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February 20, 2012 By 5 Comments

PASS from American Express® Review

American Express PASS Prepaid Card is a prepaid card that has been designed to teach teens how to be financial responsible. The PASS Card is a reloadable prepaid card that parents give to teens and young adults. Any adult 18 years or older can purchase the PASS Card for anyone 13 years of age or older. The Card purchaser loads the Card with funds and can reload it so that the card user can use it again and again.


  • Prepaid reloadable Card parents give to teens
  • Parents and teens can log in to their own online accounts to check the PASS Card balance, view transactions and setup alerts.
  • Limit overspending and avoid teen overdraft fees
  • Safer than Cash
  • Automatic reloads
  • Purchase Protection*
  • Entertainment Access*
  • Global Assist*

Using the PASS Card

PASS Cardmembers can use the Card at any merchant that accepts American Express® Cards worldwide. This includes mail-order, online and in-store locations. You can also use it to withdraw cash from ATMs. The Card cannot be used at cruise lines, casinos or for car rental charges. The PASS Card is not intended for use for alcohol, gambling, adult entertainment or illegal activities.

Managing Your Account

Both parents and teens are involved when it comes to managing the card. Its easy and safe. All you do is load the card, use the card, and then check your account information online. Here’s how it works:

  1. Load/Reload: The person who purchases card is the only one who can load the card. The initial load must be made online, but you can it can be reloaded either online or by calling Customer Service at 1-877-405-7277.
  2. Using the Card: The Card can be used at millions of locations around the world – anywhere American Express® Cards are accepted.
  3. Managing the Card: Both the PASS Card purchaser and PASS Cardmember can create online accounts to view transaction history, check balances and set up account controls.

Choosing your Card design

One of the cool features of the PASS card is that you can choose your own design. Cardmembers and purchases get to choose from four different card colors and you can even have your own photo or image added to the card. This is a great way to personalize your card. There are guidelines about what type of images are acceptable and you can see this guidelines once you start the process of adding your own design. When you apply for the card online you will get to choose if you want to add your own image or not.

Rewards Mall

The Rewards Mall is basically an online shopping mall that gives PASS Cardmembers special access to discounts and offers at hundreds of merchants. Some special offers many include things like free shipping or a percentage off a purchase at merchants. When you shop at the Rewards Mall, American Express will make a charitable donation to United Way for each eligible purchase. The Rewards Mall shows the percentage of your purchase that American Express will donate to the charity. For additional details about the Rewards Mall and charitable contributions, log into your PASS account at americanexpress.com/pass in the “Teen Manage Your Account” section and click the “Rewards Mall” link under the Perks section.

Benefits for Parents and Teens

  • Money can be added 24/7, online or by phone, from an American Express® Card or bank account.
  • Teens can use the card at millions of locations around the world: in stores, online, at ATMs American Express charges a fee of $1.50 to the PASS Card for each ATM withdrawal.
  • Both you and your child can Log in to your online account to check the Card balance, view transactions and set up alerts.
  • Teens can learn how to better manage their money by tracking purchases online. Plus, they can visit the JA Student Center to learn more about budgeting and planning.
  • Teens can also become “Financially Certified” through an online assessment.
  • PASS also includes Roadside Assistance
  • Teens can also view balances online, or track their funds via text messages2Carrier charges may apply for receiving text messages and mobile web browsing.
  • Make it yours, pick a color. You can even add an image for free when your parents order PASS.

PASS Card Fees

The PASS card does not charge interest and you cannot overdraft the account. The only fee you need to be concerned with is the fee for withdrawing money from an ATM. The fee is $2.00 per withdraw, but you get one free ATM withdrawal per calendar month. Keep in mind that banks may also charge their own fees for each withdrawal. There are no fees for activating or reloading the PASS Card.

How to Apply for the PASS from American Express®

Applying for this credit card is quick and easy. We’ve provided a link below that will take you to the official PASS from American Express® website. From this page, you can click on the apply now button to go to the PASS from American Express® secure online application. The application takes just a few minutes to complete, and they will even notify you about the outcome of your application. To get started, visit the American Express PASS Prepaid Card official website.

Filed Under: Prepaid Credit Cards
January 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

4 Credit Cards that Offer Sweet Sign Up Bonuses

We can all use some extra cash from time to time. And with some of the best credit card offers, you can earn a $100 bonus in the form of cash, a statement credit, or gift cards. We’ve put together a list of those $100 offers all in one place for easy comparison.

The Chase Freedom® Visa - $200 Bonus Cash Back is ranks first on our list because this card gives $200 cash back. All you have to do is $500 within the first 3 months and you will get your 200 bucks. This breaks down to just spending $166 each month. In addition, this is a solid rewards card because you get 5% cash back for every dollar you spend in rotating categories and 1% cash back on all your other purchases. The rate you receive will be between 15.99-22.99% (Fixed)*, based on your creditworthiness.

