What is the smartest way to earn credit card points?
The best way to earn credit card points is sign-up bonuses and maximizing your regular spending habits to earn more for the same purchases. Sign-up bonuses are a large chunk of points you earn from meeting a minimum spending requirement and you can earn points according to your regular spending habits.
There is a common misconception that regular spending won’t earn you many points. But, if you use the optimal credit card in a given situation, you could be earning 2x, 3x, 4x, or more on each dollar you end up spending. I’ll share with you what I always have in my wallet and why in this post. Disclaimer: If you do end up getting one of these cards by clicking on the link, I may receive some kind of compensation.
- Amex Gold: I love this card because I get 4x on every purchase at a grocery store or dining establishment (even delivery services like GrubHub or DoorDash count). Even though the annual fee on it just increased quite a bit (from $250 –> $325), you can still earn 24,000 points/year with $500 of grocery spending per month. On top of that, you get $100/year on restaurants via Resy, $10/month on Uber, and $10/month on GrubHub. So, it’s really worth it to keep the card.
- Citi ThankYou Strata Premier: I love this card when driving around because it gives me 3x points at gas stations. And if you don’t have the Amex Gold, this card also gets 3x the points at grocery stores and restaurants, all for a $95 annual fee.
- Citi Double Cash Card: This is my go-to card for non-bonused spending because it gives me 2x the points on everything I buy anywhere. You do need to have the Strata Premier in order to use the points for airlines, but that is a good trade-off to earn a minimum of 2x the points on everything.
Now, those are only the cards I keep on me at all times. I also have other cards I use to maximize my spending bonuses:
- Amex Platinum: This is the best card to use for buying flights. It earns 5x the points on every dollar spent on to buy plane tickets and comes with a whole host of other features including lounge access (both Amex Centurion and Priority Pass lounges), $15/month on Uber, $100/year at Saks Fifth Ave, and more. I don’t use most of the benefits but what I do use more than makes up for the $695 annual fee.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: Even though I don’t put most of my spending on this card it is a great card to have to transfer points to United and Hyatt, which is unique amongst most transferable currencies (except Bilt). It is only a $95 annual fee and gets 3x the points on dining and 2x the points on travel expenses. I always use this card when renting cars as it gives primary auto collision insurance.
There are many more credit cards I have and others I do not but could be of good value to you. If you are interested in signing up for a Points Consultation to analyze your current credit card spending, please click here.
