You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. Yahoo Evergreen PF USYahooUpdated 5/02/25 8:13am MSTPublished 7/09/24 11:05am MSTEdits have been made since last publish.SBPublish Headline*?58 / 110Add a stream experimentSubhead0 / 161Social Headline?58 Hide Additional headlinesThumbnail ImageRelated ContentAdd ImageAdd VideoLead Asset Placement:DefaultOnOff<p>Choosing the right rewards credit card can save you money. You can earn cash back on everyday purchases, get discounts at stores like Costco (<a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/COST">COST</a>), Walmart (<a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/WMT">WMT</a>) and Target (<a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/TGT">TGT</a>), or build up points and miles with travel rewards credit cards. Yahoo Finance senior credit-card reporter Ben Walker breaks down what to consider if you’re looking for a rewards credit card. <br><br>Find out more about credit-card rewards.<br><a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/best-rewards-credit-card-203736692.html"><strong>Best rewards credit cards for 2025: Earn top cash back, points, and miles</strong></a><br><a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/video/best-travel-credit-card-choose-090150788.html"><strong>Best travel credit card: How to choose</strong></a><br><a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/video/cash-back-credit-cards-finding-090135136.html"><strong>Cash-back credit cards: finding the best one for you</strong></a><br><a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/video/best-credit-card-gas-rewards-090103306.html"><strong>Best credit card for gas rewards: How to save at the pump</strong></a></p>UUIDSet as ThumbnailNormalicon / editor / clear formatting / default1332 WordsMany credit cards offer rewards on your everyday purchases, but if you're looking for ways to increase your reward-earning potential, you might need to get creative.Some of the following may be considered weird ways to use a credit card, but if you're willing to get a little outside of your comfort zone, you could earn hundreds of dollars in additional rewards every year.1. Buy gift cardsA lot of rewards credit cards offer bonus rewards on certain purchase categories, but that doesn't mean you can't get more value on spending made outside of those types of purchases.If your card offers a high rewards rate on grocery store purchases, for example, check your local grocery stores for restaurant gift cards you can buy and use the next time you dine out. You can do the same for other retailers that may not fit within a card's bonus categories.Read more: Can you buy gift cards with a credit card—and should you?2. Get triple value on a large purchaseIf you have a large purchase coming up or several pending expenses, such as moving costs, consider a card that offers a welcome bonus, rewards on your everyday purchases, and an introductory 0% APR promotion to make the most of your spending.With the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, for instance, you'll earn a $200 one-time bonus when you spend $500, plus 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make. You'll also receive an introductory 0% APR promotion on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, after which the variable APR ranges from 19.74% - 29.74%.For example, let's say you put $5,000 on the card and pay it off over 15 months. If you'd put the charges on a card with a 22.63% interest rate — the average rate, according to 2024 data from the Federal Reserve — you'd pay roughly $787 in interest.With the Capital One Quicksilver, you'd save that money and earn $275 from the welcome bonus and rewards, for a total of $1,062 in value — more than 20% of your spending.Read our full review of the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card3. Finance a small businessKiva is a nonprofit organization that facilitates microloans for entrepreneurs around the world. Through Kiva, you can help finance a small business with as little as $25, and you can use a credit card to provide your loan.Just keep in mind that Kiva cannot guarantee repayment of loans, so consider this option only if you have funds you don't need for other important financial needs or goals. But if you have the money to spare, you can help someone in need and earn credit card rewards at the same time.4. Donate to charityMany charitable organizations allow donors to use a credit card to make a one-time or recurring contribution. If you have a specific cause or nonprofit in mind, check to see if they allow credit cards and whether there's a fee involved.Before donating to charity, however, research organizations through websites like Charity Navigator and CharityWatch to get an idea of how they use donations to fund their operations.5. Show off to your friendsMany credit cards offer bonuses when you refer a friend, and they get approved for the card. If you have a card that offers great rewards on dining — for example, the American Express® Gold Card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — ask to use your card to split the bill and recommend it to your friends.Before you do this, however, make sure that your card offers referral bonuses. You'll need a unique link to take advantage of the offer.Read our full reviews on the Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire Preferred6. Ask for a retention offerIf you're thinking about canceling a credit card, your credit card issuer may make it worth your while to keep it. Retention offers may come in the form of a waived or reduced annual fee or a bonus offer if you keep the account open and meet a minimum spending requirement.That said, think twice about this approach if you're planning to close your account as soon as you get the offer. Abusing retention offers could cause you to run afoul of your card issuer and risk having your account closed involuntarily.7. Pay your rentIf your landlord or property management company accepts credit card payments, check to see if there's a convenience fee involved. If so, the fee can be as much as 3%, meaning it likely doesn’t make sense to use a credit card to pay your rent.However, in some cases, there may be no fee, resulting in extra rewards on one of your biggest monthly expenses.If you're willing to open a new card, consider the Bilt Mastercard®, which offers 1 point per dollar on rent payments, up to 100,000 points per calendar year. What's more, Bilt allows you to make rent payments without a fee through the Bilt app. Submit your payment with your card, and Bilt will send your landlord a check.Note, however, that you'll need to use the card at least five times a month to earn rewards.8. Pay your taxesIf you own a small business and have to make estimated tax payments or you have a tax bill after filing your annual return, consider using your credit card to pay instead of your bank account.To pay taxes with a credit card, you'll go through one of three third-party payment processors that work with the IRS. While there's a fee to use a card, it can be as low as 1.82%. If you have a card that offers a rewards rate of 2% or more, you may earn enough back in cash back, points, or miles to make it worth your while.One example is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which offers a minimum of 2 miles per dollar on every purchase you make. There are also a handful of cash-back credit cards that offer 2% back on all of your purchases.Read our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card9. Buy stocksMost brokerage firms won't let you use a credit card to buy stocks. But with a service like Stockpile, you can use a credit card to purchase gift cards that are redeemable for shares in individual stocks, exchange-traded funds, or even cryptocurrencies.That said, there are some limitations to keep in mind. For starters, Stockpile only accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. There's also a limit of $200 in gift cards per 24-hour period.Read our full review of the Chase Freedom UnlimitedGetting creative can pay offIf you're looking for a way to maximize your credit card rewards, there are several ways to accomplish your goal, including some weird and creative ones.As you consider your options, it's important to remember that credit cards charge high interest rates, and no amount of rewards is worth the cost of credit card debt. Make it a priority to only use your credit card to make purchases you can afford to pay in full each month. If you can't, consider a 0% APR credit card that gives you more time to pay off your balance interest-free.Read more: Can you buy weed with a credit card?This article was edited by Alicia HahnEditorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.'Read More' LinksUUIDEditRemoveReplaceA beginner's guide to travel hackingAverage credit score by age: How do your scores compare?Your credit card rewards can help you during a recession — but you should start preparing nowWhat happens to credit card welcome offers and bonuses in a recession?Can I negotiate my credit card debt?What type of credit check affects your credit score?Worried about defaulting on credit card debt if another recession hits? Look into a credit card hardship program.Is it possible to request a 0% APR on an existing credit card?Should I pay off credit card debt with a financial windfall? What to do with extra money.How much credit card debt is too much?Actions14UUID.cls-1nccTimestamp5/01/25 8:01am MSTProviderYahoo Personal Finance (yahoo_personal_finance_397)Site Section*?Edit/personal-finance/credit-cardsSlug*Match Headline?ONOFFweird-ways-to-use-credit-cardAuthor(s)?Select up to 3 authorsBen LuthiDestinationsSelect DestinationsSEO Targeting?Score: 2/8See detailsSummary*?Check out these creative ways to use a credit card to help you maximize your rewards and benefits on everyday spending.119 Editorial Tags?Enter editorial tag(s)noxraySystem Tags?Hide 18 tagsEnter system tag(s)ccdd:exclude=truecommerceArticleType:explainerpersonalfinancecpcpfe-cardpfe-cardbasicsseo:target1=redeeming credit card pointsyfinance:region=usyfrontpage:region=usymedia:category=100000009ymedia:category=fin_tier1ymedia:category=fin_whitelistedprovidersymedia:hosted=yesymedia:jarvis_allow_list=news_goldlist_tier1ymedia:modal_bypass=yesymedia:provider_category=DEFAULTymedia:provider_id=yahoo_personal_finance_397ymedia:signal=noampymedia:signal=summary_source:providerCategory Label OverrideBusinessCommerce Commerce ContentBranded ContentHide Quick OverviewArticle Type*ExplainerSponsorshipAdvanced Settings offer rewards on your everyday purchases, but if you're looking for ways to increase your reward-earning potential, you might need to get creative.

