Travel rewards credit cards: are the rewards worth it?

Flights…hotels…rental cars. Travel costs can really add up. One way to keep expenses down : travel rewards credit cards. 

Liz Weston of NerdWallet says many Americans are missing the boat. “Americans are leaving so many trips on the table because they really don’t understand how travel rewards work,” says Weston.

A new NerdWallet survey finds Americans are missing out on a staggering twenty-two billion dollars per year in free travel by not have a travel rewards credit card or not using one properly.

Weston says one mistake: not leaving enough time to earn the valuable sign-up points. She says,” “You want to have at least five months, and usually more, so that you have time to get the card and then get that sign-up bonus. 

And, she says, look for conditions to earn the points too. “You typically have to spend a certain amount in a certain period of time. That could be a few hundred dollars within a few months, or it could be thousands of dollars within 90 days.”

She says that can lead to spending sprees. The survey found 34% of Americans asked to admit to overspending in order to earn the rewards for a trip. That, Weston says, makes no sense at all…and that rewards cards aren’t for everyone.

 “If you’re somebody who carries a balance from month to month, you really should be focusing on getting a credit card with a lower interest rate and letting travel rewards wait until you can pay it off in full every month.”

If you do want to swipe to earn free travel, as always, look at interest rates and whether there is an annual fee.  

If the cards are right for you, Weston says they  can really pay off. “They can help you pay for hotel rooms, they can get you flights,  they can get you upgrades on flights to make the whole experience a lot more pleasant.”

The survey also found that Americans, on average, travel three times  a year but would like to travel five. And, when it comes to how they like to spend their vacations…more Americans prefer to save their travel for a leisurely getaway than to fly to see family over the holidays.

Source Link:- https://www.abc2news.com/business/consumer/travel-rewards-credit-cards-are-the-rewards-worth-it