Instant Rewards with Credit Cards

It’s easier than ever to get instant gratification thanks to two-day free shipping, delivery apps, and curbside pickup at shops. However, credit card rewards are a rare exception. You may have to wait until the end to receive your reward.

Credit cards can reduce the wait time by as much as one day after you have made a purchase. These cards are quick and easy to get your rewards.

Apple Card users can earn 3% cashback on Apple purchases. You can also get cash back at selected retailers when you use Apple Pay. Apple Pay earns you 2% cash back on all other purchases, while the physical card earns you 1%. You can manage your card, track your spending, and earn cash back through Apple Wallet. This is a very user-friendly interface. To get the most out of your Apple Card, you must be a regular Apple Pay user.

Cashback is earned in the form Daily Cash. This cash becomes available once a transaction has been posted to your account. You can add a participant or co-owner to your Apple Card Family account and everyone will earn Daily Cash for their purchases. This is in contrast to other authorized user arrangements where only the primary cardholder has access to earned rewards.

Officially, earned rewards will be available online in 10 days. It may take up two billing cycles for your account to post your earnings. However, anecdotally cardholders’ points are more readily available.

Cash-back cards simply mean you can redeem points quicker — it’s more money in your pocket, so it is. There is no minimum redemption threshold, which is a benefit that’s not offered by other cards. This can be a great way to earn miles and book travel awards faster with travel cards.

Rent can consume a large portion of your budget so it is worth getting some rewards. Bilt Mastercard earns you 3 points for every $1 spent on dining and travel. 1 point per dollar on rent payments. You can earn up to 50,000 points per year in this category. All other purchases earn 1 point per $1. You’ll get double points for dining, travel, and any other purchases (not-rental) on the first day of each month. The Bilt Mastercard does not charge transaction fees, unlike other third-party payment processors that you can use to rent with your credit card.

Within five business days, points are posted to your account. You can redeem points by:

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  Transferring them to travel partners
  

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  Use them to buy fitness classes, art, decor, and clothing.
  

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  Apply them towards next month’s rent payment.
  

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  Save them to pay down a down payment on a house in the future.
  

Register online for U.S. Bank’s Real-Time Rewards Program or download the mobile app. You will receive a text asking you if you would like to redeem the earned cash rewards immediately after you have made an eligible purchase. However, you cannot redeem multiple rewards via text. To receive a statement credit, you can reply “REDEEM”

The welcome bonus for American Express Membership Rewards cards will be posted eight to twelve weeks after you reach the minimum spending requirement. This is even though you have still a few months to reach that level. Many cardholders report that their points are posted to their accounts within days of meeting the spending requirement.

Although you may not be able to spend the minimum amount with American Express cards for six months, you could get your welcome bonus sooner if you applied for the card in advance of making a big purchase. Redeem Membership Rewards points to redeem for travel, gift cards and statement credits. The point value can change based on how you use them span>

Some store credit cards like the Target REDcard(tm), Credit Card, and Lowe’s Advantage Card offer rewards in the form a 5% discount at check-out on eligible purchases. The savings are easy to find, unlike other cash-back cards that allow you to accumulate rewards and then request redemption. It’s almost like using a coupon without actually needing to.

Use your store credit for eligible purchases. There may be restrictions. For example, the Target REDcard(tm), Credit Card doesn’t offer 5% discount on certain purchases, such as Target Optical eye examinations or the purchase Target gift cards.

You’ll earn miles for each transaction that you make with both cards. You can redeem your miles as a statement credit for eligible travel expenses and earn 1 cent per mile. You’ll receive 5% back on your miles redeemed with the Barclaycard Arrival Plus (r) World Elite Mastercard (r).