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🤙🏿 Welcome back to the Better Than Points Newsletter - the premier place for all things Credit Card Points News and Travel

My name’s Luis and I’m the one writing this (hit me up here!)

Busy day today, but we got it done.

Have some interesting stories for y'all today.

And some really good credit card information that anyone that rents a car should know.

So let's get into it.

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Each week, I’ll share something cool I’ve discovered or tackle a question from the community. It’s my little corner to explore ideas, offer fresh perspectives, and hopefully spark your own curiosity.

I came across a really good article about rental car coverage and credit cards, and it reminded me why I always pay for rental cars with the right credit card.

At least once a year, I rent a car and drive about 2,400 miles round trip to visit family, so having the right coverage gives me a lot of peace of mind.

One thing a lot of people don't realize is that not all credit cards offer the same rental car insurance.

The biggest difference is whether the card offers primary or secondary collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage.

Many cards, including most American Express cards, even the Platinum Card only offer secondary coverage.

That means your personal auto insurance has to be used first, and the credit card coverage only kicks in after that.

Personally, I prefer cards with primary coverage, and this is one of the main reasons I carry the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

For a card with a $95 annual fee, it's honestly one of the best benefits it offers.

The Sapphire Preferred provides primary rental car coverage for up to $60,000 for rentals lasting up to 31 consecutive days.

One thing to keep in mind is that the vehicle can't have an MSRP above $125,000, which Chase increased a few years ago as vehicle prices climbed.

It also excludes exotic vehicles, but for the vast majority of rental cars, it's an excellent benefit.

If you want even more coverage, the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Ritz Carlton Card increase that limit to $75,000 for up to 31 consecutive days.

Those cards also remove the MSRP cap and don't exclude exotic vehicles, although they still exclude things like cargo vans and vehicles that seat more than 12 passengers.

Another pair of cards that don't get talked about much are the United Explorer Card and the United Club Infinite Card.

Both also provide primary rental car coverage of up to $60,000 for rentals of up to 31 consecutive days.

The Capital One Venture X also includes primary rental coverage, but there are a couple of important differences.

First, the vehicle's MSRP can't exceed $75,000, so keep that in mind if you're renting a luxury SUV or higher end vehicle.

Second, you're covered for 15 consecutive days if you're renting in your country of residence, but 31 consecutive days when renting internationally.

I've actually worked around that limitation before by returning the car after 15 days and starting a new rental, just to make sure I stayed within the coverage window.

No matter which card you use, there are a few rules you'll want to follow.

Pay for the entire rental with the credit card that provides the coverage.

Decline the rental company's collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver.

And make sure everyone who will be driving the vehicle is listed on the rental agreement.

Rental car coverage is one of those credit card benefits that often gets overlooked, but it can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars if something goes wrong.

For me, it's honestly one of the biggest reasons I continue carrying the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

One quick question

I've noticed my newsletters have gotten long. It's a lot of information, and I don't just want to not provide y'all with stuff that'll help.

But would y'all rather one long newsletter a week or two shorter newsletters, just splitting up that content out?

American Express just added Leading Hotels of the World as a new transfer partner, and while the 4:1 transfer ratio doesn't sound very exciting at first, it's actually better than I expected.

When you run the numbers, 100,000 Amex Membership Rewards points can get you roughly $2,000 in hotel value at some properties.

That's a solid redemption, especially if you're looking to stay at luxury hotels.

This also gives Amex cardholders another premium hotel option that wasn't available before.

Citi has been a transfer partner with Leading Hotels of the World for a while, although at a 5:1 transfer ratio.

So if you already had Citi ThankYou Points, you had access to these properties.

Now Amex cardholders can book them as well.

What makes this program interesting is the hotels themselves.

Leading Hotels of the World is made up primarily of independent luxury hotels, many of which you can't book through the major hotel loyalty programs.

It includes iconic properties around the world, and 18 of its hotels were featured on the 2025 World's 50 Best Hotels list, including:

For me, this is a positive addition.

American Express has always had plenty of airline transfer partners, but another quality hotel option makes Membership Rewards points even more flexible.

If you're planning a luxury trip, you now have another way to pair your flights and hotel using the same pool of points.

I still wouldn't transfer points just because you can.

As always, compare the cash price to the number of points required and make sure you're getting good value.

But if one of these properties is already on your travel list, this new transfer partner could be a great way to book it.

If you weren't aware, American Airlines recently made a quiet change to its 24 hour refund policy.

While it still complies with Department of Transportation (DOT) rules, it does give travelers a little less flexibility than before.

Under current DOT regulations, airlines must allow you to cancel a ticket for a full refund within 24 hours of booking, as long as the ticket was purchased at least seven days before departure.

For a while, American actually went beyond that requirement.

They allowed customers to cancel within 24 hours even if the ticket was booked as little as two days before departure.

That extra flexibility made it easier to book a trip while you finalized plans or waited for something else to fall into place.

Unfortunately, that's no longer the case.

American has quietly updated its policy and now follows the standard DOT rule, meaning your flight must be booked at least seven days before departure to qualify for the 24 hour cancellation window.

It's not a huge change, but it does matter if you tend to book trips at the last minute.

If you're wondering which airline is still more generous, Delta continues to stand out.

Delta still allows you to cancel within 24 hours of booking, even on tickets purchased less than seven days before departure.

That can be incredibly useful if you're booking a last minute flight but aren't completely sure your plans will stick.

Overall, this isn't a change I'm happy to see.

American isn't taking away a benefit that the DOT requires, but it is eliminating a policy that gave customers more flexibility than the minimum standard.

If you're booking a last minute flight with American Airlines, just be aware that the 24 hour cancellation rule may no longer apply.

Double check your plans before hitting the purchase button, because you may not have the same refund window you would have had just a few months ago.

Check out these crazy award deals!

This section includes some of the best award flights of the week bookable with points and miles.

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This section includes some of the best links videos and articles of the week around the points and travel community