Here at Bankrates, many of us are a little obsessed with earning and redemption of credit card points, miles and cashback. And some of us pool our points, miles and cash with our spouses and important others.
In the reward community, we are called “Player 1” and the less involved partner is known as “Player 2”. To understand how players themselves and players Two can work together to get the greatest value from their credit cards (obsession), I interviewed four players Two about their relationships and reward strategies.
A balanced cashback approach
Number of cards: 3
How they track: Sticky Note
Main goals: Collect cashback
Payment, not reward
Chelsea Rothman, wife of Bankrate senior industry analyst Ted Rothman, said she opened her first credit card in April 2001 (Capital One Cashback Card) before her husband did it. “I was in my junior year in high school and I wanted my credit card to pay for various purchases,” she says. “After that, getting a credit card was directly lined up with starting my first real job. I saw it as a form of payment, not as a path to reward.”
Chelsea and Ted met in 2002 more than a year later as freshmen at Colgate University. “My husband got the same credit card as me in the summer of 2003, on my recommendation,” she says.
She also obtained a number of store cards, including the 2006 Neiman Marcus Card (as they didn’t accept Visas and Mastercards at the time) and in 2011, the Ann Taylor Card. “The Ann Taylor Card was to offset bulk purchases, but I rarely used one of the store cards.
“He and I dadded to exchange credit card points for gift cards and other physical rewards between 2007 and 2011, but when I first started working in Bankrate’s PR division in 2011, his interest in credit cards grew,” says Chelsea. “In 2011, I got a Chase Freedom* card, and in 2013 I got a American Express Blue Cash Everyday® Card. “However, Freedom Cards are no longer available®*Similar option.
Match your interests and needs
Over time, the Rothmans continued to debate which credit cards would most help with cashback reward strategies. In 2013, the Bankrate PR team began working with The Points Guy. “In 2018, he became a spokesman for CreditCards.com. By that time he was able to talk about credit card rewards,” she says. “During this time he was actively talking to me about his growing interest in the industry.”
Rothman currently has three credit cards. “Chase Freedom Flex and American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card Both have Ted as the primary account holder,” she says. Wells FargoActiveCash® CardI am the main account owner. ”
Cheat Sheet Maximizer
Around 2011, Ted began to tell Chelsea which cards offered the best rewards in the category. “But it has become clear that visual aid works well because sometimes it can be confusing,” she says. “So he took a photo of all the cards and took a sticky note explaining which one is better in each category. It was my cheat sheet that maximizes proper use of the cards.”
“He also sometimes lets you know if you need to use other forms of payment for a particular quarter or category,” says Chelsea. “This can often be addressed by changing the default card on a particular online account and then changing it when the reward changes.”
Chelsea discovered that it really didn’t have many cards and that it really helped that it had one card that worked well for almost everything. Rothman focuses on cashback cards, so it rarely involves massive redemptions at once, but adds up. “Even in the early days when we received gift cards here and there, we felt that was important,” says Chelsea. “But as our family grows, so does our spending so does our cashback rewards.”
Conscientious about the cards
Number of cards: 4
How to track them: Follow the Card Bonus category
Main goals: Pay for the trip
Before meeting him, Rebekah Wilson, partner of Bankrate Senior Credit Card Editor Harlan Vaughn, said she was noting that she works in social services and has limited exposure to financial products, including credit cards. “I saw them as more liability than assets,” says Wilson.
“I learned about his credit card insights as soon as I met him,” she says. “It’s always partnered with his love of travel, and I quickly understood it as a way for him to travel comfortably and on a budget.”
Wilson’s family uses four credit cards and uses her as a certified user.
Wilson and Vaughn see the benefits of credit cards primarily in the travel context, says Wilson. “After our first trip together, I definitely saw how access to lounges and upgrades makes the trip more enjoyable.
“It takes years to keep up with Harlan’s level of expertise, rather than raising a small baby,” says Wilson. “But I am sincere in using the right cards for maximum profit.”
Available for sale with points and miles
Number of cards: 13
How to track them: Spreadsheets and Redemption Matrix
Main goals: Pay for a luxurious trip
Babatande Onadere Jr., husband of Bankrate contributor Ashley Onadere, says his knowledge of credit cards before meeting his wife was two on a scale of 1-10. “I only knew about collecting points and the general steps to do so with a credit card,” he says.
