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All the Hacks · Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Cashback vs. Points: Considering Simplicity and Protections

For those who prefer simplicity, cashback cards are presented as a viable option. However, the host points out that many cashback cards lack the travel protections often found on points cards. He also notes that some cashback cards offering over 2% have had their requirements increased or are tied to large bank balances.

companyBank of AmericacompanyMerrill Lynch

The tape

3 quotes
So I think cashback makes sense for the person who just doesn't want the overhead, right? Because even if you wipe all the overhead of transferring to airline partners off, and you just say, I'm going to have one or two cards.
Chris Hutchins
Another thing that's been tricky with cashback cards is the travel protections just aren't always there.
Chris Hutchins
And, you know, the best card I'd always told people that if you can park a six figure balance, $100,000 or more, in a Bank of America or a Merrill Lynch account, the Bank of America premium rewards, premium rewards elite, unlimited cash, all of those cards ended up getting boosted to be 2.625% everywhere cashback.
Chris Hutchins
Heard on All the Hacks — “Are Credit Card Points Still Worth It? and More Listener Q&A, published Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Heardvine summarizes and quotes with attribution and timestamps, and links to the original everywhere.
Transcribed via Gemini audio transcription · $0.07