Reward maxxing means getting the most out of the points you earn. Start by finding every balance you have, then earn twice on the same spend, move bank points to airlines at the best ratio, spend before programs devalue, and pay cash whenever cash is the better deal.
The five moves
In this order. Most people skip the first one, and it is the one that finds the most value.
Find every point you own
Most people forget at least one program: miles from a trip three years ago, hotel points from one stay, a bank balance. Import them from Gmail: 54 programs read in your browser, with nothing uploaded and no AI reading your mail.
Earn twice on the same spend
Pay with the card that earns the most for that purchase, and book through a program that pays on top of it: an airline or hotel booking still earns the airline's or hotel's own points, and some portals add their own miles. On work trips, check who keeps the miles first.
Move points at the best ratio
Bank points are worth the most once they become airline miles, and the ratio depends on the bank and the country your card comes from. Wait for a transfer bonus when one is running, and only transfer for a seat you have already found.
Spend before they lose value
Programs raise award prices every year, and some miles expire when nothing happens on the account. Points sitting still lose value; a balance with a plan doesn't.
Pay cash when cash wins
Maxxing isn't using points for everything. Use them when they are worth more than the cash they save, and keep them when the fare is cheap. That is the one decision that matters most, every trip.
What maxxing is not
A point spent on a cheap fare is a point you don't have for the flight where it's worth three times as much.
Annual fees eat the value. Fit the cards to what you spend, not the other way around.
Programs devalue every year. A balance waiting for the perfect trip is often worth less by the time you book.
You shouldn't have to hand your inbox to an app to see your balances. Our import runs in your browser and can't send anything.
Questions
What is reward maxxing?
Getting the most value out of the points and miles you earn: knowing every balance you have, earning more than once on the same spend, moving bank points to airlines at the best ratio, spending before devaluations, and paying cash when cash is the better deal.
Do I need more credit cards to reward max?
No. Most value comes from what you already have: forgotten balances, transfers at the wrong ratio, and points spent on cheap fares. A new card helps when its bonus and earn fit how you actually spend.
How do I find all my points and miles?
Statement emails. Points or Cash reads them from a Google Takeout export in your browser: 37 airline programs, 9 hotel programs, Amex Membership Rewards in 16 countries and the main US banks. Your mail is never uploaded and no AI model reads it.
Is it worth transferring credit card points to hotels?
Rarely. Bank points are usually worth more as airline miles. The exception is a hotel where points buy expensive nights, like Hyatt at 1:1.
Start with what you already have
Import your balances from Gmail: 54 programs, read on your device in about a minute.
Import from Gmail