WatchYourWealth.com - Credit, Debt, and Investing
null Instant Loan Approval
Web watchyourwealth.com
graphic
Understanding Your Credit Credit Reports Credit Scores Credit Bureaus Free Credit Checks History of Credit Mixed Credit Reports
Managing & Repairing Your Credit Credit Repair Credit Counseling Credit Monitoring Services Debt Consolidation Bankruptcy Information
Credit Resources Credit Tips & Secrets Free Credit Reports Identity Theft Opting Out Of Credit Offers Credit Unions
Loans & Credit Cards Auto Loans Home Equity Loans Home Equity Lines of Credit Credit Cards Low Interest Credit Cards Air Mileage Credit Cards Cash Back & Rewards Cards Personal Loans Bad Credit Loans
Investing Stocks 101 Bonds 101 ETFs 101 401k Plans Annuities
Insurance Auto Insurance Renters Insurance Homeowners Insurance Life Insurance Disability Insurance
Financial Calculators Simple Mortgage Calculator Advanced Mortgage Calculator Interest Only Loan Calculator Auto Loan Calculator Amortization Calculator

Credit Cards That Earn Airline Miles

There are two types of credit cards offering airline mileage, "Airline Sponsored Credit Cards" and "Bank Sponsored Credit Cards." When trying to sort through the options each of these cards offer you need to first find out if you will be able to obtain any benefits from the leading carrier in your area from that particular card. You should also investigate which cards will get you the quickest ticket with the least amount of hassles.

Airline Sponsored Mileage Credit Cards

If you fly one airline all the time and it flies out of a hub in your area this may prove to be very convenient for you and could prove to be more economical in some cases. But, if you carry a balance on your card an airline card may not be for you as they usually have a higher interest rate associated with them. Remember that many airlines face financial hardships following bankruptcy and this could affect your accumulated miles.

Bank Sponsored Airline Mileage Credit Cards

These cards are much more flexible in that you can use your accumulated miles on many airlines rather than just one. If you do not have a leading airline in your area this type of card may be your best option. Another benefit of this type of card is that sometimes the minimum miles needed for a flight are lower than Airline Sponsored Cards. Also note that these cards come with much more fine print you will need to read. Ask if this bank charges conversion fees from 1%-4% for purchases made outside the United States. If you travel frequently and use your card for dining and hotels these charges might add up to the price of a ticket to Europe. If you live in Europe it could really add up.

Many people get credit cards without really understanding everything in fine print and they neglect to read everything. They then get frustrated and upset when they don't get what they expected. There is no card that will work well for everyone. It is not easy to compare each cards fine print but you should carefully research any deals they are offering. Look at the terms for redeeming travel miles and compare to your travel patterns. If you find that you can reach 20,000 miles easily and the cards redemption starts at 20,000 miles that may not be an issue for you but, if you do not spend that kind of money you need to look at a card that allows redemption at lower levels. Be aware that the terms of these credit card offerings and mile redemption rules change frequently without warning.

When comparing cards, interest rates are a concern when you don't pay your balance in full each month. If this is the case you probably should not get another card because what you are doing is paying finance charges every month and an annual fee and you are probably only using a minimal amount of travel miles worth less than your charges for the year.

When shopping for a mileage card here are a few of the major comparison points.
  • Interest rate - if this is an introductory rate find out what the rate will be when it expires
  • Mileage Expiration -This is important because expired miles are costly
  • Annual Fees - There are Standard, Gold and Platinum cards each has different fees and different benefits -will you need those benefits?-make sure No Fee means forever not just for the first year
  • Lowest minimum miles for a trip
  • Conversion Fees-For expenditures on your card outside the United States
  • Maximum miles that can be accumulated in 1 year. Some cards put a cap on this. If you're running business expenses through the card to earn miles then you might hit this cap very quickly.


See Also:


Comment on this article:

Your name:
  *Optional
Comments:

Homepage Articles Book Reviews Recommended Reading Glossary About Us Contact
del.icio.us


Contact Us  |   About Us  |   Privacy Policy Copyright ©2010 Infomercial.TV, Inc.