I've had people ask me about this for awhile and I finally have this written out. Thank you for your patience đ
I call this Travel Hacking: Level 1
DISCLAIMER: I only recommend playing the points and miles game if you know how to manage your finances and can pay your statement bill in FULL. You want to have "Good" to "Excellent" credit- depending on the card that you're going for. Otherwise, this method may put you in debt.
Back to the original question-
The short answer: it really depends on what youâre looking for! Specifically think which benefits do you want to have?
Ready for the long answer?
When shopping for a new credit card, consider these factors:
Minimum Spend to Hit Bonus Points & Miles
What kind of Lounge Access
Car Insurance
Earning Points & Miles
Global Entry/TSA Precheck
Dining and everyday purchases
Annual Fee
The cards I own*:
*Referral links. Click and apply using the link if you think this post has been helpful*
(These cards are great because you can transfer points to multiple airlines and hotels. They also have overlapping benefits so Iâm still trying to decide which one(s) I should keep.)
Cards I have but donât use as often anymore:
Alaska Air
American Airlines
(These ones are airline affiliated and while I don't recommend them, it gave me the chance to practice for future credit cards.)
You are going to want to do your own research as well. Nerdwallet has a website where you can compare cards side by side (the con to this is it only allows it for 2 cards).
The Points Guy also has a page for credit cards for different purposes.
Once you've decided on which credit card you want to apply to, there are two more things to consider:
Is your credit frozen? I personally freeze my credit so no one can steal my identity and open cards under my name. Just before I apply to a credit card, I make sure I call up the credit bureaus and have them temporarily unfreeze my credit so I can apply.
Are you 5/24? Do you already have 5 credit cards open within the last 24 months? (I assume you don't if you're reading this.) If you do and you try to apply to your 6th card, you'll be denied. Give it time.
Once you've applied to a credit card and you're approved- it will come in the mail. Make sure to put all your purchases on it, taking note when you have to hit the minimum spend to earn the bonus miles (for e.g., spend $3000 in 3 months to earn 60,000 bonus miles).
Of course, the intention is not to spend more than what you usually buy... but if you're thinking about what else you can buy to hit the minimum spend, try getting grocery gift cards or gift cards in general. You're going to have to shop for groceries- you're just doing it in "advance".
I think this covers the gist of it. I'll have to write a separate post on how to spend your points and miles you've earned using your credit card đł
Comment below if you have questions!
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