Point Strategies for High Monthly Spenders

All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by 10xTravel.

The average American household spends $6,640 per month on bills and other expenses. However, you might not be average. In fact, you might be part of a small minority that has a significantly higher monthly expenditure. We’re talking anywhere over $6,640 per month all the way up to $50,000 per month or even more.

Small-business owners tend to be the ones racking up this level of monthly expenditure the most due to high operational costs.

While some may see high monthly expenditure as a burden, any savvy points and miles enthusiast knows it’s a blessing. If you know how to play your cards right, you can score yourself an immense number of credit card points as well as minimum spend-based airline and hotel perks.

Let’s look at the best credit cards for maximizing the return on your spending as well as the best strategies for maximizing your points as a high monthly spender.

Strategies to Maximize Your Points as a Big Spender

Believe it or not, the strategies to maximize your points as a big spender aren’t all that different from those of a regular spender. However, the scope for earning a significant return and speeding up the process is far greater for the big spender.

The four strategies you want to follow as a big spender are:

1. Earn welcome offers.
2. Maximize bonus spending categories.
3. Earn minimum-spend based perks.
4. Earn elite status and invite-only status with hotel and airline loyalty programs.

By focusing on these strategies, you’ll maximize the value of your spending to give you the greatest return in the form of points, perks and status benefits.

You’ll want to focus on opening cards with Chase first due to their 5/24 rule. No matter how much spend you put on Chase’s cards, there’s no avoiding the 5/24 rule.

You’ll also want to prioritize Chase Ink Business cards because even though they don’t add to your 5/24 card count, they’re still considered in the application process.

After maxing out your 5/24 count, applying for Capital One’s business cards is a solid next step. Capital One is fairly inquiry-sensitive, so you’ll want to plan ample space between your previous card applications and new applications for Capital One credit cards. American Express is another strong contender to focus on after maxing out your 5/24 count for both its personal and business credit cards.

Because big spenders often run into velocity issues quicker than they do any other issue, you want to keep general application rules and restrictions for each card issuer in mind. Ultimately, big spenders have to come to terms with the fact that their earning potential will be limited by application and welcome offer rules.

Without further ado, let’s look at the best strategies for big spenders to maximize their points.

Earn Welcome Offers

Accelerate Your Earnings

Welcome offers are the bread and butter of the points and miles game. Welcome offers give you the biggest bang for your buck, maximizing your return on every dollar spent.

As an “average” monthly spender, welcome offers form the core of your points and miles strategy. For big monthly spenders, it’s no different—your strategy should focus largely on earning welcome offers to maximize the return on your spending.

However, the advantage you have as a big monthly spender is time. It takes you far less time than the average consumer to reach the minimum spending requirement to earn a card’s welcome offer. That means that your entire timescale is shortened, enabling you to apply for more cards and earn their welcome offers faster than your average spender can.

For instance, let’s say that a card has a minimum spending requirement of $8,000 in the first three months of card membership to earn a welcome offer. That means you’d need to spend an average of $2,667 per month on the card to earn the welcome offer.

Your average monthly spender may be able to charge only $3,000 worth of their $6,640 in monthly expenses to a credit card, meaning they’d take three months to earn the card’s welcome offer. However, the big monthly spender may be able to charge $8,000 to their credit card in a single month or even a single transaction, meaning they’d cut the timescale by two months compared to the average consumer.

This would put the big monthly spender in a position to apply for a new credit card and earn its welcome offer the following month while the average monthly spender will continue working toward the first card’s welcome offer.

Overall, big spenders can accelerate the points-earning process, meaning more award travel and redemption opportunities would be within reach sooner.

Earn Hard-to-Get Welcome Offers with High Minimum Spending Requirements

The second advantage that big monthly spenders have is the ability to shoot for welcome offers with higher minimum spending requirements.

For example, the American Express® Business Gold Card (see rates and fees) has a typical welcome offer between 100,000 and 130,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $15,000 to $20,000 within the first three months of card membership.

Likewise, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees) has a typical welcome offer in the 150,000 to 250,000-point range, with a minimum spend requirement of $20,000 to $25,000 within the first three months of card membership.

