Earn 500 United Miles for Using Visa Checkout

You can earn 500 free United miles in about 3 minutes by adding your United MileagePlus credit card to your Visa Checkout account and making a $5+ purchase by 9/30/16.  Note that you have to make the purchase within 15 days of enrolling.  Apparently this is a targeted promotion (Emily had the promo but I did not) and only valid for new Visa checkout accounts.  I have a feeling it will work regardless.

To claim the bonus, click here to go to the landing page and enter your United MileagePlus number.  You'll be asked to login to Visa Checkout to add your United MileagePlus credit card to your account.

You'll be taken the confirmation page showing that you've been enrolled.  The page has prompts to make a purchase at about a dozen Visa Checkout merchants but you can find the full (and much larger) list of merchants here.

I enrolled both of our accounts and made a $10 Starbucks reload purchase with each Visa Checkout account.  The points haven't posted, but I imagine they will in the next few days.

This (in theory) is a quick and easy 500 United miles which I value around $10.  So in the Starbucks reload scenario, you're basically getting the reload for free.

United MileagePlus Explorer 75,000 Bonus

Back in March, I wrote about the 55,000 mile United MileagePlus Explorer offer from Chase.  It's been a while since we've seen super compelling credit card offers especially from Chase.

Well now is the time to check your United MileagePlus account to see if you qualify for the a great new offer!  The new offer provides 70,000 Unites miles after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days.  You'll also receive 5,000 bonus miles for adding an authorized user and $50 statement credit.  All of the standard benefits (including 2 free United club passes) still applies.  The annual fee is not waived for the first year.  After meeting the spend requirements, you'll have 78,000 United miles for a cash outlay of $45.  The offer expires 6/30.

I wasn't targeted but Emily was.  She recently received the card (in March) and after a quick secure message to Chase with a couple of screenshots showing that she's been targeted, she was matched to the higher offer!

If you haven't had this card, I would highly recommend logging in to your MileagePlus account to see if you've been targeted.  I value the 78,000 miles at around $1,500.  The value of the club passes is around $45 (you could sell them on eBay for maybe $30 total) so essentially you're getting 78,000 miles for free.

As an example, roundtrip business class ticket to Europe on United runs 115,000 miles.  If you've had the card before, you can get the bonus again as long as it's been 24 months since you last had the product.

What's in My Wallet April 2016

Here's an overview of what cards are currently in my wallet as of April 2016.

1) Chase Freedom

The Chase Freedom card offers "rotating" 5x spend categories by quarter.  For this quarter (ending 4/30/16) Freedom is offering 5x at grocery stores and warehouse clubs.  It seems the bonus will work at Costco.com so I'll be working towards earning my 7,500 bonus points via some online shopping.

2) Chase Sapphire Preferred

All of my extra (not contributing to sign-up bonuses) travel and dining spend goes on the CSP.  I've had the card for almost 4 years and gladly pay the $95 annual fee given my credit history, limit, and the earning power of the card.  

3) Amex Platinum

I actually don't put spend on the card at all (other than to earn the sign-up bonus) but have kept it in my wallet strictly for the benefits.  I recently used the card for Centurion lounge visits in Las Vegas and New York as well as an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts booking.

4) Barclays Arrival Plus

This is actually the third time I've had this card from Barclays which will rebate $420 worth of travel expenses in the form of cash.  I've already used both of our Citi Prestige airline credits in 2016 so this card will provide additional cash back against future (hotel, airfare) out of pocket travel expenses.

5)  Starwood American Express

Any spend that isn't going towards reaching a signup bonus or isn't a category bonus goes on this card.  Despite the upcoming merger with Marriott, I am still valuing Starwood points at north of two cents.  So even at 1 point per dollar, I still feel like I'm getting a great return on spend.

