A credit card allows you to buy now and pay later, but a credit card offers even better benefits for holiday shoppers. Here are a few tips and tricks to using a credit card this holiday season:
1. Use just one credit card – Using one credit card will help you record all of your holiday shopping on just one credit card statement. More importantly, should you ever need to make a return, you will be able to know exactly how you paid for the gift. Many retailers only accept returns with a proper receipt or credit card. Once scanned, the retailer can automatically credit your card with the amount equal to the returns. Retailers have records of your credit card spending on your store, eliminating the need to keep track of receipts.
2. Credit cards are great for online shopping – Credit cards offer fraud protection that no debit card can match. By using a credit card, you can be sure that your payments go through without a hitch. Should your card number be intercepted by a third-party, any spending on your card can be reversed without draining your bank account. Remember, all borrowers have fraud protection for any fraudulent charges on their credit card bills.
3. Rewards add up quickly – Rewards credit cards are great for times when you expect to spend more in any given month than you would normally. Rack up those rewards by putting all of your holiday shopping on a cash back credit card. Alternatively, start building points for the summer vacation of your dreams while shopping for winter holidays.