Real Client Case Study: Building a Points Strategy from Scratch
Recently I sat down with a new client to audit her credit card setup and figure out how she could earn and redeem points more effectively. Here's exactly what we went through — and what we decided.
Her Starting Point 📋
- Cards she holds: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Delta Amex Gold, Wells Fargo no-annual-fee card
- Airlines she flies: Primarily Delta, but price-sensitive — so JetBlue, Frontier, and Spirit (RIP ✈️) make regular appearances
- Big recurring expenses: Rent and tuition (paid twice a year, but may incur a 3% credit card fee)
- Home airport: Salt Lake City (SLC)
She was using the Sapphire Preferred for almost everything and the Delta Amex only for Delta purchases. No specific trips on the horizon yet.
The Strategy: Go Deep on Chase Ultimate Rewards 💳
Since she has no destination locked in, flexible points are her best friend right now. She already has a small stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards from her Sapphire Preferred, so we decided to build on that foundation rather than start somewhere new.
One big win here: Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer 1:1 to JetBlue — one of her go-to airlines. That's a genuinely useful transfer partner given her flying habits.
💡 Quick tip: The Chase Sapphire Preferred includes a $50 annual hotel credit when you book through the Chase Travel Portal. With a $95 annual fee, that brings your real cost down to $45.
The New Card Conversation: Freedom Unlimited vs. Freedom Flex
Both are no-annual-fee Chase cards that funnel points into the same Ultimate Rewards bucket — meaning they work with her Sapphire Preferred, not separately from it. You can read about how to combine CUR points here.
- 1.5x points on all purchases (better baseline than the Sapphire Preferred)
- 3x on dining and drugstores
- Current offer: 20,000 points after $500 spend 🎉
- Rotating 5x quarterly bonus categories (this quarter includes Amazon — easy way to stack up to 7,500 bonus points fast)
- 3x on dining and drugstores
- 1x on everything else
- Current offer: 20,000 points after $500 spend 🎉
Both are worth considering — the right pick depends on whether she prefers a consistent flat rate or wants to actively track and maximize rotating categories.
We also talked about signing up for Rakuten and Bilt:
- Rakuten — shop through their portal and earn cash back or points on purchases you'd make anyway. Use a referral link to get $50 or 2,500 Bilt points after your first $50 purchase.
- Bilt — lets you transfer points to dozens of different airlines and hotels. You can also open a Bilt credit card to earn points on rent payments with no transaction fees, but it's a bit complicated so we decided to table this one for right now.
What About the Delta Amex? 🤔
We discussed cancelling it. Here's the logic:
- $150 annual fee
- She rarely uses it
- It's not her oldest card, so the credit score impact would be minimal
Bottom line: keeping a card "just in case" when it costs $150/year and sits in a drawer isn't worth it.
Where Things Stand
She's in a solid position. By consolidating around Chase Ultimate Rewards, adding a no-annual-fee earning card, and plugging into Rakuten and Bilt, she'll be sitting on a healthy stash of flexible points whenever she's ready to book something. No trip needed yet — just a smart setup so the options are there when she wants them. 🗺️
Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program.
Or you can book a consulting call with us for just $100. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable.
***In honor of every new paid client, we will make a donation of 10% to one of our favorite charities.
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