Labor Day is a time for Americans to reflect on their accomplishments and the hard work they’ve put in throughout the year. If you’re looking for ways to reward yourself, there are some credit cards that offer exclusive discounts and promotions during this holiday weekend.
Chase Freedom Unlimited is a credit card that offers 0% introductory APR for 15 months and no annual fee.
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Labor Day is approaching, which means that holiday sales may be at their best. While shopping for a new clothing and electronics may be a lot of fun, it’s also essential to have a credit card that provides the greatest rewards while you’re out and about. Some individuals choose a card that gives cash back rather than travel benefits, while others want a card that protects their purchase in the event it is stolen or damaged, or if it has to be returned and the shop refuses to accept it.
Now is the time to consider if a credit card you currently have in your purse or wallet will suffice, or whether you’ll need to get a new one to guarantee you’re utilizing the finest option for your future expenditures. So we combed through the most popular credit cards and selected seven that will make your wallet happy on every purchase you make during the Labor Day weekend.
The Citi® Double Cash Card is the best way to get cash back. Chase Freedom Unlimited is the most flexible option. American Express Blue Cash Everyday® Card: Best for department shops in the United States The American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card is ideal for gift cards. Chase Freedom Flex is ideal for a variety of categories. Purchase protection is best with the Chase Sapphire Reserve. It’s a fact® Amazon and Target are the best places to earn cash back.
Why did we choose these credit cards as the best for your next shopping trip? Let’s take a closer look at each card to see how it might provide a little more joy to your Labor Day weekend.
The Citi Double Cash Card is the way to choose if you want to keep things simple. You’ll get 2% cash back on anything you buy — 1% when you buy something and another 1% when you pay your bill — so you won’t have to worry about bonus categories or digging through your wallet for the correct card every time you go into a shop.
Read CNN Underscored’s evaluation of the Citi Double Cash Card for more information.
The Citi Double Cash’s main drawback is that it doesn’t come with many shopping perks. While some other credit cards may cover you if an item you buy is lost, stolen, or damaged within a specified amount of time, the Double Cash does not.
So, despite the Double Cash’s simplicity, if you’re making a purchase that requires protection, such as a new calculator for your kids when they return to school, you may want to look at another card on our list.
To apply for the Citi Double Cash Card, go here.
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When combined with the appropriate Chase travel credit card, rewards earned with the Chase Freedom Unlimited on Labor Day shopping may be versatile.
Because of its broad redemption possibilities, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is one of those credit cards that really appeals to the people. You’ll get 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases, 3% on dining and pharmacy purchases, and 5% on travel booked via Chase Ultimate Rewards.
While 1.5 percent cash back is less than the Citi Double Cash Card, the Freedom Unlimited may provide more flexibility in the long run. That’s because when you combine the card with a premium Chase Ultimate Points card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can pool your rewards from all of your cards and redeem them for travel at a greater rate than if you only got cash back.
Related: With this Chase Freedom Unlimited deal, you may get $200 in extra cash back.
For example, if you combine the Freedom Unlimited with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, your points will be worth 25% more when redeemed for travel or via Chase’s Pay Yourself Back feature. When you combine the Freedom Unlimited with a Chase Sapphire Reserve, you may receive up to 50% more. You may also transfer your points to any of Chase’s 14 airline and hotel loyalty partners with any Sapphire card.
So, although though the Chase Freedom Unlimited has a little lower cash back rate to begin with, by combining it with the appropriate card, you may wind up with a greater return on your Labor Day expenditures.
When you shop with the Freedom Unlimited, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your purchases are protected for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. The card also extends three-year or less manufacturer warranties in the United States for an extra year.
To apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited, go here.
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With the Blue Cash Everyday credit card, you can earn extra cash back during Labor Day discounts at U.S. department shops.
The no-annual-fee Blue Cash Everyday from American Express may be your best choice if you’re searching for the ideal new autumn wardrobe at the department shops (see rates and fees).
To begin with, this card offers 2% cash back at certain U.S. department shops, with no limit on how much you may earn. While this is the same as cards like the Citi Double Cash, there are some additional benefits to using the Blue Cash Everyday while making purchases.
Because the Blue Cash Everyday is an American Express card, you’ll have access to the Amex Offers program, which may save you money. At certain retailers, Amex Offers offer immediate discounts or additional points. The deals vary often, but you’ll see a slew of new clothes shops springing up throughout the year, particularly at department stores like Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Neiman Marcus.
Not only can you get 2% cash back with your Blue Cash Everyday card at these department shops, but there’s also a possibility you may “double dip” and save money with an Amex Offer. Keep in mind that Amex Offers are occasionally targeted, so check your American Express account to see what deals are available to you.
If you use this Blue Cash Everyday to make a purchase, you won’t receive the advantages of an extended warranty or return protection, but you can obtain those benefits with the Everyday’s sister card, the Blue Cash Preferred from American Express (which we cover in depth next).
Which is better for you: Amex Blue Cash Preferred vs. Blue Cash Everyday?
However, purchase protection is included with the Blue Cash Everyday, which protects you if your item is destroyed or stolen within 90 days of purchase. The insurance covers up to $1,000 per item and $50,000 per year.
To learn more about the Blue Cash Everyday card, go here.
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With the Blue Cash Preferred card, you may get extra cash back when you buy a gift card at a U.S. supermarket.
If you’re stumped on what to buy your child’s college-bound buddy, consider a gift card. This way, students may decorate their dorm room as they like. While you can always buy a gift card from a shop, it may be more convenient to acquire one at your local supermarket. There’s no need to go out of your way when gift card carousels in many supermarkets provide a variety of choices, including Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Nordstrom, The Gap, and many more.
