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Lauren Graves

Costco Car Rental Program: 12 Things You Must Know

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Use Costco Travel to rent a car with Avis or Budget and receive a $20 Costco Shop Card! Good through March 2021.

Costco has a reputation for always coming through for its members with discounts and exclusive bulk buys, and the Costco car rental program is no exception. Costco Travel, an offshoot program of the warehouse started in 2000, allows members to book discounted flights, cruises, hotel stays, and even car rentals through the massive retailer. 

Access to the Costco car rental program through Costco Travel is just one of many perks of a Costco membership, and it might be your new favorite way to save money on car rentals. This program is not as popular as you might think, but it’s a cult favorite among members that know about it for good reason: most car rental prices through Costco Travel are lower than through other agencies and platforms.

Think you might want to use Costco the next time you need to leave your vehicle behind for a trip? Keep reading to find out 12 things you must know about renting a car through Costco.

You Must Have a Costco Membership to Use This Program

You probably already guessed it, but only Costco members are eligible to use the Costco Travel program to make car rental reservations. In order to rent a car, the primary driver needs to verify their membership with a membership number at the time of booking whether they are booking online, in-person, or over the phone. There is no way to get around this requirement. 

In 2020, a base level Costco membership, the Gold Star membership, costs $60 per year, so you’ll have to decide for yourself whether the price is worth it if you’re not already a part of the Costco fan club. However, most Costco members know that the savings you can get shopping through this warehouse far more than make up for the membership price. 

You Can Book for Someone Else (If They’re a Member)

Yes, you can conveniently book a car rental reservation for someone else through Costco Travel.

But on top of requiring the adult making the booking to be a member, Costco requires that all drivers of a rental vehicle have a Costco membership. That means that if you want to reserve a car for a friend or family member, you can do so only if they themselves are a Costco member. 

However, if you do choose to go this route, the person making the booking does not need to be there to pick up the car.

You Can Add Additional Drivers for Free

Costco Travel bookings allow for one additional driver to be added to a rental at no extra cost, no matter what car rental company you choose. So if you already know that you and one other person will be sharing driving responsibility, use Costco Travel to cash in on considerable savings.

For reference, most car rental companies charge a daily fee of $10 for every extra driver. 

But keep in mind that while this fee is waived for the first additional driver when you reserve a rental using your Costco membership, extra drivers beyond that will cost you and you will want to make sure that the car rental company you’ve chosen allows more than one additional driver.

You Won’t Be Renting a Costco Car

Costco Travel does not actually hand over the keys to its members when reservations are made but instead facilitates discounted rentals through other companies. You can do everything through Costco from searching for options to making reservations and even canceling reservations, but these are not Costco cars that you’re renting.

From the moment you choose a car rental company from Costco’s list of options and make a call, you will be passed off to a third-party agency. But although you’ll be speaking with a representative from whichever agency you’ve chosen, calls are directed through a dedicated line for Costco members. 

Costco will still be there if you need to make changes to your reservation (more on this soon).

You Can Choose From 4 Rental Car Companies

Costco’s four rental car partners.

When you book a rental car through Costco Travel, you can choose four car rental companies: 

  • Alamo
  • Avis
  • Budget
  • Enterprise

The fact that Costco Travel offers four options allows you to shop around without having to visit multiple sites or make multiple calls. One search shows you results for each car rental agency and organizes your options for you, taking the stress out of price comparisons.

This lineup represents some of the best car rental companies this year has to offer in terms of prices, customer satisfaction, and geographic availability—Business Insider has called Enterprise the best overall car rental agency of 2020—, but if there’s a company you prefer that’s not on this list, Costco Travel is not the way to go. 

You Can Qualify to Rent If You Are Under the Age of 25

If you are younger than 25, you can still book a car rental through Costco even though the Low Price Finder asks you to check a box stating that you are older than 25 before populating results. However, you will not be able to take advantage of the Costco Member Discount even though you are a Costco member. You also might be charged an Underage Driver Fee. But, it can be done. Just call 1-866-921-7925 and choose option 1.

Costco members under the age of 25 need to make car rental reservations through car rental agencies directly rather than Costco Travel. Since Costco has no control over the Underage Driver Fees and can’t help with reservations for underage drivers, it might not benefit you much (or at all) to go through Costco if you’re in this situation.

Restricting under-25 drivers from making reservations is not a policy specific to Costco. Though the legal age to rent a car is technically 21, insurance premiums are higher for young drivers because young drivers are statistically more risky than older drivers. Exceptions are typically only made for government employees and U.S. military personnel.

You Can Book Easily Online

Login to your Costco Travel account. This is separate from your Costco account.

All car rental reservations can be made right through your Costco Travel account. 

Please note that a Costco account is not the same as a Costco Travel account and registrations for each must be made separately.

