The Decoder

Every term the daily issues have decoded so far. From the issue archive.

10-for-10: The Paze promo structure requiring 10 qualifying transactions per card to unlock the full statement-credit reward.
4/24 and 5/24: Chase's rule that it usually declines you if you have opened five or more cards in the past 24 months; 4/24 means you have room for one more.
48-month rule: Chase pays a Sapphire signup bonus only if you have not earned one in the past 48 months.
5/24: Chase's rule denying most cards if you have opened five-plus personal cards at any bank in the past 24 months.
8/65: Citi's application velocity rule, roughly one new card per 8 days and two per 65 days.

AAdvantage Loyalty Points: American Airlines' points that count toward elite status, earned on nearly all miles-earning activity.
Admirals Club: American Airlines' airport lounge network, included with the AAdvantage Executive card.
Aeroplan: Air Canada's frequent-flyer program and a Chase, Amex and Bilt transfer partner.
Altitude Reserve (USBAR): US Bank's premium travel card, whose points can now move to a small set of transfer partners.
Amex Offer: A targeted spend-and-get-credit deal that you add to an eligible American Express card before shopping.
Amex Travel: American Express's own booking site, where some Amex Offers require you to book to earn the credit.
Asia Miles: Cathay Pacific's frequent flyer currency, an Amex and Wells Fargo transfer partner.
Atmos: Alaska Airlines' rebranded loyalty program (formerly Mileage Plan).
Atmos Rewards: Alaska Airlines' loyalty program, which runs periodic discounted award sales like Global Getaways.
AU: Authorized user, someone added to your card account who can earn and sometimes hold points.
AU (authorized user): An extra cardholder you add to your account, sometimes tied to a bonus.
Authorized user: A person added to your account who gets their own card and, on Bilt, their own transfer-bonus cap and spend earning.
Avios: The shared points currency of British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus, strong on short-haul and off-peak awards.

Bilt Cash: A rewards currency in the Bilt app, spendable on things like BLADE flights.
Bilt points: Bilt Rewards' transferable currency, movable to airline and hotel partners.
Blacklane: A premium pre-booked chauffeur and airport-transfer service.

Calendar open: The day an airline first releases award seats for a date, usually about a year out, when award prices are often lowest.
Capital One Shopping: A free browser extension and app that pays cash back when you shop through it, stackable with card rewards.
CDW: Collision damage waiver, the rental-car damage coverage your card provides when you decline the rental company's insurance.
cents per point: A measure of redemption value; how much value each point buys you.
cents per point (cpp): How much value each point is worth when redeemed, e.g. 1.5 cents each.
CFU: Chase Freedom Unlimited, a no-annual-fee card earning Ultimate Rewards.
CFU (Chase Freedom Unlimited): A no-annual-fee Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points.
Chase Offer: A targeted merchant deal you add to a Chase card for statement credit or cash back.
Chase Offers: Card-linked merchant deals in the Chase app that give cash back when you add and use them.
Clawback: When an issuer reverses a credit or bonus you already received, usually because you closed or changed the account too soon.
Companion fare: A certificate that lets a second traveler fly for a fixed low price on the same booking.
Companion Pass: A Southwest benefit letting a designated person fly with you for just taxes and fees.
Compound pricing: Pricing a multi-segment award as the sum of each leg instead of one through-fare, which usually costs more miles.
ConnectMiles: Copa Airlines' loyalty program, part of the Star Alliance network.
cpp: Cents per point, the value you get per point in a redemption.
cpp (cents per point): How much value each point or mile is worth in a given redemption.
cpp / cent per point: How much value each point is worth in cash terms when redeemed.
CSP (Chase Sapphire Preferred): Chase's mid-tier travel card, a step below the Sapphire Reserve.
CSP / CSR / CSRB: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, and the business Sapphire Reserve cards.

Data point (DP): A single user's real-world report of how a deal or rule played out.
Deadheading pilots: Crew being transported as passengers to work a later flight, sometimes given priority for seats.
Delta One: Delta's business-class product on wide bodies and premium transcon routes.
Devaluation: When a program raises the points or miles needed for the same award.
Direct deposit (DD): An electronic payroll or benefit deposit some bank bonuses require; this South State bonus does not.
DP: Data point, a single user's real-world report of how an offer worked.

Edit: Chase's luxury hotel collection bookable through the Sapphire Reserve travel portal.
Edit credit: The CSR's hotel statement credit for stays booked through Chase Travel's The Edit collection.
Elite night credits: Nights that count toward reaching a hotel loyalty status tier.
Exclusive Tables: The Sapphire Reserve dining program that unlocks reservations and dining credits at a curated list of high-end restaurants.

