Maximizing Credit Card Points and Travel Benefits for Agency Owners
For small business owners, leveraging credit card points and travel benefits can significantly reduce travel costs and enhance the travel experience. This guide is tailored to help you navigate the world of credit cards and loyalty programs to maximize these benefits effectively.
Understand what cards to use, what to use them for, and how to maximize benefits for yourself, your business, and your family.
Understanding Your Spending and Travel Preferences
The foundation of a solid strategy involves two main factors: your business expenses and your travel preferences, including preferred airlines and hotels. For example, if your go-to airline is Delta and you frequently stay at Marriott hotels, your approach to selecting credit cards and loyalty programs should align with these preferences.
Selecting the Right Credit Card
For Business Expenses
If you run a business with considerable online advertising spend, such as a marketing agency, a top choice is the Chase INK Business Premier Business Preferred Card. This card offers:
- Earn 100,000 bonus points just for signing up with this link.
- 3X Points: Earn triple points on many business expenses, including online ad spending, shipping, internet, cable, phone, and more.
- 25% Points Boost: When you use points to purchase travel directly through Chase, you receive a 25% boost in point value.
- Low $95 annual fee
These points can be redeemed for travel expenses, effectively allowing you to double-dip on rewards by also earning points with airlines and hotels when booked through Chase.
Though it might seem overwhelming to manage multiple cards, keeping each for its specific purpose simplifies the process.
Enjoying Elite Status and Travel Benefits
Automatic Elite Status
By using branded hotel and airline credit cards, you can automatically gain elite status, which comes with numerous perks. For example:
- Marriott Credit Card: Grants automatic Platinum status, offering benefits such as room upgrades. Also get 6x points on Marriott spend, 3x on restaurants, $300 dining credit, one free night a year, $100 marriott bonvoy credit, and 3x on flights. (Get 95k points just for signing up with this link.)
- Delta Credit Card: Accelerates the path to Platinum status, enhancing your flying experience with upgrades to Comfort Plus or even First Class on occasion. You also get 3x points on all Delta spending, $240 Resy Credit, Delta Sky Club Access, and more. If you fly Delta more than a couple times a year, you MUST get this card. (Get 100k points just for signing up with this link.)
AMEX Platinum Card for Travel Perks
The AMEX Platinum Card is another excellent addition to your wallet, known for its comprehensive travel benefits, including:
- Get 150,000 Membership Rewards Points just for signing up with this link.
- $400 Credit for Dell.com each year
- $360 Credit for Indeed each year
- $150 Credit for Adobe each year
- $120 Credit for Paying Cell Phone with Card
- $200 Airline Fee Credit
- $189 CLEAR Plus Credit
- TSA Precheck Fee Credit
- Fine Hotels & Resorts Upgrades
- 5x Points on Flights & Hotels Booked with Amex
- 1.5x Points on Business Purchases up to $2m
- Airport Lounge Access: AMEX Centurion Lounge Access, Delta Sky Club (when flying Delta), Priority Pass Select, and more
Using the Cards to Multiple Points
The real trick comes in how you strategically use the cards. At first it seems like a lot, but eventually it becomes second nature.
Here’s how it works for me:
1. We use the CHASE business card for all ad spend and general company expenses for most team members. This generates points that I can get a 25% boost on when booking travel with them. I use that points to book PERSONAL travel since I can’t write that off. (Business travel I never use points to book, I always pay cash to get the tax advantage.)
- By using the CHASE business card points to book personal travel, I then gain points at Marriott for staying there. When I’m there, I use my marriott card for all benefits, upgrades, and additional points.
- When booking Marriott or Delta, I use those cards to get the multipliers and end up with Platinum status with each of them pretty easily (without actually traveling that much). That means I almost always get upgrades on planes and hotels at no additional cost.
- The AMEX Platinum card I use for tons of business expenses and travel that isn’t Marriott or Delta and get lots of advantages and perks listed above.
Something silly like having access to airport lounges can make travel MUCH more enjoyable and as a result, reduce stress and help you be better in all areas of life.
Conclusion
By strategically choosing and using credit cards aligned with your business spending and travel preferences, you can significantly enhance your travel experience while saving on costs. The key is to select cards that offer the best rewards for your specific needs and to take advantage of the perks and status they provide. This approach not only simplifies managing your cards but also ensures you're maximizing every dollar spent on travel and business expenses.
