If you want to maximize how you earn credit card rewards, a single card won’t get you very far.
That’s where the idea of a credit card trifecta comes into play. This is what we call a strategic combination of three cards (though it could be any number, really) that lets you earn higher rates across a wider range of spending categories — helping you supercharge your earning on everyday spending.
Building your spending strategy around these three cards gives you a powerful variety of earning rates across the key everyday spending categories with minimal annual fees.
But, really, you can take those principles and come up with your own combinations based on your lifestyle, spending habits, tolerance for annual fees and the rewards you want to earn.
If I were starting from scratch today, I’d probably go with this combination:
This TPG favorite has strong earning rates on travel, dining and online grocery purchases, and unlocks the ability to use Chase’s top-notch lineup of transfer partners.
This rounds out my Chase earnings with elevated rates on drugstore purchases and a quarterly rotation of other useful categories (like Amazon purchases, PayPal and charitable giving).
This gives me a way to earn at least double rewards on all my other spending in a different valuable currency, plus airport lounge access for a very reasonable annual fee compared to other premium travel cards.
Total annual fees: $490. That’s very reasonable for all of that earning power, a big pile of bonus points and access to some incredible airport lounges. Check this side-by-side comparison for the detailed earning rates you’d get with this trifecta.
Looking to build your own card combo? Here are some resources:
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