-
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE:
Parks on Recreation is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites such as MileValue.com and Bankrate.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. We appreciate it when you use our affiliate links as it supports our content at no cost to you!
EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE:
Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Your Official Roadmap to Points & Miles — no driving required. 😉
↓
You’re gonna need more PTO
📣 STEP ONE: SIGN-UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER
Sign-up for the points & miles news, stay for the cheesy jokes. Beginner-friendly tips, credit card info, and vacation inspo all headed straight to your inbox. No removal of liquids or shoes required.
💳 STEP TWO: GET ORGANIZED WITH TRAVEL FREELY
Getting lost in the sauce is preventable. That’s why our immediate next step is to download Travel Freely. This free app keeps your cards organized, tracks your bonus points, notifies you of upcoming annual fees, and much more.
✈️ STEP THREE: GET A TRAVEL REWARDS CARD
Plane flights are just better when they cost $5.60 and luxury hotels for free will never get old. Head to our Best Credit Cards page to get your first travel rewards card so you can start earning points like a pro!
🌎 STEP FOUR: FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM!
The perfect mix of daily points & miles tips with comedic, witty banter. If you really want to get to know us, Instagram is where we hang out most!
💳 Pick a card, any card.
But which card should I get?
Visit our Best Credit Cards page to see the best offers available on our favorite credit cards.
FAQs
-
Don't worry, the points & miles hobby does not require jail time. 🚔 You might have heard this hobby also referred to as "hacking" which is gives that sketchy feeling you're doing something illegal. (It's also why we don't refer to it as such.)
Opening credit cards to earn welcome bonus points that can then be redeemed for travel is 100% legal and a hobby many travelers have practiced for multiple years.
-
Short Answer: No.
Longer Answer: The immediate opening of a credit card may cause your score to momentarily drop. Over time, by making payments on-time and in full, having a low utilization, many points & miles enthusiasts will see an increase in their credit scores when strategically (and responsibly!) opening credit cards! 🥳 Not convinced? You can read all about it here. -
Technically, yes. There are some $0 annual fee cards with good welcome bonuses.
However, the travel rewards cards with higher welcome bonuses 🤩 and better travel benefits have annual fees.
Often the welcome bonus alone on a travel rewards credit card is worth more than the annual fee 💰 so for the first year, it's almost always worth it. Just be sure it fits your budget!
-
Here's some tough love: The banks are betting against you.
Points & miles travel is only free if you pay your credit card off in-full and on-time, EVERY 👏 TIME! 👏 Treating it like a debit card is the key to points & miles.
Most credit card users carry a balance on their cards, giving the banks all those $$$ in interest. But you are smarter than that! Only spend within your means and pay it off every month, then you'll be reaping the rewards of free travel!
