Of the $48 billion in credit-card rewards earned each year, only two-thirds are redeemed, according to a new report from
CardHub, a credit-card website.
The report notes that reward limitations and expiration dates are largely responsible for that state of affairs. So the site ranked the 10 largest card issuers on limitations, expiration dates and other issues relating to credit-card rewards.
When it comes to reward limitations, Capital One placed first for having the fewest, scoring 100 percent. Discover came in last, with the most reward limitations, at 60 percent.
Editor's Note: 38 Trades That Could Turn $1,000 Into $49,000
As for reward expiration, Bank of America placed first (most cardholder-friendly) at 100 percent. Citibank, Barclaycard and Discover tied for last at 33 percent.
On reward earnings, Barclaycard, Capital One and Wells Fargo tied for first at 100 percent. Discover took last at 17 percent.
Among the steps CardHub recommends taking to maximize your credit-card rewards are going for an initial bonus once a year and when in doubt about which reward to take, choosing the cash-back option.
As for travel-reward cards, the best card for you depends on your habits, Tim Winship, publisher of FrequentFlier.com, tells
Kiplinger.
For frequent fliers, using an airline's credit card will work best, he says. For infrequent flayers, a travel rewards card that isn't connected to a specific airline is your best option, according to a recent study by MileCards.com, Kiplinger notes
Editor's Note: 38 Trades That Could Turn $1,000 Into $49,000
© 2025 Newsmax Finance. All rights reserved.