Many credit cards come with valuable credits as card benefits.  If you have any of these credit cards, there are free miles for the taking! Many people are surprised by how easy it can be to earn free miles just by using these credits wisely.

Put simply, when you make a purchase and then receive a credit from the credit card benefit, you still earn miles or points for the purchase.   For example, the AMEX Business Platinum card comes with an annual $150 Dell credit.   If you make a $150 purchase from Dell, AMEX will credit you $150.   BUT, you will still earn Membership Miles on the purchase.   As Dell categorizes as an ‘electronic goods retailer’, you earn 2X miles on the purchase. Purchases categorized as ‘electronic goods retailer’ earn 2X miles on purchases up to $2 million per year.  So in this case, you will earn 300 free Membership Miles.  You are able to get free points with any of the available AMEX credits.

Chase presents a mixed bag. Sometimes, credits reverse the points earned on purchases.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a $300 annual travel credit.  When you make a travel purchase, you earn the points. However, Chase takes back the points when the credit comes through. With some Chase cards, you may not receive free miles if the points are clawed back.

If you use Chase Offers, you receive cash back on specific purchases. Chase does not take this cash back. When considering Chase Offers, remember that you can maximize your free miles by stacking these offers with category bonuses where possible. When it comes to other credits the card may come with, you get to keep the points. 

For example:

-If you make a $150 purchase with Stubhub, you earn 150 points.  The Sapphire Reserve comes with a $150 semi-annual $150 credit.   The credit does not take back the points. 

-If you use the $250 Edit Hotels credit, you do not get to keep the points.

-For the $150 semi-annual dining credit, you do get to keep the points.

In some of these examples, you effectively earn Free Miles because your out-of-pocket cost is offset by the credits. And, you get whatever you purchased for free.

Here are the credits on the AMEX Platinum Card for which you will earn points on the purchase, and they won’t be taken back when the credits come through:

Uber Cash
Uber One Credit
Digital Entertainment Credit
Hotel Credit (Fine Hotels and Resorts/ The Hotel Colllection)
Resy Credit
CLEAR Plus Credit
Airline Fee Credit
Lululemon Credit
Oura Ring Credit
Saks Fifth Avenue Credit
Equinox Credit
Walmart+ Membership Credit
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Fee Credit

The total amount of credits related to the above purchases is $3,204, meaning you will earn at least 3.204 Membership Miles without having to spend anything. Earning free miles from these credits can really add up over the year.

If you take a look back at my post on tracking your credits, you can see a listing of credits on many popular cards.

What’s the largest amount of free miles for the taking that you have received? Share your biggest free miles success in the comments below!

About Miles Man

Miles Man provides a unique service: helping travelers book trips with miles and points through its Award Booking Service, as well as paid trips, as a certified IATAN Travel Agency.