"The trick with my Tesla purchase is the card I used, [the] Chase Ink Business Preferred, earned 3X points for the purchase," Rosso tells CNBC Make It. Ink Business Preferred cardholders receive 3 points on every dollar spent in a range of categories designed to benefit small-businesses owners. The 2.5 percent fee came out to about $1,470, while the purchase earned him nearly 180,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points. To buy something as expensive as a Tesla, you'll also need a high credit line, which can be a perk of a business card. Technically you need to run a business to qualify for a business card, but the definition of "business owner" these days can be broader than it may seem.

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