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Independent site: PointFam is an independent site for families who use cards and points for travel. It is not part of the Department of Defense or any military branch. Views are the author's own.
Short version: Pick a card you already hold. Use the benefits that fit trips you would take anyway. Pay every statement in full on autopay. These pages are use manuals, not a reason to open more plastic.
This hub is the table of contents for our per-card super guides. For the monthly routine and which card we swipe by category, use the six-card wallet. For how to get the value out of one card, pick a guide below.
We hold the Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Hilton Aspire, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Delta SkyMiles Reserve, and Citi Double Cash. We do not hold Capital One Venture X. If we ever write a guide for a card we only research, we will say so on that page.
The six guides
| Card | Job on this page | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Amex Platinum | Enrollment map, credits we touch vs skip, exit-first card | Amex Platinum super guide |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Travel credit, protections, lounge guests; default plastic | Chase Sapphire Reserve super guide |
| Hilton Aspire | Resort credit traps, Free Night, Diamond (one Aspire) | Hilton Aspire super guide |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | Quiet Ultimate Rewards earner + Chase Travel hotel credit | Chase Sapphire Preferred super guide |
| Delta SkyMiles Reserve | Delta-loyal tool when it earns its keep | Delta SkyMiles Reserve super guide |
| Citi Double Cash | 2% quiet floor of the wallet | Citi Double Cash super guide |
As each guide ships, that cell becomes a link.
Start with the wallet if you are new here
If you are still deciding how many cards to run, or which swipe goes where, read the six-card wallet routine first. That page owns the household map. These guides go deeper on one card at a time.
Comparing Platinum and Reserve
If your question is which one premium travel card to keep, that comparison still lives on Platinum vs Reserve. We lean toward the Sapphire Reserve for a one-card family; the Platinum fits lounge-first flyers who will track many smaller credits. The super guides do not redo that debate.
Credit deadlines and the tracker
Calendar-year credits can end on Dec 31. Anniversary credits usually do not. Use the Dec 31 credits guide and the printable tracker before you treat every benefit like a fire drill.
Fee relief and exit planning
Fee relief is issuer policy on top of the law. It is not a promise of a zero annual fee, and it does not mean chase every credit. For spouse accounts and MLA/DEERS paths, see military spouse cards. For what happens when active duty ends, see leaving active duty. Each super guide will carry a short fee-relief note sized to that card.
House rule
Every card in our house is on autopay for the full statement balance. If you carry a balance, interest usually erases the game. Our take on that debate is on What Dave Ramsey Gets Wrong (And What He Gets Right).
Not in this series yet
- Capital One Venture X as a coverage-only page later, clearly labeled that we do not hold it.
- Amex Gold (we do not hold it; not planned here).
- Later related pieces: enrollment audits, lounge-with-kids reality, anniversary vs calendar playbook.
PointFam is for families who use cards and points for travel. We are not part of the Department of Defense or any military branch. Confirm terms on the issuer's site. We have no affiliate links yet.