S3E10: How to Earn Bilt Rewards Without a Credit Card (Step-by-Step)

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<v SPEAKER_00>For the next few months, there's a lucrative opportunity to earn built rewards points by maximizing its partnership with Rackutin.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And today I want to walk step by step through how you can take advantage of this.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We're going to cover that plus everything else you need to know about how you can earn built rewards without ever opening a credit card.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Welcome back to Points for Normal People.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I'm Katie and I'm here because I know that travel costs add up, especially for a family.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But I believe travel isn't just for the rich.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That's why on Points for Normal People, I share the tips and tricks that my family has been using for over a decade to help you use your everyday expenses and credit card welcome offers to supercharge your travel points so you can pay for entire vacations every year.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Today is part one of a deep dive into the Built Rewards ecosystem.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If Built hasn't been on your radar, that's okay.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It's a fairly new rewards program in the scheme of things.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The best part about it is that it has some very valuable and unique transfer partners, most notably Hyatt, but also Atmos and JAL.

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<v SPEAKER_00>In the last episode of 2025, I talked about some possible strategy pivots now that Chase Ultimate Rewards seems like they're going to be a little bit harder to earn in large quantities.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Pivoting into Built is one of those possible new strategies.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This is particularly helpful if you love your Hyatt points and you want to keep earning them.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Built is the only other program right now that transfers points to Hyatt.

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<v SPEAKER_00>What I like about this option is that you don't even need to open a credit card to earn and redeem built rewards points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now there are some new built credit cards coming in February, and I will talk about those next week in detail because they are a little bit complicated.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But this episode will focus on ways to earn built rewards without opening any credit cards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I'm actually going to be very specific in this episode about steps to take.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We're going to walk through this together.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So you don't need a credit card, but you do need a built rewards account.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So the first step is that you'll need to sign up for that at builtrewards.com or download the Built Rewards app and sign up on the app.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now, sometimes the site or app will try to upsell you and also get you to apply for a credit card while you're enrolling in the rewards program.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Skip that.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You don't want to automatically open a credit card.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Maybe eventually you will, but not necessarily.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Once you're enrolled, you want to optimize your built account for earning.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So usually I focus on simple ways to earn a big chunk of points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>These next few steps are not that, but they are ways to set up your account to earn a modest number of points, essentially on autopilot.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The first step is that you want to add a credit card to your built wallet.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This will link that credit card to your built account and will allow you to earn built points on certain purchases automatically.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Again, for most people, these earnings will be modest, but I think it makes sense to set this up because after you do, you'll earn those points automatically.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The first area you can earn built points is on purchases at Walgreens.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you have a freedom card, this is typically the best card to use to pay at Walgreens since you earn 3x at pharmacies.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So I'd recommend if you have one that you add your freedom card to your built wallet, if that's the card you typically use at Walgreens.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you don't already have the habit of paying at Walgreens with a freedom card, that's an easy habit you could start too.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Keep your freedom card in your wallet or your digital wallet and start just using that to make any Walgreens purchases.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you don't have a Freedom card yet, that's okay.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You could also add a Capital One Venture or Venture X, those earn 2x everywhere.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But I'll use the Freedom Card as my example.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So with that, you'd earn 3x on Walgreens if you have a Freedom Card and you use it to pay.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But on top of that, once you link it, you'd also earn built rewards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So you'll earn either two built points per dollar if you're spending on Walgreens branded products, or one point per dollar on anything else.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You'd also earn 100 points per prescription filled.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That means you're earning four to five points per dollar combined at Walgreens.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Overall, you're probably not doing a ton of spending at Walgreens, but this makes the most of times that you do.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And while Walgreens prescription prices are generally overpriced, if you have insurance that covers them, you could even consider moving your prescriptions to Walgreens to start earning that 100 points per prescription.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You can also earn two built points per dollar on lift rides.

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<v SPEAKER_00>For this, you'll not only need to add a credit card to your built wallet, but you'll also need to go into the built rewards account, find the neighborhood tab, then find ride share, and link your lift and build accounts.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The same card in your built account needs to be the same card in your lift account that you pay with.

