Catherine Giese – Intuit Credit Karma https://www.creditkarma.com Free Credit Score & Free Credit Reports With Monitoring Thu, 30 Jun 2022 01:11:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.4 138066937 How credit cards can help you save with Uber credit and other cool perks https://www.creditkarma.com/credit-cards/i/unique-credit-card-perks Fri, 29 Sep 2017 22:21:39 +0000 https://www.creditkarma.com/?p=6815 Young woman cheerfully walking and thinking about unique credit card perks

This offer is no longer available on our site: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Plenty of rewards credit cards offer the chance to earn points, miles or cash back on everyday purchases.

Sometimes, these cards even come with additional perks, like travel insurance or a concierge service to take the stress out of booking a travel or restaurant reservation.

While those benefits can be super-useful, they’re also nothing new. If you’re looking to squeeze something a little more exciting out of your credit card, you’ll be glad to know that many credit card issuers have risen to the occasion.

Just as often as not these days, rewards credit cards come with a whole slew of cool and creative perks.


Here’s the deal: Credit card issuers want to attract new cardholders, so they’re branching out beyond the typical perks associated with rewards cards.

One of their primary targets? Millennials.

Standing at 92 million members strong, the millennial generation is the largest in the history of the U.S.

But for a number of reasons, this generation has a complicated relationship with credit cards. The New York Times cites fear after the Great Recession, while Forbes cites a pervasive attitude of ambivalence. In any case, millennials may need a bit more convincing when it comes to credit cards.

One card they seem to love? Chase Sapphire Reserve® .

Millennial applications were through the roof when Chase rolled out its high-end travel rewards credit card in summer 2016. So, why was this particular card such a winner?

Perhaps because it comes stocked with travel benefits and perks, including a $300 annual travel credit, access to certain airport lounges and special car rental privileges when you book with your card.

From our partner

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

4.1 out of 5

From cardholders in the last year

Even with its high annual fee of $550, the benefits appear to outweigh the costs in many cases.

Fortunately, Chase Sapphire Reserve® isn’t the only credit card with cool and unique benefits.

Read on to learn about some other perks you might be able to enjoy with a new credit card. Some you may have heard of before, but others will likely come as a welcome surprise.


Uber credit

One of the coolest perks on the market has to be the Uber credit you’ll get with the Platinum Card® from American Express .

Basic Card Members can take advantage of up to $200 in annual Uber savings ($15 Uber credit for U.S. rides each month, plus a bonus $20 Uber credit in December).

Heads up, though: There are a few hoops to jump through before you can use your card to ride around town.

To make sure you get the credits applied to your account, first update your method of payment to your Platinum Card® from American Express in the Uber app. After that, be sure to opt into the credit in your app.

Once that’s completed, you’ll be good to go.

Wi-Fi credits or complimentary access

You want to stay connected to your friends, family and work while on the go, but data and Wi-Fi passes can get expensive. We get it. Here’s the good news: Depending on which card you choose, you can get statement credits towards Wi-Fi, including in-flight service.

Before your next flight, double-check your card rewards to see if they might include an in-flight Wi-Fi credit.

Exclusive access to concert and event tickets

Certain rewards credit cards offer cardholders exclusive access to purchase concert and event tickets. It’s a perk that tends to be overlooked by folks chasing points or miles, but nothing says “cool” quite like nabbing tickets to the hottest show in town.

American Express® cardholders can benefit from a program called Membership Experiences.

You’ll get access to presale tickets and special events when purchasing tickets with your American Express® card through the Membership Experiences website.

The next time your favorite band or team is in town, make that your first stop when shopping for tickets.

ShopRunner membership

Love your Amazon Prime membership but want access to different brands? ShopRunner could be your answer.

With hundreds of brands to choose from — including Kate Spade, Express, and Saks Fifth Avenue — ShopRunner gets your deliveries done stat with two-day shipping and free returns in case you change your mind.

With your American Express® card or Mastercard® (World Mastercard® and World Elite Mastercard® cardholders only), you can get a complimentary ShopRunner membership.

Simply enroll on the ShopRunner website and be sure to use your enrolled card when making purchases.

If you already have a powerful rewards earner like the American Express® Gold Card , this benefit is just icing on the cake.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Credit

Travel much? Then you’ve probably thought about applying for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Airport security can get old fast, and these are your answer to shorter lines and expedited entry into the U.S.

If you’re looking to apply for either program, you may not have to pay extra. Certain top-level travel rewards cards will give you a credit to cover the full application fee. That’s a benefit you’ll definitely want to use if you fly even once over the next few years.

One of the cards that offers a $100 Global Entry application fee credit is the Citi Prestige® Card. Others include Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Platinum Card® from American Express.

Airbnb credits

With some travel rewards cards, you may be able to apply your travel statement credit toward purchases with Airbnb.

