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July 31, 2026 | View Online
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Give me just a moment of your time.
Smart Points is four years old next month. I feel privileged to send this blurb out to you guys, and it’s meant the world to help so many of you make the most of your points and miles.
We’re planning some big things, but before we get there, I need to know more about you and what you want from the newsletter.
Take a second out of your day to fill out this quick questionnaire, and help me improve Smart Points and build in some new features that can make a huge difference in the ever-changing points and miles landscape.
If you’re reading this line, go back and repeat until you’ve filled out the survey. And as always, my inbox is open for any super-specific thoughts.
Let’s get to the points:
Cheers,
Steven
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| CARD OF THE WEEK
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Back to School Bonuses To Consider
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It’s August tomorrow, which means if you have kids, the countdown is on. If you don’t, don’t worry about a thing. Just kick back with that beer or marg you just made and plan your next vacation. That’s what I’m doing.
But in all seriousness, those of you with munchkins big and small probably have a lengthening list of essentials and demands for and from your kids. While (I hope) the cost of this won’t soar too high, I’m sure there are some hefty purchases in there. If there are, consider checking out some of these cards to bolster your points and get a return on your kids' return to school.
Grab a mid-level hotel card
For immediate purchases that maybe weren’t on your radar, I’m a huge fan of grabbing some specific program cards. This Hilton one is an excellent choice. With an achievable bonus of 130,000 points after a spending threshold of $3,000 within six months, your school purchases could be grabbing you a few free nights. I did this with the exact same card a few years back, opening the card to pay for my laptop and covering Jess and my five-day trip in London.
Quick Budget Airline Points Injection
Unless you already have a major card in your sights that will change your strategy, it’s a good call to give yourself some useful points that can back you up in tight situations. I’m a believer that every American should have Southwest points available, purely for the fact that it’s hard to get a bad redemption with them. It’s perfect for last-minute trips for funerals, graduations, and bachelor parties, and a good way of beating holiday rushes and price surges without parting with more valuable points. This card will gift you 50,000 points after spending just $1,000 within three months of opening it, making it a super-accessible option for many people — especially if your kid has their eye on an absurdly expensive new art kit.
A Bigger Call For Lifestyle Earnings
This card is more of an investment — its annual fee dwarfs the other two — but it comes with a bonus as high as 100,000 points after spending $8,000 within six months of opening it. The big thing here, though, is the mad earnings on supermarkets and restaurants. You know things are about to get crazy — packed lunches, friends over for dinner, travel team dinners, hormonal teenagers that can dedimate a fridge in two days. These bills are going to skyrocket, and this card will ensure you’re earning as much as possible when they do.
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| JOIN 1440
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Start Your Day Smarter
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Be the smartest person in the room by reading 1440, where 4.5 million Americans find their daily, fact-based news fix.
They navigate through 100+ sources to deliver a comprehensive roundup from every corner of the internet: politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a quick, 5-minute newsletter.
It's completely free and devoid of bias or political influence, ensuring you get the facts straight.
Subscribe to 1440 today.
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| READER QUESTIONS
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Your Questions Answered
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Guys, I have to apologize. I completely missed a bunch of questions you sent in about two months ago, and I’m only seeing them now, as the new batch came in. I’ll be working through them all in the next few newsletters, so bear with me, and if you have any other questions, thoughts, or ideas for me, shoot them here or send an email directly!
Today’s question is brilliant. It’s complicated but important. No name, but it read:
“What specific order should a person apply for credit cards considering the 5/24 rule, getting all the bonuses from cards in the same family, bonuses, and perks? I'm new to credit card hacking but not traveling; I have spent a lot of money on travel both domestic and international without the benefit of perks/bonuses, and will be applying for a few cards while I'm in the financial space I'm in now. I want to make the most of these bonuses. Also, how to apply for cards in a way that minimizes the chance of being denied because of multiple applications”
There’s a lot to unpack here, so I’ll do it in short segments to keep the newsletter from getting too long. The original sender, please reach out too! I’d love to help more.
The 5/24 Rule
This is a rule from Chase that stipulates you’ll be denied by them if you open five or more cards in a 24-month period — not just Chase cards, any cards. This is vital for your planning because it can force your hand.
For example, maybe you’ve had your eye on a big bonus with Amex, but opening that will be your fifth in 24. You were hoping to open a Chase card afterwards, but doing it in that order would force you to wait. You need to weigh up the pros and cons of each to gauge which is the best in that moment.
Family Card Bonus Limits
This refers to newer rules that some issuers have enforced that prevent you from earning bonuses for lower-tiered cards if you’ve opened a higher one. For example, if you open a premium Amex card, you’re no longer eligible for the free, mid-tier, and upper-mid-tier card bonuses, leaving hundreds of thousands of points on the table. Again, this forces your hand. Do you want the perks of the premium card more than you want the combined points of all the others? Can you wait? And will opening them all in order mess with your Chase plans on the 5/24 rule? Again, it’s about strategy and priority.
There is a lot to consider, and it’s so important that you lay your priorities out and make a plan before you make a move.
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Investment Strategies: Long-term vs Short-term
I think about both the long-term and short-term. Take the World Cup last month as an example. In the short term, I sacrificed sleep, health, and sanity to wake up and see my country play at 5 AM. In the long-term, I invested in large dinners, purposely bought junk food to put in the fridge when I got home, and occasionally drank water to ensure I didn’t get hangovers. That’s nothing to do with this article.
Check out a more sensible approach to long-term and short-term investment strategies.
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| TRAVEL HACKING NEWS
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Discover Begins The Migration To Capital One
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If you have a Discover card in your wallet, you should have received a heads-up about its merger with Capital One going live soon. It’s not breaking news (it’s been in the works for two years), but the official migration began on July 27th, which means there’s a chance your account will now be managed via the Capital One website.
The issuers are doing this in waves, with the last transitions not going through until 2027, so there’s a good chance you won’t be seeing anything new on your end for a while. When your ticket is pulled, though, you should receive any and all instructions to make sure it’s all fairly seamless. All your previous settings, like paperless billing, scheduled payments, and even any cashback preferences, should all be migrated, too.
But until you get the nod, just sit tight.
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