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It is (sometimes) possible to buy stocks with a credit card, but it’s rarely a good idea for most people. Most brokerages do not allow you to directly fund your account with a credit card, and even if you find a brokerage that does, the fees associated with buying stocks with a credit card can outweigh any advantages.

Before you buy stocks with a credit card, make sure you understand the risks as well as the benefits. Investing in the stock market always comes with a degree of risk. If your investments lose money, you may not be able to pay off your credit card statement, which will mean that you’ll have to pay additional interest.

Using Your Credit Card to Buy Stocks

Most brokerages do not allow you to use your credit card to buy stocks. For example, SoFi’s online trading platform does not permit you to fund your account with a credit card. Brokerages generally don’t allow you to buy stocks with a credit card to help comply with the federal regulations governing financial products, such as stocks.

However, while you can’t purchase stocks directly with a credit card, there are still ways you can use your credit card to fund your purchase of stocks. This includes using cash back rewards to fund investments as well as taking out cash advances. Another option is to use a credit card that allows you to transfer funds to a checking account, which you can then move over to your brokerage account.

Recommended: Tips for Using a Credit Card Responsibly

Benefits of Buying Stocks With a Credit Card

You generally aren’t able to buy shares of stock with a credit card, and even if you find a workaround to do so, the risks mostly outweigh the potential benefits.

Perhaps the main benefit if you’re investing with credit card rewards is that it can offer a way to put the rewards you get from your everyday purchases toward your financial future. While there’s no guarantee of success in investing, it’s possible the rewards points or cash you invest could grow in the stock market.

Risks of Buying Stocks With a Credit Card

Just like buying crypto with a credit card, buying stocks with a credit card comes with considerable risk. If you attempt to do so, take note of the following potential downsides:

•   Investments in the stock market may lose value. If this happens, you may have a hard time paying off your monthly credit card statement in full.

•   There are fees associated with buying stocks with a credit card. If you can find a brokerage that allows the purchase of stocks with a credit card, you’ll generally pay a fee to do so. Additionally, if you opt for a cash advance to use to buy stocks, you’ll also run into fees, not to mention a higher interest rate. There’s always a chance your investment returns won’t offset these costs.

•   High credit utilization could affect your credit score. Making stock purchases with your credit card, taking out sizable cash advances, or racking up spending in order to earn rewards could all drive up your credit utilization, a major factor in determining your credit score. Having a high credit utilization — meaning the percentage of your total credit you’re using — could cause your credit score drop.

•   You could get scammed. If you’re getting offers to buy certain shares with your credit card, there’s a chance it’s a scam. Do your own research before making any moves, and be wary before providing any personal information.

Recommended: Can You Buy Crypto With a Credit Card

Factors to Consider Before Buying Stocks With a Credit Card

There are a variety of different factors that you should keep in mind before buying stocks with a credit card.

Investment Fees

If you do find a brokerage that allows you to buy stocks with a credit card, they will likely charge a credit card convenience fee. This fee, which helps the brokerage to offset their costs for credit card processing, usually runs around 3% of the total price of your investment. Starting 3% in the hole makes it very difficult to make profitable investments.

Recommended: What is a Charge Card

Cash Advance Fees

If your brokerage does not support buying stocks with a credit card, you might consider taking out a cash advance from your credit card. Then, you could use the cash to fund your brokerage account.

However, this transfer will often involve a cash advance fee, which typically will run anywhere from 3% to 5% of the amount transferred. Additionally, interest on cash advances starts to accrue immediately, which is different than how credit cards work usually, and often at a higher rate than the standard purchase APR.

Transfer Fees

Another way to use your credit card to purchase stocks is by making a balance transfer. You can transfer funds from your credit card to your checking account, and then move that money again to your brokerage account. In addition to the hassle of moving money around, you’ll likely pay a balance transfer fee, which is often 3% or 5%. Plus, interest will start accruing on balance transfers right away unless you have a 0% APR introductory offer.

Interest

If you’re not able to pay your credit card statement in full (because your investments have decreased in value), your credit card company will charge you interest. With many credit card interest rates often approaching or even exceeding 20% APR, this will very likely swallow up any profits from your short-term investments.

You’ll also want to look out for interest getting charged at a higher rate and starting to accrue immediately if you opt for a cash advance or a balance transfer.

Recommended: How to Avoid Interest On a Credit Card

Avoiding Scams When Buying Stocks With a Credit Card

Because most reputable brokerages don’t allow you to buy stocks with a credit card, there are occasionally scams that you need to be on the lookout for.

Watch out for individuals or lesser-known companies that say you can buy stocks with a credit card through them. Do your own research to make sure it is a legitimate brokerage and offer before using these other companies.

Recommended: Does Applying For a Credit Card Hurt Your Credit Score

Does Buying Stock With Your Credit Card Affect Your Credit Score?

