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If you want to rack up more rewards over time, you should use your rewards card for every purchase you can. In my house, we use credit to pay for everything – even bills you don’t necessarily associate with credit like health insurance and utilities. If you use your card for everyday expenses and pay your bill in full each month, you can rack up a lot more points and miles over time.
Of course, some of the biggest point bursts come from big expenses. Spending several thousand dollars at once is a great way to earn a signup bonus and bonus points, too.
But there are plenty of other reasons to use your card for big purchases. Here are a few big purchases you should always put on a rewards card, plus why:
Travel
There are a ton of reasons you should charge travel purchases, including the fact your card may offer additional points in this category. The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 3x points for travel expenses, for example. And the Chase Sapphire Preferred (with a much lower annual fee that’s waived the first year) offers 2x points on all travel expenses. Also remember that some travel credit cards (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred) offer trip cancellation/interruption insurance and other travel protections. If your card offers these benefits, you’d be silly to pay for travel with anything else.
Furniture
The main reason you’ll want to charge furniture to your rewards card is the fact it’s so expensive. You should always capitalize when you spend a few thousand bucks at once. If you charged $3,000 in furniture to your Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard, for example, you’d earn 6,000 points worth $60 in travel in one fell swoop.
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Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard®
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$0 first year
$89 after first year |
60,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 90 days and paying the annual fee Read Review » |
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Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard® |
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Appliances
It’s smart to charge appliances to a rewards card for a few reasons. First, big purchases = more points. And second, many rewards cards offer valuable extended warranties that will repair or replace your appliances if they break down outside the manufacturer’s warranty period.
Hiring Movers
I’m adding this in for personal reasons. I was almost ripped off by movers a few years ago. They charged me an extra $200 in fees and claimed they were for packing tape. When I called to complain, they yelled at me and hung up. Fortunately, I escalated the issue to Chase after realizing I paid with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card. When the moving company couldn’t prove the additional $200 charge was legitimate, Chase denied them the funds.
College Tuition
If your college doesn’t charge a fee for paying tuition with credit, you can earn a ton of rewards by choosing this option. However, you should double check to make sure there are no fees involved before you move forward. As with any other purchase, you should also make sure you can pay your card’s balance right away.
Computers and Electronics
Computers and electronics should always be charged to a rewards credit card. Not only can you earn extra points by clicking through your favorite card’s shopping portal, but you can benefit from extended warranties if your card offers this benefit.
Final Thoughts
The more expenses you can charge to your rewards card, the more rewards you’ll earn. Just make sure you have a plan in place to pay your balance in full before the due date. In this hobby, it’s crucial to avoid credit card interest like the plague.
What big expenses have you put on a rewards credit card? Why?
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Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Travel
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- Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card in the first 3 months.†
- Earn 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 15,000 bonus miles after you reach $30,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the calendar year.
- Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding and enjoy 20% savings on eligible in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas.‡
- Complimentary Delta Sky Club® Access.‡
- Terms and limitations apply
- See Rates & Fees
Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Travel
| FTG Review | Reward Breakdown | Points Breakdown |
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Breakdown
Earn (pt.)
Spend
3 months
0
$3,000
Per dollar on eligible purchases with Delta Purchases
2.00
$1
All Purchases
1.00
$1
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