May is here, and with it comes some amazing opportunities to earn, save, and travel smarter. Whether you recently picked up a new credit card (yay, welcome!) or you’re eyeing your next big trip, there’s something in this month’s newsletter for everyone. From record-breaking bonuses to new ways to pay rent with rewards, I’m here to make sure you don’t miss a thing.
Let’s jump into what’s new and noteworthy this month!
🎁 Perfect Mother’s Day Gift Idea
Give the gift of maximizing rewards and redemption planning! Consultation gift certificates are available and make a thoughtful and USEFUL present for a mom, spouse, grandma, or any travel lover in your life. Click here to purchase one—this is a fun and unique gift.
📣 Don’t Miss Any Offers, Updates And News
If you don’t already, follow me on Instagram at @thepointsmom_, you should. It is where I often share quick deals and updates before they make it into the newsletter.
💳 Still Time for the Incredible Credit Card Bonus Offer
Many of you already grabbed this incredible card offer—smart move! If you haven’t yet, it’s still available, so don’t miss your chance. If you did apply, make sure you’re working on the required spending to earn that welcome bonus. And very importantly, let me know you got the card so I can add you to my cardholder tracking list and help you stay on top of future opportunities.
One benefit of the card is the $50 hotel credit that comes with the card each anniversary year. I find it hard to use because you need to book it through the bank’s travel portal, which I seldom do, but try to remember you have it.
👏 Shout-Out to the Young, Smart New Cardholders
A huge welcome to the many newly independent young adults who jumped on the recent offer. You’re building a great foundation! Just a couple of crucial reminders: always pay your bills on time and in full. Don’t fall into the trap of paying only the “minimum due”—that’s how interest starts to build. If you carry a balance and pay interest or fees, those charges will eat up your rewards. And if your card application was denied or is still pending, I have a helpful article to guide you—be sure to check it out.
🔥 Hot Credit Card Offers Still Available
There are some seriously strong credit card offers out there right now. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is offering a whopping 185,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months—up from the previous 95,000-point offer. This one ends May 14. The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® Amex Card is also offering 155,000 points after $5,000 spend in 6 months, also ending May 14.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a big offer too: earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after $20,000 in spending within 3 months. Plus, you’ll get a $500 statement credit after spending $2,500 on qualifying flights. This one runs through June 30, 2025.
Capital One also has exciting offers. The Venture X Business card offers 150,000 miles after $30,000 in spend within 3 months, plus an additional 200,000 miles if you spend $200,000 in the first 6 months. The regular Venture Rewards card currently has an elevated offer: 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, plus a $250 travel credit through Capital One Travel.
I’ve also got posts up about other strong hotel card bonuses—including a new Bonvoy card offer.
💡 Points Tips & Limited-Time Transfer Bonuses
There are some easy wins this month, especially if you have an Amex card. Be sure to check your account for targeted Amazon offers. Some of you may be eligible to earn 500 additional Membership Rewards points after spending $25 at Amazon by June 25, 2025—or 1,200 points after spending $150. You can take advantage of these offers 3 times. If you’re also earning 5x on Amazon with another card this quarter, consider pausing that card briefly while you hit the Amex spend first—then go back to Flex.
Citi is running a limited-time transfer bonus through May 17: transfer ThankYou Points to Virgin Atlantic and get a 30% bonus. That means 1,000 points gets you 1,300 Virgin Atlantic miles. Also, heads up—Citi’s transfer rate to Emirates will devalue starting July 27, shifting from 1:1 to 1,000:800. Other transfer bonuses include a 20% transfer bonus to Air France Flying Blue, a 25% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic, and a 20% transfer bonus from Capital One to Qantas.
JetBlue is expanding as well—you can now redeem JetBlue TrueBlue points for flights on Island Air and Japan Airlines. A nice little perk to know about!
Hilton Honors has debuted its summer promotion.
🏠 Bilt News – Rent Rewards Just Got More Flexible
Big news from Bilt! And non-Bilt cardholders that pay rent, listen up too!
You can now pay rent with any Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card through the Bilt platform. This new option has a 3% processing fee, so whether it’s worth it depends on how much you value your card’s points and how you redeem them. If you’re using certain cards that earn more than 1x per $1 and whose points can be transferred to travel partners for high-value redemptions, it could be worth it.
That said, the best deal remains paying rent with your Bilt Mastercard—still the only way to earn points on rent with no fee.
Also, Southwest Airlines is now a Bilt transfer partner!
Remember, even if you don’t have a Bilt card, you can still join Bilt for free and transfer points. But remember: only with the Bilt Mastercard can you earn points on rent without paying extra.
🛂 Heads-Up: Real ID Deadline is This Month
The long-postponed Real ID deadline is finally around the corner. Starting May 7, 2025, you’ll need a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or ID to board domestic flights within the U.S. If you haven’t updated your ID yet, now’s the time to take care of it—don’t wait until the last minute.
🛠️ Helpful Tools You’ll Love
There are a few tools I always recommend for managing your travel and credit card strategy. The Travel Freely app helps you track welcome bonuses, annual fees, and deadlines—without entering your card numbers. AwardWallet’s Merchant Lookup tool lets you check how stores code for rewards so you can maximize every swipe.
The Points Mom’s Got IT!
