Guides
Getting more from your cards
Plain-English guides to how card rewards actually work. No affiliate links and no card recommendations.
The basics
- How credit card rewards actually workCash back, points and miles explained: where rewards come from, how bonus categories work and why the card you pick matters.
- Points vs. cash back: how to value a credit card pointA point isn't worth a fixed amount. Here's how to work out what yours are worth and compare a points card with a cash-back card.
Categories
- How merchant category codes decide your rewardsYour card doesn't know what you bought, only how the store is classified. Learn how merchant category codes work and why purchases sometimes earn less than expected.
- Why groceries at a superstore might not earn your grocery bonusWarehouse clubs and big-box superstores sell groceries but often aren't coded as supermarkets. Here's what that means for your rewards.
- What counts as dining? Restaurants, delivery and the gray areasDining bonuses usually cover restaurants, but delivery apps, cafeterias and food halls can go either way. Here's how to tell.
- Why the same store can earn different rewardsIn-store, online, in-app and through a payment processor: the same merchant can be categorized several ways. Here's why.
Staying on top of it
- Rotating 5% categories: how to actually get the bonusQuarterly bonus categories can pay well, but only if you activate them, track the cap and use the right card. Here's how they work.
- Card-linked offers: the easy money most cardholders missMany card apps carry merchant offers worth real money, but they need to be added to your card first. Here's how they work.
- Statement credits and annual fees: is your card paying for itself?Premium cards offset their fees with credits for travel, dining and subscriptions. Here's how to work out what they're actually worth to you.
- Does paying with your phone change your rewards?Tapping your phone or watch instead of your card usually earns exactly the same rewards. Here's why, and the exceptions.
- Bonus caps: why your 5% card sometimes earns 1%Many rewards cards pay their best rate only up to a spending limit. Here's how caps work and how to plan around them.