Total cards
18
5 active · 3 kept-open · 7 attention · 3 dormant
Annual fees
$1,900
3 Amex cards drive most of this
Credits to use
11
Sorted by deadline below
Free-night certs
4
Hilton Aspire anniversary + Delta certs
Back to Finance
2Expiring soon
3Interest vs rewards 4Balances to confirm
5Annual fee vs value
6Which card for this purchase
7Active rotation
8Kept-open
9Operating doctrine
Use it or lose it
Credits and certificates sorted by deadline. Items with month-by-month resets and unknown-renewal dates fall to the bottom — they're not gone forever but easy to forget.
Delta Stays
Dec 30, 2026
Delta Stays
Dec 30, 2026
Resy
Monthly
Rideshare (US)
Monthly
Uber One membership
TBD
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck
TBD
Hilton credit
TBD
Flight credit
TBD
CLEAR credit
TBD
Companion Certificate
TBD
When carrying a balance wipes out the points
If a card charges more in monthly interest than it earns in rewards, paying down the balance is the higher-value move. The math is shown below — no shame, just clarity.
Venmo Visa Credit Card ····TBD
Carrying $7,174 at 35.24% APR. Even if this card earned 3% back on every purchase, interest charged each month would still exceed rewards earned.
~$210.68/mo interest · $2,528/yr if revolving stays
Carrying spend, APR not yet captured
These cards have a balance but the APR isn't in the methodology yet. If it's a 0% promo (BoA balance transfer), log the end date. If it's a normal carry rate, treat as interest drag.
- BoA card (variant TBD) ····3291 — $10,920 balance · APR TBD
- Amazon Prime Store Card ····0419 — $932 balance · APR TBD
- Delta SkyMiles Gold ····TBD — $3,919 balance · APR TBD
- Delta SkyMiles Platinum (new) ····TBD — $1,000 balance · APR TBD
- Wells Fargo Reflect ····TBD — $6,031 balance · APR TBD
- CareCredit ····TBD — $3,039 balance · APR TBD
Is each card paying for itself?
Annual fees in red. Credits + cert value available in green. A card pays for itself when the green bar is taller than the red.
Annual fee Credits + certs available
Routing engine
Points and miles first, cashback as fallback. Kept-open cards (USAA 2957/6775, Cap1 5101, BoA 3291) are excluded from routine recommendations.
Hilton hotel stay
Hilton Honors Aspire····1009
14× Hilton Honors points on direct Hilton bookings. Auto Diamond status. Free anniversary night benefit.
Delta flight
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business····1006
3× SkyMiles on Delta. Companion cert + lounge access. Delta Diamond MQDs.
Restaurant / dining
Hilton Honors Aspire····1009
7× Hilton points — worth ~3.5% cash-equivalent at top-tier Hiltons.
Grocery store
Hilton Honors Aspire····1009
7× Hilton points on US supermarkets. Best multiplier in the wallet for groceries.
Amazon purchase
Amazon Prime Store Card····0419
5% back on Amazon.com (Prime). Closed-loop — Amazon only. Carries a balance — pay down before adding new spend.
Cell phone bill
Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard····4404
World Elite Mastercard cell protection: $800/claim, $50 deductible. Highest cap in the wallet.
Lowe's home improvement
Lowe's Advantage····TBD
5% off Lowe's only (closed-loop). Use exclusively at Lowe's.
Travel (non-Delta, non-Hilton)
Delta SkyMiles Platinum····1001
Delta SkyMiles flexible. General travel earns SkyMiles via partners. Confirm partner.
Monthly subscription
Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard····4404
1.5% flat + cell protection. Cleanest no-AF default for recurring subs.
Gas station
Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard····4404
Flat 1.5%. USAA gas multiplier requires variant confirmation; Cap1 is the safe default.
Default / unbonused
Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard····4404
1.5% on every purchase with $0 AF. Cleanest default.
