Personal Cards
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Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Earn 75,000 points after spending
$5,000 in the first 3 months
$95 annual fee
Lacee's take:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points — some of my absolute favorite points in the travel world. Why? Because they’re super flexible. You can transfer them to top travel partners like Southwest, United, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, and more. That kind of versatility gives you tons of freedom when booking trips.
💎 Why I love this card
I like to think of this one as a gateway card — the perfect intro to the Chase Ultimate Rewards® ecosystem. Here’s why: Chase also offers several no-annual-fee business cards that earn cash back (often worth $750–$1,000). When you pair those with the Sapphire Preferred, you can combine that cash back into travel points, turning it into 75,000–100,000 Ultimate Rewards® points — which can go a long way toward free flights or hotel stays if you use them strategically.
✨ Perks that offset the annual fee
The Sapphire Preferred’s $95 annual fee is easy to justify thanks to these built-in benefits:
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$50 annual hotel credit when you book through Chase Travel
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Complimentary DashPass membership for faster (and cheaper) food delivery
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5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
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3x points on dining (including takeout and delivery)
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2x points on all other travel purchases
🕓 Eligibility tips
Chase recently updated its rules — if you currently have this card or have received a bonus on it in the past, you’re no longer eligible to earn another welcome offer.
That’s why we treat this one as a long-term keeper in our wallet. Between the earning potential and the valuable transfer partners, it’s a card that continues to pull its weight year after year.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus
Limited time offer- Earn 85,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
$99 annual fee
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier
Limited time offer- Earn 85,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
$149 annual fee
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority
Limited time offer- Earn 85,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
$229 annual fee
Lacee's take:
If you’re chasing the Southwest Companion Pass and want a card that keeps things simple — low annual fee, great everyday perks, and that all-important free checked bag — the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Card is my top pick among the three personal Southwest cards. It’s straightforward, affordable, and still delivers plenty of value for frequent (or even occasional) Southwest flyers.
💎 Why I like this card
This card is the most budget-friendly in the Southwest lineup, but it still comes with solid benefits that make it worth having in your wallet:
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3,000 anniversary points every year — a nice little travel boost just for keeping the card.
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An annual 10% promo code toward Southwest flights.
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Group 5 boarding
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2x points per $1 spent on all Southwest Airlines purchases.
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2x points on gas and groceries (up to $5,000 combined per year).
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Complimentary standard seat selection 48 hours before departure.
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Free checked bag for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation — major savings for families and travel buddies.
🕓 Eligibility tips
You can earn a welcome bonus on this or any other personal Southwest Rapid Rewards® card once every 24 months. If it’s been more than two years since you last received a bonus — and you’re still hanging onto your old card — it might be worth closing it, waiting about 30 days, and then reapplying. Doing that can help you snag a new welcome offer.
(Psst — check out my blog post here for a full walkthrough on how to time that strategy right.)
Lacee's take:
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Card earns Rapid Rewards® points, which can help you get closer to one of the best deals in travel — the Southwest Companion Pass.
💎 Why I like this card
If you fly Southwest even occasionally, this card packs in valuable perks that can easily make it worth keeping year after year. Here’s what stands out:
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6,000 anniversary points each year — worth about $80–$90 in flights.
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An annual 15% promo code toward your next Southwest booking.
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Group 5 boarding
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3x points on all Southwest Airlines purchases.
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2x points on gas and groceries (up to $8,000 combined per year).
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Complimentary standard or preferred seat selection 48 hours before departure.
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Free checked bag for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation — a big win for families and group trips.
🕓 Eligibility tips
You can earn a welcome bonus on this or any other personal Southwest Rapid Rewards® card once every 24 months. If it’s been more than two years since you last received a bonus — and you’re still hanging onto your old card — it might be worth closing it, waiting about 30 days, and then reapplying. Doing that can help you snag a new welcome offer.
(Psst — check out my blog post here for a full walkthrough on how to time that strategy right.)
Lacee's take:
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card earns Rapid Rewards® points, which can help you get closer to one of the best deals in travel — the Southwest Companion Pass
💎 Why I like this card
This card comes with a nice mix of perks that easily justify the annual fee if you fly Southwest even a few times a year. Here’s what you get:
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7,500 anniversary points every year — worth around $100 in flights.
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Preferred seat selection when booking, so you can grab that prime spot before the crowd.
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Group 5 boarding, which means you’ll board earlier and snag better seats.
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4x points on all Southwest Airlines purchases.
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2x points on gas and groceries (with no cap!) — perfect for earning points on everyday spending.
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Free checked bag for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation — huge savings for families or group trips.
🕓 Eligibility tips
You can earn a welcome bonus on this or any other personal Southwest Rapid Rewards® card once every 24 months. If it’s been more than two years since you last received a bonus — and you’re still hanging onto your old card — it might be worth closing it, waiting about 30 days, and then reapplying. Doing that can help you snag a new welcome offer.
(Psst — check out my blog post here for a full walkthrough on how to time that strategy right.)
Capital One Venture X
Terms Apply
Earn 75,000 points after spending
$4,000 in the first 3 months
$395 annual fee
Lacee's take:
Before you skip this card because of the steep annual fee, hear me out. My husband and I both have the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — yep, that means we’re paying almost $800 a year in annual fees. Sounds wild, right? But honestly, the perks more than make up for it — and they might for you too.
Let’s break down why.
💎 Easy wins that offset the fee
Every year you get:
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10,000 anniversary miles (worth about $100 in travel)
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A $300 annual travel credit when you book through Capital One Travel
That’s $400 of value right there — basically canceling out the $395 fee before you even start earning miles.
✈️ Lounges that actually impress
This card gets you into Capital One Lounges, which are genuinely great — think craft cocktails, fresh local bites, and plenty of room to unwind before a flight.
💼 Everyday earning power
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10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
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5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through the portal
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2x miles on all other purchases — every single day
🚗 Travel perks that save you real money
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Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle® status, which means upgrades when available, skipping the rental counter line, and guaranteed vehicles in many locations.
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Primary auto rental collision damage coverage when you use your Venture X to pay for the car — so you can confidently decline that pricey insurance add-on at the rental desk.
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Plus, a $100 credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, making your travel days that much smoother.
🕓 Bonus eligibility
Capital One limits welcome bonuses on this family of cards — you can only earn one every 48 months. And some folks report that once you’ve had the Venture X, it’s tough to get approved again. That’s one reason we keep ours long-term — the benefits just keep paying off.