For most people, putting $20,000 worth of spend on a credit card within three months is a real challenge that requires careful planning of upcoming expenditures and a lot of creativity. However, for big monthly spenders, charging $20,000 on a credit card could take as little as a month—or a single transaction—and may even fit in with their existing spending habits.

Additionally, certain small-business credit cards come with welcome offers that have even higher minimum spends to meet. For instance, the Capital One Venture X Business has had an all-time high bonus of 350,000 miles, broken into 150,000 miles when you spend $30,000 in the first three months and an additional 200,000 miles when you spend $200,000 in the first six months. (See the current bonus on this card below.)

Keep in mind that you may find much higher targeted welcome offers than publicly available by using the CardMatch tool.

Overall, big monthly spenders are in a far better position to shoot for the more challenging welcome offers and score tens of thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of points in the process.

Take Advantage of Two-Player Mode

The third advantage big monthly spenders have is the ability to leverage two-player mode to double the number of points earned from welcome offers.

If you’re not familiar with the term, two-player mode refers to the strategy of applying for and earning the welcome offers on the same cards as your “Player 2” (P2), who’s typically your significant other.

For instance, you and your P2 could both apply for the Amex Business Gold card when its welcome offer is at 100,000 points. You’d then both spend toward and earn its welcome offer, landing each of you with 100,000 Membership Rewards points (200,000 in total).

One of the main challenges of two-player mode is reaching two minimum spends simultaneously, particularly if you rely on joint household expenses to meet the spend requirement. Big monthly spenders have a greater pool of outgoing expenses to leverage toward a welcome offer, making it far easier for both P1 and P2 to reach minimum spends simultaneously.

That means that the big monthly spenders can not only earn welcome offers faster and apply for new cards earlier than your average monthly spender, but they can also earn double the number of points while doing so by leveraging two-player mode.

This is where big monthly spenders truly reap the benefits of their atypical spending habits, accelerating the entire points-earning timescale significantly.

Maximize Bonus Spending Categories

Welcome offers form the core of every credit card strategy, but bonus spending categories enable you to continue reaping value from the card year after year. Bonus spending categories make a card valuable to hold and will help you offset its annual fee.

An added benefit of utilizing your credit card’s bonus spending categories after earning its welcome offer is that you avoid the pitfalls of credit card “churning.”

Credit card churning refers to the process of applying for credit cards solely to earn their welcome offers and then closing them before the annual fee posts in the second year of card membership.

While credit card churning can earn you a ton of points quickly, credit card issuers are sensitive to this type of behaviour and will make your life difficult if you “abuse” their products in this manner. For instance, you could land yourself in Amex pop-up jail, preventing you from earning future welcome offers.

So in many ways, it’s even more important for big spenders to avoid credit card churning behavior and instead put some spend on your card’s bonus categories.

As a big monthly spender, you’re able to maximize each of your credit card’s bonus spending categories to the full, ensuring you get the best return on your spending possible. Additionally, you’ll have access to a wider range of bonus spending categories as you’ll have typically opened more credit cards than the average spender, given your ability to earn welcome offers faster.

For instance, you could maximize your spending at restaurants and supermarkets with the help of the American Express® Gold Card’s (see rates and fees) bonus spending categories.

You can earn 4X points at restaurants on up to $50,000 per year in spending (1X points thereafter) and 4X points at U.S. supermarkets on grocery shopping on up to $25,000 per year in spending (1X points thereafter). That means you could earn at least 300,000 Membership Rewards points across these two categories alone before hitting the lower points multiplier.

Alternatively, if you’re equipped with a card like the Capital One Venture X Business you can ensure that you never get fewer than 2X miles per dollar spent, no matter what the purchase is. This can earn you a ton of points and miles that you’d otherwise miss out on, particularly on purchases that aren’t usually included under typical bonus spending categories, such as utility bills, contractor fees, renovation fees and other fixed purchases.

With an impressive arsenal of cards at your disposal, the big monthly spender can maximize their earnings to the full while avoiding the pitfalls of card churning-like behavior.

