ShopBack Blog
Ideas for smarter shopping, cashback, rewards, and getting more from everyday online spending.
Thanksgiving Flights 2026 US: Cheapest Day vs Cheapest Airport vs Cheapest Route
Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday Nov 26, with Black Friday Nov 27 and Cyber Monday Nov 30 anchoring the peak US travel week. Cheapest day to fly is Thanksgiving Day itself (Thu Nov 26) or the return on Tue Dec 1, both typically 25 to 45 percent below the Wed Nov 25 evening and Sun Nov 29 return peaks. Cheapest airport is almost always the secondary metro option (Oakland vs SFO, Burbank vs LAX, Islip or Newark vs JFK, Fort Lauderdale vs Miami, Midway vs O'Hare, Providence or Manchester vs Boston), typically saving $60 to $180 roundtrip. Cheapest route is direct short-haul on Southwest, JetBlue, Frontier, or Breeze for sub-1000-mile trips (Southwest is no longer strictly ULCC after adding checked-bag fees in May 2025 but still leads on domestic short-haul value); one-stop connections through Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas, or Denver for longer routes if you can tolerate the layover. Note Spirit Airlines ceased operations in May 2026 following its second Chapter 11; Frontier and Breeze absorbed most of the domestic ULCC routes Spirit had operated. Book by mid-October for the shoulder floor; last-minute after Nov 15 typically runs 50 to 120 percent above the 8-week price. Start every Thanksgiving hotel and rental car booking through ShopBack for tracked cashback on Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, and Priceline.
Read
US 2026 Black Friday SKU Timing By Category: Electronics vs Fashion vs Home, and What Drops When
For US shoppers in 2026, Black Friday (Friday 27 November) is not a single event but a category-staggered drop cycle. Electronics doorbusters go live Thanksgiving evening 26 November with TVs, gaming consoles, and headphones hitting annual floors overnight. Fashion opens Thanksgiving morning at Kohl's, Macy's, JCPenney, and Nordstrom with escalating promos through Black Friday morning and holds through Cyber Monday. Home goods and appliances hit deepest pricing on Black Friday day at Home Depot, Lowe's, Best Buy, Costco, and Wayfair, with delivery windows filling by early morning. Small kitchen and beauty peak later, spilling into Cyber Monday. Amazon Prime Big Deal Days (October 6-7) is the first calibration point; retailers benchmark against it. This guide maps every SKU category to its exact drop hour and best-priced retailer for the 26 November through 2 December window.
Read
US Prime Big Deal Days October 6-7 2026 vs Black Friday November 27 vs Cyber Monday November 30 2026: SKU-by-SKU Timing Strategy
For US shoppers in Q4 2026, three anchor shopping events overlap the October to December window: Amazon Prime Big Deal Days (Amazon's official October branding, 6-7 October 2026), Black Friday (Friday 27 November 2026), and Cyber Monday (Monday 30 November 2026). Each event is best for different categories. Prime Big Deal Days wins on Amazon-exclusive devices (Echo, Kindle, Fire TV, Ring), fashion staples restock, and select Nintendo Switch bundles. Black Friday wins on TVs, appliances, in-store doorbusters. Cyber Monday wins on laptops (Dell, HP, Lenovo direct), Adobe Creative Cloud, gaming, and Amazon-exclusive Cyber Monday drops. This guide runs SKU-by-SKU timing math so you know exactly which category to buy in October vs November.
Read
Best US Credit Cards for Online Shopping 2026: Amex Blue Cash vs Chase Freedom vs Discover it Cash Back 3-Way Comparison
For US online shoppers in September 2026, the three highest-earning general online shopping cards are Amex Blue Cash Everyday (3% on US online retail purchases up to $6,000 per year), Chase Freedom Flex (5% quarterly rotating categories often including Amazon, PayPal, and Walmart.com), and Discover it Cash Back (5% quarterly rotating with Cashback Match first-year doubling). Citi Custom Cash closed to new applications 28 May 2026 and is no longer a live option. This guide runs the annual dollar math on a typical $6,000 US online shopping household spend, shows how ShopBack cashback stacks on top on Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Nike, and hundreds of other US retailers, and walks through the 3-card stack strategy that captures 5-8% across categories.
Read
Marriott Bonvoy 2026 Devaluation: Hilton Honors vs Hyatt Globalist Switch Guide for US Elite Members
Marriott Bonvoy implemented a 5-10% average points devaluation across the award chart in 2026, affecting Category 5-8 luxury and resort properties disproportionately. Hilton Honors executed a tier restructure on 1 January 2026 (not a straight devaluation): added a new Diamond Reserve tier above lifetime Diamonds, lowered Gold and Diamond earning thresholds, cut Homewood Suites and Spark by Hilton point-earning, and ended point rollover. World of Hyatt made no material devaluation in 2026 and remains the most-generous per-point loyalty program with fixed award chart. This guide walks through when to keep Marriott status, when to status-match to Hilton Diamond, when to concentrate stays into Hyatt Globalist, and how ShopBack cashback on OTA hotel bookings recovers spend regardless of program choice.
