Choosing The Best Credit Card Rewards Program

As anyone who uses a credit card surely knows, there are limitless different types of credit card reward programs out there. You can get a card that provides rewards and discounts at your favorite retail store, your local movie theater, and at high-end hotels. You can enlist for rewards programs that focus narrowly on providing deals for your pets or offering Disney World packages for your children. The possibilities go on and on. If you have an interest of any sort, there’s likely a credit card program that fits the bill.

For some people, this multitude of options allows them the ability to perfectly hone in on their activities and interests. For others, however, the thought of narrowly defined rewards programs poses a concern. Unless you are a heavy consumer of a particular company’s product or service, you may feel that all these narrowly-defined options would serve only to tie you down. You like shopping at Target or Macy’s, for example, but you don’t want to feel compelled to shop there simply because of your rewards card. Moreover, many people are unable to choose between all the available options. Rather than picking one or dealing with the hassle of carrying numerous cards, they simply choose to forgo rewards programs altogether.

If you can relate to these scenarios, your best option is probably to get a rewards card that is highly practical and widely applicable. This card will provide rebates and rewards without adding much hassle or stress. As an added bonus, these cards are usually easy to pick out.

Here, then, are three of the most practical and applicable credit card rewards programs:

Guaranteed Cash Back

If you worry that you won’t frequent a certain retailer or take advantage of rewards options, there really is no better credit card program than one that is provided by a bank and offers cash back. You will need to open an account at that bank, if you do not have one already, but otherwise such a program should give you cash rebates without posing any limitations on where you need to spend your money in order to qualify for the reward. Be careful, though; many cash back programs come with high fees or “guarantees” that last for only a limited time.

Gas Rebates

Almost all of us regularly fill up our cars with gas. Moreover, in light of rising gas prices, the cost of doing so has grown increasingly burdensome in recent years. A practical solution? Enter into a credit card rewards program that offers gas rebates. These programs are practical because gas is a universal need and because most of them offer straightforward rebates: if you fill up at an affiliated gas station you get an automatic discount. It’s that simple.

Airline Miles

While people don’t like to tie themselves to a given store or retailer, it’s much easier to commit to one airline when the possibility of free miles is at stake. Airline rewards programs are also practical because, with every credit purchase you make, they help you save for a reward that would excite most consumers – one that is substantial, special, and worthwhile. The miles you fly also get channeled back into the program so that you can accrue more free miles in the future.

It should be noted that even the most practical credit card programs can encourage unnecessary spending habits and, if the card is used beyond your monetary means, it could easily generate debt that offsets any reward benefits. Every credit card user should monitor their spending closely, lest they are forced to call a financial/debt advisement company like Cavalry Portfolio Services from overspending on their credit cards, having to seek bankruptcy or debt relief assistance. Nobody wants to go through those types of financial problems.

But when used responsibly, the three above mentioned rewards programs can be purely beneficial in their use. They are, after all, some of the most practical and worthwhile ones out there. If you want to take advantage of credit card rewards, and if you don’t have any narrowly-defined interests or know where to start, one of these three options may be right for you.