He met his wife in high school. “On our first trip together, Ashley brought up the idea of using points and miles,” he says. “But when we got married, she took her credit card points and miles to the next level and used a spreadsheet and a redeeming matrix to track it all down.”
Babatande was sold after that first trip and pledged to play his part. “I did my part by checking the credit card portal for the items I was planning to buy and checking if I could narrow my points,” he says. “I also made sure that all travel and accommodation accounts I have done for work have come with a number of rewards attached.”
The Onadele family has the following credit cards:
“When I expanded my family with my son and then quickly expanded my daughter, I felt a difference when I traveled,” he says. “Ashley has visited places like Thailand, Amsterdam, Austria, Switzerland, and other places, including luxury boutique hotels, and has enjoyed his delight through business class travel experiences I have never thought of.”
Great expectations, great rewards
Number of cards: 55
How to track them: Spreadsheet
Main goals: Pay for the trip
Daniel Flanigan, wife of credit card writer Ryan Flanigan, says he initially had little knowledge of credit card points, miles and cashback. “I knew I could use them when I didn’t have cash on hand and I needed to pay it back every month.”
According to Daniel, Ryan’s focus on credit cards was first revealed on his honeymoon. “I say, ‘Why can you afford this? How did you do this?'” she says. “He said, ‘This is the joy of points and miles.’ And that’s when I started learning a bit about it. ”
When it comes to family credit cards, Ryan has a 55-year-old binder – yes, 55- has a credit card. “The credit cards I use change regularly based on whether I need points on a particular program, whether I want cashback, and whether I need to pursue quarterly or annual spending milestones,” he says.
Daniel says she’s been caught up in a credit card game, but not on the same level as Ryan. “It probably (it took) a year ago when I really started to really care about what the point was,” she says. “But now I am definitely impressed with not using cash on friends and family and always using credit cards to earn points on purchases.
Create a couple game plan
The above couple came up with their own game plan to maximize cashback, points, or miles earned with credit cards, but you and your spouse or important others want to create two strategies with your own players.
- Decide what’s more important to you and your partner: cashback or travel rewards. Rothman has a growing family and cashback is their priority. But Onadeles loves to travel so let me focus on cards that offer points and miles.
- We will conduct research on card issuers that will help you achieve your goals. Vaughn and Wilson have decided to provide the perfect balance that three different publishers (American Express, Capital One, Us Bank) need to fund their trip.
- Find ways to track cashback, points and miles earned on each card and earn everyone on the same page. This is as easy as using sticky notes to earn the largest rewards to show the cards you use for various purchases. Apps like The Points Guy, AwardWallet, Maxrewards and more can also work for you. There are free versions of the three apps, but the AwardWallet Plus price is $49.99 per year, while Maxrewards Gold costs $96 per year (up from $108 per year on June 29, 2025).
The best trick to track the cards used in Babatande is to ask your wife. “I value her expertise in credit cards and miles, so when I’m between two cards for a purchase, I’ll get a gut check from her,” he says. “Even our friends and family use her as a resource, so I wouldn’t be ridiculous.”
Daniel asks her husband about the card he uses every time he buys. “I usually don’t buy anything until they tell me which credit card to use.”
“Harlan is good at sharing knowledge about which cards are best for which categories,” says Wilson. “And if you forget, the answer is either just text or in the next room.”
For Rothman, the best tools have been telling him which credit cards to use, says Chelsea. “We know we have very few credit cards, no credit cards, that meet our needs and lifestyle, and we have the best main credit card for us.”
Conclusion
Some of us Redeem points/miles for your tripothers are Everything about that cash. These four couples have different ways of tracking points, miles and cashback for redemption, but prioritize syncing player 2.
Even if you plan to get out of your credit card rewards, make sure you have a system to ensure that you and your Player 2 are using the right cards for your goals. This will allow you to earn and redeem points, miles and cashback.
Information about tracking freedom, Chase Freedom Flex®Unitedsm Explorer Card, Marriott Rewards® Premier Plans Credit Card, Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card, Citi® /AAD Vantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Master Card® and Citi® / aadvantage businessTM World Elite MasterCard® was collected independently by Bankrate. Card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
