How We Save Thousands Traveling for Cheer: Credit Card Rewards 101 for Cheer Families

I’m not usually one to brag, but my family saved thousands of dollars on cheer travel last season. 

In my daughter’s first season on an elite all star cheer team, I was shocked when I learned about 'stay-to-play' competitions, otherwise known as 'housing required' events. For these events, all athletes registered to compete are required to stay in one of the hotels designated by the competition and book through a specific travel portal (for most Varsity events, the portal is called 'Team Travel Source' or 'TTS'). 

The number of available hotels varies by competition, as do the number of rooms available per hotel. Prices can range widely, and I've seen anywhere from $150-400 per night within TTS. When you're traveling out of town for a 2-day event, that often means a 3-night stay... it's not uncommon to spend about $600-800 per weekend. If you have 6 competitions per season, you’re looking at about $4,000 on hotels alone. 

When I recovered from that shocking discovery, I realized I needed to do something drastic to keep Laurel’s beloved sport in the realm of ‘realistic’ for our family’s budget. 

Enter credit card rewards.

When you have a flexible travel rewards credit card, you can work the system and book free nights in lots of different hotel chains. You may also have the option to redeem for cash back as a statement credit, or sometimes deposit into your bank account. You’re likely going to get less ‘bang for your buck’ but honestly, sometimes it’s nice to get a quick cash infusion. 

I’m going to walk you through my approach to evaluating credit cards that I’m considering applying for. My favorite flexible travel rewards card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred, so I’ll use that as an example throughout. If you’re just getting started with credit card rewards and looking for a simple system, this is the perfect card to start with. But you can use this step-by-step approach for any card you’re looking at.

(If you already have the basics of credit card rewards and travel hacking figured out, I break down how to maximize earning and spending points in ‘Stop Overpaying for Cheer Travel,’  my FREE credit card rewards e-book written specifically for cheer families!)

Quick disclaimer: I am not a financial professional and I'm not making any specific or personalized recommendations for anyone- make sure to do your own research. This post is informational only!

Will I earn cash back or travel rewards?

In the world of credit card rewards, the first distinction to make is whether you earn cash back or travel rewards of some kind. For example, the American Express Blue Cash card earns cash back (shocker), which you redeem for a statement credit. On the other hand, hotel or airline-specific cards will earn points that can only be redeemed for travel with those brands. Think the Southwest, Delta, or Hilton cards. 

There are also some cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, that let you redeem for both cash back OR travel rewards, and you can choose either option at any time. This flexibility is one of the things I love about this card. While I’ll usually get a better value redeeming the points I earn for travel to competitions, I can also choose to get a quick cash infusion right before my daughter’s post-season trip to Summit. 

Is there an annual fee, and what do I get in exchange?

The annual fee is the amount you pay the bank for the *privilege* of owning their credit card. These can range anywhere from about $95 up to almost $800 per year 🫣Most of the travel rewards cards do have an annual fee, so you’ll have to decide if you will get back more value than what you pay. 

In addition to earning points or cash back, you usually earn some kind of additional bonus for being a card member. Some of these have a clear dollar value attached ($100 credit for hotels booked through the Chase Travel Portal), while others are less well defined (primary insurance for rental cars). These benefits alone can offset the annual fee, but you have to make sure you take advantage of them.

If the thought of paying an annual fee makes your stomach churn, there are many great cards with no fee- for example, the Chase Freedom Unlimited. This is actually my family’s go-to card for most of our spending, as we can transfer points earned on this card to the Sapphire card and use them for travel. Sapphire Preferred + Freedom = 🤑

How do I earn points?

This is probably the most important question to ask as you’re picking a rewards card. But lots of cards have ‘bonus’ categories, and finding the card whose bonus aligns with your family’s normal spending is key. For our family, the Sapphire Preferred card earns 3% at restaurants, gas stations, and online grocery purchases, while the Freedom Unlimited earns 3% at pharmacies (our family has a lot of regular prescriptions, so this is actually a great bonus category for us). This means that about half of our monthly credit card spending is earning 3% back: if we spend $1000, we get back 3%, or 3,000 points. This adds up fast over the year. 

For people who value simplicity and don’t want to have to remember which card to use where, there are cards that offer a flat earning rate on everything, like the Wells Fargo Active Cash that earns 2% on every purchase. 

Do I get a bonus when I sign up?

Credit card sign up bonuses always ask you to spend a certain amount in a specified timeframe. It's pretty common to see a 3 month window, which is how much time you'll have for this bonus. As of August 2026, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is offering 75,000 points if you spend $5,000 on the card within 3 months of opening it. If you spend at least $1700 per month on your regular everyday stuff (think groceries, gas, restaurants, and oh maybe.....CHEER), you will hit that $5000 easily. Just make sure you know the deadline to earn your bonus, because the banks are not going to give you an extension.

If possible, one strategy can be opening a new card shortly before you know you have a major expense (that you’ve already saved up the money for and can use to pay off the credit card purchase immediately). Say you know you will need new tires within the next few months. If you open your new card and then buy your tires, you’ll make a big dent into your spending requirement to hit your signup bonus. The same is true for cheer expenses- April/May can be a very convenient time to open a new card, as cheer families usually have lots of expenses in the first month or two of the season (June-July). 

How do I redeem points?

From earlier in the post, you’ve already figured out what you earn with the card you’re researching (cash back, travel, or both). But how do you actually redeem those hard-earned rewards? Make sure you understand this process before signing up for the card. 

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, there are several options for redeeming rewards. My favorite way to redeem my Chase points is by transferring them to my account with one of Chase’s many transfer partners. Then, I book my flight or hotel directly through that brand. For example, say I find a flight to Orlando on Southwest that costs 14,000 points round trip. I then log into my Chase account and initiate a transfer of 14,000 points to Southwest. The transfers usually complete instantly, so then I book the flight on Southwest’s website right away. 

You can also book hotels, flights, and rental cars in the Chase travel portal, which works a lot like other travel booking sites like Booking, Expedia, or Kayak. The huge benefit here is the flexibility: in the portal, you can use points for flights and hotels outside of Chase’s transfer partners- so you can book on American Airlines through the travel portal, but you can’t transfer your points directly to American Airlines. I use the travel portal much less often than I transfer points out, because I get more value for my points transferring. But it’s a great option to have for that ultimate flexibility.

Finally, you have the option to redeem your Chase points for cash back. This is the least ‘efficient’ way to spend your points, but sometimes you just need a quick cash infusion. 

Final thoughts

Now you’re armed with the questions you should ask before signing up for a new rewards credit card. While I personally love the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Freedom Unlimited cards, they may not be right for your family’s unique spending and preferences. Start small, picking just 1 card and a nice big signup bonus, and your travel savings will grow over time as you adapt to your own system.

When you’re ready to get your travel plans organized, grab the cheer-specific Google Sheets travel tracker I designed myself. Stay on top of individual comp reservations, stay-to-play, and packing lists for each competition, plus check your season-long dashboards for a quick overview!

Disclosure: 

The information provided in this post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial advice. I am not a licensed financial professional, and the content here is based on my personal experiences and research. While I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, I make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in this guide.

Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. Before making any financial decisions, I recommend consulting with a licensed financial advisor who can provide tailored advice based on your individual circumstances.

This post contains links to products and credit cards that I recommend. If you click on these links and apply for a credit card, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions help support the creation of valuable content like this guide. Please note that I only recommend products and services that I have personally used or thoroughly researched and believe will add value to you.

The bonuses and earning rates mentioned are intended to be examples only and may not represent current offers. Card offers change frequently and those listed in this post may not be accurate at the time you are reading this.