Whether or not you are new to the world of factors and miles or simply in search of one of the best methods to stage up your present card portfolio, a strategic credit card pairing is likely one of the best methods to maximise your incomes potential.
You’ve got seemingly heard of the preferred card groupings — the Chase Trifecta and the Amex Trifecta — however these are removed from the one methods to mix bank cards.
Let’s talk about how completely different bank cards work collectively to spice up your spending and incomes energy and go over a number of the finest bank card combos.
Associated: The best business and personal credit card combinations
What makes one of the best bank card mixture?
A number of elements could make a superb card mixture, however most easily, a superb pair is one during which each playing cards earn the identical rewards however have completely different bonus classes. This fashion, you’ll maximize your earnings throughout a wider vary of purchases than you’ll with only one card.
Every pairing under reveals tips on how to enhance your earnings with two complementary playing cards.
Associated: 7 of the best cards to pair with the Amex Gold
Amex Platinum and Amex Gold
The Platinum Card® from American Express has a excessive $695 annual price (see rates and fees) however is nice for vacationers because it earns 5 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent on flights booked immediately with an airline or via American Express Travel® (on as much as $500,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback spent thereafter).
It additionally comes with intensive airport lounge access, plus a slew of priceless statement credits. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply.)
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The American Express® Gold Card is a foodie’s dream card with a $325 annual price (see rates and fees). It earns 4 factors per greenback spent on eating at eating places worldwide (as much as $50,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback spent thereafter) and on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (as much as $25,000 in purchases annually, then 1 level per greenback spent thereafter).
It additionally comes with statement credits every calendar yr for eating and takeout purchases. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply.)
Why they’re an important mixture: These playing cards work nice collectively since you’ll earn extra on flights with the Amex Platinum than you’ll with the Amex Gold alone (5 factors per greenback spent quite than 3; spending caps apply) and extra at eating places worldwide and U.S. supermarkets with the Gold than you’ll with the Platinum alone (4 factors per greenback spent quite than 1; spending caps apply).
Moreover, the playing cards’ advantages and assertion credit hardly overlap, that means you may get large worth from having each playing cards. You possibly can then switch your Membership Rewards factors to any of Amex’s 21 airline and hotel partners.
TPG bank cards editor Olivia Mittak likes utilizing the Amex Gold and Amex Platinum collectively to maximise earnings in her prime spending classes. “My grocery and eating purchases virtually all the time go on my Gold, whereas I guide flights with my Platinum; I additionally put massive purchases on my Platinum to reap the benefits of that card’s intensive protections,” she says.
To study extra, take a look at our full opinions of the Amex Platinum and the Amex Gold.
Apply right here: The Platinum Card from American Express
Apply right here: American Express Gold Card
Chase Sapphire Most well-liked and Freedom Limitless
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is one in every of our favorite travel rewards cards, incomes 5 points per greenback on journey bought via Chase Journey℠, 3 factors per greenback spent on eating (together with eligible supply and takeout), choose streaming and on-line grocery purchases (excluding Walmart®, Goal® and wholesale golf equipment), 2 factors per greenback spent on all different travel purchases and 1 level per greenback spent on the whole lot else.
Moreover, it comes with some priceless journey protections — all for a low $95 annual price.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) is a superb on a regular basis card. It has no annual price and earns 3% money again on eating (together with eligible supply and takeout) and drugstore purchases and 1.5% on all different purchases.
Why they’re an important mixture: Each playing cards permit you to earn a formidable return on eating purchases, however you may earn extra in your non-Chase Travel journey spending with the Sapphire Most well-liked versus the Freedom Limitless. The place the Freedom Limitless actually shines is in its non-bonus spending.
By itself, the Freedom Limitless earns cash-back rewards. Nonetheless, when you even have the Sapphire Most well-liked, you possibly can combine your rewards from the 2 playing cards and switch them to any of Chase’s 14 travel partners for optimum worth.
To study extra, take a look at our full opinions of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Freedom Unlimited.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Apply right here: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Ink Enterprise Most well-liked and Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees) is one in every of our favorite business cards. It earns 3 factors per greenback spent on the primary $150,000 in mixed spending on transport, web, cable, journey, telephone providers and promoting purchases made with social media websites and serps.
Cardholders may even earn 5 factors per greenback spent on Lyft purchases (via Sept. 30, 2027) and 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) is the premium sibling of the Chase Sapphire Preferred. With it, you may get entry to Chase Sapphire and Priority Pass lounges, an annual journey credit score and helpful assertion credit.
It earns 8 factors per greenback spent on purchases made via Chase Journey, 4 factors per greenback spent on flights and inns booked immediately and three factors per greenback on dining purchases (together with takeout and eligible supply).
Why they’re an important mixture: When you’ve got a variety of enterprise bills, pairing a enterprise card with a private card can work in your favor.
With this mix, use your Ink Enterprise Most well-liked for the primary $150,000 in enterprise purchases annually and your Sapphire Reserve for journey and eating purchases to maximise your factors per greenback incomes alternatives throughout the board.
To study extra, take a look at our full opinions of the Ink Business Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Apply right here: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Sapphire Most well-liked and Sapphire Reserve
With the refresh of the Chase Sapphire Reserve got here the flexibility to carry each the Sapphire playing cards on the identical time. Beforehand, Chase solely allowed clients to carry one Sapphire card; with the current refresh of the Sapphire Reserve, that restriction has been lifted.
Holding each playing cards means that you can maximize factors on journey spending. You will earn 8 factors per greenback spent on all Chase Journey purchases and 4 factors per greenback spent on inns and flights booked immediately on the Sapphire Reserve. Plus, with the Sapphire Most well-liked, you may earn 2 factors per greenback spent on all different journey purchases.