Cards in regular use
Earn rules · credits · certificates · perks. These are the cards that drive day-to-day spend decisions.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business
active
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business
Earn
- 3× delta direct — Stacks with Diamond 11x base earn = up to 8 miles/$ effective on Delta direct
- 1× default
Credits
- $240 Resy
- $120 Rideshare (US)
- $200 Delta Stays
- $119.88 Uber One membership
- $120 Global Entry / TSA PreCheck
- $ In-flight purchase discount
Certificates
- Companion Certificate — $500–$1000
Perks
- Sky Club access when flying Delta same-day (backup to Diamond Choice)
- MQD boost — $1 MQD per $20 spent (subject to current Delta cap)
- First class upgrade priority bump when paired with Medallion
- Business spend reporting for Aspire Digital expense separation
Best for
- All Delta direct purchases (flights, baggage, in-flight)
- Aspire Digital business expenses (ad spend, internet, phone, shipping when not at 3x elsewhere)
- Dining via Resy credit
- Rideshare via $10/mo credit
Skip for
- Foreign transactions on non-Delta merchants (no special FX advantage over BoA Premium Rewards)
- Non-Delta travel (Chase Ink Preferred or BoA Premium Rewards win)
Open question: Confirm which Delta variants Topher actually holds — overview.md lists this as Reserve Business at 1006, but methodology section asks to confirm variant · Current MQD YTD for 2026 Diamond requalification · How many companion certificates are outstanding + expiration dates? (delta.com → Profile → Certificates)
Delta SkyMiles Platinum
active
Delta SkyMiles Platinum
Earn
- 3× delta direct — Methodology lists Reserve at 3x; Platinum earn structure assumed similar but lower — confirm
- 1× default
Credits
- $150 Delta Stays
Certificates
- Companion Certificate — $150–$300
Best for
- Delta direct purchases when Reserve Business not used (e.g. personal Delta spend Topher wants off the LLC card)
Skip for
- Use Reserve Business instead for higher-value companion cert
Open question: Confirm Topher is on Platinum vs already upgraded to Reserve Personal — methodology calls Platinum→Reserve upgrade 'the highest-EV change in this whole methodology' · Companion cert expiration date
Hilton Honors Aspire
active
Hilton Honors Aspire
Credits
- $400 Hilton credit
- $200 Flight credit
- $189 CLEAR credit
Certificates
- Anniversary Free Night — $300–$800
Perks
- Hilton Diamond status auto (per overview.md — methodology confirms status changes the optimization story significantly)
Best for
- Hilton property stays (Diamond status amplifies)
Open question: Confirm anniversary date so Aria can track free-night cert issuance + expiration · Has 2026 Hilton credit been used? Flight credit? CLEAR? · Methodology has no dedicated Aspire playbook section — credits drawn from overview.md only. Build out a full Aspire section in rewards-optimization.md.
MGM Rewards Mastercard
active
MGM Rewards Mastercard
Perks
- Cobranded MGM/BetMGM tier credit accumulation (per overview.md)
Best for
- MGM properties + BetMGM spend for tier credits
Skip for
- Everyday spend — no methodology playbook means no confirmed multipliers
Open question: MGM Rewards Mastercard not covered in methodology doc — needs a dedicated playbook section · AF amount + post month · Earn structure on MGM direct vs everyday
Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard
active
Capital One Quicksilver World Elite Mastercard
Earn
- 1.5× default — Flat 1.5% on all purchases
- 5× cap1 travel — 5% on Cap1 Travel portal per overview.md
Perks
- Cell phone protection: up to $800/claim, $1,000 or 2 claims per 12 months, $50 deductible — requires paying monthly cell bill with the card (highest per-claim cap in Topher's wallet vs USAA $500)
- Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services (World Elite concierge, hotel benefits collection, ID theft protection)
- No annual fee, no FTF
Best for
- Cell phone bill (triggers $800 protection benefit)
- Small recurring subscription to keep utilization low + protection active (e.g. Spotify $23/mo)
- Foreign transactions (backup — no FTF)
Skip for
- Real volume — $2K limit means hotel deposit will be embarrassing
- Travel insurance scenarios (no trip cancel/delay)
- Purchase protection scenarios (Cap1 stripped years ago)
Open question: Confirm USAA's cell phone protection deductible before flipping cell bill from USAA to Quicksilver · Current credit limit (methodology says $2K)
BoA card (variant TBD)
attention
BoA card (variant TBD)
Skip for
- All spend until variant + balance situation confirmed — currently carrying $10,920 on 0% promo
Open question: Variant unknown — Customized Cash Rewards ($0 AF, 3% selectable category + 2% grocery/wholesale, $2.5K/qtr cap) OR Premium Rewards ($95 AF, 2x travel+dining, 1.5x else, $100 airline incidental, TSA/GE credit, no FTF, primary CDW) OR Travel Rewards · BoA Preferred Rewards tier — at $100K parked at BoA/Merrill = Platinum Honors +75% bonus (turns 3% into 5.25%, 2x into 3.5x) · Will Topher be grandfathered into 75% before 2026-05-26 cliff? After cliff, 75% tier requires $1M; $100K tier drops to 50%. Members enrolled before announcement keep tier until first anniversary after Nov 2026. · 0% balance transfer promo end date — set reminder before promo ends or APR re-engages
Venmo Visa Credit Card
attention
Venmo Visa Credit Card
Earn
- 3× auto top category — Auto-rotating top category each billing cycle from 8: groceries, dining/nightlife, gas, travel, entertainment, transportation, health/beauty, bills/utilities
- 2× auto second category — Auto-rotating second category
- 1× default — All other spend — including Amazon (classifies as merchandise, NOT a top category)
Perks
- Rewards land in Venmo balance — usable P2P, transfer, or in-Venmo checkout
- Auto-rotation requires no quarterly activation (unlike Discover/Freedom Flex)
Best for
- Everyday spend that hits one of the 8 Synchrony MCC categories (heavy Vegas month = travel/entertainment auto-promote)
- Backup for non-Amex merchants
Skip for
- Amazon (classifies as merchandise → only 1%) — use Amazon Prime Store Card instead
- Carrying a balance — 35.24% penalty APR collapses the rewards game
- Anything where a category bonus on another card exceeds 3%
Open question: Confirm last 4 for the Venmo Visa · FTF disclosure not prominent — confirm before international use · Payoff timeline for $7,174 balance — auto-pay via Jaime→Venmo→card direct (skips 5-day ACH) per overview
Amazon Prime Store Card
attention
Amazon Prime Store Card
Earn
- 5× amazon — Amazon.com — Prime required
- 5× whole foods — Whole Foods — Prime required
Credits
- $10 Amazon GC on approval
Perks
- Equal Monthly Payments option (as of week of Feb 16, 2026, no more special financing on new purchases per methodology)
Best for
- Amazon.com purchases (5%)
- Whole Foods (5%)
Skip for
- Everything outside the Amazon ecosystem — closed-loop card
- If Topher holds Amazon Prime Visa (Chase), Store Card becomes redundant — Prime Visa is strictly better (same 5% Amazon + 2% gas/dining/transit elsewhere)
Open question: Does Topher also hold Amazon Prime Visa (Chase)? If yes, Store Card is redundant · $932 balance pay-down plan + autopay $29 6/1 confirmed?
