The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card may be considered as among the best rewards credit card out there today. The Sapphire Preferred credit card has a travel rewards program that cares about its card holders and where you plan to go. The customer service is very commendable as the lines are answered by real representatives and the points you get thru the reward system is really worth more when you use their travel site Ultimate Rewards.

Imagine the opportunities opened by the following rewards point system:

• Spend $3,000 during the first 3 months of the card and get 50,000 bonus points (this is about $625 of hotel accommodation or airfare
• Every $1 you spend using the credit card earns you 1 point
• Use the Sapphire Card Preferred credit card for travel and dining and earn twice the points
• Make use of Ultimate Rewards to book your hotel and flights and you can earn an extra point for every $1 of spending
• Consume 20% less of your reward points when you redeem for your next travel thru the Ultimate Rewards
• Earn 7% annual points dividend even on points that you have already redeemed
• No charges for foreign transactions
• Waived annual fee for your first year

The Sapphire Preferred credit card from Chase is the ideal card if you travel frequently since you get to earn points for every dollar you spend plus the fact that you earn the chance to double your points when you use the Ultimate Reward website to book your hotel accommodation or flight.

What’s so special about the Ultimate Rewards?

Here is what makes the Ultimate Rewards from Chase great – the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a travel rewards credit card but you can make use of the reward points you’ve earn to purchase anything that you want. You will be earning points for every dollar that you spend and you can use these points to get any merchandise, cash back, engage in exciting experiences, and for travel.

• Get 50,000 bonus points – Earn these reward points when you charge at least $3,000 on the first three months of the card. This amount of points is good enough to get your next flight for free. Qualifying transactions do not include checks cashed to your account and balance transfers.
• Double Points – Card holders of the Chase Sapphire Preferred can earn twice the points for every dollar the spend by using the card to book their travel arrangements.
• Get additional points – Consumers can get additional points when they use the Sapphire Preferred by booking their airfare or hotel room via Ultimate Rewards.
• 1 point: $1 spending – You practically earn a point for every dollar you spend.
• Annual bonus point dividend – You will be able to get 7% of the total points you accumulated over the year and this is applicable even if you have redeemed them already.

Redeeming Reward Points

The Sapphire Preferred credit card rewards you with a point for every dollar you spend with it. Your reward points also do not expire as long as the account is in good standing, current, and open. You can use your points for anything but you get most of the value when you spend it for travel.

You can redeem your reward points via the Ultimate Rewards site. Here you can use your points to purchase your flight tickets and you will be using about 20% lesser points. Let us say your $500 flight normally will cost you 50,000 reward points but thru Ultimate Rewards you will only use up 40,000 points.

You can also use your rewards points thru programs of hotels or airlines and be able to redeem them with a 1 is to 1 ratio.

The redemption of points via Ultimate Rewards is very flexible that it allows you to use it practically for anything that you want from goods, to gift cards, cash back, or for activities that you may want to experience.

Other Benefits

Chase continues to offer good customer service and secure banking when you use the Sapphire Preferred credit card. You can easily contact them when you have queries about your account, suspicious charges, or if you think someone is attempting to steal your identity and you will get appropriate answers and assistance from them.

• Identity Theft Protection – If you are a victim of identity theft, Chase will provide some assistance . They can go as far as reimbursement of the costs you encounter in trying to re-establish your identity and finances.
• $0 Liability Protection – You will not liable for any unauthorized purchases after your card has been stolen or has been lost.
• Customer Service – Card holders can call their customer service any time if you have inquiries about your credit card account with Chase or if you need to voice out complaints or ask for assistance in connection with your account.

Terms and Fees

The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card is a great car for those who travel and for those who love excellent reward points system. You do not have to worry about any annual fee during the first year of the card. The APR for this credit card is a variable 15.24%. The annual fee after the first year is $95. If you want to take advantage of the offer, act quickly.

Verdict

This credit card is perfect for those who love to make their credit card work for their next travel agenda, earn points while traveling, and also rake in points when buying almost anything.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card is the best travel rewards card today. Consider the 50,000 bonus points and you might line it up side by side with the best credit cards overall

Chase Freedom credit card gives the cardholder the chance to earn for every spending using the credit card thru its cash back program. One of its strongest selling point is the 5% cash back program for purchases under its most popular categories and 1% cash back for all spending using the Chase Freedom card.

You need a good to excellent credit score to be approved for the Chase Freedom cash back credit card. Here are the main features of this credit card:

$100 Bonus cash back

When you use your Chase Freedom credit card for purchases amounting to $500 in your first three months, you will be getting a $100 cash back.

Thru this cash back bonus you will be getting 10,000 points that can be redeemed as $100 check. You need to make qualifying purchases amounting $500 or greater within 3 months of account opening. The qualifying transactions may include purchases, checks used for the account, and balance transfers. Cash advances are not qualified.

Once you accumulate the qualified spending for the bonus, it might take around six to eight weeks before the points are reflected on your account. Your account must not be in default to qualify for this bonus.

This $100 bonus is also limited to first time card holders of Chase.

5% Cash Back

When you use the card you get a 1% cash back for all purchases plus bonus categories can earn you 4% summing up to 5%. The 4% cash back has a ceiling determined every quarter. You also need to enroll for this program quarterly. You will be qualified for the 4% special category cash back bonus as long as your card is not in default, do not violate any provisions of the rewards program, and receive your statement on a US address.

1% Cash Back

Every dollar of spending earns you 1 point on the cash back rewards program. You can also earn an extra point when you have airfare purchases thru the booking tool of the rewards program. For this part of the program you do not get the extra points for cash advances, balance transfers, cash-like transactions, money orders, or checks used for your account. See the bank’s website to know the inclusions and exclusions of earning the extra rewards point. The bank does not set a ceiling for poitns so you can earn as much for all qualified spending. They do have limitations for promotional or bonus programs. Card holders may be charged as much as $20 for airline ticket purchases or change of airline itineraries made thru their toll free number.

10% Cash Back

You get get as much as 10% additional cash back when you buy goods or services thru select merchants on the shopping portal of Chase.

Terms and Fees

The Chase Freedom credit card has no annual fee.

The card also gives a 0% introductory APR for the first 6 billing cycles of your card. Depending on your credit, the APR after the intro APR may r and 22.99%.

If you make a balance transfer with the first 36 days of your account, you also get a 0% APR but this is an extended intro APR for 12 cycles of your bill.

Cons

Chase Freedom credit card is only good for individuals with a credit score of good to excellent.

The balance transfer transaction fee is also a bit high at 3% to 5%. In case you make late payments or not pay at all, your penalty APR will be 29.99% APY

The foreign transaction fees are also on the high end at 3% per transaction.

Verdict

The Chase Freedom credit card is a good option for individuals who want to earn something back for their everyday spending. The cash back deal is also good with 1% for purchases and as high as 5% when you get something under their special categories. The cash back can go as high as 10% for purchases you make thru the online shopping portal of the bank.

The Chase Freedom credit card is among the best cash back credit cards in the market now weighing in the features of its cash back program and that it has no annual fee.

Overview of Benefits

The Blue Sky credit card from American Express maybe the best travel rewards credit card with no annual fee today since you can get more money out of the reward points compared t other credit cards in the market. You can use the American Express Blue Sky credit card to make reservations for your airline tickets, hotels, cruise lines, car rental, online travel websites, tour operators or travel agencies which give you the best of deals.

The Blue Sky card is also good for those who frequently fly with SouthWest but do not want to pay for the SouthWest Card. SouthWest is not accessible thru most big travel sites and portal for rewards programs. You will be able to book with SouthWest directly and you can redeem the points right after booking your travel itinerary so you can be credited back to your card statement. It is also an ideal credit card since you do not have to deal with the usual blackout dates, booking so far in advance, or deal with mandatory Saturday reservations.

Reward Points system of Blue Sky

The Blue Sky from American Express card holder gets a point for every dollar of spending. For a $100 value though you just need complete 7,000 points. Doing the math, this card gives you more value for every point earned is greater than the 1% of of the rewards points with no annual fee.

Other credit cards will require you to book you travel arrangements with their own agents but Blue Sky lets you go direct to the airlines, cruise lines, hotels, tour operators, car rentals, and travel websites which are submitted through proper identifiers or industry codes. You need to use your credit card to purchase the ticket and in return you will get points to be credited to your credit card statement.

If you want to make use of your reward points, you can make a redemption request for the reward points after being first billed for the spending. You must need to make use of the savings withint 60 months upon filing a request.

Restrictions and Blackout dates

Since you can go directly to your chosen travel agents, the card holder is not subjected to any travel restrictions or blackout dates.

Annual Fees

The Blue Sky credit card from American Express does not have an annual fee.

Blue Sky against other similar credit cards

Blue Sky Vs Discover Miles – The Discover Miles works the same way Blue Sky works. It gives you one mile for every dollar of your spending. Compared to the Blue Sky which only needs 7,000 points for a $100 savings on your ticket, Discover Miles require 10,000 points.

Blue Sky Vs No annual fee Venture card from Capital One – The Venture credit card also gives you one point for every dollar spent. Like most other credit cards in this category, It also requires 10,000 points for a value saving of $100. Blue Sky credit card still beats Venture in terms of making most of value and rewards. Venture though does not charge fees for foreign transactions.

Blue Sky vs AmEx Blue Sky Preferred – The Preferred version of the Blue Sky credit card has an annual fee of $75. In return for the fee, you can use the $100 reward credit for any travel expense like in-flight meals, baggage fees, etc.

Verdict

The Blue Sky credit card from American Express is perfect for those who want a card that has a travel rewards which they can use but at the same time want a card without any annual fee.

Other credit cards will require you to make use of their in-house travel agent services so you can redeem your credit card rewards, Blue Sky allows you to book directly with the airline, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, or websites so you get the best deal that suits your budget. Since you will be booking directly with your chosen agent or company, you will not be subjected to any travel restrictions as compared to other travel portals used by other credit cards.

The rebate you will be getting with Blue Sky is also better than 1% compared to other cards and rewards program.

Here’s a video to give you a glimpse of what you can do with the AmEx Blue Sky credit card:

The Discover® More® Card – Black is designed for people who have impressive credit ratings and who are looking to get huge rewards for it. A competitive credit card indeed, the Discover® More® Black lets card holders enjoy 5% Cashback Bonus® on specific purchasing categories, including travel, restaurants, movies, gas purchases, and more.
If you’re looking for a credit card which processes points immediately after your purchase, this is definitely the right card for you. Discover® More® Black lets you earn up to 1% on your general purchases and a maximum of 1% Cashback Bonus® on any purchase you use your card on.

Cardholders are also given the added benefit of earning a double Cashback Bonus® once they claim their rebates on gift certificates issued by participating partners of Discover® More® Card®.

The best part about this credit card is that it has no cap on the amount of rebates which can be claimed by a single card holder. Your rebates will also be valid as long as you’ve kept your card active during the 36-month-period. You don’t have to worry about expiring benefits again. Plus, the goodies don’t stop at the rewards program.

The Discover® Card® Black shares common perks with its Platinum sibling, including a maximum of $500,000 of travel insurance, fraud insurance, and auto rental insurance. The security system for this card is pretty impressive. Participating retailers and merchants will also give Discover® More® Card Black holders special discounts for every item they purchase.

The card is perfect for:
• Those who are planning to spend more than $3000 a year to earn the 1% cash rebate.
• Those who plan to use the card in participating retailers and merchandisers.
• Good little boy or girls who pay their monthly dues on time.

Word of caution
The highest cash rebate won’t be applied to all purchases made with the card. To enjoy the 1% cash rebate, you will have to spend $3000 first within one year. For other purchases made before the $3000 mark, less than 1% rebate will be given. For example, if you owned this card and spent $4000 with it, only $1000 will be given 1% cash rebate. This doesn’t include the promo 5% Cashback Bonus®.
Also, low interest rates are not given to all card holders. This will depend on your credit score.

Attractive card features: Probably what makes the card competitive over equivalents is the number of participating retailers and merchandisers who offer double cash rebates. With this card, you also get to enjoy a 0% introductory fee, and absolutely no added annual fees.

While the Platinum tag is a thing of the past, and the card goes with the $50 Cashback Bonus® name now, it retains all the privileges of the old Platinum card. You can probably get the most cash rebates and rewards with this credit card as long as you know how to use it properly. Compared to other credit cards in the market, the Discovery® More® Platinum Credit Card offers impressively high rebates in the following areas:

• 5% on home improvement stores, airlines, car rentals, hotels and cruises
• 5% and 20% rebates for over 100 stores online
• Double rebated for select, redeemed gift cards
• 0% introductory APR for purchases made on the first 6 months
• 0% APR for up to a year of balance transfers
• A rare 25-day grace period for payments
• Extra security (a separate card number issued for online shopping)

How the Regular Rebate Formula Works

It is important to note that this card is a tiered credit card, so your cash rebate will depend on how much you purchase with it. If you spend well enough, you can earn up to 2% cash rebate on all of your purchases. The rewards will be computed based on your annual expenditures. For every 1,500 yearly expenses, you’ll get a 0.25% cash rebate.

For $1500 to $3000 spent, you’ll earn 0.50% cash rebate. For expenses exceeding $3000, you earn an impressive 1% cash rebate.

Seasonal 5% Rebates for Specific Categories

The high 5% cash rebate will be applied to specific categories, depending on the calendar date. While they’re not applicable for all of your purchases throughout the year, if you buy from the right merchant at the right time, you’ll get to enjoy the cash rebate. For the first quarter of the year, you can earn 5% rebates on hotels, car rentals, cruises, and airlines.

During the second quarter of the year, you can enjoy 5% rebates on fashion retailers and home improvement stores. For the third quarter of the year, the 5% rebate is given for gas purchases, theme parks and hotels. Lastly, the fourth quarter’s 5% cash rebate can be earned through grocery purchases, movie tickets, and restaurant expenses.

Shop Discover Feature

The platinum cars also works as a Shop Discover® Card. This means that you can earn anywhere between 5% and 20% cash rebate whenever you purchase anything from participating online stores using the card. Make sure that you use your separate card number for security purposes whenever you’re doing some online shopping.

Take note, though, that you can log in to your Discover® More® account to shop with your card. Don’t go directly to the merchant’s website if you want to earn your points. Your credit card’s online account will let you navigate the same merchant pages, but transacting this way is more secure because Discover® More® can track your progress.

The list of participating stores will be given to you once you get this credit card.

Downside: This is not the card to use if you have a bad credit score. Just like its sibling, the Discover® More® Card Black, this is a credit card which rewards those who have impressive credit ratings. If you have a history of not paying your monthly dues on time, despite the generous grace period, this card won’t give you the best benefits.

If you have a clear slate on your credit card history, then there’s no reason for you not to get the Discover® More® Card—Clear. Of course, you also need to earn a minimum of $15,000 annually to own this card. Despite the seemingly stringent prerequisites, though, you’ll be happy to know that this credit card probably has the most flexible cash rebate system in the market.

For starters, those who were lucky enough to have this card don’t need to pay additional annual fees. Discover’s Get More Program also allows holders to get rebated even from items they purchase on a daily basis. Depending on the season, you can get 5% cash rebate for purchasing gas, grocery items, or materials for your home improvement projects.

You can also treat yourself to dinner, or go out of town with your partner and family, and enjoy the same cash rewards at the end of the day. Of course, as with other Discover® More® Cards, you need to schedule your expenses well to take full advantage of the Platinum card’s rotating 5% cash rebate promo.

If you don’t wish to use the automatic cash back reward, you may also choose to double your rewards by asking for gift certificated from participating merchants, instead. There are currently 60 popular brands which honor the Discover® More® Clear card.

As with other Platinum cards, the Discover® More® Clear also allows you to enjoy a maximum of $500,000 worth of insurance for travel accident, fraud, and car rental accident. The cash rewards for this credit card aren’t limited per year, so you can earn as many rebates as you want, for as long as you want. The only catch is that you need to keep your credit card active for 36 months.

Like – Flexible cash rewards and low interest rates for holders with good credit scores

Dislike – This card only benefits those with high, or at least clear credit scores.

If you just can’t do away with style, even in your credit card, and that style just needs to go with impressive cash rebates, you need to get a Discover® More® Card – Monogram. This credit card lets you earn cash rebates from popular purchase categories, without, of course, forgetting about the flair. You can personalize the design that’s going to be printed on the face of your card. Your initials will also be displayed in front of it.

If you think that the Monogram is all about face-value (pun intended), you’re wrong. The cash rewards you’ll get when you use this credit card is real and very practical. You can earn 5% cash rebates whenever you purchase plane tickets, cruise tickets, movie tickets, and the like. Of course, the 5% Cashback Bonus rotates throughout the year. This means that if you want to take advantage of your card fully, you should try to schedule your expenses.

For example, the Discover® More® 5% Cashback Bonus for the first quarter of the year can be earned by purchasing travel tickets, hotel rooms, and cruises from participating merchants. The 5% cash rebate from restaurant expenses, hotel stays, theme parks, and home improvement will be scheduled some other time of the year. A table of the 5% cash rebate will be given to holders of this card.

While you don’t actually get to plaster your own design on the card, several stylish card designs are available for you to choose from. What’s more, you can enjoy double rebates whenever you use gift certificates from participating partners of Discover® More®. Aside from the absence of any annual fees, you get to enjoy 0% balance transfer and purchase interest rates for the first six months.

Several benefits shared with the Platinum card are also offered. This includes a maximum of $500,000 auto rental, travel accident, and/or fraud insurance. The card also has impressive security protection features, including a separate number for online transactions.

To enjoy the 1% cash rebate, though, you will have to spend more than $3000 a year. The cash rebates before the $3000-mark will be rewarded accordingly, using a tiered system.

Thumbs up: The most unique and attractive feature of this card is the fact that you can customize its appearance. The cash rewards system, on the other hand, is pretty standard with other Discover® More® credit cards.

Thumbs down: The only downside to this credit card is the fact that its low interest rate can’t be offered for all card owners. You need to have an impressive credit rating to own this card.

If you’re concerned that all those plastic credit cards are doing more damage to the planet, you can be environmentally friendly without missing out on the perks of Discover® More® Biodegradable Card’s credit benefits. Do this by getting the Biodegradable Discover® More® Card. What makes this credit card unique is that it’s the first and possibly the only green credit card available in the market today.

Let’s begin with the credit card itself. The Biodegradable Discover® More® Card lives up to its name, and is 99% biodegradable after five short years of being in a landfill or compost. Because you’re concerned about the environment, Discover® More® will also reward you with 5% cash rebates on popular purchase categories, like movies, gas, restaurants, travel, and other items.

For other purchases, you’ll get to earn a generous 1% cash rebate. You can also get Double Cash Rebates using the Cashback Bonus® whenever gift checks you’ve issued from Discover® More® partners are redeemed. These rebates also have no annual limit, and will not expire as long as you’ve kept your credit card active for the next three years.

If you think that’s already too good to be true, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what comes next. With this credit card, you can enjoy 0% interest rates on all purchases and balance transfers for the first six months. If that doesn’t have you shopping for (earth-friendly) goodies, nothing will. To recap, below is a summary of all of the card’s pros and cons.

Good news: It’s biodegradable, gives 5% cash rebates on popular purchase categories, and 1% cash rebate on all other purchases. It has no annual rebate limit as long as your card was actively used during the 3 year term, and you don’t have to pay interest rates on purchases and balance transfers for the first six months.

Bad news: You shouldn’t be delayed in your monthly payments. The card has no stated grace period for payments, and the penalty is pretty hefty, amounting to 29.99% APR.

American Express launched a few months ago the Zync from American Express (SM) which pushes for a line of customizable credit card benefits for card holders.

Overview

The Zync from American Express (SM) is specifically designed for the hip young urban crowd who do not want to bring with them the AMEX of their parents.

The Zync credit card is like the usual American Express which requires payment of your due every end of the month and it does not have a pre-determined spending limit. This saves you the worry of paying for interest and going over your credit limit.

The marketing material used by American Express for the Zync credit card uses a language that can be understood by everyone, even by those who are not so familiar yet with personal finance. It also focuses on building a good credit history.

The rewards program of the credit card can also be customized to fit your need. It offers points for expenses in four different areas when individuals apply for the credit card.

How the Zync from American Express works

Zync allows CardMembers to select from 4 varying “packs” with each offering 2x the rewards for the different categories and giving you options on how you can spend the rewards you get. For every credit card, you will be able to get one point for each dollar you spend. You will also be able to take advantage of 3x the rewards points when you buy through 250 online partner retailers via the Bonus Points Mall.

The card comes with an annual fee of $25. The 3 of the 4 packs charges $20 each. The Eco credit card has no options and will allow card holder to get 2x the rewards points when you use it with participating green merchants.

Rewards

The Zync card offers different packs:

• Go Pack – This is ideal for those who travel a lot. The card will give you 2x the rewards points when you spend for airfare and it also comes along with a nice set of travel-related benefits.

• Social Pack – Earn double the regular rewards points when you use the card for events and when you dine out at your favorite restaurants. It also gives you special access to tickets for events even before the general public gets to know about them.

• Connect Pack – If you are the kind of spender who charges a lot for the internet, cell phone, or other communication related services then you will enjoy this Zync pack which gives 2x the rewards points for this kind of purchases. You can get mobile devices from mebershiprewards.com and you will be able to save 25% less of rewards points for your purchase. This means you can stretch your rewards points farther.

• Eco-Pack – This pack is meant for those who want to incorporate something green with their spending. This one has no annual fee, but it pushes for a lot of benefits. You can earn twice the rewards points for purchases you make with participating green merchants as selected by the Greenopia. You can also get 25% discounts on points you use when you buy eco-friendly stuff at membershiprewards.com/eco. You also get tips on how to live green via Greenopia’s Eco-concierge. American Express also buys a dollar’s worth of carbon offsets from the TerraPass for every Eco-Pack membership sold.

Benefits

Looking at the 4 different packs, the Go pack offers the most number of added benefits:

• Card holders will be signed up for the Credit Card Registry that gives assistance for Emergency Passport Replacement and reimburses up to $25,000 for fraudulent charges.

• You also get as much as 25% discount when you rent a car from Budget or Avis.

• Save as much as 20% on fees when you rent a vehicle from Hertz. This also comes with 2 days free use of a GPS when you rent the car for at least 3 days.

• When you reserve for AMEX Vacation packages through 2010 , you will be able to get $50 credit.

All of the four cards have these benefits:

• You get access to the online bills payment system, track spending via online graphs, and automatic payments.

• You can download you spending info to MS Money, MS Excel, or QuickBooks.

• When you purchase an item with a warranty of up to 5 years, you can extend the warranty of up to a year.

• When you are about 100 miles from your home, you will have access to their Global Assist Hotline.

Thumbs up features: You are able to select the categories where you can earn double the rewards points; benefits of having an AMEX credit card; online features to help you manage your finances; reputation of American Express.

Thumbs down features: The cards have an annual fee of $45 each except for the Eco Pack; Other credit cards may offer more generous rewards points system; no option for cash back.

Verdict

The Zync from American Express is ideal for those who want the freedom to customize their benefits. If you do not mind paying your balance in full each month, then Zync is packed with the benefits you might be looking for in a credit card.

The Travel Pack being offered also gives you the most value considering the $25 extra they charge for the different packs of the Zync Credit Card from American Express.

If you’re an absolute fan of the sea and you spend most of your weekends snorkeling or diving in with the sharks underwater, then it’s only proper that you get yourself a Discover® More® Card – Sealife Collection. This particular line of credit cards displays beautiful scenes from the sea which you would want to look at over and over again.

Aside from the pretty pictures, though, the Discover® More® Card – Sealife Collection has all the benefits of the Platinum line. This means that you get to enjoy 5% cash rebates on rotating purchase categories, 1% cash rebate after $3000 worth of purchase every year, security features, and more.

Those who own a Sealife Collection credit card from Discover® More® can enjoy up to $500,000 worth of insurance from travel accidents, and car rental accidents. You won’t be held liable for any fraudulent activities done using your credit card. The Platinum Sealife Collection has no annual fee, and you can enjoy 0% interest rate for your purchases and balance transfers during the first six months.

Double cash rebates are also available whenever gift checks from participating partners of Discover® More® are redeemed. The cash rewards have no limit, and they don’t expire as long as you keep your credit card transactions active for three whole years.

Probably the only downside to this card is that it’s designed for people who have excellent credit standing. If you have a history of late credit card payments, you might have a hard time getting this card. Also, if you used to have a good credit standing, but you failed to pay your dues when you use this card, you will be made to pay a hefty penalty fee.