Posted by What Exactly Is a Reward Credit Card?
A rewards credit cards can help you get the most out of your credit card purchases by allowing you to earn cash back, points, or miles when you use the card. Cardholders often earn a certain percentage of qualifying expenditure as cash back or a certain number of points for every dollar spent on qualifying items. benefits cards may also include a welcome bonus, which gives new cardholders extra benefits if they spend a particular amount of money within a certain amount of time after gaining permission for the card.
What Is the Process of Credit Card Rewards?
When a credit card is used to make a purchase, a fee is applied. Typically, the vendor pays this transaction processing fee, which is then either charged directly to the consumer or included in the price of the goods or services purchased.
This transaction fee may be split among card networks, card issuers, and co-branded partners. Credit card issuers provide incentives on qualifying credit card spend and “return” some of the value of this fee to the purchasing consumer in the form of cash back to incentivise credit card use among eligible cardholders.
Rewards cards often allow cardholders to earn rewards in the form of cash back or points or miles per dollar spent on transactions. Some rewards credit cards may also provide a welcome bonus, which provides additional points if a cardholder spends a specified amount of money within the first few months of card acceptance.
When retailers mark up all goods and services to include transaction costs, people who do not pay with credit cards also pay this tax. In other words, the transaction fees used to support credit card incentives may result in a greater cost for people who do not pay with a credit card. If you can’t afford a credit card, you pay the same markup as those who can—all so that banks, card networks, and issuers may take a share and potentially offer rewards.
How Do I Get Reward Points?
Cardholders often receive points by making eligible purchases with their cards. Purchases of cash equivalents such as gift cards or money orders are typically not eligible purchases. The amount of money you spend with the card determines the amount of rewards you earn. These figures are frequently stated as a percentage of cash back or as “points per dollar.”
What Exactly Is a Reward Program?
The word “reward program” often refers to a reward program agreement, which is frequently agreed upon during the application process for a rewards card. This program document, among other things, explains how awards are earned, redeemed, and whether or not rewards expire.
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Reward Credit Cards
- Advantages of Rewards Credit Cards:
- Earn cash back, miles, or points on everyday purchases.
- Many reward credit cards come with a sign-up bonus.
- There are numerous types of reward cards.
- Additional cardholder advantages may be included with rewards cards.
- The disadvantages of rewards credit cards are as follows:
- Annual fees or higher APRs may apply to rewards credit cards.
- Some credit cards may limit earnings on specific purchase categories.
- Rewards may expire or lose their worth.
- Learning how to redeem prizes may take some time and effort.
Are Credit Card Reward Programs Beneficial?
Credit card incentives can help you increase your budget or save money on your next vacation. If you qualify for a rewards card, you might get more value out of purchases you’re already making. Examine your buying habits as well as your personal time and preferences to determine which type of rewards program is appropriate for you.
Should I Get a Credit Card With Reward Points?
There are dozens of credit card rewards programs, each with its own set of features and benefits. Sifting through all of the alternatives might be overwhelming, but once you know what to look for, it becomes much easier to assess your options and choose the best credit card for you.
While there is no perfect credit card for everyone, there are numerous aspects to consider when sifting through the numerous credit card options available. If you’re looking for your first credit card, here are some extra resources to help you understand what questions to ask and what aspects to consider:
Credit Card Reward Program Varieties
There are numerous sorts of rewards cards, but the two most common are cash-back cards and travel rewards cards. Cash-back cards earn a portion of eligible purchases in the form of cash back, which is frequently redeemed as a statement credit or deposit into a bank account.
Travel rewards cards give points or miles to earn with travel loyalty reward programs and are frequently co-branded with airline or hotel partners. Travel rewards cards frequently have brand-specific redemption possibilities, such as hotel stays or airline tickets.
Cash-Back Bonuses
A consumer may get a flat-rate or tiered-rate cash back on qualified purchases depending on the cash-back card used. Earning schemes and structures may feature higher earning rates in specific spend categories such as petrol or restaurants, as well as rewards earning caps.
Helpful Hint
Choose a card with bonus categories that closely match your own spending categories to optimize your cash-back returns. You may be able to receive a better rate of return on items such as groceries, gas, vacation, or restaurants. But be honest with yourself. If you don’t want to keep track of bonus categories, a card that earns a larger flat rate on all transactions might be a better option.
How Does Cash Back on Credit Cards Work?
Cardholders with cash-back credit cards earn cash back on qualified transactions. Cash-back cards vary greatly in numerous crucial areas, including earning structure: some offer a flat cash-back rate on all transactions, while others offer greater rates in specific categories such as groceries or gas.