Earn Minimum Spending-Based Perks

In addition to welcome offers and bonus spending categories, big monthly spenders can take full advantage of other spend-based card perks, such as hotel elite status upgrades, free night awards and airline companion fares.

Hotel elite status gained through reaching a certain spending threshold typically lasts for the remainder of the year you earn it plus the following calendar year. Free night awards and airline companion fares usually last for 12 to 24 months from the date of issuance.

These perks can come in handy, offering you further savings and benefits at participating hotels as well as a free ticket for your travel companion on your next flight.

The following cards all offer the opportunity to earn a free night award after reaching a minimum spend:

• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card ($150 annual fee; see rates and fees): Free night award when you charge $15,000 to your card in purchases within a calendar year.

• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card ($550 annual fee): Receive a free night award after charging $30,000 to your card within a calendar year and another free night award after charging $60,000 to your card within a calendar year.

• World of Hyatt Credit Card ($95 annual fee): Receive a free night award at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.

• Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card ($250 annual fee): Spend $15,000 in a calendar year and receive a free night award for Marriott properties up to 50,000-point redemption level.
• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card ($125 annual fee; see rates and fees): Receive a free night award after spending $60,000 within a calendar year.

• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card ($250 annual fee; see rates and fees): Spend $15,000 with your card in a calendar year and receive one free night award worth up to 50,000 points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card ($650 annual fee; see rates and fees): Receive an Earned Choice Award Benefit, which often includes a free night award up to the 85,000-point redemption level, when you spend $60,000 within a calendar year.

Similarly, the cards listed below offer the opportunity to upgrade your hotel elite status through spending:

• IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card ($0 annual fee): Upgrade to Gold Elite status after you charge $20,000 to your card within a calendar year.

• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card ($99 annual fee): Upgrade to Diamond Elite status when you charge $40,000 to your card within a calendar year.

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card ($95 annual fee): Upgrade to Gold Elite status when you charge $35,000 to your card within a calendar year.

• Hilton Honors American Express Card ($0 annual fee; see rates and fees): Upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status after you charge $20,000 to your card within a calendar year.

• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card ($150 annual fee; see rates and fees): Upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status when you charge $40,000 to your card within a calendar year.

Lastly, you can score yourself a companion fare or other airline-related rewards through spending on the following cards:

• The New United℠ Explorer Card ($0 annual fee): Receive a 10,000-mile discount on a United or United Express-operated flight when you charge $20,000 to your card within a calendar year.

• The New United Quest℠ Card ($350 annual fee): Receive two Economy Plus seat upgrades when you charge $40,000 to your card within a calendar year.

• The New United Gateway℠ Card ($0 annual fee): Receive two free checked bag certificates after charging $10,000 to your card within a calendar year.
• The New United Club℠ Card ($695 annual fee): Receive a 10,000-mile discount on a United or United Express-operated flight when you charge $20,000 to your card within a calendar year, up to two times per year. Receive United Club℠ All Access membership after spending $50,000 with your card within a calendar year.

• Aeroplan® Card ($95 annual fee): Retain your Aeroplan 25K status after the complimentary period expires by charging $15,000 to your card within a calendar year. Boost your status to Aeroplan 35K Status or higher for existing status holders when you charge $50,000 to your card within a calendar year.

• British Airways Visa Signature® Credit Card ($95 annual fee): Charge $30,000 to your card within a calendar year and receive a Travel Together Ticket redeemable for a companion traveling with you on a British Airways-operated award flight or for a 50% Avios discount when flying solo (valid for two years).

• Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Credit Card ($95 annual fee): Charge $30,000 to your card and receive an economy companion fare (valid for 12 months).

• Iberia Visa Signature® Credit Card ($95 annual fee): Charge $30,000 to your card and receive a $1,000 discount valid for two tickets on the same Iberia flight.

• The New United℠ Business Card ($150 annual fee): Receive two continental U.S. United Economy Plus seat upgrades when you spend $25,000 with your card within a calendar year.

• The New United Club℠ Business Card ($695 annual fee): Receive two global U.S. United Economy Plus seat upgrades when you spend $40,000 with your card within a calendar year.

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card ($0 introductory annual fee, then $150 thereafter; see rates and fees): Receive a $200 Delta Air Lines flight credit when you charge $10,000 to your card within a calendar year.