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<v SPEAKER_00>To maximize these earnings, you'd want to make sure your Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve are added to your built wallet.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Both of these earn five points per dollar on lift through September 2027.

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<v SPEAKER_00>By stacking that with the built earnings, you'll earn a total of seven points per dollar on lift rides.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Our family only uses lift a few times a year when we're traveling, but depending on your travel and where you live, you might earn a decent amount by maximizing the card earning plus built rewards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>There are a few other earning opportunities in the built neighborhood tab, which I'll mention briefly, but I don't think they applied much to the average person.

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<v SPEAKER_00>One is a very specific benefit for metropolis parking where you can earn one point per dollar spent.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But at least when I was looking at their parking pricing, it was all much higher for Chicago than what I would get if I booked with ParkWiz or Spot Hero.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So this didn't seem like a great option to generally recommend.

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<v SPEAKER_00>There's also a benefit for certain fitness centers where you can pay per class and each one gives you some little perk usually that goes with it.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You earn an extra two to three built points per dollar spent.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So maybe this would be useful to you if you were traveling and you wanted to try out a fitness class, but at least in my market, generally the prices were much higher than if I were to just book a package directly with a studio or use something like ClassPass.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you know some great use for this, send me a message and let me know.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But I could not see the general appeal for this one.

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<v SPEAKER_00>There's also a spot on the built app where you can activate dining rewards and could earn three built points per dollar spent.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But you don't want to do this right now.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That's because instead I'm going to walk you through later how you can earn five points per dollar, at least through May.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now, all of these earnings are modest, right?

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<v SPEAKER_00>I think it makes sense though to take the five minutes to set it up because you may as well be earning automatically on those Walgreens and Lift purchases.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And once you have that set up, the way to really earn some extra points, at least through May, is by leveraging the new built and Rakutin partnership.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now, I talked about Rackutin briefly in the episode on American Express membership awards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Rakutin is a shopping portal where you can earn cash back on purchases online, but also on dining out, on some in-store purchases, and even for some things like opening new bank accounts.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You'll have to first sign up for Rakutin if you haven't already done so, and then you'll need to link your Rakutin account to your built account.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You do not want to sign up for Rakutin directly in the Built Rewards app because it gives you a worse new member offer.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Through at least March 31st, 2026, new Rakutin members can earn$50 bonus cash back after you spend$50 at any of the online retailers.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This offer is only available if you use a current member's referral.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So if you aren't a Rakutin member yet, you can find my referral link in the show notes so you could get that$50 new member reward.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That$50 can become$5000 built rewards points, which in turn can be transferred to Hyatt or any other built partner.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And that alone is enough to book a night at a category one Hyatt hotel.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So just by signing up, you'll already have enough for a cheap Hyatt stay.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now there's a few quirks to earning with Rackuton, and so I want to spend this episode walking through how to maximize your earnings and also how to automate it as much as possible.

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<v SPEAKER_00>My goal is to make this easy for you to earn.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And keep in mind, these tips apply to earning with Rackutin in general.

