Best credit card rewards program 2013




















Be sure to check out our best travel credit cards and our best credit cards for all of the current offers. Cardholders can redeem points at 1. Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

The Blue Cash Preferred Card is one of the best cash-back credit cards on the market. The Amex Platinum is unmatched when it comes to travel perks and benefits. If lounge access, hotel elite status and annual statement credits are important to you, this card is well worth the high annual fee.

Read our full review of the Platinum Card from American Express. When it comes to simplicity and strong rewards, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid choice for most travelers. It packs a real punch, offering 4x points on global dining and U. All this make it a very strong contender for all food purchases, which has become a popular spending category. Enrollment required for select benefits. Read our full review of the American Express Gold Card. The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a surprisingly powerful card that earns at least 1.

However, it becomes a standout card if you pair it with a card that earns transferable Ultimate Rewards points, doubling their potential value. Read our full review on the Chase Freedom Unlimited. The Capital One SavorOne is a great cash back credit card for beginners looking for a solid rewards structure and no annual fee. Read our full review on the Citi Custom Cash Card.

However, there are other options that offer more flexibility to redeem your rewards. The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card is a breath of fresh air. With no annual fee, 1. Read our full review on the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card. The Blue Cash Everyday card is a good option for people who want a simple cash back structure with no annual fee.

Plus earn points across the four bonus categories travel, shipping, advertising and telecommunication providers that are most popular with businesses. The card comes with travel protections, shopping protections and will also have primary coverage when renting a car for business purposes for you and your employees. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers.

We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. Not to mention that some cardholders are targeted for a k- or k-point welcome bonus through CardMatch offers subject to change at any time. Earn 1x on other purchases.

Check out the full card review for the Amex Platinum. Rewards rate: 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel , 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on every purchase.

Check out the full card review for the Capital One Venture X. Rewards rate: Earn 4x dining at restaurants and U. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. If you want an Amex card that makes it easy to earn Membership Rewards on everyday expenses such as dining at restaurants and groceries at U. Check out the full card review for the Amex Gold. Who should apply: The Venture has long been a crowd favorite for travel rewards because of its simplicity.

Beginners will enjoy the simplicity of using the Venture, while experts can use it for non-bonus spending. Check out the full card review for the Capital One Venture. Although Citi did strip important purchase protections from this card in , the issuer also added the ability to convert your Double Cash rewards to ThankYou points via a linked ThankYou account.

ThankYou points are valued at 1. Check out the full card review for the Citi Double Cash. Who should apply: The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best beginner travel cards available. Its rewards structure is broad enough to earn points on a large number of purchases. You can redeem points for 1. Check out the full card review for the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Who should apply: The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is one of the top premium travel cards available. The Chase Sapphire Reserve also dropped a few new perks to help maximize benefits during the pandemic. Check out the Chase Sapphire Reserve Review. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for statement credits.

Who should apply: The Blue Cash Preferred offers valuable bonus categories that keep up with changing consumer habits. Although the card does not earn Membership Rewards points, it remains a simple way to earn rewards on common everyday spending categories. Check out the full card review for the Blue Cash Preferred. The categories are often easy to maximize. For example, the first quarter categories are eBay and grocery store purchases. This new card also comes with cell phone protection.

You can also pair this card with any of the best Chase credit cards that can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards and earn valuable Chase points rather than just cash back. Check out more details on the Chase Freedom Flex. Who should apply: Anyone who spends a lot on dining and entertainment should consider this card.

Plus, it offers excellent value for veterans of the rewards game. With no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee , this is the perfect card to use on entertainment purchases , both at home and when traveling.

Check out the full card review for the Capital One SavorOne. Sign-up bonus: Earn an additional 1. You can then redeem those points at an elevated rate through the Chase portal or transfer them to travel partners.

TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents each, which doubles the value of your rewards. Chase also recently announced changes to this card, making it one of the most valuable no-annual-fee credit cards out there. Check out the full card review for the Chase Freedom Unlimited. Check out the full card review for the Blue Cash Everyday Card. Generally speaking, this type of rewards card is the most valuable because of its redemption flexibility.

Cash back rewards — This is the most straightforward type of reward. Although cash back is always redeemed at a fixed value, it can be highly useful for both beginners and seasoned travelers. Points and miles are best redeemed for airfare or hotel bookings, but cash back has more flexibility without compromising its value. You can use cash back to save up for the day-to-day expenses of your travel or you can simply use it to save money on your statements each month.

Hybrid rewards — Hybrid cards have popped up in recent years. These cards earn cash back on their own but can be paired with other cards to convert that cash to more valuable points currencies. A prime example of this type of card is the Chase Freedom Unlimited. The Citi Double Cash also recently joined the ranks of hybrid cash-back cards with no annual fee. Rewards with loyalty programs — These are cards that earn points or miles for a specific loyalty program, typically for an airline or hotel.

Most of the time, these cards also come with brand-specific benefits like complimentary elite status for hotel cards or priority boarding for airline cards. Similar to cash back cards, there are also different types of travel rewards cards which offer slightly different benefits. The purpose of these cards is increased rewards on purchases with specific airlines or hotel brands.

The cards are less flexible than general purpose travel cards as the points earned are specific to the airline or hotel and are only redeemable with the same hotel chain or airline and sometimes within airline alliances. One example of this is Southwest, who offer a number of credit cards which would suit different travelers depending on their needs.