To make a reservation, log in to your Costco Travel account and enter your preferences into the search parameters. Specify your ideal pick-up location, drop-off location, and departure date, as well as the times that work best for you. The Low Price Finder tool will automatically generate results by locations nearest to you and you can select up to four of these to compare at once.

Types of vehicles to choose from at most agency locations include: 

  • Economy car
  • Compact car
  • Intermediate car
  • Standard car
  • Full size car
  • Intermediate SUV
  • Standard SUV
  • Mini Van
  • Full size SUV
  • Premium SUV

Check with locations in your area for premium car, standard convertible, luxury car, and full size van availability as these are more limited.

If you have a loyalty number with the car rental company you’ve chosen, be sure to enter this when you’re completing your booking to earn points for use on future reservations.

You Can Modify or Cancel Your Booking Easily Online

You can also modify or cancel a car rental reservation just as easily through the Costco Travel website, and you won’t be charged anything to tweak your booking or cancel your reservation completely. This perk is certainly worth noting as many car rental agencies do charge cancellation fees, especially when you cancel close to your scheduled departure date.

Costco Travel car rental reservations are incredibly flexible. Still, play it safe and cancel or change a reservation as far in advance as possible to avoid losing any deposits or having to pay fees enforced by rental car agencies on reservations made with prepay rates.

You Might Qualify for a Discount With Your Membership

Much of the Costco Travel car rental program’s appeal is the potential to save, but how much money you save and in what manner you save it varies and discounts are set by car rental agencies, not Costco.

Even though you are making a booking through a third-party company, your Costco membership automatically qualifies you for a discounted price—however, Costco does not guarantee that this is the lowest price available for your booking with the car rental company you’ve chosen. It wouldn’t hurt to browse some third-party discount agencies like Hotwire or Priceline if getting the best price is your number one priority.

But in cases where your discount as a Costco member is taken as a percentage of the total cost, the Costco Member Discount is not a set percentage but determined separately by each car rental company. For example, Budget offers up to 30% on reservations made through Costco Travel while Avis offers up to 25%.

For even more discounts through Costco, look into bundling other travel bookings with your car rental. You might be able to rack up more savings this way.

You Might Qualify for Upgrades With Your Membership

Keep in mind that a lower booking price is not the only way to save. Rather than discounts, some of the car rental companies you can book through with Costco Travel offer free upgrades and built-in add-ons on reservations made by members instead of price deductions.

For example, many Costco bookings include unlimited miles, which might save you serious cash on longer trips. Remember also that you can also add an additional driver to your reservation for free. 

You Can Compare Prices With the Costco Low Price Finder

Find the best price in seconds!

The Costco Travel Low Price Finder compares all of your options in one place by price, and this handy little feature may be your new best friend. Just input the details of your trip and use this tool to see what the price would be on each type of car rental—compact, sedan, SUV, etc.—as well as where your nearest pick-up and drop-off location would be.

Depending on the terms of your booking and what promotions are going on, booking through Costco Travel may or may not be the cheapest, but this tool will not compare prices outside of what’s offered through Costco. To know for certain that you are getting the best possible deal, compare prices not only through Costco Travel but also through the third-party website for whichever rental company you think you’ll go with.

You Can Get Free Insurance Coverage With a Costco Credit Card

The Costco Anywhere Card qualifies you for up to $50,000 worth of protection on car rentals at no added cost. Secondary car rental insurance is optional for all members, but it’s not a bad idea to add it to your reservation in the event of a worst-case scenario.

This credit card by Citi Bank is popular with Costco members because it lets them rack up points on Costco purchases including grocery, travel, and gas. This rewards card is perfect for anyone that frequents their local Costco store and even better for anyone that uses Costco to book car rentals.

But if you do not have a Costco credit card and still want to purchase insurance on your reservation, call the rental agency directly to arrange this.

Final Thoughts

The Costco car rental program is probably not worth getting a Costco membership for if you don’t live near a retail location, but otherwise, it’s a great program overall. At just $60 a year, a Costco membership is a good investment for anyone that is able to do bulk shopping or likes to know they’re getting warehouse prices. And if you have a Costco membership, it only makes sense to register for Costco Travel.

On average, Costco car rentals are cheaper, even if by only a small margin. But for all the flexibility that booking with Costco provides, this program is worth looking into. And for comparison shopping alone, using Costco Travel to find car rentals is a great way to go.

13 Tips for Sleeping Comfortably and Safely at the Airport

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Sleep safely and comfortably at any airport with these tips.

When you find yourself stuck at the airport overnight due to an unfortunate layover or sudden change of plans, the last thing you want to have to worry about is getting a good night’s sleep. That’s why it’s important that you be prepared for this possibility and have a few tricks in mind for making this uncomfortable experience as comfortable—and safe—as possible. 

