How to Boost Your Credit Card Reward Points and Build Financial Value
What are Credit Card Rewards?
Earning Points: A Simple Overview
Redemption Options: What’s Available?
Navigating Changes in Reward Programs
FAQs: Advia Rewards
How to Boost Your Credit Card Reward Points and Build Financial Value
Credit cards aren’t only for convenience —they’re powerful financial tools with the potential to enhance your everyday life through rewards. With the right knowledge, you can leverage these benefits to optimize your spending and even reach financial goals.
What Are Credit Card Rewards?
Picture this: you need to fill up your gas tank, but first, you decide to stop at your local coffee spot and get a drink. It’s going to be a busy day. You have multiple stops: you saw there’s a major sale at your go-to store and you’re determined to find a new holiday outfit for your family’s festive party. Oh, and you signed up to bring cookies, so you'd better pick up ingredients. By the end of the day, you spend $350 or more.
You could use your debit card – no issue there. But, what if you could be rewarded for money you were already spending? This is where credit card reward points come in handy.
For every dollar spent using Advia’s Visa Platinum Advantage Points Credit Card, you earn reward points that can be redeemed for cash back, travel, gift cards, or merchandise. Plus, when you spend in specific categories, like dining and restaurants, you also get 3% back.
“Credit card rewards are perks and benefits offered to our members for using their Visa Platinum Advantage Points Credit Card,” says Kathryn Bare, Advia’s Card Portfolio Administrator. “These rewards are designed to incentivize spending and build member loyalty.”
Earning Points: A Simple Overview
Most credit cards have a structured points system based on different spending categories. As an example, here’s a breakdown of the 3-2-1 approach by Advia:
- Dining and Delivery: Many cards offer higher points for dining expenses, which can be a great way to earn more rewards if you frequently eat out. With Advia’s Visa® Platinum Advantage Points Credit Card, members earn 3 points for every dollar spent on dining and delivery. That’s fast food, carryout, and dine-in plus Grubhub, DoorDash, UberEats, and more.1
- Gas and Groceries: Regular expenses like fuel and groceries often earn bonus points, helping you accumulate rewards quickly. 2% back means 2 points for every dollar spent– double rewards for gas stations and grocery stores like Shipt, Instacart, and more,1 all with your favorite Advia Visa® Platinum Advantage Points Credit Card.
- Everyday Purchases: Even non-bonus categories contribute to your overall points, so it's important to use your card for regular spending to make the most of your perks. This can include your everyday expenses or holiday shopping. You can also connect regular monthly subscriptions, such as Netflix or Hulu, with your card. This means you get 1% back on all other purchases when you use your Advia Visa Platinum Advantage Points Credit Card.
Redemption Options: What’s Available?
Maximizing your points is key to getting the full benefit of your card’s reward program. Many programs, including Advia’s, offer a variety of ways to redeem your points, making them more valuable than ever. Here are some popular redemption choices:
- Travel Experiences: Use points for flights, hotel stays, or vacation packages, turning your everyday spending into adventures, family vacations, honeymoons, or anniversary trips.
- Merchandise and Gift Cards: Redeem points for the latest gadgets or gift cards to your favorite stores, giving you flexibility in how you enjoy your rewards.
- Unique Experiences: Look for opportunities to use points for special occasions, like concert tickets or spa treatments, which can enhance your lifestyle.
- Pay with Points: Use your points in real time at the pump and while you check out at your favorite stores with participating merchants.
- Cash Back: Turn your points into cash rewards, perfect for extra savings or treating yourself to something special. It’s one of the most popular choices among our members!
“Our rewards points can be redeemed for cash, travel experiences, top-brand merchandise, concert tickets, spa days, and even gift cards," explains Kathryn Bare. "We've also added e-gift cards and opportunities to donate to local charities, including our Advia Foundation.”
Additionally, Advia now offers Pay with Points, Checkout with Points, and Fuel with Points, allowing members to use their points in real-time at participating merchants.
Navigating Changes in Reward Programs
As credit card issuers update their rewards programs, you may find changes that enhance your earning and redemption options. At Advia, we recently updated ours.
This platform reflects Advia’s commitment to financial wellness, providing flexibility and personalization for all members.
If your card is transitioning to a new rewards program, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Existing Points Carryover: Most reputable issuers, including Advia, will ensure that your existing points carry over to the new program, so you won't lose any rewards you've already earned.
- Extended Expiration Dates: If you have points nearing expiration, many programs extend these dates to give you more time to use them. When we revamped ours at Advia, we extended these expiration dates an additional month– points expiring in October will now expire at the end of November instead.
- Consistent Earning Structures: Look for confirmation that your earning structure will remain unchanged or enhanced, allowing you to continue maximizing rewards as you always have. For Advia members, the introduction of a more flexible Visa Platinum Advantage Points Credit Card rewards system means you can enjoy a broader range of redemption options, making your points more valuable than ever. Now, you can redeem points for travel experiences, popular merchandise, and even unique experiences, such as concert tickets and spa days. This evolution in the rewards program not only allows you to personalize how you use your points but also empowers you to get more from your spending.
FAQs: Advia Rewards
Members with our Advantage Points card have raised questions related to our new rewards program. Here are some recent FAQs:
How do I access and manage my points? You can easily manage your points by logging in to Digital Banking, navigating to 'My Cards,' and selecting your Visa Advantage Points Credit Card. This will allow you to view your current balance and explore the new rewards.
Will my existing points carry over to the new rewards program? Yes, your points will carry over seamlessly, and any points set to expire in October 2024 will be extended to November 2024.
How do I redeem my points? Redeeming your points is simple! Log in to Digital Banking, select 'My Cards,' and navigate to your Visa Advantage Points Credit Card under ‘Card Management’ to browse and redeem rewards directly.
1 Earn rewards when you use your card to make purchases; minus returns, credits, and adjustments (“Net Purchases”). The following transactions are not considered Net Purchases and will not earn rewards: balance transfers and cash advances (each as defined in your Credit Card Agreement), fees, interest charges, and fraudulent transactions. Up to 3% back on aggregate purchases up to $1,500 monthly in select categories made on/between October 1, 2022-December 31, 2024. 3% back on qualifying dining and restaurant delivery transactions; must have required merchant code signifying the transaction for purchases for dining transactions (merchant codes 5812, 5813, and 5814). Purchases that exceed $1,500 monthly in promotional categories will earn the standard 1% back. A maximum of 10,000 points per month may be earned. 2% back on qualifying gas and grocery transactions; must have required merchant code signifying the transaction for purchases for gas and grocery transactions (merchant codes for gas: 5541 and 5542; merchant codes for grocery: 5411 and 5300). 1% back (equal to $0.01) for every $1 of Net Purchases charged to the card each billing cycle for accounts in good standing. Transactions with other establishments do not apply and we do not control how merchants are categorized. We do not evaluate whether merchants correctly identify and bill transactions; however, we do reserve the right to determine which transactions qualify for bonus rewards offers. The minimum cash reward redemption in a single transaction is $50.00 and the maximum is $800.00. Rewards expire three (3) years from the time they are earned. Allow up to two (2) billing cycles for bonus rewards to post to account.