☕ Points Wire Daily

⚡ Today in 20 seconds

• Correction: the original Chase Freedom still charges its 3% foreign transaction fee, the no-fee listing was a Chase error; only the Flex dropped it

• Port of Seattle delayed the SEA Sapphire Lounge approval vote to October 27 after commissioners questioned premium-only space

• Wells Fargo 10% merchant deals now run through September 30, use them this week

• Holland America Amex Offer extended: up to $250 back on $1,000 in cruise spend

• Newegg stopped earning 10x through Paze back on July 1 and buyers are still finding out the hard way

• A free Lyft Business profile pays 6% to 8% back on work rides on top of card earnings

• Chase is reportedly barring some accounts from digital wallets permanently after fraud claims

Correction: the OG Freedom never lost its foreign transaction fee

We previously passed along reports that Chase quietly dropped foreign transaction fees on the original Freedom alongside the Freedom Flex. The Flex change is real, but the OG Freedom part was a Chase error: "no foreign transaction fees" appeared in the app and online for about a day around September 21, then was pulled, and cardholders with screenshots confirm the legacy Visa still charges 3% abroad.

→ Leave the original Freedom at home on international trips. If the fee bothers you, Chase now allows a product change to the Flex, which genuinely has no foreign transaction fee.

Corroborated by multiple cardholder reports and screenshots in the thread · r/CreditCards thread

Wells Fargo 10% deals extended through September 30

The batch of Wells Fargo 10% back merchant deals that was set to expire has been extended to September 30. That gives you a few more days to run planned spend through them.

→ Open the Wells Fargo app, activate any 10% deals you can use, and complete the purchases before September 30.

Single unverified report · r/CreditCards

Holland America Amex Offer extended: up to $250 back

The Holland America Line Amex Offer has been extended. Spend $750 for $200 back or $1,000 for $250 back, depending on which version is on your account. That is an effective 25% or better discount on a cruise deposit or fare.

→ Check the Amex Offers tab on each of your cards, add the offer, and charge Holland America spend to that card before the new end date.

Corroborated (Frequent Miler coverage of the published offer) · Frequent Miler

Rove's boosted shopping rates end September 28

Rove's "Rove the World" promotion has boosted earning rates across about 30 travel merchants, and it wraps up September 28. Rove also just launched its Android app, so it is no longer iPhone-only.

→ If you have travel purchases planned, check Rove's boosted merchant list and click through before September 28.

Corroborated (Miles to Memories coverage of the published promo) · Miles to Memories

Emirates A380 business class BKK-HKG around $600 round trip

FlyerTalk is flagging Emirates A380 business class fares between Bangkok and Hong Kong for roughly $600 round trip. It is a short-haul way to fly the A380 up front at a cash price that also earns miles, and fares like this rarely last.

→ Search Bangkok to Hong Kong dates on Emirates or your booking site of choice today if this routing works for you.

Single report (FlyerTalk fare post, fares can die at any time) · FlyerTalk

Port of Seattle delays Sapphire Lounge approval to October 27

The planned 16,000 square foot Chase Sapphire Lounge at SEA hit a snag: the Port of Seattle pushed its approval vote to October 27 after commissioners questioned whether premium cardmembers should get dedicated airport space and whether lounge diners would spend less at other airport businesses. One commissioner also complained the plans leaked to Reddit before the public vote.

→ Do not plan travel around a SEA Sapphire Lounge opening date yet; keep relying on existing Priority Pass options at SEA and watch the October 27 vote.

Corroborated across multiple community threads · r/CreditCards · r/ChaseSapphire

Chase reportedly imposing permanent digital wallet bans after fraud claims

On r/ChaseSapphire, a report says Chase is permanently blocking some accounts from adding cards to digital wallets after fraudulent transactions were reported on the account. If accurate, a fraud dispute could cost you Apple Pay and Google Pay access on that account for good.

→ If you rely on mobile wallet payments, be deliberate about how you report disputed charges to Chase and confirm wallet access still works after a fraud claim resolves.

Single unverified report · r/ChaseSapphire

Smaller offers worth a click: Citi Uber Eats, Radisson, Optimum

Three modest but easy offers surfaced: a Citi offer for $10 back on $30+ at Uber Eats that can be used twice, an Amex Offer for $50 back on $250 at select Radisson hotels in Europe and Africa, and a U.S. Bank offer for 15% back on an Optimum subscription (max about $27).

→ Check the offer tabs on your Citi, Amex, and U.S. Bank cards today and enroll in whichever ones match spend you already have planned.

Corroborated (published offers covered by Frequent Miler and Doctor of Credit) · Frequent Miler on Uber Eats · Frequent Miler on Radisson · Doctor of Credit on Optimum

Newegg has been out of the 10x Paze promo since July 1

Cardholders on r/ChaseSapphireReserve are still getting burned by a change from months ago: Chase excluded Newegg from the 10x Ultimate Rewards promotion for purchases made through Paze (the bank-run online checkout) effective July 1, 2026. Recent buyers report earning 1x on purchases they made specifically expecting 10x.

