Credit card rewards: the honest version

Rewards cards can give money back on spending you'd do anyway. But interest on a carried balance usually wipes out the rewards many times over.

Rewards make sense when

• You pay the statement balance in full every month
• You don't spend more to earn rewards
• Any annual fee is clearly covered by rewards you'd actually use

Rewards don't make sense when

• You carry a balance: focus on the interest rate instead
• Chasing bonuses leads to overspending
• You'd need to track rotating categories you'll forget

Check your own card

Our rewards card value calculator compares what you earn with the annual fee and any interest you pay.

General education. We don't recommend card products. Nickel Perks isn't paid by any card company, retailer or program.