The Best Cold-Weather Credit Card Perks

By ccflyers on January 2, 2016

When the weather gets cold and the snow is coming down, all most of us want to do is snuggle up on our sofas, order in, and watch Netflix. Fortunately, there are still ways to earn credit card rewards from the comfort of your own warm home. Here are some of the best credit card perks for winter—read on to find out how you can cozy up to cash back and more.

• Rotating category rewards cards almost always make their rewards seasonal, meaning you’ll get the most cash back or points if you use your card at places that match the weather. In the summer, most of them offer 5% cash back on gas, for road-trippers. Springtime is the season for home repair and yard work, so the categories often include home improvement and garden stores. In wintertime, things like online shopping, restaurants (including home delivery), and movies often earn extra cash back and points. Check your credit card’s website to see what the perks are for January through the end of March, and be sure to take advantage of the offers. Winter is extra cozy when you earn cash back for the things you’d be doing anyway.

• If you’ve got a lot of frequent flyer miles accumulated, now is the time to cash them in. What better season to fly away for a warm beach vacation? Check and see if you’ve got enough miles to escape on a tropical getaway. You can often transfer miles between hotels and airlines, so whether you want to use your rewards to fly, or use them for your hotel room once you get there, your credit card rewards can be used to help you go someplace where you can leave your coat behind and soak up the sunshine.

• On the other hand, if you’re running low on miles or hotel points, this is a good time to earn some more rewards. During those long cold nights at home, study your credit card terms and conditions and read up on tips for racking up rewards. Make a plan to double-dip on rewards wherever you can, and maximize your points and miles. Double-dipping simply means you find ways to earn credit card points at the same time as you earn points from a loyalty program, such as a frequent flyer plan or hotel rewards program. Do some studying up on earning rewards, and you might be able to go ahead and plan your summer vacation now.

• Winter is a great time to do a little financial housekeeping. If you’re trying to pay off some debt, it’s a good chance to look at doing a balance transfer. Take stock of how much you owe, what credit, debit, and prepaid cards you have, and the APR you’re paying on each of them. Think about whether you could benefit by consolidating debt onto one card, applying for a balance transfer card, or getting a new rewards card. There’s always room for improvement when it comes to how you’re handing your money—and there are so many great credit card rewards to be had, you don’t want to miss out on any of them.

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