The Points Daily Briefing: Discover bonus, OnePay gas, VanillaGift fees, Asiana fare, Amex perk
Today's show covers Discover It's $200 welcome offer, OnePay's Wednesday gas cashback, VanillaGift fee waivers, a $743 roundtrip from Los Angeles to Changsha on Asiana, and Amex Business Platinum's new coworking perk.
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
Discover It welcome offer doubled to $200, but not via referrals
Discover It Cash Back now pays a $200 welcome bonus, double the $100 it's offered for most of the past decade. The catch is $500 minimum spend in your first 3 months, which is hardly a hoop. The first-year cashback doubling is still there too. If a partner or friend already has a Discover card, a referral adds $100, bringing the household total to $400. Get the referral first, not a cold sign-up.
Source: FM
[Extended 1/15/27] OnePay: $1 Cashback Per Gallon Of Gas Every Wednesday (50 Gallons, Two Redemptions Per Day)
OnePay's $1-per-gallon Wednesday gas cashback now runs through January 15, 2027, but you need a OnePay debit card or Builder Card to get it. Third-party cards linked in the wallet and the CashRewards Card no longer qualify. The debit card means adding funds first. The $1 per gallon replaces the cash back shown in the app for that gas offer rather than stacking on top of it. It isn't available in New Jersey or Wisconsin, and caps vary by offer, so check the app before you pull up to the pump. If you already have the debit card, Wednesday fill-ups now have a standing reason to wait.
Source: DoC
VanillaGift: Get waived Visa gift card purchase fees with promo code VGSHOP26
VanillaGift.com is waiving Visa gift card purchase fees on orders of $375 or more with promo code VGSHOP26. It runs through November 1, 2026, covers any denomination, and excludes Charity Cards. Digital cards carry no fees at all, so they're the best buy. Physical cards get the purchase fee waived, but shipping still costs you. And don't pay with an Amex: those cards don't earn rewards at VanillaGift.com. If you're stocking up anyway, order digital and use a card that actually earns.
Source: FM
Asiana: Los Angeles – Changsha, China. $743. Roundtrip, including all Taxes
Asiana has Los Angeles to Changsha, China, roundtrip for $743 including all taxes. That's the Priceline price, and you'll need to find your dates first with Matrix Airfare Search by ITA Software, where the same trip shows $755. It's valid for travel until late November, or late February through April 2027. Availability is limited, and you must buy at least 3 days before departure. You'll also need a Chinese visa before you land, so factor that in before you click.
Source: TFD
Amex Business Platinum adds coworking access and a new $500 credit
The Business Platinum Card from American Express now includes a free ZO membership that gives you four Studio coworking day passes a month, plus up to $500 a year in statement credits. Studio lists day passes at several locations for $50, so using all four saves at least $200 monthly, but only if you'd actually pay for coworking. The $500 credit covers ZO event space or a Dining Club membership, not lunch. If you work in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco or Washington, D.C., this helps. Everyone else can skip it.
Source: AW
[MA, NH, ME, RI] Eastern Bank $750 Checking/Savings Bonus
Steal of the Day: Eastern Bank is offering a bonus of up to $750 on new checking and savings accounts, and the deal is back until 11/20/26. It's open to residents of MA, NH, ME, and RI. The catch: direct deposits of $3,000 or more are required, and Eastern Bank is sensitive to ChexSystems inquiries. If you live in one of those four states and your paycheck can move over, check your eligibility first, then open the accounts before 11/20/26.
Source: DoC
Domino’s: Pay With Paze & Get 35% Discount; Stack With 10x+5x Promo From Chase (Ends 11/8)
Card of the Day: Chase Freedom Flex. Dining plus Q4 already earns 7x on the Freedom Flex, so you can potentially reach 17x points per dollar. The catch: the offer ends 11/8/2026 or after 150,000 redemptions, and you must add it from the Domino's Deals page before checkout. If you were already ordering pizza, stack it. Don't order extra just for the points.
Source: DoC
Full episode transcript
Hello! Today is Friday, October 23rd. This is The Points Daily. Here's what matters. Today's show covers Discover It's $200 welcome offer, OnePay's Wednesday gas cashback, VanillaGift fee waivers, a $743 roundtrip from Los Angeles to Changsha on Asiana, and Amex Business Platinum's new coworking perk. Discover It Cash Back now pays a $200 welcome bonus, double the $100 it's offered for most of the past decade. The catch is $500 minimum spend in your first 3 months, which is hardly a hoop. The first-year cashback doubling is still there too. If a partner or friend already has a Discover card, a referral adds $100, bringing the household total to $400. Get the referral first, not a cold sign-up. OnePay's $1-per-gallon Wednesday gas cashback now runs through January 15, 2027, but you need a OnePay debit card or Builder Card to get it. Third-party cards linked in the wallet and the CashRewards Card no longer qualify. The debit card means adding funds first. The $1 per gallon replaces the cash back shown in the app for that gas offer rather than stacking on top of it. It isn't available in New Jersey or Wisconsin, and caps vary by offer, so check the app before you pull up to the pump. If you already have the debit card, Wednesday fill-ups now have a standing reason to wait. VanillaGift.com is waiving Visa gift card purchase fees on orders of $375 or more with promo code VGSHOP26. It runs through November 1, 2026, covers any denomination, and excludes Charity Cards. Digital cards carry no fees at all, so they're the best buy. Physical cards get the purchase fee waived, but shipping still costs you. And don't pay with an Amex: those cards don't earn rewards at VanillaGift.com. If you're stocking up anyway, order digital and use a card that actually earns. Asiana has Los Angeles to Changsha, China, roundtrip for $743 including all taxes. That's the Priceline price, and you'll need to find your dates first with Matrix Airfare Search by ITA Software, where the same trip shows $755. It's valid for travel until late November, or late February through April 2027. Availability is limited, and you must buy at least 3 days before departure. You'll also need a Chinese visa before you land, so factor that in before you click. The Business Platinum Card from American Express now includes a free ZO membership that gives you four Studio coworking day passes a month, plus up to $500 a year in statement credits. Studio lists day passes at several locations for $50, so using all four saves at least $200 monthly, but only if you'd actually pay for coworking. The $500 credit covers ZO event space or a Dining Club membership, not lunch. If you work in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco or Washington, D.C., this helps. Everyone else can skip it. Steal of the Day: Eastern Bank is offering a bonus of up to $750 on new checking and savings accounts, and the deal is back until 11/20/26. It's open to residents of MA, NH, ME, and RI. The catch: direct deposits of $3,000 or more are required, and Eastern Bank is sensitive to ChexSystems inquiries. If you live in one of those four states and your paycheck can move over, check your eligibility first, then open the accounts before 11/20/26. Card of the Day: Chase Freedom Flex. Dining plus Q4 already earns 7x on the Freedom Flex, so you can potentially reach 17x points per dollar. The catch: the offer ends 11/8/2026 or after 150,000 redemptions, and you must add it from the Domino's Deals page before checkout. If you were already ordering pizza, stack it. Don't order extra just for the points. 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.