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

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.

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:

Chase is now running a credit card promo for the Slate(SM) which allows you to do balance transfers of up to fifteen months with an intro APR of 0%.

The Chase Slate(SM) credit card looks like an ordinary Visa card when you look at it but it has a twist into it. The bank implements its BluePrint program with Chase Slate(SM) credit card which gives cardholders the opportunity to manage their finances easier.

BluePrint

BluePrint by Chase is a set of free features which can be used by Chase customers. It allows you to manage your spending on terms which you may find easier. Cardholders can make use of this features for free. BluePrint has the following features:

• Full Pay – you can avoid the interest rates on piling up on certain categories if you pay these items each month in full.
• Split – you can set manageable monthly payments and set your goals when you want to finish paying an item off.
• Finish it – If you want to pay off your debt faster, you can setup your terms and the bank will help you setup a reasonable plan.
• Track it – monitor how you spend and how you are paying them off, and also set your goals.

Chase Slate(SM) credit cardholders can avail of these BluePrint features for free. You can activate one or all of the four features mentioned above since they are designed to blend together so you can manage your finances better.

The cardholder may encounter terms like minimum payment, BluePrint payment, and regular payment. The BluePrint Payment actually includes your minimum payment and allows you achieve your goals in paying what you owe. Paying your BluePrint Payment means you are making progress on your goals, and you can adjust your BluePrint payment plan any time so it will fit your budget.

Cardholders do not have to worry about missing their Blueprint payment for a certain month as long as you pay the minimum or regular payment that is due.

Chase customers can setup the BluePrint features by logging into their online account or by asking for the assistance of their customer service professionals.

Pros

The biggest strength of the Chase Slate(SM) credit card is how it allows cardholders to customize their payment terms which best suits their current financial situation.

It has a 0% intro APR. It has no annual fees. You can also separate certain items which you want to pay in full and leave the others on the usual payment scheme.

Cons

This credit card does not have a reward program in place. Some customers may also see this as another card with a certain catch. The bank still has the final say on the terms so you still have to deal with the interest rates.

Fees

No annual fees for this Slate(SM) Chase credit card. Take note that you will have to shoulder 3% of the amount of the balance that you need to transfer. Cash advances also charges 3% of the amount. Late payments fees and over the credit spending may cost you as much as $39.

Verdict

The Slate(SM) credit card from Chase maybe a good card for those who have good to excellent credit scores who at times carry a credit card balances. You may opt to pay your regular item purchases in full to avoid incurring finance charges while carrying over the balance for other purchases. The Slate(SM) credit card is better than other usual credit cards which puts on finance charges for every purchase with no grace periods for carry over balances. The Slate(SM) credit card allows consumers to avoid this finance charges thru the BluePrint features and designating items to be paid in full.

Here is a video to give you an overview of the Chase Slate(SM) credit card:

Cardholders will be able to ear a 5% Cashback Bonus through the rewards program when the credit card is used for gas, restaurants, movies, travel, and more. General purchases can also earn you and all other purchases also get you a 1% Cashback Bonus automatically.

Discover also throws in an additional bonus with the Discover More Card with an opportunity to double up the cashback bonus when redeeming the rebates from Discover Card Partners for gift certificates. You do not have to worry about any annual limit on the rebates that you can earn. The rebates also do not expire as long as you keep the account active within a 3-year period.

The credit card also gives some platinum benefits in addition to the rewards program in place. This includes an accident insurance when you travel worth $500,000, coverage for auto rentals, fraud protection, and security protection. Of course there are also discounts for card holders for a lot of services and products when card holders avail of them at participating retailers and merchants.

Take note that the highest rebates will not be applicable to all purchases. The 1% rebate will only take effect when you spend over $3,000 in a year. This means that the actual rebate will be lesser than 1% and that depends on how much you spend using the credit card.

Thumbs up Features: 0% intro rate, no annual fee, double cash rebates when used with participating merchants and retailers.

Thumbs down Feature: Low interest rate is not available for all applicants

Important Rates and Fees information

• 0% Intro APR: this applies for all purchases within the first six months and 0% for balance transfers for the first year of the card

• Purchases APR: 12.99% minimum

• Cash Advance APR: 23.99%

• Cash Advance Fee: 5% for every cash advance; minimum of $10 and no max

Summary of Rewards Program

• Rebate minimum of 0.25%, maximum of 5%

• Earn the 5% Cashback Bonus for spending on travel, restaurants, gas, movies, and more; all other purchases automatically earn 1%

• Inactivity of the account for 36 months may result into invalidity of portion or all of the cashback bonus

• Get the $50 Cashback Bonus when you spend at least $599 for the first three (3) months of your credit card

Other Features

• You can personalized the design of the credit card
• Various services related to the account online
• Travel accident coverage of up to $500K
• Security and fraud protection services
• Insurance when you rent a vehicle
• Discounts for different services and products with participating retailers and merchants

VERDICT

Discover® More® Card - $50 Cashback Bonus® Credit Card is ideal for those who spend around $3,000 in a year (for the 1% cash rebate), those who want get double cash rebate by using their credit card with participating retailers, and those who actually pay in full every month after the expiration of the intro rate to avoid hurting their pockets with the finance charges.

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.

This is the second review of the The TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express. You can find the first review here: http://www.dollarbanker.com/credit-cards/trueearnings-amex-business-card-from-costco-best-cash-back-card-for-costco/

The TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express is one of a kind credit card that you will benefit from if you love shopping in bulk from wholesalers like Costco. American Express has collaborated with Costco to benefit credit card users and consumers in a lot of ways.

Here is a quick glimpse of the features of TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express:

It is more than a Costco Card

Every time you buy at Costco using your Amex TrueEarnings credit card, you get a 1% cash back reward. You basically get something from what you take out of your pocket.

What is great with this credit card is that the cash back rewards are not just limited to what you buy from Costco stores. You also get 2% cash back when you spend for hotels, airplane tickets, and car rentals using your TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express.

The TrueEarnings card also gives you additional coverage for damage or car rental loss. You don’t have to pay extra for this service since you automatically qualify for the insurance when you use your card for the car rental.

Another bonus you can get when you use your TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express is a 3% cash back for gasoline purchases. This is effective for your first $3,000 of gasoline purchases and is limited to 1% thereafter. It is still an excellent feature even with the restriction.

Aside from the travel spending, gasoline purchases, and Costco shopping, the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express also gives you 3% cash back for all you spend while enjoying your favorite dish in your favorite restaurant.

There are no limits on how much of cash back rewards you can earn. You can see the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express rewards adding up over time when you purchase regularly. It is safe to say that you will see your rewards grow exponentially.

You can even get more cash back when you get an additional card member.

Easy Credit Card Management

TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express comes with a line of tools that can help manage your account online. If you need to view your account statement, check your rewards, make payments, or transfer balances, you can do everything with a few clicks of a button.

It is easy to set up payments to automatically pay for your cellphone, utility bills, and other recurring expenses. You can do whatever you need to do with your account 24×7 in the comfort of your own home, office, or even a coffee shop.

The TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express sends you an annual summary and monthly monitoring of your spending. How you spend your money every month is broken down into categories like dining, travel, entertainment, and others. This clear monitoring can help you a lot come tax season.

Aside from the easy account management and no annual fees if you paid for your Costco membership, the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express gives you purchase protection which can extend up to 90 days. This coverage includes protection from accidental damage or theft.

Verdict

We recommend the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express to Costco members and non-Costco members alike. Aside from saving money buying in bulk you can enjoy a lot of rebates by using the credit card.

• 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.

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 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.