January 12 Update: United MileagePlus Status Match Challenge returns, 2,000 bonus points at the Delta Sault Ste. Marie & 60 bonus Aeroplan points at Starbucks

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your daily dose (or near daily dose) of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more. This update is brought to you by the HSBC World Elite Mastercard which is currently offering a welcome bonus of up to 100,000 bonus points worth $500, has no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee in the first year! 

The United MileagePlus Status Match Challenge has returned for 2022. The airline will match status of many airlines (I'm not sure if Air Canada is included since they are partners) for 120 days and then if you meet the challenge requirements you can retain that status for the entire year. Read more about this on our global site.

Earning Stories: An elite status boost and nearly 20,000 bonus points thanks to Aeroplan's credit card promos

Welcome to the latest edition of Earning Stories where we showcase real life achievements of promotions and offers that we publish here on Rewards Canada. In this edition long time Rewards Canada reader and contributor Dee shared with us his recent account updates from Aeroplan showing the fulfillment of a trio of awesome promotions that tied into his TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card

Receive IHG Rewards Platinum Elite Status after staying only 5 nights (Fast Track offer)

IHG Rewards has brought back their fast track offer to elite status that we saw during the last half of 2020 and for most of 2021. They did make one small change to the offer – they got rid of the 2 nights for Gold Status that we saw with the previous offers. This version is strictly complete 5 nights in 90 days to receive Platinum Status.

Summary of global hotel bonus points promotions – January Edition

 
Here is your monthly update of all the global hotel bonus points promotions that are available. One of the easiest ways to rack up lots of hotel points is to take advantage of these global/systemwide/regional bonuses that come from many of the big chain programs and also from the lesser known programs. 

Receive a 100% bonus when you buy Hilton Honors points

Hilton’s bonus for buying points is back! With Hilton’s offer you can earn a 100% bonus when you buy 10,000 or more points in one transaction by February 9. This time the promotion does not see the doubling of the annual cap on buying points which means you can only buy up to 80,000 points.  That 80,000 cap does not include the bonus points so if you max out this offer and buy 80,000 points you’ll receive 160,000 into your account.

January 11 Update: No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards for Canadians, new Small Business Credit Card page & earn 10,000 bonus Be Well points at Rexall

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your daily dose (or near daily dose) of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more. This update is brought to you by the HSBC World Elite Mastercard which is currently offering a welcome bonus of up to 100,000 bonus points worth $500, has no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee in the first year! 

 
Another very popular feature on the Rewards Canada website has been updated for 2022. That feature is the No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards for Canadians and sees the addition of three cards to the list and an update for one:

Here are the latest RBC Offers including statement credits for H&M, Turo and Aveda

The RBC Offers program has added seven new promotions and extended several others over this past week to bring the complete list to 25 offers.

Be sure to login to your RBC account right away to load these offers (if required) or get the promo codes if required. Personally I received these offers on the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard butmost if not all should also available for RBC's most popular card the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card and most other RBC cards.

January 10 Update: The new Toronto Plaza Premium lounge has a dedicated area for British Airways, Guide to Business Class Lounge Access updated & one new Amex Offer

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your daily dose (or near daily dose) of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more.

Rewards Canada reader David posed a great question a few weeks back about the new Plaza Premium Landmark lounge at Toronto Pearson International:

BA has been using the PP T3 International Lounge since closing its own lounge, so is this still the case? If so, there was also a separate area for BA First passengers, is this also in the renovated lounge?

Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain 55th Birthday Special: 5,500 bonus points for stays of 2+ nights

 

The Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain is celebrating 55 years of being open with a special bonus points offer for stays or 2 or more nights until March 26, 2022. Great news is the bonus points rate is the same as the best Member Flexible Rate so you aren't paying anything extra for those points!

Top 5 Small Business Credit Card Sign Up offers for January - These cards provide the best value out of their welcome bonuses

 
Here are the Rewards Canada Top 5 Small Business Credit Card Sign Up offers for this month! This is not a 'best' credit card list like our Top Travel Rewards Credit Card rankings but instead a look at cards for small businesses that have very good acquisition (welcome/sign up) offers. As always when choosing a card you should always take other factors into account other than the just sign up bonus, but when some of these cards are first year free, they can and do pay off even when you grab them strictly for the sign up rewards. This month we see three first year free cards on the list! And remember this list is based on minimum value towards travel which we calculate as the minimum value of the welcome bonus less the annual fee. It is entirely possible to receive more value out of the welcome bonuses on all of these cards since they earn Aeroplan points or Marriott Bonvoy points - both of which can provide some huge outsized value rewards!