A man in his 30s who traveled to 33 countries with his credit card points is drawing keen attention. He said he accumulated strategic points by remembering credit card benefits that change every month.
According to CNBC, Vietnamese-American David Doe is an ordinary office worker who works as a social worker and earns $78,000 a year, but has traveled to a total of 33 countries, including Honduras, Japan, Singapore, Norway, Turkey, and India. Regarding the secret to traveling to so many countries, Doe said, “We strategically utilize the credit card point program to receive free or discounted benefits from airfare and accommodation costs.”
“I currently have about 30 credit cards, and I collect them all together in a binder like Pokemon cards and manage them,” the province said. “I use them strategically by changing cards depending on which cards provide which benefits every month. This is because each credit card earns additional points in a specific field on a monthly basis.”
For example, in March, he spent $753 on meals, and paid all of this with a Discover card that provides “5% cashback for restaurants in the month” to earn the maximum reward. Tickets and train tickets are paid with Capital One venture cards with strong travel-specific accumulation, and Amazon Shopping is paid with Amazon Chase Prime cards. In this way, the province has accumulated more than 1 million points since 2017.
Another key strategy is “New Subscription Bonus.” He is issued a card that offers high subscription bonuses for automobile insurance, college tuition and quarterly taxes, and secures points by filling in a certain amount of money. He is to use promotions such as “Sixty-thousand points are paid when using 3,000 dollars or more within three months,” which are commonly offered by credit card companies.
The province stressed, “It is important not to use the points in luxury.” Instead of first-class tickets or luxury hotels, he always uses economy seats and book only substantial accommodations. “It’s more about how you spend money than how much you earn,” he said. “If anyone takes a strategic approach, you can expand your travel opportunities.” Currently, he has about 370,000 miles and plans to visit Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia as his next destinations. His goal is to visit 35 countries before he turns 35.
SAM KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
