May 22, 2026
You’ve got three cards in your wallet right now, right? Two from Chase, one Amex, and the third is probably the Capital One Venture X because you heard it’s got “great value.” But here’s the thing: most of you aren’t maximizing the real power of those points. Not even close.
Last week, Chase quietly updated its transfer partner valuations for the Sapphire Preferred. The math just got brutal—1.25 cents per point on transferred points to partners like Hyatt and United now applies to all redemptions, not just elite-qualifying ones. That’s a 25% devaluation if you were banking on those sweet hotel transfers. Check the new terms.
Meanwhile, Amex quietly launched a limited-time bonus on the Platinum Card: 8x points on flights booked through their portal until June 30. That’s effectively a 4.5 cent redemption rate when you factor in their 1.05¢ value. Not bad. But only if you book directly through Amex Travel. See the details here.
So what do you do? Stop chasing 3x on groceries and start thinking like a pro. Your card choice isn’t about categories—it’s about exit velocity. If you’re not transferring points or booking travel portals, you’re leaving money on the table. And frankly, so is everyone else reading this.
Drop one of those generic cash-back cards. Replace it with something that lets you move value at scale. Because the game’s changed again—and it changes every 18 months. You don’t have time to recalculate every quarter.
Book one international trip this summer using points. Use either Amex’s portal (if you hit that deadline) or Chase’s updated transfer values carefully. Then cancel the subscription to that rewards blog newsletter that tells you nothing useful.