How To Get Your Best Cash Back Credit Card

A very popular option these days is the credit card that gives you cash back on some of the purchases you make. A couple of credit cards are even giving back as much as 5-10%. But before you go out and get one of these for yourself, there are some things you should know about first. This article will give you some tips on how to make the right choice in order to get the best cash back credit cards.

The first thing that you need to remember is that the credit card company is a business. Of course – you knew that. But what that means is that they are not giving you all that it may seem. They are doing it because money can be made from it – one way or another. Their financial planners have looked long and hard at how to offer one thing that looks like a real good deal, and still makes them money – lots of it.

The temptation is to look at the percentage promised, and to make a decision based only on that. This is just what they wanted you to do. In most cases, the higher the percentage offered means that they are simply getting their money back from other charges. Here are some things to look at when deciding on your cash back credit card.

The Standard Rate of Interest

This is the amount of interest you will pay if you do not pay off the balance each month. It can vary anywhere between about 12% all the way to 32%. Many of the higher paying cash back credit cards have the higher interest on them. So if you do not plan on paying the balance every month, for sure you will want to take note of this figure.

Balance Needed To Qualify For Cash Back

Some cash back credit cards have the stipulation on them that you need to carry a balance on the card in order to qualify for the reward. A neat little thing they tucked in there somewhere to take back what they give. Watch out for this one. If you are paying 23% interest on the balance, and they are paying you 5% – are you really coming out ahead? No, not really. The way to get that best cash back credit card is to make sure that you have both a low interest card, and also can pay it off each month – and still get the rewards, too!

The Cash Back Cap

Some cards have a maximum amount of cash that you can receive in a year – called a cap. This could be good for you if you do not make purchases that would bring you over the cap amount. But if you do make a lot of purchases, then you will want to get your cash back credit card without a cap.

Items That Qualify For Cash Back

Many of the cash back credit cards will only give you cash back for food, medicines, and gas. Other cards have different percentages that apply to these things, and then another percentage, usually 1%, that will go toward other purchases you make.

Percentage Needed For That Level Of Cash Back

Some cards have different levels of purchases needed in order to get the full percentage of cash back that was promised. For instance, on a 5% cash back credit card, you may only receive 2% if you buy less than $1,000 per month. Then, another 1% might be added for purchases totaling up to $2,499, and the full 5% may be given only on purchases that exceed that amount.

The best cash back credit cards are the ones that will benefit you the most in your particular situation. A card that is good for someone else may not be the best for you. It would be a good idea to figure out just how much of what type of item you purchase (Especially food, medicine, and gas) each month, and how much you might put on a particular cash back credit card before you make your final decision. Then, by careful consumer comparison – you should be able to find your best cash back credit cards.

Posted in Prepaid Credit Card at March 1st, 2011. No Comments.

Credit Card Rebates – Offer the Best Benefits

Credit card rebates are the perfect way for you to get some of the money back that you have spent throughout the year. More and more credit card companies are getting involved with rebate credit cards and reward credit cards because consumers have clearly shown increased interest in the rebate cards that offer the best benefits.

We all love to get something for nothing, but it very rarely happens. However credit card rebates give you that opportunity. If you have an existing credit card then you’re going to use it to make purchases anyway, so why not get a little extra back every time you use your card with these credit card rebates?

The idea of rebate credit cards has been around for quite some time. The concept works on the principal that a percentage of cash is retuned to the cardholder at the end of each year, based on the total amount of card charges. The more times you make a purchase with your card, and the more money you spend, the more money you get back. The percentage of money you get returned when you use your rebate credit cards varies. Some companies will offer excellent deals that give you up to 5% cash back on selected purchases, others offer rates starting at 1% on all purchases. This type of card was introduced primarily to keep the business of cardholders who purchase most of their goods by credit card, and who pay the outstanding balance every month.

Like all other credit cards, it’s prudent to shop around to find a rebate credit card that offers the best deal to suit your circumstances. If you don’t pay off your balance every month then it may not be the card for you, as the APR can be slightly higher than other cards on offer. However, if you are the type of person who does pay their balance off each month, then it’s the kind of card you should consider using. The rebate credit card is a good way to actually get paid for spending.

Many lenders offer credit card rebates in conjunction with other reward schemes. Some give discounts when you purchase selected items, or goods from partner companies. If you use a certain supermarket, gas station, or drug store regularly it would be extremely beneficial to you to get 5% of your cash back on every purchase. Find out which rebate credit card provider offers their rebate at the stores you regularly use. There are websites available online that will let you do a comparison on rebate credit cards, so you can find the best deals suitable for you.

Be sure to be aware of the terms and conditions of your credit card agreement, as some companies do have a limit on the value of rewards and credit card rebates you can claim in one calendar year. On a $300 reward maximum, you can spend $6000 annually on gas or at the supermarket, for example, if your card has a 5% rebate. If your family budget exceeds $6000 dollars why not apply for another card for your spouse. This way you can maximize the amount of money you are able to get back on your rebate credit card.

Some rebate credit cards insist you have a monthly balance remaining to qualify for the rewards. If you don’t carry a balance into the next month then no rebate is accumulated. This type of card doesn’t produce as many benefits. You end up paying interest on your balance, and as the rebate credit card normally has a higher APR, the benefits of the rebate can be negated. It’s important that you look out for this when choosing a new card.

