S3E9: Chase Ultimate Rewards 2026 Update: New Rules and How to Pivot

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<v SPEAKER_00>It looks like it's going to get harder to keep earning Chase Ultimate Rewards in 2026.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you've relied heavily on Ultimate Rewards for keeping your points' life simple, this means you might need to pivot your strategy.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Today I'm going to walk through what's changing and offer suggestions for ways you can adapt while still getting great value and vacations out of your travel points.

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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 that you can pay for entire vacations every year.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now Chase Ultimate Rewards aren't going anywhere.

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<v SPEAKER_00>They're still here and there are still lots of ways to earn them.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The whole first season on my podcast is dedicated to helping you learn this rewards ecosystem.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But what has changed this year is that Chase has started limiting referrals and adding more restrictive language to card applications.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Chase Sapphire Cards, for instance, have swapped out some very clear terms that limited welcome offers to one offer every 48 months, and changed that for some very vague language.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now it states the new card member bonus may not be available to you if you currently have any other personal Sapphire cards open, previously held this card, or received a new card member bonus for this card.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We may also consider the number of cards you have opened or closed, as well as other factors in determining your bonus eligibility.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now what everyone hates most about language like this is that it's vague.

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<v SPEAKER_00>What do they mean may not be available to you?

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<v SPEAKER_00>How do you know?

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<v SPEAKER_00>If I had a Chase Sapphire preferred card a few years ago, will I be approved for a Chase Sapphire Reserve now?

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<v SPEAKER_00>Well, we don't know.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That's because they have made the language vague, and we don't have a lot of clarity or data points on this yet.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We have seen some people who used to have one of the Sapphire cards get approved for the other one, but not if they still hold that original one.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Either way, it used to be that people kind of knew they could apply for one of these every 48 months.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And we really don't know that for sure anymore.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And even if 48 months was a long time to wait, it was still a timeline you could count on.

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<v SPEAKER_00>On the business card side of things, we've also seen some limitations put on the ink cards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The terms for the no annual fee inks, like the Ink Business Cash Credit Card, now read the new card member bonus may not be available to you if you have ever had this card or any other Chase for Business card without an annual fee.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We may also consider factors pertinent to your business in determining your bonus eligibility.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And the terms for the Inc.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Business Preferred Credit Card and the Sapphire Reserve for Business now read the new card member bonus may not be available to you if you have ever had this card.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We may also consider factors pertinent to your business in determining your bonus eligibility.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This is in addition to the loss of being able to refer someone if they are currently holding a Chase for Business card, which is any of the ink cards or the Sapphire Reserve for Business.

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<v SPEAKER_00>At a minimum, based on the terms, it still does appear that you could apply for one of the no annual fee inks and later still be able to get an ink preferred and a Sapphire Reserve for business.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now, because we didn't have any advance notice on this change, it's definitely a bit of a shock for some people who had planned to get an ink cash or unlimited who had previously gotten one in the past.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This small consolation with the new terms on the business cards and the sapphi cards is that Chase will now give you a pop-up after you apply and before they run your credit.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So if they determine they don't want to give you this card with a welcome offer, they will give you a pop-up and let you know.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So you are able to apply with no ding of any kind to your credit report.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We don't know yet if there is a specific time limitation, even if it's vague.

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<v SPEAKER_00>American Express, for instance, has terms that you can only get bonuses once on cards in a lifetime, but in practice, a lifetime from American Express's standpoint is considered to be seven years.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We also don't know how this will work for people with multiple businesses.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now, this change came after a rumor that Chase was going to be limiting approvals for people who are applying as sole proprietors.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And a lot of small businesses aren't LLCs, but were able to be approved as a sole proprietorship.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So far, early data points do seem to indicate that if you're applying for an ink card you've had before, but if it's for an LLC, that you can still get approved.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Data points also indicate that if you're applying as a sole proprietor for the first time for a card, that you can still get approved.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We aren't seeing many approvals for people who have a sole proprietorship and are applying for an ink card that they've had in the past.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We will certainly be monitoring to glean what we can to try to understand these new vague terms.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So, first let's talk about what you can specifically do to strategize with your ultimate rewards, and then I'll go over some possible pivots into other programs.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I will also remind you that changes like this are normal.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It doesn't mean the sky is falling and everything is ending.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I have been using points for travel for over 15 years, and I've had to pivot many times.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now, pivoting can be tough because, first of all, it's extra mental energy.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you already have a system, you've learned it's hard to spend more energy to adapt your system.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I get it.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But I just want to say if you're in the points world long enough, you do have to learn to pivot and pivot again and again.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you're following my three-year plan, you will need to make some tweaks to your plan if you don't have an LLC.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you're in two-person mode, the only change is that you'd need to apply for the ink preferred when each person is getting ready to apply for a second ink.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That does mean a little bit more spending, so you might have to be more strategic about when to apply.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you're following the three-year plan in one-person mode, this plan did include multiple no annual fee ink cards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You will need to substitute these unless you have an LLC or unless we find additional data points this year.

