The Points Daily Briefing: Hilton Amex offers, Avis Amex credits, Giftcards.com bonus, gift card fee waivers, Amex Pay Over Time

Today we're covering limited-time Hilton Honors Amex welcome offers with points and a free night award, Avis rental credits when you spend $200 or $400 on Amex, a $10 bonus on $100+ Giftcards.com virtual Visa eGiftcards using code GIVEMORE, waived purchase fees on Visa and Mastercard gift cards at TheGiftCardShop, and why you may want to turn off Amex's automatic 'Pay Over Time' feature before it switches on in 2027.

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Today’s stories

Hilton Honors Amex Cards: Limited Time Welcome Offers With Points + Free Night Award

Three of the four Hilton Honors American Express cards now pair bonus points with a free night award, and it works at properties costing up to 250,000 points per night. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card offers 130,000 points plus that award after $3,000 in spending within six months, with a $150 annual fee. Apply by January 13, 2027. If you stay at Hiltons even occasionally, the Surpass is the one to pick.

Source: AW

AmEx Offers: Avis Car Rental, Spend $200/$400 & Get $40/$80 Statement Credit

An AmEx Offer is back that pays $75 back on $350 spent at Avis, and it runs through December 31, 2026. It's targeted, so check your AmEx Offers and add it to your enrolled card. The rental has to be booked directly with Avis, so travel agents, third-party sites, and Budget and Payless don't count. If you're renting a car anyway, book direct and let the card do a little work.

Source: DoC

Giftcards.com: $10 Bonus Giftcard With $100+ Virtual Visa eGiftcard Purchase With Code GIVEMORE

Giftcards.com is handing out a $10 Giftcards.com giftcard when you buy a $100 or larger Virtual Visa eGiftcard with code GIVEMORE, and the deal is working again. A second code, GIFTMORE, gets the same $10 on a $100 purchase of the listed brands, but the two don't stack, so pick one. If you're buying gift cards anyway, check whether a shopping portal lists these codes, because Capital One often runs much higher offers. A flat $10 on $100 is fine, but a better portal rate should win.

Source: DoC

TheGiftCardShop: Get waived purchase fees on Visa & Mastercard gift cards

TheGiftCardShop is waiving purchase fees on Visa and Mastercard gift cards with promo code CUSTOM26. The best version is digital cards, which carry zero fees, as long as you can liquidate them easily. Physical cards still cost you shipping. Don't pay with an Amex card, because you won't earn points; use a card from a different bank. The code works through November 11, 2026, so there's no rush. But if you're already buying cards, this is how to stop paying for the privilege.

Source: FM

Amex Will Automatically Turn On ‘Pay Over Time’ in 2027 — Here’s Why You May Want To Disable It

Amex will switch on Pay Over Time automatically for eligible accounts starting February 1, 2027. That's the feature that lets you carry a balance, and you can still pay in full and owe no interest. The reason to turn it off: Amex has sometimes targeted people with bonus points just for activating it, and leaving it on could make you ineligible for a future offer. There's no guarantee one is coming, but if you always pay in full, switching it off costs you nothing.

Source: UP

CVS: Buy $100 Zillions Giftcards, Get $20 ExtraBucks (Stack For More Savings)

Steal of the Day: CVS is back with $20 in ExtraBucks when you buy $100 in Zillions gift cards, running 11/1/2026 through 11/7/2026. Zillions cards can be redeemed for Airbnb, Lowe's, and many others, including Amazon in some versions. It is decent savings, and the Chase/BofA 10% cash back offer is one potential stack. The Rakuten in-store offer reportedly does not work on gift cards, so skip that one. If you already spend at those merchants, buy before 11/7 and stack what works.

Source: DoC

Best-Ever Citi AAdvantage Executive Card 125K Bonus Miles Offer Ends Soon

Card of the Day: Citi AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard. The welcome bonus is 125,000 AAdvantage miles after $15,000 in purchases within the first 5 months, and the annual fee is $695. That spend requirement is real work, and you can't get the bonus if you've received one on this exact card in the past 48 months. If you fly American regularly and want Admirals Club access, this is worth a serious look.

Source: OMAAT

Full episode transcript

Hello! Today is Tuesday, November 3rd. This is The Points Daily. Here's what matters. Today we're covering limited-time Hilton Honors Amex welcome offers with points and a free night award, Avis rental credits when you spend $200 or $400 on Amex, a $10 bonus on $100+ Giftcards.com virtual Visa eGiftcards using code GIVEMORE, waived purchase fees on Visa and Mastercard gift cards at TheGiftCardShop, and why you may want to turn off Amex's automatic 'Pay Over Time' feature before it switches on in 2027. Three of the four Hilton Honors American Express cards now pair bonus points with a free night award, and it works at properties costing up to 250,000 points per night. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card offers 130,000 points plus that award after $3,000 in spending within six months, with a $150 annual fee. Apply by January 13, 2027. If you stay at Hiltons even occasionally, the Surpass is the one to pick. An AmEx Offer is back that pays $75 back on $350 spent at Avis, and it runs through December 31, 2026. It's targeted, so check your AmEx Offers and add it to your enrolled card. The rental has to be booked directly with Avis, so travel agents, third-party sites, and Budget and Payless don't count. If you're renting a car anyway, book direct and let the card do a little work. Giftcards.com is handing out a $10 Giftcards.com giftcard when you buy a $100 or larger Virtual Visa eGiftcard with code GIVEMORE, and the deal is working again. A second code, GIFTMORE, gets the same $10 on a $100 purchase of the listed brands, but the two don't stack, so pick one. If you're buying gift cards anyway, check whether a shopping portal lists these codes, because Capital One often runs much higher offers. A flat $10 on $100 is fine, but a better portal rate should win. TheGiftCardShop is waiving purchase fees on Visa and Mastercard gift cards with promo code CUSTOM26. The best version is digital cards, which carry zero fees, as long as you can liquidate them easily. Physical cards still cost you shipping. Don't pay with an Amex card, because you won't earn points; use a card from a different bank. The code works through November 11, 2026, so there's no rush. But if you're already buying cards, this is how to stop paying for the privilege. Amex will switch on Pay Over Time automatically for eligible accounts starting February 1, 2027. That's the feature that lets you carry a balance, and you can still pay in full and owe no interest. The reason to turn it off: Amex has sometimes targeted people with bonus points just for activating it, and leaving it on could make you ineligible for a future offer. There's no guarantee one is coming, but if you always pay in full, switching it off costs you nothing. Steal of the Day: CVS is back with $20 in ExtraBucks when you buy $100 in Zillions gift cards, running 11/1/2026 through 11/7/2026. Zillions cards can be redeemed for Airbnb, Lowe's, and many others, including Amazon in some versions. It is decent savings, and the Chase/BofA 10% cash back offer is one potential stack. The Rakuten in-store offer reportedly does not work on gift cards, so skip that one. If you already spend at those merchants, buy before 11/7 and stack what works. Card of the Day: Citi AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard. The welcome bonus is 125,000 AAdvantage miles after $15,000 in purchases within the first 5 months, and the annual fee is $695. That spend requirement is real work, and you can't get the bonus if you've received one on this exact card in the past 48 months. If you fly American regularly and want Admirals Club access, this is worth a serious look. 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.