How to Earn 5x This Quarter at Costco

Chase has offered some phenomenal deals on their no annual fee Freedom card over the last 6 months.  In Q4, the 5x bonus category was Amazon which provided for some great pre holiday shopping opportunities.  Even better, they provided 10x points for a 6 week period at Amazon.  That is a 20% return (10x the 2 cent value for Chase Ultimate Rewards points) assuming you carry the Freedom and Chase Sapphire Preferred Cards.  That was an easy 15,000 (10x $1,500) bonus Ultimate Rewards points which could then be transferred to United, BA, or Hyatt (among others).

On the surface, the 5x quarterly bonus at grocery stores, BJ's, and Sam's Club isn't that exciting.  Yes, you can buy gift cards at grocery stores and liquidate them, but that's a lot of work.  Sure, you'll get 5x points on your grocery spend but our quarterly grocery bill for two isn't going to hit the $1,500 quarterly max.

Well, via OMAAT, it seems that Costco.com will count towards the 5x bonus!  While Costco physical locations do not take credit cards other than American Express, Costco.com will accept Visa.  This means you can purchase all sorts of items (similar to the Amazon promo) and you'll receive 5x points.  We are in the market for some outdoor furniture and Costco.com actually has a pretty great selection.  5x points is essentially a 10% rebate on what is already a discounted price.

I haven't tested this personally but plan to make a Costco.com purchase this weekend.  I'll report back on my own results once the transaction settles.

United MileagePlus Explorer 55,000 Mile Bonus

I've had the Chase United MileagePlus Explorer (personal and business) several times over the last few years.  Emily recently reached her 24 month anniversary of cancelling the personal version (Chase limits sign-up bonuses on products to once every 24 months) so she applied for the card.  The standard bonus you'll see on planes and in airports is terrible.  Only 30,000 miles which really won't get you very far on United.

You should be able to get the higher bonus offer (55,000 miles in total) by logging into your United MileagePlus account.  You'll typically see a banner add on the homepage or after clicking "View Account."

Click on "Learn More"

The higher offer provides 50,000 United miles are spending $2,000 in the first 90 days.  The $95 annual fee is waived for the first year.  You will also receive an additional 5,000 miles for adding an authorized user (Perry has a few cards in our household) as well as 2 United Club passes.

55,000 total bonus miles

If you add an authorized user, you'll have 57,000 miles after reaching the bonus.  That is nearly enough for a roundtrip economy ticket from the US to Europe (60,000) or a one-way business class ticket between the US and Europe on United (Star Alliance partner flights cost 70,000).

United offers a free stopover and open jaw on award tickets making a roundtrip ticket even more valuable.  Given that purchasing that type of ticket (in economy) could run you north of $1,500, that's a pretty solid value from one sign-up bonus.

If you're a United flyer, this is a card worth acquiring.  You'll also receive priority boarding and a free checked bag.  Perks that are especially valuable if you don't already have United status.

Picking the Right Credit Card for Hotel Stays

When you have 20+ credit cards, you want to use them like a swiss army knife.  Co-branded hotel credit cards can often provide lucrative spending bonuses so it makes sense to pay attention to which card you're using to pay for hotel stays and incidentals.  Throw in an international stay and you've got an even more complicated situation due to foreign transaction fees (you'll want to avoid these at all costs).

If I'm working on minimum spend towards a credit card sign-up bonuses, I'll use the card for a hotel stay regardless of the return.  Assume you're working towards a 50,000 point bonus (average these days) for $3,000 in spent.  You're effectively receding a bonus of nearly 20 points per dollar so unless you have massive spending ability, it makes sense to knock the minimum spend out first.

Beyond that, I'll look to the co-branded card (assuming I have one) of the hotel chain I'm staying with.  If it's an international stay, the card must also have no foreign transaction fees.

How Many Ultimate Rewards Points Have You Redeemed?

I had to transfer some Chase Ultimate Rewards points to my United MileagePlus account this morning to book my flight home from Tokyo.  I noticed something new (or I've just missed it during previous visits to the activity page) which shows my total points redeemed since late 2011.  .That's about the time I got into this game and started applying for credit cards in earnest.