The act of just buying stock with your credit card won’t affect your credit score any more than any other purchase on a credit card. However, your credit score might be affected if you aren’t able to pay your monthly balance off in full. One of the best ways to improve your credit score is to always make sure that you have the financial ability and discipline to pay off your credit card statement in full, each and every month.

Additionally, your credit score could take a hit if you use too much of your available balance or even max out your credit card with your stock purchases, as this would increase your credit utilization. Also, you might see an impact on your credit if you open a new account to fund your stock purchases. This is because credit card applications trigger a hard inquiry, which will temporarily cause a dip in your score.

Alternatives to Buying Stocks With a Credit Card

As you can see, buying stocks with a credit card generally isn’t a great option — or even possible with most brokerages. If you want to start investing in stocks, you might consider these other ways to do so:

•   Cash back rewards: Then, you can take your cash back rewards that you earn and use them to invest in stocks or other investments.

•   Employer-sponsored 401(k): A great way to invest is through an employer-sponsored retirement plan like a 401(k). By using a 401(k), you’ll get to invest with pre-tax dollars and defer paying taxes until you make withdrawals in retirement.

•   Brokerage margin loans: If you’re looking to borrow money to invest, one option could be a brokerage margin loan. These allow you to borrow money directly from the brokerage, often at a lower rate than what’s offered by most credit cards. Be aware of the risk involved here though — even if your investments don’t pan out, you’ll still have to repay your loan.

The Takeaway

Very few (if any) brokerages allow you to directly buy stocks with a credit card. If you do find a brokerage that allows you to buy stocks with a credit card, note the fees involved, not to mention the risk of loss in investing and the possibility of damaging your credit score. This is why even if you do find a way to do it, it’s rarely a good idea to buy stocks with a credit card for most people.

One alternative is to get a cash back rewards credit card and then use rewards you earn to fund your stock investments.

FAQ

What is credit card arbitrage?

Credit card arbitrage is usually defined as borrowing money at a low interest rate using a credit card and then investing that money, hoping to earn a higher return on investment. This is often done with cards that offer 0% introductory APRs.

What are the risks of credit card arbitrage?

The biggest risk of credit card arbitrage is that your investments will lose money, or they won’t make enough money to repay your credit card balance. This can cost you a significant amount of interest and/or credit card fees. You should also be aware that having a large balance on your credit card (even if it’s at 0% interest) can have a negative effect on your credit score.

Does buying stock with a credit card affect my tax?

Buying and selling stocks does often come with tax consequences, and you should be aware of how your investments affect your tax liability. How you buy stocks (with cash, credit card ,or in other ways) doesn’t affect the amount of taxes you might owe on your stock purchase.

Should I buy stocks with my credit card?

The way that credit cards work is that you borrow money and, if you don’t pay the full amount each month, you’re charged interest. Some brokerages may also charge credit card processing or convenience fees if they allow you to purchase stocks with a credit card. Because of the interest and fees potentially involved, it’s very difficult to come out ahead buying stocks with a credit card. Plus, there’s no guarantee of success when investing.

Is it safe to buy stocks with a credit card?

Because most reputable stockbrokers do not accept credit card payments to fund your account or buy stocks, you’ll want to be careful with any site that says that it will let you buy stocks with a credit card. Follow best practices for internet safety when trying to buy stocks with a credit card, just like you would before making any purchase online.

Do stockbrokers accept credit card payments?

Most stockbrokers do not accept credit card payments to fund your account or to buy stocks. If you want to buy stocks with a credit card, you will need to find a workaround such as taking a cash advance from your credit card and using that to fund your brokerage account. Just be sure that you understand any cash advance fees and the interest rate that come with that type of financial transaction.

Photo credit: iStock/katleho Seisa

SoFi Credit Cards are issued by SoFi Bank, N.A. pursuant to license by Mastercard® International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

¹See Rewards Details at SoFi.com/card/rewards.

¹Members earn 2 rewards points for every dollar spent on purchases. No rewards points will be earned with respect to reversed transactions, returned purchases, or other similar transactions. When you elect to redeem rewards points toward active SoFi accounts, including but not limited to, your SoFi Checking or Savings account, SoFi Money® account, SoFi Active Invest account, SoFi Automated Invest account, SoFi Credit Card account, or SoFi Personal, Private Student, Student Loan Refinance, or toward SoFi Travel purchases, your rewards points will redeem at a rate of 1 cent per every point. For more details, please visit www.sofi.com/card/rewards?cardtype=c. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. SoFi Securities LLC is an affiliate of SoFi Bank, N.A.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

SOCC0622007

The world of earning and burning credit card miles has an undeniable appeal. However, figuring out how credit card miles work can have you falling into a rabbit hole of bonus offers and travel portals.

