What's in My Wallet
Sticker Value × Usage Factor = My ValuationI’ve collected more credit cards than Apple Wallet could handle. No joke — I once hit a bug where my wallet app ran out of space for new cards. You can adjust the usage factors below for your own lifestyle to see if a card makes sense for you.
TL;DR — The Roadmap
- Premium card → lounges, credits, strong earn on travel
- Hotel card → annual free night certificates pay for themselves
- Rent card (Bilt) → free points on rent
- Airline card → only if you fly one carrier a lot
- Everyday cards → fill gaps, add no-fee keepers
Step 1: Premium Cards
Premium cards overlap on lounges/insurance/credits. I only count unique perks. Priority Pass is available across them, so I don’t double-count it. Pick one as your foundation.
Amex Platinum (2025 Refresh)
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Entertainment ($240/yr) | YouTube Premium subscription | $275.88 |
| FHR/Hotel Collection ($600/yr) | Book FHR ≥2×/yr for breakfast, late checkout | $600 |
| Dining Credit - Resy ($400/yr) | Always use quarterly | $400 |
| Airline Fee Credit ($200/yr) | Always use | $200 |
| Lululemon Credit ($300/yr) | Would spend anyway | $300 |
| Uber Credits ($200/yr) | Rides & Eats monthly | $200 |
| Centurion + Delta Sky Club | ~10 visits/yr @ $20 value | $200 |
| Saks Fifth Ave ($100/yr) | Use but discount 50% | $50 |
| Equinox Credit ($300/yr) | Digital app only (~10%) | $30 |
| Walmart+ / Uber One | Wouldn’t pay for these | $0 |
Capital One Venture X
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Credit ($300/yr) | Always book ≥$300 portal travel | $300 |
| Anniversary Miles (10k/yr) | Redeem ~1.5¢ | $150 |
| Capital One Lounges | ~2 visits/yr | $80 |
Chase Sapphire Reserve (2025 Refresh)
I don’t currently hold it; several perks are temporary through 2027.
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Credit ($300/yr) | Use fully | $300 |
| The Edit Hotel ($500/yr) | Two-night min; use half | $250 |
| Dining Credit ($300/yr) | Use half | $150 |
| Apple TV+/Music ($250/yr thru 2027) | Value at half | $125 |
| DoorDash Promos ($300/yr) | Use half | $150 |
| StubHub Credit ($300/yr) | Use half | $150 |
| Lyft Credit ($120/yr) | Value ~80% | $96 |
| DashPass / Peloton | Wouldn’t use | $0 |
Step 2: Pay Rent with Bilt
This is a no-brainer if you pay rent. Literally free points on your largest monthly expense.
Bilt Mastercard
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Rent Points | 1 pt/$ on rent @ ~1.8¢ value | (Rent × 12) × 0.018 |
| Transfer Partners | Hyatt + AA favorites | Included above |
Step 3: Hotel Cards
Hotel cards are your second priority. The annual free night certificates often pay for the card by themselves.
Hilton Aspire (Amex)
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Free Night Cert (annual) | Redeem at $500+ Hiltons | $500 |
| Hilton Diamond Status | Breakfast/upgrades/lounge (~10 nights) | $400 |
| Hilton Resort Credit ($400/yr) | Use fully | $400 |
| Airline Incidental ($250/yr) | Use fully | $250 |
Hilton Surpass (Amex)
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly Hilton Credits ($200/yr) | Always use $50/quarter | $200 |
| Free Night Cert (after $20k spend) | Always hit the spend | $500 |
Hilton (No-Fee)
Free keeper that maintains credit history. Apply here →
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant (Amex)
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Free Night Cert (85k) | ~$500 hotels | $500 |
| Dining Credit ($300/yr) | Use fully ($25/mo) | $300 |
| Platinum Status | ~5 nights/yr upgrades | $200 |
| 25 Elite Nights | Not useful to me | $0 |
Marriott Boundless (Chase)
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Free Night Cert (35k) | ~$250 hotels | $250 |
| 15 Elite Nights | No value to me | $0 |
Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite (Chase)
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Free Night Cert (85k) | ~$500 hotels | $500 |
| Priority Pass (unlimited guests) | Host family/friends ~10×/yr | $400 |
IHG Premier (Chase)
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Free Night Cert (40k) | ~$200 hotels | $200 |
| 4th Night Free | Never used this | $0 |
| Platinum Status | Minimal upgrades | $0 |
Step 4: Airline Cards
Airline cards are optional. Only get one if you fly a specific carrier frequently. Companion fares are the main value driver.
Alaska Atmos Ascent
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Companion Fare (annual, $6k spend) | Use on ~$400+ tickets | $400 |
| Free Bag | Covered by status | $0 |
Alaska Atmos Summit
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge Membership | ~5×/yr @ ~$40 each | $200 |
| Companion Fare Cert (25k pts/yr) | 25k pts @ ~2¢ | $500 |
| Free Checked Bag | Covered by status | $0 |
Hawaiian Airlines (Barclays)
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Companion Discount (annual) | RT Hawaii ~$200 | $200 |
| Free Bag / Onboard Food | Covered elsewhere / wouldn’t buy | $0 |
Step 5: Everyday Cards
These fill the gaps in your wallet. Many are no-fee keepers that help with credit history and category bonuses.
Amex Gold
| Perk | How I Use It | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Uber Cash ($120/yr) | Use completely monthly | $120 |
| Dining Credit ($120/yr) | Use via Grubhub monthly | $120 |
Amex Everyday
Free keeper to age credit. Apply here →
Chase Freedom Flex & Unlimited
Flex = 5% rotating categories, Unlimited = 1.5% everywhere. Great downgrade options. Apply here →
Amazon Prime Visa
5% back at Amazon/Whole Foods. Apply directly via Amazon.
Credit Union Cards
First cards I opened — great for aging credit history.
Wallet Value Summary
| Card | Net Value | Apply |
|---|---|---|
| Amex Platinum | +$1,360.88 | Apply → |
| Hilton Aspire | +$1,000 | Apply → |
| Hilton Surpass | +$550 | Apply → |
| Ritz-Carlton | +$450 | N/A |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | +$426 | N/A |
| Marriott Brilliant | +$350 | Apply → |
| Alaska Ascent / Summit | +$305 each | N/A |
| Marriott Boundless | +$155 | Apply → |
| Capital One Venture X | +$135 | Apply → |
| IHG Premier / Hawaiian | +$101 each | IHG → |
| Bilt Mastercard | Positive | Apply → |
| Freedom Flex/Unlimited | Positive | Apply → |
| Amex Gold | −$10 | Apply → |
| No-Fee Keepers | Neutral | Various |
Notes, Strategy & Disclaimers
Referral links & welcome offers — Links are included throughout. Always double-check you’re getting the highest current offer; it can be a huge swing in points.
Paying taxes with a credit card — Processors charge ~1.8–2.0%. It can still make sense when meeting big welcome bonuses or using cards earning >2% effective value.
Quick check: Tax × Fee% vs. Points × Your Value + Bonus Value.
Autopay & reviews — I put every card on autopay and do a quick quarterly review (QBR) for accuracy.