Is it worth it to be busy with credit cards just to earn $?

amother

Cognac

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:49 am

You can get the Citi double cash card and get 2% cash back on all purchases. Easy money, no effort involved other than applying for the card and logging on every now and then to redeem the cash back.

Definitely worthwhile. How much do you spend on purchase made with a card? You can be getting 2% of that back.

scintilla

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:49 am

What's the alternative in this scenario? Debit cards? Then yes definitely credit cards are worth it. If you are the type to overspend because it's a credit card, it's a bad idea but otherwise it's literally free money that you can get for a few minutes a month paying your bills. There are many other benefits to credit cards also, just as an example if your card is frauded you're not out any money while the bank figures it out, better purchase protections etc.

It takes a little learning to really maximize the benefits, but you can't go wrong with a simple 1.5% on everything card like the Chase freedom unlimited that has no annual fee and some categories that are higher than 1.5%.

If you're concerned about forgetting to make payments on time set recurring monthly reminders.

amother

Sunflower

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:55 am

all a hype. (speaking as someone who has multiple credit cards myself)

Like if you are asking if getting a job of 15 dollars per hour (yes even that little) will earn you more or a credit card then yes a job will offer so it's not worth spending too many hours on credit cards if you cn work then.

However there are these high bonuses that C/C give once in a while which you can look at like a treat. So some cards offer bonusees worth 800-1000 dollars and aside from that you can earn points.
and some cards offer 5% cash back on various categories which is something.

So in general I would tell you if you want to get a c/c I would say it should be for the following reasons

1 you can order online

2 when you don't have cash on you (and you are responsible and know you will pay up later , not loans)
3 when carrying cash for many things is too much of a hassle (like airports)

4 can dispute if item is in bad condition

5 want to build credit score

6 after a long time the points accumalate and you get some money back (but that shouldn;t really be the motive to buy as you will find yourself spending WAY more than you get back)

7 side benefits that your card mayb give you such as car rental insurance , trip cancelation , and me personally I have a card that gives 10% off uber purchases and free uber one for 6 months..

amother

Cognac

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 11:57 am

amother Sunflower wrote:

Op can get one cc with a good cash back rate and not have to spend more than one minute on it every few months when she logs on and presses the button to apply the cash back she earned to her credit card balance or to her checking account. It doesn’t have to be work.

amother

Sunflower

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 12:00 pm

amother Cognac wrote:

yes but she sounded like being busy with C/C which sounded like time consuming. My point is that getting a card maybe offers some perks on the long run but doesn't provide enough wages or salary to pay a mortgage vacation (besides for bonus sometimes) , or monthly groceries. But there are other reasons to get one.

amother

White

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 12:08 pm

I don't think OP is asking about getting a credit that has "points" when you spend it but the kind of elaborate "games" people do where you keep signup for credit cards where you get a cash bonus or transfer balances for low interest.

That kind of stuff is not for me because it makes no sense and they exist because people tend to make mistakes and wind up having to pay high interest.

Also - not that I particularly care because I don't plan on taking out a mortgage or need financing, but every time your credit is run and you take out a card your credit rating takes a hit. Also your overall credit is based on the amount of credit you have as a factor even if not used although having a lot of outstanding credit will lower your score

I do use credit cards for almost everything and all of my bills are on auto-pay.

My main credit card gives me 5% back on all amazon purchases and since I buy a lot from amazon that is a 5% discount on a lot of stuff. It also gives me points for other purchases which can also add up.

I recently got two credit cards recently

A card that is promoted through Instacart which gave me $200 credit immediately and a 3% discount on Instacart purchases. I set this as my default for Instacart as I order every week. I only use the card for Instacart

I also got an Apple Card recently because of the 3% discount on all Apple products. I got the new iPhone 15, a new iPad Air and am planning to replace my iMac so the discount is significant. I haven't used it for anything else although there is immediate cash for any purchase which I can transfer to my bank or use to pay towards the card.

amother

Acacia

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 12:16 pm

We are avid credit card people and have traveled the world with it. It’s almost no work at this point, but in the beginning we spent time learning about it (all dans deals) we looked at it like a hobby, not a “job”.
At this point we’re low on miles bec we don’t do fancy things (like gift cards…) but we have free insta cart, free prime, free priority pass, free upgrades everywhere, free global entry, etc. we also get free night certificates from hotels and occasionally open a new card for a boatload of miles. Everything gets paid in full every month, and the occasional credit pull doesn’t significantly affect our credit score.

amother

Sunflower

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 12:25 pm

amother Acacia wrote:

can you share the cards you have

amother

Aconite

Mon, Dec 18 2023, 12:31 pm

amother Acacia wrote:

Ok wait,, how do you get free prime. The rest I do too but never saw free prime Smile