Before you go click-happy with applying for travel credit cards, it’s important to know how miles work on credit cards. That way, you can make a solid choice in your travel cards, and make the most of your miles. We’ll share the ins and outs of credit card miles, including how they work, how much they’re worth, how to earn miles with a credit card, and how to use credit card miles.

Recommended: Does Applying For a Credit Card Hurt Your Credit Score

What Are Credit Card Miles?

So, what are miles on a credit card? In short, they’re a way for credit card issuers to reward you for using their card to make purchases.

Typically, the more you spend, the more miles you rack up. Depending on the card, you can rack up a higher number of points when booking travel on certain airlines or in certain categories.

Aside from redeeming miles to cover the cost of flights, you might be able to use credit card miles for hotel reservations, ride shares, or car rentals. Many credit cards also allow you to redeem your miles for cash back, gift cards, or online purchases with partnering retailers. If it’s an airline-branded credit card, you might also be able to use your miles for upgrades, free checked bags, and in-flight purchases.

Credit Card Miles vs Frequent Flyer Miles

Credit card miles and frequent flyer miles are customer loyalty incentives that both offer ways to earn miles to redeem for free flights.

Most major airlines have a frequent flyer program. Signing up for a frequent flyer account is usually free, and it allows you to earn miles when you book with that particular airline. Depending on the program, you can also use those miles for travel perks, such as seat upgrades, priority boarding, and free in-flight purchases.

With credit card miles, on the other hand, you earn miles when you make purchases on your credit card. Unlike with frequent flyer miles, you don’t have to make these purchases with a particular airline in order to earn credit card miles. However, you will have to apply for a credit card and get approved to get those miles.

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How Do Miles Work on Credit Cards?

A credit card will reward you with miles when you spend a certain amount on the credit card. Often, cards will offer one mile per dollar spent, though this can vary depending on how a credit card works. In turn, you can redeem these miles for a free flight or other perks.

Some credit cards offer bonus miles for spending in different categories, allowing you to earn more than the standard mile per dollar. For instance, if you use your credit card at restaurants during certain months of the year, you could receive three miles per dollar spent, instead of the usual one mile per dollar.

As for the redemption value (or how much a point is worth in booking flights), that’s worked out between the airline and the credit card issuer. If the redemption value is 1 cent per mile, for instance, you’d need 40,000 miles to cover a $400 flight.

How Much Are Credit Card Miles Worth?

How much credit card miles are worth depends on several factors, including the redemption value, whether you’re booking through a travel portal, and the particular credit card. But typically, each mile is worth 1 cent apiece.

The number of points that you’ll need to book a free flight varies. It largely boils down to the redemption value, or how much a point is worth in dollars. As mentioned before, this value is determined between the airline and the card card company. Additionally, the cost of the flight itself will influence how many points are needed.

Some of the major credit card issuers, airlines, and hotels have travel portals where you can redeem your credit card miles for flights, hotel stays, and car rentals. An incentive might be offered to use these travel portals. For instance, your miles might stretch further if you redeem them through the portal. Or, there might be a featured, limited time offer where your miles are worth more if you travel to certain cities or regions.

How to Earn Airline Miles With a Credit Card

Now, we’ll dig into the fun part: how to earn credit card miles. There are a bunch of ways to rack up airline miles. Let’s take a look at the most common avenues.

Spend on the Card

The more you spend on your credit card card, the more miles you’ll earn. Plus, a credit card might offer the opportunity to earn more miles in certain categories (i.e., 5 times more on flights booked through a portal) or in rotating bonus categories.

While it might be tempting to keep spending in order to earn more miles, remain mindful of your credit card limit and avoid racking up too much debt (not to scare you, but here’s a look at what happens to credit card debt when you die).

Sign Up for a New Card

A credit card might feature a generous sign-up offer. If you hit the minimum on the sign-up offer, you could rack up a slew of credit card miles (just make sure you can afford to still pay off at least your credit card minimum payment).

Typically, you’ll need to spend a certain amount within a particular period after opening your account. For instance, if you spend $4,000 on transactions within the first three months of being a new cardholder, you could net 75,000 credit card miles.

Sign-up bonus offers are constantly changing, so it’s a good idea to check what a card’s intro bonus is currently before you apply. Also make sure to weigh factors aside from just a welcome bonus, like whether there’s a good APR for a credit card.

Recommended: When Are Credit Card Payments Due

Refer Friends

As a cardholder, you also can earn credit card miles when you refer friends. Often, there’s an affiliate link that you can send to your friends and family members. If they decide to apply and get approved for the card, you’ll earn a referral bonus.

Credit card referral bonuses often have limits though. For instance, a credit card might offer a 20,000 bonus miles per referral, but with a 100,000 limit per year. That breaks down to a maximum of five referrals per year.