There's no need to keep track of rewards earning tiers or rates that change on a quarterly basis, and a lack of foreign transaction fees means you can save wherever in the world business takes you. Capital One Cash Rewards for Newcomers Rewards for People New to Credit : This card offers 2 percent cash back on travel and 1 percent on everything else and does not charge an annual fee. It therefore enables inexperienced consumers to cost-effectively build credit while subsidizing their spending.

Journey Student Rewards from Capital One Student Rewards : Not only does this card come sans annual fee--the most important factor for student credit users--it also offers 1 percent cash back across all purchases and a 25 percent earning bonus for months that you pay your bill on time. Slate from Chase Balance Transfer : Chase resurrected the free balance transfer genre with its Slate Card, which offers 0 percent for 15 months and doesn't charge an annual fee or a balance transfer fee.

Citi Diamond Preferred Financing Upcoming Purchases : Offering 0 percent for 18 months, this Citicard is better suited to minimizing interest on big-ticket expenses than lowering the cost of existing debt in light of its 3 percent balance transfer fee. It does not charge an annual fee. BankAmericard for Students Student Financing : Students who need a few extra months to pay off books or other major expenses will love this card's month 0 percent interest rate and lack of an annual fee.

Just keep in mind the importance of paying off what you owe before regular rates take effect. Harley Davidson Secured Fully Secured : Despite its branding, this card is the best option for people with damaged credit based on the simple fact that it's one of the rare secured cards that does not charge an annual fee. Secured cards offer the same credit building capabilities as unsecured cards and tend to be slightly easier to get, given issuers are shielded from risk by the requirement that users place a refundable security deposit that acts as their credit line.

The Harley Davidson Card actually offers some rewards too--even rarer among secured cards than the lack of an annual fee. Capital One Secured Partially Secured : The more available credit you have, the faster you can improve your credit standing. It's technically a partially-secured card, which means you might be able to get a credit line in excess of your security deposit.

There is no annual fee. While 13 credit card offers are much easier to swallow than the thousand-plus that are on the market, it might still be difficult to choose the right card for your needs without a bit of added guidance. So, as you peruse the offerings, keep the following tips in mind:. This enables you to get the best possible rewards and the lowest rates impossible with a single card and helps you budget, since finance charges on your everyday card will indicate the need to cut back.

With these things in mind, apply for the card of your dreams and enjoy the perks that accompany the strategic use of plastic. Surviving the Emotional Toll of Bankruptcy. Krot told the man. Rewards credit cards come in all shapes and sizes, so it's important to take some time to choose the best card for your needs. You should decide if you're willing to pay an annual fee for a card, since this can help narrow down choices. Make sure you do the math to see if an annual fee is within your budget and if it can be outweighed by the card's benefits.

Don't want to pay your credit card's annual fee? Here's how to ask for a retention offer. Next you should figure out what type of rewards you want to earn and if you want a simple rewards program or one that may require some work. If you want a straightforward card, there are generic rewards cards that offer the same amount of rewards on all purchases, which require little planning. Here's how credit card issuers classify purchases for bonus rewards. Learn more: How to choose the best credit card in 3 easy steps.

Rewards credit cards typically provide one of three reward structures: cash back, points or miles. The way you earn and redeem rewards varies based on the type of credit card you open. In addition to the value of cash back, points and miles varying, redemption options also fluctuate. You may be able to redeem for a statement credit, travel, gift card, merchandise or more, depending on the card you have.

In order to make the most of your rewards card, you should familiarize yourself with the benefits and fees. Take note of any annual fees and the APR associated with your account, as well as the rewards rates and added perks, such as annual statement credits. Once you're familiar with the terms of your card, you can start to take full advantage of them. If you have multiple credit cards , consider the rewards offered by each card before deciding which to use.

If you pay for purchases with cash or debit, you're leaving extra money on the table. This is a large amount of money that can help offset the cost of past purchases or fund upcoming expenses. Rewards credit cards often require good or excellent credit scores above , so check your credit score before applying for one of these cards. To determine which credit cards offer the best value, Select analyzed of the most popular credit cards available in the U.

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit score and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is for the consumer to redeem points. Select teamed up with location intelligence firm Esri.

The company's data development team provided the most up-to-date and comprehensive consumer spending data based on the Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can read more about their methodology here. General purchases include items such as housekeeping supplies, clothing, personal care products, prescription drugs and vitamins, and other vehicle expenses.

Select used this budget to estimate how much the average consumer would save over the course of a year, two years and five years, assuming they would attempt to maximize their rewards potential by earning all welcome bonuses offered and using the card for all applicable purchases. All rewards total estimations are net the annual fee.

It's important to note the value of a point or mile varies from card to card and based on how you redeem them. Extreme optimizers might be able to achieve more value. Our final picks are weighted heavily toward the highest five-year returns, since it's generally wise to hold onto a credit card for years. This method also avoids giving an unfair advantage to cards with large welcome bonuses.

While the five-year estimates we've included are derived from a budget similar to the average American's spending, you may earn a higher or lower return depending on your shopping habits. Skip Navigation. Select Logo. Follow Select. Our top picks of timely offers from our partners More details.



0コメント

  • 1000 / 1000