Use Credit Card Perks For Valentine’s Day Celebrations And Gifts

This yr, client spending for Valentine’s Day is anticipated to succeed in $25.8 billion, in line with analysis from the Nationwide Retail Federation (NRF). That is fairly near final yr’s spending plans of $25.9 billion, with Bankrate additional discovering that round 52 p.c of shoppers deliberate to spend a median of $192.80 in 2023.

With spending across the 2023 vacation season additionally reaching new heights, in line with the NRF, it’s no shock that corporations are gearing up for plenty of Valentine’s Day spending in 2024, too. But although the info factors to extra spending this yr, you shouldn’t have to extend your spending to have a good time your belovedWith the proper mixture of factors and perks, you might be able to get items for your beloved or plan a particular expertise extra cheaply — and even at no cost.

Whether or not you may have a excessive finances and want to splurge on your beloved otherwise you’re quick on money and want a frugal present that gained’t disappoint, learn on for enjoyable methods to make use of bank card rewards for Valentine’s Day celebrations and items in 2024.

Use journey rewards for a weekend getaway

Whether or not you really need to escape over Valentine’s Day otherwise you’re hoping to shock your sweetie with the small print for a visit you may have deliberate, it is smart to take inventory of your factors and miles earlier than you guide something.

Many versatile journey bank cards make it doable to make use of rewards to pay for a part of your journey reserving, which may be useful when you don’t have sufficient factors to cowl a complete journey. Some rewards bank cards, together with the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card, even allow you to get a lift in worth while you use factors to guide journey by way of the Chase Final Rewards portal.

For instance, you should use factors from the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked to guide airfare, lodges, rental automobiles and extra by way of Chase, and also you’ll get 25 p.c extra worth (1.25 cents per level) while you do. You may also pay for a visit with a mixture of factors and money when you’re operating quick on what you want.

So, the place do you have to go? Think about a weekend getaway to the mountains or the large metropolis, or guide a fun-fueled journey to Las Vegas or an all-inclusive resort. Versatile rewards factors can assist make any of that occur when you have a stash of factors constructed up and also you’re prepared to make use of them.

Redeem rewards for money again

Many high rewards bank cards additionally allow you to redeem rewards for money again or assertion credit to your account, normally at a fee of 1 cent per level. This implies you should use your bank card rewards to buy Valentine’s Day items or pay for a elaborate dinner, then reimburse your self with the rewards you may have.

Alternatively, you would even join a brand new money again bank card with the aim of incomes a welcome bonus that you could redeem to cowl vacation items. For instance, the Chase Freedom Limitless®* is providing a $200 bonus for cardholders that spend $500 throughout the first three months from account opening. If you happen to cost sufficient to the cardboard, you would use the additional $200 to purchase your beloved one thing particular. Plus, the cardboard has no annual charge, so it gained’t price you something to hold it.

Redeem rewards for present playing cards

Many rewards bank cards allow you to redeem rewards for present playing cards as properly, though redemption charges range. Relying on the bank card you may have and availability you might be able to use rewards for present playing cards to a romantic restaurant or a retailer your companion already loves.

For instance, a few of the present card redemptions out there for Capital One bank cards on the time of writing embrace:

• Apple
• Amazon
• Greatest Purchase
• Barnes and Noble
• Lowe’s
• Ruth’s Chris Steak Home
• Bonefish Grill
• McCormick & Schmick’s
• Sephora

You may even get a pay as you go Mastercard and use that towards your subsequent buy. With these choices in thoughts, it’s simple to see how you would flip a present card redemption right into a Valentine’s shock your companion will love.

Money in World of Hyatt factors for a enjoyable splurge

World of Hyatt makes it doable to redeem rewards for resort stays at greater than 1,000 properties worldwide, however you can too use factors for enjoyable experiences by way of the World of Hyatt FIND experiences program. A lot of the out there experiences are in and round massive cities, so they might be just right for you relying on the place you reside.

For instance, you might be able to redeem World of Hyatt factors by way of this program for:

• Admission to the American Dream TilT museum in East Rutherford, New Jersey
• Admission to The Whiskey Tasting Manufacturing unit in Nashville, Tennessee
• A two-hour guided tour by way of The Metropolitan Museum of Artwork in New York, New York
• A scorching air balloon trip in Scottsdale, Arizona
• A ship trip with an Government Chef–catered picnic on the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary

You may make the most of these experiences simply by being a World of Hyatt rewards member, so even when you don’t have sufficient factors to cowl the entire tour, you may pay with money as an alternative.

Ebook unique restaurant reservations with Amex International Eating

If you happen to maintain an eligible American Categorical bank card — resembling The Platinum Card® from American Categorical or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Categorical Card — you may routinely qualify for a perk known as International Eating Entry with Resy. This cardholder profit makes it doable to guide prime-time eating places which might be usually troublesome to get into, a few of which embrace:

• Carbone in New York, New York
• Zahav in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• The Gray in Savannah, Georgia
• Cúrate in Asheville, North Carolina

You’ll additionally get a “VIP Diner Badge” that lets institutions know you’re a valued visitor and needs to be handled accordingly.

This eating perk works finest in massive cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, and it even has worldwide choices if you end up touring in cities like London, United Kingdom’ Sydney, Australia and Lima, Peru. This system is accessible by way of the Resy app, which you should use to arrange notifications for when a desk turns into out there at a restaurant you might be hoping to get into.

The underside line

Whether or not you need to shock your sweetheart with a enjoyable new present or simply want some money to take them out for dinner, make sure that to test how a lot you may have in bank card rewards. Relying in your stash, you would purchase one thing fairly spectacular and get a great deal, whether or not that’s on a weekend journey someplace new or a present you wouldn’t usually splurge for with money.

There are various methods to economize on Valentine’s Day this yr, and tapping into bank card rewards can assist make this big day unforgettable.

*Issuer-required disclosure assertion
Details about the Chase Freedom Limitless® has been collected independently by Bankrate. Card particulars haven’t been reviewed or accepted by the cardboard issuer.