From Drive-Thru to Dream Trips: The Unexpected Beginning of Our Rewards Journey

For years, I had been using the same basic credit card I’d obtained in college. While I enjoyed an outstanding interest rate, I was earning absolutely nothing in return for my purchases. Around that time, our family had recently returned from a trip to Hawaii, and we desperately wanted to go back. Looking at those airline ticket prices, I knew that another family trip there wasn’t likely in the near future if we paid cash. That’s when I began to wonder: could this new credit card be a way to get back to Hawaii without breaking the bank?

Once I got home, I immediately applied for what was then known as the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card. I put every single charge I could on that card! My eyes had not yet been fully opened to the vast possibilities in the Points and Miles world.

Soon after, we discovered that my wife was using a credit card from that very same bank, and it had been quietly accruing points over the years. She didn’t know much about credit card rewards and had been letting the points expire – a common pitfall for beginners! I decided to dig a little deeper and discovered that her card, the now-discontinued Wells Fargo Visa Signature® Card, actually worked synergistically with my new Propel card. Not only did her card earn 1 point per dollar on all spend, but it also allowed for a 1.5x redemption rate on flights booked through the Wells Fargo travel portal.

I immediately added her as an authorized user to my Propel card, making it our primary card for all daily spending. I would then transfer my Propel points to her account, and she would use her Visa Signature card’s enhanced redemption to purchase our flights. This card combination, surprisingly simple, got our family back to Hawaii for free, and then some!

This was all before I understood the power of massive sign-up bonuses, transfer bonuses, airline and hotel transfer partners, truly transferable currencies, statement credits, or shopping portals. Now, we’re earning points at a much faster clip and are able to pursue “aspirational travel” more often – those dream trips that might otherwise be out of reach financially.