Which Reward Program Should I Start With?

Written by Jason Foley
Updated on Thu, 02 Jul 2026

Why Order Matters When Getting Started

It’s important to have a strategy when getting started in points and miles. Making the wrong move early can cost you hundreds of thousands of points over time.

Which cards you open first matters just as much as which cards you open. Each bank has its own approval and bonus rules, and some banks become much harder to access once you’ve opened several cards. The goal isn't to follow a rigid checklist. It's to understand why the order matters so you can adapt as offers, rules, and loyalty programs change.

Why Flexibility Also Matters

Don't fall in love with one bank. Programs devalue. Rules change. Banks introduce new restrictions. At the same time, limited-time welcome offers create opportunities that can be worth adjusting your plan for. Your strategy should provide direction without locking you into one path.

Our card rankings page is the best place to monitor elevated offers and decide when it's worth adjusting your strategy.

Start With Transferable Points

Co-branded hotel and airline cards lock you into one loyalty program. Transferable points give you flexibility to choose how and when you redeem. For that reason, it makes sense to start with transferable point systems, and Chase is what we recommend starting with.

Why Chase Comes First

Your early card strategy will largely be shaped by the Chase 5/24 Rule. For most beginners, that means starting with one Sapphire card and, if there's an elevated offer and you're eligible, a Chase Ink business card.

Here's why Chase remains the best starting point:

• Start with a Chase card that unlocks airline and hotel transfers. That's where Ultimate Rewards become significantly more valuable because of Chase's industry-leading transfer partners.
• Ultimate Rewards are one of the most flexible transferable currencies. Points can be combined across personal cards, business cards, cash back cards, and even spouses.

One thing has changed in recent years: Chase now limits welcome offers on many of its best cards to once per lifetime. Rather than rushing through Chase applications, we recommend waiting for elevated offers whenever possible. Our card rankings page tracks the best offers available and can help you decide when it's worth applying.

Once you've built your Chase foundation, begin expanding into other transferable points systems instead of continuing to focus exclusively on Ultimate Rewards. If possible, try to preserve your 5/24 eligibility while you diversify. That way, you're still in position to apply if an elevated offer appears on a Chase card you haven't opened yet.

Don't Wait too Long on Capital One

After opening one or two Chase cards, it often makes sense to add a Capital One card or two. Capital One approvals become more difficult as you open more cards, so waiting too long can mean missing out entirely. We still generally recommend waiting for an elevated offer, but because Capital One approvals become harder over time, applying at a standard offer is sometimes better than missing the opportunity altogether.

Capital One has a smaller lineup, but the Venture Rewards and Venture X are both solid cards with strong signup bonuses and simple reward structures and benefits compared to other cards. Be aware of Capital One's Venture Family Rule and open Venture cards in the correct order so you're eligible for the welcome offers on each.

Expand Into Other Transferable Points Systems

Once you've built a Chase foundation and added one or two Capital One cards, we generally recommend expanding into another transferable points system rather than continuing to concentrate all of your earning in Ultimate Rewards.

Citi ThankYou points are valuable and transferable to a solid set of transfer partners. They are the only issuer who transfers directly to American Airlines, which offers a lot of valuable sweet spots for airline redemptions. Citi doesn’t offer the same quantity of available cards to earn points with as Chase, but it’s a solid system to diversify with after Chase and Capital One, particularly if you live near an American Airlines hub.

Bilt is a unique points system that allows you to earn points on your mortgage or rent. It can take more planning than other transferable currencies, especially for beginners. But if you can make it work for your situation, it's a powerhouse for earning points, especially with its top card, the Palladium. Plus it has one of the strongest transfer partner lineups in the hobby, arguably rivaling Chase.

Don't Rush into Amex

Amex is best used as a supplement to the rest of your points. It is important to be aware of Amex's lifetime restrictions on their cards. In practice, these "lifetime" restrictions are more like 7-10 years, but that's still a long time to wait for another welcome offer.

We recommend waiting to get into Amex until you’ve dabbled in the above systems, but with one important caveat. You want to be aware of what their normal signup bonuses are, so if you see an elevated one, you can jump on it. That's another reason we encourage checking our card rankings regularly instead of following a fixed application timeline.

Having the flexibility to apply for an Amex card is important because:

• Signup bonuses can be very large
• Approvals are generally easier, even later in the hobby
• Bonuses are limited by lifetime-style restrictions, so taking advantage of elevated offers is crucial

Amex offers great cards and partners, but its rules make it harder to generate points consistently over the long term.

Your Strategy Will Change

Your first year in the hobby shouldn't look the same as your fourth. Early on, Chase deserves most of your attention because of 5/24 and Ultimate Rewards. As your Chase opportunities become more limited, your focus naturally shifts toward other transferable currencies and co-branded cards. That's exactly how a healthy points strategy should evolve.

Putting It All Together

Our recommendation is simple:

• Start with Chase.
• Use our card rankings page before every application to identify elevated offers.
• Have the flexibility to jump on the right elevated welcome offer rather than following a rigid application timeline.
• Gradually build complementary transferable points systems instead of relying on a single bank.

That approach gives you the flexibility to adapt as the hobby changes while continuing to maximize the value of every card you apply for.