The Fastest Way to Earn Points and Miles – Welcome Bonuses

The Fastest Way to Earn Points and Miles – Welcome Bonuses

When it comes to building up your stash of points and miles, there are two main strategies:

1. Earning through a credit card welcome bonus

2. Earning through everyday spending

3. Earning through Bonus Categories

Let’s break down the difference 👇

1. Welcome Bonuses (The Fast Track 🚀)

Credit card welcome bonuses are the fastest and most powerful way to grow your points. Many travel rewards cards offer large bonuses when you meet a minimum spending requirement within the first few months of opening the account. To maximize this strategy, open a new credit card, hit the minimum spend, and then apply for another card with a big sign-up bonus after 90 days. Rinse and repeat. You can also earn points by referring friends and family to the same card, typically earning bonus points for up to five referrals.

Most cards offer 60,000–100,000+ points after hitting a minimum spend (like $3,000 in 3 months).

👉 Example:

• Spend $3,000 in 3 months

• Earn 60,000 points as a bonus

• Plus 3,000 points from your spending

• Total: ~63,000 points in 3 months

That’s more than double what you’d earn in an entire year of everyday spending alone!

2. Everyday Spending

Regular spending on your travel rewards credit cards is another excellent way to accumulate points. By using your card for everyday purchases such as groceries, gas, dining, and utilities, you can steadily build up your points balance. To maximize this strategy, we switch all our bills and spending to the latest card to meet the minimum spend requirements. I keep a list of all our autopay bills, so it doesn't take me very long to switch over to the new card. Always use your credit card instead of a debit card and ensure you pay off your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges.

Most travel credit cards earn between 1x–3x points per dollar depending on the category. For example:

• Groceries → 2x points

• Dining → 3x points

• Travel → 2x–5x points

• Other purchases → usually 1x point

👉 Example: If you spend $1,000/month on groceries and dining, you might earn 2,500 points/month (or about 30,000 points in a year).

That’s not bad—but it takes a while to save enough for a free flight or hotel stay.

Comparison: Everyday Spending vs Welcome Bonus

StrategyPoints EarnedTimeframeEveryday Spending ($1,000/month at 2.5x avg)~30,000 points12 monthsWelcome Bonus (spend $3,000)60,000+ points3 months

✅ Clearly, welcome bonuses are the fastest way to jump-start your travel hacking journey.

3. Bonus Categories

Many travel rewards cards offer bonus points for spending in specific categories, known as bonus categories. For instance, you might earn 2x points on all spending with the Capital One Venture X or 3x points on dining and online grocery at HEB (curbside) with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. To take full advantage of these multipliers, plan your spending around these bonus categories whenever possible. Additionally, some cards offer elevated points earning rates for purchases made through their online shopping portals or partnerships, providing even more opportunities to maximize your points.

Pro Tip 💡

• Use everyday expenses (groceries, gas, bills, insurance, etc.) to hit your minimum spend requirement.

• Avoid buying things you don’t need—just shift your regular spending onto the new card.

• Think of welcome bonuses as your launchpad for nearly free travel, while everyday spending keeps your points balance growing steadily over time.

👉 I truly appreciate it if you use my referral links when signing up for these cards. That helps me continue creating free resources and guides to make travel more affordable for families like ours. 💛✈️