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<v SPEAKER_00>They also apply if you want to earn American Express rewards through Rackritin rather than built rewards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It's all the same process.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Some people will not even want to bother with all this, and that is totally fine.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It's an extra level of mental energy, and you can 100% earn enough points for a vacation every year just by following my three-year plan.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So this is more for people who've maybe finished the three-year plan, or maybe you're in the middle of it, but you have some extra time.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I've mentioned a few times that this is particularly a sweet spot through May.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That's because through May 2026, built has an introductory rate with Racquutin.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you convert Raccoutin cash back to built rewards, it will convert for everybody at one cent per point.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That means$100 of Raccoutin cash back will give you 10,000 built rewards points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But after May 2026, unless you acquire a higher level of built status, you will earn just half of that.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So after that, if you have$100 of Rakutin cash back, you'd get just 5,000 built rewards points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now there will be options with the built credit cards to earn built status.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You could continue to have that one-to-one rate, and we'll discuss those next week.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But if you don't want to mess with the built credit cards, you might decide after May to turn your Rakutin earnings back to converting to American Express membership rewards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But again, through May, everyone can earn at this one cent per point rate.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So it's really a great time to maximize it.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Once you're signed up for Rackutin, you need to go into your built account and then link it to your Rackutin account.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The emails must match, so make sure as you sign up that you use the same email.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you already have different emails associated with Rakutin and Built accounts, you'll need to work with customer service on one of them to change the email so that they do match.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Rakutin does not like you to create duplicate accounts, so you're better off changing the email on your existing account to match rather than trying to open another account.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I have step-by-step instructions with screenshots and my built blog post, which is linked in the show notes if you want to walk through this.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Then you'll also need to make sure that built rewards is selected as your payout option in Rakutin.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So the first thing to know is that Rackutin only pays out cash back or points once per quarter, and there's a delay in payment.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It pays out on February 15th, May 15th, August 15th, and November 15th.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You'll also only get paid out for cashback that's been confirmed by those dates.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It can't be pending.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And sometimes purchases take a long time to get confirmed.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It's January 7th as I write this, and I have a purchase from November 24th that is still listed as pending.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So even though Built has said they will give everybody this introductory rate through the May 15th payout, really, this might just be for purchases through about March 15th through 31st, if you really want to make sure they're confirmed by May 15th.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So at this point, it is a fairly small window of maximizing.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But if you want to maximize, here's how you can do it.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The first step you should take is to maximize referrals.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Rackertin really rewards you for referrals, and through March 31st, the referrals are at an all-time high.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Every time you refer someone, they can earn$50 cashback bonuses, and you will also receive a$50 cashback bonus.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now you only earn the referral points if that person spends$50 or more via Rackerton, but that's pretty easy to do, and they have to do that anyway if they want to get their new member bonus anyway.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you have a spouse or partner, you'll want to first sign yourself up.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Again, my referral link is in the show notes if you want to use that to get your first$50 bonus.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Then you'll want to refer your spouse or your partner.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Once they spend$50, you'll earn another$50 bonus, plus they will have earned one as well.

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<v SPEAKER_00>At this point, you already have$150 across your household, or 15,000 built rewards points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Again, that's because you got$50 from you yourself signing up,$50 from referring your partner, and$50 from them signing up.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You can also refer your parents or aunts and uncles or cousins or friends.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You can refer anyone who is over 18, so this would be great to refer college students to this as well.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The great thing is that it costs all of these people$0 to join, and you'll earn$50 for each referral, which again can convert to 5,000 built points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>They will need to spend at least$50 clicking through Rackotin to get their bonus.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But with stores like Walmart, Sam's Club, Target, Lowe's, Pet Supplies Plus, Ulta, Sephora, and so many more, it's pretty easy for most people to find a place that they're going to be doing some spending at anyway.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You could even help parents or college students out by referring them and signing them up, and then you being the one that clicks through their account to do the spending if you really want to get those referral bonuses.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You cannot, however, refer yourself to multiple accounts.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Rakutin is very sensitive to this type of gaming.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So step one, maximize your referrals.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Next, you'll want to link a credit card to your Rakutin account, which will allow you to earn extra points for Racutin dining and some other in-store purchases.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Remember how I said you don't want to activate built dining for now?

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<v SPEAKER_00>That's because with Racquetin Dining, you'll earn five points per dollar, and your credit card can only be part of either built dining or Rackutin Dining.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So for now, you want to be a part of Rackutin Dining.

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<v SPEAKER_00>In my area, there are a lot of local restaurants listed on Racquutin Dining as options.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So I have my Sapphire card linked because my Sapphire card earns three points per dollar on dining out.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You'll just want to link whatever you usually use for dining purchases.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Or if you're working on a new credit card right now and putting all your purchases just on that card, just link that card to Rakutin.

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<v SPEAKER_00>For me, linking my Sapphire means I'm earning eight points per dollar at any of the 22,000 Rakutin restaurants automatically.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That eight points per dollar is split between two programs, but overall I'm earning eight points per dollar.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Then there are four more areas of opportunity for earning with Rakutin, and I want to walk through them each in detail and show how to automate earning as much as possible.

