Points Basics

✈️ What Are Points and Why Should I Care?

My wife and I have used points to go to Europe and Japan every year for the past three years—and we’ve paid under $500 total in cash. And we still have hundreds of thousands of points left.

No credit card debt. No spreadsheets. Just smart use of points from spending we were already doing.

Let’s break down how.

🦥 The LazyPoints Philosophy

This is not extreme couponing. No mileage spreadsheets (unless you want). No sacrificing your time or sanity.

The LazyPoints approach is simple:

  • Don’t spend more to chase rewards.

  • Pick cards that fit your life—not the other way around.

  • Grab the easy points. Skip the tedious ones.

  • Redeem for real value, not just flashy numbers.

🔑 What You Need to Know to Start

You don’t need to become a points nerd to win the game—you just need to know the rules.

💳 Credit & Debt

  • Know and understand your credit score.

  • Never carry a balance.

  • Rewards are worthless if you're paying interest.

🏦 Application Rules

Credit card issuers each have specific restrictions on whether and when you can open a new card and—more importantly—receive a big welcome bonus for doing so. Two of the most important ones:

  • Chase 5/24 Rule: You won’t qualify for a Chase bonus if you’ve opened 5+ cards in the past 24 months. Start with Chase cards if you're eligible.

  • Amex One-Bonus Rule: You may only get one welcome bonus per card, ever. It’s often better to upgrade into premium cards over time instead of starting at the top.

💰 Earning Points the Lazy Way

Start with high-value, low-effort strategies.

🥇 Pick one or two solid “daily driver” cards

We like:

These cards offer steady value and don’t require chasing sign-up offers at the perfect time.

💤 Set-it-and-forget-it programs

Link your cards once, then earn automatically. Some examples:

💻 Browser bookmarks for lazy boosts

Click once, earn more. Some examples:

We highlight these set-and-forget and easy-click rewards boosters on our homepage. 🏠

🎯 Grab bonus cards when the timing is right

Focus on “keeper cards” (low/no annual fee, long-term value), and pounce when their welcome offers spike. Don’t know how to time bonuses? We feature the top current bonuses in our Saturday post every week. (Or almost every week—we’re lazy, after all.)

🎟️ Redeeming Points the Lazy Way

Redemption is where most people leave value on the table. Don’t let that be you.

🧮 Get minimum lazy value

Use your bank’s travel portal if needed—this guarantees:

  • 1.0¢ per point (Capital One, Wells Fargo; Amex on flights only)

  • 1.25¢ per point (Chase Sapphire Preferred, Bilt)

  • 1.5¢ per point (Chase Sapphire Reserve)

That’s the minimum you should aim for. Anything less = 🚩

🧳 Stick to high-value, low-hassle redemptions

We like:

  • Bilt → Alaska Airlines and Hyatt

  • Chase → Hyatt

  • Amex → Delta

  • Citi → Choice Hotels (especially in Japan)

These give you solid value and wide availability without needing to hunt for unicorn award seats.

🔍 Don’t search manually—let deals come to you

Services like Thrifty Traveler Premium will alert you when high-value redemptions pop up. Set it, forget it, book it.

🔚 Bottom Line

You don’t need to spend hours chasing points to get outsized rewards. Just follow the LazyPoints method:

  • Use the right cards

  • Avoid traps

  • Redeem smarter, not harder

It’s how we travel far for less—and you can too.

Ready to get started? Check out the best cards on the market and see if you’re getting the most value for your spending and travel.