With the American Express® Gold Card you will earn 10K Membership Rewards® points which are redeemable $100 in gift cards. You are eligible once you make $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Amex cards like this one are know for their exclusive access to select concerts, shows, and major sporting events. When it comes to rewards you’ll earn one point for every dollar you spend.

Next on our list is the Chase Sapphire® Card because of it’s limited time bonus offer. You can earn 25,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. That turns out to be $250 toward a flight or any other reward you choose. This is a great travel rewards card because you earn double points on airfare purchased through the Travel Booking Tool. You also earn 1 point for every $1 you spend on all your other purchases.

There’s nothing better than cold hard cash and that’s exactly what you get with the Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Visa® Card. As a bonus you can get $100 cash back after $500 in purchases within the first 3 months. If that’s not enough to convince you then how about this – the card comes with a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases*.

Filed Under: Credit Card Offers
January 6, 2012 By 1 Comment

No Fee 0% Balance Transfer Offer from Discover

Once upon a time credit card issuers did not charge a balance transfer fee. If you’re like me then you probably just expect to be hit with a fee anywhere from 3% to 5% of the amount you transfer. Nobody really wants to pay a transfer fee, but with increasing bank fees this fee is no surprise. What is a surprise is that we are now starting to see cards that are bringing back the No Transfer Fee option.

The Discover® More® Card - No Balance Transfer Fee* is a popular rewards card that has a limited time No Balance Transfer Fee offer on the table. Discover is only making this offer available until February 28, 2012 and you must transfer balances by July 10, 2012. After this date the transfer fee will be 5%. The card still has other great features and we have all the details below.


  • Limited Time Offer - $0 Balance Transfer Fee!*
  • 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 19.99%*
  • 5% Cashback Bonus® in categories that change like gas, restaurants, department stores and more. Limitations apply*
  • Up to 20% Cashback Bonus at popular retailers when you shop online through Discover.com
  • Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--15 years in a row! (2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
  • 24/7 access to a U.S.-based Account Manager within 60 seconds
  • Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee
  • *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information

0% Introductory Offer

The card offers an introductory rate of 0% for 12 months on purchases*. After the introductory rate, the APR you receive is 10.99-19.99% (Fixed)*, based on your creditworthiness.

Rewards Program

The Discover® More® Card features the Cashback bonus program. This is Discover’s popular rewards program that earns you Cashback bonuses on every purchase you make. You can earn 5% Cashback bonus on shopping categories as well as 5% Cashback bonus on seasonal spending categories that change each yearly quarter. You enroll in each spending category as the calendar date arrives, giving you even more chances to accrue Cashback bonuses every quarter. You can earn up to 1% Cashback bonus on all other purchases – Your Discover® More Card earns you .25% Cashback bonus on every purchase up to 3,000 dollars yearly.

Additional Discover® More® Card Details

This card offers a variety of additional benefits for being a card member. Here is a list of some of the additional benefits the card offers:

  • Fraud Protection and Account Security: You can expect $0 Fraud Liability guarantee means you’re never responsible for unauthorized charges, advanced early warnings if we suspect unusual activity on your account, dedicated Fraud Specialists who are available to you 24/7 and secure online account numbers that let you shop online without ever revealing your account number.
  • Merchandise Protection on Your Purchases: Up to $500 of Purchase Protection against loss, damage or fire for 90 days and up to 1 year of Extended Product Warranty coverage.
  • Travel Protection—At No Cost to You: Get $1,000,000 Travel Accident Insurance when you travel on a common carrier, up to $50,000 in Car Rental Insurance when you decline coverage offered by the rental agency and additional exclusive benefits that keep you protected while you travel.
  • Account Management and Customer Service: Dedicated Business Card Specialists who will answer your call within 60 seconds to address your needs from the initial point of contact—no need to repeat yourself, intuitive, secure online account center where you can review charges, pay bills and redeem rewards and account statements you can download right into QuickBooks® for immediate financial analysis
  • Unlimited Rewards: You can always earn extra rewards by making online purchases through our exclusive online shopping site, ShopDiscover.

How to Apply for the Discover® More® Card

Applying for this credit card is quick and easy. We’ve provided a link below that will take you to the official Discover® More Card website. From this page, you can get started with the secure online application. The application takes just a few minutes to complete, and they will notify you about the outcome of your application.

To get started, visit the Discover® More® Card - No Balance Transfer Fee* official website.