How to Redeem Credit Card Miles

Once you’ve racked up credit card miles, you’ll need to redeem them. Let’s take a look at how to do so.

•   Credit card’s travel portal: Travel portals usually give you the option to redeem your credit card miles in a number of different ways, such as flights, car rentals, or hotel stays. You might even get a better deal than you would purchasing tickets outside of the portal. Typically you won’t need to provide information, such as your CVV number on a credit card, to redeem your miles.

•   Travel-related platform: Besides redeeming credit card miles through a credit card network’s travel portal, some hotel chains offer their own online platforms. You can choose to redeem credit card miles there as well.

•   Bundling with a partner loyalty program or frequent flyer program: Some credit cards give you the option to transfer your credit card miles to a hotel, airline, or car rental transfer partner.

Recommended: Tips for Using a Credit Card Responsibly

How to Use Credit Card Miles

Perhaps the most obvious way to use your credit card miles is for free flights. However, you may also be able to redeem them for the following benefits as well:

•   Seat upgrades

•   Priority boarding

•   In-flight purchases

•   In-airport purchases

•   Purchases with specific retailers

•   Gift cards

•   Events

Do your homework and look for ways to get the most out of your miles. For instance, some travel portals give you a higher redemption value. In other words, your credit miles will be worth more and go further, and you’ll get more bang for your buck.

How to Check Your Credit Card Miles Balance

Wondering how many credit card miles you’ve racked up? Here are a couple easy ways to check your balance:

•   On your credit card app: You can easily check your credit card miles through the credit card app. Usually, it will also direct you to ways that you can spend your miles.

•   On your online credit card account: Once you log onto your cardholder account, you’ll typically find the number of credit card miles you’ve racked up on the dashboard. You can also see a breakdown of how many miles each transaction yielded. This is important to check regularly anyways, in case you need to dispute a credit card charge or request a credit card chargeback.

•   By contacting your credit card issuer: You can also reach out to your card issuer over the phone to learn your credit card miles balance. Simply call the number listed on the back of your credit card to speak to a representative.

Recommended: What is a Charge Card

Other Types of Credit Card Rewards

Credit card miles aren’t the only reward you can earn from using your credit card. Here are other types of credit card rewards you can swoop in on:

Cash Back

With cash back, you earn back a percentage of eligible purchases made with your card in cash. For example, you might earn 3% cash back, which means you’d get 3 cents back for every dollar you spend.

You can redeem the cash-back rewards you earn in a number of ways, such as a statement credit or as straight cash. However, you might not snag great travel deals like you would with more travel-oriented credit card rewards.

Points

Credit card points offer you a certain number of points for your spending on the credit card. You could get two points for every dollar you spend, for instance. You’ll then be able to redeem those points for a wide range of purposes, though the value of the points can vary depending on the card and how you opt to use your points.

The Takeaway

Credit card miles allow you to get rewarded for your spending with your card. You’ll earn miles whenever you make a purchase on your card, and you can then use those miles to cover the cost of flights and enjoy other travel-related perks.

Beyond looking at a credit card’s miles-earning potential, you’ll also want to look at the APR on a credit card, as well as its fees, terms and conditions, and other featured perks. With the SoFi Credit Card, for instance, you can earn cash-back rewards. Plus, travelers will be happy to hear that the card charges no foreign transaction fees.

FAQ

Is earning credit card miles worth it?

As long as you’re using your credit card responsibly, earning credit card miles to use toward free flights, car rentals, travel perks, and other rewards can potentially help you save.

Which types of credit cards offer airline miles?

Many different credit cards offer airline miles. Usually, travel credit cards or credit cards co-branded with an airline offer additional perks or a greater number of miles earned per dollar.

What are the different types of credit card rewards?

The main types of credit card rewards are miles points, and cash back. Each type of reward has its pros and cons, but they all allow you to earn rewards for your spending on your credit card.

What is the difference between credit card miles and points?

Typically, miles can be used for travel, and they may be tied to a specific airline’s frequent flyer program. Points, however, can be used toward a slew of non-travel related rewards.

Photo credit: iStock/Prostock-Studio

¹Members earn 2 rewards points for every dollar spent on purchases. No rewards points will be earned with respect to reversed transactions, returned purchases, or other similar transactions. When you elect to redeem rewards points toward active SoFi accounts, including but not limited to, your SoFi Checking or Savings account, SoFi Money® account, SoFi Active Invest account, SoFi Automated Invest account, SoFi Credit Card account, or SoFi Personal, Private Student, Student Loan Refinance, or toward SoFi Travel purchases, your rewards points will redeem at a rate of 1 cent per every point. For more details, please visit www.sofi.com/card/rewards?cardtype=c. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. SoFi Securities LLC is an affiliate of SoFi Bank, N.A.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SoFi Credit Cards are issued by SoFi Bank, N.A. pursuant to license by Mastercard® International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

¹See Rewards Details at SoFi.com/card/rewards.

