Need travel points now!

[k-vette]

Suggestions?  We just signed up for the southwest card for the bonus of 50,000 pts, but they wont show up until after the billing cycle.

Have a trip coming up on the 4th.  Any way to get a card and travel points fast?

[arebelspy]

There are quite a few cards that give bonuses on first spend (rather than spend X in a given time period, where it doesn't show up until the end of that time period).  Can you apply, get accepted, receive the card, buy something, get the miles credited, AND get something booked in that time though?  ...very unlikely.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

Most rewards cards let you reimburse yourself up to 90 days after purchase- plenty if time to earn the bonus. My Barclaycard allows 120 days. If you need the miles now to pay for the trip and can't float it, then you can't  afford the trip.

[dragoncar]

I don't know your situation, but you could put the trip on the card, pay with savings, and then convert the points to. $500 of amazon gift cards (or whatever) and use those to buy your typical household goods for the next few months (?) and save the difference to pay off the card.  But points don't convert to dollars as well as to flights.  But either way, the best point to flight conversion is a wanna get away fare, whichever it's probably too late to book anyways for July 4

[boarder42]

if you got that southwest card you should get another one too.  it will allow you to get a companion pass for future trips