Filed Under: credit cards
January 6, 2012 By 1 Comment

Best Credit Cards for 2012

The New Year has brought with it some extremely rewarding credit card offers. Whether you are looking for cash back rewards, 0% APR balance transfer offers, a credit card for your small business, or points redeemable for travel or shopping, there is a credit card offer to meet your needs.

Listed below are the Best Credit Cards for 2012 as selected by the editors of Credit Card Offers IQ.

Best Cash Back Cards

The Chase Freedom® Visa - $200 Bonus Cash Back is one of our favorite cash back offers because get $200 cash back when you spend $500 within the first 3 months. You also get 5% cash back for every dollar you spend in rotating categories and 1% cash back on all your other purchases. The rate you receive will be between 15.99-22.99% (Fixed)*, based on your creditworthiness.

See our Chase Freedom® Visa – $200 Bonus Cash Back review for more card details.

With the Blue Cash Everyday(SM) from American Express there are no spending limits, no rotating categories and you don’t need to enroll to earn. The rewards program is as follows: 3% cash back per dollar spent at supermarkets, 2% cash back per dollar spent at department stores and gas stations, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. The card offers an introductory rate of 0% for 12 on purchases and a regular APR between 17.24-22.24% (Variable)*, based on your creditworthiness.

See our Blue Cash Everyday(SM) from American Express review for more card details.

The Discover® More® Card is a rewards card that offers cash back on all your purchases. You can earn up to 5% cash back in rotating categories and 1% Cashback bonus on all other purchases. The card offers an introductory rate of 0% for 15 months on purchases*. After the introductory rate, the APR you receive is 10.99-20.99% (Variable)*, based on your creditworthiness. Best of all this card has no annual fee!

See our full review of the Discover® More® Card for more details.

Best Balance Transfer Cards

The Slate® from Chase one of two cards currently offering No Balance Transfer Fee. This is a limited time offer and you are required to make your balance transfer within the first 30 days to avoid the fee. The card offers 0% for up to 12 months on balance transfers. After the introductory rate, the APR you receive is 11.99-21.99% (Variable)*, based on your creditworthiness.

For more details, see our Slate® from Chase review.

The Citi® Platinum Select® MasterCard® is a great choice for a balance transfer card because it offers 0% for a full 21 months. This is one of the longest offers available. What makes this card even better is that it also gives 0% on purchases for 21 months. After the introductory period, regular APR is between 11.99-21.99% (Variable)*, based on your creditworthiness.

For more details, check out our Citi® Platinum Select® MasterCard® review.

Capital One® Platinum Prestige Credit Card

The best feature of the Capital One® Platinum Prestige Credit Card is the 0% introductory rate on both purchases and balance transfers until Until 05/2013 on purchases*. If you plan on carrying balance or want to transfer balances from other cards with high interest rates this is a solid card. After the 0% introductory period, the APR for both purchases and balance transfers is a low go-to APR of 10.90-18.90% (Variable)*.

See our Capital One® Platinum Prestige Credit Card review for more details.

Best Travel Cards


The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Card makes our list as one of the best cards for 2012 because of the great bonus offer it gives to new cardmembers. To start, you will earn a free flight after your first purchase. With this card you earn double points for your Southwest Airline purchase and you will receive bonus points on your anniversary. This card is offering a limited time balance transfer option with allows you to earn 1 point per every $1 you transfer to the card.

For more details, check out our Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Card review.

The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express is arguably one the best travel rewards card available. The best perk about this card is that your rewards can be cashed in for a variety of travel rewards, including a network of hotels as well as airlines. for most of your purchases you will earn 2 points for every dollar you spend, but you can earn up to 7 Starpoints per dollar.

For more details, check out our Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express review.

The Capital One® VentureSM Rewards Credit Card is ideal for those individuals with excellent credit looking for a travel rewards credit card. This card offers one of the best rewards programs available allowing cardholders to earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase. As a bonus you get 10,000 bonus miles after $1,000 is spent during the first 3 months. There is no limit on the miles you can earn and they will never expire. Even with the great rewards program, this card has no annual fee for the first year and a regular APR of 13.90-20.90% (Variable)*, making it a great choice for a travel rewards card.

For more details, check out our Capital One® VentureSM Rewards Credit Card review.