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<v SPEAKER_00>First, you have earnings on online shopping purchases.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Your earning here will really depend on how much online shopping you can do, but I want to offer a few suggestions for maximizing this.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The first thing is to install the Rakutin browser extension on your computer and on your phone.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now you can only install the browser extension on your phone if you have an iPhone.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The browser extension is really helpful because it just pops up and tells you if a website you've gone to has the option of earning cash back through Rackutin.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And then it lets you activate it just by pushing a little button.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you do a lot of shopping in store-specific apps, you will not be able to get those purchases to track in Raccoin.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It's kind of a pain, but you'd have to retrain yourself not to go to the store app, but just to shop in a browser instead.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you do a lot of shopping on your phone and you really want to maximize this, I'd honestly say it would be worth getting rid of apps that are for stores that have Rakutin earning, because otherwise your phone might kick you over to their apps when you're searching and you'll lose out on that extra earning through Raccoon.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Another option for phone shoppers, and if you're an Android user, it's your only option, is just to do your shopping through the Rakutin app.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It keeps you in a browser within the Rakutin app so you know your cashback will track.

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<v SPEAKER_00>On the Raccutin app, you can search by store or by item.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So for instance, when my daughter wanted Uggs for Christmas, I could search for the Uggs she wanted and see the pricing as well as which store could earn me the most cash back.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Starting either with a Raccoutin app or shopping on a desktop with a Rakutin browser installed is the best simple way to make sure you're not missing out on activating Raccoutin cashback for online shopping.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you want to level up from there, the next level would be timing your purchases to coincide with higher cashback promotions.

00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:47.840
<v SPEAKER_00>Now, what I find super annoying about Racutin is that the cashback rates or earning rates are constantly changing for some sites.

00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:51.440
<v SPEAKER_00>It might be 2% one day and 15% the next day.

00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:56.960
<v SPEAKER_00>I love deals, but I hate managing a lot of things, and I also hate feeling like I got a bad deal.

00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:00.000
<v SPEAKER_00>I've used a few different methods for tracking and optimizing this.

00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:02.960
<v SPEAKER_00>My favorite method right now is the site SaveWise.

00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:08.720
<v SPEAKER_00>Now, personally, I use the Pro version, but I think for most people it makes sense to start off with the free version.

00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:13.359
<v SPEAKER_00>And if you really find yourself wanting more out of it, to then upgrade to the pro version later.

00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:22.559
<v SPEAKER_00>I did reach out to the developer of SaveWise for a coupon code, and if you decide you want to get the pro version, you can use the code KTT to get 20% off.

00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:25.039
<v SPEAKER_00>This is not an affiliate link, I don't earn any commission.

00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:28.640
<v SPEAKER_00>He just added a coupon for this audience because I told him I used his product.

00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:35.200
<v SPEAKER_00>I will add that paying for SaveWise Pro offers a simple way to maximize this, but it's of course not free.

00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:39.519
<v SPEAKER_00>It's$70 a year or still$56 with a KTT discount.

00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:47.680
<v SPEAKER_00>It is simpler with SaveWise Pro, but of course, I'm also going to show you how you can do the most with just using the free version of different programs.

00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:50.000
<v SPEAKER_00>And I said this is the next level, right?

00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:54.559
<v SPEAKER_00>So it does take a little more effort, but if you want to put in the effort, there's ways to do it.

00:17:54.880 --> 00:18:03.279
<v SPEAKER_00>So what you can start to do with this is maximize when you make purchases that might not be urgent and make those for maximum earnings.

00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:10.400
<v SPEAKER_00>You can do this because some of these programs give you the ability to see historical cashback offers for different stores.

00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:14.079
<v SPEAKER_00>So the free version of SaveWise lets you see 14 days.

00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:17.920
<v SPEAKER_00>The pro version lets you see 365 days of offers.

00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:27.039
<v SPEAKER_00>If you really want to keep this free, you'd actually also want to sign up for a free version of a site called TrackRack, which lets you see 21 days of historical offers for free.

00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:30.400
<v SPEAKER_00>So you'll see a little bit more than you'd see with the free version of SaveWise.

00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:32.480
<v SPEAKER_00>I'm a nerd, but also this is my job.

00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:34.880
<v SPEAKER_00>So I love the 365-day view.

00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:40.319
<v SPEAKER_00>But even the 14 to 21 days can help you see if an offer is fairly stagnant or more dynamic.