Here are 13 things you can do to sleep safely and comfortably the next time you find yourself stuck at the airport for the night.

Pack a Sleep Kit

Get into the habit of taking a sleep kit with you every time you fly. You never know when a flight will be delayed or canceled last minute, and no one wants to have to go 24 hours without brushing their teeth.

Essential toiletries like toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, and hairbrushes are likely already packed somewhere in your luggage, but it wouldn’t hurt to pack these separately so that they are easily accessible. Other items that might make you feel more at home—sound machines, eye masks, slippers, etc.—should also come along. 

A sleep kit is easy to throw together and can minimize the discomfort associated with staying in a new place unexpectedly. Sure, you won’t need to use it at the airport most of the time, but many of the items are probably coming with you on your trip anyway. Don’t pack anything that you wouldn’t typically use to sleep and you won’t need to worry about additional baggage fees.

Keep in mind that some airports provide complimentary toiletries and items such as shampoo and blankets, but you can’t always count on this. You can ask ahead of time before a flight or just play it safe and bring a sleep kit.

Try a Hotel or Sleep Pod

You could always stay in an airport hotel or sleep pod, but not all airports offer these conveniences, and using them is not cheap. However, if these are available to you and you don’t mind investing the extra cash into a night of uninterrupted rest, this is probably the most comfortable you’re going to get. Otherwise, try some of the other tips on this list.

Most nap rooms or sleep pods can be rented by the hour and typically run anywhere from $20 to $40 per hour. Rooms are often upwards of $150. Both of these are often in short supply when they can be found at airports, so get to them as quickly as possible because they are rented on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Sleep Near Your Gate

Sleep next to your gate and set an alarm prior to boarding.

If you’re stuck sleeping in the airport, you’re going to naturally want to look for a restful place to rest in a quiet corner with low foot traffic.

But although no one wants to get woken up all night by lights, other passengers, and staff members, it’s even worse to miss a flight. Don’t give in to the temptation to find somewhere isolated to doze off. Not only is this less safe due to decreased security, but it’s a good way to miss the flight you waited all night for when exhaustion sinks in and you oversleep.

If your flight was canceled or delayed for one reason or another, chances are good that other passengers on your plane are going to be in the same boat as you, and sticking around the people you’ll be traveling with lets you take cues from other passengers when it’s time to go. Benches and seats are obvious choices for comfortable sleep, but you’ll need to claim these fast or you’ll wind up roughing it on the floor.

Change into Cozy Clothes

Take advantage of your packed suitcase and get those sweatpants and hoodies out the moment you learn that you’ll be spending the night at the airport. Find the nearest restroom and change as soon as possible—wearing cozier clothing makes a world of difference in making you feel more at ease. Most people won’t even bat an eye at a tired-looking passenger in pajamas at the terminal.

Visit a Gym or Lounge

Depending on what airport you’re in, you might have access to a top-notch airport fitness center or swanky lounge with a shower. Such luxuries are complimentary with many first-class and business tickets, but any passenger can purchase a pass most of the time. For a relatively small fee, you can get a hot shower at the very least. Some lounges and fitness centers also have pools, saunas, and jacuzzis. You’ll feel almost normal once you’re clean.

Treat Yourself

Treat yourself to a relaxing experience to help you transition to sleep mode.

Treat yourself to anything that will relax you. This could be a manicure or pedicure, a facial at a nearby spa, a movie on your phone, or a comforting meal at one of the many food joints in the airport. Stress and tension are usually already high when flying, and they’re going to be made even higher when you’re inconvenienced by spending a night at the airport. Stick to your nightly routines as closely as possible and you’ll fall asleep much more easily.

Give yourself a break and do a little more for yourself than you normally would. Find somewhere comfortable to settle in and do your best to block out your surroundings. And when you wake up, whenever you wake up, celebrate with a fresh cup of coffee—or two.

Ask for a Cot

Not every situation warrants an airport hauling out the cots, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Often, airports reserve cots for times when large masses of passengers are stranded—perhaps by inclement weather causing many flight delays, federally mandated travel restrictions like what we’ve seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, etc.—, but you might be able to get one even if you just have a long layover. Use a courtesy phone or go to a counter to ask personnel for sleeping accommodations. These are almost always free of charge, but they are in limited supply.

Please note that courtesy cots are just one of many types of accommodations airports regularly provide to stranded travelers. Many airlines also offer hotel vouchers, meal tickets, complimentary shuttle rides, and other services and discounts to passengers whose flights have been delayed or canceled.

Sleep in Shifts

Those traveling in parties of two or more are at an advantage when it comes to sleeping at the airport because they can sleep in shifts. Take turns sleeping with the people in your party so that there is always someone keeping an eye on the group and their luggage. This will make you all less vulnerable to theft and ensure that at least one person is keeping track of the time. Use timers and alarms so that everyone is able to get a bit of shut-eye.