To see your total, click on Activity (top right of the screen) and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Lifetime UR Redeemed

Thanks to 10 Chase Ultimate Rewards sign-up bonuses and amazing spend bonuses (Sapphire 7% dividend and Freedom quarterly bonuses) we've been able to earn and burn nearly 900,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards over the past 4 years.  I actually thought the number might be higher given the insane amount of points we've transferred to Singapore KrisFlyer, United, and Hyatt over the years.

Thanks to Chase for making this available - it was cool to see and something I'll check out again the next time I'm redeeming Ultimate Rewards points.

Chase Freedom Offering 10x at Amazon!

Chase is out with another great offer for Chase Freedom card holders.  The Freedom card rotates 5x earning categories (quarterly) on up to $1,500 in spend.  For Q4 the bonus is available at Amazon and Zappos.

10x at Amazon and Zappos

Chase recently announced that Freedom card holders would be able to earn 10x on an extra $1,500 in spend between 11/23 and 12/31.  This is above and beyond the 5x earnings from 10/1 through 11/22.

So hypothetically you could earn 22,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards (if you paired a Chase Sapphire or Ink Business Card with your Freedom) on $3,000 in Amazon/Zappos spend.

Not sure I'll be able to get to $3K in spend but I will definitely be waiting to make some key holiday purchases until 11/23.  Earning 10x cashback that can then be converted to United, British Airways, Hyatt, etc... points is like earning more than 20% back on your holiday (or everyday) spend.  This is a pretty phenomenal deal.  Kudos to Chase for stepping up their game at the end of 2015!!

Chase Sapphire Preferred Increased Sign-Up Bonus

My favorite all around credit card is offering an increased sign-up bonus now through 3/15/16.

If you don't already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you should strongly consider this offer:

• 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after $4K in spend in 3 months
• 5,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you add an authorized user and they make a purchase in the first 3 months

The annual fee is waved for the first year and $95 after.  I gladly pay the annual fee year after year given the earnings power (2x on travel and dining) and flexibility (points transfer to United, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Hyatt, Marriott, etc...).

If you sign-up and complete the minimum requirements, you'll earn a minimum of 59,000 Ultimate Rewards points.  Let's round to 60,000 since it's more likely that some of your spend will earn you 2x points (travel and dining).  If a couple signs up for this card and completes the sign-up bonus, you'd nearly have enough points for 5 nights (125,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points) at the Park Hyatt Maldives.  There are dozens of ways to use Ultimate Rewards regardless of your travel goals/habits.

What's in My Wallet November 2015

Here's an update on what's in my wallet (and why) as we go into November.

1) Chase Freedom

The Chase Freedom card offers "rotating" 5x spend categories by quarter.  For this quarter (ending 12/31/15) Freedom is offering 5x at Amazon and Zappos.com on $1,500 worth of spend during the quarter.  Given the holidays and everyday spend, I'll probably get pretty close to maxing the $1,500 earning me 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points!

2) Chase Sapphire Preferred

All of my extra (not contributing to sign-up bonuses) travel and dining spend goes on the CSP.  I've had the card for over 3 years and gladly pay the $95 annual fee given my credit history, limit, and the earning power of the card.  Don't forget to leverage the CSP for 3x points on dining on the first Friday of each month.

3) Amex Platinum

I actually don't put spend on the card at all (other than to earn the sign-up bonus) but have kept it in my wallet strictly for the benefits.  Specifically Centurion lounge access in cities where I have upcoming travel (New York, San Francisco, and Dallas).

4) Citi Hilton HHonors Visa

I'm working on the minimum spend for this card ($2,000 in 90 days) which I picked up for the increased 75,000 point sign-up bonus.  I had depleted my stash of HHonors points over the last year and 75,000 will go a long way in boosting my balance.  This card is "churnable" in that you can get it over and over - with no annual fee it's great to take advantage when the bonus is increased.

