CardWise Compass / A clearer path to free travel.
Hi {{first name | friend}}!
Welcome to the fourth edition of the CardWise Compass! I took a short break to launch a new website (more on that below!) and ensure I can do this at a sustainable pace. Thanks for your grace! I also switched to a better newsletter company, so if you can send a quick reply to confirm you’ve seen this email, that will really help.
Last issue, we covered why the "easy" redemption option in your credit card app is almost never the best value. This week, I want to build on that with a mistake I see often: using one card for everything.
With a tiny bit of strategy, you can easily fund an extra flight or two per year. And it's simpler than you think.
Estimated read time: 4 minutes
Today's Issue at a Glance:
Signal: The Chase Sapphire Preferred is offering an all-time-high 100K bonus points (easily worth $1,500+ in travel value)
Strategy: Bonus categories exist for a reason, and ignoring them is one of the most expensive habits in points
Scenario: How a simple two-card setup earns 38% more points on spending you're already doing
Step: Identify your top spending categories and match them to the right cards
Signal
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is offering 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5K in the first 3 months, its highest bonus ever. The $95 annual fee can instantly be offset with a $100 annual hotel credit. The card earns 3x on Airbnb, dining, and online groceries, 2x on travel, and 1x on everything else. With 100K Chase points, you can easily fund a business class flight (or two!) to Europe, just as an example.
This card is a great complement to a flat-rate card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited (1.5x on everything). More on that below.
Some links I share are referral links, which are a free way to support my work. But I'll always prioritize you getting the best offer, whether or not I benefit.
Strategy
If you remember one idea from this week's newsletter, let it be this:
Two (cards) are better than one.
The "one card for everything" approach feels efficient, but it's quietly leaving tens of thousands of points on the table each year. Most people's spending falls into a few categories like dining, groceries, travel, and general purchases. Some cards earn 3x to 5x in those areas, compared to the flat 1.5x or 2x you'd earn on a catch-all card.
It doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, I always encourage people to ask: “is the juice worth the squeeze”? But a simple two-card setup (one for bonus categories, one for everything else) captures the majority of the upside with minimal effort.
The goal isn't to carry 20 different cards, but to make sure your biggest spending categories earn you the most points possible.
Scenario
Example: let's say you spend about $4,000 per month: $800 on dining, $600 on groceries, $400 on travel, and $2,200 on everything else. Check out the two strategies below:
One-card approach: Chase Freedom Unlimited (1.5x on everything)
$4,000 x 1.5 = 6,000 points per month (72,000 per year)
Two-card approach: Chase Sapphire Preferred for dining, groceries, and travel + CFU for everything else
$800 dining x 3 (CSP) = 2,400
$600 groceries x 3 (CSP) = 1,800
$400 travel x 2 (CSP) = 800
$2,200 everything else x 1.5 (CFU) = 3,300
Total: 8,300 points per month (99,600 per year)
That's 27,600 more points per year, or about a 38% increase, from the exact same spending. And here's the real kicker (building on last issue): those Chase Ultimate Rewards points are transferable. At 1.5 to 2 cents per point through airline and hotel partners, 27,600 points could be worth $414 to $552+ in travel value each year.
Consider me your credit card sommelier, who helps you pair your cards based on what makes most sense for you and your travel dreams. (5 out of 10 metaphor, at best).
Step
Here’s your action step: take just five minutes this week to check your spend to see how much you spent on dining, groceries, and travel. If it's a meaningful chunk, you're probably leaving points behind by using one card for everything.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred paired with the Chase Freedom Unlimited is one of the simplest and most effective two-card setups available. And here's the best part: because both cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, your points combine into one pool.
I was going to offer a referral incentive, but for now I’ve decided to share everything and give you all early access to my new website. Here’s a direct link to a free calculator (beta version) that shows you the potential value of your existing spend/points when optimized. Please let me know if you like it and I’ll continue making resources like this for you!
If it is indeed helpful, it would mean the world to me if you would forward this to a friend, or pass on this link so they can get their own copy of the points guide and subscribe.
Next issue, we'll talk about costly mistake #5: being scared off by annual fees (and why "free" cards can sometimes cost you more).
Do you have any trips coming up? Reply and let me know where you're headed. I'd love to hear about it! Becca and I had an amazing trip to a luxury resort in Cabo, flying in business class (again, all thanks to the wonderful world of miles/points!)
Blessings! Hope to hear from you soon,
Ross
CardWiseTravel.com
Celebrating our 2nd Anniversary at The Cape in Cabo!