Read
Frontier vs JetBlue vs Breeze US 2026: 3-Way Ultra Low Cost Airline Comparison After Spirit Airlines Ceased Operations
The US ultra low cost carrier landscape restructured in 2025-2026. Spirit Airlines filed a second Chapter 11 in August 2025, failed to secure federal bailout, and ceased all operations in 2026 after the JetBlue merger collapsed and no viable buyer emerged. Southwest Airlines lost ULCC status after introducing checked bag fees in May 2025. The 2026 US low-cost lineup is now Frontier Airlines (Denver-based, aggressive ancillary fees but deepest base fares), JetBlue Airways (repositioned as a hybrid low-fare with Mint premium and TrueBlue loyalty), and Breeze Airways (David Neeleman's newer entrant, secondary-market routes, Nice + Nicer + Nicest fare classes). This guide runs full-cost math including baggage, seat selection, and taxes across 3 sample routes, plus how ShopBack cashback on hotel and car rental stacking recoups spend.
Read
Best US Credit Cards for Grocery and Gas 2026: Amex Blue Cash Preferred vs Chase Freedom Flex vs US Bank Cash+ 3-Way Comparison
For US households in September 2026, the three highest-earning grocery and gas cards are American Express Blue Cash Preferred (6% US supermarkets on first $6,000 per year, 3% US gas), Chase Freedom Flex (5% rotating quarterly categories including grocery Q2 and gas Q3 typical schedule, reopened to new applications 1 Aug 2025), and US Bank Cash+ (choose your own 5% on 2 categories from 12 options including grocery stores and gas stations, on first $2,000 per quarter). Each has different sweet spots, caps, and annual fee tradeoffs. This guide runs the annual dollar math on a typical $9,600 grocery + $2,400 gas household spend, plus how ShopBack cashback stacks on top when you buy through Walmart Grocery, Instacart, Kroger, and Whole Foods.
Read
Verizon vs AT&T vs T-Mobile vs Mint Mobile vs Visible US 2026: 5-Way Mobile Plan Comparison for Single, Family, and Traveler Personas
For US mobile buyers in September 2026, the practical decision is not just Verizon vs AT&T vs T-Mobile. The prepaid MVNO tier (Mint Mobile on T-Mobile network, Visible on Verizon network) has narrowed the coverage and speed gap so much that a $30 to $45 per month prepaid line now covers 80 to 90 percent of use cases at 25 to 35 percent of postpaid cost. Verizon Unlimited Ultimate ($100 single line) has the strongest rural low-band 5G. AT&T Unlimited Premium PL ($100) has strong fiber-cellular convergence for AT&T Fiber customers. T-Mobile Go5G Next ($100) has the strongest mid-band 5G nationally and includes Apple TV+ and Netflix. Mint Mobile ($15 for 3 months, $30 standard) is the T-Mobile-network value pick. Visible ($25 base, $45 Visible+) is the Verizon-network value pick. Over 36 months a $30 prepaid line saves $2,520 versus $100 postpaid, the largest lever in US mobile TCO.
Read
Samsung Galaxy S26 vs iPhone 18 vs Google Pixel 11 US 2026: Total Cost of Ownership Across Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile
For US buyers in September 2026, the three flagship Android and iOS options are Samsung Galaxy S26 (shipped 11 March 2026, 6 months into cycle), iPhone 18 (Pro, Pro Max, and Duo launched September 2026), and Google Pixel 11 (launched August 2026). Total cost of ownership across a 36-month device lifecycle depends far more on carrier plan and trade-in than sticker MSRP. Verizon Unlimited Ultimate offers deepest device trade-in credits ($1,000 on any working smartphone for the S26 Ultra); AT&T Turbo offers strongest bring-your-own-device trade-in mixed with prepaid plans; T-Mobile Go5G Next runs the deepest iPhone 18 Pro Max financing ($1,000 off with any trade). Pixel 11 sits meaningfully lower on TCO because Google Fi and unlocked Amazon and Best Buy channels compete directly, and Google offers 7 years of Android OS updates. Full 36-month TCO ranges $2,100 to $3,850 depending on device, plan, and carrier.
Read
Best US Travel Credit Cards 2026: Airline vs Hotel vs Flexible Points
The best US travel credit card in 2026 depends on whether you fly one airline, sleep in one hotel chain, or want the flexibility to move points around. Airline co-brands like Delta Reserve, United Club Infinite, and the Citi AA Executive win for status chasers who fly a single carrier weekly. Hotel co-brands like Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, Hilton Aspire, and IHG Rewards Premier win when free-night certificates and elite status cover more than the annual fee. Flexible points cards, led by the refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve at $795 with a 150k-point sign-up bonus, then Amex Platinum at $695, Capital One Venture X at $395, and Citi Strata Premier at $95, win for most travelers because they let you transfer to whichever airline or hotel program gives the best value on the trip you actually want to book. This guide breaks down all three categories, the 2026 refreshes, and how to pair any of them with ShopBack cashback on the merchant leg of the trip.
Read
