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Deciding what to buy, when to buy it, how to pay, and whether it’s worth the price. Get more for every dollar you spend.
If you fly one airline with a partner or child at least once a year, a companion certificate from an airline credit card can save you more than the card’s annual fee. Before you count on it, check which fares and routes it covers, what taxes you still pay, and when it expires.
Get the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card if you fly Delta a few times a year and check a bag, since the free checked bag alone makes its $150 annual fee worth paying. If you rarely fly Delta or never check a bag, skip it unless you’d use its hotel and rideshare credits anyway.
Open the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card if you want Delta miles without an annual fee, since it earns 2 miles per dollar on purchases from Delta and at restaurants. If you check a bag on two or more Delta round trips a year, choose the Delta SkyMiles Gold for its free checked bag instead.
Before you redeem credit card points, subtract any taxes you’d still pay from the cash price of what you’re getting, divide by the points it costs, and multiply by 100 for cents per point. If your points can go to cash back or travel at about a cent each, as Chase Ultimate Rewards points can, skip anything under that.
A credit card beats a debit card on fraud protection, the right to dispute charges, rewards, and building credit. But carry a balance, and on average the interest and fees outweigh the rewards. Put everyday spending on credit only if you pay the full balance every month.
Cash back sits in your card account until you redeem it, and closing the card can wipe it out. Some issuers also take it after months without activity or when you fall behind on payments. Before you close or downgrade a card, redeem the balance as a statement credit or deposit, which pays full value at most issuers.
A rotating-category card pays 5% only if you activate each quarter’s categories. Skip activation and most of those purchases earn just 1%. Set a recurring reminder for the first day of every quarter and activate that day, since some issuers pay the 5% only from your activation date forward.
Flexible credit card points can usually move into an airline’s frequent flyer program at one point per mile. There, the same flight often costs far fewer points than in your card’s travel portal, plus taxes and fees in cash. Find the seat on the airline’s site first, then transfer only what the booking needs, since transfers are final.
A 3% credit card surcharge outweighs 2% cash back, leaving you about 1% behind. Before you pay, look for the surcharge notice at the register or a fee line on your bill. If you find one, pay with debit, which card networks bar merchants from surcharging. Save the card for big jobs paid up front, where its dispute rights matter.
A refundable hotel rate usually costs more than a prepaid one, but it lets you rebook the same room for less if the price drops before your stay. Book one early, set a price alert for your dates, and when the rate falls, reserve the cheaper room first and cancel the original second.
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