My Favorite Cards

How to Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards in 2024

If you're like me, you love getting free stuff. And one of the easiest ways to get free stuff is by using credit cards that offer rewards for your everyday spending. Whether it's cash back, points, miles, or gift cards, credit card rewards can help you save money and enjoy perks that you wouldn't otherwise get. I've included a few of our favorite reward cards below, but this is not an all inclusive list! We have several other travel reward credit cards and our wallet keeps growing.

One thing to keep in mind, reward credit cards are only worth it if you pay them off in full every month. If you carry a balance on any of these cards, the interest rate will negate any benefits you earn with the points and miles! But if you treat your credit card like a debit card, spend wisely, and pay your card in full each month, the rewards are so worth it! And contrary to some popular opinions, having lots of credit cards will not hurt your credit score as long as you pay them off in full every month.

In future posts I'll share more details on certain cards, how to offset annual fees, how to maximize your rewards, and other credit card related topics, but for now, I'm sharing a few of our favorite cards. If you're interested in signing up for one of the cards below, I've included some referral links. I'd be thrilled if you felt so inclined to use our referral links to apply and yes, we'll get a few extra points if you do!

Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred

ND has the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Kelly has the Chase Sapphire Preferred. These are two of the most popular travel rewards cards on the market, and for good reason. They offer amazing benefits, such as:

• 5x -10x the points on travel purchased via the Rewards portal

• 3x points on dining

• Annual Travel credits ($50 for the Preferred and $300 for the Reserve)

• A flexible rewards program that lets you transfer points to 13 airline and hotel partners where you can get significantly more value for your Chase points

• and more!

Shameless plug to use my referral link: Earn up to 60,000 bonus points with Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve. Click here!

Capital One Venture X

My newest reward credit card is the Capital One Venture X. My 3 favorite features are:

1. It has a 10x miles earning rate on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel or directly with airlines. That means you can rack up miles faster and redeem them for more travel rewards.

2. It has a low annual fee of $395, which is easily offset by the $300 travel credit that you can use for any travel purchase, such as flights, hotels, car rentals, and more.

3. It earns 2x miles on everything else you purchase! So it's a great card for any of those purchases that don't fit into a bonus category so you can always be earning at least 2x miles on your purchases!

Shameless plug: Apply for the Capital One Venture X here: https://capital.one/46lAMmd

Leave your questions and/or suggestions for content you want to see in the comments below!

Chase Ink Cards

I wrote a full in-depth article about the Ink Cards here.

Sign up for a Chase Ink card here!

American Express Platinum Card

If you're looking for a premium credit card with amazing perks, you might want to check out the American Express Platinum card. This card offers you access to over 1,300 airport lounges, up to $200 in Uber credits, up to $200 in airline fee credits, a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, a $100 per year Saks Fifth Avenue Credit, a $200 Hotel Collection credit, and more! Plus, you can earn 5x points on flights and hotels booked through Amex Travel, and 1x point on everything else. The annual fee is $695, but if you use all the benefits, you can easily offset the cost. The American Express Platinum card is a great option for frequent travelers who value luxury and convenience. My husband and I both signed up for this card and used our welcome bonus points to book our British Airways Business Class flights and we still have a nice pile of miles ready for our next adventure. We also used our $200 Hotel Collection credit to book 2 luxurious hotels we are excited to experience! Stay tuned for upcoming reviews and details!

My Amex referral might not give you the best sign up bonus, so be sure to check both my referral link and the current best offer through google. American Express Platinum Card. I'd never want you to use my referral if it's not the best offer available! Here’s my Amex referral link. Use it and we could both earn rewards if you are approved and get a Card. Check out offers and Card benefits. https://americanexpress.com/en-us/referral/business-platinum-charge-card?ref=KELLYDIT8B&XLINK=MYCP This link will bring you to the Amex Business Platinum, but you can filter to any other Amex card through the link.

***As always, travel hacking with credit cards is only worth it if you use them responsibly and pay off your balance every month!***