Episode: How to Earn Millions of Points and More Listener Q&A
Pub date: 2026-01-28
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#263: Chris breaks down exactly how he’s earned millions of points and miles, and why simplicity matters more than optimization. He covers signup bonuses, spending strategies, credit score impacts, business cards, cash-back alternatives, and how to decide when a card (or perk) is actually worth it.
Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/points-and-miles-simplified-credit-cards
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Resources Mentioned
Credit Cards: Best Cards Page
Alaska Airlines Visa®
American Express® Green Card
American Express Platinum Card for Schwab
Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards
Bilt Palladium Card (Rates and fees here)
Capital One Venture X Business
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Coinbase One Card
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Robinhood Gold Card
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
Venmo Credit Card
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Rakuten: Free $50 here
Business Payment Platforms: Plastiq | Melio
IRS Authorized Payment Providers
Pay1040
ACI Payments
Reddit: Credit Card Spend Needed to Achieve Each Airline Status Tier
ATH Podcast
Chris' Credit Card Optimizer Tool
Ask Chris Anything!
Membership
Gift Card Site
Ep #164: Earn Points Paying Taxes with a Credit Card (+ Latest Deals/News)
Ep #200: Debunking Tax Myths, Avoiding Audits and Maximizing Savings with Jasmine DiLucci
Ep #221: Deep Dive on Credit Reports, Scores, and Their Real-World Impact
Ep #247: Deep Dive on Bank of America Credit Cards (Up to 5.25% Cash Back)
Ep #248: How to Stop Over-Optimizing and Focus on What Matters with Tim Ferriss
Ep #258: My Top 5 Mistakes with Points & Miles
Ep #261: Goals, Tools, and Mindset Shifts for a Better 2026 with Kevin Rose
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Email for questions, hacks, deals, and feedback: podcast@allthehacks.com
Full Show Notes
(00:00) Introduction
(01:26) How Chris Has Earned 15+ Million Points
(03:46) Why Signup Bonuses Still Matter More than Everything Else
(05:04) The Role Everyday Spending Actually Plays
(08:42) When Transfer Bonuses Are Worth It
(12:24) How Chris Leverages Referral Bonuses
(13:24) What Having "Too Many" Credit Cards Really Does to Your Credit Score
(16:13) How Many Signup Bonuses per Year Is Reasonable?
(16:44) Why Spend Requirements Are the Real Bottleneck
(18:23) Approval Odds and Timing Applications
(22:04) Getting Approved for Business Cards (Without A Business)
(27:23) Maximizing Rewards without Overcomplicating It
(30:18) When Cash Back Is the Better Option
(32:48) Best Cards for Big, One-Time Expenses like Weddings
(37:24) Making Sense of Card Rules and Restrictions
(38:13) Annual Fees: How to Decide if They're Worth Paying
(41:12) Paying Taxes with a Credit Card
(46:28) How to Think about Points if You Mostly Care about Hotels
(49:10) Is CLEAR Worth It?
(51:48) How DoorDash Credits Work
(53:25) Is There a Shortcut to Airline Loyalty Status?
(57:04) The Best Credit Card for Costco Spending
(59:19) Are the New Bilt Cards Actually Bad?
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