Maximize Credit Card Points: Stop Wasting Travel Rewards

Most people don’t realize their credit card points could be worth 10–20x more.

Why settle for $2,300 in cash back, when those same points could get you $24,000 or more in luxury travel? 

Once I figured this out, I was able to take my entire family of 4 to Europe in lie-flat business class seats, for just $306.

So, in this video, I’m going to show you:

• How to earn the right type of CC points
• Why most people waste 80–90% of their points value
• The simple strategy that can easily 5x-10x your points

How to earn the right type of CC points

When I first started with points, I thought I was doing great. 

I was racking up 2% cash back, which is among the best cash back rates available for credit cards. 

I never even considered other types of credit card rewards, as there could be no way that the value of travel rewards could be better than just getting back money!

Or so I thought….

I eventually learned that I was leaving 90% of the value on the table. 

Once I switched to the proper way of earning rewards, I realized the exact same spending could give me 10 times more value. 

Here’s how you earn the right type of points to make that possible.

Most people think credit card points are earned at one point per dollar.

That’s the slow way.

When you’re strategic, you can actually earn 5–10 points for every dollar you spend, without spending any more than you already do.

But here’s the key: not all points are created equal.

Cash back, store cards, or airline-specific cards trap you.

What we want are flexible points, the kind you can transfer to dozens of airline and hotel partners.

That’s how you unlock the outsized value for luxury trips you never thought possible.

The two most powerful currencies are Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards.

These give you the most transfer options to take some of the best flights. 

And here’s an important note: I don’t advocate “credit card churning,” which is opening card after card just for sign-up bonuses. 

That’s messy, hurts your credit, and it’s not sustainable.

Instead, the strategy is simple: Just shift where you spend and which cards you use, and you’ll start earning the right kind of points automatically and abundantly.

But here’s the kicker:

Even if you earn the right kind of points, most people still throw away 80 to 90 percent of their value without realizing it. 

That’s the trap the banks want you to fall into. Let me show you how it works.

Why most people waste 80–90% of their points value

Most people don’t realize this, but credit card points are designed to be worth just one penny per point when you redeem them the “normal” way.

For example, 100,000 points equals about $1,000 in value if you use them for cash back, gift cards, or shopping. 

That sounds okay… until you see what you’re leaving on the table.

Here’s the problem: cash back, gift cards, and shopping online are the default traps the banks want you to fall into. 

Even airline and hotel co-branded cards often lock you into low-value redemptions.

But once you realize what those points could actually be worth with airline and hotel transfer partners, you’ll never look at them the same way again.

Because when you redeem strategically, those same 100,000 points can easily be worth $5-20,000 in real-world travel.

That’s how I turned what looked like “just points” into lie-flat business class seats for my entire family to Europe for only $306 in taxes.

So here’s the question you’ve got to ask yourself: do you want your points to buy you a few Target gift cards… or to fly you and your family around the world in luxury?

The difference isn’t about earning more points, although that helps... 

Instead, we need to find a way to multiply the value of the points you’re already earning.

Because even when you’re earning the right points, it doesn’t matter unless you know how to redeem them the right way too.

But how do you do that?

The simple strategy that can easily 5x-10x your points

When I first started digging into this, I didn’t believe it was possible. But here’s what happened…

I used the same points most people would cash out for around $2,300. 

Instead, I transferred them to one of many airline partners, and those points turned into four lie-flat business class tickets to Europe for my family.

This particular flight in these seats would have cost around $24,000 if we paid cash.

Needless to say, for us it wouldn’t have been possible.

All we actually spent out of pocket was $306 in taxes and fees. 

That’s when I realized that this isn’t theory. This is a strategy that anyone can apply.

So here’s the simple strategy that makes this possible.

First, always compare the cash price of a flight to the points price. 

If you’re not getting at least 2 to 3 cents per point in value, it’s usually smarter to just book the flight with cash and save your points for a better opportunity. 

Personally, I don’t feel good unless I’m getting at least 5 cents per point or higher.

That’s how my Europe trip worked out. 

Those same points that could’ve been $2,300 in cash back were worth over $24,000 in flights when redeemed the right way. 

And here’s a little bonus strategy: watch for transfer bonuses. 

For example, sometimes Chase or American Express will run a 20%, 30%, or even 40% bonus when you transfer points to a particular airline. 

That means at a 20% transfer bonus, it would only take 50,000 points to get yourself 60,000 points on that particular airline. 

That’s often enough for a lie-flat business class seat!

The bottom line? Once you understand this strategy, you stop wasting points on weak redemptions, and you start multiplying their value five, ten, even twenty times over.

Now you know how to turn your points into luxury travel instead of settling for weak redemptions. 

But that’s just one piece of the puzzle.

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t seem to find cheap flights, I’ve got another video that breaks down the three biggest mistakes people make when searching for airfare; and how to avoid them.

Or, if you’re ready for the bigger picture, check out my guide on how to travel more while spending less money in 2025.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, your points aren’t just numbers on a statement ... they’re opportunities.

The difference between a $2,300 cash back check and $24,000 in life-changing travel isn’t luck, it’s knowing how to play the game the right way.

You’ve already seen how simple shifts in how you earn and use your points can unlock experiences most people assume are out of reach.

The question now is: will you keep leaving value on the table, or will you start putting your points to work?