How I Earned Nearly 180K Points by Paying for My Kids’ Braces

My twins turn 12 this summer, and what better way to celebrate that rite of passage than getting braces? I also have some things about my smile I’d love to fix, so I’ve used their orthodontic consults as opportunities to get quotes for myself, too.

Faced with nearly $6,000 in orthodontic expenses and an annual $2,000 homeowners’ insurance payment, I immediately sought out 2 credit card welcome bonus offers to earn a large number of points.

I’ll walk you through how to make big expenses like these your easiest path to big points and miles.

Apply for a New Credit Card Before Big Expenses Hit

When my family relocated from overseas to the U.S. in 2025, my husband and I earned over 700,000 points and miles by applying for 7 new credit cards and using them for major purchases, including new cars, renovations, and furnishings.

Because we were each applying separately on our own credit profiles, we had more flexibility to pursue multiple welcome offers at the same time. However, applying for several credit cards in a short period also meant paying close attention to potential issuer restrictions.

For example, if you’re considering a Chase credit card, the issuer’s 5/24 rule generally limits approvals to applicants who have opened fewer than 5 credit cards across all banks within the past 24 months. Fortunately, my husband and I were both under that threshold when applying for several cards last year.

Maximizing Points and Miles on Braces

My first step in planning for braces was to schedule multiple orthodontic consultations, all free of charge. This is no different than getting a few quotes from roofers or car dealers when you’re anticipating a major expense.

After visiting 4 practices, the out-of-pocket quotes after our insurance benefits ranged from $2,000 to $4,500 — a huge swing! I learned that not only were practices willing to negotiate on price, but every practice had some type of pay-in-full discount. Most discounts were highest for cash, but the credit card discount was generally 2% to 3% per practice.

By paying in full for the braces, I saved $40 by paying in full with my card, though I could have saved $100 if I paid with cash or by check. I viewed the “lost” $60 in savings as the cost of earning thousands of points through the welcome bonus offer I’ll get when I pay with my card.

Plus, if you can contribute to a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA), consider setting aside tax-free dollars for any upcoming medical expenses. Because contributions are made pretax, you’ll avoid paying income tax on the money you’ve set aside. It’s best to plan ahead for these expenses when enrolling.

Unfortunately, I didn’t plan 2026 to be our year for braces, as we didn’t set aside much in our FSA. Had we contributed the maximum allowable amount, we could have saved a lot more.

The Credit Cards We Applied For

Anytime I want to apply for a new card, I start by reviewing Upgraded Points’ guide to the best current credit card welcome bonus offers. Since my husband and I already have a handful of cards, primarily with Chase and American Express, I decided to switch gears with another issuer.

I have an upcoming American Airlines flight, so after reviewing the co-branded American Airlines cards and the best credit cards for Alaska Airlines flyers, my husband and I were both approved for the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature^® card through Bank of America.

Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature^® card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Provides the potential to earn plenty of points to fly with Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines or over a dozen partners. Plus, get an annual companion fare from just $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) when you spend at least $6,000 a year on the card!

Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature^® card

Provides the potential to earn plenty of points to fly with Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines or over a dozen partners. Plus, get an annual companion fare from just $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) when you spend at least $6,000 a year on the card!

Welcome Offer

Earn 50,000 bonus points, and a $0 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $2,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

50,000 points + $0 Companion Fare

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$800

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.49% to 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

With the Atmos Rewards Ascent card in your wallet, you can get great perks and earn points at the same time. This is a win-win if Alaska or Hawaiian is the airline you prefer to fly with! Plus, its annual companion fare is a great benefit for traveling couples.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 spent on Alaska and Hawaiian purchases
• 2x points per $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging, local transit (including rideshare), cable, and select streaming services
• 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Cons

• Charges a $95 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable rewards

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 50,000 bonus points, and a $0 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $2,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
  
• Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™. Get a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. Valid on all Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights booked direct.
• Free checked bag. Any cardholder who purchases airfare with their card, and up to 6 additional guests traveling on the same reservation, may check their first bag free.
• Enjoy priority boarding so you can get to your seat quicker, when you pay for your flight with your card.
• Earn unlimited 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases. Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases. And earn unlimited 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. And, your points don’t expire on active accounts.
• Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all points earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America^® account.
• Enjoy 20% back on all Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines inflight purchases and get $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ Membership when you pay with your new card.
• With oneworld^® Alliance member airlines and Alaska’s Global Partners, Alaska has expanded their global reach to over 1,000 destinations worldwide bringing more airline partners and more ways to earn and redeem points.
• Flexibility with no blackout dates on Alaska Airlines flights when booking with points or a companion fare.
• Plus, no foreign transaction fees.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.49% to 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

The bonus offer when I applied was:

• Receive a 50% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account. Additionally, earn 80,000 bonus points and a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $4,000 or more on purchases within the first 120 days of opening your account.

The current welcome offer is:

• Earn 50,000 points and a $0 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $2,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days.

How Many Points I Earned

After all of these expenses, here’s what we earned across 2 Atmos Rewards Ascent card accounts:

• 160,000 points from 2 welcome bonus offers
• 8,000 points from the minimum spend ($4,000 per card) required to reach those welcome bonuses
• 10,000 points from a referral bonus after my husband referred me to his card

That’s a grand total of 178,000 Atmos Rewards points. We value Atmos Rewards points at 1.6 cents each, so this haul was worth around $2,600 after factoring in the annual fees.

I’m a new Bank of America customer and learning to use its account website, and I liked that I could track my new account bonus progress.

I plan to redeem a few of these points first for an American Airlines flight to Barbados this summer. I don’t have specific travel plans on Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines, but with a healthy points balance, a 50% off discount, and a companion fare to take advantage of — all benefits of my Atmos Rewards Ascent card — I expect I will book a flight west soon enough!

Final Thoughts

Medical and dental expenses can come at you unexpectedly and at high cost, but planning, when possible, helps you maximize what you can earn from them.

Nothing is magical about the cards I chose. They happened to work best for my circumstances, given the other cards in my wallet and the bonus offers available at the time. However, the strategy is the same, regardless of card: Shop around, look for pay-in-full discounts, use large expenses to meet credit card welcome offers, and utilize a pretax savings account when you can.