Credit cards have become a must-have in the modern world. Because it's easy to use them to shop in person or online and because you need one to do simple things like make hotel and car reservations, it's hard to impossible to go for long periods of time without one. So if you have to have one, you might as well use it to your advantage. There are a lot of different rewards programmes that come with different credit cards. Check out the options and get a card that makes you feel like you're getting something back.
If you like to travel or have to travel often for work, you might want to get a credit card for frequent fliers. When you buy things with these credit cards, you get air miles. Depending on the company that issued the card, you may even get double benefits at certain places. Frequent flier credit cards can be sponsored by either a bank or an airline, and the benefits you get depend on which one you choose.
If you choose a card that's sponsored by an airline, you'll get perks like air miles and access to airport lounges, but only with that airline. Make sure it goes where you want to go and serves your area. If you get a frequent flyer credit card from your bank, you can use your miles with more than one airline.
When you use a credit card for frequent flyers, the most important thing to do is to read the fine print. Most credit cards for frequent fliers have high interest rates, so you should only use it for things you can pay off every month.
Credit card companies know that not everyone likes to fly, so there are lots of other ways for people who don't want to fly but still want to use their credit card rewards close to home. If your commute is long or you take a lot of road trips, you might want to look into gas rebate cards. Gas rebate cards let you get cash back on the gas you buy for a small portion of the total price of the gas. Some even give you money back on the oil you use to heat your home or on things you buy at the convenience stores of certain gas stations. The rebate percentage varies from card to card, but most of them will send you your rebate all at once once a year, so you can really see how much you've saved.
As with the frequent flyer credit card, though, it's best not to carry a balance if you want to get a gas rebate. Most of the time, these cards have a higher interest rate for any unpaid balance, so you should only use it if you know you can pay it off.
Feel like you might miss out on rewards if you don't move around all the time? There are also choices for you. Different rewards cards give you points that you can use to buy anything from Broadway tickets to books. Entertainment cards are usually pretty benefit-specific, so you'll want to pick a card that offers you points at a place where you'll actually be interested in using them.
But always remember, the terms and conditions always matter more than the rewards you might get from a credit card, especially if you plan on carrying a balance. Having a bad interest rate on your debt isn't worth getting free tickets to see Cats.