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<v SPEAKER_00>There are also some broad strategy shifts I recommend.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The first is that I recommend you start saving your ultimate rewards for redemptions that are more unique to ultimate rewards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you look at the ultimate rewards transfer partners, there's a lot of overlap with other banks and their transfer partners.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So you might want to focus on using your ultimate rewards to transfer to Hyatt, or if you're finding some great options with the points boost in Chase Travel.

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<v SPEAKER_00>United and Southwest are also transfer partners that are unique to Chase.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Overall, when you're planning out how to use your points, it will help you stretch your ultimate rewards by saving them for some of these unique opportunities.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I also think it will be especially worth paying attention to elevated offers for cards that earn ultimate rewards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It often seems that during elevated offers, we see a little bit of loosening for card approvals.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So we'll hope that we see that pattern again in the future.

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<v SPEAKER_00>In the last Inc.

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<v SPEAKER_00>elevated offer, we saw a lot of reports of people getting approved when they were over$524 in the last week of that offer.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Even people who had been denied a month before that.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You can also double down on strategies to increase your earning of ultimate rewards on the cards you already have.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If you can't open a sapphire card, you can open one of the Freedom cards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You'll earn a new modest welcome offer, and depending on the card you pick, you'll either have the opportunity to earn 5x on up to$1,500 each quarter in certain categories, or 1.5x on every purchase.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You can also get in the habit of checking Shop with Chase to earn more points on online purchases.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And you can become more aware of the bonus earning categories on the cards you have, especially if you're not working on signup offers.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I make sure, for instance, to always use my Sapphire Preferred card to pay for any dining because I earn three points per dollar.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If I'm shopping at office supply stores, I'm using my Ink Cash for 5 points per dollar.

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<v SPEAKER_00>If I'm shopping at a pharmacy, I'm using my Freedom card for three points per dollar.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Referring friends and family is another great way to boost your points balance too.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You can earn points by referring people to Freedom, Sapphire, or Ink cards from your own cards and earn 5,000 to 20,000 points per referral.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Keep in mind that not opening ink cards will open up opportunities for opening other co-branded Chase business cards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That's because there is an upward limit of how many cards Chase will approve you for.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Generally, I suggest no more than four in any 12-month rolling period.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And there are Chase co-branded business card options like United and Hyatt and IHG.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You can still get all of these even if you've had an ink card.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And for me, while I love transferable points because they are flexible, I also love points already stuck in a program because you know exactly that you'll be using IHG points for IHG hotel stays.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And that means a little bit less analysis paralysis.