→ Before any large purchase you are making for the Paze 10x promo, reread the current merchant list and exclusions; do not assume Newegg still qualifies.

Corroborated (multiple reports plus Doctor of Credit's coverage of the exclusion) · r/ChaseSapphireReserve

OpenTable Sapphire Reserve access glitching for some

On r/ChaseSapphireReserve, users report their OpenTable premium access tied to the Sapphire Reserve has stopped working and may need to be reactivated. Nothing suggests the benefit itself changed, this looks like a linking problem.

→ If you use the OpenTable benefit, open the app and confirm your Sapphire Reserve status shows before your next reservation; re-link the card if it is gone.

Single unverified report · r/ChaseSapphireReserve

A free Lyft Business profile pays 6% to 8% back on work rides

Setting up a free Lyft Business profile and self-enrolling in Lyft Business Rewards earns 6% to 8% back in Lyft Cash on work rides, on top of whatever your card earns, plus optional extra airline or hotel points. There is no employer requirement to enroll yourself.

→ Create a business profile in the Lyft app, enroll in Business Rewards, and route work rides through it starting today.

Corroborated (View from the Wing and The Points Guy) · View from the Wing · The Points Guy

How to actually win a Chase Travel price match

An r/ChaseSapphireReserve thread on The Edit distilled useful price match technique: book a refundable rate first, take full-page screenshots or a PDF from a desktop (not a phone), and only submit publicly available rates, since Chase rejects login-required prices like Amex portal rates. If the match is denied, cancel and resubmit.

→ Next time you book The Edit or Chase Travel, book refundable, capture desktop screenshots of the cheaper public rate, and submit the match before your cancellation window closes.

Corroborated by multiple commenters' experiences · r/ChaseSapphireReserve

IKEA cafes code as restaurants

On r/ChaseSapphire, cardholders confirm IKEA cafe purchases code as dining, so they earn restaurant multipliers, and they can even trigger in-store shopping portal offers when IKEA is featured. Costco food courts, for the curious, still code as wholesale clubs, not dining.

→ Pay for the meatballs with your best dining card, and join IKEA Family first for discounts on cafe items.

Corroborated by multiple commenters · r/ChaseSapphire

The $100 anniversary credit is posting, and it stacks with The Edit

Data points on r/ChaseSapphireReserve show the targeted 10th anniversary $100 credit posting a few days after a $600+ Chase Travel booking, and stacking with the $250 Edit credit on the same reservation. It remains targeted and US properties only.

→ If you were targeted, make one Chase Travel booking of $600 or more (after the Edit credit, to be safe) and watch for the credit within a few days.

Multiple reader reports, offer is targeted · r/ChaseSapphireReserve

Sole prop 3/24 data points keep piling up

The r/churning DP thread adds more evidence of the reported 3/24 limit on sole proprietor Chase business applications: approvals at 3/24 after reconsideration, denials at 4/24 citing recently opened accounts, and hints of a mid-August cutoff date.

→ Count your personal cards opened in the last 24 months before any sole prop Ink or cobrand business application; at 4/24 or higher, expect friction.

Corroborated across multiple data points, rule remains unofficial · r/churning DPs

BOS Sapphire Lounge waits topping 45 minutes

A Reserve holder reports three consecutive visits to the Boston Sapphire Lounge with waits over 45 minutes, consistent with the broader lounge crowding reports we have covered.

→ At BOS, join the lounge waitlist as soon as you clear security or have a backup plan.

Single unverified report · r/ChaseSapphireReserve

Chase exploring a second-look funding model for declined applicants

A report says JPMorgan Chase is exploring a secondary funding model for card applicants who fail its normal underwriting, which could mean approvals backed by a partner lender rather than outright denials.

→ Nothing to do yet; watch for official details before changing application plans.

Single unverified report · r/CreditCards

Marriott's new Serengeti safari camp is bookable on points

The Points Guy has a first look at Mapito Safari Camp, Marriott Bonvoy's new all-inclusive Serengeti property, and it can be booked with points. All-inclusive safari stays on hotel points are rare.

→ Check Bonvoy award rates for Mapito if a Tanzania trip is on your list; compare against cash safari packages before assuming points win.

Corroborated (on-site review by The Points Guy) · The Points Guy

American will auto-monitor for better seats

American Airlines is rolling out automated monitoring that watches for a better seat and moves you when one opens, plus letting top elites reserve their free coach snack.

→ AA flyers should look for the seat monitoring option in the app on upcoming reservations.

Single report (View from the Wing) · View from the Wing

3/24 (and 4/24): Shorthand for how many credit cards someone has opened in the past 24 months, used in Chase approval rules.

Paze: A bank-run online checkout button (like PayPal, but from the card issuers) that some Chase promos pay bonus points for using.

The Edit: Chase's luxury hotel booking program for Sapphire Reserve cardholders, with a $250 semiannual statement credit.

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