Double Your Credit Card Rewards With Online Malls
One of the best things about using credit cards is getting cash back. Most cash back credit cards give a minimum of 1% cash back on all purchases, with 5% back in rotating categories each quarter. Some give 2% or 3% in a certain spending category, such as gas and restaurants, all year round.
But there is a way to get much more than that from your credit card’s cash back program. You can double your rewards, even triple them, by using your credit card’s online mall for certain purchases. This is a credit card secret that many people don’t know about—but once you do, you will never be satisfied with 1% cash back again.
Here’s how to rake in more rewards than ever before, using a credit card online mall:
First, go to your credit card issuer’s website. Log in to your account and look for the rewards mall. Chase calls theirs the Ultimate Rewards Mall, and Citi has the Citi Bonus Cash Center. All of them give you the chance to shop for merchandise, charge it directly to your card, and earn extra cash back, miles, points or whatever rewards your card offers.
Many times, online credit card malls also have special offers that make shopping them even more rewarding. During the holidays, they may give 5% bonus rewards on all gift cards. The Citi Bonus Cash Center offers free shipping on purchases from select retailers year-round. Keep your eyes open for seasonal deals and bargains. Often Cyber Monday and Black Friday sales will extend to credit card malls. Piggybacking your rewards by getting a big discount on that flat-screen TV, then getting 10% or more cash back on top of that, is a great way to save.
If you prefer to do your shopping online than in a store, try going to your credit card’s online mall before you go to the store’s regular website. Many retailers, such as Bed, Bath and Beyond, Barnes & Noble, Gap and Old Navy, have the same items for sale on their website and on your credit card’s online mall. But when you buy it through your credit card, you get those extra rewards that double your cash back.
One thing to be cautious of: always double check the price. Sometimes the prices are different in store, online, and through your credit card mall. If the price at Chase Ultimate Rewards Mall is 10% higher than at the retailer’s own site, it isn’t worth getting the 5% bonus—in fact, you will lose money. So do be careful and comparison shop when you go to any of the credit card malls. There are great deals to be had, as long as you keep your eyes open.
Latest Other Card Guides
Do you know the signs of a toxic relationship? You feel out of control, just not yourself anymore.
Continue »
If you’ve been reading about the changes in credit card payments lately, you might be wondering how it’s going to affect you.
Continue »
When the weather starts to warm up and the snow starts to melt, most people are ready to throw open their windows and tackle the dust and grime that have built up over the winter months. Likewise, it’s a great time to open up your budgeting spreadsheet, log into your bank ...
Continue »
Are you getting all you can out of your credit cards? If you’re collecting rewards points and not using them, you are missing out on one of the best perks of having a credit card.
Continue »
When you see a credit card offer how do you know if it’s a good one? With so many different credit cards on the market, it can be difficult to know where to begin in evaluating the latest credit card offers.
Continue »