F&B credit: A food and beverage statement credit usable on dining at the hotel brand.
FHR (Fine Hotels + Resorts): Amex Platinum's luxury hotel program, which does guarantee 4pm late checkout.
Flagship First: American Airlines' international first-class product, being retired November 19.
Flagship Lounge: American Airlines' premium lounges, normally reserved for long-haul premium and top-tier elite flyers.
Flagship Suite: American Airlines' premium business-class seat with a privacy door, its top long-haul product.
Flying Blue: The shared frequent-flyer program of Air France and KLM.
FNC (free night certificate): A hotel award good for one night up to a set points cap, often earned from a card bonus or renewal.
Free night certificate: An award voucher good for one hotel night up to a set points value.
Free Spirit: Spirit Airlines' frequent-flyer miles program.
Free-night certificate: A hotel award good for one night, usually earned from a co-branded card, often capped at a point value.
FTF (foreign transaction fee): A surcharge, usually around 3%, some cards add to purchases made outside the US.
FX fee (foreign transaction fee): A surcharge, usually about 3%, some cards add to purchases made abroad or in foreign currency.

GHA Discovery: A loyalty program spanning independent luxury hotel brands like Kempinski and Anantara.
GHA Discovery Dollars: Stored-value credit spendable at Global Hotel Alliance brands like Anantara, NH, and Kempinski.
Glamping: Upscale camping with hotel-like tents and amenities, as at Under Canvas.
Global Getaways: Alaska's periodic sale that discounts award prices on select partner-airline flights.
Globalist: World of Hyatt's top elite tier, with perks like suite upgrades and free breakfast.
Guide to Benefits: The official document spelling out exactly what a card's insurance covers.

HUCA: Hang Up, Call Again, retrying a phone agent until you reach one who says yes.
HUCA (hang up, call again): Ending a call and redialing to reach a different agent who will do what you want.

ID.me: An identity-verification service that unlocks member discounts for groups like students, military and first responders.
inKind: A dining app whose gift cards are accepted at participating independent restaurants.

J: Airline shorthand for business class.
JAL Mileage Bank: Japan Airlines' frequent-flyer program.
JAL miles: Japan Airlines miles, often the cheapest way to book Air France partner business class.

Klook: A booking platform for tours, attraction tickets and airport transfers.
KrisFlyer: Singapore Airlines' frequent flyer program.

Leaders Club: The loyalty program of Leading Hotels of the World, a collection of independent luxury hotels.
LHW (Leading Hotels of the World): A collection of independent luxury hotels with its own loyalty currency.
Lie-flat J/F: Business (J) or first (F) class seats that fully recline into a bed.
Lifemiles: Avianca's loyalty currency, prized for cheap fixed-rate Star Alliance premium-cabin awards.
Loyalty Points: American Airlines' status currency, earned separately from redeemable miles.

Manufactured spend: Buying near-cash items like gift cards to hit spend targets or earn rewards cheaply.
Manufactured spending: Buying gift cards or similar to hit spend and earn rewards, then liquidating them near cost.
MDD (Modified Double Dip): Applying for two Chase cards in close succession to try for both approvals on effectively one credit pull.
Membership Rewards: American Express's transferable points currency.
Membership Rewards (MR): American Express's transferable points currency.
Metal: The airline that physically operates the flight, which can differ from the one whose miles you booked with.
MileagePlus: United Airlines' mileage program, which can book partner airlines like Turkish.
Miles & More: The Lufthansa group frequent flyer program.
Miles & Smiles: Turkish Airlines' loyalty program, valued for cheap Star Alliance partner awards.
Miles&Smiles: Turkish Airlines' loyalty program, known for cheap Star Alliance award sweet spots.
Mint: JetBlue's premium/business-class cabin.

NLL (No Lifetime Language): A card offer without the usual once-per-lifetime restriction, so past cardholders may qualify again.
Nominee: A named person you are allowed to book award tickets for under a program's rules.

One4All: A brand of prepaid gift card sold at retailers like Target.
OnePay: A Walmart-affiliated payment app that can layer its own cashback on top of your underlying card.
oneworld Sapphire: A mid-tier status in the oneworld alliance that grants business-class lounge access and priority perks.

Pay Yourself Back: A Chase feature that redeems points against your statement in select categories at a bonus rate.
Paze: A bank-backed online checkout wallet currently running a Dunkin gift card cash-back promotion.
Phantom availability: Award space that shows as bookable but doesn't actually exist, so tickets fail to issue.
Phantom award space: Award seats that show as bookable but cannot actually be ticketed.
Phantom inventory: Award space an airline displays that is not actually bookable and errors out at selection.
Plastiq: A service that lets you pay bills that don't take cards (rent, taxes) by card for a fee, usually about 3%.
Points + Cash: A hotel award option that combines points with a cash payment for part of the night's rate.
Points Boost: Chase feature giving elevated point value on select portal bookings (up to ~2 cents each).
Points-plus-cash: A hotel booking paid partly with points and partly with a card charge.
Polaris: United's international business class product and cabin.
Price match: Chase Travel feature that refunds the difference if an eligible hotel rate drops after you book.
Priority Pass: A network of airport lounges included with premium cards like the CSR.
Priority Pass Unwind: The gaming-lounge tier of Priority Pass (like Gameway) that Chase includes but Amex and Cap One do not.
Product change: Switching one card to another in the same family without closing the account.
Product change (PC): Switching an existing card to a different card in the same family without a new application.
Promo Rewards: Flying Blue's rotating monthly list of discounted award routes.
Purchase Protection: Card coverage that reimburses eligible purchases that are damaged or lost within a set window.