What's in My Wallet? August 2015 Edition

It's been a couple of months since I've posted about the credit cards currently in my wallet.  You can check out other posts here:

What's in My Wallet?  June 2015

What's in My Wallet?  March 2015

What's in My Wallet?  October 2014

What's in My Wallet?  April 2014

1)  Alaska Airlines Visa Signature

Emily and I are working on racking up enough Alaska miles (360,000 - 400,000) for a roundtrip first class itinerary on Emirates...So I recently picked up this card to pad my my balance.  If you make a phantom booking on Alaska's website (book a flight and select the CC offer on the last page before purchase) you'll receive 25,000 miles after first purchase and a $100 statement credit after $1,000 in spend.  A great deal that offsets the $75 annual fee.  I've had this card before - BofA is generous in terms of giving out the sign-up bonus multiple times.  We're roughly half way to our goal of 400K Alaska miles so may have to pick up a few more of these cards to ensure we get there.

2)  Chase Freedom

The Chase Freedom card offers "rotating" 5x spend categories by quarter.  For this quarter (ending 9.30/15) Freedom is offering 5x at gas stations and Kohl's.  I likely won't spend a dime at Kohl's but the 5x on gas is pretty great.  Fortunately (unfortunately for more points) we only have one car, both walk to work, and don't drive all that much.  But for the $50 - $100 a month we do spend on gas, it's worth keeping the card in my wallet.  No other spend this quarter though.

3)  Chase Sapphire Preferred

All of my extra (not contributing to sign-up bonuses) travel and dining spend goes on the CSP.  I've had the card for over 3 years and gladly pay the $95 annual fee given my credit history, limit, and the earning power of the card.  Don't forget to leverage the CSP for 3x points on dining on the first Friday of each month.

4)  Amex Starwood Preferred Guest (Business Version)

I recently picked up this card for ATRP.  Actually the second time I've had the card and earned the signup bonus.  I'm working on earning the signup bonus ($5K in 180 days) although the signup bonus actually just increased to 30,000 bonus points after $3K in spend - an amazing deal!  

What's in My Wallet - June 2015 Edition

It's been awhile since I've posted about the credit cards currently in my wallet.  I'm going to try and keep this up quarterly.  You can check out other posts here:

What's in My Wallet?  March 2015

What's in My Wallet?  October 2014

What's in My Wallet?  April 2014

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.

1)  Citi Prestige

I've yet to write about this card but have it on my list to do so.  I am almost done with the $3,000 minimum spend to earn the 50,000 Thank You point bonus.  While the card comes with a hefty $450 annual fee, you can easily make that up (and then some) as there's a $250 annual travel credit that credits automatically and can credit against air fare. So but a $250 ticket, get $250 credited back to your account.  I've already redeemed my credit for 2015 and will look forward to another $250 credit in January of 2016.

2)  Chase Freedom

The Chase Freedom card offers "rotating" 5x spend categories by quarter.  For this quarter (ending 6/30/15) Freedom is offering 5x at restaurants.  This is a pretty easy 7,500 points as it's not hard to spend $500 per month at restaurants when you include coffee, lunches, dinners, bars, etc...I'm pretty close to completing my 7,500 points and we're working on getting Emily there by 6//30 for a total of 15,000 bonus UR points this month.

3)  Chase Sapphire Preferred

All of my extra (not contributing to signup bonuses) travel and dining spend goes on the CSP.  I've had the card for over 3 years and gladly pay the $95 annual fee given my credit history, limit, and the earning power of the card.

4)  Amex Starwood Preferred Guest

This card is perpetually in my wallet and the card I leverage for all non-bonused spend.  So if I still have spend to hit a sign-up bonus (as I do above) I'll wait to put additional spend on this card until that's been complete.

Earn 10% Off at Restaurants with Chase Freedom

Chase Freedom is one of the best "fee free" cards on the market.  While the card is marketed as a cash back card, if you have another Ultimate Rewards earning card (such as an Ink business card or a Chase Sapphire Preferred card) you can transfer the cash back points earned to your Ultimate Rewards earning card.  You can then use those points to transfer to a variety of travel partners (British Airways, United Airlines, Hyatt, etc..) which provide far more value then simply redeeming for cash back.

