Travel Rewards CC for $10k+ in Spending

[Michael in ABQ]

We are planning a family vacation to Hawaii later this year when I return from deployment and I'm trying to maximize our travel hacking. In addition, our private school tuition is discounted 4% if we pay in full by July. That will total $12k, plus a credit card processing fee of around 2%. Most credit card offers I've seen require spending $3-5k in the first three months. So potentially I could spread this over three or four cards between my wife and I and get a bunch of CC sign-up bonuses. Though, I'm not sure she would get approved since she's been a stay-at-home-mom for the last decade. I've already got the Barclay's Arrival card and got about 70,000 points from that.

I'm looking at the Chase Sapphire Preferred, $750 in travel credit after $4k spend. I'm not sure which airline will be the cheapest so I'm hesitant to get an a specific airline's branded card.

I'd appreciate any recommendations. After this we probably won't be traveling for a while so I'll probably close these cards down so I'm not too concerned about annual fees or how good they are long term.

[ixtap]

If she has the score and you have the income, she will get approved. I haven't had a real job in years, but with my near perfect credit score and my husband's income, anyone will give me a card.

With a 2% service fee, it will only make sense to use cards if you are getting excellent sign up bonuses. If you have other spending to put on the cards, it might still make sense to use cash for the tuition and use the sign up bonuses on your normal spend.

I have had the worst luck with Capital One customer service, but their Venture card makes it easy to transfer rewards between husband and wife and easy to pay off any travel expenses with the points.

Also watch out that the annual fee isn't eating up your bonus.

[kpd905]

I'd go with either two Chase Sapphire Preferred cards or Capital One Venture cards like @ixtap mentioned.  You don't get locked into a single airline program with either card.  Since you put your travel expense on the Venture card and then reimburse yourself, you might end up with enough spending to hit bonuses on all 4 cards.  I'd open Chase cards first since they are more valuable.

With all 4 cards you'd end up with about $2700 in rewards counting bonuses and points from spending.

[soccerluvof4]

I'd follow this thread for alot of good ideas-

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/maximize-your-churning-(bank-account-credit-card)/

of which Kpd905 and Toad post alot of good info on