If you’re traveling alone, look for other passengers turning in for the night and set up camp near them. You don’t have to work out a shift sleeping deal with strangers, but solidarity never hurts.

Set Alarms

If your flight has been assigned a new departure time or you know exactly when your layover ends, set an alarm for an hour before this. This will give you time to gather your belongings and get yourself ready to board the flight. If your new flight time has not yet been announced or you’ve been told to stand by, you’re better off taking short naps and getting an update before going back to sleep than turning in for a full night’s rest. 

Again, if you’re traveling alone, sleep near your gate as close to other parties as is possible and comfortable. That way, if for some reason your alarm doesn’t wake you up or there is an unexpected change to the flight, you’ll be woken up when the other people on your plane start moving around and preparing to board. Alternatively, if you don’t have a smartphone or watch, write a note on a piece of paper stating when you would like to be woken up and airport staff or passersby are likely to help you out.

Sanitize Your Chosen Location

The bench you’re going to be calling a bed for the next several hours has seen thousands of passengers come and go. It doesn’t take long to wipe it all down with cleaner, and this extra precaution is well worth it. Ask the airport staff if you can borrow cleaning supplies or sanitize with hand sanitizer at the very least. You’ll be able to sleep more peacefully when you know your area is free of disease-carrying germs. In addition, avoid direct contact with public surfaces as much as possible (i.e. lay your jacket down on the floor or seat before laying on it). That shower mentioned earlier? Might not be a bad idea to squeeze it in after sleeping.

Sleep on Top of Your Stuff

A comfortable sweatshirt on top of a duffle bag can make a great pillow!

Airport theft is a very real problem, and keeping your valuables safe should be your number one concern when it comes time to sleep at an airport. If you don’t have the option of sleeping in shifts with others in your party and keeping watch over your luggage, you may just have to sleep on top of it. In this case and many others, it pays to travel light.

Many weary travelers use their soft-sided suitcases as pillows and it’s a good idea to keep your arm wrapped around the straps of the rest of your bags. That way, should someone try to take advantage of your compromised situation and swipe a bag, you will be roused awake before they can make off with your belongings.

Remember not to travel with too many valuable items if you can help it. Items that you would not be comfortable leaving unattended in a busy coffee shop while you run to the restroom might not need to come with you to a busy airport.

Store Your Luggage

Some airports can store your luggage—for a fee, of course. If you’re traveling with a lot of bags, traveling alone, or just don’t want to have to worry about keeping track of your stuff all night, it might be worth it to hand over a little extra money to store your luggage until your flight. Look for luggage lockers, and if your airport doesn’t have those, check with the lost or left luggage counter. They might be willing to keep an eye on your bags for a price.

Luggage lockers are surprisingly affordable most of the time. For example, LockerLink lockers by SmarteCarte—found at thousands of airports—are just $4 for the first hour and $1 for every hour after that. You can store your bags for a couple of days or a couple of hours, and you’re likely to sleep much better when you’re not worried about protecting your things. Even if you just rent a small locker for your wallet or purse, you’ll be glad you did.

Keep Your Boarding Pass Close

You may or may not have to answer for yourself if you’re woken up by a security guard.Many security guards let snoozing slide without so much as a second glance, but others take precautions against non-passengers sneaking in and will ask to see your boarding pass to confirm that you are a passenger if they see you sleeping. Rather than try to hide from security somewhere remote and risk being thrown out, keep your pass and identification close by so that you can get right back to sleep if interrupted.

If you travel a lot, it’s not a bad idea to research the different policies and practices in place for stranded travelers at the various airports you frequent. Some airlines are a lot more accommodating of overnight guests than others, and you could use this information to make decisions about where to fly. Airline sleepovers can either be painfully awkward or not that bad, and it pays to know ahead of time what will or will not be available to you when you have no choice but to sleep at the airport.

How to Reach a Live Person at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion

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Use our tables below to find the exact phone number you need for any of the 3 major credit bureaus.

Credit bureaus are agencies responsible for compiling credit information for each individual. This information, which includes every detail of a person’s credit history, is then sold to lending institutions and other creditors for use in making lending decisions. The bureaus look at many details of your borrowing and spending behavior to create a comprehensive credit report and credit score just for you.

Information that credit bureaus may collect includes your: 

  • Number and age of credit accounts
  • Bank account information
  • Credit limits
  • Revolving utilization
  • Credit card payment history
  • Rent payment history
  • Missed or late bill payments
  • Collections accounts
  • Public records such as bankruptcies, foreclosures, etc.

They also know personal information such as your address, place of work, and social security number. 