SOCC0322022

With gasoline and home heating oil prices surging since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, consumers are looking for ways to cut their gas bills.

Crude oil prices have risen to their highest level since 2014 amid the war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022 — and has no clear path for a ceasefire in sight. Gasoline and heating oil are some of the petroleum products derived from crude oil, so higher gasoline and heating oil prices may be around for some time.

Fortunately, motorists and homeowners can save money on gas by embracing energy-efficient practices. Here are some of the easiest ways to reduce the pain both at the pump and when paying for heating costs.

15 Ways to Pay Less for Gas for Your Car and Home

Here are 15 ways you can pay less on fuel for your car and home heating system:

1. Follow the Speed Limit

Following the speed limit can help you save money on gas. In general, gas mileage decreases rapidly as you accelerate above 50 mph. Driving 55 mph rather than 65 mph can improve your gas mileage by 15%, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

2. Avoid Aggressive Driving

Aggressive driving, including speeding and rapid acceleration, can lower your gas mileage by 33% on the highway and by 5% on city roadways. Motorists who avoid aggressive driving can realize cost-savings by burning less fuel on roads and highways.

3. Remove Unnecessary Weight

Removing unnecessary weight from your vehicle can save money on gas. Storing an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your miles per gallon by up to 2%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

4. Use Cruise Control on Highways

Using cruise control on highways can help you save up to 14% on gas by maintaining a continuous speed. Constantly accelerating and decelerating burns more fuel, which gives you less bang for your buck on the road.

5. Keep Tires Properly Inflated

Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by 3%. Conversely, driving with underinflated tires can decrease your gas mileage by 0.3% for each unit drop in pounds per square inch (psi) of air pressure.

6. Stick With Regular Gasoline

Gasoline prices vary by their octane level, with regular being the cheapest and premium being the most expensive. Unless your car requires premium fuel, you can save money by sticking with unleaded regular gasoline as opposed to choosing midgrade or premium alternatives.

President Joe Biden has predicted gas prices will go up further as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The potential for crude oil prices to continue rising may motivate some observers to invest in energy stocks. Others may see this as an ideal time to invest in utilities.

7. Don’t Idle When Parked

Allowing your car engine to run idle while parked is wasteful. Idling can consume up to half a gallon of fuel per hour, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. You can save gas money by turning off your car when it’s parked.

8. Search Online for Cheapest Fuel Stations

Some gas stations may offer cheaper fuel than other gas stations in your geographic area. You can search online for the cheapest gas stations in your area. Websites or apps like GasBuddy can help you find the lowest gas prices in your city or town.

9. Reduce Aerodynamic Drag

Your vehicle has to overcome wind resistance or aerodynamic drag whenever you drive it in the open. Reducing aerodynamic drag can save money on gas, and motorists can reduce aerodynamic drag by driving with the windows closed.

10. Minimize A/C Usage

Minimizing your vehicle’s air conditioner usage can save gas money. Using the air conditioner in some cases can reduce your vehicle’s fuel economy by more than 25%, which is akin to paying more at the pump over time, according to the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy.

11. Clean or Replace Air Filter as Necessary

Cleaning or replacing your vehicle’s air filter as necessary can save gas money, particularly if you’re driving an older vehicle manufactured before 1980. Older vehicles may feature a carbureted engine that becomes less fuel efficient when operating with a clogged air filter, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

12. Get Engine Tune-Ups as Needed

Getting engine tune-ups as needed can improve gas mileage by an average of 4%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. An engine tune-up is a comprehensive inspection that determines whether any components of the engine need to be replaced.

13. Consider New Vehicle Options

You can consider buying a new or used vehicle with better gas mileage to save money on gas. Consumers can also consider buying all-electric vehicles to move away from gasoline and diesel fuel entirely.

14. Insulate Your Home

Homeowners can save up to 15% on heating and cooling costs by air sealing their homes and adding insulation in attics and other areas of the home, according to the EPA. This could be a worthwhile investment considering how the Ukraine invasion may affect oil, gas, and clean energy investments.

15. Lower Your Thermostat

Homeowners can save money on their home heating bills by setting their thermostats to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The Delaware Public Service Commission says you can save 5% on your home heating costs for every degree you lower your thermostat below 70.

Considering the global economy and looking at oil and natural gas to understand Russia-Ukraine, homeowners in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states may consider thermostat adjustments as a cost-saving measure.

The Takeaway

The price of gasoline and heating oil may stay at its high level – or even rise as the conflict in Eastern Europe continues. Feeling the pinch in their wallets, consumers may want to try changing their habits and practices to be more energy efficient.

