Travel Freely: The Best (Free!) Way to Keep Your Credit Cards Organized

An underrated but critical part of getting ahead with travel credit cards and award travel seems simple: organization.

From meeting minimum spending requirements to earn that big bonus to tracking renewal dates to keeping tabs on your status with the Chase 5/24 rule, there's a lot to keep track of. That's true whether you've got just one or two credit cards or have opened dozens, like many of us on the Thrifty Traveler team. 

Forget about doing it manually with spreadsheets: Turn to Travel Freely instead. This is an invaluable (and, almost unbelievably, completely free) tool for staying organized – the best solution we've found by far to keep all our ducks in a row and prevent a costly mistake. 

Whether you're just getting started with travel credit cards or have a wallet full of them, Travel Freely is an absolute must. We don't get paid to promote this service: We just love it that much … and we think you will too.
 

How Does Travel Freely Work?

Travel Freely is an online tool that simplifies all your credit card organization. It automates many of the most important data points to track on your credit cards.

You just enter the date you opened a card – and what card you opened, of course – and Travel Freely will do some handy things to help you out:

• It'll automatically track how much time you have to meet a minimum spending requirement in order to earn a welcome bonus.
• You'll get an email alert 45 days before your annual fee is due on each card, giving you ample time to decide whether to keep that card or cancel it. For example, I recently got an alert for my Alaska Airlines Credit Card from Bank of America, which is set to renew June 1.

Notably, Travel Freely doesn't require any sensitive information about your credit cards. You never log into or link individual credit card accounts – or use any personal information like your Social Security Number, for that matter. 

• Based on how many cards you've added to your Travel Freely account and when, it will calculate your current Chase 5/24 status. That's critical, as Chase will deny you for almost any credit card if you've opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months – from any bank, not just Chase. Read more on the Chase 5/24 rule!
• Considering picking up a new credit card? Travel Freely will even time out when you are most likely to get approved, using a 90-day window from your last approval.

One of my favorite parts about Travel Freely is that it allows you to track both open and closed credit cards for up to two users. So if you're in two-player mode – managing credit cards for both yourself and a spouse or significant other – it makes it easy to track both in one place.

Who is this Tool Good For?

Travel Freely works great for anybody that wants to keep things organized when it comes to credit cards. Organization is key – losing track of your card portfolio is a recipe for costly mistakes.

And that's true whether you are just getting started with points and miles or you're more advanced and have been earning and burning points and miles for years. Trust me: The best time to get organized with points and miles is when you first get started. It makes things so much easier as you get further down the road, and you'll thank yourself later.

When you first sign up with Travel Freely, you'll need to provide your name and a valid email address, verify your email and create a password and you'll be up and running. Once you have an account, you can expect a few periodic emails from Travel Freely founder Zac Hood with different info helping you utilize the service.

Is There a Cost?

No. Travel Freely is completely free to use.

By signing up and creating a free account, you will be put on their email list and receive occasional tips, tricks, and alerts of new welcome bonus offers for certain credit cards.

Like Thrifty Traveler, Travel Freely works with credit card issuers. So if you apply for a credit card using a link on the Travel Freely website, they will receive a commission if you are approved. That's what ultimately allows them to offer the credit card tracking functionality for free.

Can You Track Points & Miles Balances?

Travel Freely doesn't currently have a way to track your balances of airline miles or hotel or credit card points. As we mentioned previously, the service does not collect any personal information from your financial accounts or loyalty programs.

If you're e looking for a tool to organize your actual balances of points and miles, you may want to check out Award Wallet.

Download the Mobile App

If you want to track your cards on the go, Travel Freely has launched a mobile app which is available in both the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

Admittedly, I still find myself mostly using the tool via the web, but it is nice to quickly reference things (like my Chase 5/24 status) via the mobile app. It is also handy as a quick reference point for when an annual fee is due on a credit card.

All of the same functionality exists between the mobile and desktop versions. 

Bottom Line

After using Travel Freely for a few years, I don't think I could ever go back to tracking my opened and closed credit cards on a spreadsheet.

The Travel Freely interface is clean and easy to use, making credit card organization a breeze. Whether you are just getting started, or are a seasoned points-and-miles pro, Travel Freely is the best option out there for setting yourself up for points and miles success.

Create your free Travel Freely account today!