Cashback Credit Cards
and
Tricks for Using Them

We use our DISCOVER CARD for 95% of our purchases (groceries, gas, vacations, incidentals ect) this year we spent $19,272 & received a $177.74 cash back bonus. We pay no annual fee & never carry a balance. DISCOVER 800-347-2683
T.G.

I currently have a Edvance card -- owned by Fleet banking. For every $2500.00 I charge I receive a $50.00 savings bond. They also provide a free quarterly newsletter containing information on college scholarships and education funding. There are no annual fees and no finance charges if you pay your balance every month. They can be contacted at 1-800-492-2500.
Jaime

We currently have a Mastercard through BJs Wholesale club that pays us 1% back on ALL purchases anywhere as well as 2% back on anything purchased at BJ's. The BJs here just put in gas pumps and we also get 2% back on the gas for the cars (as well as about 5-6 cents cheaper per gallon than other gas stations around). I put just about everything on the card and then take the money out of the budget right away so there is no chance of overspending. They pay you each month (BJ's bucks) on your credit card statement. The only drawback is if you do not shop at BJ's because the BJs bucks must be used at BJs. For us it is free baby wipes and toilet paper each month. Every little bit helps!
Jennifer D.
York, PA

We have been using the Toys R Us Visa card for the last 2 years and it has been a wonderful card for us. There is no annual fee and you earn 1% of what you charge back in "Geoffrey Dollars", to use at any Toys R Us, Kids R Us or Babies R Us store. If you charge a purchase at Toys R Us, Kids R Us or Babies R Us, you earn 4% on that charge. We pay off our balance every month so we're not throwing money away on interest. Even though 1% is not a whole lot, we have tried to charge everything we can, little to big and have earned a substantial amount. Whenever my husband travels for work the charges go on the card and then WE earn the credit for them. It really does add up. The last few years we have used them to buy diapers - something we've needed to buy anyway and their price is competitive so why not get them free? Also, now that we're ending the diaper-stage with our children, we use the free money to buy birthday gifts and Christmas gifts. The "Geoffrey Dollars" come in the form of a coupon and you can even buy gift certificates with them, another nice benefit to send gifts in the mail to out of town relatives. They send them in $10-dollar increments each month depending on your charges. They do have an expiration date of one year after issuance but so far it hasn't been a problem for us.
T. A.

I have selected the Sunoco MasterCard as my everyday use rebate card. I charge EVERYTHING: phone, lights, gas, groceries you name it. Other cards may have steeper rebates, but many of these merchants do not have locations in my area. I make it a point to stay away from cards that charge annual fees (airline cards), also from cards that don't offer rebates unless you carry a balance and accrue steep finance changes (such as the GE Rewards Cards and several VISA cards from Associates Bank). Another potential pitfall is cards that lock you into buying a specific brand. I always make sure I'm getting the best price on fuel after the rebate before I buy. The Sunoco MasterCard gives you 4% back on all Sunoco fuel and .5% back on all other purchases up to $12,000 annually. Above $12,000 you earn 1%. I often but other brands of gas if the price is cheaper then the price of Sunoco after the 4% rebate. And yes, I do use my Sunoco MasterCard to purchase other brands and have never been treated poorly for doing so.
Jon K.

I like my MBNA visa from LL Bean. You earn LL Bean Dollars - 10 for each 1,000 you charge, redeemable on LL. Bean products and if you use the card to charge your order, shipping is free. I used the card to pay my house and car taxes and when the bill comes in will pull the payment from my savings....delay withdrawl from interest earning account and earn LL Bean dollars. Coupons are good for a year too and can be combined.
Joan B.

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