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card ($650 annual fee; see rates and fees): Receive unlimited Delta Sky Club access plus four one-time use guest passes every year when you charge $75,000 to your card within a calendar year (valid for the remainder of the calendar year you earned it, the entire following calendar year and through Jan. 31 of the next year).

• • Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card ($95 annual fee): Receive a $99 Companion Fare™ (plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you charge $6,000 to your card within the prior anniversary year.

So, once you’ve maxed out on credit cards that earn transferable points, opening a few co-branded hotel and airline credit cards, earning their welcome offers and spending toward free nights, elite status, seat upgrades and companion fares is a great way to utilize your high monthly spend for a lucrative cause.

Earn Top Tier and Invitation-Only Airline Status

If you tend to fly a lot for business or leisure, putting a lot of money into a specific airline and racking up tens of thousands of miles flown every year, you should focus on earning elite status and, if possible, invitation-only status with the airline you fly the most.

Top tier elite status and invitation-only status offer a wealth of benefits, guaranteeing you a luxurious travel experience every time you hit the skies.

In some cases, you can earn elite status without ever stepping foot on a plane. Instead, you simply need to put your expenditure on a co-branded airline credit card.

For instance, you could earn American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum status by putting $200,000 in spending on a co-branded American Airlines credit card. Executive Platinum status unlocks systemwide upgrade benefits, allowing you to upgrade from economy to business and business to first class on eligible flights, subject to availability. This can save you hundreds of thousands of miles and guarantees comfort on every flight.

Likewise, Executive Platinum status holders automatically get Oneworld Emerald status, unlocking priority boarding, preferred or pre-reserved seating, additional bag allowance, priority check-in and access to international first class lounges on eligible flights.

Similarly, to earn United Premier 1K status, you could theoretically charge $420,000 to the New United Club℠ Business Card, netting you the 28,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) required for United’s top tier status.

The same goes for certain hotel loyalty programs. For instance, if you put $120,000 in spending on the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, you’d earn yourself World of Hyatt Globalist status, which will unlock a significant number of valuable perks when staying with Hyatt.

However, in most cases, you won’t need to spend as much as the figures above, given that you’ll most likely fly with the respective airline or stay with the respective hotel, reducing the spend requirement in either case.

If you invest a lot in an airline’s business program, fly hundreds of thousands of miles per year and spend a significant amount (between $50,000 to $100,000 or more) on flight tickets, you may be eligible to receive an invitation to the airline’s invite-only status tier. For instance, American Airlines’ invite-only status tier is ConciergeKey, while Delta offers Delta 360°, and United offers Global Services.

While there aren’t any formally published requirements for earning these status invites, you’ll need to have flown a lot and invested a significant amount in the airline. These top status tiers unlock a further wealth of perks, from unparalleled lounge access and the ability to gift top tier status to other members to dedicated check-in and support, among many other benefits.

So if you or your business flies a lot with a specific airline or stays with a specific hotel chain, consider leveraging a co-branded credit card to put your spend toward earning status. And if you invest enough money and time in the airline or hotel, you may also get that special invite.

Best Credit Cards for Big Spenders

Now that we’ve covered strategies, here’s a round-up of some of the best credit cards for big spenders.

We’ve focused mostly on small-business credit cards (with a few exceptions) that offer strong earning potential through bonus spending categories and welcome offers as well as credit cards that offer luxury travel perks, including a handful of co-branded hotel and airline credit cards.

As a big spender, offsetting a card’s annual fee through bonus category expenditure alone is often more than manageable. Otherwise, you’ll still have numerous perks to maximize through which you can offset the annual fee.

Capital One Venture X Business

The Capital One Venture X Business offers a lucrative rate of 2X miles per dollar spent on all purchases with no earning limit. This makes it the perfect card for covering business expenses that fall outside of typical bonus spending categories.

The card also comes with some exclusive travel perks, including generous lounge access benefits and a TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry statement credit every four years.

For a $395 annual fee, here’s a full list of the card’s perks:

• 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
• 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Business Travel
• 2X miles on all other purchases
• $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel
• 10,000 bonus miles every anniversary year
• Statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee every four years
• Complimentary access to Capital One lounge network including Capital One lounges, Priority Pass Select™ lounges and Plaza Premium Group lounges
• No foreign transaction fees

American Express® Business Gold Card

The American Express® Business Gold Card’s unique selling point is flexibility.

The Amex Business Gold Card rewards you where your business spends the most—even if your spending habits change from one month to the next.

You’ll earn 4X points on the top two eligible categories you spend the most on per billing cycle on up to $150,000 in annual spending (1X points thereafter).

The card also offers more than $400 worth of statement credits, making it easy to offset its $375 annual fee (see rates and fees).

Here’s a full summary of its perks:

• 4X points on the top two eligible categories you spend the most on per billing cycle on up to $150,000 in annual spending (1X points thereafter), including:
  • Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media
  • Purchases made from electronic goods U.S. retailers and software and cloud system providers
  • Purchases at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
  • Purchases at U.S. gas stations
  • Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses and subways
  • Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
• 3X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel®
• 1X points on all other purchases
• Flexible business statement credit of up to $240 per year, issued in monthly $20 statement credits, for purchases at FedEx, Grubhub and office supply stores
• Annual Walmart+ membership statement credit of $155, issued in monthly increments of $12.95
• Book a minimum stay of two consecutive nights with The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel and get a $100 experience credit toward eligible charges (eligible charges vary by property) plus a room upgrade upon check-in (subject to availability).
• Issue up to five employee cards for $95 per year, then pay $95 for each additional employee card issued thereafter.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Trip delay insurance*
• Car rental loss and damage insurance*
• Baggage insurance plan*
• Cell phone protection*

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers more than $1,000 worth of cardholder perks in addition to strong bonus spending categories for small-business owners for an annual fee of $895 (see rates and fees).

You’ll earn 1.5X points on purchases of $5,000 or more as well as in key business spending categories, offering a lucrative return for big spenders (on up to $2,000,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, 1X points thereafter).

You’ll also enjoy complimentary access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection as well as complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status, among many other perks.

Here’s a complete summary of what the Business Platinum Card offers:

• 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com
• 1.5X points on purchases of $5,000 or more and in key business spending categories, including U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, shipping providers, electronic goods retailers, software and cloud system providers (on up to $2,000,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, then 1X points thereafter)
• 1X points on all other purchases
• Access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection with more than 1,550 global lounges including The Centurion® Lounge, Escape Lounges – The Centurion® Studio Partner, Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges and other participating partner lounges
• Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite status
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status
• Benefits when staying with properties in the Fine Hotels + Resorts® program
• $100 experience credit when you book a minimum stay of two nights with The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel
• Up to $200 annual statement credit for airline incidental fees, including in-flight purchases and checked bags, to be applied to one qualifying airline
• CLEAR® Plus membership statement credit
• Receive either a statement credit every four years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® application fee (when applying through a TSA official enrollment provider), in each case when charged to your eligible American Express card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Complimentary Avis Preferred®, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® and National Car Rental® Emerald Club status
• Up to $120 annual statement credit for wireless telephone service purchases in the U.S., issued in up to $10 monthly credits (enrollment required)
• 35% point rebate on up to 1,000,000 Membership Rewards points per calendar year when you Pay with Points for a flight (the airline selected for the 35% rebate and the $200 airline fee credit must be the same)
• No foreign transaction fees
• Cell phone protection*
• Car rental loss and damage waiver*
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance*
• Baggage insurance *
• Trip delay insurance*

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (see rates and fees) offers a simple rate of 2X points per dollar spent on all purchases up to $50,000 in spending per calendar year (1X points thereafter).

That means you could earn at least 100,000 Membership Rewards points in the 2X category every year.

Its annual fee is $0 (see rates and fees), making it easy to keep in your wallet to cover those miscellaneous purchases that fall outside of conventional bonus spending categories.

Here’s a summary of what the card offers:

• 2X points on all purchases on up to $50,000 in spending per calendar year, 1X points thereafter
• Issue employee cards free of charge
• Car rental loss and damage insurance*

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers strong bonus spending categories for small-business owners with high monthly spends for a low-tier annual fee of $95.

You’ll earn 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases across a range of business-related categories (1X points thereafter). That means you could earn at least 450,000 Ultimate Rewards points in the 3X category every year.

You can also transfer your points from other Chase cards to your Ink Business Preferred account and redeem them for 1.25 cents apiece through Chase Travel℠ or transfer them to any of Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners.

Here’s an overview of the card’s perks:

• 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases (1X points thereafter) in the following categories:
  • Shipping purchases
  • Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
  • Internet, cable and phone services
  • Travel
• 1X points on all other purchases
• Redeem Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 1.25 cents apiece through Chase Travel℠
• Issue employee cards free of charge
• No foreign transaction fees
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Auto rental coverage
• Cell phone protection

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers a strong rate of cashback earnings on a range of purchases.

You’ll earn 5% on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases (1% thereafter) on internet, cable and phone services, and at office supply stores as well as 2% on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases (1% thereafter) at gas stations and restaurants. You could earn at least $1,750 in cash back every year through these bonus spending categories.

Here’s an overview of the card’s perks:

• 5% on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases (1% thereafter) on internet, cable and phone services, and at office supply stores
• 2% on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases (1% thereafter) at gas stations and restaurants
• 1% on all other purchases
• Issue employee cards free of charge
• Auto rental coverage

The New United Club℠ Business Card

The New United Club℠ Business Card offers United frequent flyers an unparalleled range of perks.

In addition to complimentary United Club membership (worth $750 per year), you’ll get more than $700 worth of annual statement credit perks. This makes offsetting the card’s $695 annual fee straightforward.

You can also earn 1.5X United miles on everyday purchases, making it easy to rack up United MileagePlus miles on your high monthly spend.

Here’s a total rundown of the card’s perks:

• 5X miles on prepaid hotel stays booked directly through Renowned Hotels and Resorts
• 2X miles on United purchases
• 1.5X miles on all other purchases
• 5,000-bonus mile annual boost each year you hold the New United Business Card and a personal Chase United card
• Complimentary United Club membership
• Opportunity to earn United Club All Access membership when you have United Premier Gold status or charge $50,000 to your card within a calendar year—giving you Star Alliance lounge access and allowing you to bring up to two adult guests into United Clubs or one adult guest plus any dependents under 18. If you earn United Club All Access membership and add an employee card, you’ll receive four one-time United Club passes (to use the passes, the authorized user must be traveling with you).
• $200 annual statement credit for Renowned Hotels and Resorts
• Free first and second checked bags for you and up to one companion on the same reservation
• Up to $150 in annual statement credits toward ride-hailing purchases, issued in $12 monthly increments, with a bonus of $18 in December of each year
• Up to $100 in annual United TravelBank cash for purchases with Budget and Avis, issued in $50 increments per eligible rental car booking (minimum rental period of two days)
• Up to $240 in annual Instacart credits, issued in two $10 monthly credits, when you make at least a single purchase of $10 or more per month
• $200 annual statement credit for purchases with JetSuiteX (JSX)
• Complimentary Instacart+ membership through Dec. 31, 2027, or for a minimum one-year term, whichever is longer (after that, you’ll automatically be billed at $99 per year or the given rate)
• Two complimentary global U.S. Economy Plus® seat upgrades after you charge $40,000 to your card within a calendar year
• Premier Access travel services, including preferential priority check-in, security screening, boarding and baggage handling privileges (subject to availability)
• Employee cards for free
• 25% discount given as a statement credit for in-flight purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on premium drinks at United Clubs
• Complimentary Avis President’s Club membership
• No foreign transaction fees
• If the primary cardmember has MileagePlus Premier status and is traveling on an award ticket, they’re eligible for complimentary premier upgrades on select United- and United Express-operated flights, subject to availability (up to one companion that is traveling on the same reservation can also qualify for an upgrade).
• 1X PQP per $15 spent, up to a maximum of 28,000 PQPs per calendar year
• Rental car insurance
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Trip delay reimbursement

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

For frequent flyers with Delta, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card offers the ability to earn Delta SkyMiles on everyday business purchases while benefiting from exclusive Delta-related perks for an annual fee of $650 (see rates and fees).