Qsuite: Qatar Airways' enclosed business-class suite product.
Qsuites: Qatar Airways' business-class product with private suites, prized for its comfort and award value.

Reaccommodate: An airline's obligation to rebook you at no added cost when its own schedule change disrupts your ticket.
Rent Day: Bilt's recurring promo on the first of each month, when it runs elevated transfer bonuses and other perks.
Retention offer: A credit or points bonus a bank offers to convince you not to cancel or downgrade a card.

Saver award: The lowest, most limited award price tier an airline releases.
Saver space: The lowest award-price inventory an airline releases, required for many partner redemptions (U class for first, T class for economy on American).
Schedule-change desk: A specialized airline team that can rebook you into any for-sale seat after an airline-caused cancellation, not just award seats.
seats.aero: A search tool that scans airline programs for available award space and can send alerts.
Select Hotel credit: The Chase Sapphire Reserve's separate hotel credit, distinct from The Edit credit.
shopping portal: A site like Rakuten that pays cash or points for clicking through to a retailer before you buy.
Shops at Chase: Chase's card-linked online shopping portal for extra points and, per new reports, statement credits.
sign-up bonus: The points you earn for meeting the initial spend requirement on a new card.
sign-up bonus (SUB): The one-time points bonus you earn for hitting a card's early spend requirement.
SimplyMiles: American's card-linked offer platform that pays AAdvantage miles for registered spend.
skip-lag: Booking a longer itinerary but getting off at a connecting city to exploit cheaper pricing.
skiplagging: Booking a connecting fare but getting off at the layover city to save money, against airline rules.
SkyMiles: Delta's frequent flyer currency.
SLH: Small Luxury Hotels of the World, a booking collection of independent upscale properties.
splurge credit: A category-restricted annual statement credit on the Amex Strata Elite card.
Spontaneous Escapes: Singapore Airlines' monthly list of discounted KrisFlyer award flights.
SUB: Sign-up bonus, the points or cash you earn for hitting a new card's minimum spend.
SUB (sign-up bonus): The points or miles earned for meeting a new card's spending requirement.
SUB (welcome bonus): The sign-up bonus points or cash a card pays after you hit its spend requirement.
SUB / welcome bonus: The one-time sign-up bonus you earn for meeting a new card's minimum spend.
Sweet spot: A redemption where a partner's award price is far below the cash fare.
Systemwide upgrade: An elite perk letting you upgrade a flight to a higher cabin, subject to space.

Targeted: An offer visible only to selected accounts, not available to everyone.
ThankYou points: Citi's transferable rewards currency, movable to airline and hotel partners.
The Edit: Chase's luxury hotel booking program offering property credits and perks like fourth-night-free.
transfer bonus: A limited-time boost to points moved from a bank program to an airline or hotel partner.
Transfer partner: An airline or hotel program you can move card points into, often for outsized award value.
Transfer ratio: How many airline or hotel points you get per credit card point transferred.
Transferable points: Bank points (like Chase Ultimate Rewards) that can move to multiple airline and hotel partners.
TrueBlue: JetBlue's frequent flyer loyalty program.

Ultimate Rewards: Chase's transferable points, poolable across cards and movable to airline and hotel partners.
Ultimate Rewards (UR): Chase's transferable points currency earned on Sapphire and Freedom cards.
Upper Class: Virgin Atlantic's business class cabin.
UR: Ultimate Rewards, Chase's transferable points currency.
UR (Ultimate Rewards): Chase's flexible points, transferable to airline and hotel partners.
UR points: Chase Ultimate Rewards, the transferable points currency the Sapphire cards earn.
USBAR: U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve, a competing premium travel card with its own annual fee and travel credit.
utilization: The share of your credit limit you are using, a factor in your credit score.

Vacasa: A vacation-rental brand whose stays can be booked with Wyndham points.
velocity limit: A merchant or wallet cap on how many transactions you can run in a short window.

XP: Experience Points, the status-qualifying currency in Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
XP (Experience Points): Flying Blue's elite-status-qualifying points, separate from redeemable miles.

YMMV: Your mileage may vary; an offer that is targeted or inconsistent, so results differ by person.

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