What Is The Best Choice For Your First Rewards Credit Card?

One of the ways I am able to travel and save so much money is by utilizing rewards credit cards to their maximum benefit.  When you get a credit card, treat it like cash.  Pay it off at the end of every month so you don't have to pay interest.  Using it wisely can net you some great benefits.  I sell on eBay as my main income.  I put my eBay bill, as much postage as I can, and even buying new inventory on a credit card.  It adds up quickly, as does my rewards.

FTC disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

But there is always the question of "What card is best for me?" and "What is the best first rewards credit card?"

My opinion is the Discover Card.  Why this card?   It's a good all around card.  There are no annual fees.  (Those are not always bad, as I talk about in other posts.)  It's a basic 1% back on spending.  You can chose to redeem for gift cards at a lower rate than the value of the card if you would rather have gift cards.  You can get a $50 Best Western gift card for only $45 in rewards.  There are also restaurant gift cards which could help you with costs on your next trip.
I will say, my Discover doesn't get a lot of use -- except for the spending category of the quarter.  Every three months, you can sign up to get 5% back on bonus categories.  As I write this, the current one is gas stations and wholesale clubs.  Since my husband works at a gas station and gets food half price while on the clock, this is great.  I've also found we can buy gift cards at gas stations and it still shows up as a gas station charge.  Other categories Discover often has are Amazon.com  (Five percent back at Amazon?  Yes, please!), restaurants, and grocery stores.  Savings are capped at $75 back per quarter.

So, in my opinion, Discover is a great starter rewards card.  It's basic, simple, no annual fee, and still has a great perk in the spending category of the quarter.  Because I have other cards with better rewards except for the 5%,  I only pull out this card when I'm getting 5 cents on the dollar in return.

Also, if you apply now, you will get a $50 statement credit after your first purchase in three months with your new card.