Would You like an iTunes Card With That Latte?
Some credit cards have rotating bonus categories. Take Chase Freedom, for example. When Lowe's is on the list of rotating bonus categories where you get 5 percent cash back, the first thing you will see on the points blogs is how you should go there and buy gift cards to leverage this deal. Often, the cards recommended are for iTunes and Starbucks.
Here is the thing about iTunes gift cards. Staples has sales on them often at 20 percent off. If you buy a $100 card, that should take care of a lot of songs. You are all set until the next sale.
Starbucks cards can often be bought at a 22 percent discount. The easiest way to find out is to go to www.giftcardgranny.com and do a search in the "buy cards" section. It’s an excellent site that will list various options for you.
If you see www.cardpool.com or www.raise.com stores listed with the lowest price, there is a way to leverage it even further. You can do that by going to www.topcashback.com and getting an account. It's a shopping portal that lets you get cash back on your online purchases. You click through it to various merchants, including Cardpool and Raise.
Let's say you have a choice of buying a $100 gift card through Freedom's 5 percent category at Lowe's or through Cardpool and getting a 22 percent discount. I value Ultimate Rewards point at 1.25 cents, so it would mean a little over $6 off. Or I could buy through Cardpool and get $22.
Of course, the discount will vary, but you get the idea. There is one gift card in my opinion that is almost always worth buying through Chase Freedom’s bonus category. It's an Amazon gift card and it's very hard to find at any significant discount. I buy diapers and wipes online, so we spend a good amount there.
Some cards, like Sallie Mae Barclaycard, give 5 percent back on Amazon purchases all year, but if you don't have it, Freedom is the next best thing. There may be other retailers worth looking at, so make sure to compare.