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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Hot take: Why doubling down on 1 rewards program may be better than diversifying
Featured image by FRANZAO STUDIO LATINO/GETTY IMAGES
TPG's director of travel content Eric Rosen has used points and miles to visit some of the world's most remote corners, including swimming with whale sharks off Western Australia's Ningaloo Coast, exploring the wilds of Botswana's Okavango Delta and tasting the high-altitude wines of Argentina's Mendoza region.
Credit card writer Danyal Ahmed is an avid traveler, averaging about 100,000 aeronautical miles per year. He regularly applies that knowledge and his expertise in credit cards to his role as a credit card writer at TPG.
also contributed to this story
December 7, 2024 • 10 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Doubling down on multiple cards within a single loyalty program can unlock elevated bonuses, enhanced perks and faster progress toward elite status.
Carrying more than one card from the same rewards family may allow you to combine benefits, such as companion certificates or free hotel nights, for greater travel value.
Pairing cards within a program can expand redemption options and increase the rate at which you accumulate points or miles at different types of merchants.
While diversifying across programs helps guard against devaluations, focusing on one or two programs can maximize short-term opportunities and rewards.
What to consider
Eligibility rules and exclusions vary by product, so understanding each program's application policies is important before pursuing multiple cards.
Stacking benefits may require meeting specific spend thresholds or using particular cards for certain purchases to unlock perks like free nights or companion tickets.
Elite status credits from multiple products can be combined in some hotel programs, but check each program's terms for limits or exclusions.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of how pairing products within the same loyalty program can strategically boost your travel rewards and benefits.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
The points game is one of strategy. You want to pick loyalty programs that earn the types of rewards you can get the most use out of, and obtain the associated credit cards that offer earning rates and benefits you can maximize to your advantage.
It’s also a good idea to diversify the types of points and miles you earn. That’s because rewards currencies — whether it’s airline frequent flyer miles, hotel loyalty points or transferable credit card points — are subject to significant and sudden changes (and, in the worst-case scenarios, devaluations).
However, there are also some good reasons to double down with a particular points program or two.
For example, there might be an increased welcome bonus on a credit card for which you qualify even if you already have another cobranded card with the same program. If you already have one credit card with a program, you might find you can earn even more or enjoy better perks by carrying additional ones within the same rewards family.
Just keep in mind that you should be thinking both long- and short-term about any loyalty strategy and that focusing on a few programs now might mean you’ll need to expand your reach later on — or vice versa.
Here are seven reasons why doubling down on credit cards with a points program may be better than diversifying.
Get in on elevated welcome bonuses while they last
We have seen historically high welcome offers on various airline and hotel cards, like the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, and the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
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In fact, some of these offers have been so good that even if you already had a card with the same rewards program, you might have considered applying for another just to earn extra bonus points for a flight or stay.
An elevated offer is always worth considering, especially if it's a best-ever offer.
You can get around (certain) eligibility rules and exclusions
Most credit card issuers have strict rules about who is and isn’t eligible for specific credit cards. Chase has its 5/24 rule, for instance; it will automatically turn down most folks applying for a new card if they’ve opened five or more cards (from any and all issuers, not just Chase) within the past 24 months.
TOM WERNER/GETTY IMAGES
So, let’s say you’re getting close to that number and are trying to decide among a few different new credit cards from various issuers. Since other banks don’t have the exact same rules, you might opt for a Chase card before you hit the five-card limit and then apply for products from other issuers and other programs after that.
Supercharge your earning
It’s often the case that different credit cards within the same loyalty program earn points or miles at different rates.
For instance, The Platinum Card® from American Express earns 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel®, on up to $500,000 per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar), and on prepaid hotel reservations made through Amex Travel. It earns 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
On the other hand, the American Express® Gold Card earns 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
The card also earns 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App™, 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline, amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App, 2 points per dollar spent on car rentals booked through amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App, and on cruises booked through amextravel.com, and 1 point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases. These earning rates come in exchange for a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees).
