Honest, math-first analysis of credit card rewards. No "best of" listicles, no fake urgency, no hype. Just the calculations we use inside the PointSmart app, written out so you can check our work.
The Reserve costs $795/yr after Chase's repricing. The Preferred is still $95. We walk through the actual math on which card earns its annual fee, the credits worth real money, and three scenarios where each one wins.
MR points are worth 1¢ in Amex Travel and 2¢+ via airline transfer partners. The transfer partners worth knowing, four sweet spots that actually move the needle, and the four common mistakes that destroy MR value.
UR has 14 transfer partners and most aren't worth using. Three are universally useful: Hyatt, United, and Virgin Atlantic. Two more are situational standouts. Plus five redemptions that regularly return 4¢+ per point.
More guides coming. We publish when we have something substantive to add to the conversation — not on a content calendar.