138. How to Track, Manage, and Maximize Your Credit Cards with Travel Freely

Point Me To First Class

Devon Gimbel MD

Finances, Education, How To, Travel, Credit, Expenses, Card, Cards, Society & Culture, Professionals, Tips, Personal, Places & Travel, Business, Points, Rewards

5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 October 2025

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Have you ever opened a new credit card for the welcome bonus, only to forget how much you’ve spent or when the deadline hits? Or maybe you’re juggling multiple cards and can’t remember which one to use next.

In this next episode of our Streamline, Stack, and Save mini-series, I’m joined by Zac Hood, founder of Travel Freely, an app that helps you track your credit cards, sign-up bonuses, and annual fees — so you can stay organized, hit your goals, and never miss a reward.

Zac built Travel Freely after realizing how easy it was to lose track of credit card bonuses, fees, and timelines. What started as a simple spreadsheet turned into a tool that helps thousands of travelers manage their rewards efficiently.

In this conversation, Zac and I talk about how Travel Freely works, why it’s free to use, and how it helps users stay on top of their credit card portfolio. We also discuss how to plan future card openings strategically, how to track spending toward welcome offers, and how the app helps travelers simplify their credit card portfolio — especially when juggling multiple issuers and family accounts.

You’ll also hear Zac’s story of building the platform from scratch and the lessons he’s learned about balancing automation, accuracy, and user trust in the points and miles world.

Get full show notes and transcript here

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Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Point Me to First Class, the only show for employed professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners who are looking to optimize their higher than average expenses to travel the world.
0:10.7	I'm your host, Devin Gimble, and I believe that your expenses are your greatest untapped asset, if you know how to leverage them.
0:17.8	Ready to dive into the world of credit card points and miles so you can travel more, travel better, and travel often. Let's get started.
0:29.6	Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast. Today's episode is the next in the streamline,
0:35.0	stack, and save miniseries, where I'm highlighting the tools,
0:38.4	apps, and platforms that simplify how you earn points and get the most from your rewards credit cards.
0:44.3	And the one feature today is likely to become one of your favorites, especially if you want to take
0:49.1	a lot of the manual labor and guesswork out of organizing and managing your rewards cards. From tracking when
0:55.6	your annual fees are due, reminding you of when the window closes on earning your new card
0:59.9	welcome bonuses, and recommending next best fit credit cards for you by knowing exactly which
1:05.8	cards you're eligible for and which ones you aren't, the Travel Freely app was designed to help you stay on top of your
1:12.2	credit cards. To talk more about Travel Freely, I'm joined today by app creator Zach Hood. A teacher
1:17.5	by background, Zach has a unique perspective on how to guide beginners and points and miles to get
1:22.3	the most out of this hobby. But travel freely is just as valuable for intermediate and advanced
1:27.3	points enthusiasts.
1:28.3	If you're tired of manually tracking your rewards credit cards, trying to navigate the ever-increasing maze of credit card eligibility rules on your own, or are the designated point person in charge of keeping your family's points and cards organized, you're going to love travel freely.
1:44.7	And even better, it's completely free to use.
1:47.8	From discussing the gaps and points education that he experienced himself when diving into this hobby
1:52.0	to how he created travel freely to help everyday points enthusiasts, I hope you enjoy this
1:57.4	conversation with Zach Hood.
2:00.2	Hey, Zach, welcome to the podcast. I am so excited to have you here today. Before we dive
2:06.5	in too much into travel freely itself and talking more about this incredible app that you
	...

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