One thing you shouldn’t do is buy goods you don’t need in order to get a rebate. You should also be aware that if you return an item your rebate is deducted. On the whole credit card rebates can be very useful if used correctly, it just depends on your situation.

Posted in Credit Card Offers at August 7th, 2010. No Comments.

Cool Offers from the Best Cash Back Credit Cards

Cash back credit cards are a shoppers delight and have proven to be a huge success after the innovation of the credit card itself. True to its name, the cash back credit card provides cash rebates or cash rewards to cardholders for making purchases using the card. The best cash back credit cards gives a higher rebate on purchases. Cash back programs have been in vogue from the middle of the twentieth century. Initially, they started with a flat rebate (about 1%) of the total purchase made by the customer.

Components of the Best Cash Back Credit Cards

The best cash back credit card can be evaluated on two components – the percentage earned on purchases and the method of its delivery to the customer. With plenty of options to entice you into spending more, it is important to consider certain things when choosing cash back credit cards. This includes – the rebate percentage, Annual Percentage Rate (APR), card partnerships with merchants and other services (like gas, restaurants), the method of getting the money back, and your annual fees. Some cards may have limitations like number of rebate points earned per year and validity period of the earned rebate points.

These cards are more suited for those who do not carry monthly balances. The APR for these cards tend to be higher than the normal cards, which in effect means that if the bill is not paid in full, it would cost more for the borrower than it should and could be. As a customer, you should be aware of the APR on the card, in order to determine if the ultimate finance charges will be more or less than the actual reward benefits earned. Most of the cards do not have an annual fee, have very low or 0% introductory APR, with the facility of balance transfer and attractive gifts. The best cash back credit cards have a higher percentage rebate on certain category purchases like grocery or fuel.

Most credit card companies offer a standard cash back percentage of 1%. Some might offer 5% or 2% in mutual partnership with select merchants like gas stations or drug stores. Certain cards may offer higher rebate percentage for the introductory period and then revert to a standard 1%. The customer should look for higher rebate percentage as higher the rebate percentage; the greater amount of money that can be earned by them. Some cards may offer higher cash rebate percentage with increased usage and others may offer a higher cash back percentage at select merchant or retailers like gas stations or supermarkets. It is important for the customers to choose a cash back credit card that provides special incentives with merchants or services the consumer uses frequently.

How the Best Cash Back Credit Card Works

Typically, most of the best cash back credit card companies offer cash back or reward on purchases, not on balance transfers or cash advances. Cash back programs can prove to be very expensive for credit card companies and they normally charge an annual fee for it. Nevertheless, with competition, many of these cards now have zero annual fees. In case annual fees are charged, it is worthwhile for you to ensure that enough is earned by way of rebate to justify the annual fee payment.

The best cash back credit cards credit the rebate back to the cardholder account. However, different credit card companies adopt different methods of repaying the customer. Some companies pay the cardholder once per year, some pay back as statement credits, while others require the cardholder to request for refund once enough points have been accumulated. Cash payment methods could be as varied as the reward credit cards. These include gifts, gift vouchers, statement credits, cheques, or deposits to bank accounts.

Eligibility for Cash Back Credit Card

Generally, companies require you to have a good or an excellent credit history to qualify for the best cash back credit card. With myriad of options, shopping for the best cash back credit card can be an overwhelming task. Yet with prudence, cash back credit cards provide a fantastic opportunity to get back part of the money that is spent on purchasing and using your credit cards.

Posted in Credit Card Offers at July 17th, 2010. No Comments.

Prepaid Credit Cards Advantages

There are many advantages to using prepaid credit cards over traditional credit cards. In this article we will go over the differences between traditional credit cards and prepaid credit cards, and why they are becoming so popular.

One of the things that credit card companies all over the world have realized is that many people do not meet the credit requirements necessary to be issued their standard credit cards. Many people don’t have any credit, while others have bad credit. Because of this credit card companies are not making the profits they want. To solve this problem, they introduced a credit card which could be used by virtually anyone, without the need to have good credit.

Prepaid credit cards are convenient and easy to carry. If you are carrying around lots of cash, and someone robs you or steals your wallet or purse, there is often nothing you can do to get your money back. With prepaid credit cards, you are able to quickly cancel them or dispute any fraudulent transactions which are made.

Another advantage of using prepaid credit cards is the internet. As more people begin shopping online, they will need electronic methods of paying for their merchandise. Those without good credit would normally have a hard time shopping online. However, with prepaid credit cards, getting approved and shopping online is easy.

Another advantage of using prepaid credit cards is that they can be used globally. Whether you are at a store in Tokyo or a museum in Paris, prepaid credit cards are accepted at the same places where traditional credit cards are accepted.

Parents can keep track of how much money their children are spending using prepaid credit cards. Before this, parents had no control over protecting their children from creating enormous amounts of debt. By using prepaid credit cards they can transfer monety into the accounts of their children and monitor their spending.

Prepaid credit cards are reliable, and can be used for point of sales purchases virtually anywhere. You can reload money onto them when they run out, and you can quickly transfer money to any part of the globe. Prepaid credit cards are changing the way people spend money.

Whether you have good or bad credit, you will find that the advantages of using prepaid credit cards are enormous. You will have power over your spending, and you will be able to set your own spending limits.

Posted in Prepaid Credit Card at June 13th, 2010. No Comments.