Just be sure to check the terms and conditions for your card before applying your travel statement credit toward those less-obvious travel merchants.

You may even want to call a representative to make sure you can redeem your points or miles toward purchases with specific merchants.


Bottom line

If you’re on the hunt for a new rewards credit card, don’t limit your imagination. Credit card issuers continue to find new ways to attract new cardholders, and that means thinking outside the box in terms of benefits and perks.

Whether you’re a music lover, a fan of rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft, or someone who hates waiting in line at the airport, you may get more out of your next credit card than you thought possible.


About the author: Catherine Giese is a digital marketer with a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Cornell University. In her free time she enjoys writing satirical commentary and spending time outdoors.  Read more.
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6 ways to make the most of your Credit Karma membership https://www.creditkarma.com/advice/i/7-ways-make-credit-karma-membership Tue, 08 Aug 2017 18:05:24 +0000 https://www.creditkarma.com/?p=3762 Group of young women standing around a laptop and discussing 7 ways to make the most of your Credit Karma membership

In 2007, Credit Karma was founded to give people access to credit reports and scores that were truly free. Ten years and over 75 million members later, we stand by our original mission to help you make meaningful financial progress without ever charging you a dime.

Your financial picture goes well beyond your credit score and reports, though, and we get that. That’s why we offer a whole host of resources to help you with your finances.

Interested in diving in? Here are our top tips for making the most of your Credit Karma membership.

  1. Take advantage of credit monitoring
  2. Dispute items that don’t belong on your report
  3. Simulate changes to your credit score
  4. Check for unclaimed money
  5. Tackle your debt
  6. Consider refinancing your mortgage

1. Take advantage of credit monitoring

You know that Credit Karma gives you access to your VantageScore 3.0 credit scores and reports from two major credit bureaus, but did you know we help you stay on top of credit report changes?

We’ll send you an alert if we notice important changes in your TransUnion and Equifax credit reports so you can check for suspicious activity or errors.

To make sure everything lines up, check out your reports (remember: we provide reports from both Equifax and TransUnion) and review any new items.

To enable credit monitoring, log into Credit Karma then:

-> Go to Profile and Settings in the top right corner

-> Select Communications & Monitoring

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-> Check the “Credit Monitoring” box.

2. Dispute items that don’t belong on your report

If something looks off while you’re going through your TransUnion report, Direct Dispute™ makes it easy for you to file a claim.

Click the “Dispute an error” button under the relevant account and we’ll help you submit your request.

TransUnion will then review your claim and make the appropriate changes if your error is validated. If TransUnion makes a change as a result of your dispute, you’ll see the change reflected on Credit Karma as soon as we receive the updated information from TransUnion. Keep in mind that filing a dispute doesn’t guarantee that TransUnion will change your report.

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Note: If the error is with Equifax, you’ll need to dispute it directly through their website.)

3. Simulate changes to your credit score

Once you’ve reviewed your reports and disputed any errors, the Credit Score Simulator (which is based on VantageScore 3.0 credit scores and starts with the information in your current TransUnion credit report) can help you see how your credit score could be affected if you make any changes to your accounts or switch up your financial habits.

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Planning to open a new credit card? Applying for a new loan? Use the Simulator to get an idea of how your credit score could change. Note: The Simulator is an educational tool and provides estimated outcomes, not predictions.

4. Check for unclaimed money

If you’re looking for some extra pocket change, you could start by searching for unclaimed money — it barely takes longer than picking up a quarter off the sidewalk, but with the possibility of a much bigger payoff.

So what is unclaimed money, anyway? In a nutshell: When businesses owe you money but can’t send it to you, they may turn it over to state governments. The government then holds onto it under your name. You can file a simple claim to get it back. With over $40 billion just sitting with state governments, it’s worth it for you to take a look.

5. Tackle your debt

Got some nagging debt you’re trying to pay down? We’ve got tons of educational articles like this or this to help you strategize paying it off.

Once you’re ready to take action, take advantage of resources such as our debt repayment calculator and personal loans marketplace to figure out your next steps.

6. Consider refinancing your mortgage

Figuring out whether you should refinance your mortgage can be a big decision. One of the first things you may want to do is figure out if refinancing is worth it financially.

The good news is you can use our mortgage refinance calculator to get an idea. Simply fill out some basic information such as how long you plan to stay in your home and your ideal loan term and we’ll help you figure out whether refinancing could help you save money or not.

If it makes sense for you to refinance, we’ll help you find better mortgage rates from our partners and make the process as straightforward as possible.


Bottom line

No matter where you are on your financial journey, Credit Karma can help you along the way. We understand that money matters can feel complicated, and we’re doing what we can to change that, one feature at a time.


About the author: Catherine Giese is a digital marketer with a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Cornell University. In her free time she enjoys writing satirical commentary and spending time outdoors.  Read more.
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