00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:47.839
<v SPEAKER_00>If I look up PetSmart, for instance, I can see that even in the past 14 days it had a day it bounced up to 10x versus a normal rate of 2x.

00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:56.799
<v SPEAKER_00>With my 365-day view, I can see that in the past year it often goes to 15x, and even on a few days it went up to 20 and 25x.

00:18:57.119 --> 00:18:58.640
<v SPEAKER_00>Not all stores vary.

00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:02.880
<v SPEAKER_00>Some stores stay very similar the whole year or never change.

00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:11.519
<v SPEAKER_00>But once I find a store that has a lot of variation and it's a store where I shop at regularly, I can then go into SaveWise and set an alert.

00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:14.880
<v SPEAKER_00>So in my case, I buy my cat litter at PetSmart.

00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:21.200
<v SPEAKER_00>So I can set an alert, and when it goes up to at least 15x, I can go in and buy a few months of cat litter.

00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:27.359
<v SPEAKER_00>In this case, I can select free in-store pickup, and so it doesn't cost me anything more than normal.

00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:29.920
<v SPEAKER_00>But I'm still earning extra points on it.

00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:34.480
<v SPEAKER_00>With a free version of SaveWise, you get to set three alerts for stores like this.

00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:37.359
<v SPEAKER_00>With the Pro version, you can set unlimited alerts.

00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:42.319
<v SPEAKER_00>If you also sign up for a free version of Track Rack, you can set another alert for free.

00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:49.839
<v SPEAKER_00>Another place that bounces up to 14 or 15x or even more sometimes is Viad, where you can book a lot of tours for travel.

00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:54.480
<v SPEAKER_00>If you book through there for trips, that's a really good one to set alerts for.

00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:59.759
<v SPEAKER_00>There are other stores that might mesh with other card benefits you have, like Stubhub or Lululemon.

00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:04.640
<v SPEAKER_00>Booking.com is on there and has some great hotel options in other countries especially.

00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:14.400
<v SPEAKER_00>Other stores that have rates that bounce around a lot that you might shop regularly at would be Ulta or Old Navy or Walgreens or even some local grocery stores are on there.

00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:31.039
<v SPEAKER_00>I think the best way to go about it is for you to start by making a short list of places you regularly shop at, and then just check them out on SaveWise to see if they're on Raccoutin and see if they seem to have any variation where it might be worth setting an alert for for those higher rates.

00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:38.640
<v SPEAKER_00>You can also spend a little time on the Rackutin site and browse the stores on there and see if there's anything on there that you shop at just a few times a year.

00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:42.160
<v SPEAKER_00>That will help you focus in on what deals are relevant to you.

00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:51.279
<v SPEAKER_00>Now, for some people, that all will seem like a bother, and it's fine to just have Rakutin on your browser and activate whatever the current cashback is.

00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:58.559
<v SPEAKER_00>I think the maximizing again is more for people that have more mental energy or who are the type to love extreme couponing.

00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:03.119
<v SPEAKER_00>And some people may do very little shopping online and might not find as many opportunities.

00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:07.200
<v SPEAKER_00>Next, we have a different kind of offer, financial offers.

00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:14.079
<v SPEAKER_00>Besides online shopping, there are a lot of other promotions where you can earn a flat cash back bonus on Rakutin.

00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:20.400
<v SPEAKER_00>This can be for signing up for internet or phone service, but the most lucrative I think is their bank account bonuses.

00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:26.000
<v SPEAKER_00>To find these, you can go to the Explore tab and then select banking and finance tools.

00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:29.440
<v SPEAKER_00>One issue is that these change and often change quickly.

00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:32.480
<v SPEAKER_00>Some of the best offers only last a day or two.

00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:40.240
<v SPEAKER_00>So if you really want to maximize this over the next few months, you might just want to log in and check these every day or every other day yourself.

00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:42.000
<v SPEAKER_00>We're gonna try to help you with this.

00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:49.839
<v SPEAKER_00>So through March 31st, we're gonna try having an alert system for these deals just to help you save time and maximize this.

00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:58.000
<v SPEAKER_00>Essentially, I have someone who's gonna scan Rackotin every day for any extra deal and also read the fine print really carefully.

