Whether or not you are new to the world of factors and miles or simply in search of the very best methods to stage up your present card portfolio, a strategic bank card pairing is without doubt one of the best methods to maximise your incomes potential.
You’ve got possible heard of the most well-liked card groupings — the Chase Trifecta and the Amex Trifecta — however these are removed from the one methods to mix bank cards.
Let’s focus on how totally different bank cards work collectively to spice up your spending and incomes energy and go over among the finest bank card mixtures.
Associated: The perfect enterprise and private bank card mixtures
What makes the very best bank card mixture?
A number of components could make a great card mixture, however most easily, a great pair is one wherein each playing cards earn the identical rewards however have totally different bonus classes. This fashion, you can maximize your earnings throughout a wider vary of purchases than you’d with only one card.
Every pairing beneath reveals learn how to enhance your earnings with two complementary playing cards.
Associated: 7 of the very best playing cards to pair with the Amex Gold
Amex Platinum and Amex Gold
The Platinum Card® from American Categorical has a excessive $695 annual price (see charges and charges) however is nice for vacationers because it earns 5 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent on flights booked straight with an airline or by American Categorical Journey® (on as much as $500,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback spent thereafter).
It additionally comes with in depth airport lounge entry, plus a slew of helpful assertion credit. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply.)
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The American Categorical® Gold Card is a foodie’s dream card with a $325 annual price (see charges and charges). 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 assertion credit every calendar yr for eating and takeout purchases. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages; phrases apply.)
Why they’re a terrific mixture: These playing cards work nice collectively since you’ll earn extra on flights with the Amex Platinum than you’d with the Amex Gold alone (5 factors per greenback spent moderately than 3; spending caps apply) and extra at eating places worldwide and U.S. supermarkets with the Gold than you’d with the Platinum alone (4 factors per greenback spent moderately than 1; spending caps apply).
Moreover, the playing cards’ advantages and assertion credit hardly overlap, that means you may get great worth from having each playing cards. You’ll be able to then switch your Membership Rewards factors to any of Amex’s 21 airline and resort companions.
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 nearly at all times go on my Gold, whereas I ebook flights with my Platinum; I additionally put massive purchases on my Platinum to benefit from that card’s in depth protections,” she says.
To study extra, try our full critiques of the Amex Platinum and the Amex Gold.
Apply right here: The Platinum Card from American Categorical
Apply right here: American Categorical Gold Card
Chase Sapphire Most popular and Freedom Limitless
The Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and charges) is one among our favourite journey rewards playing cards, incomes 5 factors per greenback on journey bought by 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 journey purchases and 1 level per greenback spent on every part else.
Moreover, it comes with some helpful journey protections — all for a low $95 annual price.
The Chase Freedom Limitless® (see charges and charges) is a good 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 a terrific mixture: Each playing cards help you earn a formidable return on eating purchases, however you may earn extra in your non-Chase Journey journey spending with the Sapphire Most popular 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. Nevertheless, when you even have the Sapphire Most popular, you may mix your rewards from the 2 playing cards and switch them to any of Chase’s 14 journey companions for optimum worth.
To study extra, try our full critiques of the Chase Sapphire Most popular and the Chase Freedom Limitless.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most popular Card
Apply right here: Chase Freedom Limitless
Ink Enterprise Most popular and Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Ink Enterprise Most popular® Credit score Card (see charges and charges) is one among our favourite enterprise playing cards. It earns 3 factors per greenback spent on the primary $150,000 in mixed spending on delivery, web, cable, journey, cellphone providers and promoting purchases made with social media websites and serps.
Cardholders may also earn 5 factors per greenback spent on Lyft purchases (by Sept. 30, 2027) and 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges) is the premium sibling of the Chase Sapphire Most popular. With it, you may get entry to Chase Sapphire and Precedence Move lounges, an annual journey credit score and helpful assertion credit.
It earns 8 factors per greenback spent on purchases made by Chase Journey, 4 factors per greenback spent on flights and resorts booked straight and three factors per greenback on eating purchases (together with takeout and eligible supply).
Why they’re a terrific mixture: You probably have a whole lot of enterprise bills, pairing a enterprise card with a private card can work in your favor.
