Credit card economics

Rideshare

Putting My Remaining Citi Blacklane Credit to the Test

Aug 30, 2026

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3 min read

Putting My Remaining Citi Blacklane Credit to the Test

With $60 left and an early-morning ride to catch, this looked like an unusually good opportunity to use it.

ExpatVista

Amex Platinum

Hilton Credits in London: Five More Tests

Jul 27, 2026

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3 min read

Hilton Credits in London: Five More Tests

Building a clearer picture of what triggers the Hilton credit.

ExpatVista

Rideshare

Jul 9, 2026

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2 min read

Can a Blacklane Promo Beat Uber?

Testing whether a targeted voucher can finally unlock full value from Citi’s Blacklane credit.

ExpatVista

Amex Platinum

Jun 22, 2026

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7 min read

Why Amex Keeps Adding More Credits

Merchants may value Platinum credits as much as cardholders do.

ExpatVista

IHG

The Hidden Challenge of Legacy Credit Cards

Jun 8, 2026

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4 min read

The Hidden Challenge of Legacy Credit Cards

What happens when a card is worth keeping but not worth using?

ExpatVista

Expat Logistics

Buying Virgin Points at ~0.5p via a UK Credit Card

May 14, 2026

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3 min read

Buying Virgin Points at ~0.5p via a UK Credit Card

Pricing the 36,000-point Virgin Atlantic bonus through an expat lens

ExpatVista

Expat Logistics

The Only UK Marriott Card That Adds Nights to a US Setup

May 5, 2026

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2 min read

The Only UK Marriott Card That Adds Nights to a US Setup

Why the UK debit card behaves differently from the credit card, and how it changes your starting position

ExpatVista

Hilton Aspire

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Review (Curio Collection by Hilton)

Apr 18, 2026

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4 min read

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Review (Curio Collection by Hilton)

A one-night stop built around credits, not the room

ExpatVista

IHG

Apr 15, 2026

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2 min read

When Amex Offers Beat Points

The real cost of switching from points to cash on Marriott and IHG stays

ExpatVista

Loyalty program design

What Happens When Marriott Moves a Certificate Ceiling

Apr 8, 2026

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5 min read

What Happens When Marriott Moves a Certificate Ceiling

The hidden pricing shift and new card restrictions behind the 25K top-up

ExpatVista

Amex Platinum

Mar 30, 2026

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3 min read

Hilton Credits in London: What Triggers

Testing how payments are processed across hotel bars and restaurants

ExpatVista

Rideshare

A $100 Blacklane Credit Isn’t Worth $100

Mar 29, 2026

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2 min read

A $100 Blacklane Credit Isn’t Worth $100

Why a seemingly perfect stack of credits produced less value than expected

ExpatVista

Expat Logistics

Mar 10, 2026

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3 min read

The Cost of Collecting

The final stage of a Capital One Offers experiment from abroad

ExpatVista

Program Mechanics

Feb 16, 2026

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3 min read

Barclays Arrival Plus

A Fixed-Value Travel Currency With Optional Airline Upside

ExpatVista

Expat Logistics

Feb 10, 2026

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3 min read

What Came After

Capital One Offers, tested from abroad

ExpatVista

Expat Logistics

Jan 30, 2026

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5 min read

Capital One Offers: A Test From Abroad

A real-time experiment using Capital One Offers outside the US

ExpatVista

Program Mechanics

Marriott Lifetime Platinum Is About to Be Everywhere

Jan 27, 2026

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4 min read

Marriott Lifetime Platinum Is About to Be Everywhere

How Marriott’s post-2020 mechanics turned an elite status into a default outcome

ExpatVista

Amex Platinum

Keeping a US Number Abroad: The Year 1 vs Year 2 Math Behind Mint Mobile

Jan 13, 2026

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3 min read

Keeping a US Number Abroad: The Year 1 vs Year 2 Math Behind Mint Mobile

The first year is mostly cash. The second year is where the cost actually drops.

ExpatVista

Expat Logistics

Turning a $100 Splurge Credit into Immediate Marriott Reimbursement

Jan 4, 2026

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2 min read

Turning a $100 Splurge Credit into Immediate Marriott Reimbursement

A case study in redirecting an expiring retail credit abroad

ExpatVista

Hilton

Dec 27, 2025

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3 min read

Hilton and Me

How I actually use statement credits, certificates, and Diamond status

ExpatVista

hotel strategy

Dec 26, 2025

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9 min read

Marriott and Me

How our US and UK Marriott cards deliver elite nights, hotel certificates and recurring value.

ExpatVista

Credit card economics

Putting My Remaining Citi Blacklane Credit to the Test

Hilton Credits in London: Five More Tests

Can a Blacklane Promo Beat Uber?

Why Amex Keeps Adding More Credits

The Hidden Challenge of Legacy Credit Cards

Buying Virgin Points at ~0.5p via a UK Credit Card

The Only UK Marriott Card That Adds Nights to a US Setup

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Review (Curio Collection by Hilton)

When Amex Offers Beat Points

What Happens When Marriott Moves a Certificate Ceiling

Hilton Credits in London: What Triggers

A $100 Blacklane Credit Isn’t Worth $100

The Cost of Collecting

Barclays Arrival Plus

What Came After

Capital One Offers: A Test From Abroad

Marriott Lifetime Platinum Is About to Be Everywhere

Keeping a US Number Abroad: The Year 1 vs Year 2 Math Behind Mint Mobile

Turning a $100 Splurge Credit into Immediate Marriott Reimbursement

Hilton and Me

Marriott and Me

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