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Brian Jung has nearly 1 million American Express Membership Rewards points and 800,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points. For most new cardholders getting into the credit card rewards game, accumulating that many points might seem impossible. And for good reason: Jung is an expert in this space, and he knows how to get the most out his cards.
Jung makes a living as a YouTuber covering topics like credit cards, cryptocurrency and investing. He specializes in telling his more than 800,000 subscribers about his 15+ credit cards and the difference between the "Chase Trifecta" and the "American Express Trifecta."
"You should never be looking at credit cards as a way to earn a full-time income," Jung says. "At best, it's a side hustle. At worst, it's just free points, free cash and over time, it gives you the ability to do any type of free trip or travel you want to take."
Jung is one of many YouTubers who are providing their viewers with information on how to maximize their credit card rewards for travel and cash back. Dustin Waller, another YouTuber, who focuses mostly on credit cards, used his rewards to help fund monthly international vacations before Covid-19.
Waller and Jung suggest that people have a clear objective on what they want to do with their credit card rewards when they get started, whether that be covering the cost of a trip to Paris or getting enough cash back to purchase a gift for a friend or family member. For example, one of Jung's first goals for saving up points was to fund his parents' trip to South Korea, since they haven't been back to their home country since they moved to the U.S. over 25 years ago.
While most people likely won't be able to earn 1 million points on their credit cards with their everyday spending, and they might not want (or be able) to make regular international trips, both Jung and Waller believe that people can reap more from their credit cards, whatever their goals are, if they choose cards that match with their lifestyle.
"I look for credit cards to compliment my lifestyle," Waller says. "If I did a lot of grocery shopping, I would make sure to get a card that works best for my grocery spend."
For Jung, running a YouTube channel and an e-commerce business means that he wants a card that earns rewards on travel and dining out as well as on business expenses. For spending on things like camera equipment and travel, Jung opts for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Terms apply.
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a premium business card loaded with statement credit offers for business services and travel that help justify its steep annual fee.
- Access to 1,550 airport lounges, including Priority Pass (Enrollment required) and Amex Centurion lounges
- Hotel and rental car elite status perks
- Earns flexible rewards you can transfer to 20+ airline and hotel loyalty programs (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned; Benefits may be subject to auto-renewal)
- High annual fee
- Limited bonus spending categories
- Some statement credit offers are earned in small increments or only apply to purchases from a single brand
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- As High As 300,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card company on the market as of 07/2025.
- See how you can unlock over $4,000 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
- Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using the Business Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- No Preset Spending Limit: The spending limit on the Business Platinum Card is flexible, so unlike a traditional credit card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history.
- Make the Business Platinum Card® work even harder for you. Hilton for Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Gift cards are not an eligible purchase. Benefit enrollment required.
- Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- Use the Business Platinum Card and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
- Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year.
- Enroll and get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business* on the Business Platinum Card. *Subject to auto-renewal.
- Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card.
- Get up to $90 in statement credits quarterly for purchases with Indeed on the Business Platinum Card. That's up to $360 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Get up to $10 in statement credits per month for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on the Business Platinum Card. That's up to $120 back per year. Enrollment required.
- 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com
- 1X points on other eligible purchases
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
For his personal expenses, however, he uses the Chase Freedom Flex® and the American Express® Gold Card. With the Chase Freedom Flex, Jung earns up to 5% cash back on $1,500 worth of purchases in rotating quarterly categories (then 1% thereafter), 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, 3% on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and drugstores and 1% on other purchases.
The Chase Freedom Flex® is an excellent cash-back card for maximizing your spending in a variety of categories.
- Long intro APR for purchases and balance transfers
- Rewarding quarterly bonus categories
- No annual fee
- Bonus categories are capped each quarter
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Rewards
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate (then 1%)
- 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
- 3% on drugstore purchases and on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
The American Express Gold Card is great for earning valuable Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets.
- You can earn $400+ in dining and rideshare credits every year (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- Exceptionally rewarding for eligible restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- Larger annual fee
- Credits are more complicated, you earn them monthly or semi-annually
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You'll know upfront exactly how much you'll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Foreign transaction fee
None
Jung recommends that people looking to earn more points can get the most out of credit cards by cashing in on the generous sign-up bonuses. Currently, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (See rates and fees) is offering a welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
"The easiest way to earn a lot of points is going to be getting welcome bonuses because they give you such a large sum of points in such a short period of time," Jung says. "No matter how much money you spend, even if you're a multimillionaire, that 3% to 5%, only adds up to be so much."
However, Waller warns that cardholders should be wary of overspending when trying to earn the welcome bonus.
"People get really captivated by these big sign-up bonuses so they overspend a little bit to earn the points," Waller says. "They put themselves in a position where they overspend and can't afford to pay the bill off in full. You're really negating any rewards you get because interest rates are so high on rewards credit cards."
Both Waller and Jung have more credit cards than the typical person. Waller and his wife currently have 35 active cards together. Jung has over 14 credit cards. However, neither use all of their cards on a regular basis. Jung has a rotation of four or five cards while Waller has a rotation of four to seven cards.
In order to keep track of his various cards and points, Waller uses two apps: MaxRewards and AwardWallet. Waller likes MaxRewards because it can help cardholders determine which card is best for spending on a specific purchase or at a particular store. (Disclosure: Waller sometimes receives ad compensation from MaxRewards for featuring the app in his YouTube videos.) He uses AwardWallet to track his total number of points across all his cards in one account.
Jung sets all of his cards on autopay so he never forgets to pay his bills on time, and he uses a Google spreadsheet and Notion to track how many points he has, when the annual fee is due and the rewards system on each card.
When it comes to managing more than 20 cards on his own, Waller emphasizes that having a lot of cards doesn't necessarily hurt your credit score: Waller himself has a credit score of around 825.
He recommends that people, regardless of how many cards they have, practice smart credit card usage by keeping their credit utilization ratio low (having higher lines of credit on multiple cards can actually decrease your credit utilization score if you keep your balances low!) and making their payments on time and in full.
Read more
For rates and fees for the Business Platinum Card from Amex, click here
For rates and fees for the Amex Gold Card, click here
