Our top 6 tips for maximizing credit cards when moving

06.08.2024 - 17:56 / thepointsguy.com

Whether it's down the street or across the country, moving can be a pain — and an expensive one. It's shocking how much good boxes cost, and that's not even touching the decor you'll purchase for your new place or the takeout food you'll order while your kitchen is packed.

But if I've learned one thing in my time in the credit card world, it's that a big expense is just an opportunity to earn some serious rewards. So, when I decided to move, I knew I had to go in with a plan.

Before I set up my strategy, I polled my fellow TPG staffers who had moved recently about how they maximized their moves. Here are our top tips.

Before picking out which cards you'll focus on during your move, consider your rewards goals for the next few months. If you want to reward yourself with a dream vacation after the move is done, for instance, you'll want to focus on earning travel rewards that can make your dream a reality.

I decided instead to focus on earning cash back to help offset the cost of my move. Because of this, I'm putting my Chase Sapphire Reserve® away for a few months to focus on the cash-back cards in my wallet, like my Prime Visa and Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees).

Related: How to choose your best credit card strategy

The best part of having a lot of expenses coming up is that you can use them to earn a valuable welcome bonus on a new card. Olivia Mittak, a cards writer at TPG, opened the American Express® Gold Card just before a big move and used moving costs to help her earn its welcome offer.

If you've had your eye on a new card for a while — especially one with a high spending requirement you would typically struggle to meet — opening it ahead of a move is a great way to put all your moving expenses to good use by earning a valuable bonus.

And if you don't already have your eye on a specific card, check out our guide on the best current welcome offers for some inspiration.

Double-check the bonus categories on all your cards for any that will help you in the move. Moving shakes up multiple areas of your life, so you may find that your spending habits change beyond buying tape and bubble wrap.

The Amex Gold is a great one-two punch for moving. It earns bonus points on all the takeout you'll order while you're packing and unpacking. Ellie Nan Storck, TPG's managing editor for hotels, used it to earn bonus points on her supermarket pantry restock when she set up her new place.

Additionally, think about your cards that can be helpful in new ways during a move. I realized, for instance, that I could buy most of my boxes and moving supplies at an office supply store to take advantage of the 5% bonus-earning category on my Ink Business Cash® Credit Card.

Pay extra attention to cards that have