You are in an AWESOME position!! You are at what we'd call 3/24 (meaning you have gotten 3 cards in the past 24 months). With a wife who is interested you are in 2 player mode which means you can each apply for cards and earn even MORE points! The best starting place for you is to focus on Chase Ultimate Rewards (URs). This is a super versatile point that can be cashed out at 1 cent per point OR redeemed for travel at 1.25 cents or 1.5 cents per point. This includes booking On-Site stays at Disney and can also include tickets and dining plan if interested.
There are 6 cards that earn URs: Chase Ink Preferred (CIP)*; Chase Ink Cash* (CIC); Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR); Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP); Chase Freedom (CF); Chase Freedom Unlimited (CFU). *=Business Cards
Since you are a sole proprietor of a business I would recommend you start by looking into the CIP card. Here's a quick rundown of how that signup works:
Chase Ink Preferred (CIP)
- Best Online Offer = 80,000 Ultimate Rewards (URs) for $5k spend in 90 days (there is an in branch offer for 100k - it requires some additional work to apply in branch to with a BRM).
- Annual fee = $95 (not waived)
- Points are worth = 1.25 cents each through the travel portal OR transfer 1:1 to numerous partners
- Assuming you'd use the 1.25 travel option here's what you get:
- 80,000 bonus URs + 5,000 base URs (from min spend) = 85,000 URs worth $1,062.50 LESS $95 annual fee = $967.50
- Also of note - you could hold these points, get a CSR after and then you can redeem these points at 1.50 via the CSR making it worth $1,180
After that we probably would recommend you look at Chase Sapphire Reserve and/or Chase Sapphire Preferred. An important note is you can only apply for one of these cards every 24 months BUT there is a loophole that if you apply for both at the same time you can earn the bonus on both. CSR is a great card to have because it makes ALL your URs worth more.
Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR)
- Best Offer = 50,000 Ultimate Rewards (URs) for $4k spend in 90 days
- Annual fee = $450 (not waived)
- Add'l perk = $300 travel credit that you can get 2 times in the first year
- Points are worth = 1.50 cents each through the travel portal OR transfer 1:1 to numerous partners
- Assuming you'd use the 1.50 travel option here's what you get:
- 50,000 bonus URs + 4,000 base URs (from min spend) = 54,000 URs worth $810.00 PLUS $600 in travel credits LESS $450 annual fee = $960.00
- (I'm NOT including the benefit of free TSA Precheck or Global Entry but you could attribute another $100 in value to that).
Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP)
- Best Offer = 50,000 Ultimate Rewards (URs) for $4k spend in 90 days
- Annual fee = $95 (waived year 1)
- Add'l bonus = add an authorized user (AU) and get 5,000 more URs (don't just add your spouse, let's talk about this one before you do it).
- Points are worth = 1.25 cents each through the travel portal OR transfer 1:1 to numerous partners
- Assuming you'd use the 1.25 travel option here's what you get:
- 50,000 bonus URs + 5,000 AU URs + 4,000 base URs (from min spend) = 59,000 URs worth $737.50 less NO annual fee = $737.50
- Also of note - If you apply for a CSR AND CSP at the SAME TIME you can earn both bonuses and then redeem these CSP points at 1.50 via the CSR making it worth $885
After these 2 or 3 cards then we can start to help you with a long-term strategy. It is possible to completely offset a $4,000+ Disney vacation with the right strategy
I know I've thrown a TON out there now...So the last thing I'll say is once you have one (or multiple) of these cards you can then refer your spouse and earn the signup bonus with them AND earn referral points on top of it. I'll stop now and let you ask some questions (if you have any) before I go too far down the rabbit hole, LOL!
I'm still in the dark with all the new updates from the past week...and now a Hawaii thread over there? so much to read! 40 pages left!!!
I think it would be ideal to go to the west coast or near there one evening. Then the next day (evening maybe, so she can sleep on the flight) to the next leg to Maui or HNL. (I'd like to do Aulani for several nights and Maui for 5+. Maybe a 5/5 split.) I get so overwhelmed when I look at the flights. We need them for 6 people. I have spg points, URs, hilton, hertz, and SW (not a ton) points. I am thinking either Westin in Maui, or grand Wailea. We need 2 rooms.
