Whats the best credit card for both points and miles?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best credit card for points, and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the best credit card for miles. All credit cards use a single rewards currency (points, miles, or cash back), but some cards let you redeem for a wider range of travel expenses than others. Cards affiliated with specific travel providers, such as airlines or hotel chains, tend to be more restrictive than general-purpose travel credit cards.

Best Credit Cards for Travel Points

The point redemption process varies by credit card company, but it’s usually very straightforward. Typically, you’ll log into your online account and navigate to the rewards section where you can exchange your points for a wide range of options.

Besides travel, other common redemption options include gift cards, merchandise, and cash back. It’s important to understand all your redemption options, particularly how much your points are worth for each option, before you start to redeem them.

In some cases, your points might come from a hotel loyalty program or even a frequent flyer program. In those situations, redeeming for hotel reservations or airfare through the affiliated company is the best option.

Best Credit Cards for Miles

There are two ways to earn reward miles: through an airline or with a credit card that offers miles for making purchases. To earn miles directly from an airline, you’ll need to sign up for the airline’s free loyalty program and purchase a flight on that airline. Typically, you’ll earn miles based on the number of miles you fly or the cost of the airfare, depending on the airline.

To earn miles with a credit card, you just have to get approved for a credit card with miles, then begin making purchases. Some credit cards may also offer miles through an initial bonus, for referring a friend, or even just for keeping your account open every year.

Redeeming miles is a pretty simple process. In most cases, you can log into your online account (for your credit card or frequent flyer program) and follow the prompts to book a flight with miles. Some credit cards also let you redeem miles to pay for travel after the fact.

Ways to Maximize Points and Miles

Maximizing points and miles takes strategic planning and the right mix of cards for your spending habits. More specifically, you should:

• Use the Island Approach to earn bonus rewards in your biggest spending categories.
• Take advantage of initial bonuses.
• Redeem rewards for the options with the highest values.
• Transfer points or miles to hotel or airline partners when it increases their value.
• Pay your balance in full every month to avoid interest charges.

Mistakes to Avoid with Points and Miles Cards

One of the most common mistakes you should avoid when using credit cards to earn points or miles is carrying a balance from month to month. Unless you have a card with a 0% intro APR on purchases, it’s important to pay the balance in full every month, as the credit card’s interest rate will quickly negate any rewards you earn if you don’t.

Additionally, steer clear of redeeming your rewards for options with low redemption values. Redeeming points and miles for merchandise, gift cards, or cash back often gets you less value than redeeming for travel through a credit card company’s travel portal or transferring those rewards to an airline or hotel loyalty program.

Finally, make sure to prevent your points or miles from expiring by keeping your account open and in good standing as well as redeeming regularly.

I'm still figuring this out myself, but from what I've gathered, the Chase Sapphire seems like a pretty safe choice? It earns points that transfer to airlines and hotels, and the sign-up bonus is usually decent.

Chase Sapphire Preferred (points) and Capital One Venture (miles). If you stagger your applications, you can really clean up.

Get a card with points or miles that has a lot of transfer partners. That way, you can get either points or miles and turn em into the other when necessary. Others mentioned Chase Sapphire Preferred. I agree with that. Great rewards and plenty of partners.

Have you considered cash back? Since you can’t seem to make your mind up between points and miles, might be worth a try. Chase Freedom Unlimited is good bc it gives points redeemable for cash, and you can earn extra on travel.

No card has both, but if you want flexible travel rewards, Capital One Venture is the way to go. You can use Venture miles to pay for any travel.

Like a couple people here, Chase Sapphire Preferred is my go-to. 5x on Chase Travel, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel make it easy to rack up points fast. I’ve also heard good things about Capital One Venture / Venture X. But the truth is, if you’re not traveling at least quarterly, a no-fee 2% card might serve you better. Points are only valuable if you use them - otherwise, they’re just monopoly money.

Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best all-rounder for travel rewards, out of all the cards with points or miles. Here's why:

• 5x on Chase Travel (flights, hotels)
• 3x on dining (including delivery)
• 2x on all other travel (taxis, tolls, parking)
• Lots of transfer partners (Hyatt, United, Marriott, etc.)

The $95 annual fee for Sapphire Preferred is easy to justify when you consider the big initial bonus it offers. Pair it with a Freedom Unlimited (1.5%+ back everywhere) and you've got a simple but powerful combo.

If you want flexibility, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® and Capital One Venture Rewards are top picks. Chase offers 5x on travel booked through their portal and transfers to partners like Hyatt. Capital One’s Venture gives 5x miles on hotels/rental cars via their portal and covers broader travel redemptions. Pro tip: Pair either with a no-annual-fee card like the Freedom Unlimited for everyday spending.