Stack Your Points

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

00:00:00 - Introduction and Hosts’ Banter00:09:49 - Discussion on Pop-Up Jail and Welcome Offers00:23:56 - Lounge Access: Preferences and Priorities00:42:51 - Chase Ultimate Rewards: Recent Changes01:05:16 - Let’s Talk Couponization Pendulums01:20:39 - New Chase Sapphire Offers and Updates01:25:08 - Credit Card Points Boost and Travel Portals01:39:46 - Community Influence on Credit Card Usage01:53:31 - Unexpected Credit Card Acquisitions02:03:14 - Final Thoughts
 
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On Sapphire's Eve

Date: 06/16/2025
Intro 
Who we are
Viewer Questions
What if you'll do a whole segment on the problem with Capital One​. Lani alluded to it but didn't want to get into it. What am I missing? - @AcmeAcresA
 
Intro:  What is the SYPs definition of a catchall?  And can it have FTFs? Does it have to be accepted at almost all merchants? - Keith 
Main question(s): What is your current catchall card and what do you think is the best catchall card on the market even if you do not have the card? 
Is there a popular catchall that you think is overrated? If so, why?
 
Would love to hear the team discuss this question I had with a few other CC enthusiasts. Would you rather fly to Asia/Europe directly in premium economy or fly business with a medium/long layover. Personally I'd choose PE, but could see others disagreeing. - KirbyG 
 
Have any of you on the panel purchased points strategically for an upcoming redemption or to help meet a SUB? Hilton & IHG are both having limited time points sales with 100% bonus. - JC 
 
Given some of Chase's moves and rumored moves recently and the potentially coupon-ey Savor X, any predictions on further couponization/brand partnerships across C1, Citi, & WF? - DDAF
News Round-Up 
Topics 
Matt
Citizen’s latest “top” card has an Annual fee that is flexible based on your relationship with Citizens, is this something you’d like to see to help “manage” some of your Annual fees or do you see this as unnecessary?
Lani  
So Amex came out saying they will refresh the Amex Platinum cards (shocker, i.e. Chase and they do so every 4-5 years). I personally think they are pulling rulers out vs. doing it for business changes. But with so much more money being added to annual fee, competing credits, etc. Is it time to just pick Chase or Amex (based on hypothetical refresh)?
 
RJ 
We talk a lot about how to manage our set ups if our lives changes or we want to cut down on AFs. But how do you handle preparing for when the banks change the cards when your life doesn’t change? 
Outro - 
Where to find us

The Citi Custom Cash of Debit Cards

00:00:00 - Introduction and Hosts’ Banter00:05:36 - Unique Points and Miles Strategies00:09:41 - Best General Catch-All Credit Cards00:17:11 - Transferring Points to Hotels: Value Proposition00:26:41 - Positive Trends in the Credit Card Community00:36:33 - Chase Sapphire Reserve Business Card Announcement + Capital One Venture X Changes00:53:55 - The Rise of Rewarding Debit Cards01:08:59 - Strategies for Applying for Credit Cards01:28:58 - Balancing Personal Goals and Community Advice01:42:53 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

It's Longer Than Twilight

00:00:00 - Introduction and Host Updates00:02:46 - GarudaMiles00:08:06 - Credit Card End Game Discussion00:20:24 - Barclays Travel Cards Review00:24:17 - Signing Credit Cards: Is It Necessary?00:28:24 - What Makes a Hotel Good?00:42:49 - JetBlue and United Blue Sky Alliance00:47:51 - Lani | The Impact of Buy Now, Pay Later on Credit Card Debt01:04:29 - Matt | Prepaying for Travel: How Far is Too Far?01:17:27 - RJ | Credit Card Pet Peeves01:35:04 - Conclusion and Where to Find Us01:37:18 - Conclusion and Where to Find Us

