The leaves are starting to change and the temperatures are dropping. There’s a chill in the morning air. That only means one thing: the holidays are right around the corner. Halloween parties, trick or treating, Thanksgiving meals with family and friends, Hanukkah and Christmas gift-giving, and New Year’s celebrations — the list goes on and on.
While some people dive right in with the holiday spirit, others prefer to travel, stay home, or focus on personal growth during these colder celebratory months. Regardless of your preferences, it’s important to choose a credit card that best reflects the way you live your life and your spending preferences.
You might be looking for cash-back options, low annual and transaction fees, or maybe reward redemption options for hotel rooms. Savvy Navy Federal members will also want to look at the types of rewards, any other perks the card issuer might offer, and how benefits are earned—such as gas station purchases.
Typically, when it comes to cards and rewards you have three standard categories to choose from.
Earning points
These are typically earned at a flat rate of 1 point per dollar of value spent. Many points-based rewards cards also offer incentives that give you sign-up bonuses or extra points and rewards when you spend money within certain categories or at certain retailers. These points can be redeemed in exchange for merchandise, flights, hotels, car rentals, gift cards and more. Navy Federal members have several options for points-based cards, including the NFCU More Rewards American Express® Card. These are great for members who have average to excellent credit, a busy lifestyle, and prioritize dining out expenditure benefits.
Earn cash back
Some of the best rewards cards skip the point-value process completely and reward you with cold hard cash outright, with no rotating spending categories or convoluted earning requirements. You spend money, you earn money. Simple, and effective. Using the funds is just as easy, since they are generally offered as account credit or in the form of gift cards.
Cash-back cards like Navy Federal’s cashRewards and cashRewards Plus cards allow you to get up to 2% on all purchases, plus a $200 bonus when you spend $2,000 within 90 days of opening the account, with no annual fee. Additionally, for a limited time, members get a one-time $98 Walmart+ statement credit when you pay $49 or more for an annual Walmart+ membership. Did we mention that Walmart+ typically offers free shipping to their members? With the holidays rapidly approaching, that could put some serious change back into your wallet this season.
Earn travel and airline miles
These credit cards generally reward you with miles for every purchase you make, and like other cards, often offer various bonuses and additional incentives for purchases within a certain timeframe or category of spending. Once accumulated, these miles can be put toward select domestic and international flights. Navy Federal offers its members access to the Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Card for those who prioritize this type of benefit, offering 40,000 bonus points when they spend $3,500 within 90 days of opening a new Flagship account. On top of that, they’re also offering a free year of Amazon Prime (a $139 value).
Different cards reward different types of spending. So it pays to choose a card that matches your spending habits. If you spend a lot at grocery stores, you may want a card that provides extra rewards for supermarket purchases. If you don’t spend more within the bonus categories, you might be better off with card offers with a cash-back credit.
Navy Federal credit card offers are available for new and existing members to take advantage of additional bonuses. With industry-leading rates, immediate rewards redemption, and flexible spending opportunities, any of their card options can be a great addition to your holiday planning.
For more information on card bonuses and how to redeem those awesome rewards, click here.
This article is sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union. Navy Federal is insured by NCUA.