Another simple way to save money on gas is to pay for it using a credit card that offers cash back. [cc_three_percent]

Photo credit: iStock/ADragan

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¹See Rewards Details at SoFi.com/card/rewards.


Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

SoFi Credit Cards are issued by SoFi Bank, N.A. pursuant to license by Mastercard® International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

SOCC0322021

Some things in life sound too good to be true, and getting cash back for purchases may seem like one of those deals. But an increasing number of credit cards, called cashback cards, offer clients money back when they charge what they buy.

Many people are familiar with the concept of credit card rewards, when lenders give clients a little something back—points, airline miles—as an incentive for using their card.

In the case of cashback cards, that reward is, well, cash.

How Does a Cash Back Credit Card Program Work?

Cashback credit cards reward clients based on their spending, providing a credit that is a small percentage of the total purchase.

If a cashback card provides 1% back, for instance, the cardholder would generally earn 1 cent on every dollar spent, or $1 for every $100 they charge to their card. If, over the course of the year, a person charges $10,000 in purchases to their cashback credit card, they’d earn $100 in cash back for that time period.

Unlike sale items, when an item is discounted at the time of purchase—meaning, of course, the shopper pays a cheaper price—cashback cards work more like a rebate. The customer buys something at the posted rate and gets money back at a later date.

The average American had a credit card balance of $5,315 in 2020, according to Experian. Assuming that full balance is eligible for cash back, it would earn $53.15 with a credit card providing 1% cash back and $106.30 for one giving 2% cash back.

Do All Cashback Credit Cards Work the Same Way?

Yes and no. While all cashback cards typically use the same model—money back based on a percentage of total purchases—the differences are typically in the details.

Things like the rate of cashback earnings, interest rate, the process for redeeming cash back, and so on vary by card and lender. Some lenders may even offer several cashback credit card products with different rates and benefits.

As such, before signing up for a cashback credit card, it’s smart to spend some time researching and comparing cashback cards to find the one that best suits your needs.

What to Look for in a Cashback Card

There are a number of considerations when choosing a cashback credit card that will determine just how profitable the card will be for a specific person.

Because people have different spending habits and financial preferences, the best type of credit card will ultimately depend on the individual. Here are some things to consider.

Rate of Cash Back

Not all cashback credit cards offer the same rate of return, so it’s best to comparison-shop. Though differences in percentages may sound negligible, getting 2% instead of 1% means double the cash back—and those small amounts can add up over time.

Some credit cards also provide different rates of cash back depending on the spending category or how much money the cardholder charges in a year. For example, some credit cards may provide a higher percentage on expenditures such as gas, travel, or groceries and a different rate for other types of purchases.

Tiered cashback cards may provide a higher (or even lower) rate when annual purchases exceed various thresholds.

Some credit cards also offer higher introductory cashback rates.

How a person chooses to redeem cash back may also determine the final payout. A travel rewards card, for example, may provide a higher rate of return for cardholders who redeem the money they earn on flights, and a lesser amount for those who redeem their rewards on statement credits or other purchases.

It can be difficult to tell at a glance how much the cashback percentage rate may actually net an individual, especially when considering categorized and tiered rewards. But when comparison-shopping for a cashback credit card, it is worth crunching some numbers to get an idea.

One way to estimate how much in cashback rewards a card will actually end up earning is to apply the posted cashback rates to previous credit card statements or to the spending allocations within an individual’s annual budget.

Annual Fees

Though some cashback credit cards have no annual fee, others do. It’s a good idea to factor in any annual fee when estimating the cashback rewards based on your spending habits. Calculating the returns on fee vs. no-fee cards can help to assess whether it’s worth shelling out extra.

If a bank charges $99 for a cashback card earning 2%, the bank fees would essentially cancel out the $100 in cash back earned on the first $5,000 in annual spending.

Someone who charged $7,500 annually would net $51 with the 2% cashback card, and $75 with a no-fee 1% cashback card. But if they charged $20,000 annually, the $99/2% cashback credit card would net $301, while the no-fee card would only earn $200 in cash back.

APR

The nearly half of Americans who carry a balance on their credit cards each month will want to pay close attention to a credit card’s annual percentage rate. This is the amount of interest cardholders will have to pay if they do not pay off their credit card balance in full each month.

The average credit card APR was 14.65% in late 2020, according to the Federal Reserve—a rate that can quickly cancel out any cashback benefits.

Recommended: What is a Good APR?

Redemption Terms

A good question to ask a lender before signing up for a cashback credit card is “Where can I get cash back?” The terms of redemption can vary across credit card products.

In some cases, cardholders may see an annual one-time credit for the full amount earned. Other cards allow cardholders to redeem their cash back at any time.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Cashback Card

While signing up for—and using—a cashback credit card is the first step to getting money back on everyday purchases, there are some ways to optimize the returns.

