Credit Cards with Added Perks

When it boils down to it, there are not many things people look for when choosing financial products. Mainly the choice comes down to cost, monthly repayments and perhaps a decent interest rate, but really little else. However, more and more often these days, financial services providers have begun to realise that consumers need a little more from their finances, in particular a little bit of freedom.

Just as consumers are perfecting their work/life balance and enjoying far more flexibility in how they live, shop, learn and be entertained, people are beginning to look for the same degree of choice and flexibility from their money.

The perks available with different card providers vary greatly. While some will focus on giving extended periods of 0% balance transfers or 0% purchases, or simply by giving low typical APRs, others will try to hook in customers with added extras.

The choice in these extras is staggering. The most popular scheme is to give away points for all the money you spend - that can be later be redeemed on a purchase or in a specific shop. Certain providers, such as BT and Virgin, will let you transfer these points on to their own services, like reducing your phone bill or getting a discount on a holiday.

Barclaycard has recently introduced a new scheme meaning when shoppers are at one of many participating stores, there are currently around 30,000, they will automatically get 1% of their purchase price redeemed back onto their card, as 'Reward Money'. This then gives the customer the freedom to either use the extra credit on their next purchase, or just add it on to their credit card bill.

In a fast-paced society that is used to getting what it wants when it wants it, reward credit cards give spenders a myriad of options when choosing why they should use plastic and not cash. As with all major consumer services, from supermarkets to utilities companies, a shift in approach has been necessary to appeal to today's modern and choice-laden consumer, and giving them the freedom to choose how they spend their money is perhaps the very best way to do it.

The advantage many of these reward cards offers is that they're simple to use and so long as you make sure to pay all balances on time, you'll avoid having to pay any fees that negate the benefit of getting the card in the first place.

This article has been written for information and interest purposes only. The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author only, and should not be construed as advice or used to make financial decisions. Expert financial advice should always be sought and any links contained within this article are included for information purposes only.

Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.