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3 On Your Side: Gas Credit Cards Not The Best Choice For Rewards

By Jim Donovan

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- From frequent flier miles to cash back, many shoppers have credit cards that give back something in return for spending.   But not all rewards cards are created equal. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan tells us about a new survey that finds one category of credit cards may be stalling when it comes to benefits.

Using a credit card with loyalty rewards from a gasoline chain may seem like a good idea, but a new survey says the benefits are dwindling.  Creditcards.com found an average annual percentage rate of 24.14 percent across the 20 largest gasoline credit cards.  That's compared to an average of 15 percent for general purpose cards, and a money-waster for anyone carrying a balance on a gasoline card from one month to the next.

They also found the process of attaining benefits attached to the cards, not-so-straightforward.  Six of the 20 required a minimum monthly purchase before any rewards kick in; another six capped off rewards after a certain point.

Consumers may find they get more of benefits when they use a general credit card with a cash back bonus at the gas pumps.

The report did cite a few good uses for the gasoline credit cards.  Among them?  Using the cards as a credit building tool for those who don't have a lot of experience using credit.  Also, like most rewards cards, they often have an introductory bonus for new users.

For more information visit:  http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/gas-rewards-survey.php

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