Welcome. If you’re new to points and miles, this page will orient you while the first full guides are being finished.
The short version: credit card issuers pay generous welcome bonuses to new cardholders, and those points can often be worth more as travel than as cash. You don’t need to learn everything at once. You just need to know what to do next.
Watch Out
Only do this if you pay your card balances in full every month. Interest charges cost more than the points are worth. If you’re carrying debt right now, paying it down is the smartest first step, and it’s a real win.
Step 1: Find where you are
The first guides will map common starting points to a recommended next read. Until those posts are published, use this overview:
| If you… | What’s coming |
|---|---|
| Have no rewards card yet, or just a basic one | A step-by-step plan for earning your first welcome bonus — coming soon |
| Have a card or two and want your first travel card | A guide to first travel cards by spending style — coming soon |
| Have a balance of flexible points and want more value from it | Transfer Partners 101 — coming soon |
| Are thinking about opening several cards over the next two years | Chase 5/24, explained — coming soon |
| Want cash bonuses without applying for credit | Bank Account Bonuses 101 — coming soon |
Nobody loses points by learning the basics twice. Start with the vocabulary below while the long-form guides land.
Step 2: Learn the vocabulary as you go
| Term | Plain English |
|---|---|
| Welcome bonus (sign-up bonus) | Extra points for new cardholders who spend a set amount within a set time |
| Minimum spend | The purchase total you need to hit to earn the bonus |
| Flexible points | Bank points (like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards) that can move to several airlines and hotels |
| Transfer partner | An airline or hotel program that accepts those points |
| Annual fee | What the card costs each year to keep |
| 5/24 | A widely reported Chase approval pattern based on how many cards you’ve opened in 24 months |
Step 3: Newsletter launching soon
Points & Miles Weekly and the free Beginner’s Points Playbook aren’t open for sign-up yet. When they are, you’ll be able to join from this site. No form is collecting email addresses until then.
The ground rules
- I’m one person sharing what I do. This is education, not personalized advice.
- Offers change. I date-stamp every offer and link to the issuer’s terms. Always check the issuer’s page before you apply.
- I may earn a commission from some links. Here’s how that works.
Want the backstory? Read About the Quartermaster →
Educational content only, not personalized financial advice.