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<v SPEAKER_00>When it comes specifically to earning Hyatt Points, there is a new Hyatt card coming in 2026, so hopefully that launch will provide another new opportunity to earn some more points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And I'm also kind of eager to see what kind of benefits they're going to offer on that.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The first pivot I suggest, which will also help with Hyatt Points, is getting involved in the Built ecosystem.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Built is the only other rewards program that allows you to transfer to Hyatt.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It also has some additional unique partners like Atmos.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I plan to do an in-depth episode over the course of 2026 about each of these pivots, but I want to give you a broad overview on them here, especially for all of you that are feeling a bit panicky.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now, Built has a credit card, but you don't need to have the credit card to earn built rewards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And the credit card is changing in 2026, anyways, so that credit card is not particularly relevant right now.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Built has also started partnering with Rakutin, which is a cashback portal.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now, the best deal with the Rakutin Built partnership is only through May 2026.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But even after that, I still think there will be potential.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You can change your earnings on Rakutin from cash back to built points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Because of this partnership, you can turn your earnings on Rakutin from being just for cash back to being able to be redeemed to you by built points just by linking your accounts.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So while it will look like on Racutin that you're earning cash back, you're actually can earn built points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And then those built points can be transferred to partners like Hyatt.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Through the end of 2025, Rakutin is offering$50 cash back for new members when you spend$50 in the first 90 days after you open the account.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That$50 would become 5,000 built points if you link those accounts, which could then become 5,000 Hyatt points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Even if this offer expires, there's always some sort of new member bonus.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So the typical one is usually$30.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So even if you get that, that would still be 3,000 built points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Beyond just cash back for online shopping with Raccoutin, there are also ways to earn on some in-store purchases.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And even by opening bank accounts, you can earn some Raccoutin points, which then can become built points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So I think this is one of the big opportunities to lean into in quarter one of 2026, especially.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Built cards will also be coming out in 2026, though we don't know if they will have any welcome offers.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Built has also said it is unveiling a way to earn points on paying mortgages.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And in addition, there are ways to earn built points by dining out and spending at Walgreens, again, even if you don't have the built credit card.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So leaning into Built is a great pivot opportunity, especially to keep earning Hyatt points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I have a more detailed blog post about Built, which I will link in the show notes.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That post walks you through how to set up your account and how to optimize it in a few steps.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The next pivot opportunity is to pivot beyond Hyatt for hotels.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And I know Hyatt is a favorite for so many of us.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It's certainly a favorite for my family because it's just really reduced our decision-making effort.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The fact is that it's going to be hard to sustain a Hyatt-only points strategy unless you have a huge amount of spend or you travel very infrequently.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But that's okay.

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<v SPEAKER_00>In the first 10 years we were really into points, we rarely stayed at Hyatt hotels.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I didn't even transfer my ultimate rewards to Hyatt for 10 years, I don't think.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And we still stayed at plenty of hotels with points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>In fact, some of my favorite hotels aren't Hyatt hotels.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So what does this kind of pivot look like?

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<v SPEAKER_00>First of all, there's a lot of business credit cards you could get with hotel-specific points, and use them in programs like Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Wyndham.

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<v SPEAKER_00>There are also some great opportunities to transfer city thank you points or Capital One Miles to partners like Accor and Preferred Hotels and Choice Hotels.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And to be honest, I haven't talked much about this on the podcast because lately the ultimate rewards to Hyatt Strategy was just so nice and so easy.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But one of our favorite hotels ever is Hotel Aquarius, which is an independent hotel in Venice, Italy that partners with choice hotels.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And we actually have a whole blog post on choice hotels that have one or more bedrooms, so true suites that you can book with choice points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>There's a number of solid options for choice hotels for families going to Europe.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And even in the US, we have a whole blog post on choice hotels that have one or more bedrooms in the US.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So true suites that you can book with choice points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And a lot of them are great options, and a lot of them are independent hotels.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Preferred hotels also has some great options.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And we are in the process of researching and doing a deep dive on the best family-friendly options there are for preferred hotels.

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<v SPEAKER_00>There are a lot of hotel programs and a lot of hotel points out there.

00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:22.879
<v SPEAKER_00>There are even opportunities to earn points and a very discounted stay by attending a timeshare presentation, and we have a blog post about that too.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So beyond Hyatt, you will have options.

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<v SPEAKER_00>A third pivot opportunity is into the American Express membership rewards ecosystem.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I have an episode earlier in season three with an overview on membership rewards.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And despite having lifetime restrictions on their card offers, American Express has a lot of earning opportunities and a lot of targeted offers.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So definitely keep this in mind if you're new that American Express cards aren't even in my three-year plan at all.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That means if you complete the three-year plan, you still have so many options within the Amex ecosystem.

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<v SPEAKER_00>American Express does come with a few downsides, like generally higher annual fees and more coupon book cards with lots of little credits.

00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:12.240
<v SPEAKER_00>But there's a huge number of cards and a lot of opportunities for earning points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Another downside of American Express is that the business cards often have higher required minimum spends.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So you will have to be more strategic about when you open them.

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<v SPEAKER_00>A fourth pivot possibility is city thank you points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Just like American Express cards, these are not included in my three-year plan.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So again, it's a whole other ecosystem you can get into after completing the three-year plan.