With this combo, you may obtain priceless journey perks, similar to lounge entry, major rental automotive insurance coverage and journey protections.
Why they’re an important mixture: Holding each playing cards will permit you to maximize factors on journey spending, guaranteeing you get a minimum of 2 factors per greenback spent on journey purchases.
Plus, by holding each playing cards, your factors can be utilized to guide journey immediately via Chase Journey at a worth of as much as 2 cents per level with the brand new Points Boost characteristic, relying on the precise redemption (see your rewards program settlement for full particulars). And when you actually need to maximize your earnings, you can create a trifecta by including the Chase Freedom Unlimited, guaranteeing you earn a minimum of 1.5 factors per greenback spent on all purchases.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Capital One Savor Money Rewards And Capital One Enterprise Rewards
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has no annual price and is a superb choice for on a regular basis spending classes. The cardboard earns 5% money again on inns and rental automobiles booked via Capital One Journey, 3% money again on eating, leisure, grocery shops (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Goal®) and common streaming providers and 1% again on all different purchases.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a $95 annual price. It earns 5 miles per greenback spent on inns, trip leases and rental automobiles booked via Capital One Journey and a pair of miles per greenback spent on all different purchases, making it a superb card for spending that does not fall in different playing cards’ bonus classes.
Why they’re an important mixture: Use your Savor for purchases within the 3% cash-back bonus classes and your Enterprise Rewards for all different purchases to earn 2 miles per greenback on them. With this duo, you possibly can convert your cash back to Capital One miles and switch them to any of Capital One’s 15-plus airline and hotel partners.
To study extra, take a look at our full opinions of the Capital One Savor Cash and Capital One Venture Rewards.
Be taught extra: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards
Be taught extra: Capital One Venture Rewards
Different methods to pair playing cards
Add a cobranded card for one in every of your card’s journey companions
If you have already got a card that earns transferable rewards, pairing it with a card that earns rewards for one in every of its journey companions is a superb choice.
As an example, when you earn Chase Final Rewards factors along with your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you would possibly need to get the World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees) to entry Hyatt-specific advantages like elite status and a free night annually.
Associated: Best hotel cobranded cards
Diversify your rewards
Whereas most combos focus on incomes comparable rewards, it is also a good suggestion to earn various kinds of rewards. You can, for instance, pair the Amex Gold with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
On this situation, you’ll need to use your Amex Gold to earn bonus factors on flights, eating at eating places worldwide and groceries at U.S. grocery store purchases (as much as $50,000 per calendar yr for eating places worldwide and as much as $25,000 per calendar yr for U.S. supermarkets, then 1 level per greenback spent thereafter) and your Enterprise X to your different purchases to earn 2 miles per greenback spent.
With this feature, you possibly can reap the benefits of each American Express and Capital One‘s switch companions, providing you with much more flexibility in your reward redemptions.
Moreover, you can additionally pair an Amex or Capital One card with the no-annual-fee Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees). It earns 3 factors per greenback spent on eating, 2 factors per greenback spent on journey and 1 level per greenback spent on different purchases, together with hire funds (as much as 100,000 factors every calendar yr) with no transaction charges (see rates and fees). To earn factors, you need to make a minimum of 5 purchases monthly.
Bilt Factors are the highest-valued versatile factors forex primarily based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations and will be transferred to one in every of Bilt’s 22 airline and hotel partners.
Associated: Guide to transferring points and miles to airlines and hotels
No annual price
If you wish to earn transferable rewards with out paying an annual price, pair the Capital One Savor Cash and the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.
The VentureOne earns 1.25 miles per greenback spent on all purchases and means that you can flip Savor’s money again into transferable Capital One miles.
You can additionally swap one in every of these Capital One playing cards with the Bilt Mastercard for one more no-annual-fee duo that might diversify your rewards potential (see rates and fees for the Bilt Mastercard).
Associated: Cashing in Capital One miles? How to get the maximum value when redeeming miles
Maximize bonus classes
If you happen to’re OK with incomes various kinds of rewards and need to be sure to’re maximizing all of your purchases, you possibly can arrange your card portfolio with playing cards that earn bonus factors within the classes you spend essentially the most in.
For instance, you would possibly go for the Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn 3 factors per greenback spent in your eating purchases; the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) to earn 3 factors per greenback spent in your gasoline, EV charging stations and grocery store purchases; and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to earn 2 miles per greenback spent on all different purchases.
In keeping with TPG’s July 2025 valuations, this mix would imply you are getting an 3.7%-6.2% return on all of your spending.
Associated: The best rewards credit cards for each bonus category
Arrange your very best construction
In fact, completely different card combos work properly for various objectives. Figuring out your bank card objectives will aid you resolve which qualities to concentrate on whenever you choose your next card.
As an example, if you wish to reduce your annual charges whereas incomes journey rewards, your finest card pairs might differ from these listed above.
TPG lead author for factors and miles Katie Genter pairs her Ink Business Preferred together with her Chase Freedom Unlimited, because it permits her to maximise her Chase Final Rewards factors whereas solely paying one $95 annual price.
Associated: Chase’s 5/24 rule: Everything you need to know
Backside line
The neatest bank card technique typically includes pairing playing cards that complement one another. Begin by taking inventory of what is already in your pockets, then align your subsequent card along with your spending patterns and reward objectives. With the proper mixture, you may unlock much more worth — and be properly in your approach to maximizing rewards for journey, on a regular basis purchases, and past.
Associated: Have one of the popular credit cards? Here are the others you should get to boost your points
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Bilt Mastercard, click on here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on here.
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