00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:05.519
<v SPEAKER_00>If we find something that we think is worthwhile, we'll send out a really quick email and I'll post it in my Instagram stories with details.

00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:10.480
<v SPEAKER_00>If you'd like to sign up for those specific emails, you can find the link in the show notes.

00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:14.400
<v SPEAKER_00>Last week, for instance, there was a$100 bonus for Sophie Invest.

00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:22.480
<v SPEAKER_00>This one said you needed to open a new Sophie Invest, or is it Sophie Invest, I don't know, account and fund it with$100 within 45 days.

00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:29.680
<v SPEAKER_00>It doesn't actually say how long you need to keep it in there in the terms, but I'd personally keep it in until I get my Raccoutin cash back confirmed.

00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:36.799
<v SPEAKER_00>That was a very easy way to earn what could then become 10,000 built points and then could become 10,000 Hyatt points.

00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:40.559
<v SPEAKER_00>So I was able to sign up and fund one of those accounts in about five minutes.

00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:44.480
<v SPEAKER_00>There's another similar one right now for Raisin, another online platform.

00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:51.359
<v SPEAKER_00>Sometimes bank accounts like SoFi Checking has gone up to$300 or more, and Chime has gone up to$150.

00:22:51.920 --> 00:23:00.960
<v SPEAKER_00>These offers are where I think the average person could earn the most over the next few months if you have a little bit of time, and especially if you have a little bit of money, you could move around to these bank accounts.

00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:08.160
<v SPEAKER_00>One issue with some of the bank account bonuses on there is that they're going to require a direct deposit to earn the cashback bonus.

00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:12.079
<v SPEAKER_00>That can be a little harder to manage depending on your work situation.

00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:16.160
<v SPEAKER_00>But sometimes there are workarounds for the direct deposit options.

00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:25.680
<v SPEAKER_00>Sometimes, especially on sites like Doctor of Credit, people will post in the comment what actually might trigger a count as a direct deposit for that specific bank.

00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:32.720
<v SPEAKER_00>Some banks, for instance, might account a deposit coming from PayPal or Venmo as if it was a direct deposit.

00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:36.240
<v SPEAKER_00>So we'll include those details in our email alerts too.

00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:42.640
<v SPEAKER_00>And we'll of course also be checking the historical offers to make sure that the offers we're sending are actually good ones.

00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:48.799
<v SPEAKER_00>There's one more earning possibility with Rakutin, and that's with in-store offers on a linked credit card.

00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:54.000
<v SPEAKER_00>A lot of these stores are fairly niche stores, but there are some big ones on there, like IKEA.

00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:59.440
<v SPEAKER_00>How in-store offers work is that you have to have a card linked in your Rakutin wallet.

00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:07.759
<v SPEAKER_00>Then you also have to activate that specific in-store offer before you check out at that store and pay with that credit card.

00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:11.440
<v SPEAKER_00>Then you earn usually two to four points per dollar spent.

00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:14.559
<v SPEAKER_00>For me, it's pretty hard to remember to check and activate these.

00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:23.119
<v SPEAKER_00>But because I have the pro version of SaveWise, if I log into Rakutin from my desktop browser, it will just auto-add all the in-store offers.

00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:28.160
<v SPEAKER_00>Then you still have to pay for the purchase at those stores with that linked card.

00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:34.319
<v SPEAKER_00>So you need to make sure that the card you're using most are the one that you've linked on Raccoutin.

00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:47.279
<v SPEAKER_00>But when we went to a Golden State Warriors game, I was pleasantly surprised to see a notice that we were earning 20% cash back on our food purchases at the stadium because a few weeks before SaveWise had auto-added that in-store offer for me.

00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:51.680
<v SPEAKER_00>Now that was a promo rate, but the normal rate there is still 10% cash back.

00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:57.039
<v SPEAKER_00>That's when the pro version did help me out because I wouldn't have thought to even look to activate that.

00:24:57.200 --> 00:25:05.759
<v SPEAKER_00>But you don't need the pro version, you can also just scan down the list of in-store options and just click to select any stores that you might shop at in person.

00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:09.200
<v SPEAKER_00>Again, just make sure to pay with your linked credit card.