You’ll earn 1.5X miles on eligible transit, U.S. shipping and U.S. office supply store purchases, plus all other eligible purchases after you charge $150,000 in purchases to your card within a calendar year.

You’ll also enjoy more than $600 worth of annual statement credit perks, an annual Delta companion certificate for round-trip first-class, Delta Comfort+ or main-cabin flight within the U.S., to the Caribbean or to Central America each year after renewal of your card as well as complimentary access to Centurion® Lounges and Escape Lounges when you purchase a flight with your Delta card.

You’ll also receive 15 complimentary visits to Delta Sky Clubs per Medallion Year with the opportunity to receive unlimited access when you charge $75,000 to your card within a calendar year.

Here’s a full list of the card’s perks:

• 3X miles on direct purchases with Delta
• 1.5X miles on eligible transit, U.S. shipping and U.S. office supply store purchases, plus all other eligible purchases after you charge $150,000 in purchases to your card within a calendar year
• 1X miles on all other purchases
• 1 MQD for every $10 in purchases charged to your card in a calendar year
• 2,500 MQD boost each Medallion Qualification Year
• First checked bag flies free for you and up to eight companions booked under the same reservation
• Complimentary upgrade list
• Annual Delta companion certificate for first class, Delta Comfort+ or main cabin domestic, Caribbean or Central America round-trip flights each year after renewal of your card
• Hertz President’s Circle status (enrollment required)
• Either a statement credit every four years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck application fee (when applying through a TSA official enrollment provider), in each case when the fee is charged to your eligible Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card
• 15% discount on award travel booked through Delta (not applicable to taxes, fees or partner-operated flights)
• Up to $250 annual statement credit when you book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays
• Up to $240 annual statement credit for U.S. Resy restaurant purchases, given in $20 monthly credits (enrollment required)
• Up to $120 annual statement credit for U.S. rideshare purchases, given in $10 monthly credits (enrollment required)
• 15 visits to Delta Sky Clubs in addition to four one-time guest passes per calendar year
• Complimentary Centurion Lounge access
• No foreign transaction fees
• Baggage insurance plan*
• Trip delay insurance*
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance*
• Car rental loss and damage insurance*
• Cell phone protection*

Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®

For frequent flyers with American Airlines, the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® offers elite benefits and strong earning potential.

You’ll earn 2X miles on a range of everyday purchases, from gas stations and car rental merchants to telecommunication merchants and more.

You’ll also benefit from perks, including a free first checked bag for you and up to four companions on the same reservation as well as the ability to earn an American Airlines Companion Certificate ($99 plus taxes and fees) for domestic travel after you charge $30,000 to your card.

Here’s an overview of the card’s full range of perks:

• 2X miles on purchases with American Airlines
• 2X miles at gas stations and car rental merchants
• 2X miles at telecommunications merchants and cable and satellite providers
• 1X miles on all other purchases
• 1X loyalty points per dollar spent on your card and employee cards
• First checked bag free for you and up to four companions on the same itinerary—savings of up to $400 per round-trip flight
• Preferred boarding
• 25% savings on inflight Wi-Fi, food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights when you use your credit card
• Opportunity to earn an American Airlines companion certificate ($99 plus taxes and fees) for domestic travel after you charge $30,000 to your card
• No foreign transaction fees

World of Hyatt Business Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card enables big spenders to put their money toward earning Hyatt’s elite status levels.

You earn five tier-qualifying night credits for every $10,000 spent with your card with no caps on your earnings. That means you could earn Hyatt Globalist status by charging $120,000 to your within a qualification year. You could also earn Hyatt Explorist status by charging $60,000 to your card.

You also can earn 2X World of Hyatt points in your top three eligible spending categories every quarter, including a wide range of everyday spending categories.

