Credit Card Benefits: Get the Most Out of Them
5 Min Read | Last updated: March 31, 2025
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.
Understanding how to use your credit card benefits is a part of maintaining healthy finances and helping you achieve your financial goals.
At-A-Glance
- Maximizing your credit card benefits starts by understanding which ones are best suited for your lifestyle.
- Common benefits associated with credit cards include airline miles, fraud protection, and return and purchase protection.
- You may be able to leverage card offers, like a 0% introductory APR offer, to help finance a large purchase.
When choosing a credit card, understanding the different types and their respective rewards can equip you to make an informed decision best suited for your financial habits. Below, we explain how rewards differ across cards and how you can apply them.
Credit card providers may also offer special welcome offers to new cardholders upon opening a new account. These welcome offers can help customers maximize benefits, rewards and promotions for a specified amount of time.
Figuring Out The Right Benefits
If you find yourself trying to figure out how to use your points, first determine what card benefits best fit your lifestyle and interests. Some credit cards may allow you to redeem points for travel or merchandise while others enable you to use your points for cash back (usually in the form of a statement credit) or gift cards.
Word to the wise, however: miles benefits can be a bit more limited in flexibility than other travel benefits, so read the card’s terms and conditions to see how they work.1 An airline miles credit card is often linked to a loyalty, or frequent-flyer program, in a specific airline while travel benefits can offer more flexibility. For example, you may be able to choose to use your travel benefits to pay for flights, get free baggage allowance, or snag a seat upgrade.2
Now, let’s explore some ideas on how to maximize different types of benefits you may be offered. First, we’ll look at airline miles, and then we’ll share more information on fraud protection and disputes.
Maximize Your Airline Miles
Already dreaming of your next travel destination? Then you may be someone well-suited for an airline miles credit card that rewards you when you spend on travel.
Some credit card providers may reward customers with airline miles based on their credit card spending or usage. However, the specific mile-to-spend rate varies per provider and agreements they may have in place with airlines.3
Once you accrue a certain number of miles, you may be able to redeem your miles for a flight or additional airline benefits. Credit card miles may be tied to a specific airline’s frequent flyer program. Through accumulating miles on your credit card, you may be able to use them for flight perks such as seat upgrades, additional baggage, or priority boarding.4
Using your credit card benefits can be a perk for responsible customers and a smart way to maximize all the offerings available to you as a cardholder.
Return and Purchase Protection
Some credit cards may include purchase protection. Return protection is an added safety measure to help ensure that you can return qualifying items with the assistance of your credit card provider, even if the retailer doesn’t allow returns. In order to process return protection, credit card providers may require some information from you. This could include, for example, the following information:5
- The credit card statement that verifies the purchase was made
- The original receipt that was given at the time of purchase
- Identification or documentation that the customer attempted to return the purchase
Similar to return protection, purchase protection offers protection for eligible items against damage and following a purchase.6
Using purchase and return protection helps ensure that your purchases are verified and delivered as agreed upon. There may be limitations to what these purchases may cover, so you should read your card’s terms and conditions to check what is and isn’t covered.
Now that we’ve covered how to use your credit card benefits responsibly, here are some tips on financing big purchases. There are numerous flexible payment plans to help you finance purchases – for example, taking advantage of a 0% introductory APR offer is one option.
Making the Most of 0% Introductory APR
Some credit cards offer 0% introductory APR. Annual percentage rate (APR) is the interest the customer pays each year represented commonly as a percentage of the loan balance.7 Opting for a card that offers 0% introductory APR usually means that you’ll pay 0% interest for a certain amount of time.8
While a 0% APR promotional offer may reduce the pain of financing a large purchase up-front, there are a few factors you should keep in mind. Credit cards that offer 0% introductory APR may be a good way to avoid interest if you’re looking to finance a bigger purchase within a certain period of time, but you’ll still want to ensure that you make the minimum payments each month. You should also be aware of the date when the introductory offer runs out and have a plan for managing payments after that.
The Takeaway
Choosing the right credit card for you and understanding how you can use the card benefits to meet your spending needs can help support your financial wellbeing.
1 “Are Airline Credit Cards Worth It?,” Experian
2 “12 Benefits to Look for in an Airline Credit Card,” Experian
3 “Cash Back, Points and Miles: What's the Difference?,” Experian
4 “Airline Credit Cards vs. Travel Credit Cards,” Experian
5 “What Is Credit Card Return Protection?,” Experian
6 “How Do I Check My Credit Card Benefits?,” Experian
7 “What is a credit card interest rate? What does APR mean?,” Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
8 “How long can I keep a low rate on a balance transfer or other introductory rate?,” Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Kristen Talman, American Express Credit Intel Freelance Contributor.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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