00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:11.599
<v SPEAKER_00>You can link more than one credit card too.

00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:30.559
<v SPEAKER_00>If you want a way to activate those in-store offers just for the next few months, if you're working to maximize this first part of the year, instead of savewise, you could also pay monthly for the premium track rack service, because that's just$7.99 a month, and you can pay month to month and activate your in-store Raccoutin offers that way.

00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:37.200
<v SPEAKER_00>SaveWise Pro, you have to pay for a full year, and that's$56 a year with my discount code.

00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:42.160
<v SPEAKER_00>But if you just want to do it for a few months, it'd be cheaper with two months of track rack premium.

00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:50.480
<v SPEAKER_00>Whew! This episode really got into the nitty-gritty details, which I know is not always the most thrilling to listen to, so thanks for sticking with me here.

00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:58.480
<v SPEAKER_00>Let's run through action steps on the ways you can maximize built rewards without having any specific built or rack-otin credit card.

00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:05.440
<v SPEAKER_00>I know it seems like a lot, but much of it, once you get it set up, is really easy to just keep earning points on.

00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:07.759
<v SPEAKER_00>Even if it's just a little bit at a time.

00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:14.319
<v SPEAKER_00>There were a lot of steps today, so we also have a checklist in the show notes with easy to follow links and screenshots.

00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:17.839
<v SPEAKER_00>First step, of course, is signing up for a built rewards account.

00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:23.440
<v SPEAKER_00>Once you've done that, you'll need to add at least one credit card you use frequently to your built wallet.

00:26:23.680 --> 00:26:26.240
<v SPEAKER_00>This will help you earn on purchases at Walgreens.

00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:28.799
<v SPEAKER_00>I mentioned adding a Freedom card if you have one.

00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:37.519
<v SPEAKER_00>Then you'll also need to link your built and lift accounts and add whatever card you would use at Lyft to your built account to double up on those rewards as well.

00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:39.839
<v SPEAKER_00>Personally, I'd suggest a Sapphire card.

00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:43.759
<v SPEAKER_00>Then you want to open a Rakutin account if you haven't done that yet.

00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:46.799
<v SPEAKER_00>My link for the$50 bonus is in the show notes.

00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:50.000
<v SPEAKER_00>Then you'll link that also to your built account.

00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:56.240
<v SPEAKER_00>Once you've done that, try just to earn as many points as possible with Rakutin through the end of March.

00:26:56.400 --> 00:26:58.480
<v SPEAKER_00>Refer friends and family as much as you can.

00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:00.079
<v SPEAKER_00>Set up the browser extension.

00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:04.799
<v SPEAKER_00>Add the card you use for dining out to your Racutin wallet, and activate Rakutin dining.

00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:07.359
<v SPEAKER_00>I'd suggest a Sapphire card for that specifically.

00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:09.680
<v SPEAKER_00>Set up alerts to maximize earnings.

00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:12.720
<v SPEAKER_00>Sign up for our email alerts on bank account offers.

00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:17.119
<v SPEAKER_00>And look for those in-store offers as well, in case you're going to be shopping at any of them.

00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:21.839
<v SPEAKER_00>I know it sounds like a lot, but I really think you could do that all in about 30 minutes.

00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:29.839
<v SPEAKER_00>And then you'll be set up, maybe an hour if you're actually going more into details with the stores and doing some research on earning rates and everything.

00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:37.119
<v SPEAKER_00>We will have episodes two weeks in a row to start off the year so that I can also dive into the built credit cards next week.

00:27:37.359 --> 00:27:46.319
<v SPEAKER_00>And one more quick note: if you are new here and you're just getting started with points, I really recommend this is a great time of year to just get started with the three-year plan.

00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:51.839
<v SPEAKER_00>You can actually start the three-year plan any time of year, but January people love to start a new system.

00:27:51.920 --> 00:28:01.359
<v SPEAKER_00>So I'd recommend that you check that out and get started if you just really want an easy-to-follow system to get earning and redeeming credit card points to check out that three year plan.

00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:03.599
<v SPEAKER_00>Thanks so much for spending time with me today.

00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:08.880
<v SPEAKER_00>I look forward to seeing you next time where we will continue to unlock these secrets of travel points together.