We may be “knock, knock, knockin’” on September’s door, but there’s still plenty of time for you to rack up a respectable points balance before the end of the year.
I’m not just going to vaguely talk about how great it would be to have hundreds of thousands of points and miles you could redeem for one or two blowout vacations or several budget-friendly trips.
I’m going to tell you exactly which cards you need to do it:
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: New cardholders can earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This welcome bonus is valued at over $2,500, per TPG’s August 2025 valuations.
Citi Strata Premier® Card: When you open the Citi Strata Premier, you can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening. This welcome bonus is worth over $1,100 per TPG’s August 2025 valuations.
Altogether, you can earn as many as 360,000 points worth over $7,000 total. When you combine your normal spending, holiday shopping and any travel you may have coming up in the back half of the year, you should have a good idea whether you could meet the minimum spending requirements in the next five months.
Even if you only add two of these cards (and are strategic about when you apply), you’d still have a hefty points balance with which to ring in the new year.
Check out the stories below to learn more about these cards and how they can help you earn — and travel — more:
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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. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
