Holiday Shopping Roundup

We’re taking the day off today for the holidays. We thought about recapping some of the best Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Travel Tuesdays, but the best “deals” this year are not too inspiring. Instead, here’s a quick roundup of tips and deals to make the most of your holiday shopping, whether you snap up deal in the coming days or on into December.

Maximize your credit card points

The odd card like the Amex Blue Cash Everyday offers bonus points on online retail (3x, in that case), but generally Christmas shopping won’t earn bonus points, so you’ll want to use a card that earns strong rewards on all purchases like the Capital One Venture X, Citi Double Cash, or Chase Freedom Unlimited. 

Keep an eye out for time-limited deals, though. My Amex Gold is currently offering 5x points when shopping at Amazon, and Bilt cardholders can earn double points now through the end of the day on Monday. 

Use a shopping portal

Many retailers offer rewards when shopping via a portal like Rakuten or Swagbucks. 

Check your credit card offers

You can earn extra rewards or cash back by taking advantage of merchant offers on your Amex, Chase, or Citi card. For instance, my Amex Gold card currently offers 5x extra points at H&M, $5 back when spending $50 at certain small businesses, and $10 back when spending $60 at Macy’s. My IHG Premier, meanwhile, offers 5% cash back at Walmart.com, SeatGeek, and Quince, and 15% back at Old Navy and Banana Republic.

Don’t forget about SimplyMiles

If you have a MasterCard, check out SimplyMiles, which offers American Airlines AAdvantage miles for purchases with a linked MasterCard at certain merchants. Current offers include BestBuy, Walgreens, Amazon, and Nordstrom Rack.