Which Reward Program Should I Start With?

Written by Jason Foley
Updated on Tue, 03 Feb 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. Planning the order upfront gives you more flexibility and more points in the long run.

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 should come first.

Why Chase Comes First

Your long-term card strategy will be shaped by one rule: the Chase 5/24 Rule. Because of that and the strength of Chase Ultimate Rewards, they should be at the center of your points earning strategy.

Here are the most important things to know about Chase:

• Get a Sapphire card first, as holding one unlocks transfers to high-value airline and hotel partners
• Chase offers strong earning across a multitude of personal cards and business cards (and even bank bonuses)
• Points can be moved freely between personal cards, business cards, cash back cards, and between spouses
• The Chase travel portal is easy to use, including for things like cruises, which are more difficult to book with points

Even with recent rule changes, Chase remains the strongest transferable system for earning points over time.

Get In on Capital One Early

After opening one or two Chase cards, it often makes sense to add a Capital One card. Capital One approvals become more difficult as you open more cards, so waiting too long can mean missing out entirely.

Capital One has a smaller lineup, but the Venture X stands out for its strong signup bonus, annual travel credit, and simplicity compared to other cards, making it a good early addition.

Move on to Citi Next

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 several valuable sweet spots. 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.

Save Amex for Later

Amex is best used as a supplement to the rest of your points. They have lifetime restrictions on their cards (in practice it’s more like 7-10 years), which is an important aspect to be aware of.

We recommend waiting until you’ve dabbled in the above systems 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.

Amex stands out 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.

Putting It All Together

Flexibility is key in this hobby. You want to have a strategic plan, but you also want to be able to pivot when the right offer presents itself.

For most people, the most effective path is Chase first, Capital One early, Citi next, and Amex later, while being open to any elevated bonus or co-branded card that makes sense for your personal situation.

This order preserves flexibility, protects future options, and allows you to earn far more points over time than choosing cards at random.