When it comes to earning and redeeming credit card rewards, it’s not just about one card—it’s
about building the right ecosystem.
Think of your credit cards like a team. One handles groceries, another handles dining, another
handles flights, and one helps you redeem your points for the most value. Together? They’re
unstoppable.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the top card setups (Chase, Amex, Capital One, and a hybrid
strategy), how to combine their points, which perks you unlock, and what kind of travel power
they offer.
🟦 The Chase Trifecta: Power + Simplicity
Chase’s lineup offers one of the easiest and most effective travel reward ecosystems. With the
Chase Trifecta, you combine:
● 🟩 Freedom Unlimited
○ 1.5x on everything
○ 3x on dining and drugstores
○ 5x on travel via Chase Travel
○ 💰 $0 annual fee
○ 🔥 Bonus: ~$200 (20,000 UR points)
● 🟨 Freedom Flex
○ 5x on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter)
○ 3x on dining and drugstores
○ 5x on travel via Chase Travel
○ 💰 $0 annual fee
○ 🔥 Bonus: ~$200 (20,000 UR points)
● 🟦 Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve
○ 3x on travel (Preferred) or 3x on dining + 10x on hotels (Reserve)
○ Primary rental insurance, travel protections
○ Gives you access to transfer partners (Hyatt, United, etc.) or Chase’s travel
portal
○ 💵 Preferred: $95, Reserve: $550
○ 🔥 Bonus: 100K (Preferred) or 60K (Reserve)
🧠 Why it Works:
● You earn points across all spending categories.
● UR points can be combined across cards and redeemed through the portal or
transferred to partners like Hyatt, Southwest, and United.
● No foreign transaction fees on Sapphire cards.
Total Annual Fee (with Sapphire Preferred): $95
Total Bonuses Potential: 140K–160K UR Points = ~$1,750+ in value
🟪 The Amex Trifecta: Premium + Power
American Express Membership Rewards cards work together beautifully. With this trifecta, you
cover high-earning categories and unlock top-tier travel perks.
● 🟨 Amex Gold
○ 4x on dining and groceries (up to $25K/year)
○ 3x on flights
○ $120 dining credit + $120 Uber credit + $84 Dunkin Credit + $100 Resy Credit
○ 💵 $325 annual fee
○ 🔥 Bonus: 60K MR points
● 🟦 Amex Platinum
○ 5x on flights & hotels through Amex Travel
○ Airport lounge access (Centurion, Delta, Priority Pass)
○ $200 airline credit, $200 hotel credit, $240 digital credit, $200 Uber credit, $100
Saks credit, CLEAR
○ 💵 $695 annual fee
○ 🔥 Bonus: 80K–150K MR points
● 🔷 Blue Business Plus
○ 2x on everything (up to $50K/year)
○ 💵 $0 annual fee
○ 🔥 Bonus: 15K–50K MR points (varies by link)
🧠 Why it Works:
● MR points earned from all cards combine into one MR account.
● You gain access to Amex transfer partners like ANA, Air France, Emirates, and
Marriott.
● The Blue Biz Plus is your catch-all card, perfect for non-bonus spending.
Total Annual Fee: $1,020
Total Bonuses Potential: 185K–290K MR points = $2,500–$4,000+ in value if redeemed
smartly.
🔴 The Capital One Duo: Simple + Efficient
Capital One doesn’t have a full “trifecta,” but its duo punches above its weight. By pairing the
Savor with the Venture X, you convert cashback into travel points and open the door to
transfer partners and premium perks.
● 🔶 Capital One Savor
○ 3% on dining & entertainment
○ 3% on groceries
○ 💵 $0 annual fee
○ 🔥 Bonus: ~$200 (20,000 miles)
● 🔵 Capital One Venture X
○ 2x on everything
○ 10x on hotels, 5x on flights (Capital One Travel)
○ Lounge access (Priority Pass + Capital One Lounges)
○ $300 annual travel credit
○ 10,000 miles anniversary bonus
○ 💵 $395 annual fee
○ 🔥 Bonus: 75K miles
🧠 Why it Works:
● Cashback from the Savor can be converted into miles with the Venture X.
● Venture X unlocks Capital One transfer partners and portal redemptions.
● You earn strong rewards on every category without juggling multiple cards.
Total Annual Fee: $395 (but Venture X’s $300 credit + 10k miles anniversary bonus brings it
down to $-5 effective annual fee)
Total Bonuses Potential: 95K+ miles
🌀 The Hybrid Setup: Amex Gold + Venture X
If you want to diversify your points and not keep all your eggs in one basket, this hybrid is an
overpowered 2-card strategy.
● Amex Gold = the workhorse for groceries and dining (4x)
● Venture X = 2x on everything else, lounge access, and transfer partner overlap
Why it’s smart:
● You earn both MR points and Capital One miles, giving you more options.
● You can still transfer to partners like Air France/KLM, Emirates, and Singapore
Airlines—both ecosystems share them.
● Your redemption flexibility is wider than any single system.
Total Annual Fee: $720
Offset with credits + travel perks from both cards
Total Bonuses Potential: 165K+ points = ~$2,000+ in travel value
📋 Recap: Card Lineups
🔹 Chase Trifecta
● Freedom Unlimited
● Freedom Flex
● Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve
🔸 Amex Trifecta
● Amex Gold
● Amex Platinum
● Blue Business Plus
🔴 Capital One Duo
● Capital One Savor
● Capital One Venture X
🔁 Hybrid Setup
● Amex Gold
● Capital One Venture X
✈ Final Thoughts
Choosing your card ecosystem is all about how you spend, how you travel, and how
hands-on you want to be. Whether you want to keep it simple with the Chase Trifecta or go full
strategy-mode with the Amex system, there’s a setup that fits your style.
No matter which ecosystem you choose, remember:
It’s not just about earning points—it’s about using them smarter.
Want help picking the perfect setup? DM me on Instagram @pointive.me, or check out the
latest bonus offers on my [credit card page]!