Getting the most benefits from your cash back credit card

So many credit cards - so little time. Is this the way you feel about all the options that are now available in credit cards? It really is incredible when it comes to the various possibilities of how you can benefit from a cash back credit card. Here are a few things you need to look for when you choose yours.

The first thing you need to know about cash back credit cards is that some of them come with incentives. Some of these could be pretty good so you may want to start by looking at them. A couple of them will give you as many as 10,000 points which will go toward whatever the focus is of that credit card (air miles, hotels, etc.). If one of these will best suit your needs, then you would want to look at that particular card a little further.

The next thing you want to consider is the interest rate. This can vary anywhere from about 7.99% up to 18.24%. Normally, this interest rate does not go into effect until the introductory period runs out - but it will eventually. So, if you allow balances to remain on your credit card, you will want to choose one with as low an interest rate as you can.

Then, look to see if the cash back credit card allows balance transfers. If you have any balances on other credit cards that you are paying any interest on, then you will want to put it on your new card and get 0% APR interest. Check to see how long you can enjoy that interest rate - it could be for the life of the transfer - which means until it is paid off. Also, look to see if there are any fees for transfers on the card. At least one credit card company will even pay you to make the transfer.

When it comes to seeing how much of a rebate your cash back credit card actually will give, you will find that it varies. Some offer as much as 5% cash back with certain purchases - usually on things like gasoline, groceries and medicine. Some will give you an overall cash back of 3% on everything you buy. Truthfully, you will need to compare the interest rate with the percentage of cash back in order to get an accurate picture of the overall benefits. Some credit card issuers seem to hope that you may not notice.

Other things you need to look at on your cash back credit card is the various fees that apply. This means you need to read the fine print on the offer and compare it with other offers for the same type of card. Some credit cards also have an annual fee, may require you to keep balances on your credit card, or your air miles may disappear after a while. Other cards may have very high fees, or are limited to certain types of places where you can use your points. Be sure that you can actually use all the benefits - or find another one.