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<v SPEAKER_00>City launched a new card this year called the City Strata Elite and has a few older cards as well to earn these points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And these points have some unique transfer partners like American Airlines, and they have great transfer rates to choice hotels and preferred hotels.

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<v SPEAKER_00>One city thank you point becomes two choice points, and one city thank you point becomes four preferred hotel points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now, preferred hotels are often priced a little higher, but with the one to four ratio, there's some great deals.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I also like preferred hotels as an option because they are independent hotels, so you have some really unique stay options.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We'll have a full episode in 2026 all about city thank you points.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And then one more pivot I want to mention is towards cash back cards and bank account bonuses.

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<v SPEAKER_00>There are a number of business cards where you can earn cash back as the welcome offer.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Specifically US Bank and Wells Fargo and Bank of America all have good options here.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And while these aren't the most exciting of offers, this is still a way that you can keep earning if you're in between other, more exciting offers.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Often it might be for$500 cash back in that range.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But that's a great way to supplement vacation funds or pay for things like Airbnbs or train tickets or Disney tickets that are hard to use points on anyway.

00:16:53.279 --> 00:17:04.640
<v SPEAKER_00>Bank account bonuses can provide some of the same boosts to your travel budget, as well, for a relatively small amount of work, with just transferring some money over and satisfying a few requirements.

00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:11.599
<v SPEAKER_00>Using these types of cashback offers to mentally offset cheap economy flights is a really overlooked strategy.

00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:15.359
<v SPEAKER_00>I see so many people looking for good points redemptions to Europe.

00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:26.799
<v SPEAKER_00>And the fact is that if you have some flexibility in your dates, andor if you can watch for fair sales, it's very common to see flights to Europe in the$500 range.

00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:32.480
<v SPEAKER_00>But with points, you'll end up paying points plus often at least$200 in taxes for the flight.

00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:35.200
<v SPEAKER_00>So offsetting with cashback can be just as good.

00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:42.400
<v SPEAKER_00>Again, another topic that we plan to have a full episode on in 2026, but I just wanted to share that as food for thought.

00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:50.240
<v SPEAKER_00>I hope this gives you an overview to help you see that there are lots of ways that you can pivot your strategy in 2026 to go beyond ultimate rewards.

00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:54.880
<v SPEAKER_00>We are right before the holidays here, so I don't want to leave you with too many action steps.

00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:56.400
<v SPEAKER_00>The first is this.

00:17:56.720 --> 00:18:04.640
<v SPEAKER_00>If you are a person that loves Hyatt Points and you haven't set up a built in Racutin account, I highly recommend that you do that soon.

00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:12.720
<v SPEAKER_00>First of all, because you can earn what will essentially be 5,000 Hyatt Points very easily if you sign up before the end of the year.

00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:22.079
<v SPEAKER_00>But also because it's only through May 15th that we have a guarantee of the one cent to one point ratio for Rakutin cashback to build points.

00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:23.839
<v SPEAKER_00>So you want to get in on that.

00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:28.640
<v SPEAKER_00>I have a step-by-step on how to do that on my blog, and that's linked in the show notes.

00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:37.599
<v SPEAKER_00>It's also easiest to automate the earning if you add the Raccoutin extension to your browser on your computer, and if you have an iPhone to add it to that browser too.

00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:42.799
<v SPEAKER_00>Make sure you set up a notification to spend$50 through Raccoutin within 90 days.

00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:49.359
<v SPEAKER_00>There are tons of stores on there that you likely already shop at, so you should easily be able to earn that$50 bonus.

00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:54.079
<v SPEAKER_00>The second is simply this: take a deep breath if you're feeling stressed.

00:18:54.240 --> 00:18:56.559
<v SPEAKER_00>I have been in this points world a long time.

00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:58.799
<v SPEAKER_00>I have pivoted many times.

00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:03.039
<v SPEAKER_00>I have gotten a lot of deals, and I've missed countless others.

00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:08.160
<v SPEAKER_00>You can continue to find great ways to use points to afford more vacations.

00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:11.279
<v SPEAKER_00>I hope you have a lovely holiday season and new year.

00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:22.160
<v SPEAKER_00>I've been publishing podcasts every two weeks, but the next podcast will be skipped for the holidays, and then we will be back on January 14th with the first episode of 2026.