Filed Under: credit cards
January 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Earn A Free Flight After Your First Purchase

We would like to announce the arrival of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card from Chase! With this offer you will earn a Free Flight after your first purchase, with an annual fee of $69. This offer is replacing the previous offer where you could earn two free flights with the offer. Chase revised the offer and is now just offer one free flight, but this is still a good deal if you fly Southwest. Check out the card highlights below:

  • Now! Earn a Free Flight after your first purchase.
  • Get 3,000 Points every year on your Card member Anniversary - that's equal to $50 toward a Wanna Get Away® Fare
  • Now you can redeem for International Travel, Hotels, Gift Cards and more.
  • Earn unlimited Free Flights - 2 Points per $1 Spent on Southwest Purchases and 1 Point per $1 Spent on Everything else
  • Your Bags Fly Free! No Blackout Dates, Points Don't Expire, and Unlimited Reward Seats!
  • No Change fees - if you need to change your flight, you won't be charged a fee.
  • September 11th Security Fee Applies

Free Flight Offer

This offer is simple and straight forward. After your first purchase you earn enough points to cash them in for a free flight. That means just for making a purchase you earn 1 round trip flight! There is one small catch and that is you have to pay a $10 9/11 fee on your free tickets. This is an ideal offer for those that fly Southwest. Just for being a cardholder your bags always fly free and there are not blackout dates.

Earning Points

As with all other good airline card offers, you earn double miles on SouthWest Airlines ticket purchases as well as their car rental partners. You will earn one mile for all your other purchases. In addition, you will also get 3,000 Points every year on your Card member Anniversary which is equal to $50 toward a Wanna Get Away® Fare>

How to Apply for the Offer

Applying for this credit card is quick and easy. We’ve provided a link below that will take you to the Chase website. From this page, you can click on the link below to go to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card from Chase secure online application. The application takes just a few minutes to complete, and they will even notify you about the outcome of your application.

APPLY NOW!

Filed Under: Credit Card Deals
December 30, 2011 By 5 Comments

Cash Back Credit Cards – Which Is The Best Deal?

Cash Back Credit Cards are my favorite type of rewards card because it’s like free money! Card issuers are paying you a percentage of what you charge to the account just so you will use their card. These cards can save you money and that’s why I think they are the best type of rewards card. Many credit card issuers have beefed up their cash back programs by offering juicy sign up bonuses. You can earn a couple hundred bucks just by choosing the right card!

The best cash back credit card deals will save you money! It sounds simple enough and it is simple, if you know what to look for in a cash back card. You want to choose a card that is going to allow you to get the full amount of cash back the card has to offer. Your goal should be to earn as much as possible with any given card. Because some cards pay higher rewards for certain types of purchases (e.g., gas or groceries), be sure the card you choose rewards you for the types of purchases you plan on making.

To get you started we have provided you with a list of the Best Cash Back Cards of 2011.

EDITOR’S CHOICE – Chase Freedom® Visa – $200 Bonus Cash Back Offer

The Chase Freedom® Visa – $200 Bonus Cash Back Offer is our favorite cash back offer because you can earn $200 cash back just for spending $500 within the first 3 months. This card gives you the opportunity to earn up to 10% cash back when you shop at the Chase online mall. You will also earn 5% cash back for every dollar you spend in rotating categories and 1% cash back on all your other purchases. The rate you receive will be between 15.99-22.99% (Fixed)*, based on your creditworthiness.

See our Chase Freedom® Visa – $200 Bonus Cash Back review for more card details.

Blue Cash Everyday(SM) from American Express

The Blue Cash Everyday(SM) from American Express offers exclusive rewards for those with excellent credit. There are no spending limits, no rotating categories and you don’t need to enroll to participate. The rewards you earn are simple and straightforward: 3% cash back per dollar spent at supermarkets, 2% cash back per dollar spent at department stores and gas stations, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. The card offers an introductory rate of 0% for 12 on purchases and a regular APR between 17.24-22.24% (Variable)*, based on your creditworthiness.

See our Blue Cash Everyday(SM) from American Express review for more card details.

Discover® More® Card

The Discover® More® Card is a rewards card that offers cash back on all your purchases. You can earn up to 5% cash back in rotating categories. You can earn 5% Cashback bonus on shopping categories as well as 5% Cashback bonus on seasonal spending categories that change each yearly quarter. You can earn up to 1% Cashback bonus on all other purchases. You must enroll in each spending category to be eligible. The card offers an introductory rate of 0% for 15 months on purchases*. After the introductory rate, the APR you receive is 10.99-20.99% (Variable)*, based on your creditworthiness. Best of all this card has no annual fee.

See our full review of the Discover® More® Card for more details.

Citi® Dividend World MasterCard®

The Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Visa® Card - $100 Cash Back gives $100 cash back after spending $500 within the first 3 months. You can earn 1% cash back on all purchases and 5% cash back on rotating categories. There are no tiers or minimum spending amounts in order to earn the 1% cash back. The Citi® Dividend World MasterCard® comes with 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months and 0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months. After the introductory rate, the APR will be between 12.99-22.99% (Variable)* and is based on your creditworthiness.

See our Citi® Dividend World MasterCard® review for more card details.

