Enjoying the Benefits from Credit Card Reward Points

When you own a reward credit card, maximizing the points you earn is the best strategy to get more out of the program. In this article, let’s consider some practical tips on how you can make use of those hard-earned reward points to your benefit.

It’s the reward value that truly counts. It’s not just about the number of points you can earn for every dollar you spend with your reward credit card. Instead, consider the value of rewards you can earn. For example, what kind of reward can you get and how many points do you need to qualify for redemption? Some credit cards may offer to give more points per dollar but you might also need to collect a high number of points upon redemption. Don’t take a reward credit card based on the points offered alone. Instead, you need to study the reward system and see if it works for you.

Watch out for poor quality merchandise. You might be able to exchange your points for merchandise or items from your credit card’s gift shop. Unfortunately, some credit card with reward issuers settle with unbranded electronic products or second hand items that are of poor quality. You may think that you’re getting a great price when you pick a digital camera or a cell phone, but are you truly getting rewarded? Or are you made to choose from defective products? In most cases, you might be better off to choose cash back rather than exchange your points to merchandise.

Plan your redemption. One good strategy is to choose your targeted reward from the list of possible rewards and work your way towards it. If you own a travel reward credit card or a credit card with airline miles rewards, it’s very important to be able to collect the required number of points before the blackout period. It’s also a good idea to avoid peak seasons as it is usually difficult to book a free flight during this time.

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