I tried something different with my credit card rewards and it actually paid off

Everyone says to just take the cash back, but I was sitting on about 50,000 points with my Capital One card. Instead of cashing them out for $500, I looked at the travel portal and booked a specific flight to Phoenix that would have cost $650. It took some time to find the right date, but it worked. Has anyone else had luck using points for travel instead of cash, even when the cash value seems simpler?

3 comments

3 Comments

max41528d ago

Why did I always think cash back was the only smart choice?

johnp9828d ago

Honestly I was the same way for years, just grabbed whatever card gave me cash back. Tbh I saw points and miles as way too much work. Then a buddy showed me how he booked a free flight to Japan with a sign up bonus, and it totally flipped my thinking. Now I see cash back as leaving a ton of value on the table if you ever want to travel.

dixon.spencer27d ago

Totally get where you're coming from, max415. The cash back thing is sold as simple and safe, so it's easy to think it's the best deal. The real eye-opener is that sign-up bonuses on travel cards are often worth two or three times what you'd get back in cash over a whole year. That free flight johnp98 mentioned isn't some rare trick, it's just using the system as it's built. You have to be okay with planning trips around reward space, but if you are, the math isn't even close. Cash back feels smart until you see the numbers for a big trip you actually want to take.