Before we get into strategies and tips for travel points, we need to talk about the ground rules for travel points.

Are Travel Points for Me?

Booking with points can be helpful in offsetting travel expenses, regardless of your travel goals. Whether you travel alone or with your family, travel once a year or are looking to take a gap year, or whether you fly basic economy or business class — you can use miles and points to help you achieve your travel goals. The options are endless!

That said, travel points is not for everybody.

First of all, the deals we discuss here are mainly applicable for United States residents. There are other blogs that dive into deals for Canadians or Europeans, but this isn't an area we cover here.

There are three essential rules to follow. If you aren't able to follow these rules, then booking with points is not for you.

Rule 1: Have a Good Credit Score

You have to have a good credit score to access these deals. Usually that means a score of at least 740. If your score is lower you'll want to work on building your credit and increasing your credit score first.

If you already have good credit, you may be worried this will ruin your credit scores. It won't. You'll learn in this course how to keep your score strong and how for some people this hobby can actually increase your credit score.

Rule 2: Pay Your Bills on Time and in Full Every Month

Banks make a lot of money on credit cards when people carry a balance. Nearly all of these travel cards have astronomical interest rates — usually 18% or higher. If you carry a balance, you will quickly negate any value from the miles you're earning.

If you carry a balance on any of these cards, the banks have "won." Wait until you can reliably manage your monthly spending before you proceed.

Booking with points is not about spending more money on credit cards. It's about leveraging your regular monthly spending in such a way that you get more points. Use your regular spending to meet your minimum spending requirements and enjoy the benefits of the points you've earned.

Rule 3: Stay Organized

You need to track the cards you are opening as well as the points you are earning in order to succeed in this hobby. Keep watching to learn all about how to stay organized while you play this game.