More Credit Cards Offering Introductory Bonuses, But Bonuses Aren't as Generous

NEW YORK, June 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest edition of Bankrate.com's (NYSE: RATE) annual cash-back credit card rewards survey found that more than half of the cards (55%) offer introductory bonuses. But some cards are offering fewer points or require more spending in order to get the same bonus as last year.

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Fifty-three percent of the cards that Bankrate.com recently surveyed offer 1% cash back beginning with the first dollar of spending (last year, 48% did so). Plenty of cards (47%) offer higher payouts for certain categories of spending – such as gasoline, groceries or dining. Nine percent of the cards have tiered payouts based upon total spending volume and offer higher cash-back ratios the more the consumer spends on the card each year.

Annual fees for cash-back cards remain uncommon: 22% charge annual fees this year, up slightly from 18% last year. Sixty-five percent of the cards that Bankrate.com surveyed do not have expiration dates on their rewards, virtually unchanged from 66% last year. The cards that do have expiration dates typically offer between three and five years before the expiration date.

"As long as you pay your balance in full every month, a rewards card is a good way to get some of that money back," said Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate.com's senior financial analyst. "Make sure to find the card that offers the best fit for your lifestyle. For example, one consumer might want to maximize cash back at the gas pump, but others might place more value on grocery, dining or travel rewards. It depends on your personal habits and there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution."

The full results of the survey (which included 55 cash-back credit cards offered by the largest banks and credit unions, plus other prominent cash-back offerings) can be found here:

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/2011-credit-card-rewards-survey.aspx

And consumers can compare cash-back credit card offers at:

http://www.bankrate.com/credit-cards.aspx

About Bankrate, Inc.

Bankrate is a leading publisher, aggregator and distributor of personal finance content on the Internet. Bankrate provides consumers with proprietary, fully researched, comprehensive, independent and objective personal finance editorial content across multiple vertical categories including mortgages, deposits, insurance, credit cards, and other categories, such as retirement, automobile loans, and taxes. The Bankrate network includes Bankrate.com, our flagship website, and other owned and operated personal finance websites, including CreditCards.com, Interest.com, Bankaholic.com, Mortgage-calc.com, CreditCardGuide.com, Nationwide Card Services, InsuranceQuotes.com, CarInsuranceQuotes.com, InsureMe, Bankrate.com.cn, CreditCards.ca, NetQuote.com, and CD.com. Bankrate aggregates rate information from over 4,800 institutions on more than 300 financial products. With coverage of nearly 600 local markets in all 50 U.S. states, Bankrate generates over 172,000 distinct rate tables capturing on average over three million pieces of information daily. Bankrate develops and provides web services to over 80 co-branded websites with online partners, including some of the most trusted and frequently visited personal finance sites on the Internet such as Yahoo!, AOL, CNBC and Bloomberg. In addition, Bankrate licenses editorial content to over 500 newspapers on a daily basis including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe.

Kayleen Yates
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Bankrate, Inc.
[email protected]
(917) 368-8677

SOURCE Bankrate, Inc.