Since I’ve started posting about credit cards, which are a topic I can enjoy without having to drag myself to an airport, I figured I’d discuss my current credit card strategy. Specifically, I’ll discuss my US credit card strategy because my UK strategy is minimal.
For the purposes of this article, I’m going to peg Marriott Bonvoy points as 1 pt = 0.8 ¢, Amex Membership Rewards points as 1 pt = 1.5 ¢, and Chase Ultimate Rewards points as 1 pt = 1.5 ¢. These are the three rewards currencies I collect off US credit cards.
Other blogs value Amex and Chase points more, but I’ve found that I’m generally not willing to do some of the more intricate methods for redeeming the points to get ‘the full value’ off them.
First, a bit of history because I’ve ramped up my credit card game substantially since 2019, which is also when I decided to start this blog. I’ve always been interested in airline points, but I didn’t have the chance to really get into credit card points in college.
My pre-2019 cards were a Discover It card and an American Express Blue Cash Everyday card. Both have no annual fees, and both earn cashback. I still have these two cards because they’re free to keep open, and they’re my longest accounts. In 2019, Marriott/Chase launched a no annual fee card, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card, which had a 50,000-point (valued at $400) sign-up bonus at the time. This card seemed like a good way to get started in travel credit cards and to open a relationship with Chase, which has an amazing portfolio of rewards credit cards. The Bonvoy Bold card offered 3x points at Marriott properties (valued at 2.4% back), 2x points on all other travel (1.6% back), and 1x points on everything else (0.8% back). The earning rates aren’t amazing but they’re decent for travel, which is where most of my non-GBP spending went. One big draw of the card is also that it has primary rental car coverage (and is a Visa card).
In 2020, travel largely fell by the wayside and so I pretty much just took the time to earn some points for future travel. Chase had an awesome deals for a while for bonus Marriott points at grocery stores (which they actually brought back in 2022!). By the end of 2020, I was travelling again to Finland and the US. The pandemic was in full-swing, but everything had mostly stabilized, which is to say everyone was used to the pandemic existing.
In February 2021, I decided to get my first annual fee card, the Amex Green Card, which earns 3x points on travel and dining (4.5% return) and 1x point on everything else. The card has a $150 annual fee, and I got a welcome bonus of 45 000 points ($675). I spent a lot of 2020 researching what card I’d get when travel started to resume, and the Green Card made the most sense for me because of my existing relationship with Amex and the bonus categories. I used the Green Card wherever I could for most of 2021. Throughout 2021, I kept track of my traveling on this blog and determined that I was ok with paying annual fees for credit cards because some of the perks they offered I would find useful. For example, the Bonvoy Bold card doesn’t have a free night certificate like the cards with annual fees (e.g., Bonvoy Boundless). So, I started looking at card with annual fees and better perks. In September 2021, Chase was offering a 100 000-point sign-up bonus (worth $1 500) on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which was amazing for a card with a $95 annual fee. I applied and was instantly approved. At the time, the Sapphire Preferred only offered 2x points on travel and dining (3% return), which was less than the Green Card. Since it’s a Visa card, my intent was to have a backup for anywhere that didn’t take Amex, which is not uncommon outside the US. Chase then announced changes to the Sapphire Preferred card and upped its dining return to 3x points (4.5% return), matching the Green Card (and eliminating the need for me to ask if somewhere accepted Amex).
At this point, however, my Bonvoy Bold card was obsolete because both Amex and Chase points can be transferred to Marriott points at a 1:1 ratio, and the Green Card earns 3x points at hotels. I also wanted a free night certificate (worth 35,000 points) because I’d had several opportunities in 2021 where it would’ve saved me over $95. When I called Chase to make the switch, I was informed I was eligible not only for the $95 Boundless card but also the $450 Ritz-Carlton card, so I jumped on it. This card comes with a $300 travel credit, priority pass lounge access, and a free night certificate (worth 50,000 points). I entered 2022 with the intention of using these three cards: the Amex Green Card, Ritz-Carlton card, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
At the end of January, however, American Express sent me an email (as they often do) to suggest I apply for the Platinum Card and get a welcome bonus of 125 000 Amex points (worth $1 875). Having just upgraded my Marriott card, I wasn’t particularly in the market for another credit card. Amex then sent me an email the very next day with an upgrade offer of 70 000 Amex points (worth $1 050) from my Green Card. I was about to purchase a ticket to the US for May that cost around $1 500. The only bonus category the Platinum card has (usually) is 5x points on airfare, not travel in general. Given I have substantial non-airfare travel expenses (specifically commuting daily by train), the loss of the 3x bonus points seemed like a non-starter to me. However, my flatmate pointed out that while I could expect to earn around 6 000 points over the year from commuting, that’s only 4 000 bonus points, whereas this one plane flight would bring in 7 500 points (2 500 extra bonus). I then realized out that actually I’d only be giving up 1x point/$ on travel because I could switch to the Sapphire Preferred card. And so I accepted the upgrade offer and then bought that plane ticket. In January 2021, I was paying $0 in annual credit card fees. Now I have $1 240 in annual credit card fees. The big question I have for this year is, does the Platinum card actually justify its annual fee for me? I’m not sure, but that welcome offer will cover the annual fee for this year, so I can try it out comfortably.
