before you buy: a $10 bonus on $100 is a decent floor, and a portal on top is where this gets interesting. Only spend on cards you'd actually use.
Source: DoC
Leading Hotels of the World Amex Offer: Spend $700 & get 15k Membership Rewards points
A targeted Amex Offer gives 15,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $700 or more at participating Leading Hotels of the World properties. Unlike most hotel Amex Offers, it works at a robust selection of international hotels as well as US ones. The catch: you must book directly at lhw.com or by phone, no third-party bookings, and only room rate and room charges count. It expires 12/31/26, so check your Amex account to see if you're targeted.
Source: 10x
Rakuten offering up to $100 / 10K Bilt points for three Chase cards
Rakuten is paying up to $100 or up to 10,000 Bilt points for approval on the Chase Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Unlimited, and Ink Business Cash. The Freedom Unlimited bonus can shrink if Chase counts you as an existing customer. The two Ink cards carry no such restriction. Pick cash unless you have Bilt elite status, since without it the points convert at 2 cents per point. You must also keep the card open at least 3 months. The Rakuten bonus stacks with the card's own welcome offer, so you get paid twice.
Rakuten *Referral link; we may receive a bonus if you use it.*
Source: FM
TopCashback: Increased rates on travel sites (Hotels.com 15%, Viator 15%, Klook 22% & more)
TopCashback has bumped travel rates, with IHG at up to 15% across all brands, not just select ones like Iberostar. Klook is up to 22%, and Viator and Hotels.com are up to 15%. "Up to" matters here: Viator's 15% is for new customers only, existing ones get 10%, and Expedia's 15% applies to hotels, with 2% to 5% on rental cars and activities. Chase Offers for Viator and Sixt stack on top. Booking hotels or tours soon? Check your exact rate first.
TopCashBack *Referral link; we may receive a bonus if you use it.*
Source: FM
Buy GHA Discovery D$ with a 15% Discount
GHA Discovery is selling DISCOVERY Dollars at 15% off, so each D$ costs $0.85 instead of $1. It's a discounted hotel gift card, and the sale runs through November 19, 2026, with a cap of D$5,000 per member. The catch: D$ are non-refundable, expire after 24 months, and can't cover taxes or service fees. Only buy what you'll spend on a direct-booked GHA Discovery stay in the next two years.
Source: PoT
Avios Cards (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus): Increased 90K Welcome Offers ending next week
Steal of the Day: The British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus credit cards are offering 90,000 Avios after $5,000 spend within the first 3 months, 15,000 more than the current 75,000 public offer. That is a strong first-year return, since the bonus categories are nearly nonexistent and you'd mostly be earning at 1x. The catch is the clock: these increased offers end 10/29/26. If you already planned to add an Avios card, apply before then and skip the lower 75,000 version.
Source: FM
[Public Link] Chase Southwest Plus Card 80,000 Points Signup Bonus
Card of the Day: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card. The offer is 80,000 points after $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months, with a $99 annual fee, and it runs through December 2, 2026. It's the easiest way left to chase a Companion Pass before the rules change, and it gets you most of the way there. The Companion Pass only runs through 2027, though. If you're chasing it, apply now and finish earning the rest of your points by 12/31/26.
Source: DoC
Full episode transcript
Hello! Today is Thursday, October 22nd. This is The Points Daily. Here's what matters. Today we cover a $10 Giftcards.com bonus, Leading Hotels Amex points, Rakuten's Bilt offer, higher TopCashback travel rates, and a 15% GHA Discovery D$ discount. Giftcards.com is handing out a $10 bonus gift card with a $100+ purchase when you use code TREATMORE. It runs through October 31, with a limit of 3. The code is showing up on shopping portals, so it should stack with a portal payout. Check your portal rate before you buy: a $10 bonus on $100 is a decent floor, and a portal on top is where this gets interesting. Only spend on cards you'd actually use. A targeted Amex Offer gives 15,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $700 or more at participating Leading Hotels of the World properties. Unlike most hotel Amex Offers, it works at a robust selection of international hotels as well as US ones. The catch: you must book directly at lhw.com or by phone, no third-party bookings, and only room rate and room charges count. It expires 12/31/26, so check your Amex account to see if you're targeted. Rakuten is paying up to $100 or up to 10,000 Bilt points for approval on the Chase Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Unlimited, and Ink Business Cash. The Freedom Unlimited bonus can shrink if Chase counts you as an existing customer. The two Ink cards carry no such restriction. Pick cash unless you have Bilt elite status, since without it the points convert at 2 cents per point. You must also keep the card open at least 3 months. The Rakuten bonus stacks with the card's own welcome offer, so you get paid twice. If this offer is for you, use our referral link at thepointsdaily.com/rakuten. We may receive a bonus if you use it. TopCashback has bumped travel rates, with IHG at up to 15% across all brands, not just select ones like Iberostar. Klook is up to 22%, and Viator and Hotels.com are up to 15%. "Up to" matters here: Viator's 15% is for new customers only, existing ones get 10%, and Expedia's 15% applies to hotels, with 2% to 5% on rental cars and activities. Chase Offers for Viator and Sixt stack on top. Booking hotels or tours soon? Check your exact rate first. If this offer is for you, use our referral link at thepointsdaily.com/topcashback. We may receive a bonus if you use it. GHA Discovery is selling DISCOVERY Dollars at 15% off, so each D$ costs $0.85 instead of $1. It's a discounted hotel gift card, and the sale runs through November 19, 2026, with a cap of D$5,000 per member. The catch: D$ are non-refundable, expire after 24 months, and can't cover taxes or service fees. Only buy what you'll spend on a direct-booked GHA Discovery stay in the next two years. Steal of the Day: The British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus credit cards are offering 90,000 Avios after $5,000 spend within the first 3 months, 15,000 more than the current 75,000 public offer. That is a strong first-year return, since the bonus categories are nearly nonexistent and you'd mostly be earning at 1x. The catch is the clock: these increased offers end 10/29/26. If you already planned to add an Avios card, apply before then and skip the lower 75,000 version. Card of the Day: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card. The offer is 80,000 points after $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months, with a $99 annual fee, and it runs through December 2, 2026. It's the easiest way left to chase a Companion Pass before the rules change, and it gets you most of the way there. The Companion Pass only runs through 2027, though. If you're chasing it, apply now and finish earning the rest of your points by 12/31/26. That's your daily. For details and links to every deal we covered, visit thepointsdaily.com and subscribe to get The Points Daily in your inbox every weekday.