Everyday to Extraordinary
Card Strategy

Card Strategy

Build the right stack. Know what each card earns. Stay current.

Updated as the landscape shifts
Section 01

The Multiplier — What Each Card Earns

For every purchase, ask: am I using the right card for this category? This is the answer.

Groceries
4x
Amex Gold
US supermarkets
Dining & Restaurants
4x
Amex Gold
Worldwide restaurants
Flights
5x
Amex Platinum
Booked directly with airline
Travel Portal
5x
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Booked through Chase portal
Dining When Traveling
3x
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Away from home
Rent or Mortgage
1.25x
Bilt Palladium
Earns on housing payments
Catch-All
3x
Bilt Palladium
With Point Accelerator active
Drugstores
3x
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Earns Chase UR points
Online Shopping
Stacks on top
Any card + Rakuten portal
Portal bonus added to card earn

2–3 cards is enough. The goal is not to have a card for everything — it's to have the right cards covering the categories where you spend the most. Amex Gold handles groceries and dining. Chase Sapphire handles travel. A catch-all handles everything else.

Section 02

What's In My Wallet

My current stack — what I carry, why I carry it, and what each one does.

Amex Gold
4x
Groceries & dining

The foundation of the stack. Paired with Rakuten for stacked earning on everyday spend.

Chase Sapphire Preferred
5x
Travel through Chase portal

The bridge between everyday earning and travel redemptions. 3x dining when traveling.

Bilt Palladium
2026
3x
Everything with Accelerator

The only card that earns on my mortgage. Running at 3x on everything right now. Game changer.

Chase Freedom Unlimited
3x
Drugstores + 1.5x catch-all

Earns Chase Ultimate Rewards that transfer to Sapphire. The backup catch-all.

Rakuten
Stacks on top
Online purchases via portal

Not a card, but part of the stack. Switched to Amex MR points. Stacks on top of whatever card I use.

Section 03

Worth Your Attention Right Now

The cards and moves that are changing the math — updated as the landscape shifts.

Added June 2026 Spotlight
90K
Points earned
3x
On dining & rent
~$2K
Estimated value

The Card That Changed My Stack

23 days. 90,000 points. Here's what happened — and whether it belongs in yours.

The Bilt Palladium became the most interesting card in my wallet — here's the full breakdown of why, who it's for, and what to check before you apply.

Read the full analysis →
In Progress

Next spotlight in progress

Watch Your Coach for the announcement when the next analysis drops.