Chase Freedom also provides a quarterly bonus where you can earn 5x cash back (and ultimately 5x Ultimate Rewards) on up to $1,500 in spend per quarter.  Q2 2015 happens to be restaurants.  So you can spend $1,500 on restaurants throughout the quarter and earn 7,500 Ultimate Rewards points.  I value UR points at $.02 each so ultimately you're earning 10% off your restaurant spend during the quarter.

Earn 5x Ultimate Rewards this quarter

This quarter, the bonus also includes spend at Bed Bath & Beyond, H&M, and Overstock.com.  You do have to activate your cad each quarter but it takes all of 10 seconds to do.  Chase will even send you several reminders throughout the quarter to ensure you don't forget.

Because the card does not carry an annual fee, there's no reason to cancel...ever.  And because the rotating categories provide so much value, Freedom will always have a place in my wallet.

What's in My Wallet - March 2015 Edition

It's been awhile since I've posted about what's in my wallet.  I'm going to try and keep this up quarterly.  You can check out other posts here:

What's in My Wallet?  October 2014

What's in My Wallet?  April 2014

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.

1)  Amex Simply Cash Business Credit Card

I usually prefer to earn points and miles vs. cash back, but this offer is pretty hard to pass up given the strong bonus ($250 on $5,000 in spend so 5x cash back all with no annual fee) and bonus categories (5x on office supplies and cell/cable bills, 3x on a category of your choice - in my case restaurants).  This card is a keeper given the lack of an annual fee although I probably won't put a ton of spend on the card once receiving the signup bonus.

2)  Barclays US Airways Dividend Miles MasterCard

Given the merger with American and the fact that this card is going away (likely in April) as the merger progresses, I figured I'd pick up this card again (I've had it before a couple years back).  The sign-up bonus is really strong - 50,000 USAir miles after first purchase for an $89 annual fee.  These miles will become AA miles in April so you should definitely get this card before it goes away.  The card is still in my wallet due to a promotion Barclays is running offering 1.5x miles for the next few months.  After that, I'll stick it in a drawer.

3)  Chase Sapphire Preferred

All of my travel spend goes on the CSP.  Once I've hit the sign-up bonus on my Simply Cash Business card, I'll move back to the CSP for restaurant spend.

4)  Amex Starwood Preferred Guest

This card is perpetually in my wallet.  In fact, I just paid my taxes with the card.  Even though there is a ~2% fee to pay taxes with a credit card, it's a no brainer for me.  I would buy Starwood points all day long at 2%.  I am staying at The Phoenician Resort in May for 12,000 points a night.  The cash rate is >$500 per night.  If I was to "buy points" at $.02 that would be $240 per night...a huge discount versus the $500 cash rate.

Real Value in the Chase Fairmont Visa Signature Card

A few months ago, I picked up the Chase Fairmont Visa Signature Card.  It's been a very long time since I stayed in a Fairmont property (~10 years) but I wanted to leverage the card for a couple of free nights in Vancouver.  I have read that the Fairmont Pacific Rim is a phenomenal hotel and really wanted to try it out when we're there.

I completed the minimum spend requirement ($3,000 in three months a couple of weeks ago.  The complimentary nights posted to my account last week and I called Fairmont (the only option - they cannot be redeemed online) this weekend to redeem them.  After that experience, I wanted to post about the value this card provides as it's a card that isn't written about that often.

First, the details:

• $95 annual fee, not waived for the first year
• Spend $3,000 in there months to earn two complimentary nights with breakfast
• Complimentary upgrade to Premier status
• No foreign transaction fees

I logged in to my account to check the status of my free nights.  My free night certificates had posted...with about half a dozen other surprises as part of my "upgrade" to Premier status!

