Get your wallet ready — it's that time again with the holidays right around the corner.
If you are thinking the holidays are stressful enough without jumping through hoops to earn a few extra credit card rewards, here's the good news: It's not as hard as you think and the result can be rewarding.
Open a credit card: Credit card issuers often offer piles of points or cash back when you open a card. But the catch is that you will need to spend a certain amount of money on the card within a set time frame to earn that welcome offer. If that new credit card earns cash back, those bonus funds can help stretch your holiday budget.
Online shopping portals: Ditching the crowded stores this year? According to Deloitte's study, 63% of holiday shoppers plan to make most of their purchases online. If you're one of them, shopping portals can be an easy way to rake in additional miles, points or cash back on top of the regular rewards your credit card earns. A shopping portal is a website that provides an incentive of cash back, points or miles if you click through its links to shop on a retailer's site.
In-store shopping offers: Similar to shopping portals that provide a bonus for online purchases, several mobile apps provide bonus points or cash back for in-person purchases. For example, apps like Rakuten, Dosh and Swagbucks offer bonus rewards for shopping at hundreds of stores.
Credit card-linked offers: Many credit card issuers offer discount programs for using their cards at certain retailers. Think of these offers like a built-in digital coupon you can click on from your online account and add to your credit card. Discounts are issued through statement credits or bonus points with the rewards program associated with your credit card.
Buy gift cards: If you are buying gift cards to give as holiday presents, you can earn extra rewards by purchasing them from certain stores. While there is no problem buying one or even a few gift cards to lock in bonus rewards, don't go overboard. If credit card issuers see a trend of gift card purchases, they may claw back your bonus points.
Dining rewards programs: Most major hotel and airline loyalty programs are linked to a dining rewards network that you can join for free. Search for your favorite hotel or airline's dining rewards site, and enter your ZIP code to see which restaurants near you are part of the program.