Today, there are three main credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. Equifax was founded in 1899, Experian in 1996, and Transunion in 1968. Bureaus were created to help creditors make informed decisions about loan and credit account applications—before they were created, lenders had to use their best judgment and there was a lot more risk involved. Credit bureaus also make credit decisions fairer for consumers by removing subjectivity from the decision-making process and preventing discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, etc.

The information collected from credit bureaus is provided to credit issuers, but credit bureaus themselves do not play any role in deciding whether or not you should be approved for a loan or credit account. Credit bureaus are private companies operating independently of financial institutions simply to provide information, including your credit report and score, to potential creditors. 

If you ever encounter issues with your credit report or need to update your account in any way, you will need to know how to get in touch with the credit bureaus. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as it might seem. Fortunately, this article will offer helpful tips and phone numbers to call when you want to talk to a real person.

When Would You Need To Contact a Credit Bureau?

One of the main reasons a person might need to contact one or more credit bureaus is to report an issue on their credit report. There could be a small error on your report such as a spelling mistake or incorrect date or a much larger issue that could point to identity theft. For example, accounts showing up on your credit history that do not belong to you could be a red flag that someone has been using your name and information to open lines of credit. To correct an error, you will need to call whichever bureau’s report contains an error and might need to file a dispute.

Another common reason to get in touch with credit bureaus is to update your personal information. When a person gets married and wants to change their last name, for example, they need to update their account with all three credit bureaus and prove that their last name has been legally changed.

You can also call a credit bureau if you just have a question about your credit report. Looking over your report regularly is a good habit to get into and the best way to protect yourself from theft. Uncorrected issues on your report could prevent you from receiving loans in a timely manner or being approved for new lines of credit. You can get at least one free copy of your full credit report every year from each of the three major credit bureaus. Always take these when they are offered to you.

If you’ve ever tried to contact a credit bureau, you know how difficult it can be to get past the recordings to speak to a real representative. Here are the phone numbers to try when you want to bypass all the questions and get right down to business when contacting a credit bureau.

Speak to a Live Person at Equifax

Complete list of phone numbers for reaching a real person below.

People have had success reaching an Equifax representative more quickly over the phone in a couple of different ways. The best way is to call the number specifically dedicated to your issue. Equifax has many different lines.

If you already know exactly what you’re calling about, use that number from the table below before you use the general numbers. Otherwise, try both general numbers and you’re sure to reach a live person.

Equifax Phone Numbers

PhoneReason
888-202-4025 + ext. 6General
800-846-5279General
866-349-5191Request a copy of your credit report
866-640-2273Help with Equifax account and products
866-349-5191Credit Report Dispute
Representative: 800-525-6285
Automated service line: 888-836-6351		Place a fraud alert on your credit report
888-298-0045To place, pause, or lift a security freeze from your credit report
888-748-7878Questions about the 2017 Cybersecurity incident
888-567-8688Remove your name from mailing lists

Equifax customer service is generally available to take calls from 9 AM to 5 PM (EST) Monday through Friday. However, the automated service line dedicated to fraud alerts is available from 7:30 AM to 1:30 AM (EST) seven days a week. If you leave a message here, a representative will get back to you.

Equifax is also able to resolve some issues online. Log in to your Equifax account to file a dispute for something on your report, place or lift a security freeze, or place a fraud alert.

In 2017, Equifax experienced a massive data breach that resulted in the private records of millions of American, British, and Canadian users being leaked. Since then, Equifax makes information about the status of the resulting settlement available and will take any questions users might have about this incident.

Speak to a Live Person at Experian

Complete list of phone numbers for reaching a real person below.

Experian makes it easy to resolve many types of problems online and has an extensive FAQs section on their site, but sometimes you just want to talk to someone. Try these phone numbers when you need to talk to an Experian representative and don’t have all day to spend answering questions.

Experian Phone Numbers

PhoneReason
888-397-3742General
800-831-5614General
714-830-7000 + ext. 2General
888-397-3742Place a fraud alert on your credit report or receive identity theft guidance
479-343-6239Question about Experian membership
888-397-3742Request a copy of your credit report
714-830-7000Question about credit report
888-567-8688Opt out of prescreened offers

Experian customer support is standing by from 7 AM to 7 PM (CT) Monday through Friday. You can also email support and get in touch with a representative that way.

If you’re calling to dispute, Experian will likely request that you have a copy of your credit report in front of you for reference. There will be a number listed on this report that you can call to initiate a dispute. If you’ve received a credit report within the last 30 days, you will probably need to pay for another report.

Speak to a Live Person at TransUnion

Complete list of phone numbers for reaching a real person below.

Like the other bureaus, TransUnion offers plenty of ways to start disputes and ask questions other than calling customer support. Getting help over the phone is not so easy; however. Below are the number(s) to call to get your question(s) answered by a representative over the phone..

