Points and Miles for Beginners: New to This? Start Here

ByStacy Stearns

What Are Points and Miles? A Beginner’s Guide to Travel Hacking aka Credit Card Points and Miles.

If you’ve ever wondered whether points and miles is actually real – whether someone like you could actually travel more for less without a six-figure income or a finance degree – the answer is yes. And this post is where you start.

I’m Stacy. I’ve redeemed $154,233 in flights and hotels since 2022 (at the time of this rewrite) using points and miles. As a beginner in the points and miles world, I didn’t start with a plan, a mentor, or any special financial advantage. I started with curiosity, a little patience, and a decision to wait until I was actually ready.

Here’s everything I wish someone had told me when I was exactly where you are right now.

Our first points and miles trips was to St. Louis.
Contents hide
1 What Is Points and Miles, Actually?
2 How I Actually Got Started in Points and Miles
3 Is This Hobby Right for You?
4 Why Points and Miles Is Personal, Not Cookie-Cutter
5 Where Should You Actually Start?
6 What This Is Really About
7 Frequently Asked Questions
8 Where to Go From Here

What Is Points and Miles, Actually?

Points and miles is the practice of earning rewards through credit cards and loyalty programs, then using those rewards to book travel – sometimes for free, sometimes for a fraction of the cash price.

The basic mechanics are simple. You spend money on a credit card. That card earns points or miles per dollar spent. You accumulate those points. You redeem them for flights, hotels, and more.

But here’s what most beginner guides skip over: not all points are created equal, and how you use them matters as much as how many you have. I’ve booked business class flights for a fraction of what they’d cost in cash, and hotel rooms worth well over $1,000 a night for a relatively small number of points. None of that happened by accident – it happened because I learned which points to earn and how to actually use them.

How I Actually Got Started in Points and Miles

I want to give you the honest version of this, not the highlight reel.

Before points and miles, I was already a travel-focused mom. New York City with my daughter in 2017. South Padre Island, Texas in 2018. Seoul, South Korea with my middle son in 2019. Philadelphia with my husband later that year for our 20th anniversary.

Every one of those trips was paid in cash. And I felt every dollar of it. I was frugal everywhere else I could be because the hotel alone had already taken a big bite out of the budget. I told myself it was worth it – and it was – but I knew there had to be a better way.

Then the pandemic hit and everything stopped. In that downtime, I started researching how to travel for less. I’d heard people mention points and miles in passing. But I want to be honest about something most people in this space don’t say out loud: my husband and I were not smart with money in our twenties and thirties. We carried debt. We made decisions we’re not proud of. 

By the time I found points and miles, I had worked hard to get to a better financial place – and I was not willing to undo that progress by opening credit cards before I was ready.

So I waited. I got my finances in order first. And in 2021, when I finally felt confident I could handle credit cards responsibly, I opened my first travel card.

My first redemption came that following January in 2022 – a Marriott in downtown St. Louis. Four nights. Zero dollars out of pocket. My daughter was moving to college and we had ten days notice. That booking felt like magic. I knew I still had points left over.

That was the moment I knew this was repeatable. I have been building my points and miles balance ever since – and my credit score has only gone up since I started. It was somewhere around 700 when I opened my first card. Today it sits well above 800.

Is This Hobby Right for You?

Before you open a single travel credit card, I want you to honestly answer four questions. This is the part most beginner guides skip, and I think that’s a disservice – because getting this wrong can cost you real money.

1. What is your credit score? You generally want a score of 670 or higher to get approved for the best travel cards. If you’re below that right now, spend some time building your credit first. This hobby isn’t going anywhere – it’s been around for decades (yes DECADES!) and it will be here when you’re ready.

2. Do you pay your credit cards off in full every month? This is the most important question on this list. If the answer is no, stop here and fix that first. Credit card interest rates are brutal – often 20% or higher. If you carry a balance while chasing points, the interest you pay will completely wipe out the value of anything you earn. 

Let’s say you carry a $5,000 balance at 24% APR – you could pay close to $100 a month in interest alone. No welcome bonus is worth that math. Points and miles only works as a strategy when you’re already paying your cards in full. If you’re not there yet, this hobby will work against you, not for you.

3. Are you organized enough to track spending and card requirements? Opening travel cards comes with minimum spend requirements, annual fee timelines, and bonus categories to track. It doesn’t have to be complicated – a simple spreadsheet works fine – but you do need to pay attention. Make sure you can comfortably meet the minimum spend on any card before you apply for it.

4. Do you have major financial commitments coming up? Buying a house or financing a car in the near future? Talk to a financial professional about how opening new credit cards might affect those plans. I’m not a financial advisor – I’m someone who has been in this hobby for several years, and I want you going in with eyes open.

I know this section might sound like I’m talking you out of the hobby. I’m not. I’m making sure that when you get in, you’re actually set up to win – because the interest rate conversation is the one nobody else wants to have, and it’s the one that matters most.

Why Points and Miles Is Personal, Not Cookie-Cutter

Points and miles is personal – just like personal finance is personal, just like parenting is personal. What works for one person may not work for another.

There is no single cookie-cutter approach that fits everyone, and I’d encourage you to be skeptical of anyone (or any group) that tells you there is. The real skill in this hobby isn’t memorizing a formula – it’s critical thinking. Understanding your own situation, your own travel goals, and your own financial picture, and building a strategy around that.

I was never the girl who wanted the designer bag or fancy jewelry. The nicer things were nice, but they never pulled me in. Travel, however, did. And knowing I could do more of it because of points and miles? Yes. I’ve flown business class and stayed in some amazing hotels. I’m also okay with economy and mid-tier hotels. None of it would have happened without one thing: being intentional about my credit card spend, year after year.

Where Should You Actually Start?

The most common entry point in this hobby is the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It carries a modest $95 annual fee and gives you access to Chase Ultimate Rewards – one of the most beginner-friendly transferable points currencies out there.

Most people start within the Chase ecosystem because it has some of the most valuable transferable currencies available, several complementary card options, and a well-rounded structure for beginners. (It also has some of the stricter application rules, like the 5/24 rule, so it’s worth reading up before you apply.)

Transferable points are the real foundation of this hobby. Unlike airline or hotel points that lock you into one program, transferable points let you move your rewards to multiple airline and hotel partners – which means you’re never stuck with one fixed value. I have a full video and post on exactly how this works and why it matters so much.

Does Everyone Need to Start With the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

No – and I don’t want you to think that’s the only door in. I talked about the Chase Sapphire Preferred because it’s a strong, beginner-friendly way into the Chase ecosystem, with a lot of flexible transfer partners and an approachable annual fee. But it’s not the only starting point, and it’s not automatically the right one for you.

If you already know you fly American Airlines more than anyone else, it might make more sense to start in the Citi ecosystem instead. If Delta is your airline, starting with Amex could be the better fit. The “right” starting card has more to do with how you actually travel than which card is the most talked about.

This is the part of points and miles that’s genuinely personal – no one knows your situation better than you do. If you’re not sure where you should start, leave me a comment here on the post, drop a question under the YouTube video, or find me on any of my socials. I’m always happy to help you think it through.

What Do You Do Next?

👉 Read and/or Watch next: 

  • Best Points & Miles Tools to Book Free Flights and Hotels – https://stacystravelpoints.com/best-points-miles-tools-to-book-free-flights-and-hotels/

Start with one card. Learn it well – the welcome bonus requirements, the earning categories, the transfer partners. Don’t open five cards at once and don’t try to master everything in month one. This world is as simple or as complex as you want it to be, and there is no prize for rushing.

What This Is Really About

I don’t do this hobby for the luxury of it. I’ve flown business class and stayed in stunning hotel suites, and those experiences are wonderful – but that’s not the point for me.

I do this because travel gives me moments I wouldn’t otherwise have. Time with kids who live in different cities. History. Culture. The ability to say yes to a trip instead of letting the cost decide for me.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d redeem six figures in travel using points and miles. But here we are – and if I can build this from scratch with no plan and no mentor, you can absolutely do the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

What credit score do I need to start earning points and miles?

A credit score of 670 or higher is a great starting point for approval on most travel rewards credit cards. If your score is below that, focus on building it up first – this hobby will still be here when you’re ready.

Do I need to carry a balance to earn points faster?

No – and you absolutely should not. Carrying a balance means paying interest, and credit card interest rates are high enough to completely cancel out the value of any points you earn. Points and miles only makes sense if you’re already paying your cards off in full every month.

How much does it cost to get started?

Many travel credit cards carry an annual fee, often somewhere between $95 and a few hundred dollars depending on the card. That said, the value of a single welcome bonus – sometimes worth $1,000 or more in travel – typically far outweighs the fee, as long as you can meet the minimum spend through your normal organic spending habits.

What’s the easiest credit card ecosystem to start with?

Most beginners start with Chase, specifically the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It offers a strong welcome bonus, a reasonable annual fee, and access to Chase Ultimate Rewards – one of the most flexible and beginner-friendly transferable points currencies.

Is points and miles worth it if I only travel once or twice a year?

Yes. You don’t need to travel constantly to benefit from this hobby. Even one or two well-planned redemptions a year can save you thousands of dollars compared to paying cash.

Where to Go From Here

This post is part of my Points & Miles 101 series. Here’s what to read next:

  • Best Points & Miles Tools to Book Free Flights and Hotels – https://stacystravelpoints.com/best-points-miles-tools-to-book-free-flights-and-hotels/

Grab my free Beginner’s Guide to Points & Miles here: https://stacy-travel-points.kit.com/156c7f1856

Want a more personal touch? Join my private Facebook group and let’s talk through your specific situation together.

Until next time — Stacy

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