Certs on certs on certs

I figured the card was good for the free nights with breakfast.  If it stopped there - that would still make it an excellent card.  The breakfast coupons are actually cash vouches - four vouchers for $25 each.  The upgrade to Premier status provided even more value.  $50 good for dinner/lunch to be used at a Fairmont property restaurant.  And a suite upgrade.  Amazing.

I wasn't sure if I could apply the suite upgrade to an award stay but when I called in to make my reservation, that wasn't a problem at all.  We ended up in a suite retailing for over $600USD/night AI.  For comparison purposes, the standard room would have been around $300/night.  While we wouldn't pay the incremental $300/night for a suite, it's a great luxury to have the extra space while on vacation.  Especially when there's zero out of pocket cost.

There are some amazing Fairmont properties around the world.  This is a great card to get you a couple of nights in a suite for basically $95.  If there are two of you in your household, you could end up with four nights in a suite with $200 for breakfast and $100 for lunch/dinner for just $190 in annual fees.  

This wasn't a card on my radar until recently.  Definitely one to have on your list especially if you're interested in Vancouver as a destination or any other Fairmont property around the world.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Dividend Posted

I logged on to check out my recent Chase Sapphire Preferred statement and noticed my dividend from 2014 spend posted.  As you all know, this is my favorite card and sits at the top of my wallet.  While it's a major bummer that the dividend will be eliminated after this year, I'm still a big fan and will keep the card regardless.

Last year, my 7% dividend (on all points earned including sign-up bonuses) was about 3,000 points.  In 2014, I managed to put more spend on this card through both more actual spend and "manufactured spend."  Including category bonuses and "Shop Through Chase" points, I earned about 72,000 points on the card last year.  My 7% dividend posted and was 5,039 Ultimate Rewards points.  My actual spend was quite a bit lower - in the 30K range.

I value UR points at around $.02 each so the value of the dividend was over $100.  The annual fee on the CSP is $95 so at least for 2014, the dividend paid for the card.  Not a bad deal.

British Airways Travel Together Ticket in My Account

One of the best benefits of the Chase British Airways Visa is the "Travel Together Ticket."  You earn the ticket after spending $30,000 in a calendar year.  The ticket enables you to book two award tickets in any class for the price (miles) of one.  You must pay the taxes and fuel charges.

I had been working on meeting the spend requirement and did so at the very end of the year.  It took some tricks (Amazon Payments which is unfortunately dead) but I got it done.  Anyway, I received the email that I would receive the ticket in my account shortly.  I checked over the weekend and there it was.

While we already have a pair of BA tickets booked for this year, we'll definitely get great value out of the ticket.  It's good for two years so we have all of 2015 and 2016 to use it.  As an example, let's say you wanted to fly from Denver to London in BA First over Christmas.  Normally, you'd pay 300,000 Avios and $2,509.  With the travel together ticket, you'd save 150,000 Avios.  I value them at around $.02 so the certificate would be worth around $3,000.  Yes, it sucks to shell out $2,509 in taxes and fees but ultimately you'd pay more than that if you were straight away buying two coach ticket to London.

If you don't already have the card, you should definitely consider the Chase British Airways Visa especially if you can swing the $30,000 in 2015 spend to earn the Travel Together Ticket.  The current promotion waives the annual fee (normally $95) for the first year and offers 50,000 British Airways Avios after $2,000 in spend in the first 90 days.

Chase Hyatt Credit Card Rocks

One of the best cards from Chase that I have yet to write about is the Hyatt Credit Card.  Over the last couple of years, I've become a big Hyatt fan after awesome stays at the Park Hyatt in Istanbul and Andaz Fifth Avenue in NYC.

Two free nights - for $1,000 in spend and no annual fee

The card offers two free nights at any Hyatt in the world (all brands) after spending $1,000 on the card.  The annual fee is $75 but that's waived for the first year.  If you are planning a honeymoon or a special trip of any sort, you should get this card.  You can redeem your nights for the Park Hyatt in the Maldives, Paris, Tokyo, NYC, etc...those properties can go for $500 - $1,000 per night so you're getting a ton of value for a very low spend threshold.

