The latest articles on DEV Community by Rosa (@rosa_1c68). https://dev.to/rosa_1c68 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4177902%2Fa8e79465-058c-4216-9a47-f0fcfa2fa640.jpg https://dev.to/rosa_1c68 en Rosa Sun, 11 Oct 2026 22:31:17 +0000 https://dev.to/rosa_1c68/notes-from-a-points-hobby-that-the-travel-blogs-dont-cover-2lk5 https://dev.to/rosa_1c68/notes-from-a-points-hobby-that-the-travel-blogs-dont-cover-2lk5 <p>I'm Rosa. I book flights with points, and I write down what actually worked so I can remember it next time.</p> <p>Most of the guides in this hobby are a card name, a signup bonus, and a transfer partner. Useful, once a bank will approve you. Useless when the application dies because you don't have a US credit file yet, which is where I was.</p> <p>The thing that explained it was <a href="https://itinclub.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">ITIN Club</a>. Not a points site. A free course for people who use an ITIN, which is the tax number the IRS issues when you have a US tax reason and can't get a Social Security number. Every ITIN starts with 9, and a lot of forms treat that as "invalid SSN."</p> <h2> What I had backwards </h2> <p>I was applying for travel cards as if the card was step one. The course, <a href="https://itinclub.com/courses/first-year-with-an-itin" rel="noopener noreferrer">Your first year with an ITIN</a>, puts them last:</p> <ul> <li>The ITIN itself, and only with a real tax reason. It is not work authorization and it is not an SSN.</li> <li>A US bank account that accepts the ITIN.</li> <li>A credit file, usually a secured card or a credit-builder loan that reports to all three bureaus.</li> <li>A few months of on-time payments.</li> <li>Then a card with no foreign transaction fees, and only after that the ones that earn serious points.</li> </ul> <p>That order is the whole post. I keep a link to their card guide for the details: <a href="https://itinclub.com/guides/us-credit-card-for-non-residents" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to get a US credit card as a non-resident</a>.</p> <h2> How I actually use the points </h2> <p>One card, paid in full. Everyday spending. I transfer when a flight I want is a good price in points, and I ignore the rest of the bonus calendar. Opening several cards in the same month is how a thin file gets worse.</p> <p>This isn't tax advice and it isn't a card recommendation. It's the missing first chapter of the blogs I started with.</p> ai webdev productivity programming