How I earned 100,000 points before signing up for my 1st credit card
Imagine a business-class ticket to Europe, two round-trip tickets to Hawaii, numerous short domestic flights or a night of being pampered at a swanky resort. Now imagine those luxuries for free. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
These things can be achieved on a budget, often with 100,000 points or less from various loyalty programs. For many individuals, earning these currencies comes down to two primary options: credit cards rewards and/or traveling.
When traveling as cheaply as possible by redeeming rewards, one cannot accrue awards, as most airlines and hotel brands prohibit earning points and miles from a redemption. Even when paying for travel, many earning structures are directly correlated to the cost of the purchase, so by only taking those cheap flights, it will take a long time to build a substantial balance. How can one secure sufficient points and miles to enjoy these redemptions without buying plane tickets and staying in hotels?
Credit card rewards can be earned quickly via everyday spending and the TPG fan favorite: credit card welcome offers, with the ability to earn 100,000-plus points at once. But there is one issue. If you cannot sign up for credit cards because you are holding off on applications during a home buying process, are out of your country or, in my case, are under 18 years of age and too young, then you cannot earn the associated bonuses. What then?
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With a strong desire to travel, I tried to earn as many miles as I could before I was eligible to sign up for my first credit card. While not as substantial as a sign-up bonus, over time, I used the following strategies to earn 100,000 points and miles, many before my 18th birthday.
Shopping portals
Let’s face it, a lot of us spend more money online than we care to admit. Maximizing those purchases is where online shopping portals come into play.
Shopping portals make it easy to earn rewards, only requiring a couple of extra clicks. Rather than going directly to Macy's or Adidas, clicking through a portal can easily earn 2 or more miles per dollar with very little additional effort. Some stores will occasionally have increased offers, making it easier to build your balance.
While it rarely makes sense to spend extra money just to earn miles, there is no harm in clicking through the portal for purchases you were already going to make.
Many of the miles I earned before turning 18 came from American Airlines' shopping portal. Every time I bought a birthday present, clothes for school or new shoes, I purchased them through the portal and slowly but surely started building my balance.
If I needed to order something but did not have an imminent deadline, I waited for a better offer, such as earning 10 miles per dollar instead of 2, or I waited for a shopping portal bonus that would earn bonus points after spending a set amount of money.
Adding a shopping portal button to my browser only increased my earnings. I convinced my parents to add my American button to their browser so in addition to my parents earning rewards by using their credit card, I earned rewards without my parents’ need to navigate the portal.
In addition to American, other airlines and hotel programs have portals, such as Delta, United, Wyndham and more. Make sure to check Cashback Monitor for earning rates and TPG’s points and miles valuations to see the value of the points you can earn.
Related: The beginners guide to airline shopping portals
Card-linked programs
In addition to shopping portals, another way to earn more miles is by linking credit and debit cards to different card-linked programs. When your card is used to pay a certain merchant, the merchant notifies the program. This lets you earn bonus miles, sometimes per dollar spent or on purchases over a certain amount.
I linked my parents’ card to SimplyMiles, an American Airlines partner, which allowed me to earn miles after clicking on offers provided by the program. When they took advantage of an offer, I earned points.
While this approach has helped me earn some points, it does not have nearly as significant or robust a selection of merchants as the AAdvantage shopping portal.
The one thing to note about SimplyMiles is that you must link it to a valid Mastercard. Other airlines such as JetBlue and United offer similar programs through their shopping portals, but some offers are limited to in-store purchases only.
Related: How I plan to earn American Airlines Executive Platinum status with Loyalty Points
Dining programs
Like card-linked programs, dining programs allow you to link a card to your account. When that card is used at eligible restaurants, rewards from that purchase will be added to your account. Many loyalty programs offer dining programs, such as Marriott Bonvoy’s Eat Around Town and American’s AAdvantage Dining.
Many of these programs run on Rewards Network, meaning you can only have a card linked to one dining program at a time. When you try to link that same card to a new program, it will be removed from the previous program. Linking my parents' credit cards to dining programs (with their permission) allowed my parents to earn points from their cards while I was able to earn points through the program.
Related: 10 of the most generous airline and hotel dining rewards programs
Surveys
While many people laugh at the thought of filling out surveys to earn points and miles, there are some situations in which I disagree with them. While filling out these online surveys is often not worth the time, sometimes these programs have offers that are lucrative enough to sign up for.
A little while ago, Hilton ran a promotion offering 10,000 miles after your first survey. At TPG’s valuations, that is at least $60 worth of points and possibly enough points to stay two nights at a select number of properties that cost 5,000 points per night.
I signed up, took my first 10-minute survey and the points showed up in my account within a few weeks, in addition to the 40 or so points I earned for filling out the survey. Other promotions have allowed me to earn about 8,000 more points. Southwest’s Rewards for Opinions is another program I have used, though I earned minimal Rapid Rewards.
Related: Quick Points: Earn points and miles for completing surveys
How I am using the points and miles
Program | Balance |
---|---|
American AAdvantage (SimplyMiles, shopping portal and dining) | 56,987 |
Hilton Honors (surveys) | 17,995 |
United MileagePlus (dining and shopping portal) | 12,316 |
Combined Marriott, Delta, Southwest, Spirit, Frontier | About 18,000 |
Total | About 105,000 |
While I could amass 100,000 points and miles, they were spread across many programs. My American, United and Hilton balances, no doubt, were more substantial (about 57,000, 12,000 and 18,000 miles, respectively). However, some of my other balances are small enough to require additional rewards before I can make any worthwhile redemptions.
So far, I have used 30,000 American miles, along with a $5.60 fee, to buy a ticket from Washington, D.C., to Milan that would have otherwise cost north of $550. Also, I transferred 15,000 Hilton Honors points to my dad’s account via the points-pooling feature to top off his account for a premium redemption at the Mango House Seychelles.
I will likely try to use my MileagePlus miles to fly domestically next time United offers low-cost domestic award tickets. This often includes routes such as Washington, D.C., to Newark or Florida. Additionally, I have my eyes set on some American Airlines Web Specials to use the last of those miles to fly somewhere relaxing, like the Caribbean.
Related: Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantage
Bottom line
There are many ways to earn points and miles other than with credit cards or butt-in-seat miles on airlines that most people do not know about. Some of these methods require patience but, in the long term, can help you accrue a healthy stash of rewards. Adding a few more clicks before your online purchase can add up to make the difference between a paid and free flight (plus possibly airline status).
Why leave any value on the table when you can maximize every dollar you spend? Even before I signed up for my first credit card, I was able to amass significant rewards using my debit card. It is so easy that you can get started before you can get a credit card; after all, I could not vote, but I was able to fly for free using these strategies.
Feature photo by Oleg Breslavtsev/Getty Images.
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5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. |
5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. |
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Why We Chose It
Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip.Pros
- The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. TPG values it at $1,600.
- This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. (Enrollment required for select benefits.)
- The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway.
Cons
- The high annual fee is only worth it if you’re taking full advantage of the card’s benefits. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost.
- Outside of the current welcome bonus, you’re only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so it’s not a great card for other spending categories.
- The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups are excluded.
- American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. There are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
- Breeze through security with CLEAR® lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. Learn more.
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Rewards Rate
5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. |
5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. |
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Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.Earn 80,000 PointsAnnual Fee
$695Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip.Pros
- The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. TPG values it at $1,600.
- This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. (Enrollment required for select benefits.)
- The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway.
Cons
- The high annual fee is only worth it if you’re taking full advantage of the card’s benefits. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost.
- Outside of the current welcome bonus, you’re only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so it’s not a great card for other spending categories.
- The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups are excluded.
- American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. There are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
- Breeze through security with CLEAR® lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. Learn more.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees