How Can a Travel Credit Card Help You Save Money?
A travel credit card can be a great way to save money, but not everyone knows how to use credit cards to their fullest. If you’ve never considered the different ways in which a travel credit card may be able to help you save, you might want to know more so you can save as much as possible. Here are a few of the ways in which a travel credit card might be able to help you save.
General Rewards
General rewards are one of the most common ways to save money with a travel credit card. In general, when you make purchases on your travel credit card, you’ll get some amount of points, which you can use to pay for travel purchases. It’s common to receive a baseline rewards percentage on most of your purchases, then extra rewards on purchases made within specific categories. For example, you may get 1 mile per dollar spent on all purchases, then 2 miles per dollar spent on groceries.
Sign-On Bonus
A sign-on bonus is one of the ways that credit card companies try to convince people to sign up for a new credit card. With a sign-on bonus, you’ll get an extra bonus when you make a certain dollar amount of purchases within the first few months of having your card. The Capital One Venture Card, for example, gives you a whopping 60,000 points as a bonus when you spend at least $3,000 within the first three months.
Transfer of Miles
Some cards allow you to transfer the miles you get from the card to partner hotels, airlines, and other travel companies. Typically, you’re able to transfer these miles with a one-on-one process. That means that if you transfer your miles and book directly, you may be able to get better prices, an easier booking process, and even better value for your miles if you’re smart about transferring them. Look for mile transferring partners to make sure you get the most out of your miles.
Other Benefits
There are generalized benefits that many travel credit cards are able to give you. If you get a certain travel credit card, for example, you may be able to benefit from application fee credits for TSA Pre✓ or Global Entry, rental car insurance, and even access to special events. You might also get discounts on sports events and tickets for your favorite sports team, for instance, Padres tickets, etc. If you want the most out of your travel credit card, you’ll want to make sure that the extra benefits available are benefits that you’ll really use.
Conclusion
A travel credit card can be a great way to save money as long as you know how to use it. If you’re looking into different ways to save money, you can check for general rewards, a sign-on bonus, mile transfer programs, and other general benefits. Make sure that all of these things line up with how you’re planning to use the card, and you’ll be more likely to save money on your travel purchases over time.
