This page includes information about the Discover it® Student Cash Back product, which is currently not available on Business Insider and may be out of date.
- Since travel is challenging right now, earning airline miles or hotel points isn't necessarily a top priority.
- It's still worth earning credit card rewards, but you may want to consider cards that work within a flexible program. This way, you can redeem points for things other than travel.
- Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards are three popular credit card programs that let you cash in points for travel but also for gift cards, statement credits, merchandise, and more.
- Also keep in mind that cash-back credit cards offer superior flexibility. Even if you wind up taking statement credits to cover bills charged to your credit card, you won't have to worry about being stuck with rewards you can't redeem.
- See Business Insider's list of the best rewards credit cards.
If the pandemic has taught us anything about travel, it's that nothing is set in stone. While airports are finally seeing more passengers and hotels are starting to open their doors, it's going to be a long time until travel is back to normal again.
And until that day, many of us who travel often are stuck trying to figure out how to get refunds or travel credits for all the trips we had to miss. Many are also stuck with rewards they cannot see themselves using for a while. If you don't plan to fly for at least the remainder of 2020, for example, a giant stash of airline miles won't do you a lot of good.
Some frequent flyer programs do let you cash in miles for non-flight options, but these options are rarely optimal. And the same is true for hotel loyalty programs and points.
With this in mind, many consumers prefer to earn flexible rewards points anyway. If you're eager to earn points or miles you can't be "stuck" with, consider cards that let you earn points in the following programs:
Chase Ultimate Rewards
The Chase Ultimate Rewards program may be best known for its travel options, but the versatility of this program is truly unmatched. With any Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card, you have the option to book travel through the Chase portal or to redeem points for cash back, gift cards, or statement credits to your account. You can also use points to pay for merchandise with Apple or Amazon.com, or to book experiences.
If you sign up for a travel credit card from Chase, you get more options when it comes to travel. But remember, these are only options, as you can still redeem points for all the other Chase Ultimate Rewards redemptions listed above.
With the
You also get more value out of your points when you redeem for travel in the Chase portal with these cards. Specifically, the
American Express Membership Rewards
Another flexible program to consider that is normally synonymous with travel is American Express Membership Rewards. Cards like
The thing is, there are a lot more ways to use American Express Membership Rewards points. You can use them for gift cards and merchandise, for starters, but you can also pay with points at checkout with brands like GrubHub.com and Amazon.com.
You can also use Membership Rewards points to cover eligible purchases made on your credit card.
Citi ThankYou Rewards
Citi ThankYou Rewards can be earned with cards like the
Additional options include cash back or statement credits, which anyone can use. You can use Citi points to book travel through the Citi travel portal, and Citi also has its own list of airline transfer partners you can transfer to if you decide to travel.
Credit cards that let you earn cash back
Also remember that it's nearly impossible to get stuck with rewards if you focus on earning cash back. Most cash-back credit cards let you redeem your rewards for statement credits to cover any purchase made with your card, so you could even use your rewards to cover any bills you pay with plastic.
Some cards in this category also let you redeem points for gift cards or merchandise, and this is another area where it would be nearly impossible to be stuck with points. If you can use cash back to shop on Amazon.com, for example, then you can basically get whatever you want — even if you only need dog treats or toilet paper.
Which cash-back credit card should you sign up for? There are a ton to consider, most of which don't charge an annual fee. However, one of the top earning cards is the
Also check out other popular cash-back credit cards including the