TransUnion Phone Numbers

PhoneReason
833-395-6938General
888-909-8872General
800-916-8800General
888-909-8872To place, pause, or lift a security freeze from your credit report
800-916-8800Credit report dispute
833-806-1626Tech support
800-680-7289Place a fraud alert on your credit report

TransUnion customer support phones are on from 8 AM to 11 PM (EST). The tech support lines are on from 8 AM to 9 PM (EST) Monday through Friday and 8 AM to 5 PM (EST) Saturday and Sunday.

This credit bureau also has social media accounts through Facebook and Twitter. The social media support team answers questions between 10 AM and 6 PM Monday through Friday (EST), so this could be a good way to avoid the phones altogether for less urgent concerns.

Again, make sure to have a copy of the credit report you are concerned about in front of you when calling to ask questions, dispute, or report fraud. During COVID-19, TransUnion is currently offering one free credit report per week to customers.

Final Thoughts

Depending on which bureau you need to report a problem with or have a question for, it might make more sense to resolve problems online through your account or via email than over the phone. However, each of the three credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—has customer support that you can call with questions and concerns. And if you call the right number, your chances of speaking with an actual person are much higher. 

Having an account with the bureau you’re contacting and file numbers for the exact reports you’re calling about is another great way to expedite the whole process.

Guide to Purchasing United Airlines Flight Miles

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buymiles.mileageplus.com

The United Airlines MileagePlus program is known for having great promotional offers and comparatively valuable miles, but you probably already know that if you’re a frequent flyer.

And if you often use your miles to lessen the cost of flights or upgrade for free, then you probably also know that additional miles are available for purchase if what you’ve earned through flights and card purchases isn’t enough.

But before you go buying miles, be sure you know what you need them for and exactly how many you need. This will help you determine whether there is a cost savings in purchasing the miles with cash. This involves researching factors such as what miles can actually get you in terms of trips, rewards and/or upgrades as well as what restrictions may apply when redeeming miles. These are all ever-changing and could mean the difference between saving money or losing money.

Purchasing United Airlines miles, like any other airline miles, is rarely beneficial to a consumer’s wallet, but if you familiarize yourself with how these frequent flyer points are priced and what their actual value is, you can take advantage of opportunities to save money in ways you might not otherwise have thought.

When is it a Good Idea to Purchase United Airline Flight Miles

United Airlines flight miles should only be purchased when the math makes sense and there is a clear ROI.

This could be when United Airline miles are being sold at incredible discounts (such as now) or when you need a small amount of miles to top off a reward or trip and purchasing the mile difference is cheaper than paying for it with cash.

Here are a few times when buying miles makes good sense and could save you money.

When United Airlines Offers Promotions or Discounts

For example, right now, United Airlines is giving customers that purchase miles an 85% bonus. This means that the entire balance of your purchase will be matched up to 85%, which effectively makes every mile worth 1.85% as much as it normally is. 

This may change your calculus on whether or not it’s a right time for you to buy miles, especially if you already had a trip or upgrade in mind and are most of the way there on points.

Keep your eye out for United Airline bonuses like this. A 100% United Airline mile match bonus was also spotted earlier this month.

They come often and can either be available for anyone online or direct offers to you specifically (usually via direct mail). They’re usually “flash deals” which can last anywhere from a few days to a few months.

The percentage is usually a tiered offer that looks something like this:

  • purchase 5,000 to 14,000 miles: receive a 30% bonus
  • purchase 15,000 to 39,000 miles: receive a 50% bonus
  • purchase 40,000 miles or more: receive a 100% bonus

When Buying Miles to Get a Free Ticket or Trip

Everyone wants to fly for free, and one way to do this is to use your miles. Flights through United Airlines and its partners can be purchased with enough points. Award pricing tends to fluctuate wildly like any other ticket pricing, but you can always check what the exact cost in miles will be when booking a flight.

Just select the “Book with miles” when searching a flight and see what the going rate is for your desired ticket. Is your current miles balance almost enough to cover it, or not even close? What is the current price of miles? Always ask these questions. At the end of the day if it’s not cheaper to purchase the miles to get you to your award than it would be paying the difference in cash then it’s simply not worth it.

United Airlines requires that you purchase at least 2,000 miles per transaction. Pricing is variable. You can buy miles in increments of 1,000 all the way up to 150,000 as long as you do not exceed the annual max of 175,000.

The current cost of United Airline Miles is $35 per 1,000 or 3.5 cents each. As you can tell from the chart below, it gets pretty pricey pretty quick when you pay full retail.

