Points and Miles vs Cash Back: Pick a Credit Card That Matches Your Spending

NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast

NerdWallet Personal Finance

Investing, Education, Business, How To

4.3 • 892 Ratings

🗓️ 16 March 2026

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Learn how to choose your next credit card by weighing airline perks, annual fees, and simple cash back rewards. How do you choose a credit card when the options feel endless? Should a family of four choose an airline credit card or a more flexible rewards card? Hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola discuss travel rewards and everyday rewards to help you understand how to match a card to your real spending habits. Joined by credit card Nerd Sara Rathner, they discuss how co-branded airline cards differ from general travel cards, why store cards can be risky if you carry a balance, and how cash back cards can reward everyday spending like groceries and dining. They also discuss budgeting for annual fees, reevaluating cards at renewal time, tracking a sign-up bonus spending deadline without overspending, and what can happen to your credit score if you cancel or downgrade a card. Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews: NerdWallet’s 2026 Best-Of Awards Winners: Credit Cards Best Travel Credit Cards of March 2026 Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards of March 2026 Atmos Rewards Ascent Review: Well Worth $95 a Year Chase Sapphire Reserve Review: A High-End, High-Maintenance Card American Express Platinum Review: Top-Notch Lounge Access, Big Credits American Express Blue Cash Preferred Review AmEx Blue Cash Everyday Review: Rewarding, for no annual fee Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Could AI help you do more of what you love?
0:03.0	Workday is the next-gen ERP powered by AI that actually knows your business.
0:08.0	We help you handle the have-to-dos so you can focus on the can't-wait-to-dos.
0:13.0	It's a new workday.
0:15.0	What I've dedicated my life to is revenge.
0:19.0	A brand-new drama based on the bestselling novel.
0:22.6	They think they're better than us.
0:23.6	Who do you think you are?
0:24.9	I'm going to prove to them that they're wrong.
0:26.6	She's punishing me.
0:28.1	You destroyed my family.
0:29.5	I will not rest until I've destroyed yours.
0:32.1	A woman of substance on Channel 4 starts tonight at 9.
0:35.4	Sean, what is your relationship like with Credit Cars these days? It's the same relationship I've had for a while. I want to keep things simple and I want as much value as possible. Okay, that's fair. I feel like right now we usually have a love-hate relationship, me and credit cards, but right now it's love. And that's because I have finally gotten around to using
0:54.1	air miles. So thank you credit card companies for air miles. I recently bought a ticket to Barbados.
0:59.1	Yay for me. I've also been using my $15 Uber Eats credit. So you're getting all the value you can,
1:04.6	yes. I'm trying to get the value. And also, I'm loving the lounge access. But if you ask me again
1:09.0	next week, I might have a different response. Yeah, once those annual fees come do, we'll talk about it again.
1:13.5	Why you got to bring that up? Well, today we're going to be chatting about what to do if you're not sure what kind of new credit card you want.
1:23.1	Welcome to Nerd Wallet's Smart Money Podcast, where you send us your money questions and we answer them with the help of our genius nerds.
1:29.5	I'm Sean Piles.
1:30.5	And I'm Elizabeth Ayola.
	...

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