IF you pay attention to charging the specific types of items—restaurants, airline tickets, hotels, gas, etc.--on which each credit card offers the most points, you will amass reward points more quickly.

For example, one of my credit cards gives me:

 3 pts. for every $1.00 spent on gas, while another credit card only gave 1 pt.

 4 pts. for every $1.00 spent on United airline tickets (with the United cc), while other cards gave only 2pts.

 Cash back for various levels of annual spending

 $100 Annual payment towards either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry—both of which are huge time savers for frequent or Int’l travelers.

 $200 Annual cash back for any airline charges—luggage, pet charges, in flight food, tkt change fees, etc.  

Paying conscious attention to these details can actually be fun. You can turn this into a contest insomuch as ALL of this can translate into free trips—including airline tickets, hotel reservations, or gift merchandise. 

Additionally only 2 of my credit cards offered perks such as trip interruption/trip delay/trip cancellation which can provide peace of mind for bookings during periods of uncertainty. Imagine how much money (and stress!) THIS coverage could save you! 

While I have found this site to provide info and ideas: https://thepointsguy.com/ be advised that he probably receives certain affiliate commissions. (These affiliate commissions do NOT affect the price YOU pay, yet I’m stating it in full disclosure.)

My best recommendation is to call the phone number on the back of each credit card, ask for the rewards desk to see what they offer currently regarding EARNING rewards. 

ALERT: Who knew? MANY credit card companies have pivoted to providing credit for streaming services, and cell phone bills, as temporary perks, versus the focus on travel-related perks…that’s why it’s WORTH a call to each card company, perhaps as often as every 6 months.

NOT as simple as avoiding Credit Cards with annual charges…those may pay you back more than their fees.

I spoke specifically of the AmEx Platinum Business card, which currently offers 75,000 free points, as well as heightened pts and perks on gas and supermarket purchases if you spend $5k in first 6 months. If you plan your business expenses, many of you could easily hit this number & cash in on these perks. What might we earn?  That would easily provide 2 (maybe 3) roundtrip airline tickets, coast to coast, on average (non-black out dates). 

While I spoke favorably of the AmEx Business Platinum Card benefits to illustrate the importance of reviewing the perks offered against the annual fee charged, rather than simply dismissing-out-of-hand the cards with annual fees, or even high annual fees, like the $550. here, I do NOT receive an affiliate commission from AmEx or any other cc mentioned in this video. 

Again, choose the card which offers perks that interest and benefit you and your lifestyle. And if you happen to have a credit card on which there is no current balance, yet that pales by comparison vis-à-vis perks for any new purchases, then simply put that card away in a secure drawer and discontinue it’s use for 6 months. Put a note on your calendar for 6 months from now to review. DO NOT CANCEL any credit cards without a balance outstanding, just to get rid of them, as this will lower your FICO score. Keep them, and their available balance will add to your ratio, making it more favorable since you aren’t using any of that available balance currently, and it will increase your FICO score.

Likewise, call each of your credit card issuers to see which ones offer the most favorable REDEMPTIONS on each category, some may bundle especially travel rewards--flights and hotels. OR you may find it favorable to redeem pts. on one card for airline tickets and a different card for hotels. 

Finally, look at the bottom of your latest card statement for each of your credit cards to determine your annual APR on purchases and write it down. Then, provided your FICO score is good or excellent, call each credit card issuing company, ask for a supervisor, ask what their lowest possible APR is currently, and proceed to negotiate a lower APR interest rate, which could save you money in the event that you happen to carry a balance over that which you regularly pay off each month.

IF you are carrying a balance on any credit card month after month, make a spreadsheet listing all credit cards, and their current outstanding balance, the total available line, the APR on purchases and record the date.  Then monitor that APR on each monthly statement as credit card companies can summarily increase folks’ rates by fiat….yet not YOURS….since you will update your spreadsheet each and every month to track your outstanding balance, which we hope is shrinking each month, as well as your APR and you will be conscious of any changes, and then make the appropriate changes to correct any slippage.