Before applying: Be sure you can pay your balance in full each month and understand the issuer's approval rules, such as Chase's 5/24 policy. Most importantly, have a plan to meet the minimum spending requirement so you can earn the full welcome bonus.
Affiliate Disclosure: Simply Points Travel™ may receive compensation when you click on or apply for products through links on this page. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the free educational content we provide. Please review all card terms and conditions before applying.
Our Top Picks
Chase
Welcome Bonus: 75,000 points welcome bonus alone can fund multiple international airline tickets
If you apply using our link, we may receive bonus points/cash, and you may earn a welcome offer.
American Express
Welcome Bonus: 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your Gold Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership
If you apply using our link, we may receive bonus points/cash, and you may earn a welcome offer.
Sign Up for RakutenThis page contains a Rakuten referral link. If you sign up and qualify, we may receive a referral bonus at no additional cost to you.
Chase
Welcome Bonus: 20,000 points after spending $500 in the first 3 months
If you apply using our link, we may receive bonus points/cash, and you may earn a welcome offer.
Business Cards
Chase
Welcome Bonus: Currently 100,000 points sign-up bonus (typically 75,000)
If you apply using our link, we may receive bonus points/cash, and you may earn a welcome offer.
Chase
Welcome Bonus: Currently 100,000 points sign-up bonus (typically 75,000)
If you apply using our link, we may receive bonus points/cash, and you may earn a welcome offer.
American Express
Welcome Bonus: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months
If you apply using our link, we may receive bonus points/cash, and you may earn a welcome offer.
If you've started researching travel rewards credit cards, you've probably already discovered something:
There are WAY too many choices.
Chase. American Express. Citi. Capital One. Airline cards. Hotel cards. Business cards. Cards with $95 annual fees. Cards with much higher annual fees.
It can get overwhelming very quickly.
But here's the good news:
You don't need a wallet full of credit cards to get started with points and miles.
In fact, one of the biggest mistakes beginners make is trying to do too much, too quickly. You don't need the "perfect" card. You need a good first card that earns valuable points, fits the way you already spend money, and gives you options when you're ready to travel.
That's exactly how we approach it.
When you're new to points and miles, it's tempting to immediately get a credit card for the airline you fly most often. But that's not usually where we recommend starting.
Why?
Because airline miles generally stay with that airline's loyalty program.
Flexible credit card points give you more options.
The four major flexible currencies are:
These points can be transferred to a variety of airline and/or hotel loyalty programs.
And that flexibility is incredibly valuable. Let's say you have Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Instead of being committed to one airline, you may be able to transfer those points to programs such as United, Southwest, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Air France/KLM Flying Blue or World of Hyatt. That means when it's time to book a trip, you can look for the option that gives you the best combination of availability, schedule and value.
Earn flexible points first. Decide how to use them later.
That's a strategy every beginner should understand.
There isn't one card that's perfect for everyone.
Your best card depends on things like:
Those answers matter much more than simply choosing whatever card happens to be popular on social media.
Here are a few cards we think are worth considering when you're getting started.
Chase
Our Favorite Starter Card for Most Beginners
If you're serious about learning points and miles, Chase is generally where we recommend starting. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are incredibly flexible, with some excellent transfer partners. One of our favorites is World of Hyatt, where you can often get great value from your points.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a popular starter card because it earns bonus points in several useful spending categories, including dining, online groceries, travel and more. It has a $95 annual fee.
But there's another BIG reason we recommend starting with Chase: the 5/24 rule.
Chase generally looks at how many personal credit cards you've opened across all banks in the past 24 months when deciding whether to approve you for a new Chase card. That's why the order you apply for cards matters. If you open too many cards from other banks first, you could miss out on Chase cards you want later.
If you know you want to build a points strategy, Chase is a great place to start.
LEARN MOREIf you apply using our link, we may receive bonus points/cash, and you may earn a welcome offer.
Citi
A Great Everyday Earning Card
We really like the Citi Strata Premier because its bonus categories match expenses that many families have every single month. It currently earns 3X points on:
Those are BIG spending categories for a lot of households. And that means you aren't changing your spending habits to earn points. You're simply earning more points on money you were already going to spend.
Citi ThankYou Points can also be transferred to numerous travel partners. One of the biggest reasons Citi has become especially interesting to me is American Airlines. Citi ThankYou points can transfer to American Airlines, which can be extremely useful if AA fits your travel plans.
The Citi Strata Premier also has a $95 annual fee.
American Express
Fantastic for Groceries and Dining
If a large portion of your monthly budget goes toward food, this card deserves a look. The AMEX Gold currently earns:
For a family spending hundreds, or even $1,000+, every month between groceries and restaurants, those points can add up FAST.
