This makes collecting miles really fun!

If you travel a lot – for business or pleasure – flights, accommodation and everyday costs add up pretty quickly.

But that's also where a great opportunity lies: With the right setup, you can collect miles and points that get you free flights, upgrades, or hotel nights - often worth several thousand dollars a year.

In the USA, the mileage game has long been a lifestyle – and even as a non-US citizen you can play along if you act smartly .

⚠️ Business or personal credit card – what’s the difference?

Before we get started, one important point:
There are two basic types of credit cards in the USA:

• Business Credit Cards → for business expenses (e.g., through your US LLC)
• Personal Credit Cards → for private expenses that are in your name

Both card types have their own advantages – e.g., different bonus systems, financing options, reporting requirements, and access conditions.

Business credit cards are particularly suitable for raising debt capital and providing better access to the American financial system.

However, personal credit cards are perfectly adequate for optimised mileage collection – and are much easier and quicker to obtain.

👉 A complete comparison with all advantages and disadvantages can be found here:
Personal vs. Business Credit Cards (USA) – Important Differences

In this article you will learn:

• How to get access to US credit cards even if you are not a US citizen
• Which cards are particularly worthwhile for digital nomads
• Which strategies frequent flyers use to collect massive amounts of points
• What you should consider from a tax perspective
  
  

1. How do you even get US credit cards?

Many people think, “I need a US passport or residency to get US credit cards.”
That's not entirely true. There are a few smart ways how to get private US cards .

1️⃣ Form an LLC + apply for an ITIN + use personal credit cards

• You establish a US LLC (e.g. in Wyoming or Florida)
• Additionally apply for an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number)
• Open private US accounts including secured or unsecured credit cards (e.g., with Chase, Bank of America, or Truist)
  *Build a credit profile (your credit score) and then you can also apply for business credit cards

2️⃣ Without LLC a personal US-AMEX

It's also possible to get a personal US credit card from American Express relatively quickly without forming an LLC. However, there are a few requirements.

If this is of interest to you, arrange a free and non-binding strategy meeting:

👉 Arrange a strategy meeting

💡 Tip: Many nomads start with an online account with Wise or Revolut. However, this won't help you collect miles or borrow money in the future. Instead, use a secured credit card from, for example, TomoCredit or Chime to build a US credit score at the same time.

2. The best US credit cards for collecting miles (2025)

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred®

• 60,000 points welcome bonus (after $4,000 turnover)
• 2x points on travel and restaurants
• Points can be transferred to many airline programs via Chase Ultimate Rewards

2. American Express Gold Card

• 60,000–75,000 points as a bonus
• 4x points on restaurants worldwide – perfect for nomads
• Membership Rewards points for airlines such as Emirates, ANA, Singapore Airlines

3. Capital One Venture X

• 75,000 miles welcome bonus
• 2x miles on all purchases – easy for international use
• Priority Pass & travel insurance included

4. Ink Business Preferred® (for LLCs)

• 100,000 points bonus (after $8,000 in sales)
• 3x points on travel, advertising, internet – ideal for online businesses
• Only for LLCs or US companies – but possible without a Social Security Number
  

3. Collect miles like a pro: 4 simple strategies

1️⃣ Maximize your welcome bonus

The majority of your miles don't come from paying for your pizza – but from welcome bonuses .
Plan for larger expenses after opening your card – and always pay them back on time .

2️⃣ Points transfer instead of cashback

Cashback is okay – but miles often bring much more value .
Example: 60,000 points = $600 cashback or a business class flight worth $3,000+.

3️⃣ Divide categories cleverly

Use the appropriate card depending on the issue:
One for restaurants, one for ads, one for travel.
💡 Tools like CardPointers show you which card is best and when.

4️⃣ Manufactured Spending (advanced)

This is the advanced level of mileage hacking: buy gift cards, resell them, and collect points.
Legal, but complicated – and only makes sense with a US address.

4. Tax information: Are miles actually tax-free?

In most cases: Yes.

If you earn miles through regular spending, they are considered a discount for tax purposes, not income. This means:

• No tax on privately used miles
• No disadvantage for business expenses (you can still deduct 100%)

⚠️ Exception : If you sell miles or cash them out, this may be tax-relevant.

5. Conclusion: Miles = your power tool

US credit cards offer real added value, especially for frequent travelers.
With the right setup you can:

✅ Collect hundreds of thousands of points
✈️ Fly worldwide for free
🏨 Stay in hotels, use lounges, enjoy upgrades

And all this without a US passport or residency – if you act smart.

Next steps for your setup:

Do you want to collect miles like a pro?
Then start building your US financial setup:

🔹 Step 1: Form your own US LLC (we'll show you how)
🔹 Step 2: Get access to the best credit cards
🔹 Step 3: Let your money fly for you!

👉 Start now & request advice