I’m Built Like A Pizza

00:00:00 - Welcome To The Show00:03:32 - Question 1 | Keeping Unused Credit Cards Active00:08:26 - Question 2 | Managing Multiple Credit Card Ecosystems00:17:49 - Questions 3 | Flying Economy vs. First Class00:30:17 - Questions 4 | Cards You Irrational Want00:41:20 - Questions 5 | Futurama Characters as Credit Cards00:48:56 - Lani | Basic Economy vs. Standard Economy01:11:12 - RJ | Travel Packing Strategies01:32:55 - Craig | Dealing with Travel Devaluations01:47:26 - Matt | Cards That Deserve A Second Look02:02:15 - Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

You Can Find Me At The Carwash

00:00:00 - Introduction and Greetings + Chase Sapphire Reserve Rumors00:07:35 - Question 1 - Booking Flights with Points00:28:48 - Question 2 - Favorite and Least Favorite Credits00:34:57 - Question 3 - Cashback Concerns00:41:15 - Question 4 - Capital One Venture X00:47:42 - Question 5 - Annoying Hotel Trends00:57:14 - RJ - Gamifying Credit Card Rewards01:08:08 - Lani - Redemption vs. Destination01:18:05 - Matt - Return on Spend: Is It Worth It?01:37:39 - Closing Remarks

Craptastic Subpar Rework

Hosts | Matt Clausen of Credit Tidbits | Lani from Call Me Lani | Tariq Gaines from Riq’s Rewards | RJ from Do You Take Cards
 
Viewer Questions
If all hotel status was stripped off of cards and you had to pay for it, what would you pay for IHG Platinum (Lani), Hyatt Discoverist (Tariq), Marriott Gold (Matt) and Hilton Gold (RJ). Please consider the multipliers and benefits the status provides and the value you realistically achieve to assign the annual valuation. - AP
Maybe change the question a bit in our answers to which status would we pay for? 
I take that most, if not all of you, are ideally not depleting your points balance all the way to zero/near zero. So my assumption is that occasionally you are paying cash for a trip even though you technically might have the points to cover it. How do you go about making the decision to use points versus cash in that scenario? - DDAF 
So are annual fees for cards no longer worth it? Looking at the possibilities with no annual fee cards you can access most transfer partners for free between amex, wells Fargo, bilt and capital one. Aside from chase and Citi each ecosystem offers the possibility of obtaining a considerable amount of points. Unless you are looking for a premium benefit is there any other reason to justify an annual fee card for transferrable currencies? - Thic Boii
Favorite Futurama character and why? - DDAF
 
News Round-Up 
CSR Rumors
Why Chase, Why - Keith
Why would Chase try and have the Sapphire card compete with the Platinum when it can create a category of it's own?  What would it take to make the Sapphire your   "one card"? I'm thinking keep the travel credits the way they are, one or two more coupons, 2X catch all, raise the annual fee, 2x in the portal instead of 1.5. Am I asking for too much? - rp2048
 
Topics 
Matt
The Coupon Book wars are now in full effect; what is more likely to happen: AmEx feels the effect of the First Mover Dilemma, or Chase (or another bank) clean house? Can another bank enter and win, or can a bank win a different way?
Craig  
What piece of credit card community advice that is widely accepted that you consistently denounce or go against the grain on?
RJ
With the news of the CSR dropping I’ve started to think of my own setup. Which card in your wallet being majorly changed, for better or worse, would have the biggest impact on you?

