AIE 146: 6x Your Return with Credit Card Rewards

Chris Campbell has 12 credit cards – more than even fit in his wallet! Lauren asked about the difference between rewards, cash back, and travel points. Chris is a big fan of travel rewards credit cards because you basically get a better return on your spending, more than you’d get with cash back, up to 3x times more! According to Chris, you can routinely get 6% back rather than the normal 1-1.5% cash back. Chris is partial to the Chase Sapphire credit card. If you combine rewards with loyalty programs, such as at Hyatt, and you’re really cooking with fire. Some cards have sign up bonuses. They also sometimes have special categories with extra points, so for example you might have a card you prefer to use for gas. There are communities online to help you understand these nuances. High-end card have annual fees, but their benefits often outweigh those. Award wallet is one way you can track your rewards. Also, using your online logins. Lauren and Chris also discuss credit scores and the impact having credit cards has. Huge reminder: paying ANY INTEREST AT ALL means the rewards are not at all worth it! What does Chris do with extra points? Hotel upgrades! Finally, Lauren asked Chris about business credit cards.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 102 about Credit Cards with Uncommon Yield.

About Chris:

Chris Campbell, a fire protection engineer and code consultant based in Washington DC. He has a bachelor’s and master’s from University of Maryland in Fire Protection Engineering. Chris has used his analytical side to become adept at navigating credit card rewards since 2014, Chris and his wife haven’t paid for a personal flight nor hotel. When Chris isn’t consulting or using his travel rewards, he’s spending as much time as possible with his wife and their 3 young children.

Connect with Lauren: https://twitter.com/AdultingIsEasy https://www.realadultingiseasy.com/ https://www.instagram.com/adultingiseasyreal/

Resources Mentioned:

Ward Wallet

ThePointsGuy.com