Beyond that, the card offers (for the $75 annual fee) a free night in a category 1 - 4 property.  There are some pretty great hotels on the list but we had been unable to use the certificate (which expires at the end of the calendar year) which I was kind of bummed about.

A few days ago we changed our outbound flight for our trip to Asia.  It's Christmas night so hotels are real cheap.  All Starwood properties (Westin, Le Meridien, W, Palace) with the exception of the St. Regis were under $160/night.  That is phenomenal for San Francisco.  But I remembered I had an expiring Hyatt certificate and checked to see if there were any category four hotels in the city.

Hyatt Regency San Francisco lobby

The Hyatt Regency San Francisco is a category four and I was able to use my certificate without an issue.  I'll have a future post on how easy it is to redeem the free anniversary night.  For some reason, paid rates were a lot more expensive than other (arguably nicer) hotels in the city.  We did some searching and found out that the property has a massive Christmas display in the lobby atrium.  In fact, the hotel has make the Travel and Leisure "best hotels for Christmas" list! 

The anniversary night really worked out.  Clearly a nice return on the $75 annual fee to end up with a $200+ hotel night.  Thanks Hyatt and Chase for making our Christmas.  We are pumped!

Earning 5x Ultimate Rewards Points from Chase Ink Cards

It must be the morning of 5x.  The Chase Ink Business Cards (Bold and Plus) provide an excellent opportunity to earn a ton of valuable Ultimate Rewards points.  I've had an Ink Bold card for a couple of years now and while I don't keep the card in my wallet, I will grab it out of my CC stack for a couple of key use cases:

1)  I leverage my Ink card for all of our cable, internet, and cell phone monthly bills.  That amounts to roughly $350/month and is all recurring billing so I don't even have to remember to use the card.  That earns an easy 1,750 Ultimate Rewards points.

2)  If I'm going to an office supply store (i.e. Staples or Office Depot) I will bring my Ink Card.  If I'm buying something online from these stores, I will use my Ink Card through a shopping portal.  I spend around $200/month on gift cards to maximize my earning on everyday spend.  That is another 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points each month.

Leveraging these techniques, I'm earning over 33,000 Ultimate Rewards points per year.  I value those points at around $660 so more than paying for the $95 annual fee.  This is a card that I will keep (vs. get rid of)  year after year.

What's in My Wallet - October 2014 Edition

This is the next post in my periodic series outlining the cards in my wallet and my rationale for spending on each.  I try to be as purposeful (and organized) as possible about the cards in my wallet and when each one comes out.  The best analogy is really a swiss army knife.  You want to have a handful of tools for different jobs and understand which tool to use for a specific job (purchase).  This will help you maximize your earning on spend.

Here are the four cards (in addition to my debit card) in my wallet this month:

1)  Starwood Preferred Guest American Express

I put half of my non-bonuses everyday spending on this card and the other half on my Chase BA card.  Starwood points are among the most difficult to earn yet the most valuable.  Putting non-bonuses spend (i.e. non dining and entertainment which go on the Sapphire card) is a great way to earn incremental Starwood points.

2)  Citi Executive AAdvantage World MasterCard 

I've already earned the bonus on my first of these cards.  I'm working on the second at the moment and should be complete in October.  After I complete the minimum spend on this card, we'll have earned 327,500 American Airlines miles from these cards this year.  We'll be using the miles to help us get home from Hong Kong later in the year.

3)  Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Card 

No minimum spend needed on this card.  Just my workhorse everyday card earning 2x (actually 2.14X when you include the annual 7% dividend) on travel and dining. This card is also linked to my United dining program account.

4)  Chase British Airways Visa Signature Card 

I've already met the minimum spend on this card as well as the incremental bonuses (25,000 points after spending $10,000 and another 25,000 points after spending $20,000 in the first year of card membership).  I am now working on reaching $30,000 of spend this year in order to earn the British Airways Travel Together Ticket which is basically a 2 for 1 certificate.