The world of points, miles, cashback and other reward types is complicated, to say the least. Travelers who have been renewed in the reward landscape may find themselves overwhelmed by the vast number of options, advice columns and expertise related to income and redemption. Fortunately, using cards with cards like the Verizon Visa® card can help you earn a 4% reward for grocery store purchases, gasoline, dining, delivery, and Takeout1 card holders lower your Verizon phone bill and take you one step closer to your next trip.
Being a smarter traveler by earning more rewards means making the most of your daily spending. From leveraging the right mix of cards to those that help you cut down on your monthly expenses, you can go on a dream vacation every time you save. Even travelers, even the way they avoid them, there are five travel reward mistakes.
Miss 1: Avoid credit card categories
Points and miles based credit cards can be extremely advantageous. Transferable Points currency allows you to transfer your rewards to airlines and hotel partners. By taking advantage of welcome offers and transfer bonuses, you can earn first class plane tickets from around the world by paying only taxes and fees.
However, points masters know that you shouldn’t keep a cashback credit card. There are many different formats of cashback cards (Verizon Visa cards are examples of alternatives to traditional cards). They may offer higher returns than point-based cards. A good strategy for frequent travelers is to use a variety of cards that will maximize revenue and redemption opportunities.
There are plenty of cashback cards available. To choose one, consider how to earn rewards at normal costs. Verizon Visa Card earns Verizon dollars every time you use it, and earns up to 4% in several everyday categories (global purchases, meals, gas, takeout, etc.)¹. You can insert these rewards against your monthly Verizon phone bill and place those savings on future trips. The best earners understand the importance of creativity when designing approaches.
Miss 2: Looking down on spending habits
There are all kinds of Spender cards. But just because it appears to have great revenue potential doesn’t mean you’ll use it to the fullest. If your spending habits guide your choices, you will be most successful.
For example, your Verizon Visa card does not have an annual fee and earns 4% cardholders on rewards for purchasing gas or electric vehicles charging ¹—iDeal for long commuters. You can also use rewards earned from your Verizon Visa card to cover Verizon Bill¹, freeing up space on your budget and helping you pay for your trip to Tahiti.
Additionally, travelers will be grateful to receive two free Travelpass days (providing unlimited talks, texts and data for a total of 48 hours per calendar year in over 210 countries and destinations) as Verizon Visa cardholders. And if you use that card overseas, you will not pay any foreign transaction fees.
Miss 3: Use your card for the wrong purchase
Once you have several cards in your wallet and earn bonus points in the top spending category, it’s time to learn which cards to buy. It’s easy to pick up the card that appears first in your wallet while standing in the checkout lane, but you can remember which card will offer you points per dollar at the purchase you are about to buy, ensuring your credit card is working for you.
Your Verizon Visa card comes with all Visa signature perks on your trip, including free room upgrades at 900 luxury hotels, coverage of trip cancellations and interruptions, and refunds for lost or delayed baggage. Pro Tip: Use your card when booking a trip and read the terms of cardholder’s profits so you don’t lose to valuable opportunities.
To claim purchase protection or travel insurance under a card, you usually need to use that card to purchase and book items. (As a travel reward writer, I have become a victim of this mistake.
Miss 4: Not winning welcome offer
Many credit cards offer a welcome bonus to new cardholders after meeting minimum spending requirements within the first few months of opening an account. Carefully track your spending so you don’t miss deadlines or leave money on the table.
Last year, I applied for an airline credit card and received a two-part welcome offer and then got my first part after meeting my spending requirements within the first few months. Then I was approved by the other card with a welcome offer and forgot my first card. As a result, they lost with a bonus miles that could have easily covered the cost of a flight to Argentina.
Learn from my mistakes and consider your overall strategy. It may be better to focus on a single card and take advantage of bonus offers during availability periods. If you are distracted by applying too many cards within a short time frame, you will accidentally miss out on valuable rewards.
It’s also helpful to choose a card with a less complicated two-part welcome offer. For a limited time, new cardholders of Verizon Visa Cards can receive a statement credit of up to $150 by meeting minimum spending requirements.
- $50 Statement Credit after purchase within the first 90 days of account opening
- Additional $100 statement credit after spending $1,500 on a card in the same time frame
Miss 5: Only earn rewards on some purchases
If you earn a reward for each purchase, the reward will be faster. People tend to forget that not every card earns points with each purchase, but they can earn rewards for recurring expenses like mobile plans and internet bills.
Luckily, Verizon Visa cards earn 4% on meals, groceries, gas and Verizon purchases, including devices and accessories. You also earn 1% on all other purchases, including Verizon Bill. There are no caps on the rewards you can earn. From smartwatches and headphones to gaming consoles and smartphones, you can use these rewards to save money on Verizon purchases. Using these rewards to buy other things will allow you to put more money into the travel fund.
In general, using a credit card for almost every purchase you make (except where additional fees apply) is the most effective way to quickly earn rewards. If you earn points on all your purchases, you can plan a vacation to Curacao or increase your dollar further in Colombia. Credit card rewards can take you where you want to go. By avoiding these mistakes you can travel more and have a better trip.
¹Reward: Purchases eligible for credit approval. Please see Verizon Visa® Credit Card Reward Program Terms and Conditions With application for details and limitations. Application is required. Conditions for credit approval. To apply, you must be the owner or account manager of a Verizon wireless account for an account with up to 12 phone lines (depending on your plan) or an account with an owner of a FIOS account with at least one active FIOS service.
Verizon VisaSignature® cards are issued by a synchronous bank pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc.
² There are no annual fees or foreign transaction fees: For new accounts as of 1/1/25: Verizon VisaSignature® Card: Variable Purchase APR is 22.99%, 27.99%, or 33.99%. The variable penalty APR is 32.99%, 37.99%, or 39.99%. Minimum interest fee of $2. Variable cash APRs are 27.24%, 32.24% or 38.24% and 5% fees (10 minutes). Variable BAL Trans APRs are 22.99%, 27.99% or 33.99% and 5% fees (5 minutes).
³ Account offers: Conditions for credit approval. To apply, you must be the owner or account manager of a Verizon wireless account for an account with up to 12 phone lines (depending on your plan) or an account with an owner of a FIOS account with at least one active FIOS service. To qualify for this offer, you must (i) apply for and approve a Verizon Visa Signature® Card account. (ii) make your first purchase within 90 days, receive a $50 statement credit, and (iii) make a $1,500 qualifying purchase within the first 90 days of opening your account to receive a $100 statement credit. Only one offer per account. Your account must remain open and apply to your account in good condition in a time statement. After your initial purchase is made, a $50 statement credit will be posted on the 1-2 billing cycle. A $100 statement credit will be posted on a 1-2 billing cycle after the $1500 spending threshold is met within 90 days. Statement credits cannot be used to meet required monthly payments in your credit card account and may not be redeemed as they are cash or equivalent. This offer will be available to applicants who have been approved from January 23, 2025. We reserve the right to discontinue or change the terms of this offer at any time. Limited time offer.
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Verizon VisaSignature® cards are issued by a synchronous bank pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc.