Pay Off Your (Whole) Credit Card Bill on Time

With few exceptions, credit card charges are not subject to interest until after the statement payment due date. But after that payment becomes due, extra interest and fees can quickly add up—erasing any cashback benefits.

Optimize Redemptions

When it comes to redeeming cash back, it’s worth seeking the biggest bang for your buck.

If a card offers different rates of cash back depending on how rewards are redeemed, being strategic when cashing out can result in a greater windfall.

Consider Extra Fees

Though a cashback credit card can make it tempting to charge everything you buy, that’s not always the most cost-effective strategy.

Though it’s generally an exception, some merchants impose surcharges for using a credit card or may provide discounts for paying in cash. In such cases, it’s a good idea to crunch the numbers to ensure the extra fees don’t actually cost more than the cashback reward.

The Takeaway

Free money may be hard to come by—but not if you use a cashback credit card. When choosing a card, It’s best to look at the rate of cash back, any annual fee a card may charge, and the APR if you carry a balance.

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¹See Rewards Details at SoFi.com/card/rewards.


*See Pricing, Terms & Conditions at SoFi.com/card/terms
SoFi Credit Cards are issued by SoFi Bank, N.A. pursuant to license by Mastercard® International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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Some good news about budgeting: According to a 2020 Debt.com survey, as many as 80 percent of Americans are now doing some form of budgeting. The top reasons for using a budget, according to the survey, include increasing wealth and savings and managing debt.

While not everyone loves the idea of budgeting, taking a moment to assess and prioritize your spending can yield some real rewards. Even a basic monthly budget can help you reach your financial goals, whether it’s to have a financial cushion, put a downpayment on a new home, go on your dream vacation, or all of the above.

The most common reason cited for not budgeting in Debt.com’s survey was making too little money. But the truth is that you don’t have to make a lot to benefit from having a budget. Indeed, budgeting can be particularly helpful when money is tight.

Whether you’re brand new to budgeting or looking to improve your budgeting skills, read on. Below are some simple steps that can help you keep better tabs on your cash flow and improve your financial life.

Gathering All of Your Financial Information

While estimating your income and monthly costs can work in a pinch, to make your budget as complete (and accurate) as possible, you’ll want to start by gathering up at least three months worth of financial documents and receipts.

Here are some documents that may be helpful:

•   Pay stubs
•   Bank statements
•   Credit card statements
•   Rent/Mortgage bill
•   HOA
•   Electricity bill
•   Water bill
•   Internet bill
•   Cable bill
•   Childcare/School Tuition statements
•   Monthly public transportation passes
•   Recurring healthcare costs like deductibles or prescriptions
•   Student loan statements
•   Insurance statements

Figuring Out Your Monthly Take-Home Income

Although you may be able to rattle off your annual income without thinking, when creating a budget you’ll want to look more closely at your pay stub to determine your take-home pay. That’s how much is left after all of the deductions (such as federal, state, and local taxes, retirement savings, and insurance) are taken out.

If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to subtract your self-employment income tax before calculating your net monthly income.

Determining your take-home pay is important because if you use your annual income to make your budget, you might end up thinking that you have more money available to you every month than actually shows up in your checking account.

If you’re budgeting with another person, you’ll also want to tally up that person’s take-home pay as well. It’s a good idea to also include any additional household income, such as that from investments or social security.
All together, these will give you a good idea of how much actual cash you have to budget with each month.

Tallying Up Monthly Expenses

Once you’ve nailed down how much money you’re bringing in each month, it’s time to look at how much money you’re sending out into the world each month. This is where all the paperwork you gathered can really come in handy.

A simple way to start is to write down how much you’re paying for all your fixed (or recurring) monthly bills, such as rent/mortgage, car payments, insurance, health care expenses, utilities, subscriptions.

Once you’ve got your regular bills accounted for, you can look at variable expenses, such as groceries, entertainment, and other discretionary expenses. With variable expenses, it’s helpful to look back at your bank statement, as well as receipts from the previous few weeks or months, and calculate an average.

If you tend not to save receipts, it can be useful to actually track your spending (by carrying a notebook, using a app, or collecting receipts and recording them later) for a week or more in order to better assess your daily spending.

