RoadMap to nearly 1 MILLION points: START HERE!
Learning how to leverage the spending you are ALREADY doing and turn that into dreammmm bucket list family vacations…for a fraction of the actual cost is without question, LIFE-CHANGING.
It’s so easy to get lost in all the hype of constant new offers and allll the latest in the points + miles world.
So let’s SIMPLIFY your path to almost 1 million points – I always, always recommend the same “start here” cards for just about everyone.
Bookmark this post, and follow this roadmap for the next year and you will be well on your way to quite a few (almost) free “never thought this would be possible” family trips and memories!
It’s SO much easier than you think…
But first…
This strategy assumes a few things-
- You have your financial ducks in a row and can pay your credit card statements in FULL and ON TIME, every.single.month – this is KEY to all of this
- You can open business cards (You do NOT need an LLC or “official” business- you are likely eligible for business cards and don’t even realize)
- You have a “player 2” (as we like to call it in the points + miles world)! A partner, spouse, companion you travel with that you can refer these news cards to to DOUBLE your points stash
1. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The #1 starter card EVERYONE should have in their wallet. There is a reason the Sapphire is deemed by experts as the overall best travel rewards card year over year. If you don’t get any other card on this list, have it be THIS ONE.
- The best and most varied beginner friendly airline and hotel transfer partners (transferring these points to Hyatt for $0 hotel stays in our FAVORITE way to use these golden points)
- Low $95 annual fee (this one I recommend keeping long term)
- Robust and comprehensive built in travel and rental car insurance
- 3x points on dining and online groceries
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (a super in depth guide HERE!) is hands down STEP ONE to starting to travel more, without paying more
- You will meet the minimum spend of $5,000 in purchases in 3 months and 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points.
- Player 1 refers player 2, Player 1 gets 15,000 referral points.
- Player 2 meets minimum spend of $5,000 in purchases in 3 months. Player 2 receives 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points.
Total annual fee for 2 cards: $190
Total points earned: 175,000 (including minimum spend)
💳 Learn how to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card HERE!
2. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Business cards are truly the secret sauce to reward travel and the easiest, and most lucrative, way to EXPLODE your points stash for steeply discounted dream vacations.
- Nearly anyone can be eligible for business cards (really!) MUST READ HERE
- My free step by step PDF on how to apply as a sole proprietor HERE
These Chase Ink cards are GOLD because they have $0 annual (i.e. freeeeee points). These cards do not allow you to transfer to travel partners on their own, but if you have taken step 1, you can combine with your personal Chase Sapphire points for MAX travel potential.
These cards are always my recommended “next steps” after you have the #1 travel rewards card in your pocket.
- TIERED OFFER: Player 1 receives 35,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points after spending $3,000 in 1st 3 months PLUS an additional 40,000 points after spending an additional $3,000 within 6 months of account opening
- Player 1 refers player 2, Player 1 gets 20,000 referral points.
- Player 2 meets minimum spend, receives the same 75,000 total points
Total annual fee for 2 cards: $0
Total points earned: 182,000 (including minimum spend)
💳 Learn how to apply for the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card HERE!
3. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
After you’ve built up a decent stash of Chase points, moving on the Capital One miles is the next very beginner friendly step to get more cheap travel in your pocket!
The Venture cards are also long term keeper cards! A really simple, no stress starter strategy is this: Reserving your Chase points for transferring to Hyatt for $0 hotels, and maximizing your Capital One miles for cheap flights by transferring to Capital One airline partners.
The 2x points on EVERY purchase also makes this such a valuable “catch all” card, to earn the most points possible on all that non-category spend (think kids sports, medical bills, insurance premiums etc)
- Player 1 minimum spend of $4,000 in 3 months, receives 75,000 Capital One miles.
- Player 1 refers player 2, Player 1 gets 10,000 referral points.
- Player 2 meets minimum spend of $4,000 in 3 months. Player 2 receives 75,000 Capital One miles.
Total annual fee for 2 cards: $190
Total miles earned: 176,000 (including minimum spend)
💳 Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards card HERE!
4. The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Same drill as above! Chase allows you to hold ALL 3 versions of the Ink Business cards! Over the last year, data points show it can be helpful to space on your Ink applications (hence why the second Ink card is #4 on the list!)
- Player 1 receives 75,000 Chase points after meeting the minimum spend of $6,000 in 3 months
- Player 1 refers player 2, Player 1 gets 20,000 referral points.
- Player 2 meets minimum spend of $6,000 in 3 months. Player 2 receives 75,000 Chase points
Total annual fee for 2 cards: $0
Total points earned: 182,000 (including minimum spend)
💳 Learn how to apply for the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card HERE!
5. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One has a 1 in 6 rule, they will only approve you for 1 new card every 6 months. So just make sure to space your Venture and Venture X applications by 6 months!
I don’t think you need both Venture cards long term, I would downgrade one after a year to the no annual Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, depending on which is a better long term fit for your family!
- Player 1 minimum spend of $4,000 in 3 months, receives 75,000 Capital One miles.
- Player 1 refers player 2, Player 1 gets 25,000 referral points.
- Player 2 meets minimum spend of $4,000 in 3 months. Player 2 receives 75,000 Capital One miles.
Total annual fee for 2 cards: $790 (but you’ll have $600 credit to use in the Capital One Travel portal!)
Total miles earned: 191,000 (including minimum spend)
💳 Learn how to apply for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card HERE!
That puts you just shy of 900,000 points for travel 🤯🤯 that can easily be turned into quite a few bucket list family vacations at a FRACTION of the actual cost!! (and that’s not even including if you catch a few extra high elevated offers!!)
A few more resources for you as you start your nearly free travel journey!
- FREE Points 101 Guide: Big Picture, 50,000 foot view of reward travel. The Building blocks to understand it all
- FREE Masterclass: If you’re a visual learner, this will be your JAM
- Points 201 Course!: The nitty gritty HOW. Video demos, recorded tutorials, all the step by steps you need to actually turn those points into BOOKED cheap vacations!
- The Travel Freely App: Your tool to keep all these cards straight, send you reminders about annual fees so you know when to downgrade/cancel. My sanity saver and completely FREE!
Thank you so much for using my links when you sign up for a new card, it really does keep alllll the content and free personalized support going!!
ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE:
Wayfaren is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites such as MileValue.com and Bankrate.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. We appreciate it when you use our affiliate links as it supports our content at no cost to you!
EDITORIAL NOTE:
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included with the post.