Current Cost of United Airlines Miles

# of MilesCost
1,000$35
5,000$175
10,000$350
50,000$1,750
100,000$3,500
175,000$6,125

When Buying United Airline Miles to Upgrade Your Seat

If you want to experience more luxurious flying without your bank account experiencing the depletion of luxurious flying, you may want to look into a seat upgrade using your miles – and buying a tad more to get you there may be worth it. 

Both United and Star Alliance flights are eligible for seat upgrades paid for with miles, and MileagePlus members that qualify for Premier status—the highest level of loyalty with United, based on your activity and points—have access to great upgrade availability with more perks than other members.

A seat upgraded to a higher fare could cost you upwards of 20,000 each. You may choose to upgrade with miles when selecting fare preferences when booking a flight or after a flight has been booked, but you are not guaranteed upgraded seats until you pay for them.

Those that fly regularly through one airline probably shouldn’t “waste” their miles on a seat upgrade, or their money on miles to be used for this purpose. There are ways to squeeze more monetary value out of miles, and there are easier ways to earn miles. But, if you have miles saved up and are willing to pay a little extra to close the distance for an upgrade, you could buy miles for much less than the full cost of the upgrade in dollars.

When is it Not a Good Idea to Buy United Airline Flight Miles?

Buying United Airline Miles at full price is almost always a bad call.

Don’t let this carrier’s clever advertising and appealing miles redemption selections trick you into throwing away your money on miles that aren’t worth what you’re paying for them. 

Make sure to calculate the value of each mile as precisely as you can and always plan ahead when you intend to purchase them for yourself or others.

When the Math Doesn’t Work

If you’ve ever purchased miles from any airline at their full price, you almost certainly lost money. It’s just one of the ways that airlines profit. This is why purchasing more miles or points only makes sense when there are promotions going on or when you already have most of what you need (think 80% or more) to upgrade a seat or buy a ticket.

Get into the habit of calculating the cost per mile for every United Airlines flight. What is it if you buy miles and use those and what is it if you just buy with straight-up cash? More often than not, straight-up cash will be cheaper. But if miles are discounted and/or you have most of what you need already in your account, then, by all means, buy the miles.

Watch Out For Fees For Transferring United Airline Miles vs. Getting Them Directly

Miles make a great gift for people often in the sky but beware of United Airlines’ transfer and processing fees. Buying miles as a gift is a great gesture, but it might lose you money.

MileagePlus miles can be transferred between two accounts, but not without incurring considerable extra charges. For every 500 miles you transfer from your own account to the account of another MileagePlus member, you will be charged $7.50 and $30 per transaction for processing on top of that.

Remember these transfer fees when purchasing miles for others, and consider gifting them directly to their account instead.

The Ticket You Wish to Purchase With Miles May Not Even be Available

Picture this: you’ve planned a whole trip out and budgeted the costs down to the cent, only to find out that the ticket you planned to purchase with miles isn’t available. Don’t let this happen to you—scout awards seats well before booking a flight. They sometimes go fast and are given on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Check the availability of award seats early on in your trip planning process. Being a frequent flyer doesn’t guarantee you tickets that can be purchased using miles, so you should never buy additional miles before looking into this.

Final Thoughts

If you fly United Airlines often enough to consider buying extra miles, you probably already have a decent stash of them in your account. And if this is the case, you are a great candidate for purchasing more when it saves you money. Pay attention to rising and falling rates and any hot deals that might pop up, and you give yourself the best possible chance of spending less on your miles than they are worth. But most important of all, know what you want! You should never just purchase miles to purchase miles, even if they’re on sale. You should always have a reward, trip or upgrade in mind so that you can do the math to be sure there is an ROI in it for you.

MileagePlus miles no longer expire, so if you do end up buying a little more than you need or you make a purchase that might not have been as well-informed as it could have been, your balance won’t go to waste.

United Airlines miles are fairly valuable and can be used in a lot of ways, but in the vast majority of cases you’re better off earning them indirectly through flights and credit card transactions rather than purchasing them directly through the airline.

Guide to Buying Delta Miles and When It Makes Sense

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image credit: delta.com

The Delta Air Lines loyalty program, SkyMiles, rewards frequent flyers with countless redemption options and booking bonuses like no blackout dates.

This airline’s four-tiered membership programs stacks on even more benefits for the most loyal members. Each of the tiers (silver, gold, platinum, and diamond) have many features and perks with the diamond level being the most exclusive and rewarding.

You can use miles you rack up to book Award Travel flights, upgrade your seats to a better class, cash in on freebies with Delta Sky Club, and more. 

Though Delta miles aren’t worth as much as frequent flyer miles you might earn with other carriers (1.1 cent per Delta SkyMile vs 1.3 cents per average airline mile) they can still save you money if you know what you’re doing.

