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We’ve said it before and will continue to say it: The key to a successful points portfolio is diversity. Putting all of your eggs in a single basket will limit what you can do and will also cause you to miss out on opportunities.
We want to be diverse with our credit issuers, the programs that earn points/miles/cash, and the benefits associated with these cards. We also want to make sure they’re delivering value. The perfect credit card is one that has no annual fee, a monster sign-up bonus, great every-day earning potential, a slew of ancillary benefits (lounge access, free upgrades, free bags, no foreign transaction fees) and 0% interest — if you find this one, please let me know as I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell you.
Barring a miracle or a crazy bank, we’re not likely to see a card meeting all of these criteria, which means we need to weigh the pros and cons of each card. As we do this evaluation we need to make sure that we’re keeping the eye on the prize: “What is our travel goal?” Never lose sight of what your goals are. The allure of benefits, status and seemingly great deals can cause us to lose focus and go over the top. Do you really need three credit cards that give you mid-tier elite status across three different hotel programs? Are the annual fees you’re paying really worth the benefit? Below are three cards that I currently either hold or have held in the past year, they each have their own benefits and as my travel goals have shifted, so have they in my wallet.
- Barclaycard Arrival World Mastercard
- Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card
- Citi Hilton Honors Reserve Card
Rather than list each pro and con that I may think are associated with these cards, let me instead pose you to a series of questions I’ve asked and have been asked about cards that should help you determine the right cards you hold and use on a daily basis.
- Does this card have an annual fee? – This is easily the most commonly asked question and often the most difficult hurdle to emotionally get over. A card with an annual fee means that you’re paying for the privilege to earn and use the benefits associated with the card. Human nature generally steers us in the direction of free, which may mean holding a card that receives less benefits. This is where you need to evaluate what you receive with this card and identify if the fee paid is outweighed by those benefits. Maybe the fee is waived for the first year with the card, but not on year two or later.
- Is the sign up bonus for this card worth it? – We like instant gratification and a large signup bonus does just that. You need to look at that offer and see if makes sense to you as an excellent value. We don’t want okay or even good values, we want amazing deals! An offer of 5,000 miles — no thank you. Most offers we see now range between 25,000 and 50,000 points/miles. When we see those 75,000 and 100,000 point offers we should pay special attention to them, as they’re 2-4 times what we’re used to!
- Am I going to use this card for my everyday spend? – Is the daily spend you put on a given card getting you closer to your goal? We’ve mentioned before that a point is not a point is not a point. Some points are “worth” more and have more “value” — either they’re more flexible, or when redeeming allow you to use less of them to get more. The key with everyday spend is to make sure the card you’re pulling out of your wallet is working for you. Does it earn 2X points when you shop at a specific store, or 3X, or 5X? We’ll tackle this subject specifically more in the next post in this series. It may mean that you carry 3-4 different cards that you use with different businesses to maximize your return.
- Does this card help me achieve a goal I’m otherwise trying to reach? – Maybe the card offers an ancillary benefit, such as 5 free night credits towards elite status (SPG Amex), bonus MQM’s towards Delta Medallion status (Delta Reserve), or top-tier elite status with Hilton with an annual spend of $40,000 on the card (Citi Hilton Reserve). When you’re striving for a specific goal, knowing that you have other ways to help you get there gives you additional flexibility.
- Does this card provide me a benefit I might otherwise pay for? – The most obvious ones here are cards that provide you free checked bags (Delta Gold American Express, Chase United Explorer, or Citi AA MasterCard), or provide lounge access (Delta Reserve American Express, Citi Executive World Mastercard, Chase United Club Card). If you get a card that covers an expense you’d otherwise have, it is very easy to calculate its value provided — but will you use that benefit enough to get your value out of any associated fee?
- Does this card provide a benefit that you value but wouldn’t otherwise purchase? – As a smart consumer, you’ve already got a credit monitoring service you’re using but you get your free FICO TransUnion credit score with your Barclaycard Arrival. You may not personally get value from this benefit today, but perhaps you will down the road. I’d be willing to bet that all of us have at least one credit card that has some benefit (purchase protection, rental car protection, travel insurance, etc) that we don’t know about and might place some value on. Oftentimes we’re focused on the points/miles and direct benefits that we’re looking at and miss out on some of the subtleties that exist.
- Does getting this card align with my current goals? – In the end, it doesn’t matter how good a deal is if it doesn’t line up with your goals. If it is that good of a deal and you can’t resist, maybe it is time to reevaluate. Personally, I look at all of my point balances and card accounts every three months to see where I am. If something comes along that seems too great to pass up then I’ll take a look and see if it fits in to what I’m looking to do. Remember, that 100,000 point offer in a program that doesn’t get you where you want to go doesn’t really help much now does it?
Ask these questions to yourself as you look at each card you have and the programs that you have connected your point and miles.
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More Rookie Guide:
- Introduction and Background
- Set Your Goals
- Points, Miles and Credits
- Airline Miles
- Hotel Points
- Rental Cars
- Bank Rewards
- Vouchers and Credits
- How Your Good Credit Can Help You Travel For Free
- Airline and Airline Alliances
- Hotels and Their Programs
- Program Partnerships
- Saving with Consolidators
- Priceline
- Hotwire
- Expedia Express and Others
- Double and Triple Your Bonuses with Online Shopping Portals
- Earning Without Even Thinking About It
- Rewards Network Dining
- Plink and Others
- Keeping Track of All Those Points and Miles
- AwardWallet
- FTG Wallet
- Spreadsheets Galore
- Review Your Goals
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Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Travel
Add to Favorites
- Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card in the first 3 months.†
- Earn 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 15,000 bonus miles after you reach $30,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the calendar year.
- Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding and enjoy 20% savings on eligible in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas.‡
- Complimentary Delta Sky Club® Access.‡
- Terms and limitations apply
- See Rates & Fees
Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Travel
| FTG Review | Reward Breakdown | Points Breakdown |
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Breakdown
Earn (pt.)
Spend
3 months
0
$3,000
Per dollar on eligible purchases with Delta Purchases
2.00
$1
All Purchases
1.00
$1
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Already have this card? Maximize your rewards.
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