The world of discounts, points, and miles can feel like a complex puzzle. But when you learn to stack these deals together, you can transform everyday spending into significant savings and travel opportunities. Savvy consumers are mastering the art of combining multiple reward programs to maximize their returns on each purchase.
What Is Deal Stacking?
Deal stacking is the strategic practice of combining multiple discounts, promotions, and reward programs on a single purchase. Instead of using just one coupon or earning points from a single source, you're layering several benefits simultaneously.
For example, imagine purchasing a flight using a credit card that earns travel points, through a shopping portal that offers additional miles, while applying a promotional code, and having your purchase count toward elite status. That's deal stacking in action.
The Building Blocks of Deal Stacking
Before diving into complex stacking strategies, it's important to understand the different components you can combine:
- Credit card rewards: Points, miles, or cash back earned from your payment method
- Shopping portals: Additional rewards earned by clicking through to retailers from airline, bank, or cash back sites
- Store loyalty programs: Points or status earned directly from retailers
- Coupons and promotional codes: Direct discounts on your purchase
- Rebate apps: Cash back platforms like Rakuten or Ibotta
- Membership discounts: Benefits from programs like AAA or AARP
7 Proven Methods to Stack Rewards
1. The Credit Card + Shopping Portal Power Move
One of the simplest yet most effective stacking methods combines your rewards credit card with shopping portals.
Start by identifying which of your credit cards offers the best category bonus for your purchase. Then, before heading directly to the retailer's website, visit a shopping portal first. Sites like Rakuten, TopCashback, or airline shopping portals let you earn additional cash back or miles by clicking through to your destination.
A real-world example: Say you're buying new appliances from Best Buy. You could:
- Use a credit card offering 5% back on electronics
- Click through Chase Ultimate Rewards portal for an additional 2 points per dollar
- Apply a store coupon for 10% off
- Earn Best Buy reward points on the purchase
This single transaction now generates rewards from four different sources!
2. The Triple Dip: Credit Cards, Dining Programs, and Restaurant Loyalty
Restaurant spending offers particularly lucrative stacking opportunities:
- Pay with a credit card that offers bonus points on dining
- Register that same card with airline dining programs like American Airlines AAdvantage Dining
- Collect points from the restaurant's own loyalty program
"I earned over 15,000 miles last year just from regular restaurant visits by triple-dipping this way," shares one frequent traveler on Reddit. "The restaurant never knows I'm earning points from three different programs on a single meal."
3. Fuel Rewards Maximization
Gas stations offer surprising stacking potential. Shell's Fuel Rewards program exemplifies this approach:
- Earn base fuel discounts (up to 10¢/gallon for Platinum status)
- Stack with credit card gas rewards (some offer 5% back)
- Add grocery store fuel points from affiliated programs
- Combine with seasonal promotions
Shell explicitly promotes combining these savings, noting on their website that customers can "combine your fuel savings with additional savings from participating restaurants, retailers and more."
4. Manufactured Spending for Massive Point Accumulation
More advanced users employ "manufactured spending" techniques to generate enormous point balances. This involves making purchases that can be converted back to cash while keeping the rewards.
A Reddit user in r/TravelHacks explained: "How do people get hundreds of thousands of points? Strategic spending. If you stack that with using corporate codes, which can get you another 10-20% discount, and you're really starting to get somewhere."
However, be cautious with this approach. Many credit card companies have cracked down on obvious manufactured spending techniques, and some explicitly prohibit certain types of transactions from earning rewards.
5. Airline and Hotel Promotions
Travel companies frequently run promotions offering bonus points for specific activities. Smart stackers combine these with:
- Credit card bonuses for travel purchases
- Shopping portal bonuses when booking
- Status-based upgrades or benefits
- Seasonal promotional codes
American Airlines, for instance, has been known to offer special promotions like 20 miles per dollar spent through certain partners. However, they've also become more vigilant about excessive stacking, with one Reddit user noting that "They even contacted some blog to tell them to tell their readers that if they try to stack offers, they'll deny it."
6. Gift Card Strategies
Gift cards create interesting stacking opportunities:
- Purchase discounted gift cards from sites like Raise.com
- Buy them using a rewards credit card
- Use a shopping portal for the gift card purchase
- Spend the gift card during a store promotion
- Earn store loyalty points on the final purchase
This method essentially allows you to "double-dip" by earning rewards on both the gift card purchase and the subsequent spending of that gift card.
Finding the Best Stacking Opportunities
The most successful deal stackers stay informed through:
- Dedicated forums: Communities like r/churning on Reddit
- Deal blogs: Sites like Doctor of Credit or The Points Guy
- Deal alert services: Services that notify you of stackable promotions
- Credit card benefit tracking tools: Apps that help optimize which card to use
One particularly useful strategy is setting up a simple spreadsheet to track which of your credit cards offers the best rewards for different spending categories. This makes it easier to quickly identify the optimal payment method for each purchase.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
While stacking deals can be incredibly rewarding, there are some important cautions:
- Terms and conditions: Some programs explicitly prohibit certain stacking combinations
- Tracking issues: Complex stacks sometimes result in points not posting correctly
- Spending temptation: Don't buy things you don't need just for the rewards
- Annual fees: Ensure your rewards exceed any fees you're paying for premium cards
"The biggest mistake I see people make is forgetting to factor in the value of their time," notes a financial blogger. "If you're spending hours chasing minimal rewards, it might not be worth the effort."
Is Deal Stacking Right for You?
Deal stacking works best for people who:
- Pay off credit card balances in full each month
- Are organized and detail-oriented
- Have regular spending they can optimize
- Enjoy the "game" aspect of maximizing rewards
If you carry credit card debt, the interest will almost always exceed any rewards you earn. Focus first on paying down high-interest debt before diving into rewards optimization.
Getting Started with Simple Stacks
If you're new to deal stacking, start with these straightforward combinations:
- Use a good cash back credit card + a simple rebate app like Rakuten
- Sign up for your favorite store's loyalty program + use manufacturer coupons
- Register your credit cards with airline dining programs
- Download your credit card's shopping portal app for easy access
Remember that even simple stacking can yield meaningful results over time. As you become more comfortable with these basics, you can gradually implement more complex strategies.
The world of deal stacking continues to evolve as companies adjust their programs and new opportunities emerge. By staying informed and approaching stacking strategically, you can transform everyday spending into substantial rewards and memorable travel experiences.