‘Tis the season to do some holiday shopping. But don’t let the rush of the holidays make your bank go broke. Use a credit card to your advantage and budget your spending. There are several ways a credit card can help make holiday shopping a little less stressful. Here are the top three things you should be shopping for with your credit card this holiday season.
Kick-Off Your Holiday Shopping With A Credit Card
Travel. Eat. Shop. Use a credit card for these three subjects for your holiday shopping and earn extra savings.
Holiday Shopping For Travel
Travel may not be the obvious choice, but making your travel purchases with a credit card can have a positive effect on your budget. Whether you’ve been racking up your travel miles to pay for a trip or trying to earn miles for travel plans you already have, using a travel credit card can save you some bucks in the long run.
If you are a frequent flyer and already have plans to air travel for the holidays, use a travel credit card with travel credits that will benefit you. Consider a card like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. The travel credits and benefits on the Venture X card are worthy of the $395 annual fee. For starters, it receives annual travel credit of $300 on bookings through Capital One Travel. Cardholders also receive a $100 credit on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® for a smoother security check experience. Cardmembers also get 10,0000 bonus miles annually (equal to $100 towards travel) and lounge access.
The Perks of Using A Credit Card For Travel:
- Use travel credits to cover your travel costs
- Earn miles for future travel purchases
- Safely make purchases while traveling with credit card safety features
- Lounge access for a comfortable travel experience
Related Article: The Best Credit Cards for Holiday Travel (and Making It Less Miserable)
Holiday Shopping For Groceries
Nothing else brings a family together for the holidays like food. With all the holiday celebrations, feasts are in order, and some of the best ways to save on groceries are with a credit card. Use a cash back credit card to take on that lengthy holiday grocery list. Earn back rewards while you fill your shopping cart with all your holiday food essentials, from turkey or pork to corn, pies, potatoes, and more.
While multiple credit cards earn cash back for groceries, a couple comes to mind and stands out. Take, for example, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, a popular credit card among Amazon.com shoppers and Prime members. The card earns up to 5% cash back on Amazon.com orders, restaurants, gas, and more. However, the card also earns 5% cash back on Whole Foods Market orders. If you already shop for groceries at Whole Foods, then the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card can earn you some cash back.
Another card that comes to mind for holiday grocery savings is the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Card. If Walmart is your place of choice for groceries, then the Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Card can earn you major cash back. It earns up to 5% cash back at Walmart.com, including grocery pick-up and delivery. In addition to 5% cash back on grocery pick up and delivery, the card also earns 2% cash back on gas, restaurants, travel, and Walmart stores, plus 1% back, on all other purchases. The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card also earns 5% cash back at grocery stores if that is your chosen reward category.
Other cards worth mentioning – if you prefer grocery shopping at wholesale clubs are the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi or the Sam’s Club® Mastercard®. The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi earns 2% cash back on all Costco purchases, and the Sam’s Club® Mastercard® earns 3% cash back from Sam’s Club purchases for Plus members. Club members earn 1% cash back.
The Perks of Using A Credit Card For Groceries:
- Earn cash back when you do groceries
- Option available for online grocery shopping
- Use earned rewards for other non-grocery-related purchases
Related Article: The Best Credit Cards for Grocery Shopping
Holiday Gift Shopping With Credit Cards
Now, you may not engage in gift giving, but it wouldn’t hurt to get yourself a little something during the holiday season shopping sprees, especially with all the holiday sales that can save you some cash. You can shop holiday deals online when you log into your BestCards membership (free). Peruse hundreds of coupon deals and offers from some of your favorite merchants.
Wherever you decide to do your holiday gift shopping, don’t forget to use your best card to earn cash back savings. There are so many great options out there for holiday shopping. For example, the Citi® Double Cash Card earns 2% cash back on every purchase. Or the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns 3% cash back on online shopping if you elect it as your rewards category. Compare credit cards on our site to see which credit cards are best for your holiday shopping. Explore travel credit cards, cash back credit cards, and more. Use the compare tool on our site to help you get a better look at your credit card options.
Related Article: The Best Cash Back Credit Cards of 2022
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