Tightly secured in an individuals cardholder or wallet, credit cards seem to have replaced cash whenever it comes to shopping. With credit cards, people will never have to worry carrying big amount of money whenever they go shopping. Convenience is the name of the game. With credit cards, it is a total cashless shopping experience.
Consequently, the growth of credit cards has extensively reached the financial world. Before, credit cards were considered as alternatives to cash, but with the easiness of using these items, they have become the much- needed paraphernalia.
Much of the progress can be attributed to freebies, rewards, and other incentive enticing people to get credit cards. No wonder why almost everybody has credit cards. In fact, surveys show that nearly 80% of the Americans have at least one credit card.
Among the many marketing tools that credit card companies use, rewards are considered the best. Credit card rewards bring a particular credit card above the others. Rewards are considered as one of the best solutions to make a particular credit card stand out from the rest.
One of the common rewards credit card companies provide is the travel reward. There are many kinds of travel rewards; however, they are mostly focused on air travels.
Travel rewards are usually accumulated by earning miles or points based on the acquisitions that credit card holders make with their plastics.
Travel rewards may differ from one another. There are travel rewards that offer complimentary airline tickets, while others provide markdown prices on air travel. For people who do not need these kinds of travel rewards, other options are available such as hotel price cuts or money off on car rental rates.
One of the best things about travel rewards is that you can earn something by merely using your credit card. Hence, people are encouraged to use their credit cards as often as they can to get travel rewards.
Today, there are many kinds of travel rewards as there are many credit cards. This makes choices more difficult to bear. With so many options, sometimes it is so hard to choose the right travel reward for you.
So to get you started, here are some pointers that can help you choose the best travel reward credit card for you. It is imperative that you consider these things when deciding on a particular travel reward credit card.
1. A good program
To benefit from travel rewards, it is very important that you look for a good program. A good program should consist of higher amount of rewards, reliable system, or reasonable limits. These benefits will let you maximize your travel reward credit card.
2. Reasonable interest charges
It is a well- known fact that most travel reward credit cards have higher interest rates as compared to those credit cards without incentives. This is fairly acceptable considering the fact that the credit card company is providing you with lots of freebies anyway.
Of course, it is very important to take note of the interest rates because there are some credit card companies that take advantage of this privilege. Hence, it is better to take note of your travel reward credit cards interest rates. So if you are not at ease with higher interest rates, then, it is best not to get a travel reward credit card.
But then again, keep in mind that interest rates only apply when you do not pay your bills on time. Besides, you will not even enjoy your travel rewards if you fail to pay your bills on time as well.
3. The kind of travel rewards you can get
Of course, not all travel reward credit cards offer the same incentives. Each travel reward credit card is different. Incentives may range from free airline tickets to freebies in hotel accommodations.
Therefore, before you try to apply for a travel reward credit card, it is best to evaluate the rewards you will be getting. It is best to apply for cards that can give you the travel reward that can best work for you.
4. Good points accumulation system
Since travel reward credit cards work on points- based system or through miles, it is best to choose a credit card that can give you a clear method of accumulating miles or points.
Be sure that your travel reward credit card can give you the appropriate points or miles for every dollar you spend. In this way, you can be sure that the money you spend will provide you something good in return. Conversion rates will differ from one card to another, so it is best to see how your purchases can give you the incentives that you deserve.
5. Expiry date
There are some travel reward credit cards that have expiration dates. This refers to the required number of days that you have to make purchases. If in case you fail to purchase anything within that date, you will not be able to get the incentives even if you have been diligent enough to pay your balances.
Indeed, travel reward credit cards can offer you a whole lot of surprises. Think of it as an early gift from Santa. If you are nice enough to pay your bills on time, you will surely reap many travel rewards, extremely more than you can imagine.