My Credit Cards Blog

HOT OFFER: $40 bonus with Discover More Card

The Discover More Card is a cash back credit card with a reward combo. Cardholders earn 5% cash rebate for purchases at merchant partners of Get More Purchase program, double the value of your cash rebates if you exchange them for gift certificates or gift cards of partner merchants, and earn unlimited rebates.

For a limited time only, you can get $40 cash back bonus when you make $500 in purchases.

The best part about this card is its 5% cash back program. For October to December, you can get 5% cash back whenever you dine at restaurants or go to the movies. The 5% cash back is up to $400 in purchases in these categories. The program starts today. For those with a Discover card, sign up the 5% bonus here.

The Discover More Card is a tiered cash back credit card with up to 2% rebate. It’s based on your annual expenditure. If your annual expenditures exceed $3,000, you earn 1% rebate. How do you come up with the 2%?

You can double the value of your rebates by exchanging your cash rebates into gift certificate. E.G. $50 cash rebate can get you a $100 gift certificate from one of the following merchants.

Bennigan’s
Black Angus/Cattle Company Steakhouse
Bonanza Steakhouse
Chili’s Grill & Bar®
Maggiano’s Little Italy®
On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina®
Ponderosa Steakhouse
Red Lobster
Romano’s Macaroni Grill®
Steak & Ale
Ace Hardware
Bed Bath & Beyond®
Callaway Golf
Cooking.com
Crutchfield
K B Toys
Pep Boys
Pier 1 Imports
The Sharper Image®
Sofa Mart
Sprint
Staples®
AMC Theatres BLOCKBUSTER®
BLOCKBUSTER Online®
Borders Books & Music®
Fandango
Great American Days
Hollywood Video
Waldenbooks®
M&M’s World
Mrs. Fields
Omaha Steaks Carnival Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruises®
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
Royal Caribbean International
Samsonite Company Stores
BLOCKBUSTER Online®
Callaway Golf
Cooking.com
Crutchfield
Fandango
L.L. Bean
Mrs. Fields
Omaha Steaks
Ultra Diamond Outlet

Another great feature is called Shop Discover. It’s a shopping portal through Discover’s website with great merchants. Here are some cash back from feature merchants: 7% Barnes and Nobles, 5% Circuit City, 5% Overstock.com, and more.

Discover More Card has no annual fee with APR rate ranges from Prime Rate plus 2.74% to 9.74%. Of course, you can get a 0% APR for 12 months for both purchase and balance transfer.

Quick Summary:

• Apply now and get $40 Cashback Bonus*
• Earn more cash in more ways than anyone else^SM*
• Unlimited cash rewards, automatically
• Up to 20% Cashback Bonus® when you shop
  online*
• Double rewards with more than 80 Cashback Bonus
  Partners*
• Customer Service in less than a minute, anytime you want
• 0% Intro APR*

Apply Now!

Of the many Chase Consumer cards out there, the Chase Freedom Cash Visa Card is ranked on top for its cash back program. The card offers 3% cash back on gas, groceries, and quick service restaurants. You will earn 1% for all other purchases. This seem to be rock solid cash back program with groceries, gas, and restaurants(fast food) combination.

You would think that there are cards such as the AmEx Blue which gives you 5% cash back on the same category. However, the AmEx Blue is on a tier system whereas the 5% cash back will only kick in after $6500 in spending. The Chase Freedom Cash Visa Card has no such tier system.

It has no annual fee and up to 6 months of 0% APR on purchases and Balance Transfer. There is a Balance Transfer fee of minimum $5 and maximum of $75 on any single balance transfer.

The best thing about the Chase Freedom Cash Visa Card is you get your rewards in the form of cash and not points. Also, if you waited until you reach $200 in cash back, they will kick in an extra $50. This officially make the Chase Freedom Card to be 3.75% cash back on selective categories and 1.25% cash back on everything else. I personally have the Chase Freedom Cash Visa Card and I highly recommend using it for everyday purchases.

One of the best credit cards out there is the Citi’s Driver Edge. Here’s my take on it:

It has:

• No Annual Fee
• 0% APR on Balance Transfer for the first 12 months

So if you are looking for a credit card to balance transfer your balance from other high interest credit cards, then apply for the Citi’s Driver Edge since balance transfer fee is capped at $75.

Not only it is a great card for balance transfer, Citi’s Driver Edge has 6% cash back on supermarkets, drugstores, and gas stations for the first 12 months. After 12 months, you will get 3% cash back and 1% on all other types of purchases.

**Cash back come back in the form of Thank You points.

E.G. You can exchange Thank You points for gift cards or cash.

More importantly, you can get up to 12% cash back. From the website:

Whether you’re driving to the corner store or going on a 600-mile road trip, you’ll get rewarded for driving. You’ll earn $1 in Drive Rebates for every 100 miles you drive—up to $500 in Drive Rebates a year.

Tracking your miles is simple. You can enroll in Drive Rebates by calling toll-free or going online and then submitting an enrollment form. Then whenever you have scheduled maintenance performed on your vehicle, just submit a form with a copy of your receipt showing your odometer reading. It’s that easy. Your Drive Rebates will automatically appear on your statement.

What does that mean? You must enroll by going through this link to get the form. Make sure you keep a copy of your receipt showing your odometer and send them in. For example, if you have made $10000 in purchases ($100 rewards), then you must have 10,000 miles to double your reward. You can imagine spending all your money on gas, supermarkets, and drugstores with this card for the first year to get 6% cash back. Then enroll in their Driver Edge’s rebate program to double your thank you points making it 12% cash back.

My advice is to use this card as a purchase card for the first 11 months for all the cash back reward. At the end of the 11 month, use it for balance transfer to make money by putting BT money in a 5% savings account. This card is highly recommended.

For those with a good credit score, then Blue Cash from American Express is your best bet for a great cash back rewards program. Kiplinger’s personal finance called it the best cash-rebate. Here’s how the rebate formula set up. After $6500 in spending, it has unlimited cash back savings with 5% rebate on “everyday purchases” at supermarkets, gas stations, and drugstores. For all other purchases, you may earn up to 1.5% cash back.

As with every American Express credit card, cardholders get buyer’s assurance plan, purchase protection plan, and up to $100,000 in travel accident insurance. There is no annual fee. Six months of 0% APR on purchases is standard for all new cardholders. There is also 4.99% APR fixed rate for balance transfer if you requested balance transfer with the application.

Quick Summary:

• Up to 5% Cash Back with Unlimited
  Cash Rewards
• Earn unlimited cash back
• 0% Intro APR for 6 months
• Low Balance Transfer rate - 4.99% fixed APR for the
  life of the balance
• No Annual Fee

Apply Now!

For those who plan to maximize their rewards, Blue Cash from American Express is highly recommended.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card gives you 10,000 bonus points after first purchase. The 10,000 points can be exchanged for $100 in gift card to stores such as Gap, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble, etc.

This is a good card for frequent travelers since the membership rewards program allows you to earn unlimited points that do not expire.

There is no fee for the first year. If you do not find the card worth keeping, make sure to cancel the card before the first year anniversary.

Here are some more details about the card:

• First year fee-free - $125 Thereafter
• Get 10,000 Membership Rewards® points redeemable for Rewards right away
• No Pre-Set Spending Limit
• The Membership Rewards® program - a fast, flexible rewards program that lets you
  redeem travel rewards on over 21 airlines.
• Gold Card Events—exclusive access to tickets for select concerts, shows,
  major sporting events, and more in cities nationwide
• Global Assist® Plus Hotline and many more benefits included

Apply Now!