1. Go to the Mad Fientist's rewards summary page
http://madfientist.cardratings.com/2. Choose a card(s) that suits your spending habits (ie don't spend more just to get the reward)
3. Apply for card
4. Once you get card, make all your transactions with the card until you reach the bonus. I tracked mine via spreadsheet
4a. I recommend Chase
Sapphire Reserve Card. 1st annual fee waived. Spend $3k in 3 months, get $500 cash or $750 travel credit when you book through chase.
4b. You can get additional points for adding your SO/kid/parent as an authorized user on your account. You never even have to give them the card. I had my girlfriend as an AU on mine. I think I made one online purchase using her card just to get the extra bonus points & she never knew. I forget the details if you have to make them an AU, then use the card or not. Totally worth the extra $20 in points.
5. Pay the card off IN FULL every month, payday, etc.
Right now I have almost $950 in travel credit through my Chase Card. I'll downgrade it or cancel it before I hit my 1 year mark with it. I also just received a $110 check from
Capital One for using their
Venture Rewards Card. I just had to spend $1k in 3 months, which was super easy. I opted for cash in that case instead of miles.
The next one(s) on my radar are the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard (probably around xmas when my spending will increase. It wants $3k in 3 months), or the Hilton HH Honors card.
Hope this helps!
Oh, and how to redeem:
1. Go to credit card website.
2. Go to rewards/points section
3. It'll give you options to receive statement credit, a check in the mail, or link you to a website where you can book flights, hotels, etc. The rates are usually the same/really similar to what you'd see on Expedia or other travel websites.