Our Favorite Cards: A Breakdown

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Launch Your Travel Dreams: Our Favorite Cards for Points & Miles

We get it. The world of points and miles can seem like a secret society with its own language and rules. It can feel intimidating to even know where to start. But here at The Travel Savvy Family, we believe everyone can learn to use points and miles to travel for less. And that includes YOU! My best advice is to consider your travel goals and start earning points that will help you earn the trip that you have your sights set on!

We've compiled this guide to walk you through the basics of choosing your first (or next) travel rewards card. We'll break down everything you need to know, from annual fees to bonus categories.

If this guide helps you on your travel rewards journey, we'd be honored if you used our referral links when applying for cards. It's a small way to support our work and helps us keep the travel inspiration flowing!

Our Top Picks for Travel Rewards:

We'll break down the cards we love and their benefits!

Card 1: Chase Sapphire Preferred

  • A solid entry point into flexible travel rewards. This is THE beginner card. You must hold one Chase Premium card to transfer out to travel partners like Hyatt, United, Virgin Atlantic, etc. See this link for a full list of transfer partners. This is the card that we recommend. 
  • Benefits:
    • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
    • 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel Portal.
    • 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases.
    • 2x points on all other travel purchases.
    • 1x points on all other purchases.
    • $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit. 
    • Redeem points for 25% more value when booking airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through Chase Travel (e.g., 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel).
    • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance, and more.
    • Complimentary DashPass access which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
  • Annual Fee: $95
  • You can only earn the bonus on this card once every 48 months. Additionally, you can only hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred OR Reserve. We prefer the Sapphire over the Reserve due to its lower annual fee.
  • Our Referral Link

Card 2: Ink Business Unlimited

  • A straightforward point-earning card perfect for business owners. Remember, most of you will qualify for a business card! Think resale on FB Marketplace, short-term or long-term rental owners, etc. Even without an EIN; you can apply with your social security number as a sole proprietor. 
  • Benefits:
    • Earn 75k points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
    • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made.
    • No annual fee.
    • Combine these points with your Chase Sapphire and then transfer the points to transfer partners.
    • Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
    • 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases.
  • Annual Fee: $0
  • Our Referral Link

Card 3: Ink Business Cash

  • Another great option for business owners with bonus categories for common expenses.
  • Benefits:
    • Earn 35k points when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional 40k points when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
    • Earn 5x points on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services each account anniversary year. Purchasing gift cards at office supply stores is a great way to earn 5x points! Think end-of-year teacher gifts, birthday presents, Christmas.
    • Earn 2k points on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.
    • Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
    • With Zero Liability, you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
    • No Annual Fee
    • Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel, and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
    • 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases.
  • Annual Fee: $0
  • Our Referral Link

Card 4: Capital One Venture X

  • A premium card, but the travel credits make it very beginner-friendly. 
  • Benefits:
    • Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to a minimum of $750 in travel.
    • Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel. We use this for car rentals!
    • Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary.
    • Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel.
    • Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases. This makes it a a great every day spend card.
    • Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and the Partner Lounge Network. This is our FAVORITE perk of this card. The Capital One Lounge at DIA is fantastic. Free food and drinks for you and two guests every time you fly!
    • Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars, and more. This 'travel expense eraser' is a great way to cover Airbnb or VRBO fees as those are pretty tough to book with points.
    •  You can transfer your Capital One Miles to so many transfer partners.
    • Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection.
    • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
  • Annual Fee: $395
  • Our Referral Link

Card 5: Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Personal Cards

  • Perfect for those who love Southwest Airlines.
  • Benefits:
    • Rapid Rewards points earning.
    • Companion Pass potential
      • This card currently has a promotional Companion Pass offer which can be great for those who are not interested in opening a business card to obtain the pass with the two-card method. 
    • Free bags.
    • Travel Credit.
  • Annual Fee: varies depending on the personal card that you choose.
  • Our Referral Link - this link can also be used to apply for a Southwest Business card. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and select business cards. 

Card 6: Amex Personal Gold

  • A great all-around card for earning Membership Rewards points.
  • Benefits:
    • Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
    • 4X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
    • 4X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
    • 3X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
    • 2X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
    • 1X Membership Rewards point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
    • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
    • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
    • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
    • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
    • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
    • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee: $325
  • Our Referral Link

Card 7: Amex Business Platinum

  • A premium card with perks for business travelers. This card has a HEFTY annual fee, so it isn't for everyone. With our business, we use many of these benefits so the fee, along with the large SUB, its a win for us.
  • Benefits:
    • 150,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card within the first three months of card membership.
    • Annual airline fee statement credit of up to $200 on charges by the airline you select
    • Annual statement credit of up to $400 with Dell on U.S. purchases (Benefit end date of June 30, 2025)
    • Annual statement credit of up to $150 on Adobe purchases (Benefit end date of June 30, 2025)
    • Up to $360 in statement credits per year for purchases with Indeed; Up to $90 back per quarter (Benefit end date of June 30, 2025)
    • Up to $120 in statement credits per year for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on the Business Platinum Card; Up to $10 back per month
    • 35% Pay with Points bonus when booking airfare with points through Amex Travel (up to 1 million bonus points per calendar year)
    • $120 fee credit for Global Entry or an up to $85 fee credit for TSA PreCheck every four years (4.5 years for PreCheck)
    • Up to $199 Clear Plus annual statement credit per calendar year
    • Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which includes Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges and Delta Sky Clubs (limited to 10 annual visits). Access is limited to eligible card members.
    • Register for complimentary Gold elite status at Hilton and Marriott Hotels
    • Complimentary car rental status: Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President's Circle, Avis Preferred Plus and National Emerald Club Executive
    • Ability to book stays through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts with value-added perks
    • International Airline Program airfare purchase discounts
  • Annual Fee: $695
  • Our Referral Link

Why We Love These Brands

Each rewards program has its own strengths and sweet spots. Here's a quick rundown of why we love Chase, Capital One, and Amex:

  • Chase: We're big fans of Chase Ultimate Rewards because their system is incredibly user-friendly. Earning and redeeming points is a breeze, and we especially love how easy it is to transfer points to Hyatt for amazing hotel stays.
  • Capital One: Capital One miles have become our go-to for booking international flights. Their travel portal often has fantastic deals, and we appreciate the flexibility of transferring miles to airline partners. Plus, while it's not the best redemption, the "eraser" tool can help offset Airbnb costs.
  • Amex: Amex Membership Rewards also shine when it comes to international travel. Their transfer partners are quite impressive. We've also used Amex for Hilton stays. The luxury Hilton properties can provide a decent redemption at some amazing hotels.

Want to Connect?

We'd love to hear from you! Feel free to email us at mindylaster@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram @travelsavvyfamily.

We hope this helps you take the first step towards your travel rewards journey. 

Happy travel! ✈️🌍

The Travel Savvy Family

- Wander More, Spend Less




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