The Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Right Credit Card Rewards Strategy: Chase vs. Amex and Where to Start

TL;DR

If you’re just getting into credit card rewards, start with Chase—their cards are beginner-friendly, flexible, and packed with value. American Express is great too, but it shines more once you have a solid foundation. In short: Chase first, Amex later.

Introduction: Why Choosing the Right Starting Point Matters

Getting into credit card rewards is exciting—but also overwhelming. With so many card issuers, points systems, and bonus categories, it’s hard to know where to begin. Many beginners make the mistake of jumping straight into premium cards without a strategy.

If you’re asking, “Where do I even start?” this guide is for you. We’ll break down how to build a solid rewards foundation and help you choose between the two most popular ecosystems: Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards.

Step 1: Know Your Goals

Before picking a card, ask yourself:

Do you want cash back, free travel, or both?
Are you a frequent traveler, or do you mostly want perks for everyday spending?
Are you looking to keep it simple or dive deep into transfer partners and redemption strategies?

Your answers will help shape the right starting point.

Step 2: Understand the Ecosystems

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Cards: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Freedom Flex, Ink Business cards
Pros:
- Great for beginners
- Simple point transfers to travel partners
- Often no foreign transaction fees
- Great 1.5–5x category multipliers
- Amazing value through Chase Travel Portal (especially with Sapphire Preferred/Reserve)
Downsides:
- Less premium travel perks compared to Amex

American Express Membership Rewards

Cards: Amex Gold, Amex Platinum, Amex Green, Blue Business Plus
Pros:
- High earning rates in specific categories (4x on dining/groceries, 5x on flights)
- Premium travel perks (airport lounges, hotel statuses)
- More airline transfer partners
Downsides:
- Many cards don’t come with travel protections
- Some redemptions are poor value unless you transfer points
- Limited acceptance internationally (compared to Visa/Mastercard)
- Basically all cards have annual fees

Step 3: Start with Chase First

Most beginners are better off starting with Chase cards because of something called the 5/24 rule: If you’ve opened 5 or more credit cards from any bank in the past 24 months, you’ll likely be denied for Chase cards.

So if you’re planning to apply for multiple cards over time, it’s smarter to start with Chase before Amex.

Ideal Starting Cards from Chase:

Chase Sapphire Preferred – Best all-around travel card for beginners (60,000+ point welcome bonus, sometimes as high as 100,000 points)
Chase Freedom Unlimited – Great for everyday non-category spending (1.5% back on everything)
Chase Freedom Flex – Rotating 5% bonus categories

You can combine points from all three to maximize travel redemptions or cashback.

Step 4: When to Add Amex to the Mix

Once you’ve picked up a few Chase cards (and maybe even maxed out the 5/24 limit), that’s a great time to dive into Amex’s more advanced perks and multipliers.

Amex shines for people who:

Spend a lot on groceries, dining, and flights
Travel frequently and want premium perks like lounges and elite hotel status
Love geeking out over points transfers to airlines and sweet spot redemptions

Step 5: Be Strategic with Sign-Up Bonuses

No matter where you start, sign-up bonuses are the fastest way to earn rewards.

Always check for a referral, pre-qualified offer, or targeted mailer
Use your cards to hit minimum spend requirements without overspending
Track timelines so you can space out applications and bonus periods

Simple Math Summary: Who Wins?

Here’s a quick comparison if you spent $1,000/month split across travel, dining, groceries, and everything else:

Category	Chase Sapphire + Freedom	Amex Gold + Platinum
Travel	2x (Sapphire)	5x (Platinum)
Dining	3x (Sapphire)	4x (Gold)
Groceries	1.5% (Freedom Unlimited)	4x (Gold)
General Spend	1.5% (Freedom Unlimited)	2x (Blue Biz Plus)

Winner? Amex gives higher multipliers—but Chase is easier to use and build with early on. Long-term, combining both ecosystems gives you full flexibility.

Final Thoughts: Crawl Before You Fly First Class

Credit card rewards are one of the few financial tools that can literally pay you to travel, but only if you have a strategy.

Start simple. Nail the basics. Use Chase to build your foundation. Then, when you’re ready, graduate to Amex and unlock the luxury perks.

And when you’re ready to fully optimize your cards without the mental math? Stay tuned—Perxy is coming soon to do it all for you.