I just stayed at the Ritz Carlton in the Maldives for five days for free!
If you have access to the right credit cards, you could too. It's not as hard as you think.
This isn't a giveaway, this isn't a scam, this isn't a "live vicariously through an influencer" moment. This is the start of you using your business to your advantage and making your money work for you.
I'm going to show you how I was able to stay at a luxury hotel without paying anything out of pocket and just points on a card.
Step 1: Pick the right Credit Cards
Not all credit cards are created equal.
Some offer better rewards and have a more established point system than others. I have a specific list of cards that I prefer to use for travel. You can learn all about them in my Credit Stacking course, but for now, let's stick with the cards I used to stay at the Ritz Carlton for free.
American Express has a Marriott card that can earn you 3X points when you use it at participating locations. Capitalize even more on that card by earning 6X points when you use it at a Marriott property...like a Ritz Carlton.
Does 3X seem like a lot? If you spend $127 at a participating grocery store, you've just earned 381 points on your Marriott account. It takes patience and a bit of time, but not so much that you can’t spend 280,000 points on a five-day stay like me.
As a business owner using a business credit card with spending limits of $75k and 0% interest, it goes by even faster. Let your money work for you.
That's what Credit Stacking is all about. If you want to learn more about hotel cards check out the blog I wrote about why they rule.
Step 2: Why Use A Credit Card For Your Travel Planning - There's Power in Points
As with all things, "failure to plan is planning to fail", especially with international travel.
Redeeming points off your card isn't too complicated. You can do it through their website if you use an Amex card as I do.
Our reservation was about $12K out of pocket.
Thankfully, I had accumulated enough points so I was able to use 280k points to cover the stay instead. I got those points free through my daily expenses on credit.
Those points transferred to Amex are worth $2,800 on a one-cent-per-point ratio. This means if I requested a statement credit on Amex, they would value it at $2,800. Don't let those points waste!
If I had been using a debit card or cash for my daily expenses, this trip would not have been possible.
Step 3: Join Credit Stacking
You don't need to be an A-List celebrity to receive the celebrity treatment. You just need to learn how to work the system.
The elements that went into me making a 400% return on my points were:
Having strong credit.
Using top cards that generate points.
Having the knowledge to use trader partners (like Marriott) and the ability to snipe out killer deals led to a 400% return on my points.
And this could be you! All of these things I did to pay for my trip with points are taught in the Credit Stacking course.
Even if you don't have a business, we can teach you how to get access to business credit. Get started on planning your next international trip by joining the Credit Stacking community today!