With this mix, use your Ink Enterprise Most popular 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, try our full critiques of the Ink Enterprise Most popular and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Apply right here: Ink Enterprise Most popular Credit score Card
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Sapphire Most popular and Sapphire Reserve
Holding each playing cards permits you to 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 resorts and flights booked straight on the Sapphire Reserve. Plus, with the Sapphire Most popular, you may earn 2 factors per greenback spent on all different journey purchases.
With this combo, you may obtain helpful journey perks, corresponding to lounge entry, major rental automobile insurance coverage and journey protections.
Why they’re a terrific mixture: Holding each playing cards will help you maximize factors on journey spending, guaranteeing you get no less than 2 factors per greenback spent on journey purchases.
Plus, by holding each playing cards, your factors can be utilized to ebook journey straight by Chase Journey at a worth of as much as 2 cents per level with the brand new Factors Increase characteristic, relying on the precise redemption (see your rewards program settlement for full particulars). And when you actually wish to maximize your earnings, you possibly can create a trifecta by including the Chase Freedom Limitless, guaranteeing you earn no less than 1.5 factors per greenback spent on all purchases.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most popular Card
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Capital One Savor Money Rewards And Capital One Enterprise Rewards
The Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card has a $95 annual price. It earns 5 miles per greenback spent on resorts, trip leases and rental automobiles booked by Capital One Journey and a couple of miles per greenback spent on all different purchases, making it a great card for spending that does not fall in different playing cards’ bonus classes.
Why they’re a terrific 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 may convert your money again to Capital One miles and switch them to any of Capital One’s 15-plus airline and resort companions.
To study extra, try our full critiques of the Capital One Savor Money and Capital One Enterprise Rewards.
Study extra: Capital One Savor Money Rewards
Study extra: Capital One Enterprise Rewards
Different methods to pair playing cards
Add a cobranded card for one among 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 among its journey companions is a good choice.
As an illustration, when you earn Chase Final Rewards factors together with your Chase Sapphire Most popular Card, you would possibly wish to get the World of Hyatt Credit score Card (see charges and charges) to entry Hyatt-specific advantages like elite standing and a free night time annually.
Associated: Greatest resort cobranded playing cards
Diversify your rewards
Whereas most mixtures focus on incomes comparable rewards, it is also a good suggestion to earn several types of rewards. You may, for instance, pair the Amex Gold with the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card.
On this situation, you’d wish 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 on your different purchases to earn 2 miles per greenback spent.
With this selection, you may benefit from each American Categorical and Capital One’s switch companions, supplying you with much more flexibility in your reward redemptions.
Moreover, you possibly can additionally pair an Amex or Capital One card with the no-annual-fee Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and charges). 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 charges and charges). To earn factors, it’s essential to make no less than 5 purchases monthly.
Bilt Factors are the highest-valued versatile factors foreign money primarily based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations and could be transferred to one among Bilt’s 22 airline and resort companions.
Associated: Information to transferring factors and miles to airways and resorts
No annual price
If you wish to earn transferable rewards with out paying an annual price, pair the Capital One Savor Money and the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit score Card.
The VentureOne earns 1.25 miles per greenback spent on all purchases and permits you to flip Savor’s money again into transferable Capital One miles.
You may additionally swap one among these Capital One playing cards with the Bilt Mastercard for an additional no-annual-fee duo that will diversify your rewards potential (see charges and charges for the Bilt Mastercard).
Associated: Cashing in Capital One miles? How you can get the utmost worth when redeeming miles
Maximize bonus classes
Should you’re OK with incomes several types of rewards and wish to ensure you’re maximizing all of your purchases, you may 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 charges and charges) to earn 3 factors per greenback spent in your gasoline, EV charging stations and grocery store purchases; and the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card to earn 2 miles per greenback spent on all different purchases.
In accordance 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 perfect rewards bank cards for every bonus class
Arrange your very best construction
In fact, totally different card mixtures work effectively for various targets. Figuring out your bank card targets will allow you to resolve which qualities to concentrate on while you select your subsequent card.
As an illustration, if you wish to decrease 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 Enterprise Most popular along with her Chase Freedom Limitless, because it permits her to maximise her Chase Final Rewards factors whereas solely paying one $95 annual price.
Associated: Chase’s 5/24 rule: The whole lot that you must 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 together with your spending patterns and reward targets. With the best mixture, you may unlock much more worth — and be effectively in your strategy to maximizing rewards for journey, on a regular basis purchases, and past.
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