Below are some sample budget categories and expenses that you may want to include:

Housing
•   Rent
•   Utilities
•   HOA
•   Maintenance costs
•   Home/renter’s insurance

Transportation
•   Gas
•   Tolls
•   Maintenance costs
•   Car Loan
•   Public transportation tickets or passes
•   Taxis or ride shares
•   Parking pass
•   Insurance payments

Children
•   Childcare expenses
•   After-school care costs
•   Tuition
•   Tutoring
•   Babysitting

Education
•   Tuition
•   Books
•   Student loans
•   Student fees

Food
•   Groceries
•   Take-out
•   Eating out

Financial
•   Bank fees
•   Service fees
•   Credit card payments
•   Life insurance
•   Disability insurance
•   Retirement fund
•   Investments
•   Emergency fund

Healthcare
•   Doctor appointment co-pays
•   Prescription costs
•   Over-the-counter medication costs

Entertainment
•   Movie tickets
•   Special events
•   Concerts
•   Streaming media services
•   Books
•   Nonbusiness travel

Pets
•   Pet insurance
•   Food and treats
•   Flea and tick preventative
•   Medications
•   Vet bills

Shopping/Personal Care
•   Clothing
•   Shoes
•   Accessories
•   Toiletries/Cosmetics
•   Haircuts/styling
•   Shaves/Manicures
•   Gym membership

When it comes to expenses that only occur in certain months, such as tuition for summer camp, you can divide the total by 12 in order to figure out how much you should be saving each month to cover these seasonal costs.

Once you have a list of all your monthly expenses, you may be alerted to trends you might not have noticed before (like $75 a month on morning coffees).

You’ll also be able to add it all up to see what your overall average monthly spending is. Ideally, this number is less than the amount of take-home pay you calculated above.

Planning and Creating a Budget

Now that you’ve got a grip on how much money you have coming in, and how much is going out, it’s time to actually create a plan for how you want to spend your money–in other words a budget–rather than spending haphazardly.

You can create a budget using pen and paper or a spreadsheet on your computer. There are also a number of budgeting apps, such as SoFi Relay, that can simplify the process.

There are several different ways to approach spending targets and savings goals in your budget.

One commonly recommended guideline it the 50/20/30 budget, which breaks up your spending and saving like this:

•  50 percent on “needs” or essential expenses (such as housing, utilities, auto payments, insurance, repairs, healthcare, childcare, minimum payments on debts, and education).
•  30 percent on “wants” or discretionary expenses (e.g., shopping, entertainment, personal care, travel).
•  20 percent towards savings (such as an emergency fund, paying more than the minimum on debts, retirement, and other savings).

These percentages are guidelines, however, and you may decide to re-jigger them based on your financial situation, current expenses, and goals.

If the cost of housing is high in your area, for example, you may need to allot more to the “needs” bucket. Or, if you have a big expense or a trip you want to take in six months, you may want to bump up savings, at least temporarily.

If you find that your spending is currently higher than your income, or doesn’t allow for monthly savings or debt reduction, you may need to find places where you can cut back.

It’s often simplest to do this in the “wants” category. For example, you might decide you can cook more and eat out less often, ditch that pricy cable bill, use the library instead of buying digital and audio books, or cut back on clothing purchases.

Once you’ve set up your spending and saving targets, you’ll want to track your progress, either by manually tracking your spending or using an app. Along the way, you may find that you have to adjust your spending to stay better aligned with your budget, or you might find that you need to adjust your budget to make it work better for you.

The Takeaway

A budget can help you achieve your financial goals, whether it’s knocking down debt, saving up for something fun, or funding your retirement.

While the process may sound intimidating, budgeting is really just a matter of figuring out what your current income and expenses are, seeing how they line up (or don’t), and then deciding how you may want to shift your spending in order to reach your goals.

It can also be helpful to remember that even if you have a budget, it will only be useful if you periodically track and update it to reflect any changes in your income, expenses, or financial goals.

If you need help tracking your spending, a checking and savings account with SoFi might be a great choice for you. With SoFi Checking and Savings, you can easily see your weekly spending (and make sure you’re on track with your budget) in your dashboard in the app.

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SoFi Money® is a cash management account, which is a brokerage product, offered by SoFi Securities LLC, member
FINRA / SIPC . SoFi Securities LLC is an affiliate of SoFi Bank, N.A. SoFi Money Debit Card issued by The Bancorp Bank.
SoFi has partnered with Allpoint to provide consumers with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. Consumers will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third party fees incurred when using out-of-network ATMs are not subject to reimbursement. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.
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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Annual percentage yield (APY) is variable and subject to change at any time. Rates are current as of 12/23/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional rates and information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet

Eligible Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Eligible Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network every 31 calendar days.

Although we do our best to recognize all Eligible Direct Deposits, a small number of employers, payroll providers, benefits providers, or government agencies do not designate payments as direct deposit. To ensure you're earning the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit, we encourage you to check your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit posts to your SoFi account. If your APY is not showing as the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit, contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. As long as SoFi Bank can validate those details, you will start earning the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit from the date you contact SoFi for the next 31 calendar days. You will also be eligible for the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit on future Eligible Direct Deposits, as long as SoFi Bank can validate them.

Deposits that are not from an employer, payroll, or benefits provider or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, Wise, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Eligible Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder's Eligible Direct Deposit activity to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility.

See additional details at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.

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