When you’re raising points and miles for your family, there’s no reason to leave the grumpiest family members out of the fun.
Whether you have a pooch puppy or a first-rate feline, there are plenty of ways to turn those monthly orders of food, toys, pet supplies and more into your next vacation (we’re just not responsible for what your pets might do when they see your suitcase coming out — again).
Earn points and miles on pet food purchases
One of the best shopping changes of the 21st century is having 40-pound bags of pet food delivered to our doors thanks to online shopping (and the powerful people who deliver it). Fortunately, when you order pet food and other supplies online, you can easily collect rewards just like you do with most other online purchases.
Shop through the online portal
The fastest way to see how many points or miles per dollar you can earn on your online pet food order is to go to cashbackmonitor.com and look for an online shopping site that offers the most points, miles or cash back per dollar where you want it. the shop. These prices can and do vary, so check each time, but a few current examples include:
- Petco: 1 mile per dollar spent with American Airlines AAdvantage and United Airlines MileagePlus
- Walmart: Up to 3.5 miles per dollar spent with American AAdvantage
- Chewy: 1 mile per dollar spent with United MileagePlus, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, American AAdvantage and Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
Related: A guide to optimizing online shopping sites
Maximize cash back and 0% APR on pet purchases
Daisy Hernandez, a credit card planner at TPG, buys her two puppies every month, Sonny, a Shiba cattle dog mix, and Heidi, a Chihuahua mix. She also has a Chewy subscription that delivers food, fleas and ticks, and delivers to her door every six weeks or so. Since she has two furry children, she often buys some double items, which can add up quickly.
To maximize his pet-related purchases, make it a habit to check out the current offers on him Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve® to earn cash and points every time you shop.
In addition to this, he also purchases through Rakuten, a cashback shopping portal that offers solid rewards rates. For Christmas 2023, Rakuten is offering 20% cash back on all PetSmart purchases. So, she bought $80 worth of supplies for her puppies and earned $16 in cash back.
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Unfortunately, emergencies can happen with pets, and if you don’t have pet insurance, these can create huge pet bills. However, credit cards can play an important role here, as many offer a 0% annual percentage rate offer on purchases for a period of time after opening.
Nick Ewen, content director for TPG, used this strategy with his dog, Winston, who had emergency surgery to remove a mass from his spleen:
Winston is part of our family, so there was no doubt that we would do everything we could to help him. However, instead of dipping into our savings to cover the cost of her procedure and recovery (expected to be close to $5,000), I used my new Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which offers 0% APR on purchases for the first 15 months. (then variable APR of 19.99%-28.74% applies). This allows me to fit a manageable monthly payment into my budget, and still earn valuable rewards in the process.
Check out the United MileagePlus X app
You can earn United miles by purchasing electronic gift cards instantly within the United MileagePlus X app. For example, if you shop at Petco and your total is $85.84, you can open your app and instantly purchase a Petco gift card for that amount directly and earn bonus miles by paying at the register with your new gift card. This also applies when paying for an order online.
In addition to Petco, you’ll often find opportunities to earn bonus miles at pet-friendly shopping locations like Walmart, Sam’s Club and more within the app. Those with a United Airlines credit card, such as the United℠ Explorer Card, receive a 25% bonus for miles earned through the app.
Place and save on Amazon
When you order your products through Amazon, there are many ways to collect income and save money. First, set up an Amazon subscription to get discounts on things like dog or cat food, treats, and more.
Next, you’ll want to collect Amazon gift cards to maximize your earnings. You can buy Amazon gift cards from the US supermarket through American Express® Gold Card to earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on those purchases (up to $25,000 in purchases in a calendar year, then 1 point per dollar thereafter).
Alternatively, you can use the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to purchase Amazon gift cards at an office supply store to earn 5% cash back (on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year). The Prime Visa card is also an option that offers 5% back on Amazon purchases.
Related: The best credit cards to use for Amazon purchases
Save money on pets
In addition to earning points or miles, your rewards credit cards can help you save money on pet expenses. The two main ways to save money with your cards are through Amex Offers and Chase Offers. To check what offers are available on your cards, log in to your account and search the offer categories. Other offers targeted.
Once you’ve added offers to your card, you can use your cards to automatically save money or earn bonus points. Specials specifically related to pets come and go; Past offers TPG staff have seen include:
- BarkBox: 10% cash back (via Chase Offers)
- Kriser’s Pet: 10% cash back (via Chase Offers)
The best credit cards for pet expenses
Owning a pet can easily cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars each year, with everything from vet visits and boarding, supplies and medications. It pays to use the right credit cards for pet expenses. For charges like vet exams and grooming sessions outside of the credit card’s bonus categories, a strong everyday credit card is probably your best option for pet expenses. A few of our suggestions include:
Online shopping, a good choice would be Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit cardwhich earns 3% back on your choice of revolving categories, one of which is online shopping (up to $2,500 per quarter, then 1%).
Bottom line
TPG Points Pups (or, at least, their “parents”) accumulate many of these opportunities to turn dog food into beach resorts. If your pups have helped you earn all these points and miles, it’s time to explore how you can take them on your next vacation.
