If you’re diving into the world of points and miles, there’s one app you need to download right away: Travel Freely. It’s free, beginner-friendly, and doesn’t ask for any sensitive personal information (PII) like credit card numbers or Social Security numbers. This app has been an absolute game-changer for my points journey, offering tools and features I haven’t found elsewhere. Below, I’ll walk you through the highlights of why it’s so valuable for beginners and Points Pros alike.
What is Travel Freely?
To start, I want to make it clear that I don’t receive any compensation from Travel Freely for sharing this. All opinions are based on my personal experience with the app. Travel Freely is designed specifically for organizing your credit cards, keeping track of welcome bonuses, annual fees, and more, without asking for any bank passwords, credit card numbers, or sensitive financial details.
Whether you’re just starting out with points and miles or looking to take your strategy up a level, Travel Freely helps simplify the complex details of managing credit cards. Here are some highlights:
Key Features of Travel Freely – And Why They’re So Useful
1. Easy Credit Card Tracking
Travel Freely allows you to log and track all your personal and business credit cards. Here’s how it works:
- When you open a new card, search for the card in the app’s database and add to your account (search example: Chase Sapphire Prefered)
- Once added, Travel Freely automatically updates information like welcome bonus amounts, spending requirements, and annual fees.
- It sets reminders for upcoming deadlines, such as when a spending requirement must be met or when annual fees are due.
All of these details help you keep track of your cards’ benefits, spending deadlines, and annual fees, without needing to remember every detail yourself.
2. Organization Tools for Players 1 and 2
If you’re familiar with points and miles, you know it’s common to have both a “Player 1” and a “Player 2” (often a partner or spouse). Travel Freely makes it easy to track both players’ cards separately, helping you manage both sets of accounts. For each player, you can:
- Track personal and business cards.
- Separate cards for distinct businesses (if applicable).
- Set up reminders for both players’ cards without mixing up the details.
3. Chase 5/24 Rule Tracking
One standout feature is the Chase 5/24 Rule tracking. For anyone familiar with the points game, this rule limits your ability to open new Chase cards based on the number of new cards you’ve opened in the past 24 months. Travel Freely keeps track of this for both players, letting you know when you’re eligible to apply for a Chase card or how long you need to wait.
4. Annual Fee and Welcome Bonus Alerts
Travel Freely sends automatic alerts for critical deadlines. These include:
- Welcome Bonus Deadlines: Get reminders before your minimum spend requirement is due so you don’t miss out on welcome bonuses.
- Annual Fee Reminders: The app notifies you before your annual fees are due, helping you avoid surprise charges. It also allows you to plan for either keeping, canceling or downgrading the card for the next year.
5. Card Genie: A Tool for Smart Recommendations
If you’re wondering which card to apply for next, the Card Genie tool is a fantastic resource. Based on your current card history, it suggests new cards that would best fit your current strategy, including:
- Current welcome bonuses.
- Minimum spending requirements to earn the bonus.
- Annual fees and other card benefits.
Importantly, Travel Freely’s recommendations are unbiased and don’t rely on any of your credit score data or banking information, as none of this is shared with the app.
6. Reliability and Trustworthiness- The Best Part about Travel Freely
Travel Freely was founded by Zac Hood, who is committed to providing honest recommendations. His approach is unique in that he lists the best offers for cards, even if he doesn’t earn a commission from them. This transparency makes Travel Freely a valuable, trustworthy tool, as you know you’re getting honest information that aligns with your goals as a points and miles enthusiast.
The One Thing I Wish Travel Freely Would Show me
This may be a crazy idea—may not—but let me know what you think! The only thing I can fathom that would make Travel Freely even MORE valuable is if it would show all my annual fees in one place, by card or by date, with a total at the end. While you can see each card’s annual fee as you scroll, keeping track of multiple cards for myself and my Player 2 is hard to do mentally when I’m trying to calculate a total. An automatic total would be super handy!
Final Thoughts – Why I Think You Should Download Travel Freely Today
If you’re looking to simplify your points and miles information, Travel Freely is an invaluable tool. It helps keep your credit cards organized, tracks important deadlines, and even offers personalized recommendations without needing sensitive information. Plus, it’s free. I would guess that if you’re interested in points and miles, then you are interested in VALUE. Travel Freely is VALUE.
Have you used Travel Freely? What’s your favorite feature? Let me know in the comments!
