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Research: Credit card rewards that really count - Credit-Land.com

There are innumerable types of credit card rewards that are currently available to card holders. It could often be confusing for the customers. However, they must take note of the fact that not all rewards are useful for all customers. Specific rewards are tailor-made based on your expenses and spending patterns. Here are some of the credit card rewards that are really useful and can be made to count.

Cash back rewards

Cash back reward cards as the term suggests offer a percentage of the expenses back to the customer. Generally, the cash back percentage is about 1% or 2% on all expenses and up to 5% on specific expenses like purchases from drug stores or gas station bills. These cash back offers are mostly useful when the discount is offered in the form of free cash that is either handed over to the customer as a check at the end of each month, or as a direct deduction from the subsequent month’s credit card bill. There are cash back rewards in the form of discounts on purchases in the subsequent months. However, that isn’t really as effective or profitable in such a scenario. For customers who spend a lot of money, cash back rewards save a substantial amount every year.

Opening bonuses during festivals

A lot of credit card rewards offer opening bonuses especially for milestone expenses during festivals. For example, during Christmas and New Year, credit cards are offered with $100 opening bonus that can be availed if customers spend in excess of $600 or $700 in the first 3 months. If the card holder is planning to go on a vacation or on a shopping spree, such a target can be achieved. In that case, the $100 saving becomes a substantial amount benefiting the card holder in a great way.

Lost baggage reimbursement

There are a few credit cards which offer as much as $75 in the form of lost baggage replacement. Other travel rewards like trip cancellation insurance and travel accident insurance are also offered free of cost to the customer, thereby providing added benefits.

Frequent shopper rewards

Frequent shopper reward cards are ideal for customers who shop a lot. As they accumulate more and more frequent shopper points, they can get massive discounts at shopping malls. Sometimes, these discounts can be redeemed with milestone expenses. For example, discounts as high as 25% or sometimes more would be provided if the customer makes a substantial amount of purchases. For customers who buy a lot of stuff on their credit cards, these discounts come really handy.

Special benefits

There are credit cards which offer special benefits, thanks to corporate tie-ups of the credit card companies. These benefits include discounts on hotel stays, cash back offers for fuel expenses, discounts on airline tickets and special facilities like access to lounge area in airports or free concert tickets in select cities. However, such reward credit cards are usually available only to those card holders who have an excellent credit history and are hence considered highly creditworthy by the card issuers.

Disclaimer: This editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the credit card issuer(s), and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer(s). Reasonable efforts are made to present accurate information, however all information is presented without warranty. Consult a card's issuing bank for the terms & conditions.
All rates and fees, and other terms and conditions of the products mentioned in this article/post are actual as of the last update date but are subject to change. See the current products' Terms & Conditions on the issuing banks' websites.