PenFed VISA Platinum Gas / Cash Rewards Card

The PenFed VISA Platinum Gas / Cash Rewards Card is on of our top picks because it gives 5% cash back on gas purchases, 2% back on grocery store purchases and 1% on all other purchases. That’s a nice rewards package! There are no restrictions on the cash you earn and you get rewarded for what you have earned each month. There is a low balance transfer introductory rate of 2.99% for the first 12 months and the balance transfer fee is 3%. There is no annual fee and this card does not charge a foreign transaction fee when making purchases overseas. To qualify for this card you must have excellent credit and be a member of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union.

See our PenFed VISA Platinum Gas / Cash Rewards Card review for more details.

Chase Freedom® Visa – $100 Bonus Cash Back

The Chase Freedom® Visa – $100 Bonus Cash Back card combines a solid rewards program with a 0% introductory offer. You can’t go wrong with any of the Chase Freedom® Visa cards because you earn 5% cash back offers in popular categories like gas, home improvement and department stores. On top of that, earn a full 1% cash back on everything else – no spending tiers or caps on how much you can earn. As a bonus, you will earn $100 cash back after you make $500 in purchases within the first 3 months. The card offers a 0% introductory rate which is as follows, 6 months on purchases*. After the introductory period is over your rate will be between 11.99-22.99% (Fixed)*, based on your creditworthiness.

See our Chase Freedom® Visa – $100 Bonus Cash Back review for more details.

TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express

The TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express is another great cash back rewards card that allows you to earn wherever you shop, including Costco. The TrueEarnings Card pays 3% cash back on up to $3,000 in gasoline purchases (1% thereafter). With the Costco card, cardmembers also earn 3% cash back at restaurants, 2% cash back for travel, and 1% cash rewards everywhere else. The card offers 0% on all purchases for the first 6 months and this is a credit card, not a charge card. That means you have the flexibility to pay the card off in full each month or make payments over time. After the introductory rate, your APR will be based on your creditworthiness.

See our TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express review for more details.

Filed Under: credit cards
December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Frequent Flyer Miles Credit Cards

Photo: AirlinesAngel

Ed Perkins with the Chicago Tribune recently published an article on the best credit card for frequent flyers. The article is a good reminder that with all the travel rewards credit card offers out there, determining which card is the best offer can be a challenge. If you are searching for a travel rewards card that earns you airline miles, hotel stays, or other travel rewards, there are a few things you should know that might help you narrow your search.

The most critical point to understand is that these types of cards come in two basic forms: Non-Airline Specific Travel Reward Credit Card Offers and Airline Brand Specific Credit Cards. This article provides a list of some of both types of cards to help you find the best credit card to earn frequent flyer miles.

Non-Airline Specific Travel Reward Credit Card Offers

Those who consider themselves frequent flyers, business travelers, or simply individuals who want bigger reward prizes may benefit greatly from frequent flyer credit card offers. Keep in mind that because of the pricey nature of airline tickets, earning enough mileage rewards to qualify for a free airline ticket will require you to do quite a bit of spending. If you’re not a big credit card spender, then it will most likely take you a long time to save up enough points for even a lower priced domestic flight. However, if you use your credit card for most of your regular purchases, you might want to consider some of the cards listed below.

  • Miles by Discover Card: You can earn double miles on up to $3,000 in travel and restaurant purchases each year. Also earn 1 mile for every $1 on all your other purchases. You can redeem your miles for travel with no blackout dates or restrictions. The program offers unlimited miles that never expire and there is no annual fee.
  • Capital One® Venture SM Rewards Credit Card – You earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. Book travel with any airline, hotel, cruise line, or rental car company. No limit on the miles you can earn and miles don’t expire. No blackout dates and no seat restrictions. Use miles for travel, merchandise, gift cards and more. There $59 annual fee is waived the first year.
  • Capital One® Orbitz Visa Platinum Card: You can earn 3 points per $1 spent on eligible Orbitz bookings, plus bonus points on eligible bookings, as well as 1 point per $1 spent on regular purchases. Earn points for everyday purchases. Points can be redeemed for travel, cash back, and gift cards. Fly for free on your next vacation for as few as 15,000 points. There is no annual fee.
  • American Express Preferred Rewards Green Card – You can earn 1 point for every dollar purchase you spend on the card. Points can be redeemed for free travel rewards from 21 airlines, hundreds of hotels worldwide, for vacation packages, cruises, and spa retreats. They can also be transferred onto 17 frequent flyer programs. The points earned have no expiration and there is no limit to the number of points that can be accrued. Currently you can earn 5,000 Membership Rewards bonus points after your first purchase with the card, redeemable for a $50 gift card. This is a no pre-set spending limit card offer. There is No annual fee for the first year and $95 thereafter.
  • Blue Sky From American Express®: You earn 1 point for every dollar you spend. There are no blackout dates, no travel restrictions, no mileage caps, and no expiration dates. You can redeem points to save on any airline, hotel, rental car or cruise. The card program is very flexible and there is No annual fee.
  • American Express Starwood Preferred®: You can earn 1 Starpoint for every dollar of eligible spending and double Starpoints at participating Starwood properties and retail outlets. Currently you can earn up to 25,000 Starpoints upon card sign up and after a period of usage which is enough for 6 free nights at a category 1 or 2 hotel. There is No annual fee for the first year and $45 fee thereafter.
  • Escape by Discover® Card : You can earn Unlimited Double Miles on all purchases, plus An additional 2 Miles for every $1 you spend through our exclusive online shopping site, ShopDiscover. There are flexible redemption options for travel, gift cards, or cash and enhanced travel benefits. There is a $60 Annual Fee.