This Podcast Condones Tiny Goblins

Stack Your Point(s)
Date: 05/6/2025
Intro 
Who we are
Viewer Questions
What's your grail card? And your grail SUB? - Keith
Which card or cards do you think are the most beautiful or coolest-looking? And which ones are the ugliest? - DDAF
Many times you all have asked for any other bank to add Mobile Wallet as a spending category. The forthcoming Alaska Airlines card is going to have foreign transactions as a spending category. What other spending categories are out there that banks haven't added to good cards would you like to see? - Jason 
What are your favorite hotel brands inside of Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt? (Eg. Westin, Embassy Suites, HIX, Andaz) - AP
Now that we find ourselves living in even more uncertain economic times, do you find yourselves using your credit cards less often?  And do you think Americans will prefer cash, debt, electronic payments before using credit as they once did? Will there be any secondary effects with less miles and points generated because the banks pull back on the credit that they are willing to lend to card holders and issue to new applicants? I find myself using my cards much less often than I did at this time last year. - Keith 
News Round-Up 
New AmEx Trademarks?
Topics 
Matt
This isn’t a Travel or Credit card topic; but it isn’t just me, general macroeconomics are just broken right? The “Law of Supply and Demand” seems to have died off somewhere, and now it’s just the “Law of what you’re willing to pay” and like…At some point that has to break, right?
K1D  
We all love to travel, but how are credit cards allowing you to have other financial freedoms? What are some of the wins that you have experienced because of credit cards that are not travel or points/miles related?
Tariq
We’ve all picked our bank ecosystems based on our travel partners (Chase/Bilt for United & Hyatt, Amex for Delta & Hilton), but if you could choose which bank had your transfer partners, which would you choose and why?
RJ 
There was a time when airline ticket prices were regulated. From 1938 to 1978, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) oversaw routes, fares, and schedules. That all changed with the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, which opened the doors to competition. Since then, flights have gotten cheaper—but so has the experience. Gone are the quality meals, spacious seating, and polished service, as airlines now race to offer less for less.
Would you support a return to standardized pricing on routes if it meant bringing back the “golden age” of air travel?
Outro - 
Where to find us

You Were the WHOLE Sundae BUT the Cherry

Intro 
Who we are
Viewer Questions
What are the most useful overlapping transfer partners? For example, Aeroplan is a transfer partner for Amex / Capital One and Star Alliance. Perhaps break it down into domestic and international travel? - Trucker X
The Thanos Snap happens and instead of wiping out half of the population, one bank that issues credit cards is no longer. Each of you pick one bank between AMEX, Chase, Citi, and C1 and figure out how the remaining banks respond to fill the void created by the bank that is snapped out of existence - Jason
There are some interesting long-term plays in this game - examples might be getting one of the Chase Marriott cards to product change to the Ritz after a year, or timing Southwest card applications to secure the Companion Pass, or at the extreme running seven figures of spend through a Platinum card to fish for a Centurion invite. Which long-term credit card play is the most interesting to you? - SpaethCo
Each of you has a different preference as to which points ecosystem you want to primarily earn in for redemptions. Aside from adding the obvious transfer partner (Lani = united, Tariq=Hyatt, RJ =Delta & Hilton, Matt= jet Blue maybe?) What would Wells Fargo need to do to their cards/rewards program for them to become the preferred ecosystem in your wallet. Like for example if they added a grocery category or made bilt points interchangeable or something of that nature would that be enough to entice you to their ecosystem - Thic Boii
News Round-Up 
Cap 1 Savor X? 
Topics 
Matt
Have you ever considered a complementary system to your main setup? If yes, who; if not, why?
Lani
Bonus categories; love’em or hate’em. How about a flat earning card?
2x/3x flat on everything. Yes, I’m aware that some card like this already exist, but what if there were more options like this?
May affect travel portals, may mean higher annual fees? What effects do you see if this was the standard?
Tariq
With Capital One getting the approval for the acquisition with Discover, what does this mean for the bank's future business model? 
RJ 
Do you ever feel stress or frustration when you have a plan in place and part of that plan is just waiting? You have to wait until X day to do Y, for example. No amount of new apps or polishing your credit score will help. Just time. 
Outro - 
Where to find us

I Make Steel Look Like Memory Foam

Stack Your Point(s)
Date: 04/21/2025
Intro 
Who we are
Viewer Questions
I got three questions mostly for Lani but anyone can answer, I wonder how often you get upgraded with 1k status? 
Also with 1k status or with the united infinite card, do you get discounts on business class award flights and if you do what kind of discounts do you get on average? 
Have you booked with last minute hotels in the Mileageplus X app because I was looking at hotels in Las Vegas and was amazed to see 10x to 15x  on some hotels? LordTorr23 
You may have talked about this already, but wondering if any of you have personal minimum limits on how low you let your transferable points drop to? - DDAF
I.e., Do you always use points if you have them to avoid paying cash (assuming acceptable value) or will you pay cash to maintain some arbitrary minimum points balance in case you need them in the future?
Have you made any CC mistakes that you initially regretted but ended up working out well? - Double Double Animal Fries
In reverse, are there any cards that started well but as time passed you started to regret? - JettinwitJan
What's your current favorite shopping portal for maximizing points and miles? - Dad Hacks Travel
News Round-Up 
Bilt has added JAL as a 1:1 transfer partner; and added the ability to earn 1x Bilt points for ALL cards used for rent in addition to any other points on that card…
Topics 
Matt
When your “normal” friends post about Credit cards on social media, how fast do you go 0-60 now with card knowledge, or do you keep things in reserve and say “I can help, just let me know”
Lani
Is there such a thing as “too much travel?” I’ve recently stated I hit travel burnout. Too much flying, too much planning. To the point where I get to my destination and I just want to watch old movies on T in the room. Have you been there, or felt the pressure from travel, planning, or ensuring you get the best/highest redemption value?
Tariq
Based on their recent news, do you think that Bilt is feeling threatened by the emergence of the Mesa Homeowners card? These are the first “positive” changes announced in a while, so I think they’re starting to feel the heat.
RJ 
The longer that I’m into credit cards the less I care so much about max point generation and SUB hunting and the more I care about the perks, natural point accumulation with less friction and the like. 
Are you a points person, a perks person or a hybrid? What drives you in your current game and has it changed over your journey? 
Outro - 
Where to find us 
Future Viewer Questions
You can choose up to 5 statuses to parlay the most expensive trip possible for the least amount of money. How would you plan it and which statuses would you pick ? No points. All cash - K1d_Cat37
What are the most useful overlapping transfer partners? For example, Aeroplan is a transfer partner for Amex / Capital One and is Star Alliance. Perhaps break it down into domestic and international travel? - Trucker X 
What are the plans for the channel moving forward? Are you looking at memberships in the future? What ideas are you guys kicking around? - AP
Now that we find ourselves living in even more uncertainty economic times, do you find yourselves using your credit cards less often?  And do you think Americans will prefer cash, debt, electronic payments before using credit as they once did? Will there be any secondary effects with less miles and points generated because the banks pull back on the credit that they are willing to lend to card holders and issue to new applicants? I find myself using my cards much less often than I did at this time last year. - Keith 
The Thanos Snap happens and instead of wiping out half of the population, one bank that issues credit cards is no longer. Each of you pick one bank between AMEX, Chase, Citi, and C1 and figure out how the remaining banks respond to fill the void created by the bank that is snapped out of existence - Jason
There are some interesting long-term plays in this game - examples might be getting one of the Chase Marriott cards to product change to the Ritz after a year, or timing Southwest card applications to secure the Companion Pass, or at the extreme running 7 figures of spend through a Platinum card to fish for a Centurion invite. Which long-term credit card play is the most interesting to you? - SpaethCo
 
Future Topic Ideas
On the question of Churning vs. Maximizing/stacking…what is best for who (beginner, pro, credit enthusiast) (MC)
Pooling points to Amex/Chase/whatever vs dedicated hotel or airlines currency - RJ 
Effective Annual Fees - Lani
What’s up with trifectas? - RJ 
Do credit cards have too many features nowadays? The more card you have the more overlap there is from bonus categories and benefits, which means that eventually something is useless. What’s your useless benefit and what would you get rid of? - Lani
Points Vs. Perks: Which is more valuable to you? Are you sub hunting or just using the card(s) that provide the highest earning or are you chasing specific benefits/perks to use at specific properties (i.e. United free checked bag, hotel status for food credits/upgrades, maybe if lounge access if you’re into that, etc.)