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“I Am NOT Ashamed! I’ve Paid This Annual Fee 4 Times (And I’ll Do It Again!)”

  • Million Mile Secrets

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    Scott is a Million Mile Secrets team member.

    Scott:   What have I become?

    When I first got into this hobby, I swore I’d NEVER sign-up for a credit card with an annual fee.  No way.  I’m not PAYING a bank for the privilege of swiping their card.

    But that was before I knew.

    This Hobby Has Changed Me

    Now here we are.  I’ve paid the $95 annual fee on my beloved Chase Sapphire Preferred card 4 times.  And I’ll gladly be renewing again.

    How Did This Happen?

    Emily and Daraius let me in on the secret that changed my travels — and my life:  “Do the math.”

    Sure, I could continue to earn my easy cash back with my no-annual-fee cards.  But the Chase Sapphire Preferred offered the prospect of something greater.  I could do better than 1 or 2 pennies per $1 spent.  And I have.

    Emily and Daraius wrote about how the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is the best for beginners.  And I began.

    Before I knew it, I was doing crazy things like flying to Europe for ~$10 out of pocket.

    And staying in hotel suites on the beach in the Caribbean with a Jacuzzi tub in the room, eating a disturbing number of shrimp.  And it cost me $0.  No resort fee.  No excess crustacean consumption fee.  Nada.

    Super Simple Strategy

    I move the Chase Ultimate Rewards points I earn with my other Chase cards to my Sapphire Preferred.  And that allows me to transfer to Chase’s great travel partner airlines and hotels.

    After all these years, my blue metal card is still my go-to card when dining out overseas for 2X points per $1 with NO foreign transaction fees.  The customer service has never let me down, and I like how they answer the phone quickly with a human being who knows about being human.

    When folks starting out in our hobby ask me why I’d ever pay an annual fee I say, “I understand.  I was just like you.  And you should still be like you.  Except be you in Hawaii sipping a refreshing beverage while in a hammock surrounded by floating pretty birds playing Aloha ‘Oe on their tiny ukuleles.”

    And then I go back to eating my shrimp.

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)