Some of the following may be considered weird ways to use a credit card, but if you're willing to get a little outside of your comfort zone, you could earn hundreds of dollars in additional rewards every year.

A lot of rewards credit cards offer bonus rewards on certain purchase categories, but that doesn't mean you can't get more value on spending made outside of those types of purchases.

If your card offers a high rewards rate on grocery store purchases, for example, check your local grocery stores for restaurant gift cards you can buy and use the next time you dine out. You can do the same for other retailers that may not fit within a card's bonus categories.

Read more: Can you buy gift cards with a credit card—and should you?

If you have a large purchase coming up or several pending expenses, such as moving costs, consider a card that offers a welcome bonus, rewards on your everyday purchases, and an introductory 0% APR promotion to make the most of your spending.

With the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, for instance, you'll earn a $200 one-time bonus when you spend $500, plus 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make. You'll also receive an introductory 0% APR promotion on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, after which the variable APR ranges from 19.74% - 29.74%.

For example, let's say you put $5,000 on the card and pay it off over 15 months. If you'd put the charges on a card with a 22.63% interest rate — the average rate, according to 2024 data from the Federal Reserve — you'd pay roughly $787 in interest.

With the Capital One Quicksilver, you'd save that money and earn $275 from the welcome bonus and rewards, for a total of $1,062 in value — more than 20% of your spending.

Read our full review of the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

Kiva is a nonprofit organization that facilitates microloans for entrepreneurs around the world. Through Kiva, you can help finance a small business with as little as $25, and you can use a credit card to provide your loan.

Just keep in mind that Kiva cannot guarantee repayment of loans, so consider this option only if you have funds you don't need for other important financial needs or goals. But if you have the money to spare, you can help someone in need and earn credit card rewards at the same time.

Dig deeper: Best business credit cards of 2025

Many charitable organizations allow donors to use a credit card to make a one-time or recurring contribution. If you have a specific cause or nonprofit in mind, check to see if they allow credit cards and whether there's a fee involved.

Before donating to charity, however, research organizations through websites like Charity Navigator and CharityWatch to get an idea of how they use donations to fund their operations.

Many credit cards offer bonuses when you refer a friend, and they get approved for the card. If you have a card that offers great rewards on dining — for example, the American Express® Gold Card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — ask to use your card to split the bill and recommend it to your friends.

Before you do this, however, make sure that your card offers referral bonuses. You'll need a unique link to take advantage of the offer.

Read our full reviews on the Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire Preferred

If you're thinking about canceling a credit card, your credit card issuer may make it worth your while to keep it. Retention offers may come in the form of a waived or reduced annual fee or a bonus offer if you keep the account open and meet a minimum spending requirement.

That said, think twice about this approach if you're planning to close your account as soon as you get the offer. Abusing retention offers could cause you to run afoul of your card issuer and risk having your account closed involuntarily.

If your landlord or property management company accepts credit card payments, check to see if there's a convenience fee involved. If so, the fee can be as much as 3%, meaning it likely doesn’t make sense to use a credit card to pay your rent.

However, in some cases, there may be no fee, resulting in extra rewards on one of your biggest monthly expenses.

If you're willing to open a new card, consider the Bilt Mastercard®, which offers 1 point per dollar on rent payments, up to 100,000 points per calendar year. What's more, Bilt allows you to make rent payments without a fee through the Bilt app. Submit your payment with your card, and Bilt will send your landlord a check.

Note, however, that you'll need to use the card at least five times a month to earn rewards.

Read our full review of the Bilt Mastercard®

If you own a small business and have to make estimated tax payments or you have a tax bill after filing your annual return, consider using your credit card to pay instead of your bank account.

To pay taxes with a credit card, you'll go through one of three third-party payment processors that work with the IRS. While there's a fee to use a card, it can be as low as 1.82%. If you have a card that offers a rewards rate of 2% or more, you may earn enough back in cash back, points, or miles to make it worth your while.

One example is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which offers a minimum of 2 miles per dollar on every purchase you make. There are also a handful of cash-back credit cards that offer 2% back on all of your purchases.

Read our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Most brokerage firms won't let you use a credit card to buy stocks. But with a service like Stockpile, you can use a credit card to purchase gift cards that are redeemable for shares in individual stocks, exchange-traded funds, or even cryptocurrencies.

That said, there are some limitations to keep in mind. For starters, Stockpile only accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. There's also a limit of $200 in gift cards per 24-hour period.

Read our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited

If you're looking for a way to maximize your credit card rewards, there are several ways to accomplish your goal, including some weird and creative ones.

As you consider your options, it's important to remember that credit cards charge high interest rates, and no amount of rewards is worth the cost of credit card debt. Make it a priority to only use your credit card to make purchases you can afford to pay in full each month. If you can't, consider a 0% APR credit card that gives you more time to pay off your balance interest-free.

Read more: Can you buy weed with a credit card?

This article was edited by Alicia Hahn

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.