The previous yr has introduced two improbable new bank cards to the market.
Final yr, we noticed Alaska Airways revamp its Mileage Plan program, rebranding to Atmos Rewards. It additionally refreshed its two present cobranded bank cards, and added a 3rd to the lineup: the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® credit card.
In the meantime, within the early weeks of 2026, Bilt retired its unique bank card and changed it with a set of cobranded bank cards, with the Bilt Palladium Card (see rates and fees) being probably the most premium of the trio.
These two bank cards are actually the 2 most utilized in my pockets, largely as a result of they let me earn my two favourite loyalty currencies — Atmos Rewards factors and Bilt Factors — on all the pieces I purchase. Even higher, they will earn greater than 1 level per greenback spent on these purchases.
Right here, I am going to present you ways I take advantage of these two bank cards to earn factors each day and the way I determine which card to make use of.
Bilt Palladium Card: My day by day driver stateside
The Bilt Palladium Card is by far the cardboard I faucet probably the most today. It carries a hefty $495 annual price (see rates and fees), but additionally contains some nice perks like two $200 Bilt Journey lodge credit yearly, a Precedence Cross Choose lounge membership and $200 in annual Bilt Money*.
Plus, it has a strong welcome bonus — a primary for Bilt — which lets you earn 50,000 bonus factors and Bilt Gold elite standing for a yr after spending $4,000 on the cardboard within the first three months of account opening. Plus, you will obtain $300 in Bilt Money* upon approval.
However the true draw of this card is incomes 2 Bilt points per greenback spent on all purchases (besides tax funds; plus 4% Bilt Cash*, in case you elect to earn Bilt Money). This double factors earn price is legitimate on all the pieces from groceries to fuel to eating.
Even higher, you’ll be able to redeem $200 in Bilt Money for Factors Accelerator, which supplies you 3 factors per greenback spent on all the pieces by means of the top of the yr or as much as $5,000 in purchases. You may redeem Bilt Money for this perk as much as 5 instances per yr.
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I all the time maintain it on, and it is how I spend most of my Bilt Money. The 4% Bilt Money I earn on on a regular basis spending is what funds these repeat redemptions all yr.
The rationale I take advantage of this as my day by day driver is two-fold.
First, Bilt factors are by far probably the most priceless factors available on the market. TPG values them at 2.2 cents per level as of our June 2026 valuations, the best worth of any loyalty program.
Nevertheless, I’ve by no means redeemed them for lower than 3 cents per level. That is largely attributable to Bilt’s top-tier switch companions, which embody 1:1 transfers to World of Hyatt, Atmos Rewards, Japan Airways Mileage Financial institution and Air Canada Aeroplan, amongst others.
The second purpose I take advantage of this card is to simplify my funds. For years, I used a stack of 4 completely different bank cards to maximise the variety of factors I earned. Nevertheless, juggling so many playing cards every day made it tough to trace my spending.
Now, placing the majority of my spending on a single card means I can test my spending and pay my invoice in a single app.
That is to not say that I do not use different bank cards every so often. For instance, I take advantage of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) to e-book flights and motels, incomes 4 factors per greenback spent when reserving instantly with airways and motels.
Nevertheless, in relation to eating, groceries and different spending, it goes on the Bilt Palladium Card with out a second thought — no less than after I’m at house.
*As much as $100 in Bilt Money rolls over every year.
Associated: Why I’m putting the majority of my spending on 1 card in 2026
Alaska Atmos Summit Card: My go-to after I’m overseas
The Alaska Atmos Summit Card is the uncommon card that treats foreign-currency spending as its own bonus category, incomes 3 factors per greenback spent on any buy made overseas.
As an Alaska Airways elite, I additionally love that the cardboard earns 1 status point per $2 spent, that means a $200 buy overseas earns a whopping 600 Atmos Rewards factors and 100 standing factors. Word that it additionally earns 3 factors per greenback spent on Alaska and Hawaiian purchases and on eating.
As an added bonus, it does not cost international transaction charges.
That is now the one card I take advantage of overseas, and I’ve racked up 1000’s of Atmos Rewards factors within the course of.
The cardboard is full of different nice advantages, together with quarterly Alaska Lounge passes, inflight Wi-Fi credit, 10,000 bonus elite factors per yr and a 25,000-point annual Global Companion Award that can be utilized for 25,000 factors off a companion’s award ticket.
I additionally simply accomplished the $60,000 annual spending requirement to earn the cardboard’s 100,000-point World Companion Award, which my spouse and I’ll use when reserving a visit to Asia subsequent yr. These perks assist offset the cardboard’s $395 annual price.
I like utilizing this card overseas to assist me requalify for Atmos Rewards Gold standing and to pad my stash of Atmos Rewards factors. It additionally takes the guesswork out of choosing which card I ought to use overseas — as a substitute, I can relaxation assured realizing I am getting 3 Atmos Rewards factors per greenback spent.
Subsequent to Bilt factors, I take advantage of Atmos Rewards factors probably the most out of any factors program.
Backside line
I’ve over 30 bank cards in my pockets, however today, two of them get the vast majority of my spending.
I take advantage of the Bilt Palladium Card at house and the Alaska Atmos Summit Card overseas. This lets me earn no less than 2 factors per greenback spent on just about all the pieces I purchase, break up between the 2 loyalty packages I take advantage of probably the most.
It is also massively simplified my on a regular basis spending, as I can test balances and pay my bank card invoice from simply two apps. This can be a far cry from the times after I used a hodgepodge of playing cards day by day, break up amongst American Categorical, Chase, Citi and others.
To be taught extra, take a look at our full critiques of the Bilt Palladium and Atmos Summit.
Apply right here: Atmos Rewards Summit credit card
Apply right here: Bilt Palladium Card
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