How to boost your credit card rewards with holiday shopping

Dear Cashing In,

What are some good ways to boost my credit card rewards with holiday shopping? – Marcus

Dear Marcus,

The holiday season is upon us, and there’s a lot of spending going on: Consumers are expected to spend an average of $1,007 this season, up 4 percent from last year, according to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation and Prospect Insights & Analytics.

With spending on the rise that also means that the opportunity to increase the amount of credit card rewards you earn is also heading upward.

See related:Should I apply for a store card this holiday shopping season?

Planning holiday shopping strategically

The main way to boost the rewards you earn is to try to use your rewards credit cards for as many purchases as possible, instead of paying by cash or check.

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Of course that makes sense only if you are able to pay off your monthly bill on time and in full. Don’t use the holidays as an excuse to load up on credit card debt.

Another important step is to take note of any category bonuses you have on your cards and to make sure that you use them in the stores where they earn the most points.

Few cards offer bonus points at department stores, but there might be other places where you shop – office-supply stores, Amazon, high-end grocery stores – where cards can offer extra points.

• Chase Freedom, for example, is offering 5 percent cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases at wholesale clubs, department stores and Chase Pay purchases through the end of December 2018.
• Select Discover cards offer 5 percent cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases quarterly at Amazon and wholesale clubs through Dec. 31, 2018. Activation required.
• In order to earn either bonus, you need to sign up or opt in for this quarter’s rotating category.
• Other cards that offer extra bonuses on U.S. department-store purchases include Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.

Of course, should you have a particular store’s card, use it there, since it probably offers discounts or enhanced rewards.

Earn bonus rewards via gift cards

One area where you can almost certainly earn extra reward points is by being selective about where you shop for gift cards.

Surveys consistently show that gift cards are among the most popular holiday gifts.

The National Retail Federation’s annual holiday shopping survey found that 60 percent of consumers say they would like to receive gift cards as a gift. It’s the 12th consecutive year that gift cards have topped the list of most desired holiday gifts.

If you haven’t noticed, a lot of different kinds of stores and online retailers sell gift cards. And a lot of the places that sell gift cards happen to earn you extra reward points with some of the most popular reward credit cards.

For example, say you want to give your sister a Starbucks gift card. The kind of reward card you have should determine where you buy that card.

• If you have a card that gives big reward bonuses at restaurants – such as Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card® from American Express, the Uber Visa card from Barclays or the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card – then get the Starbucks card at Starbucks, which counts as a restaurant.
• If you have a card that gives you bonuses at U.S. supermarkets – such as the American Express® Gold Card, an American Express Blue Cash card, or the Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card – then buy the Starbucks card at your U.S. supermarket.
• Or maybe you have a card that earns extra points at U.S. gas stations, such as the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or a Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card. In that case, it would make sense to look for that Starbucks card at convenience stores that have gas pumps, which usually qualify as gas expenses even if you’re buying items in the store.

The big idea is to buy gift cards (and whatever other holiday shopping you have to do) at the places that give you the most rewards.

You shouldn’t just buy something because you see it somewhere. To get the most rewards, think about where you can buy something that gives you the most bonus points.

Happy shopping!