But here is also where the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card comes in useful, since it shines at your local grocer. You can get 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases each year (then 1 percent ). That means you may get up to $360 in extra cash back on all of your grocery shopping in the United States each year, including any gift card purchases.
Related: These Amex Blue Cash credit cards offer up to $300 in extra cash back.
Just keep in mind that if you use gift cards to make purchases, you’ll lose any credit card advantages you may have, such as extended warranties and purchase protection. Even if you purchase the gift card using a credit card that provides such advantages, the benefits do not apply when the gift card is redeemed.
Click here to discover more about American Express’s Blue Cash Preferred card.
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You may also utilize the Chase Freedom Flex to get extra cash back when you purchase a gift card for your favorite store.
One of the greatest features of the Chase Freedom Flex credit card is its range of rotating bonus categories. Cardholders may receive 5% cash back at a new group of retailers every quarter, up to $1,500 in total purchases. These categories include grocery shops (excluding Target and Walmart) and certain streaming services in the third quarter of 2021, which runs from July to September.
While supermarkets aren’t usually a go-to for Labor Day discounts, many grocery shops offer gift cards, so you can buy one for your preferred merchant — such as Walmart — and get 5% extra cash back with the Freedom Flex card.
If your supermarket does not sell third-party gift cards, another alternative is to buy gift cards from a nearby pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens. At drugstores, both the Chase Freedom Flex and the Chase Freedom Unlimited give 3% cash back. Just keep in mind that if you purchase anything using a gift card rather than using your credit card directly with the seller, you won’t get the usual purchasing protection advantages.
Get a $200 sign-up bonus with the Chase Freedom Flex credit card.
When you combine the Chase Freedom Flex with a premium Chase Ultimate Points card like the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve, you may redeem your rewards for travel or use the Pay Yourself Back feature to get even more value out of them, just as you can with the Chase Freedom Unlimited.
The Chase Freedom Flex also includes purchase protection, which covers new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account, and extended warranty protection, which adds an additional year to any US manufacturer’s warranty of three years or less on any items purchased with the card.
To apply for the Chase Freedom Flex, go here.
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When you buy anything with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you may protect it against damage or theft.
Using a card that provides purchase and return protection for costly goods — such as electronics that may break easily — is strongly advised, since it’s a benefit that may exceed any extra points or cash back you can receive on your next purchase.
Purchase protection is available for 120 days from the date of purchase with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year. This protects qualifying purchases against damage or theft for one of the longest periods of time and has some of the highest limits you’ll find on a credit card.
Is the yearly premium for the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth it?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with return protection in addition to purchase protection, which is a feature we’re seeing less and less of on credit cards these days. As a result, a card that offers both purchase and return protection is worth considering.
If you wish to return an eligible item purchased with your Sapphire Reserve card within 90 days of the purchase date and the merchant refuses to accept it, you’ll be reimbursed the entire purchase amount thanks to return protection (excluding shipping and handling).
Claims are limited to $500 per purchase and $1,000 per card each year, which is considerably more than many other cards, which limit claims to $300 per item. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is by far the most expensive credit card on our list, with a $550 annual fee, so be sure you can take use of its many other perks if you decide to acquire it.
To apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, go here.
Paypal
When you use the Discover it Cash Back card to pay with PayPal on Labor Day this year, you’ll get a 5% extra cash back.
The Discover it Cash Back card, like the Chase Freedom Flex, provides changing bonus categories, and the Discover team laid out their 5% cash back calendar with flexibility in mind.
You’ll get 5% cash back at restaurants and PayPal throughout the third quarter of 2021, which spans from July to September. While PayPal may not seem to be interesting on the surface, you may be shocked to learn that it is accepted by an increasing number of retailers, including Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ikea, and Lowe’s.
The Discover it Cash Back bonus cash back is limited at a total of $1,500 in purchases each quarter, but you may still earn up to $75 in additional cash back. However, you must remember to activate the bonus categories before making any purchases in them, since you will only get extra cash back once you have done so.
In addition, any cash back you earn in your first year as a Discover cardholder will be matched dollar for dollar. This cash back match has no upper limit, so if you acquire a new Discover card right now, your future purchases in the rotating bonus areas may earn you an effective 10% return, or up to $150 in cash back.
The Discover it Cash Back card also offers a 0% APR on all purchases for the first 14 months following account creation, before rising to a variable APR of 11.99 percent to 22.99 percent after that. As a result, this is an excellent card to utilize for any large purchases that you may need to pay down over time. Unfortunately, the card no longer provides purchase protection or extended warranties, so you’ll have to balance the advantages and drawbacks when making big purchases.
Concerned about your financial situation? On purchases, these credit cards carry 0% interest.
With so many credit cards to choose from for your Labor Day expenditures, you’re sure to find one that meets your requirements. The Citi Double Cash Card is your best option if you want a card that gives you direct cash back without having to bother about bonus categories.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited, on the other hand, if you want a card with more flexibility and bonus categories, enables you to earn cash back that may be converted into points for future travel. If you plan on shopping at a large box or department store, have the Blue Cash Everyday card in your wallet, or the Discover it Cash Back card if you buy online and pay with PayPal.
If your aim is to safeguard your Labor Day, the Chase Sapphire Reserve will surpass your expectations if anything goes wrong with your purchase or if you need to return something after the return period has expired. Finally, if you’re purchasing gift cards for a friend or family member who has everything, the Blue Cash Preferred or Chase Freedom Flex may provide you the most returns if you buy them at a U.S. supermarket.
Find out which credit cards CNN Underscored selected as the best in 2021.
CNN Underscored Money has the most up-to-date personal financial offers, news, and advice.
CNN has created a list of the best credit cards for Labor Day. Reference: cnn best credit cards.
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