We have taken DOZENS of dream trips because of credit card points both just Luke and I and us as an entire family.

We have also opened TONSSSSS (and I mean well over 20+) credit cards, while still maintaining a higher than ever credit score and also helped so many of YOU do the same!

Here are some questions we not only ask ourselves when opening a new card, but also what I make all my 1 on 1 clients answer too to help determine their next credit card to open!

1. What Kind of Travel Are You Interested in Doing?

Are you a jet setter and wants to be on as many international adventures as you can, or do you prefer local getaways? This may change throughout your life and as you get older, but you will definitely want to ask yourself this as you’re deciding what’s next for you!

Having a good idea of what KIND of travel you want to aim for will most definitely help you narrow down your choice when you’re applying for a card.

Do you want to dive deep into the worlds of points and miles? Or would you rather just save what you can on say ONE major trip a year?

This really can translate to- are you comfortable opening new cards regularly for nearly free travel and take 3-5 bucket list trips a year? (Don’t worry we will show you how to leverage new card welcome offers all while seeing your credit score in PEAK health!)

Or would rather only have ONE heavy lifter in your wallet (if so we definitely recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred®  Card at that golden one and only travel rewards card!) and save a chunk of money on an annual trip for your family?

Pro tip: If you love exploring international destinations, look for credit cards that offer excellent international travel perks – like my FAVEEEE Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card that has the BEST perks like unlimited lounge access for the whole fam and a TSA pre-check credit… which, after you use it the first time, you will 100% understand how worth it that little perk is!

2. Resort Hotel or Vacation Rental?

We looooove a fancy schmancy hotel room (especially to the tune of $0 instead of thousands and thousands). LOVE it. Hello Waldorf Astoria in Cabo!

But we also know that for many larger families one hotel room just isn’t realistic or feasible.

There is so much nuance to choosing the card that’s right for you, so asking yourself if you want to try to go for hotel stays or always need a vacation rental is super important.

If you envision yourself using your credit card points mostly for hotel stays, I highly recommend getting a valuable card in your wallet like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. These are the only credit card points that transfer to Hyatt…and Hyatt is the magical unicorn of booking nearly free hotels for nearly free.

Your points will 9 times out of 10 always go farthest when transferring them to Hyatt (the more boujee the stay for less the better!)- so having a powerhouse travel rewards card like the Chase Sapphire in your wallet is a game changer!

Vacation Rentals

Now, these are a bit trickier to save on with points but not impossible! You can’t necessarily book an Airbnb directly with points (I wish!), but if you have some flexible Capital One miles in your pocket, you CAN book a Vacasa vacation rental (15,000 points for a one bedroom, 30,000 points for a 2 bedroom, and so on!)

I go in depth step by step how to leverage these Vacasa vacation rentals in my in depth points resource I made for you HERE!

If you forsee yourself exclusively staying at vacation rentals while traveling, it is a REALLY smart idea to get a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Venture X in your wallet.

With the miles earned from these cards, you are able to reimburse yourself for any travel purchase (including vacations rentals like Airbnb, VRBO, etc!). I LOVE having a stash of these miles on hand to be able to continuously give ourselves a discount on our Airbnb stays!)

Although reimbursing yourself (essentially at a 1:1 ratio) will never get you the MOST value out of those Venture miles….free is FREE! This can be a great way to save on travel, if you know in this season of life you are primarily more comfortable traveling via Airbnb/VRBO.

3. What Type of Annual Fee Are You Comfortable with?

I know, I know. Seeing some of those annual fees makes your stomach drop.

BUT!!! You really have to look closely at the VALUE the card is providing you long term. Would you pay $95 annually to get $1000 back in your pocket? I know I would!

Let’s take a look at the two cards we just referred above that are really valuable for vacation rentals.

Although, the regular Venture card has a lower annual fee, the Venture X is actually the far better value long term. The annual fee can be intimidating at first, BUT if you look at the annual credits and perks the card offers- you quickly see this is a card the bank is essentially paying YOU to keep in your wallet. 🙂

The Venture X is a keep forever card for our family– SO many invaluable perks that no other card provides!

Annual Fees Continued

But we know that annual fees are a crucial factor when choosing a credit card. It’s important to assess whether the benefits outweigh the costs, specifically for your specific family.

If you aren’t comfortable with a steeper annual fee yet (I get it! – it took us some time to work up to those more premium card options!), I definitely recommend starting with a lower annual fee card that still provides lots of valuable travel benefits.

Again, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the regular $95 annual fee Venture Card.

(Or even dip your toe into some NO annual fee business cards! Did you know nearly anyone can qualify for a business card?? Even with something at simple as selling a few items on FB Marketplace yearly! Business cards are an ACTUAL game changer when it comes to earning points for nearly free travel. The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a no brainer place to start there!)

4. What Cards Do You Currently Have?

Before you add another card to your wallet, take a look at what you ALREADY have. Coordinating your current cards with a new one can help you maximize rewards and benefits.

Soooo many people I work with come to me saying “I have had just this one Southwest card for 10 years.” or “I have just been using this Hilton card forever and I just didn’t know any better.”

A KEY strategy when it comes to getting your family traveling for nearly free is having FLEXIBLE points in your wallet. A Southwest card ONLY earns you Southwest points for Southwest flights. A Marriott card really ONLY earns you Marriott points for Marriott hotels stays (you can transfer your points elsewhere, but we don’t recommend it!)

Having a card that earns you FLEXIBLE points (i.e. can be transferred to a VARIETY of airlines and hotels…like Southwest AND Marriott and SO many more) is of the utmost importance if you want to save on travel!

What cards are in your wallet?

If you already have a Chase Sapphire, it might be smart to build your stash of cash points (say through some business card offers- like that Chase Ink Cash Card that offer NO annual fee!) You can then COMBINE allllll those Chase points together ongoing for some really steep savings on travel!

There are also some banks that provide specific rules when it comes to what cards you can sign up for, based on the cards you already have. For example, American Express says you can’t earn a welcome offer on any card tier that is below the card you already own. For example, if you have the The Platinum Card® from American Express, you cannot get the welcome offer on the American Express® Gold Card.

5. What Is MOST Important to Your Family?

Are you a fam who wants to hop in a car and do a road trip cross country? A card like the Chase Sapphire might be a great move because you can stay in really low point cost hotels by transferring points to Hyatt as you make your way along the road.

On the other end, if you like to stay in luxe beyond luxe hotels (but don’t have that champagne budget)- again a Chase card provides the opportunity to transfer points to Hyatt to also get boujee hotel stays that normally cost $1,000+ for nearly FREE (or actually free!)

Would you rather focus your saving efforts on flights?! Maybe snag some fancy schmancy international flights with lie flat seats for the price of economy? (100% possible when you learn the ins and outs of reward travel!) Then having a card that specifically has REALLY valuable flight transfer partners is probably your best move.

Our favorite use of our Capital One miles is hands down for valuable international flight redemptions!!

Really it is just a matter of YOUR specific family’s DNA and what card is the best fit for you in THIS season.

Choosing the Right Card for You

The right credit card for you really does ultimately depend on your unique financial or travel goals and where you currently are in life.

Take the time to research and compare different credit card options. Look at some of our reviews on my Instagram highlights as a great place to start or my free Points 101 Guide!

If you’re unsure about which card to choose, I would LOOOVE to help you! One of the favorite parts about what I do is getting to work 1 on 1 with you guys to help you book and make your dream vacations you once thought impossible a COMPLETE REALITY!!

By asking yourself these questions, you can narrow down your options and find a card that fits your needs and lifestyle. SO excited for all the travel ahead for you and your fam!