Awesome Deal With Visa Signature Cards...Buy 1 Get 1 Free Movies

I am an admitted movie buff, but prefer Netflix or Amazon Prime over going to the movies usually, unless there's a great deal to be had.  For holders of Visa Signature cards, there is one for movies until August 2.  Buy 1, get 1 free movie tickets with Fandango.

So, now you are wondering, how do I know if I have a Visa Signature card?  It's really easy.  Pull out your visa card and see if it says "Visa Signature" on it.  As I have discussed before, Visa Signature cards offer a lot of discounts.

Don't have a Visa Signature card?  No problem, just visit this site to compare available offers and choose the right Signature card for.

--The Edge

American Express is stepping up the offers

Until my wife got an AMEX card, I never paid much attention to its offerings beyond its standard rewards program.  While we don't participate in that one, but the Starwood Hotels, Starwood Preferred Guest one instead, AMEX's rewards programs are all pretty robust.  However, after reading a number of consumer-oriented blogs, occasioanally, I have come across offers that extend the value of AMEX cards even beyond their standard 1 point/$1 spent typical benefit.

Take for example a recent promotion in which by spending $25 at a small business (think mom and pop restaurant) one can earn (or get rebated depending on your view) a $25 statement credit.  Read: $25 for free.  Register for this offer here, and then spend $25 before 12/31.  But, only spend money on something you would have normally, in case it doesn't work out for you, or you missed one of the terms and conditions of the offer.

Then, this morning, I came across another offer from AMEX where one can 5 cents back by buying gas and/or other items at Exxon Mobil stations until January 20, 2011.  The blog post where I learned of this offer stipulated that it might be a targeted offer, meaning to a certain financial and/or customer demographic, but I always register for offers regardless if I am the intended recipient.  Even if it doesn't work out, it was still worth it to try.

Bottom line: pay attention to all of those offers you get in the regular mail and your email.  Every bit of savings helps.

How To Take Advantage of Credit Card Savings Programs & Rewards

While there are several other websites and blogs that track various credit card deals, I am reminded myself, especially the other day in the mail, that credit cards can often come with discounts that people either don't know about or forget. Case in point, a signature Visa card saved my hundreds of dollars this past summer for two trips I took which involved staying at Hilton properties. Clear as day, Hilton's website mentioned special savings of up to 25% if one used a signature Visa. In this case, Hilton had a handy tool for checking if your card was eligible.

Consider also Discover and Mastercard savings. While performing your due diligence in shopping for items online (a future post which will go into detail) check the discovercard.com or mastercard.com websites to see what special promos they may have. The savings may surprise you. It could be x % off of a rental car, or discounted movie tickets, just for using your card that would have otherwise. However, don't use your card if you are going to carry a balance. It's not worth the interest. Regarding the offer in the mail, Bank of America has something called "Add it up," a program whereby consumers can receive up to 20% cash back and discounts from 270 retailers, the literature reads. A link to the program is here:

Other cards may have similar offers, too. Check your card's website, or call their customer service directly and ask.