Since our last trip to Japan in 2023, I’ve been diligently saving our points for the day we would return to the Land of the Rising Sun.  And now we’re getting ever so close to making our next trip!

For today’s post, I want to focus on something that, at least to me, seems a little less talked about in the credit card space….credit card offers.  Now I’m not talking about offers you may get to sign up for a new credit card.  I’m referring to the offers that are given on your existing credit cards that allow you to earn cashback on purchases, or in some cases additional points per dollar as long as you meet the criteria for said offer.

What if I told you that there’s a way to earn a lot of credit card points for your travel, while at the same time keeping your wallet simple?  You’re probably thinking “there’s no way!” but hear me out. 

I remember when I first started getting into credit card rewards my first goal was to optimize the cards that I had in my wallet.  It took some time but eventually I was able to get my wallet to where I wanted it with all the right cards working together. 

Many a time you’re planning your trip and calculating how many points you need, get your strategy in place, and then boom something unexpected happens that changes your plans. 

There is more to credit cards than just earning points for travel.  Some of the best cards out there, the ones with the high annual fees, combine points earning with other perks and benefits that can elevate your travel experiences!

One of the most intimidating things, in my opinion, when planning a trip is not the flights but rather, how to plan your hotels without blowing your entire budget on where you stay.  While flights can be expensive when traveling, your hotel costs can easily eclipse the cost of your flights, especially when you’re on a longer 2-to-3-week trip. 

When I first started learning about credit card rewards, I was all in on cashback rewards.  But as I started to be drawn to traveling more and more, I started comparing cashback vs travel points. 

Planning to fly first class is only half the battle of planning our two-week trip to Japan.  If you read PART ONE of this Japan series, I talk about the strategy that I’m using to try and get us First Class flights to and from Japan.  But what about once we’re there? 

Anyone who has an interest in credit cards has found themselves faced with this question:  Do I start out with cashback cards, or do I get in the points and miles game with travel credit cards? 

In today’s day and age, we’re bombarded with credit cards everywhere we turn; from tv commercials to mailers trying to get us to sign up for the latest card, it can easily leave you with more questions than not.  Are credit card travel rewards too good to be true?  What’s the catch?

So, you’ve chosen your first credit card, and you’ve begun earning points for travel.  Your next logical step isn’t to try and fill your wallet with many different credit cards.

It’s time for some bonus content!  The whole purpose of this post is to take a step away from talking about different credit cards and strategies that go along with those cards.

Credit card rewards have become very popular, and due to their popularity, there is a huge selection of cards out there for you to pick from. 

Every year thousands of dollars are being spent on travel, and whether you’re taking a short weekend trip domestically or a two week vacation abroad, you can benefit from the use of credit card rewards.

Welcome back to Points of Travel!  Before I get into what cards I keep in my wallet and my personal strategies that I use today, I want to spend some time talking about how cashback and travel points/miles have helped me over the years.

Welcome to Points of Travel!  This blog has been a long time coming.  For those that know me, you know I LOVE talking about anything and everything related to credit card points.