Getting Rewards for Holiday Shopping
Written by Sharon Henry   
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Word Count: 520 Christmas is getting closer and closer so it’s high time to think about your holiday shopping. According to the National Retail Federation an average American is planning to spend about $900 on holiday-related shopping. This figure includes not only gifts you want to buy for your dear ones and Christmas decorations but also what we call “small treats for myself”.

It’s no secret that money spend on Christmas usually exceeds any other seasonal spending. People get overwhelmed with the huge number of special offers, discounts, and sales. Although Christmas happens every year many consumers still fail to plan their spending and the biggest holiday becomes the biggest financial disaster.

That is way more and more people prefer to pay for their holiday purchases with credit cards. The statistics shows that almost one third of consumers use plastic to pay for their gifts and decorations. And more than half of them use credit card deals with rewards. What are the advantages that this type of plastic gives you?
- Convenience. Paying with plastic is very easy and convenient. It is much easier to track your transactions when all the purchases are charged to your credit card. You can analyze and control your spending during the holiday season.
- Security. We hear a lot about credit card fraud but the most important thing is that a credit card holder can not be liable for unauthorized purchases for more than $50. If you are overcharged or somebody steals your credit card information you are fully protected by law.
- Rewards. If you have a good credit history you can use a credit card with special rewards program. Usually, you receive points or miles for making payments with your credit card that can be later redeemed for gifts, discounts and bonuses. Depending on your program’s terms and conditions you can accrue additional points or miles for shopping at particular stores or purchasing particular products. Credit cards with rewards give you an excellent opportunity to spend and save at the same time.
- Cash. A special kind of reward programs is cash back. Cash back credit card deals are for good and excellent credit history only. With this type of plastic having spent a certain amount of money you qualify for a cash rebate. Sometimes you can request this money to be sent to a charity organization. Plastics that offer such an option are called charity cards.

Of course, you needn’t forget that usually credit cards require you to pay certain fees such as set-up fee, annual fee, etc. There is also an interest rate you should consider. However, if you have good credit score the fees and interest rate will be low.

An especially smart move will be to sign up for a new credit card right before your big Christmas shopping starts. Thus you will get numerous sign-up bonuses such as extra sign-up miles or points, an introductory period with zero percent APR on balance transfers and purchases. Send your credit card application now and get rewards for holiday shopping!