American Express Membership Rewards points also transfer to numerous airline and hotel partners. And here's another reason I love earning AMEX points: Rakuten. Rakuten allows eligible members to choose Membership Rewards points instead of cash back. That means an online purchase can potentially earn points from your credit card plus additional Membership Rewards points through Rakuten. That's stacking — and it's one of my favorite ways to earn more points without spending more money.
The downside? The AMEX Gold has a higher $325 annual fee, so I wouldn't automatically recommend it to every beginner.
LEARN MOREIf you apply using our link, we may receive bonus points/cash, and you may earn a welcome offer.
You need to look at the benefits and your spending habits and decide whether you're getting enough value to justify that fee.
Capital One
Best for Keeping Things Simple
Maybe you've read everything above and thought: "I don't want to remember which card to use at the grocery store, restaurant or gas station." That's okay! You don't have to turn points and miles into a second job.
That's where a simple card such as the Capital One Venture Rewards card can make sense. Rather than worrying about lots of everyday bonus categories, Venture earns 2X miles on purchases. Simple.
Capital One miles can also transfer to a number of airline and hotel loyalty programs, giving you the flexibility to learn more advanced redemption strategies later. For someone who wants to start earning travel rewards without constantly thinking about which card to pull out, simplicity can be a huge advantage.
Welcome bonuses are incredibly important. In fact, they're one of the fastest ways to build a large points balance. And when an unusually high welcome offer appears on a card you've already been considering, it can be a great time to apply.
But there's an important distinction:
A great welcome bonus doesn't automatically make something a great card for YOU.
Before applying, ask yourself:
Never spend extra money just to earn points.
And most importantly, never carry credit card debt to earn travel rewards. Interest charges can quickly wipe out the value of the points you're earning.
We absolutely think they can have a place in your wallet. We have them too.
But we generally look at these cards differently.
Sometimes it makes sense to keep a card because the ongoing benefits are worth more than the annual fee. For example, a hotel card might give you an annual free-night certificate. An airline card might give you a free checked bag, priority boarding, or other benefits you regularly use. Those benefits can make a card worth keeping even if you aren't putting much everyday spending on it.
But when you're first building your points strategy, we recommend building a strong foundation of flexible points first. Then you can add airline and hotel cards strategically as you figure out which loyalty programs you actually use.
Keep it simple.
We generally recommend starting with Chase while you're safely under 5/24. From there, look at your biggest spending categories. Where is most of your money going every month? Groceries? Gas? Dining? Travel? Choose cards that reward the categories where you spend the most, and use a good catch-all card for purchases that don't earn a bonus.
As your strategy grows, you can gradually add cards from Citi, American Express, Capital One, airlines, or hotels when they fill a specific need.
Every card should have a job.
Maybe its job is earning more points on groceries. Maybe it's earning 2X on purchases that otherwise wouldn't earn a bonus. Maybe it gives you access to a transfer partner you need. Or maybe you keep it because an annual free-night certificate is worth more to you than the annual fee.
Whatever the reason, every card in your wallet should have a purpose.
This might be the most important part. You'll see plenty of people in the points and miles world showing you every credit card they carry. Including me! But that doesn't mean you should copy their wallet.
Someone who spends thousands of dollars a month on business expenses needs a completely different card strategy than someone primarily spending on groceries, gas and dining. Someone who flies American Airlines every month has different needs than someone who primarily flies United. And someone who loves Hyatt hotels may build a completely different strategy than a family that prefers Airbnbs and VRBOs.
The goal isn't to collect the "best" credit cards.
The goal is to build a combination of points and benefits that helps YOU travel more for less. Start small. Learn how your points work. Get comfortable using them. And then build from there.
Because you really don't need 15 credit cards to start traveling with points.
You just need the right first one.
The Chase 5/24 Rule is an unofficial approval policy used by Chase when reviewing credit card applications.
In simple terms:
If you've opened 5 or more personal credit cards from any bank in the last 24 months, you'll likely be denied for most Chase credit cards—even if you have excellent credit. While Chase has never officially published this rule, it has been consistently observed through years of applicant data.
Personal cards count, business cards do NOT.
Simply Points Travel™ Tip 💡
Think of 5/24 as your "Chase eligibility meter." If you're just starting your points and miles journey, prioritize the Chase cards you want first. Once you're over 5/24, you may have to wait until older accounts age past the 24-month mark before becoming eligible again.
*Credit card offers are subject to the terms and conditions of the issuing bank. Please review all offer details carefully before applying. Simply Points Travel™ may receive compensation when you click on certain links or apply for products through links on this website. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the free educational content we provide.
