Points Maximizer

How to complete Points Maximizer

Credit card rewards are real money left on the table when you pay cash for spending you'd do anyway. The skill is treating a rewards card as a payment rail you clear in full each month, then converting the points you accumulate into something concrete like an award flight or a credit that wipes part of a bill.

1. Pick a card whose rewards fit your spending: flat cashback for simplicity, a travel card if you actually fly
2. Route already-budgeted recurring expenses through it such as groceries, gas, and subscriptions
3. Set autopay for the full statement balance so you never pay a cent of interest
4. If there's a sign-up bonus, hit the minimum spend with real purchases, not invented ones
5. Once points build up, redeem them as an award flight or apply a statement credit

Tips

• Carrying a balance even once can erase years of rewards in interest, so pay in full or skip this
• Transfer-partner award flights often beat the flat cash-equivalent value of the same points
• Don't chase bonus categories for things you wouldn't otherwise buy

What counts as done

You've booked a flight on points or watched a rewards-funded statement credit post to your account.