Credit Cards with Fixed Cash-Back Rates
A flat-rate cash back credit card provides a single, consistent rate on all purchases. Depending on the deal, cardholders might earn anywhere from 1% to 2% or even more.
Here are a few examples of flat-rate cash-back cards:
- Earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.
- Earn 1.5% cash back with the American Express Cash Magnet® Card*.
- Earn 2% cash back on all purchases with the Citi® Double Cash Card—1% when you make the purchase and another 1% when you pay it off.
- Earn 2% cash back on purchases with the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.
- Flat rate cash-back credit cards are simple to use because you only pay one rate for each purchase. They do, however, have lower interest rates than tiered-rate cash-back cards.
Cash-Back Credit Cards with Different Rates
Tiered cash-back credit cards often offer different rates for various purchase categories, such as travel, dining, gas, grocery, and drugstore expenditures. Some credit cards provide preferential rates for specific transactions while charging a flat rate for all other purchases.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card, for example, earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on eligible dining and pharmacy expenditures, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Co-branded store cards may also provide enticing deals, albeit with spending constraints. The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi*, for example, earns 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year, then 1% thereafter, 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases, 2% cash back on all other Costco and Costco.com purchases, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. To apply, you must be a Costco member.
Consider which types of transactions you make the most frequently before applying for a tiered cash-back card. If you don’t own a car, you probably don’t need a card that rewards petrol purchases.
Cash-Back Credit Cards in a Variety of Categories
A revolving cash-back credit card rotates across purchase categories every three months on average. For a limited time, cardholders may be offered a higher-than-average rate (often as much as 5%) on a certain type of purchase. Although it may appear appealing, card companies can limit or cap how much you can earn or spend. Bonus categories are frequently determined by the issuer.
When enabled, the Discover it® Cash Back card earns 5% cash back on everyday purchases at multiple locations each quarter, up to a quarterly maximum of $1,500 in spending. Plus, automatically get an unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
While rotating benefits may appeal to some, cardholders must remember to activate particular categories and plan ahead of time for specific purchases at various times of the year. In general, a flat-rate or tiered-rate cash-back credit card allows you to optimize your reward potential more easily.
How Can I Earn Cash Back on My Credit Cards?
Many cash-back credit cards allow redemption online via the card issuer’s website. To learn how to redeem rewards, contact your card issuer or read the terms and conditions of the reward program or card agreement. Cash back is frequently redeemed as a statement credit, credit for previous purchases, a check, or a deposit to a bank account. Because not all cards provide every redemption option, read the card agreement carefully before applying. Some cash-back cards have a redemption requirement.
Flexible Travel Benefits
A travel rewards credit card accumulates points or miles on qualifying transactions, which may typically be redeemed for travel, such as airline tickets, hotel stays, or cruises, through a relationship with an airline or hotel loyalty reward program or through the card issuer’s reward program.
Helpful Hint
To get the most of your flexible travel points, research the various airline and hotel partners. Sometimes the same trip can be booked at various prices depending on which partner you book through, giving you the opportunity to save some points in the process.
How Do Travel Credit Cards Function?
Travel rewards cards have similar earning structures to cash-back rewards cards, but instead of cash back, you get points or miles. These cards, like cash-back cards, may give a welcome bonus for spending a certain amount on the card within a specified length of time after account opening.
Points or miles earned with co-branded cards are frequently associated with reward schemes other than the card issuer. This is frequently the case with airline or hotel-branded credit cards. For example, you may earn airline miles through airline travel, but with a co-branded card, you can also earn them through ordinary transactions.
Additional benefits offered by travel credit cards include airline fare credits, hotel or resort refunds, lounge access, and other perks.
How Do I Redeem My Travel Points?
Travel reward redemptions are frequently subject to complex terms and limitations unique to the cardholder agreement. Every card is unique, however many flexible travel reward cards have an internet site where travel redemptions can be made.
Are Travel Rewards Cards Beneficial?
Travel rewards have become a way of life for many people, and credit cards are an easy way to get them. Be wary of rewards credit cards’ often higher interest rates and fees. Credit card accounts must be properly managed because carrying a balance and accruing interest charges quickly exceed any rewards gained. Before applying for a credit card, do the arithmetic on your personal expenditure and think about how you’ll use the advantages.
