January is the time to make plans for the next 12 months. While health and wellness often get a lot of attention, personal finances should also be top of mind. You might consider creating a budget and planning investments or opening a new savings account.
But as you make those financial plans, don’t forget to spend some time thinking about your 2026 credit card strategy.
Don’t know where to start? Here’s our advice for starting the new year off right.
Determine your goals
As with most financial decisions, setting goals can help determine the best credit card strategy for you. If you haven’t thought about your priorities for 2026, please do so. Some questions to ask yourself include:
Identifying your goals will guide your decisions about which cards to use more frequently, which cards to put on hold or downgrade, and which new cards to apply for.
Reorganize your wallet
With your 2026 goals in mind, take inventory of the cards you own and adjust the contents of your wallet accordingly (physical and digital).
For example, I’ve gotten welcome bonuses on several new cards in the past few months, so I use them for all my purchases. With these bonuses, I am now maximizing the bonus categories for the cards I already have.
If you’re in a similar situation, take a moment to review your current cards. If any of them have rotating categories, e.g. Chase Freedom Flex® (See Rates and Fees), note what the Q1 categories are and check if you have activated them. Also, determine which of your cards, if any, earn bonus points in spending categories like dining, groceries, and travel. You’ll also want to determine which card offers the best revenue structure for everyday purchases.
Reward your inbox with the TPG daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers and get breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive offers from TPG experts
Once you know where each card fits, you can decide which card to use for different purchases. You may end up specifying your American Express® Gold Card For dining and US supermarket shopping, your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see Rates and Fees) for travel purchases and your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card for all other purchases.
When developing your plan, keep in mind that some rewards are more beneficial than others for your specific goals. If you want to focus on earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can use the Sapphire Preferred card for dining. These purchases earn 3 points per dollar, which is slightly less than the 4 Gold points per dollar earned on global dining (1 point per dollar on purchases up to $50,000 per calendar year), but you’ll earn points that more directly support your travel goals.
Reserve, cancel, downgrade
As you look at your card collection against your 2026 goals, consider whether it’s worth paying the annual fee for each card, or if you should consider downgrading any of them.
Also, assume you notice any major benefit overlap between your cards, such as multiple cards earning bonus points for streaming. In this case, you can toss one or more in your sock drawer and focus on using one this year to streamline your income in this category.
Plan your next card
Finally, before you start looking for your next credit card, identify the gaps in your current credit card strategy. This can be as simple as paying attention to the types of points you use and whether you want to earn more points. You may also decide to wait before opening more cards if your credit score has been affected by recent inquiries.
No matter what your goals are, it helps to know what types of cards you want to get this year. Then, when a valuable bonus offer comes along, you’ll know if it’s worth your while to jump in, or if you’d be better off pursuing something else.
bottom line
As you make your plans and resolutions for 2026, remember to take some time to fine-tune your credit card strategy for this year. No matter what your goals are this year, the right cards can make it easier to achieve them.
Further reading:
