In many occasions we do not take advantage of our credit or debit cards. This is because we associate them exclusively with their use as a payment method, but they may have more functionalities associated with them and could offer some advantages that we do not always notice.
Nowadays credit cards are really complete products that, in some cases, bring with them bonuses, discounts or benefits that we do not usually take into account, but that can be useful in certain situations.
We are going to focus on three of the most common ones, but there are more, so you should always read the fine print of this type of financial products thoroughly before contracting them in order to know their benefits.
Most credit cards have purchase insurance. This means that the products you buy with your credit card will be insured against theft or possible breakage. However, these insurances change depending on the type of supplier with whom we contract them. There are some providers that do not insure certain specific products, such as jewelry or vehicles.
Others adapt to current consumer needs and offer insurance for purchases made on the Internet. Although, in the latter case, it is important to know that if the product is broken after delivery, the cardholder will be responsible for the damage.
Depending on the credit card we contract, we will enjoy different insurances, such as: travel cancellation insurance, medical insurance abroad, car rental insurance, etc.
Depending on the credit card we have, it will also be possible to save a certain amount of money. This is because suppliers offer discounts with the cards, making them more attractive to users. These may be discounts at gas stations, certain supermarkets….
There are certain cards that even give the user the possibility of obtaining discounts on specific tourist packages, in addition to providing them with interesting benefits that they would not be able to enjoy if they did not have the plastic. On the other hand, those cards that have an annual fee can offer an interesting discount, so that the payments to the entity in question are reduced.
All the benefits mentioned above are not the only ones that can be enjoyed by having a credit card. There are other types of additional services available to the user, based on the type of card he chooses.
For example, you can get a free membership card, an emergency service abroad, as well as the possibility of interest-free cash withdrawals throughout Europe. In the case of a high-level card we could even talk about benefits such as an in-house concierge service.
Despite the wide range of services and discounts on offer, we must consider whether we really need them and not get carried away by the attractiveness of the offers. This can happen with the purchase insurance, since it is very possible that it is also offered to us in the home insurance that we have.
It would be completely useless to have the same insurance twice. And the same goes for the other offers. It is important to find out about them and assess whether they are really necessary and not just a whim that, in the long run, can become a complete burden for the user.