Tekst źródłowy strony 6 Tips For Using Credit Cards This Holiday Season

id="article-body" class="row" section="article-body" data-component="trackCWV"><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Quentin Jones/Getty<br><br><br><br><br><br>The holiday season is here, and these tips can help you use your credit cards to maximize your savings and keep your purchases safe. Whether you're [https://www.blogher.com/?s=spending spending] on gifts for family and friends, travel or otherwise, the right credit card with the right features can help stretch your dollars and make your seasonal transactions as seamless as possible.<br>1. Use virtual card numbers when shopping onlineIt's possible for scammers to get a hold of your credit card information online when you make purchases. When this happens, it's likely you'll have to shut down your account and wait for a new card to be issued. To avoid this hassle, many credit card companies offer one-time "virtual account numbers" to make online purchases. You'll be issued a unique 16-digit card number, expiration date and CVV that you can use to safely make a purchase with your account without entering your card's real information. For credit cards that offer this feature, like some select Citi® cards and the new *, just log in to your account and request a virtual account number -- it should be generated on the spot.<br>2. Use the best cash-back rates<br>Using one of the  is a tried and true way of maximizing your savings during the holidays. If you're planning to do both brick-and-mortar and online shopping, the * offers a flat 2% cash rewards on purchases. If most of your holiday shopping will be online, you might consider the * or the *. <br><br><br>With the Customized Cash Rewards card, you can opt to receive 3% cash back on online shopping (and 2% cash back on grocery stores and [https://www.aquaristik-bayern.de/ Aquaristik Großhandel | Händlershop | Dropshipping| Wholesale | B2B von Aquaristik-Bayern. Verkauf nur an den zoologischen Fachhandel und an gewerbliche Züchter! Ihr Großhandel für Aquaristik] clubs, for up to a combined $2,500 of expenditure in 3% and 2% categories per quarter, then 1%). With the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, you can enjoy 5% cash back on all Amazon and Whole Foods purchases if you have a Prime membership, among other benefits. <br>3. Use a card with purchase protection<br>A lot of people have credit card benefits they're not even aware of that are tucked away in the fine print. Many credit cards offer purchase protection against damage and theft, which acts like insurance for your gifts. For a set amount of days -- generally between 90 and 120 days -- purchases you make on the card that are stolen or damaged may be refunded up to certain value thresholds. For example, the  is a top cash-back credit card that offers Purchase Protection for 120 days on purchases made with the card. If an item you purchased is damaged or stolen from you or your gift recipient, you can receive up to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.<br>4. Use a card with trip protection<br>If you're traveling for the holidays, some credit cards offer flight, hotel, car rental and other trip insurance perks for card holders at no extra cost. Trip protection and trip cancellation insurance are common features of some credit cards -- again, you just have to look at the fine print. There can be a wide range of protection offered on travel-related purchases made on your card, such as car rental insurance, reimbursements for delayed flights and other trip interruptions, baggage insurance and sometimes more. The  is a well-rounded card that offers comprehensive trip cancellation and interruption insurance.<br>5. Use a welcome bonus<br>If you're going to be spending anyway -- and you're in the market for a new credit card -- you might as well reward yourself with a . Many sign-on bonuses, or welcome bonuses, can net you up to several hundred dollars in cash back, statement credit, rewards points or travel miles. If you're looking for a credit card solely to take advantage of the sign-on bonus, we recommend one with no annual fee, such as the Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited and *, which all feature a sign-on bonus of $200 after you spend $500 within the first three months of opening an account.<br><br>Read more: <br>6. Use a card with 0% introductory APR<br>You can apply for a  to receive interest-free, long-term financing on your holiday purchases. While many cards offer 0% introductory APR for purchases for 12 to 15 months on average, some offer longer periods -- like the , which offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases (and balance transfers) for 20 billing cycles (14.49% to 24.49% variable APR thereafter). One of your current cards may also have a 0% financing -- you can find out by viewing your account offers online. Some cards often offer 0% financing deals even after you've had the account open for a while. As always, be careful not to go overboard with holiday spending and make sure you can make your monthly payments in full.<br>More of our credit card recommendations<br><br><br><br>CNET Personal Finance <br><br><br><br><br>A direct deposit of news and advice to help you make the smartest decisions with your money.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.<br><br>*All information about the X1 card, Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card, Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, Wells Fargo Active Cash Card, and the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.<br>