Shopping is possibly one of a few luxuries
that women enjoy doing even though it’s quite expensive at times. For most
people, shopping means going to the mall and paying the stuff you bought with
your hard earned money and that’s it. But for the smart and practical shopper,
there are ways to still shop and get a little extra from buying stuff.
The answer is quite simple – specialized
credit cards. But hold on to your horses. I know that there might be a lot of
objections about the use of credit cards, but I must say that most of it are mainly misconceptions. The thing is, credit cards, if used wisely can be more
practical than using cash.
To prove my point, here is a list of a few
credit cards and their features that are most useful for shopaholics like us.
Metrobank Femme Card
Rewards: Earn 1
point for every Php20.00 that you spend using your Metrobank Credit Card. Use
your points and redeem fabulous items or air miles from Philippine Airlines,
Cathay Pacific Airlines or Singapore Airlines. Learn more about our rewards
program, 2012 Rewards Catalogue.
'M here! Perks and
Privileges: Get discounts, free gifts and great deals with your Metrobank
Credit Card at our 'M here! partner establishments.
Value-Added
Services including Supplementary cards, Bills2Pay facility, Balance Transfer
options, Cash2Go, Cash Rush (a type of cash advance), MTXT sms facility, designmycard
personzalization options and Bills Payment facility.
HSBC Red Card
Instant Rewards with Every Swipe –
Charge your life experiences to HSBC and they’ll give you more of your everyday
must-haves.Additional perks when using your card for a minimum single transaction worth P2000 which include: P100 Gift Pass on SM affiliates (movies, groceries, beauty essentials, etc.), P100 Discount at partner merchants, free tall handcrafted beverage or a 3-pack VIA™ Ready brew from Starbucks or get P100 off your fuel purchases from Caltex
On top of these gift certificates and
discounts that you can get, you still continue to earn Bonus Points from your
credit card purchases. Earn 1 Bonus Point for every P10 charged to your HSBC
Red MasterCard. Convert your Bonus Points to redeem Rewards items.
Other features include: a 3% Rebate plus
Rewards points on fuel and non-fuel purchases at Caltex, redeem accumulated
points for air miles with Asia Miles or KrisFlyer, allows user to take
advantage of instalment plans, online bill payments, annual fee waivers and
option to have supplementary cards.
BDO Bench Card
The main features of the card include: Rewards Program (P200 = 2
points* for purchases made at any Bench/Partner Store and P200 = 1 point for
purchases made at Non-Bench/Non-Partner Store), Birthday Treats (like a 10%
discount on Bench boutiques and affiliate stores) and priority access
& invites to sale events & Bench shows.
Aside from these
features, the Bench card also offers 0% installment options, free membership
for the first year, free supplementary card for life and a 24-hour customer
contact center for all your concerns.
RCBC Mango Card
RCBC’s Mango Card allows its users )% instalment options, exclusive members-only sale, priority access to next seasons’ catalog offers, first-hand advice on the latest hot offers, and a rewards points system
Citibank Rustan’s Card
Citibank’s Rustan’s Credit card offers its
users the following perks and privileges: worldwide acceptance and recognition,
high credit limit (offered in Gold and Platinum only), combined credit limit
for principal and supplementary card holders, dining privileges and Citibank
world privileges.
Aside from that, Citi Rustan’s card holders
will still enjoy common card features available in other Citibank cards like
Citi Paylite options, Citi One Bill, mobile banking, 24-hour customer service
support, credit shield, electronic statements and cash advance facilities.
BDO Forever 21 Card
The BDO Forever 21 Card is almost identical
in terms of features with the BDO Bench card. The only difference is that the
partner merchant for this type of card is Forever 21 instead of Bench. Here’s a
quick rundown of the features of the card
Rewards Program (P200 = 1 Point = 1 Peso Point for all domestic or
international retail purchases and
P200 = 3 Points = 3 Peso Points for Forever 21 Philippines purchases), Birthday Treats (like a 10% discount on Bench boutiques and affiliate stores) and priority access & invites to sale events by Forever 21.
P200 = 3 Points = 3 Peso Points for Forever 21 Philippines purchases), Birthday Treats (like a 10% discount on Bench boutiques and affiliate stores) and priority access & invites to sale events by Forever 21.
Aside from these features, the Bench card also offers 0% installment options, free membership
for the first year, free supplementary card for life and a 24-hour customer
contact center for all your concerns.
So the next time
you go on a shopping spree, you might want to consider getting one of these
cards to make the most of your shopping activity. Just remember that the use of
any of this credit card is just the same as if you’re going to use cash to make
purchases. That is, SPEND ONLY WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD and that DISCIPLINE IS THE
KEY J.
