Secrets of the Savvy Credit Card Gamers

(*)Product details are accurate at the time of publishing and subject to change. Some of the offers on this page may no longer be available through our site

 

Are you in the credit rewards game?? We asked around and got some tips from savvy credit card gamers. Check out how users have paid for vacations, their wedding and more below! Have your own tips?? Share them in the comments!

Gaming for the Jet Set Lifestyle

My boyfriend and I love to travel internationally. We are able to do so through a strategic combination of saving, flight tracking, credit card points, and hotel points. A careful combination of these strategies, enable you to save tremendously on your future vacations.

We’ve included a couple of our recommendations below:

Saving

• We use a combination of Mint.com and Qapital to track our spending habits and save for future trips.
  

Flight Tracking

• The “Discover Destinations” feature of Google Flights: Allows you to view prices of upcoming flights world-wide! Once you find your desired flight, you are able to select “Track Prices” and Google will email you when prices go up or down.
• Hopper (available on iOS or Android) is another must-have. Hopper uses an algorithm to accurately predict future flight prices. Letting you know whether you should buy now or wait.

Credit Card Points

• AMEX Platinum Card ($695 Annual Fee) (*)
  • 5X Points on Flight (up to $500,000 per calendar year) and Hotels booked with American Express Travel.
  • $200 in Uber Cash and Uber VIP status (available to Basic Card Member only).
  • Centurion Lounge and Priority Pass Lounge Network Access. Enrollment required.
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Credit.
  • American Express Concierge.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
  • See Rates and Fees
  • Terms apply.
• Marriott Rewards Card ($85 Annual Fee)
  • 5 points per dollar spent at Marriott Rewards or SPG hotels.
  • 2 points per dollar spent on airline tickets, and on car rentals and restaurants.
  • 1 point on all other purchases.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
• Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card (Prime Membership Required)
  • 5% Cashback at Amazon.com
  • 2% Cashback at Restaurants, Gas Stations, and Drugstores
  • 1% on all other purchases.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

Hotel Points

• We typically stay at Marriott properties to accrue points. Now that Marriott has merged with Starwood, Marriott has a very large selection of hotels to choose from. Whether you’re visiting a small town or a world-class city.

Here’s more from the social networks!

I use Discover and Chase Freedom for rotating 5% CB, which can cover major stores like Walmart, Target, Amazon, or purchases like restaurants, movies, and groceries. I keep an eye out on what each quarter’s rewards are and only specifically use those cards on those stores during those times. I use my CapitalOne Savor card for 2% on groceries and 3% on dining throughout the year when my Discover and Chase Freedom cards aren’t covering those at the higher 5%. Finally, I use my CapitalOne Quicksilver card at 1.5% at all “others.” I use the CB straight to credit card statement each month and make sure to always pay the cards back always in full. Essentially I can say I have a permanent X% discount at any given store. The credit cards are paying me to use them since there is never interest from my full payments.

— Brandon B, Mesa AZ

I generally use my cash back rewards card with a consistent rate for most expenses and then sometimes switch to a card with 5% rotating rewards when the category is something I purchase a lot (gasoline, Amazon, etc.). I like the cash back better than miles/points because it’s easier to flat out see what I’ve earned and can be used on absolutely anything. To maximize rewards, I also take advantage of referral programs with cards when my friends are looking for a new card and I have one I really like – the ones I have used give $50-$100 per referral.

I transfer rewards right into my wedding savings account ❤️ It adds up faster than you’d expect!

— Rachel M, Cedarville OH

I earn cash points for purchases made with my credit card. The program allows me to select one category of purchase types to earn triple points on. I have it set up to earn triple points for purchases at grocery stores. My local grocery store has a separate “fuel perks” program where I can earn points toward free gasoline when I make purchases there. So, I use my credit card to buy all sorts of gift cards from other retailers and restaurants at my local grocery store, where I earn the triple cash points on my credit card because I made the purchase in the grocery category. At the same time, I earn the fuel perks with my local grocery store program because I made the purchases there.

I basically get triple cash points on more purchase types because I use my credit card to buy gift cards for other categories at the grocery store, AND I earn free tanks of gas for purchases outside the grocery store because I buy gift cards for those places in the grocery store.

— Bryan M, Columbus OH

I am a cashback freak, I always maximize my cashback by using right credit card for right category. I have different credit cards like chase freedom and discover which gives 5% cashback for rotating categories. I have Citi and amex for 3% caskback and for all other expenses i use the card with 1.5% cashback as my fallback. ‘TPG to Go’ app tells me which card to use depending upon my location which is very handy. At the end of the year take them out as a statemen credit. I categorize them in mint app so i know How much i earned in calendar year. Last year it was around $500+ in cashback which is a big help after expensive holiday month.

— Tejaswini L, San Jose CA

 

(*)Product details are accurate at the time of publishing and subject to change. Some of the offers on this page may no longer be available through our site