Airline Brand Specific Credit Cards

The advantage to airline cards is that racking up the miles is easy. But available award seats and upgrades can be very difficult to secure. Your options are also limited because you have to fly with that one airline. However, if you frequently fly on one specific airline and you plan on doing the most of your future traveling with the same carrier, applying for a specific airline credit card may be beneficial.

Airline specific cards tend to offer higher mileage reward rates for card purchases, and lower redemption requirements for free flights on their own planes. Specific airline cards also frequently offer cardholders the chance to earn double miles for certain qualified purchases, which helps you earn travel rewards faster.

  • Delta Airlines- SkyMiles® Platinum Card From American Express: You can earn double miles on every eligible dollar you spend at supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations, home improvement stores, and post offices. Also earn double miles when you use your airline credit card to pay your wireless phone bill or use for Delta Airline purchases. Delta airline miles never expire and you can earn unlimited miles. Currently after your first purchase you can earn 20,000 instant bonus Sky Miles (including 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles). You can also earn 2,500 bonus miles for adding an additional card member. Free Delta Airline flights start at 10,000 miles. There an annual fee is $150 a year
  • Delta Airlines – SkyMiles® Gold Card From American Express: Earn double Delta Sky Miles on every $1 you spend at supermarkets, drugstores, and gas stations. Earn 1 Sky Mile for $1 spent on everything else. You are permitted a very high annual spending limit of $100,000 for mile earning purposes. Miles do not expire as long as the linked frequent flyer account is active during a 3-year period. Currently after your first purchase you earn an instant 20,000 bonus miles reward. Free Delta flights start at just 10,000 miles. In addition, if you add two additional approved card members to your account at the time of application submission, the program will provide you an extra bonus of 2,500 airline miles. There is no annual fee for the first year and $95 fee thereafter.
  • Delta Reserve Credit Card – You can get Complimentary Crown Room Club® access for you and two guests. You can earn an Annual First-Class companion certificate, which can be used for a First-Class or Coach-Class ticket. You can earn up to 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after your first purchase. The annual fee is $450.
Filed Under: travel rewards
December 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Scrapbook Rewards Visa Credit Card from National City

Photo: nifwlseirff

For those crafters who are serious about scrapbooking, the National City Scrapbook Rewards Visa card might be just what you need to build up your scrapbooking supplies. Crafters can earn Scrapbuck$ through normal everyday purchases and then redeem their Scrapbuck$ for scrapbooking-related rewards. Here is a quick look at some of the rewards the card offers.

  • Earn up to 4% back in Scrapbuck$1
  • 4% back in Scrapbucks$ on scrapbook and craft supplies
  • Shop at your favorite craft store, scrapbook store, and for the first $100 in eligible monthly net purchases, you get 4% in Scrapbuck$
  • 3% back in Scrapbuck$ on pay-at-the-pump gasoline
  • Up to $250 in eligible monthly net purchases
  • 2% back in Scrapbuck$ on purchases at grocery stores and restaurants
  • Up to $750 in eligible monthly net purchases
  • Up to 1% back in Scrapbuck$ on almost everything else
  • ¼% in Scrapbuck$ on first $10,000 in eligible net purchases every year, 1% thereafter with no limits

Reward Details

You may redeem your Scrapbuck$ for a variety of scrapbook-related rewards through www.ScrapbookRewards.com, or by calling National City toll-free at 1-800-558-8472. If you would like to see the rewards currently offered for redemption you can check them out at www.ScrapbookRewards.com. It usually take about 4-6 weeks for delivery of your Scrapbook Reward after your redemption request has been processed. The minimum redemption amount is twenty dollars ($20.00) in Scrapbuck$.