So, here are the cards I have in my wallet for 2022:
The American Express Platinum Card ($695/year)
I hadn’t intended on having this card, but here we are. Other travel blogs have described this card as an expensive coupon book, and I can’t say that I disagree, haha. I’ll upload a full review of this card eventually, but for now here are the perks of note that I value:
- 5x points/$ on airfare (6.5% return)
- 5x points/$ on restaurants for the first 6 months (6.5%)
- Amex Centurion Lounge access
- $200/year airline incidentals credit
- $100/year Saks Fifth Avenue credit
- Amex concierge service
- Hilton Gold status
Basically, this card earns an extra 2x points/$ compared to the Green Card I upgraded from on airfare and dining (for 6 months), which are my biggest spend categories. The credits help to offset the annual fee, but I’m not entirely convinced I’ll make back enough extra points to offset the additional cost compared to the Green Card.
The Ritz-Carlton Card ($450/year)
This is another card I hadn’t planned on having. This card is no longer available to new applicants and so it’s a relatively rare sight. However, I definitely consider it an extremely (the most?) valuable Marriott card. Here are the perks of note that I value:
- 6x points/$ at Marriott Hotels (4.8% return)
- 3x points/$ on dining, car rentals, and airline purchases (2.4% return)
- 2x points/$ on everything else (1.6%)
- $300 travel credit
- Free night award certificate (worth 50,000 points/$400)
- Priority Pass lounge access
- Primary auto rental insurance
This card is my go-to for Marriott hotel purchases, of course, as well as for car rentals because it offers primary insurance across a broad range of rental car types. I also use this card for most of my everyday transactions because I value 2x Marriott points as worth slightly more than 1x Chase or Amex points.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95/year)
I did actually intend to have this card, which is a first on this list, haha. The Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) card is arguably one of the most famous credit cards in the US, and I’ve seen it argued that it reshaped the travel credit card market into its current form. The perks of this card are relatively straightforward compared to the other two cards I use most:
- 3x points/$ on dining (4.5% return)
- 2x points/$ on travel (3% return)
- 1x point/$ on everything else (1.5%)
- 10% anniversary bonus (so an effective 3.1/2.1/1.1 points/$)
- Ultimate Rewards points can be used to buy a ticket through the Chase portal for a flat rate of 1.25 ¢/point
Before upgrading to the Platinum card, the CSP was roughly tied with the Green Card, but currently the Platinum Card beats it out on dining (for another 5 months), assuming the restaurant takes Amex. The Green Card used to beat out the CSP on travel, but now the CSP is my go-to for any travel expense that isn’t airfare or car rentals (which leaves trains, parking, taxis, and non-Marriott Hotels).
The main category that I don’t earn bonus points in currently is gas stations. However, I don’t have a car. That being said, I still have my Amex Blue Cash Everyday, so if I need to get gas in the US, I earn 2% cashback.
Points Currencies
While Marriott Bonvoy Points, Amex Membership Rewards, and Chase Ultimate Rewards are the main rewards currencies I collect via US credit cards, readers will note that I also collect United MileagePlus Miles and British Airways Avios. I do have the UK BA Amex card, but I only use it for non-bonus spending in the UK.
I don’t have a United credit card though because I can instantly convert Chase points into United points at a 1:1 ratio. Similarly, I can convert BOTH Amex and Chase points into BA Avios. The earning rates on the CSP and Platinum card are excellent and the currencies are more flexible because of the transfer partners.
The big draw of the United MileagePlus credit cards, however, are the travel perks, like free checked bags, discounts on in-flight spending, and priority boarding. However, I already get free checked bags and priority boarding from having elite status with both United and British Airways, so I can’t get any value from these perks.
The Ritz-Carlton Card offers a free night certificate (which alone justifies the annual fee for me) and the best return for Marriott hotel bookings, which is a straight-up bonus.
What’s next?
The next card that I’m eyeing is the Chase Freedom Unlimited. The CFU card gives ‘an unlimited’ 1.5 points/$ on every purchase (2.25% return), which would beat out the Ritz-Carlton Card, but it’s no rush. I’m also interested in the Chase British Airways Visa, which offers 10% off BA flights, but the ticket must start in the US, so I can’t currently take much advantage of that perk.
With American Airlines’ switch to loyalty points as its status metric, the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard has piqued my interest. If it gets an elevated welcome offer, I might take a closer look because it earns double miles at gas stations, and the only way I have to quickly boost my AA mileage balance is by transferring Marriott Bonvoy points which I have done before (twice).
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