Make Online Purchases without THIS Rewards Card? You’re Losing Money

I haven’t plugged a new credit card offering in over a year, as few (if any), have stood out from a pile of mediocrity.




But here’s one worth plugging, and one that I have added to my rewards card arsenal – the Upromise World MasterCard®.

Why?

If you make purchases online without this card, you’re losing money. It presents and opportunity to earn significant cash back rewards with most major online retailers and carries no annual fee. There is also outside cashback rewards benefits in other categories. And you can get your cash back in the form of quarterly checks, deposits into a Sallie Mae high-yield savings account, towards a Sallie Mae serviced loan, or a Upromise 529 savings plan.

Got your attention? Good. Here’s a review of the Upromise World MasterCard.

Upromise Credit Card Overview:

upromise card reviewHere is a quick summary of some of the biggest perks of the Upromise card:

  • You can earn 10% or more cash back on eligible online purchases through Upromise.com
  • $50 cash back bonus after first use
  • Earn 4% cash back at thousands of participating Upromise dining restaurants
  • Earn up to 3% cash back on eligible gas purchases at Exxon or Mobil locations
  • Earn 2% cash back at eligible movie theater locations
  • Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
  • No annual fee
  • 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12-months

I’ll go in to the main perks in a bit more detail…




Earn 10% or More Cash Back on Eligible Online Purchases Through Upromise.com

So here’s the deal on this benefit – and it’s a big one. As a Upromise member, you earn 5% or more cash back with your Upromise account when you shop online and an additional 5% when you use your Upromise World MasterCard.

To earn and receive cash back earnings, you must be a Upromise member, you must pay for purchases with your Upromise MasterCard and your card must be registered to your Upromise account. To become a member and register your credit card, visit Upromise.com/activate.

Then, if you make a qualified purchase through the links on the Upromise website or Upromise emails, or by using the Upromise toolbar and/or browser add-on to a participating retailer, you get the bonus cash back.

Going nuts with online purchases can get dicey, of course, if you’re not careful. Here’s the thing: buy only things you were going to buy anyways. You know, the perceived “necessities”. Don’t go trolling for stuff just because you’ll get a discount.




In case you’re curious, here’s a list Upromise online retailers – and the bonus cash back %’s that are in addition to the 5% through Upromise. There are hundreds, and many of the post popular online retailers are in the program. Here are a few of the top participants (website-only) – I’m guessing you’ve purchased from a few:

  • Amazon (offers vary)
  • 1-800-PetMeds (7%) – where I get my dog’s heartworm meds
  • 6pm.com (5%) – screaming good prices on closeout shoes. I recently bought a pair of Merrell barefoot shoes for $35.
  • Ace Hardware (5%) – I love Ace Hardware
  • Bestbuy.com (5%)
  • Nashbar (5%) – great bike goods
  • Groupon (5%) – mostly crap, but sometimes good offers
  • H&R Block (8%) and Turbotax (6%) – boom – even cheaper tax software
  • iTunes (5%)
  • Kohl’s, Macy’s, JCPenney (all 5%) – because sometimes you need a dress shirt
  • Lowes.com (5%) – great for appliances, tools, home improvement stuff
  • Merrell (5%) – my shoe of choice
  • Meijer (5%) – they sell everything
  • Old Navy (5%) – because it’s the only place I can find men’s 36 length jeans – and usually for $20 or less
  • Radioshack (5%) – for all the electronic junk you never knew you needed
  • REI (5%) – because they have an amazing return policy – and mostly sell things at full price only
  • Sears (5%) – great for appliances and tools
  • Southwest Airlines (2%)
  • Staples (5%)
  • Target (5%)
  • Tracfone (12%) – super cheap MVNO prepaid cell phone service
  • Walmart (5%)

The Best Credit Card for Appliance Purchases

New appliances are not cheap. And when you buy them you’re tempted to sign up for those in-store credit cards that you will rarely use and cannot get any cash back on outside of that store.

Fortunately, the Upromise card allows for massive discounts on appliances purchased online at Best Buy (4%), Sears (5%, sometimes higher), Lowe’s (5%), and other stores – no need for multiple store credit cards! This makes the Upromise card the best credit card for appliances, by far.

Other Cash Back Categories

The 5-10%+ cash back at many popular online retailers makes this card stand out. But the rewards extend elsewhere.

You also earn 4% bonus cash back at thousands of participating Upromise dining restaurants with this card, 3% cash back on eligible gas purchases at Exxon or Mobil locations, 2% cash back on eligible movie theater locations (meh), and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

These categories don’t rotate. And there are no earning caps like there are on cards like the Chase Freedom. Outstanding!

Earn a $50 First-Use Bonus

To earn a one-time $50 contribution bonus, just use your Upromise World MasterCard to make a purchase or cash advance transaction within 90 days of opening your Upromise card account. Easy money.

No Annual Fee!

Here’s where this card stands out even further.

Most cash back cards these days have one of two value propositions:

  1. Decent cash back rewards (2%+ in one or multiple categories), but at the cost of an annual membership fee.
  2. 1% cash back rewards or less, with no annual fee.

Rarely do  you see a card that offers decent cash back rewards that has no annual fee. But this is one. Add in the fact that there are no rewards caps, and I challenge you to find a no annual fee card that can compete (outside of the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express).

Final Thoughts:

I’m a big fan. There are huge opportunities to boost rewards with your online purchases, gas, dining, and more with this card. I see no negatives, outside of the obligatory late fee charges every credit card comes with. If you pay your balance in full each month, not a problem.

Full disclosure: I have signed up for the Upromise World Mastercard, think it’s a great credit card offering for my readers who pay off their monthly credit card balances, and don’t hesitate to recommend the card here. I receive a commission for any readers who click on my links and sign up for the card. It helps keep this blog afloat.

UPromise Card Review Discussion:

  • Do you have this card? What are your thoughts on it?
  • Are you a Upromise member?
  • Do you see this card being a good addition to your rewards card toolkit?

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