New year, new approach: How to choose your best credit card strategy for 2026

January is a time to plan for the next 12 months. While health and wellness often receive significant attention, personal finance should be top of mind as well. You might consider setting up a budget and planning to invest or open a new savings account.

But as you make these financial plans, don't forget to take some time to think about your 2026 credit card strategy as well.

Not sure where to start? Here's what we recommend to start your year on the right foot.

Identify your goals

As with most financial decisions, setting a goal helps determine the best credit card strategy for you. If you haven't already, consider your priorities for 2026. Some questions to ask yourself include:

• Are you taking a big trip you want to pay for with a specific type of points or miles?
• Are you planning a major expense this year and want a card with an introductory 0% annual percentage rate?
• Is the cost of living still pinching your wallet, and you want to focus on earning cash-back rewards?
• Do you want to improve your credit score?

Identifying your goals will guide your decisions about which cards to use more often, which to shelve or downgrade and which new cards to apply for.

Rearrange your wallet

With your 2026 goals in mind, take inventory of the cards you have and adjust what's in your wallet (physical and digital) accordingly.

For example, I spent the past few months earning welcome bonuses on a couple of new cards, so I used them for all my purchases. With those bonuses out of the way, I'm now maximizing the bonus categories for cards I already have.

If you're in a similar situation, take a moment to look at your current cards. If any of them have rotating categories, like the Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees), note what the Q1 categories are and check that you've activated them. Also, determine which, if any, of your cards earn bonus points for categories like dining, grocery and travel spending. You'll also want to determine which of your cards offers the best earning structure for everyday purchases.

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Once you know where each card fits, you can decide which to use for different purchases. You might end up designating your American Express® Gold Card for dining and U.S. supermarket purchases, your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) for travel purchases and your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card for all other purchases.

When making your plan, remember that some rewards are more beneficial than others for your specific goals. If you want to focus on earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you might instead use your Sapphire Preferred card for dining. It earns 3 points per dollar on these purchases — slightly fewer than the Gold's 4 points per dollar on dining worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) — but you'll earn points that more directly support your travel goals.

Keep, cancel, downgrade

As you look through your card collection in light of your 2026 goals, consider whether it's worth paying the annual fee for each of your cards or whether you should consider downgrading any of them.

Additionally, suppose you notice any major benefits overlap between your cards, such as multiple cards that earn bonus points for streaming. In that case, you may banish one or more to the sock drawer and focus on using one this year to streamline your earnings in this category.

Plan your next card

Finally, identify gaps in your current card strategy before you start looking for your next credit card. This could be as simple as noting the types of points you're running low on and whether you want to earn more of them. It could also be a decision to wait a bit before opening any more cards if your credit score has taken a hit from recent inquiries.

Regardless of your goals, it's helpful to know which types of cards you want to get this year. Then, when a valuable bonus offer comes along, you know if it's worth it for you to jump on or if you're better off going after something else.

Bottom line

As you make your 2026 plans and resolutions, remember to take some time to adjust your credit card strategy for the year. No matter what your goals are this year, the right cards can make it even easier to achieve them.

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