If you’ve been around here for any amount of time, you know we earn the bulk of our points for nearly free travel from big juicy welcome offers on new cards. (all without negatively impacting our credit score! In factttttt you’ll probably see your score higher than ever if you dive into reward travel!)

Thank you so very much for using our links when you apply for a new card– it truly does keep all the free content and resources going!

>> And if you’re new and still navigating the basics of how to leverage your everyday spending for crazy cheap vacations, make sure to download my

• My free 30 page Points 101 Guide HERE!
• Or if face-to-face, visual learning is more your style- watch my free Masterclass!

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

#1 Travel Reward Card

Best way to start your points and miles journey HANDS DOWN. Whether you want to dive head first into reward travel and want to take the BEST first step or you only have interest in have one powerhouse card in your wallet….the Chase Sapphire is IT.

• The value in this card lies in it’s incredibly varied and valuable transfer partners (looking at your Hyatt).
• You can get SO much value out of Chase points (like when we stayed at a $2,500/night all inclusive for literally $0!)
• Built in robust travel and car rental insurance
• 3x points on online groceries and restaurants
• Access to Chase Travel^SM where your points are worth 1.25x more.

This card is always the most widely recommend travel rewards card to have in your wallet and the #1 place I recommend starting your nearly free travel journey with!

💳 Learn how to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card HERE!

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Business credit card (especialllyyyyy the Chase Ink cards) = the secret sauce of reward travel and tons of discounted vacations for your family! This is my recommended next step after getting the #1 rewards card in your wallet to build your Chase points stash!

Remember nearly anyyyonneeee can be eligible for business credit cards (I answer ALL your FAQs about business cards in this post!)

• NO side hustle is too small- even something like selling your kids’ old clothes at a resale shop qualifies you to apply for business credit cards as a sole proprietor without an EIN or LLC! (read: the secret sauce of reward travel).

This Chase Ink Unlimited card doesn’t allow you to transfer points to partners ALONE, however if you have any Chase card that earns you transferrable miles (i.e. the #1 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card!). This “cash back” can be turned into incredibly valuable POINTS that can be transferred to airline or hotel partners (lookin’ at your Hyatt for $0 hotel stays!)

SO 75,000 points for NO annual fee. Yes, you read that right…essentially just a free 75k+ points to build your Chase points stash for some crazy discounted travel for you.

💳 Learn how to apply for the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card HERE!

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Although the unicorn extensive lounge access is ending on this card February 1, 2026 😭😭…if you have some big upcoming trips between now and then, I think this card is well worth getting NOW and then downgrading after that one year mark.

For me, the two game changing features of this card…

• 2x points on EVERY purchase (this makes it a great no brainer card to use on those catch all expenses)
• A $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary points yearly that completely cancel out that misleadingly steep annual fee
• Secondly, this card comes with free unlimited lounge access for your ENTIRE family (this benefit is SO sadly ending February 1, 2026 😭)
• Incredible built in robust travel insurance

Again, if you have some family travel happening between now and February, I would snag the Venture X now before that lounge access is gone and then downgrade later!

💳 Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card HERE!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

If the steeper annual fee on that Venture X card intimidates you (I GET IT)…this card is your next best option. 🙂

The regular Capital One Venture card has a lower $95 annual fee (see the full side by side comparison HERE!) and still the immensely valuable 2x points on EVERY PURCHASE.

• Fantastic next step if you already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred and have maxed out the Chase Ink business offers
• Capital One miles are a game changer when it comes to saving on airfare, because the airline transfer partners of Capital One are top knotch.
• The ability to reimburse yourself for those harder to save on travel expenses (lookin’ at your Airbnb) with Capital One miles is a handy redemption

💳  Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards Card HERE!

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

The fan favorite elevated hotel card for 5 Free 50k Night Certificates is baccckkkkk! This is the exact offer we used to take a very affordable Disneyland trip a few years ago!!

• Earn 5 Marriott 50k Free Night Certificates after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
• Make certain to do your research! Use Marriott’s flexible date calendar to feel confident in where and when you will use these 50k certificates!
• These FNC’s expire 12 months after earning them
• You CAN “top off” these certificates with up to 15k additional Marriott points (or can transfer from Chase!)

If you are past, all the normal “start here” cards this is a solid next move!

💳 Learn more about how to apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card HERE!

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

🚨 HUGE Limited time offer!

The Capital One Spark card earns $2,000 cash back after you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. YES that is a STEEP minimum spend.

However, if you are a business that already has high operating expenses OR you happen to have some XL sized purchases coming up (i.e. maybe home renovations or a large investment), this offer is a CANNOT MISS opportunity.

• If you have a Venture miles earning card (like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Venture X), that $2,000 in cash back can turn into 200,000 miles for travel – holy vacation!

• Once you meet the minimum spend on this card you will have 260,000 points for travel in your Capital One wallet! That’s enough for SIX round trip tickets to Europe or even 2 round trip lie flat business class seats to Europe with points to spare!

💳 Learn more about how to apply for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus HERE!

IHG Personal Credit Cards

🚨🚨 Limited time 5 FREE nights!! There are two really compelling offers on the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card. The Premier is the most intriguing as the limited time offer gets you FIVE free IHG nights (capped at 60k points/night) after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months after account opening.

These free night certificates can be REALLY valuable to get an (almost) completely covered hotel stay. However, they do expire after 12 months, so make sure you have a PLAN before snagging this offer!

💳 Learn more about how to apply for the IHG Premier card here

Aeroplan® Credit Card

🚨🚨Limited time 75,000 Air Canada points! I know, I know you’re like Air Canada?! What?? JUST WAIT.

This is the power of airline alliances (I go over the insane VALUE of this in Points 201!) If you live in a United hub, or have a specific United flight in mind, Air Canada points can be used to book those flights! (sometimes even for less points than with United directly!)

*** My favorite option for this card though that you wouldn’t guess?!

• The “Pay Yourself Back” feature for those harder to save on travel expenses – like Airbnbs, Disney, or rental cars!
• The Aeroplan® Credit Card offers 1.25 cents per point, better than any other card with this feature!! (i.e. you have 75,000 Aeroplan points and could use that to pay yourself back for nearly $940 worth of hard to save on travel! HUGE!)

Powerhouse welcome offers like these really are the easiest and best way to rack up a TON of points for nearly free travel…with the smallest amount of effort (KEY for families!)

Again, thank you so very much for your support in using my links when you sign up for a new card!