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Anyway we are here to talk about credit cards and my strategy for credit card rewards in 2021. I’ll tell you how I’m going to get a sign up bonus worth, $3,495 but first let’s go through my current rewards accounts. Now you may know I mostly use American Express and Chase cards, I haven’t really explored other issuers such as Citi etc… So the main points currencies I use are Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards points and also Hilton and Marriott Points for hotels. First I want to give you a run down on how many points I currently have, we are pretty depleted.
Chase 45k, spread across several cards. My highest balance is on the Freedom Flex where I have earned 32,000 points since I got the card late last year, that’s the welcome bonus of 20,000 points plus the 5x temporary spending category for grocery stores is really adding up.
Then in Amex we have 18,000 points, a pretty low Amex balance for me. We exchanged a huge amount of points for business class flights over christmas.
For that flight I booked my wife’s ticket with Amex points transferred to British Airways and my ticket with chase points on the sapphire reserve at 1.5c pp. Thus I earned BA miles and status from the flight and made it back to bronze level membership!
As for hotels in Hilton I have 62k points plus a free night certificate and in Marriott 27k, and I already used my free night at the Park Hyatt in DC, terrible hotel, don’t stay there.
Now let’s get into my plans on how to use points in 2021 and what actions I am going to take. Now I think I am going to take a pause on international travel probably for the whole year. In the year 2020, I was incredibly lucky to go on the trip of a lifetime, to Taiwan, Japan, Dubai, Skiing in the French Alps (check out my ski channel, Generation Snow). But after going to the UK this Christmas, and experiencing what a high pressure and complicated endeavour international travel has become I want to take a breather. We had to have a COVID test when we got there, then the government closed everything which was no fun, then the US brought in a law that we needed a COVID test to come back, then the governor of New York insisted on a COVID test on our 4th day here and even after that came back negative, the New York state Department of Health still sent me a text message every hour asking if I had a cough, in the end I just blocked their number.
So this year I will be looking at using my points for either domestic travel, which to be honest I think will be the hotel points only, because I am not really planning on going to that many places. Then as for my Chase and Amex points, I am looking for alternative ways to use them. In the past I have never been big into cash back, but now I have actually been using the Pay Yourself Back feature on the Sapphire Reserve, where I can get 1.5 cents in value per point for paying off charges on the card.
You can currently do it for charges at: grocery stores and dining at restaurants (including takeout & eligible delivery services), home improvement stores and select charitable organizations.
In addition to that I may use the travel portal, if I actually travel. Airfares are so cheap right now that it is better value to use a travel portal than transfer points to an airline, even for business class. Obviously research the specific fare you want to book, but that is what I found for my christmas trip in the BA Club Suite. When booking through the portal you also earn status too.
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20 comments
I was able to transfer 8,200$ worth of points to my Charles swab account and invested it all in 2020
Agreed! Domestic travel seems safer option. But flying on airplane is safe! Airport may not be tho 😬
thank you
What card do you recommend to impress a sugar baby on the first lunch or dinner meeting?
Does the Schwab Platinum’s receive the same perks and offers as the vanilla platinum
Thanks for your videos I have 2 doubts, if I am from another country and then arrive to the US my credit score from my country has an influence in America? and second, is bad if I apply for discover it, petal and Capital One Platinum (all of them are the easiest for beginners) but is bad if I apply to 3 cards at the same moment? thanks in advance
I use credit cards as cash and pay statement balances off monthly. My credit score is 809 and I get plenty of rewards every month.
I think now you can also use capital one rewards that you earned like 1.5 percent cash back to pay for your purchases on amazon.
Ha I swaer I saw this dude at the riot
knowing the risks of flying, doing it anyway, then complaining about it after.
Starvendor got my sister a valid ccs that makes me gives a trial surprisingly i got a very high balance from him, ,he's the best vendor
1:21 – Credit Shifu knows about credit cards and how to eat! Fogo de Chao is amazing.
is also in for teaching
Why travel during a pandemic?
Just blocked their number in the end😆
Not related to this video BUT I have a question about business cards. I have the IHG Premier card and use it AS my business card. I travel A LOT for work it this card has saved my thousands of dollars. I love it. However, it's technically not a business card. So when I do need to carry a balance it does effect my personal credit scores. I've recently learned that business card balances do not show up on the holders personal reports. I would love to be able to still use my IHG card but then be able to transfer the balance to a real business card. That way I can still access the benefits of the card and not have my personal credit my the balance. Is this possible? Your thoughts?
I may just be some lowly commoner but gosh this guy has a life style fitting a master of the universe ‼️‼️‼️
Wallets plz ?!?!
Good tips! I liked Uber cash 120$ for Amex credit card.
Which one will you you recommend for international students who studying the US?