Cash Back Credit Cards - Finding the Best Available

Summary: This article describes how to find the best cash back credit cards available.

Cash back credit cards provide fantastic opportunities for those that carry them. For every purchase a cardholder makes with one of these cards, a cash rebate is earned. This makes cash back credit cards potentially very profitable for those that take the time to choose the best card available and then, of course, use it effectively. When looking for the best cash back credit cards, it is important to take several things under consideration. One of the most important features to consider when searching for the best card is the actual rebate percentage provided. Most cash rebate cards provide cardholders a percentage of the amount charged to the card. Obviously, the higher the rebate percentage, the greater amount of money that can be earned so the consumer should look for the greatest rebate percentage available. Most cash back credit cards are partnered with certain businesses that derive mutual benefit from cardholder purchases. For example, a cardholder may receive a 1% rate of return on general purchases, but a 5% rate if purchases are made at a certain gas station. Therefore, it is important for consumers to choose a cash back credit card that provides special incentives with businesses or services the consumer uses frequently. It certainly would not make much sense for a consumer to use a cash back credit card providing a special 5% rate for purchases made at a restaurant if the consumer never dines out! The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of the cash back credit card also needs to be taken under consideration. Many cash back credit cards tend to have a higher APR than those without special rewards programs. The consumer must be aware of the APR of the card in order to determine if the ultimate finance charges will be more or less than the actual reward benefits earned. If the finance charges will cost the consumer more than the rewards he or she will earn, then the card is not worth keeping. But cardholders that pay their balance off in full each month do not need to be overly concerned with the APR. Just as the APR must be considered when looking for the best cash back credit card, it is also important to look at the annual associated with the card. A rebate card with an annual fee may not be worthwhile in the long run. Therefore, the cardholder needs to be sure that he or she will earn enough cash back during the year to make the annual fee worth paying for. Not all cash back credit cards are created equal. Some send money to the cardholder once per year while others will credit the rebate back to the cardholder account. Still other cash back credit cards place the money in interest earning accounts or in special college savings accounts. With some cards, the points toward cash back earnings are calculated and sent to the cardholder automatically. Still others require the cardholder to request the refund once he or she has accumulated enough points. All of these need to be taken into consideration when determining which card is best. Some cash back credit cards have limitations to how many rebates can be earned per year. For some cardholders, this is not an issue because the limit is much higher than they will ever spend. For others, this cap can be a concern. In addition, some cash back credit cards place an expiration date on how long the rebates are good. Therefore, those that think they may not cash in on their rebates on a frequent basis need to consider whether or not they will be able to use the rebates before they expire.