NerdWallet’s Best Credit Card Tips for June 2023
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June is a month full of festivities. Whether you’re celebrating Dad, showing your Pride, attending a summer wedding, or simply enjoying the outdoors with family and friends, it’s a time to relish all that life has to offer. Without careful planning, though, all that celebrating can quickly bust your summer budget.
To help you savor the summer fun without overspending, we’ve gathered our best credit card tips to help you maximize your budget this month.
» SEE: Best credit cards right now
Delight your Dad without debt
Don't let a tight budget stop you from celebrating Dad on Father's Day. Whether it's a special meal at his favorite restaurant, firing up the grill at home or showing up with the perfect gift (hint: not another tie!), there are many ways to honor dear old Dad without overspending.
Taking your father out on the town? Try the American Express® Green Card and earn 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants, including takeout and delivery. The card carries an annual fee of $150, but also features this attractive welcome offer: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit. Terms apply.
Then, when you’re ready to find the perfect gift, take a look at your favorite credit card’s available money-saving offers to find something he may enjoy. Most cards have offers you can add to your card with just a click. And don’t forget, you may be able to stack those with cash-back offers from a shopping website like Ibotta or Rakuten.
Earn rewards on Pride celebrations
June is also Pride month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, remember the hard-fought battles for equality that have been won and recommit to the challenges that still lie ahead.
However you’re honoring Pride month, the $0-annual-fee Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card can serve as an ally for your wallet.
Planning to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community at your local Pride festival or parade? Follow that with a visit to a queer-friendly bar or restaurant. Your Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card earns 3% cash back on dining and entertainment, including bars.
If you prefer a quieter celebration at home, this card also has you covered. It earns 3% back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target).
And when you’re ready to order in after a busy day of marching or volunteering, you’ll earn an eye-popping 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through Nov. 14, 2024.
That’s all in addition to the card's impressive sign-up bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Ready to earn more when giving back to Pride organizations? This month, you can earn up to 10 miles per dollar donated to select LGBTQ+ nonprofit organizations using any United credit card.
Snag a sign-up bonus for off-season travel
If you’ve got your eye on an off-season vacation later in the year, now's a good time to earn a sign-up bonus of hotel points or miles to use toward future travel. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, for instance, currently features this elevated welcome offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and one Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
That's in addition to the card's ongoing rewards, including:
12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations.
3 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card includes an annual fee of $95. Terms apply.
Max out your Q2 rotating bonus categories
It’s the last month of the quarter, meaning now is the time to max out bonus rewards earnings on any rotating category cards in your wallet. Can’t remember what those bonus categories are for this quarter? Here’s a quick refresher:
Discover it® Cash Back and the Discover it® Student Cash Back
Earn 5% back on up to $1,500 spent at restaurants and wholesale clubs.
Activation is required before earning at the elevated rate, so hopefully you took that step earlier this quarter. If not, you can still do so by logging into your account on the Discover website or mobile app. The 5% earnings rate isn’t retroactive on previous purchases, but you can still rack up some decent rewards on this month’s purchases.
Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom Flex℠
Earn 5% back on up to $1,500 spent at Amazon and Lowe’s.
If you haven’t already, activate the bonus categories online or in the Chase mobile app by June 14, 2023, to receive your 5% rewards for all eligible purchases during the quarter. That includes purchases made before activating.
Both the Chase Freedom® and the Citi Dividend are no longer available to new applicants. However, existing users are still eligible to earn the 5% back in bonus categories after activation.
Citi Dividend
Earn 5% back at drugstores and grocery stores.
Enrollment is required before the elevated earnings rate takes effect
Citi Dividend comes with a total annual cash-back cap of $300, including both elevated earnings and the card’s regular rate of 1% back on all purchases.
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