Some people who own a credit card with miles rewards complain that they are not getting much from the reward program. Do you own this type of card? If yes, are you trying to collect credit card miles rewards too? And if so, do you think you are not getting rewarded as you initially expected? What could be the problem?
An important point to consider is that miles reward credit cards are not meant for everyone. If you do not really travel that much, then a miles reward program may not be the perfect choice for a credit card. Perhaps you can get more by switching to a gas reward card or a cash back credit card.
However, what if you are frequent traveller and still not getting rewarded by your travel rewards card? In this case, you could be missing out on something. Below are practical suggestions on how you can get the most out of your credit card miles rewards:
Choose between a sponsored card or a generic miles credit card. If you often fly with a particular carrier or airline, choose a sponsored card to get more points per dollar spent. On the other hand, if you usually fly via different airlines depending on the place of destination, go for a generic card. A generic miles card is not affiliated by any airline so you can freely redeem a free seat from any carrier available at the time you want to travel.
Pay your charges in full to avoid the interest rate. Compare credit cards and notice that reward cards tend to have much higher APR than cards without a reward programs. What is the point of collecting mileage points if you end up paying for more due to the monthly interest costs?
Understand the rules. Certain rules of the program can affect the eligibility for redemption. For example, will the reward points be forfeited if you did not gather the minimum number of points required on time? Or will these points be carried over for the next period until you have collected enough points for a free travel? Can you exchange your points for other valuables other than the free trip?
Do not use your card for instant cash transactions. Most cards can be used for instant cash transactions or cash advances. This may seem convenient for a cardholder, but watch out. Be aware that cash advances incur higher interest rates automatically since these transactions are not covered by a grace period.
content rss