APR Information

For the first six months the card offers a 0% APR on transferred balances. Once the introductory period ends, you’ll enjoy a variable APR. The introductory 0% APR does not apply to Purchases or Cash Advances. Payments will be applied to pay off low APR balances before paying off higher APR balances, which means if you make purchases they may accrue finance charges. After the intro period the APR is a variable rate between 10.99% – 21.99% based what you qualify for. The rate is determined by adding a margin to an Index. The margin for purchases and balance transfers is 4.99% OR 6.99% OR 9.99% OR 11.99% OR 13.99% OR 15.99%.

Scrapbook Rewards Summary

The real benefit of the card are the perks it offers for scrapbookers. The APR is rather high and there are some fees that you should be aware of. To see a complete list of details about the card you should review the Scrapbook Rewards Visa website.

Bottom Line

The Scrapbook Rewards Visa is a fun credit card for those that love scrapbooking. While you can earn rewards from the card, however, it generally doesn’t beat out the top cash back cards.

Filed Under: reviews
December 12, 2011 By 2 Comments

American Express Membership Rewards Program Review

Photo: funkandjazz

The Membership Rewards Program from American Express allows you to earn points for every dollar you spend with your eligible American Express card. There is no limit to the number of points you can earn and your points never expire. The program is a built-in feature of most American Express cards. You might already be enrolled, but if you’re unsure, you can log into your online account and check. This article provides an overview of the rewards program and a list of eligible American Express cards.

Earning Points

Once you are enrolled in the Membership Rewards Program, you can earn points every time you use your Card. Using your Amex card for every day purchases is a fast and easy way to earn points. There are also ways you can earn bonus points when you shop with select partners at membershiprewards.com or at the Bonus Points Mall® website (bonuspointsmall.com).

If you ever get to a point where you don’t have enough points to redeem your reward, you can use the Points Advance® feature to help build your points. With the Points Advance feature, you can advance up to 15,000 points. You can also purchase additional points at checkout so you don’t have to wait, either.

Here’s how you can earn your points:

  • Use your Card: Earn points for virtually every dollar you spend on your Card.
  • Bonus Points Partners: Go to the Earn Points section of membershiprewards.com to explore opportunities to earn up to 10X points when you shop with select partners.
  • The Bonus Points Mall® Website: Go to bonuspointmall.com every time you shop online to earn 3X bonus points with more than 200 popular sites.
  • Automatic Bill Pay : Pay your recurring bills through American Express to earn more points.
  • Additional Cards: Get points faster by sharing the privileges and benefits of your account.

Using Your Points

You can redeem Membership Rewards points for a variety of rewards that are just for Cardmembers at membershiprewards.com. You can also check out the more than a million products offered online at shopamex.com, where you can use points. And if you don’t have enough points, you can use points in combination with your eligible American Express® Card.

You have a variety of options to redeem your points for travel . You can use your points to pay for vacations, you can transfer points between accounts, and you can redeem your points for travel certificates. Here are some of the options you have when it comes to using your points for travel:

  • Pay with Points : Pay for all or part of your next trip using Membership Rewards points. Fly any airline anytime with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. You can also book hotels, cruises, and vacation packages simply by going www.membershiprewards.com/paywithpoints.
  • Transfer Points: Top off your frequent traveler accounts by transferring Membership Rewards points to your linked frequent flyer/frequent guest accounts. Get the points needed for a reward flight, stay, or upgrade.
  • Certificates: Use Membership Rewards points for exciting travel reward certificates, including hotel stays, flights, theme parks, adventure travel, or car rentals.
  • Flight Finder Room Finder: Search for reward travel, transfer Membership Rewards points to your favorite frequent customer programs, and book your flight or room entirely with points, all on the Membership Rewards website.

If you like to shop then you will enjoy the shopping benefits the program offers. You can use Membership Rewards® points on www.Amazon.com to pay in full, or pay in part and use your American Express® Card to cover the rest. All you do is go to www.Amazon.com/membershiprewards and complete a one-time registration and then start shopping. You can use points or a combination of points and your eligible American Express Card to choose from more than a million products from some of your favorite online stores and this is all done without leaving the shopamex.com site.

How To Enroll

The Membership Rewards program is a built-in feature of most American Express® Cards and you might already be enrolled. If your Card is not enrolled, just log in to your account, select the “Points Summary” link, and then the enroll button. You may link all of your eligible American Express® Cards to the Membership Rewards program, along with any Additional Cards you have on these accounts. You can also link any eligible Corporate Card issued in your name for a fee.

Eligible Amex Cards

Filed Under: blog
December 11, 2011 By 3 Comments

Review of the Citi ThankYou® Points Rewards Program

Photo: hellojenuine

The Citi ThankYou Network is a credit card rewards program. It lets you earn points in multiple ways and pool them in a single account so you can get the rewards you want faster. Having carried both a Citi credit card and debit card for years, I’ve become familiar with Citi’s ThankYou reward program. And I thought it would be a good time to review the program, including how you can earn ThankYou points and what you can do with them once you have them.

