How do you redeem credit card rewards?

Question

One of the easiest unsecured cards to get approved for is the Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit. You can get approved for it even with bad (300) credit. It offers a $300 starting spending limit. And you can use it wherever VISA is accepted.

This isn’t your only option, though. WalletHub’s editors compared all of the unsecured credit cards in our database of 1,500+ offers. And we selected our favorite easy-to-get offers.… read full answer

Here are some of the easiest unsecured credit cards to get approved for:

Rewards: Credit One Visa.

Small businesses: Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business.

No credit: Capital One Platinum Credit Card

No annual fee: Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card.

Easiest store card: Fingerhut Credit Account.

Students: Journey Student Rewards from Capital One.

The easiest unsecured credit cards to get generally work best for minor emergencies. You will only receive a small amount of spending power, after all.

Unsecured credit cards for people with bad credit also tend to be very expensive, charging lots of fees and high interest rates. So, if you don’t need a small emergency loan, the best course of action is to improve your credit inexpensively with a secured card. Secured cards are cheaper than unsecured cards, build credit just as effectively, and offer the closest thing you’ll find to guaranteed approval.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's complete list of the year’s easiest credit cards to get approved for.

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Answer 1 · 2021-07-09 12:07:53

WalletHub, Financial Company

@WalletHub • 07/09/21 This answer was first published on 07/25/19 and it was last updated on 07/09/21.For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.

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Exactly how you redeem credit card reward points varies by credit card company, but most credit card users can redeem reward points online through their account summary page. Some credit card issuers also let you redeem rewards over the phone. Credit card reward points may be redeemable for cash back, travel purchases, gift cards, and more, depending on the card.

Once you redeem your credit card reward points, they’ll be subtracted from your rewards balance immediately and your account will be credited within 1-3 weeks, if applicable. In some cases, reward points will expire if you do not use them by a certain time.

Here's how to redeem credit card reward points:

Log in to your online account and head to “Account Summary.” Specifics will vary by issuer, but your rewards will usually be featured on a main account page.
Click on “Rewards Balance.” The exact wording may differ depending on the issuer. Once you click on your rewards balance, you’ll be taken to a page with your total amount of unredeemed rewards, and information about your redemption options.
Select how you’d like to redeem your rewards. You may be able to redeem reward points for travel purchases, cash back in the form of a check or statement credit, merchandise, or gift cards, depending on the rewards card.
Redeem your rewards. Once you redeem your credit card reward points, the points will be deducted from your rewards balance immediately. If you’re redeeming for statement credits or covering past purchases, your account will usually be credited within a week. If you redeem your points for gift cards or merchandise, you can expect them to arrive in the mail within 2-3 weeks.

While many rewards cards will let you choose from multiple redemption options, you’ll usually get the most value with one in particular. For example, travel rewards credit cards will often give you the most when you redeem your points for travel purchases, and your rewards may be worth less if you redeem them for cash back or gift cards.

On average, credit card reward points are worth 1 cent each. Most major credit card issuers, like Chase, Capital One and American Express, advertise that your points will not expire as long as your account remains open. But you should check the exact terms and conditions of your specific credit card to make sure you don’t lose any rewards you’ve earned.