Here’s an overview of the card’s benefits:

• 4X points for purchases with Hyatt, including eligible restaurants and spas
• 2X points in your top three eligible spending categories every quarter, including:
  • Dining
  • Airline tickets purchased directly with the airline
  • Car rental agencies
  • Local transit and commuting
  • Gas stations
  • Internet, cable and phone services
  • Social media and search engine advertising
  • Shipping
• 2X points on fitness clubs and gym memberships
• 2X points on Peloton memberships and equipment purchases
• 1X points on all other purchases
• Up to $100 in annual statement credits at Hyatt properties, issued in $50 increments
• Complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status
• Five tier-qualifying night credits for every $10,000 spent in a calendar year
• Spend $50,000 in a calendar year and get 10% of your redeemed points back for the rest of the year, up to a maximum of 200,000 points redeemed.
• Companies can receive up to 15% off standard room rates through the Hyatt Leverage program.
• Auto rental coverage
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• No foreign transaction fees

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire is a solid choice for big spenders who frequent Hilton properties.

You’ll enjoy an annual free night reward with scope to earn a second free night reward after charging $30,000 to your card within a calendar year and an additional third free night reward after charging $60,000 to your card within a calendar year.

The card also offers a baseline rewards rate of 3X points on non-bonus category spending in addition to a range of bonus spending categories, enabling big spenders to rack up tens of thousands of Hilton points on their everyday spend.

Here’s a summary of the card’s perks:

• 14X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
• 7X points on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies
• 7X points on dining purchases at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
• 3X points on all other purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status
• $400 annual statement credit for eligible direct purchases with participating resorts in the Hilton portfolio, given in biannual $200 increments. Eligible purchases include direct bookings made with Hilton and incidentals charged to your room and paid using your card.
• Annual free night reward. Receive a second free night reward after charging $30,000 to your card within a calendar year and an additional third free night reward after charging $60,000 to your card within a calendar year.
• Annual CLEAR Plus membership statement credit
• $200 annual statement credit for eligible airfare purchases made directly with an airline or through AmexTravel.com, given in quarterly $50 increments
• Complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status (enrollment required)
• Receive $1 in credits per dollar spent, up to $100 per property, when you use your card to book through HiltonHonorsAspireCard.com or by calling Hilton Honors at 1-855-292-5757 for a minimum stay of two nights at Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts and Conrad® Hotels & Resorts.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Car rental loss and damage insurance
• Baggage insurance plan

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

If you often find yourself staying at Marriott Bonvoy properties, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (see rates and fees) offers solid earning rates and enviable perks.

Cardholders enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status and Priority Pass Select membership. Additionally, you enjoy an annual free night reward valid for use at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy with a maximum redemption value of 85,000 Bonvoy points as well as the opportunity to receive an Earned Choice Award benefit after charging $60,000 to your card within a calendar year.

Here’s a full rundown of the card’s perks:

• 6X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
• 3X points on restaurants worldwide
• 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
• 2X points on all other purchases
• $300 annual dining statement credit for restaurant purchases worldwide, given in $25 monthly increments
• $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a minimum stay of two nights
• Annual free night reward valid for use at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy with a maximum redemption value of 85,000 points
• Complimentary Platinum Elite status
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership
• Spend $60,000 within a calendar year and receive one Earned Choice Award benefit, including five nightly upgrade awards, an additional free night reward with a maximum equivalent redemption value of up to 85,000 points or $1,000 off a bed from any Marriott Bonvoy retail brand.
• 25 complimentary elite night credits issued to your account annually
• Receive either a statement credit every four years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck application fee (when applying through a TSA official enrollment provider), in each case when charged to your eligible American Express card.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Cell phone protection insurance plan*
• Car rental loss and damage insurance*
• Baggage insurance plan*
• Trip delay insurance*
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance*

Final Thoughts

Big monthly spenders are blessed with the ability to accelerate their earnings, max out two-player mode and shoot for the stars when it comes to hard-to-earn welcome offers. Instead of being limited by their ability to spend, big monthly spenders are typically limited by card application rules and velocity restrictions.

If you know how to leverage your expenditure and follow the strategies suggested above, you’ll earn more points than you can redeem, rack up elite status with airlines and hotels, and enjoy a wide range of cardholder perks. Just remember to follow the principles of responsible credit card usage and to plan your card applications and manage your spending behavior just as carefully as your average monthly spender would.

* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.