Delta SkyMiles Gold
attention
Delta SkyMiles Gold
Skip for
- Carrying a balance — pay down before optimizing routing
Open question: Confirm last 4 + balance pay-down plan · Delta Gold playbook section not in methodology — needs to be added
Delta SkyMiles Platinum (new)
attention
Delta SkyMiles Platinum (new)
Certificates
- Companion Certificate — $150–$300
Best for
- Jaime's Delta direct spend
Open question: Newly opened — confirm last 4, AF post month, SUB spend tracking + days remaining · Companion cert availability post-renewal
Wells Fargo Reflect
attention
Wells Fargo Reflect
Perks
- Reflect card is primarily a 0% intro APR card — long balance-transfer / purchase intro window
Best for
- Carrying the existing $6,031 balance under 0% intro until promo end
Skip for
- New spend during intro period (risk of confusing carrying balance vs new charges)
Open question: Not covered in methodology — needs a playbook section · 0% intro APR end date — set reminder before promo ends · Confirm last 4
CareCredit
attention
CareCredit
Perks
- Healthcare-specific deferred-interest financing (closed-loop to medical/dental/vision providers)
Best for
- Specific medical/dental/vision financing under promo period
Skip for
- Everything outside the healthcare ecosystem — closed-loop card
- Letting promo period lapse — deferred interest triggers retroactive interest from purchase date
Open question: Not covered in methodology — needs a playbook section · Promo end dates per charge — deferred interest cliff is the big risk · Confirm last 4
Held for credit history, not for spend
These cards stay open because closing them would hurt the household's longest-standing accounts on the credit report. They never appear in the routing engine above and never get spend recommendations.
Capital One Quicksilver (duplicate)
Kept open
Capital One Quicksilver (duplicate)
duplicate Cap1 kept open for credit history (per Topher doctrine — never recommend closing)
Open question (not blocking): Confirm variant — likely Quicksilver but methodology doesn't separately enumerate 5101 · Confirm last 4 (overview.md doesn't list this card; pulled from task brief)
USAA Visa (variant TBD)
Kept open
USAA Visa (variant TBD)
kept open per Topher doctrine — no longer cashback-focused, but preserves credit history
Open question (not blocking): Variant unknown — USAA Rewards Visa Signature (2x gas+dining, 1x else, USAA points ~1¢) OR USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature (flat 1.5% cashback) OR USAA Cashback Rewards Plus AmEx (5% on first $3K gas + 5% on first $5K military base purchases) · Confirm by checking USAA app — earn structure diverges sharply by variant · What is USAA's cell phone protection deductible vs Cap1 World Elite $50? Determines whether to flip cell bill
USAA Visa (secondary, variant TBD)
Kept open
USAA Visa (secondary, variant TBD)
duplicate USAA Visa kept open for credit history (per Topher doctrine — never recommend closing)
Open question (not blocking): Variant unknown — same alternatives as 2957 · $195 balance — pay down and stop using or convert to a low-volume utilization-helper
Five rules that govern every recommendation
- Travel + family experiences are protected. The dashboard never suggests cutting them.
- Points/miles over cashback. Topher + Jaime aren't cashback-oriented — Delta + Hilton are the rewards anchor.
- Kept-open cards don't get routine recommendations. USAA 2957/6775, Cap1 5101, BoA 3291 stay open for credit history. Never recommend closing.
- Never suggest spending to earn. Always distinguish optimization of existing spend from chasing.
- When interest exceeds rewards, the dashboard says so plainly. Venmo Visa is the canonical example.