(BPT) – Consumers say they will spend an average of just over $1,000 during the holiday season this year, according to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. With holiday spending on the rise, consumers are looking for ways to balance spending, save money and focus on being with loved ones.
To help alleviate some of the holiday expenses, credit card providers have several benefits cardmembers can take advantage of when shopping for gifts. For example, Chase provides Chase Ultimate Rewards – a program that leverages one of the most valuable rewards currencies out there at a one-stop shop where points can be redeemed for gifts, travel, experiences, cash back and more – for those who have a Chase Freedom, Chase Sapphire or Chase Ink card.
Farnoosh Torabi, Chase Financial Education Ambassador and personal finance expert, recommends using Chase Ultimate Rewards to shop for gift cards. The platform offers more than 195 gift cards at places like Macy’s, J. Crew, Target and more – and many of them come at a discount. Plus, consumers can redeem their points to purchase the gift cards so their wallets are off the hook.
‘Gift cards remain one of the most popular items on wish lists,’ Torabi said. ‘There are so many gift cards on Chase Ultimate Rewards – you can find something for everyone, or even purchase one for yourself to help you shop for gifts in-person.’
In addition to redeeming points for gift cards, consumers can also shop for Apple products right on the rewards platform.
‘For the tech-lover in your life, get them the latest and greatest right on Chase Ultimate Rewards,’ Torabi said. ‘Plus, you can use points to pay for part or all of the order, including tax and shipping.’
Beyond gifting, holiday shoppers have several ways to get the most buying power out of each dollar spent on their credit card when crossing items off their gift list. Directly on Chase Ultimate Rewards, cardmembers can earn bonus points on their purchases when using Shop Through Chase, which has more than 400 popular retailers to choose from.
‘Shop Through Chase is a great way to earn bonus points on purchases you’re already planning to make,’ Torabi said. ‘Simply log into Ultimate Rewards and choose the store where you wish to make a purchase, then you can rack up points to redeem for gift cards, travel and more, making your money and points work harder for you every time.’
Eligible cardmembers have easy access to the rewards they’ve earned by logging in to their Chase Ultimate Rewards account, where they can get the most out of their Chase credit card. Learn more at Chase.com/UltimateRewards.