Which Credit Card to Use for Each Purchase

Interactive tool
Which card should I use?
Pick what you are buying and see the card I use, what it earns, and why I chose it.
What are you buying?
This shows the card I personally reach for in each situation and why. Your own answer may be different depending on which cards you hold and which airline program you like to transfer to.
The card I use for this type of purchase
See the card details
Why I use it
Worth knowing
    Earning rates reflect what these cards offered the last time I checked, and card terms change. I confirm the current rate on the card issuer page before I lean on any of this.
    My Goal When Earning Credit Card Points

    My main goal with every card in the tool above is to earn points that I can later transfer to airline programs for award flights. The two programs I collect for are LifeMiles and Aeroplan. Even though they belong to Avianca and Air Canada, I do not use them only to fly those two airlines. Both programs are part of Star Alliance, so I can use their miles to book award flights on partner airlines such as EVA Air, ANA, and United. LifeMiles is my favorite, and I explain why in my post on why LifeMiles is my favorite award program. Aeroplan is my second favorite.

    Not every credit card lets you move its points to both programs, so I pay attention to where each card’s points can go. This is also why the tool sometimes picks one card over another that earns the same rate. When two cards tie, I usually go with the one whose points can be moved to LifeMiles.

    The chart below shows which of my cards earn points that transfer to each program.

    Points program
    Citi ThankYou Points
    My cards that earn them
    • Citi Strata Premier
    Points program
    Wells Fargo Rewards
    My cards that earn them
    • Wells Fargo Autograph
    Points program
    American Express Membership Rewards
    My cards that earn them
    • Amex Platinum
    • Amex Blue Business Plus
    Also earned through

    My Rakuten account is set to earn Amex points instead of cash back.

    Points program
    Chase Ultimate Rewards
    My cards that earn them
    • Chase Sapphire Preferred
    • Chase Freedom Flex

    Freedom Flex points are moved to the Sapphire Preferred first.

    LifeMiles
    Avianca miles program
    My favorite
    Aeroplan
    Air Canada miles program
    My second favorite

    Citi ThankYou Points and Wells Fargo Rewards can be moved to LifeMiles. American Express Membership Rewards, which I also earn through the Rakuten shopping portal, can be moved to both LifeMiles and Aeroplan. Chase Ultimate Rewards can be moved to Aeroplan.

    Every move shown here is 1:1 as of September 2026, so 10,000 credit card points become 10,000 miles. Both programs are part of Star Alliance, so I use the miles to book flights on partner airlines too, not only Avianca or Air Canada. Partners and ratios can change, and once points are moved to an airline program they cannot be moved back, so I only move them after I find the award seat I want.

    Why I Do Not Have the Capital One Venture X or the Bilt Palladium Card

    A few people have asked me why I do not have the Capital One Venture X or the Bilt Palladium Card. It is a fair question. Both cards earn 2x on everyday purchases, and both let you move points to LifeMiles and Aeroplan. They are great cards, and either one may be a great fit for you. For me, it comes down to simplicity. I chose to stay with the banks I have been with for decades, and the cards from those banks in the tool above are top notch.

    I already pay annual fees on some of the cards I currently have, and I do not want to add another one by getting the Venture X or the Bilt Palladium Card. Some of my cards move points to LifeMiles, some to Aeroplan, and some to both, so I already have access to both programs and a new card would not give me anything new.