A good credit reward card can contribute to your retirement account, offer gas rebates, score theme-park or vacation tickets or take thousands off the price of your next auto purchase. Rewards at hotels, airlines, and retailers bring more to the possibilities but, adds to the confusion. Here are some tips to find the best reward programs for you to increase your buying power.
Who should apply for reward cards?
It used to be that if you pay off your balance each month, reward cards are definitely worth considering. But now, many have come out with very competitive interest rates below 10 percent, so if your credit is good enough to qualify, you need not necessarily discount a rewards card, unless it hinders you from paying down your balance in any way.
Invest some time to maximize payoff
Anyone who wants to get the best deal must patiently compare offers, then manage them consistently afterwards. Scrutinize spending to give maximum rebate value for the dollar.
Calculate your spending to make the rewards worthwhile
If you charge $3,000 a year on a card that costs $45 annually, for example, it will take over 6 years to earn a free airline ticket with most cards. In that time, you will have paid $270 in fees -- enough to buy a discounted air ticket on your own.
Flyer miles
Frequent-flier miles were the first comers of the rebate credit cards. They typically value at 1% to 2% rebate or one mile per dollar spent, so choose the ones that offer the highest return.
Some airline cards have a "use it or lose it" policy, as do many travel or hotel rewards. If it will take you a long time to earn your reward, you will want to make sure it will be there for you. American Express, for example, has programs that never expire and provides miles that, can be used on a number of different airlines. If you travel different airlines but need a Visa or MasterCard (accepted by more merchants), you can choose a bank-issued "travel awards" card.
About auto rewards
Car rewards tend to be the most generous in terms of what percentage rebate you earn but has its limitations. For example, if you earn 5% toward the purchase of a vehicle, but only on select vehicles. You can always exchange to another card rebate program after you have reached the maximum reward to keep the discounts and continue to charge more.
Gas rewards
With ever increasing gas prices, you can augment earnings by also applying for gas reward cards. Cardholders can earn higher rates on all gasoline purchases.
Entertain yourself
Many theme-parks and attractions; such as, Disney and Universal, have credit cards that give you points toward tickets, movies and other great stuff.
Get cold hard cash
The easiest way to accumulate true savings is by taking advantage of no-fee cash-back cards. To get the most benefit, choose a card that gives you at least a full 1% back on all purchases. Also choose a card that comes with retail card benefits where rates increase 5% to 10% when spending at participating merchants and retailers.
For a complete comparison list of the tremendous amount incentive reward card offers to choose from, visit SpyFind's Credit Rewards Center to find the ones right for you.
James Banks serves as valuable team contributor to the SpyFind Information Network. Areas of expertise include both credit and financial advice. To view more related material, vist SpyFind's Credit Center,
http://www.spyfind.com/credit.html
Fixing a credit report starts with seeing what's on it.... Read More
In this week's article, I am going to offer some... Read More
The three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and Trans Union... Read More
Keep Your Credit History Clean - Remove A Negative Credit... Read More
Credit cards can be a very quick way of getting... Read More
Many of us have seen the advertisements on television. "Get... Read More
If you have never heard of a FICO score before,... Read More
Credit card debt is a growing sickness in the United... Read More
If you have ever fallen behind on your debts you... Read More
Maintaining your Credit ProfileEvery consumer should be maintaining their credit... Read More
There are seven consumer credit laws you should be aware... Read More
What is a balance transfer ? A balance transfer can... Read More
To repair your bad credit does not necessarily mean that... Read More
Credit cards have migrated from being hip or convenience product... Read More
INTEREST BEWARE, THERE'S SAFETY IN NUMBERS!Note: The following is part... Read More
Having a credit card is a wonderful convenience for those... Read More
Using a credit card wisely is an important step in... Read More
Always shop around to get the best deal when choosing... Read More
Many people may still not be aware of an amendment... Read More
When you apply for a credit card, the application that... Read More
There's only one way to discover the "health" of your... Read More
Credit is currently and has been historically an integral component... Read More
Let's face it, having credit is no longer a choice.... Read More
If you've ever applied for a credit card or loan,... Read More
Most businesses want to be able to borrow money when... Read More
Make Money from StoozingStoozing, this is a sophisticated method of... Read More
Your credit report--a type of consumer report--contains information about where... Read More
A credit score is most commonly known as a FICO... Read More
"Menis - the author translates as "indignant rage" - It... Read More
Your credit is the most important thing you have other... Read More
Most people who carry major credit cards are well aware... Read More
Ever wondered what is Credit Counselling? There are occasions when... Read More
Congress passed the Fair Credit Reporting Act several years ago... Read More
INTEREST BEWARE, THERE'S SAFETY IN NUMBERS!Note: The following is part... Read More
Did you apply for a personal loan only to be... Read More
Consumers today are up to their eyeballs in debt. And... Read More
Some credit cards offer a cash advance option. But how... Read More
Many credit card holders sign up for a credit account... Read More
Credit Cards and Loans sounds like just two things, but... Read More
Getting your first credit card is a big deal and... Read More
If you have considered credit counseling as an option to... Read More
1. Payment History -- 35%The number of accounts paid as... Read More
In the twenty-first century, there are few documents that have... Read More
Credit scores are the most important aspect that determines your... Read More
So you ordered a copy of your credit report to... Read More
With prepaid credit cards, you get the practicality of plastic... Read More
Establishing credit is one of the most important things you... Read More
One of the focus areas of my information is the... Read More
With interest rates rising, low or zero percent credit cards... Read More
Rewards cards have become the latest rage in the credit... Read More
Credit card balance transfer involves using a credit... Read More
Today there are so many different credit cards available, student... Read More
Chances are you have received your share of "pre-approved" credit... Read More
Americans are more concerned about identity theft than unemployment or... Read More
Owning a credit card can be quite an advantage. Whether... Read More
Negotiable instruments like checks and drafts have become an indispensable... Read More
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, collectors are not... Read More
If you want to purchase a new home or refinance... Read More
Everywhere we go, the word credit can be found, shining... Read More
Ok, let's face it, everybody hates high credit card rates,... Read More
Q: I'm opening a gift shop and want to be... Read More
HarassmentHarassment of people in debt by creditors or their agents... Read More
Credit needed for real estate mortgage financing differs from credit... Read More
ChexSystems is a company that maintains a subscriber membership service... Read More
Having a damaging credit record can hurt you in many... Read More
The articles and tips provided on this site are intended... Read More
Credit |