Ways To Earn Citi ThankYou Points

The program enables you to earn ThankYou Points when you make a purchase with an eligible Citi® credit card, Citibank® debit card or an enrolled Morgan Stanley Smith Barney FMA® Card. You can also earn points for banking with Citibank with an enrolled checking account, booking eligible travel with Expedia® or shopping at over 300 retailers through the ThankYou Bonus Center run by Citi. Here’s a quick summary of the various ways you can earn ThankYou Points:

  • Participating Citi® credit card. Here is a list of the cards that are part of the ThankYou network:
  • Morgan Stanley Smith Barney FMA® Card enrolled in ThankYou Network
  • Having an enrolled Citibank checking account and other linked banking products and services
  • Shopping through the ThankYou Bonus Center with over 300 major retailers, or in-store using a participating Citi® credit card
  • Plus, get bonus points through special ThankYou® Network promotions
  • Points with Citi®–You can earn points for every $1 spent on purchases with your Citi Credit Card. You can get points for using your Citibank checking account and other qualifying Citibank products and services.
  • Points with Expedia.com®–Expedia.com® is the exclusive travel sponsor of ThankYou Network. You can earn points when booking eligible travel on Expedia.com® no matter how you pay. If you’ve got a Citi Credit Card or Citibank Debit Card, use it to book your travel and earn even more points.
  • Points for Shopping–You can get rewarded for shopping at your favorite retailers. Points are earned when you shop online by linking through thankyou.com, or in-store by using your Citi Credit Card. Shop at over 400 online retailers, such as Macy’s, Best Buy, and Target—and earn additional points for every dollar you spend. Use your Citi Credit Card at a growing number of stores, such as Timberland, Eddie Bauer or FAO Schwarz—and earn additional points for every dollar you spend. Also, when you make purchases from participating catalogs or purchase gift certificates, you’ll earn additional points for every dollar you spend.

Purchasing Points

You may purchase ThankYou Points in increments of 1,000 points for $25 charged to any eligible credit or debit card, regardless of whether it is a Citi card or not. You may only purchase points if you have points in your ThankYou Member Account that were earned through one of our Sponsors. When you purchase points with a credit card or debit card that participates in ThankYou Network, you get the points you purchased, as well as ThankYou Points for making the purchase using your card.

Purchased points are non-refundable. A purchase cap of 10,000 points per calendar year will apply. You may not purchase points to offset any PremierPass Flight Points. All points purchased will expire one year from the end of the month in which they were purchased.

Where and How You Get Rewards

Once you have accumulated points, the ThankYou Network has a variety of rewards, which can easily be found on their website.

  • 1.You can redeem ThankYou Points for statement credits, issued in the form of a billing statement credit to the Card Account of the ThankYou Member, in denominations of $15, $25, $50, $100, $175 and $250 only
  • You have the option to receive cash back if you choose. You can redeem your ThankYou® Points for a $50 Cash Reward. There is no annual dollar cap or limit to the number of cash redemptions you make. For every 8,000 points equals $50 cash back. All cash rewards are mailed directly to your address on file.
  • You can redeem ThankYou Points toward any student loan program or monthly mortgage payment issued in the form of a check made payable to your financial lending institution – mortgage or student loan program only; in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100, $250, $500, $750 and $1000 only.
  • You have the option to cash in your points for a charitablie gift. You can redeem ThankYou Points for charitable contributions, issued in the form of a check made payable to the charity, in denominations of $5, $25, $50, $75 and $100 only.
  • There are a number of other rewards to choose from which inlcude gift cards from a wide variety of retailers and resteraunts. To help you find your rewards there is a rewards page that will get you started.


If you’re a registered ThankYou Member, you can add rewards you find to either your Wishlist or the cart. A complete list of the available rewards can be found on the Terms and Conditions page.

All Cash Rewards redemptions are final. ThankYou Points redeemed for Cash Rewards cannot be returned unless the check has been cancelled by ThankYou Network and a stop payment is placed, resulting in a return order status and automatic reinstatement of member’s ThankYou Points into their ThankYou Member Account. Please note that a check may be cancelled if, for example there was a misspelling on the check or the member never received it. All Cash Rewards checks not received 10 days after shipment are to be reported to ThankYou Network as lost/stolen.

You can also redeem for rewards by calling the Service Center at 1-800-THANKYOU. The lines are open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET and Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. Your Wish Fulfilled allows you to redeem your ThankYou Points to create your very own reward. All you need is 10,000 points in your account to get started.

Filed Under: blog
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