By carrying both these cards, you could ramp up your earnings dramatically by accumulating 5 points per dollar spent on eligible flight bookings with the Amex Platinum and 4 points per dollar spent on eligible U.S. supermarket and worldwide restaurant charges with the Amex Gold.
With certain rewards programs, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards, there are basic cards that earn simple cash back and more premium cards that earn points that can be transferred to various airline and hotel partner programs.
That’s what makes the pairing of a card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) so powerful. The Freedom Unlimited earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% back on dining (takeout and eligible delivery services included) and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.
A British Airways aircraft at London's Heathrow Airport (LHR). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
If you don’t have a Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, those rewards are only good for various cash-back redemptions.
However, if you have a points-earning Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can pool the points you earn on it with the Freedom Unlimited's rewards and redeem them for travel through Chase Travel at a value of up to 2 cents per point, depending on the specific redemption (see your rewards program agreement for full details), or transfer them to the Ultimate Rewards program’s 14 airline and hotel partners.
Just as earning rates with assorted cards from the same family may vary, many also field different perks from one another. So you might want to carry one for certain benefits and another for still more.
For example, the United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees) earns bonus miles in a variety of categories, including United Airlines purchases, travel and dining. As a major benefit, cardholders receive United Club membership and a statement credit of up to $120 for either a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee once every four years.
United Club at O'Hare International Airport (ORD). CAROLINE TANNER/THE POINTS GUY
Despite these benefits, you might also want to open the United℠ Business Card (see rates and fees). The card offers similar day-of-travel perks as the United Club Card, such as free checked bags and priority boarding, with a few exceptions.
United Business cardholders earn bonus miles at gas stations and office supply stores and on local transit and commuting purchases, plus a 5,000-mile anniversary bonus if you also have a personal United credit card. You also receive two United Club one-time passes when the cardholder or authorized user is travel each year that you can use to bring extra travelers with you into a United Club.
Make more of a trip with multiple nights or flights
Banks seem to figure most folks are only interested in a single credit card from a particular airline or hotel, so they tend to offer similar benefits across their product lines. If you’re willing to double down on cards with a specific loyalty scheme, though, you can stack certain benefits for even more (nearly) free travel.
For example, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card both come with an annual companion certificate that can be redeemed for a second ticket on the same reservation as the cardmember for round-trip travel within the contiguous United States and select international destinations.
KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY
The Delta Amex Platinum companion certificate is good for travel on Main Cabin fares, while the Delta Reserve lets you redeem its companion certificate for Main Cabin, Comfort+ and even first class.
So if you had both cards, you could expect to save on two trips for yourself and a companion — or, if you’re a family of four (or more), the parents could fly up front while the kids could sit in coach, and you’d be enjoying nearly half off your vacation flights.
Looking at hotel-cobranded cards, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card comes with an annual reward night each year of card membership (and a second one every year you spend $30,000, plus a third one after spending $60,000 or more on purchases).
Pair this with the Hilton Honors Amex Surpass and put $15,000 of spending on that in a calendar year to earn another free night reward to use either on the same stay or a different one.
HILTON
By leveraging benefits that seem to overlap, you can actually combine things like companion tickets or anniversary nights to extend whatever trips you intend to use them on.
In the case of hotel credit cards, specifically, carrying more than one product from the same loyalty program could put a higher echelon of elite status within reach.
CAMERON SPERANCE/THE POINTS GUY
For instance, if you have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, you are credited with 25 elite nights per year with the Bonvoy Brilliant and 15 elite nights per year with the Bonvoy Business toward status with the program. That amounts to 40 nights each year — more than the amount needed for midlevel Gold status, and 35 nights from the elusive Titanium, all before you’ve even set foot in a hotel.
When it comes to points and miles, diversifying the number of loyalty programs you participate in is a tried-and-true strategy that will help you weather sudden devaluations. However, it can be a good idea to go all-in with one or two individual points programs for a specific time frame.
Doing so allows you to take advantage of any short-term bonuses that arise, to enjoy stackable benefits and to rack up the rewards you need for an imminent redemption even faster. Evaluate your current card lineup and see if there might be any opportunities to double down on one or two programs so you can rack up the rewards even faster.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
