Catch The Points Guy Recap Week 1: Miami

As I announced on Monday, this week kicked off the “Catch The Points Guy” campaign on the Chase Sapphire Facebook page.

Since it’s a broad audience, I decided to start with the basics of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Ultimate Rewards points. My posts for the campaign so far included not only a look at the airline, hotel and other travel transfer partners of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, but also a discussion of when the pay-with-points option makes sense for maximizing points.

When you watch the video on the Facebook campaign page, you’ll see I had a ton of fun going around my hometown and exploring places most tourists don’t visit when they come to Miami, including some of my favorite spots like the famous El Pub Cuban restaurant  (double points on restaurants!) and Calle Ocho in Little Havana, as well as the tranquil beaches of Key Biscayne.

Though I usually talk about the Sapphire Preferred as a great travel tool that I use when on the road, what I liked about making this video was the opportunity to showcase when and how I use it while going about my everyday business at home to maximize my points by doing everything from dining out to taking taxis and paying for parking, all of which earn me double points on the card.

The other card benefit I point out this week is the 7% annual dividend on all the points you earn each calendar year, so even when you aren’t getting a lucrative bonus category spending bonus, you’re at least earning 1.07 base points per dollar spent, which is more than most other cards. Chase is unique in this benefit in that they calculate all points earned – including bonus points – earned on specific categories and by shopping through the Ultimate Rewards online portal.

Besides Little Havana, El Pub and South Beach, some of my other favorite spots around town to earn points are:

Mr. Chow at the W South Beach and Bond Street at the Townhouse Hotel for sushi since they are both part of the Dining Rewards Network and you can double-dip for points with your hotel or airline program of choice.

I love the Italian food at Casa Tua, and Juvia is one of the hottest spots in town. I always take out-of-town guests to Joe’s Stone Crab for the famous crustaceans (though the wait for a table can be unbearable, so I often just eat in the bar area), but I also love having a low-key lunch at Jimmy’z Kitchen. For something a little more rustic and fun, I head to Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink for the farm-to-table menu.

Of course, Miami is a great shopping destinations, so if you get out here, check out Babalu for some stylish finds right on Lincoln Road, and a high-end boutique called The Webster on Collins Avenue,  South Beach’s main artery.

I’d also highly recommend the spas at either the Standard or the Setai to relax, and since they’re at hotels, charges there will fall within the travel category and earn you double points.

Though I spent most of my summer on the road, you can tell that I love spending time in Miami – especially doing all the things possible to maximize the double points on the Sapphire Preferred to rack up those valuable Ultimate Rewards points!

Remember to go to the Chase Sapphire Facebook page to win weekly prizes like $100 Visa gift cards, and a Grand Prize of a trip for two to Paris. You can find all the details in my original post.

Note: I was compensated by Chase for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions expressed are completely my own.

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author.s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program.