Make It a Point to Maximize Rewards

If you’re in the market for a rewards credit card, you may be wondering which is the best for you. Before you apply, be sure to consider:

1. Rewards you’ll actually use. For example, one card may provide generous airline miles – great, unless you prefer road trips or staying close to home. Even if you enjoy travel, airline-branded credit cards generally provide points that are good only for purchasing tickets with that particular airline. If you want to go somewhere they don’t fly, you’re out of luck. If you’re an avid shopper, you might prefer a card that lets you redeem points for merchandise. Or, maybe you’d just like to get cash back on your purchases and stash that money in a savings account.
2. The annual percentage rate (APR). Many cards come with interest rates of 25% or higher. If you tend to carry a balance, these cards likely will cost you more in interest than you would earn in rewards. Tip: Work on improving your credit score to qualify for the best rate.
3. The annual fee. Some cards charge an annual fee ranging from $25 to hundreds of dollars. Consider a card with a $50 annual fee that offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases. If you spent $5,000 during the year, you could expect $75 in rewards – but after your annual fee, your net is only $15.
4. The balance transfer fee. According to Bankrate.com, a typical balance transfer fee is 3%.1 That means if you transfer a $5,000 balance to a new card, it will cost you $150. Look for a card with no balance transfer fee if you intend to transfer a balance.
5. Whether you can earn bonus points. Certain cards provide additional points or discounts if you shop at specific service providers or merchants.
6. Whether you can pool points. Some issuers provide rewards points on debit cards as well as credit cards and let you pool the points to earn more reward points quicker.

LEVERAGE YOUR CARD FOR FASTER REWARDS

Once you choose the right card, these strategies can help you pile up points even faster:

1. Use your credit card for everyday spending. Consider charging that daily latte, dinner out or other purchases to your credit card. Just be careful to keep track of spending so you stay within your budget.
2. Use automatic billing. You generally can have monthly bills, such as cellphones and utilities, automatically charged to your credit card. Again, be sure you budget for these expenses.
3. Strive to pay off your outstanding balance each month. If you avoid paying interest charges, those points you earn are really money in your pocket!

COMPARE THE BENEFITS OF VISA^® REWARDS PLUS

Once you research other cards, you’ll find that Advancial offers an impressive range of perks with a very low interest rate. With Advancial’s Visa Rewards Plus credit card, you’ll:

• Earn unlimited reward points up to 1.5% on every purchase if you spend $2,500+ or make 25+ purchases during a billing cycle
• Transfer balances with no balance transfer fee
• Enjoy an introductory 0% APR for the first 12 months after opening the card 
• After that, you’ll benefit from a low rate of 8.90% - 14.90% based on creditworthiness (that’s right, Advancial’s highest interest rate is lower than most institutions’ lowest rate!)
• Earn reward points when you use your Advancial debit or Visa Rewards Plus card for in-store or online purchases at popular local and national merchants through our Ampre card-linked offers
• Automatically combine debit and credit card points for more rewards and easy redemption
• Best of all, you can redeem your points for cash back, gift cards, merchandise, travel, green products and charitable donations – the choice is yours!

Visit Advancial to learn more about our credit cards, including Visa Rewards Plus, Secured Savings Visa^® or Dinero Visa for teens, or to apply online.

¹ Source: Bankrate.com.