Miles from airlines
Frequent flyers might consider airline credit cards. These cards enable you to redeem your earned miles or points through an airline’s reward program. These cards are co-branded with a certain airline, however issuer-branded cards may allow you to redeem points/miles with different airlines. The additional benefits of airline cards are an important consideration: many cards allow access to travel lounges, waive checked baggage fees, and provide other travel-related perks. If you’re not sure where to begin, Forbes Advisor has compiled a list of the top airline rewards credit cards.
Helpful Hint
Booking foreign flights in premium classes, such as business or first class, is often the best way to maximize the value of your airline miles. These may be fares that you would not be able to afford if you paid cash. Anything is possible with miles.
What Are Airline Miles and How Do They Work?
Airlines provide reward or frequent flyer programs to enhance customer brand loyalty. Though miles were typically earned for spending with the airline, co-branded credit cards allow you to earn airline reward program miles as a reward for spending on a credit card almost anyplace. These miles are typically redeemable for upgrades, bonuses, or award ticket purchases.
Each airline reward program and co-branded airline credit card will operate in a unique manner. Before applying for a credit card to earn extra airline miles, read the fine print in the cardholder agreement and conditions of usage for the reward program.
How Do I Accumulate Airline Miles?
Because each airline mile program operates differently and your travel preferences and needs will differ from those of others, the ideal approach to earn miles that you’ll find beneficial will depend on your scenario. For example, if you only fly Alaska Airlines, an Alaska co-branded credit card may make sense; however, if you travel with a different airline each time, a general travel card or group of cards may make more sense.
How Can I Use My Airline Miles?
Because the majority of airline mile rewards cards deposit accrued miles straight into your reward program account, the simplest way to redeem miles is often with the airline. Because each rewards program is unique, this may vary each program. Some miles may be worth more when transferred to a partner airline, but value is ultimately determined by the specific redemption.
What Are Airline Miles Worth?
The worth of your airline miles is determined by the type of mile and the cost of each redemption. For example, if a ticket costs 50,000 miles or $500, you will redeem your points at a rate of one penny per mile. You’ll receive 2 cents per mile if the same flight costs $1,000 or 50,000 miles.
How Do I Purchase Airline Miles?
Customers can buy airline miles online from most major carriers. We advise cardholders to focus on collecting bonus miles rather than paying for miles out of cash. Purchasing miles from an airline is generally more expensive than earning them through a reward program.
Regardless of how tempting it is to buy additional miles from an airline, keep your eyes to the skies for incentive opportunities.
The only exception is if you have a known forthcoming redemption and are short a few thousand miles, or if you know the corresponding cash ticket price is more than the cost of purchasing miles.
Hotel Rewards
Hotel credit cards offer benefits like as elite status, award-free nights, and more, as well as the ability to earn rewards that are frequently redeemable for additional stays. If you are a frequent visitor to a certain hotel chain, this type of credit card may help you attain better status or provide the odd discount or award-free stay. If you aren’t loyal to any particular hotel, a general travel card with flexible rewards may allow you to transfer points to several loyalty program partners or book any hotel with your points.
Helpful Hint
Many hotel systems now use dynamic pricing for incentives, which means that the cost in points is roughly proportional to the cash price of the vacation. As a result, even low-cost hotels can be good uses of points, with certain redemptions starting at only 3,500 points for an award night.
What Are Hotel Points and How Do They Work?
If you’re a fan of a certain hotel chain, a co-branded credit card can help you accumulate rewards quickly and achieve elite status in the hotel’s loyalty program. If you don’t have a favorite hotel, you might want to look into a travel rewards credit card that allows you to transfer points or miles to several loyalty programs.
How Do I Acquire Hotel Points?
Hotel loyalty program points can frequently be acquired in a variety of methods, but a rewards credit card may be a convenient way to accumulate points. The actual ratio of points gained per dollar earned will vary depending on the card and its terms. While spending money with your card is the most common way to earn these points, being smart about how you redeem them can help you get the most out of your benefits.
What Are Hotel Points Worth?
Though the exact value of your hotel points will vary depending on the redemption, hotel points are usually worth less than one penny each.
Business Benefits
Business credit cards provide numerous advantages to both large and small businesses. The key to obtaining the best credit card for you is identifying which features are most important to your business and what you value the most: rewards, cash back, amenities, or credit-building assistance. Forbes Advisor has a list of the finest business credit cards if you want to open a business rewards credit card.
How Do Business Rewards Function?
A business credit card separates your business and personal costs. It also allows you to keep track of how much you spend on your business, which is useful during tax season. Some small business cards include a rewards program, and others include welcome bonuses.
Small Business Reward Programs
It is generally necessary to maintain your business finances separate from your personal finances for liability reasons. As a small business expands, it may be time to explore a credit card made exclusively for small businesses. A business credit card allows you to get the credit you need to expand your firm month after month while also receiving cash back and other key incentives.
What Is the Best Rewards Credit Card?
Credit card rewards are a frequently profitable method to earn a little bit extra from your credit card transactions. Rewards, whether in the form of cash back, points, or miles, can mount up over time and help you pay for holidays or everyday expenses. Examine your spending and personal goals to determine which type of rewards program is ideal for you. Consider a card’s drawbacks as well. What fees are levied, and what risks do you take when you use a rewards card?
Annual Charge
An annual fee is basically a cost for having the credit card. The annual charge varies each card, however cards with higher annual fees frequently provide additional features and greater rewards rates, making the annual fee worthwhile.
Bonus for Signing Up
A sign-up bonus, sometimes known as a welcome bonus, is a promotion aimed to entice people to apply for a credit card. These bonuses can include extra cash back, points, or miles if you spend a particular amount of money within a certain amount of time after gaining card approval. As a sign-up bonus, certain cards may provide additional benefits such as lower annual fees, promotional APR periods, or even items.
0% APR for a limited time
A 0% APR credit card is one that offers a limited time period of 0% APR on purchases, balance transfers, or both. This interest-free term on either purchases or balance transfers often lasts anywhere from six months to nearly two years. If balances are not paid off by the end of the period with a deferred 0% APR interest offer, interest may be applied retrospectively to the date of purchase or balance transfer.
Fees for International Transactions
A foreign transaction fee is normally 1% to 3% of the purchase value and is levied when you make a purchase in another country or currency. Some credit cards do not impose foreign transaction fees, so if you want to travel abroad with your card, seek for one that does not.
Who Should Apply for a Reward Credit Card?
Everyone should receive a rewards credit card, presuming their credit is excellent enough to get a new card and they are responsible enough to pay their bills in full and on time. Otherwise, you’re throwing money away with every buy. A cash back or point reward of 1 to 2% per dollar spent may not seem like much, but it may add up to hundreds of dollars per year.
How to Maximize Credit Card Rewards
To maximize credit card rewards, you must first educate yourself on your alternatives and what would be the best fit for your purchasing habits—you’ve come to the perfect spot. You can either wait for a credit card issuer to provide an exceptional welcome bonus or manage your credit consistently to qualify for better and better cards.
If you eat out frequently and commute by bike, avoid applying for credit cards with high reward rates on groceries and gas. If you only travel once a year, a co-branded airline card may not be as useful as a cash-back card that can be used for other expenses. Knowing your goals before choosing a rewards program is a wise decision.
When it comes to optimizing redemptions, there are numerous theories on the optimal value. Because cash-back rewards are typically redeemed as a percentage of the purchase price, the only significant trick to raising the redemption value of the reward is to redeem more frequently so that your reward value does not erode with inflation.
Helpful Hint
Luxury redemptions with points and miles may provide consistently high value for many, but the best strategy to maximize the value will depend on your preferences and demands. Spending points rather than hoarding them is generally a better habit, however saving for high-value redemptions may take precedence. Remember that rewards are depreciating assets whose worth might change at any time.
What Happens to Credit Card Rewards in 2023?
Credit card incentives are predicted to remain useful for consumers in 2023, owing to a rise in travel. Cash-back cards, on the other hand, may become more popular as a result of economic uncertainty and excessive inflation. Because of the flexibility they provide, flexible rewards cards that allow points to be transferred to a number of programs, used to purchase travel, or redeemed for cash back will stay popular.
Credit card points are likely to become more valuable as travel prices rise and earning elite status becomes more difficult, but cardholders should be wary of hoarding points and miles because devaluations can occur without warning. In 2023, higher welcome incentives are possible. Credit card lounge programs are also projected to grow, with new lounges opening by American Express, Capital One, and Chase.
In conclusion
With so many credit card alternatives available, Forbes Advisor is here to assist you in making the right decision for you. Earning rewards is a terrific way to make credit cards more useful, but selecting the ideal rewards card for your spending and needs is critical.
Before applying for a credit card, it is necessary to completely grasp the terms and conditions of the agreement. Though we recommend that no one carry a load if possible, it’s especially critical with rewards credit cards because APRs are often higher. Any interest charges applied to a balance will soon deplete the value of any awards received.
Some of the above perks are given by Visa® or Mastercard® for Capital One products featured on this page and may vary by product. Details, including conditions and exclusions, can be found in the appropriate Guide to Benefits.