Whether you’re earning miles by flying Delta or making purchases through Delta partners or with Delta American Express credit cards, there may be times in which you need just a few more miles to get what you’re looking for. In which case, purchasing miles might make sense.

That said, purchasing Delta SkyMiles through your SkyMiles account is going to cost you 3.5 cents per mile at retail price with no promotions going on, which is significantly more than they’re worth.

Keep reading for more information about when it makes sense—and when it definitely does not—to buy Delta SkyMiles with your cash.

When is it a Good Time to Buy Delta Skymiles With Cash?

While purchasing airline miles in general is almost always a bad idea, it does make sense in certain situations.

In general, purchasing Delta SkyMiles in one or more of the following three scenarios tends to make the most sense for most people:

When Buying SkyMiles to Get a Free Ticket

If you have enough miles stocked up, you might be able to pull off flying for free (or almost free). To find out the price in miles of any given flight, simply select “Shop with Miles” in the search engine through the Delta site or the Fly Delta app. 

A minimum of 5,000 miles is required in order to use your miles to book Award Travel, and redemptions must be made in 5,000-mile increments. If you see a great deal on a flight—say 10,000 or 15,000 round trip—and you are within just a few thousand miles of being able to get it, buying miles could be a sound investment.

If this is the case, only buy as many as you need. Delta will allow you to purchase as few as 2,000 miles at a time, but prices vary.

Key Takeaway: Make sure buying miles in order to get a free ticket won’t cost more than simply paying the difference with cash.

For example, imagine you’re trying to fly from Los Angeles to New York City and you already have 34,500 miles in your SkyMiles account. You then come across a ticket available for 36,000 miles – or – $460. You can either purchase the ticket without your miles for $460 cash or you can spend $70 to buy the minimum of 2,000 miles to top off the 1,500 you needed for your trip. In this scenario buying SkyMiles makes sense.

Two additional variables to keep in mind that could affect your bottom line cost are:

  1. small fees are assessed for award redemption and
  2. flights through partner airlines will have different Award Travel requirements.

When Buying SkyMiles to Upgrade Your Seat

Purchasing frequent flyer miles for seat upgrades is fairly common practice across all airlines, and this is true for Delta as well.

You’ll be able to upgrade your seat during or after booking using your miles balance for as many flights in your party as you want (just make sure there are enough award seats available).

If you value the added luxury of business or first class but don’t necessarily want to cough up the money for the considerable up-charges, using miles to upgrade is the way to go.

And if you don’t have quite enough miles to get that upgrade, then purchasing a few thousand to top it off may make sense.

The miles required to upgrade your seat is going to depend on where you’re going and when, but don’t expect purchasing the additional miles needed to be a cost-cutting option unless you already have a good portion of the miles required in your account.

When Buying Discounted SkyMiles

Another situation where purchasing Delta SkyMiles might make sense is when they offer special deals and promotions that drastically bring down the cost per mile.

Delta has been known to offer very competitive discounts on miles in the past. We’ve seen discounts run as high as 75% on miles, effectively reducing the cost of purchasing miles to roughly 1.75 cents per mile (vs 3.5 cents retail). This is still above the average value you receive per SkyMile (which sits at roughly 1.1 cent per mile) but it makes buying miles a much more attractive prospect, especially if you have a specific use in mind for them.

Buying these miles in large amounts when they go on sale likely isn’t the best idea without specific use cases for them. That said, if you’re very loyal to Delta and fly regularly it may be worth it to pick some up when the promotions take place and set them aside for future use.

When it is Not a Good Idea to Buy Delta Sky Miles

It’s never a good idea to purchase Delta flight miles when miles cost more than they are objectively worth. Here are a couple of things to watch out for when you’re considering whether or not to buy more miles.

When the Math Doesn’t Work

To know for sure if purchasing SkyMiles is a wise decision, you will need to put in a little extra work.

In a nut shell, make sure that the total price you pay purchasing the amount of miles needed for a trip is always less than what it would cost in cash.

Generally speaking purchasing lower increments 2,000 – 5,000 to top off an award is going to be the way to go. Here’s a table illustrating how expensive SkyMiles can get the more you purchase:

Cost of SkyMiles (assuming full retail price of 3.5 cents per mile):

Number of MilesCost to Purchase
2,000$70
5,000$175
10,000$350
30,000$1050
50,000$1,750
Delta SkyMiles retail at $0.035/ea

When the Tickets You Wish to Buy Are Unavailable

Award seats are in short supply on most flights. If you’re considering buying miles for a particular flight or trip, make sure there are seats available ahead of time.

Sadly, not all flight seats can be purchased with miles, so you’ll need to plan as far in advance as possible if you intend to use miles to buy a ticket.

To check whether a flight has award seats available during booking, enter your desired flight information and select “Shop With Miles” or “Show Price in Miles.” If seats are available, you will see them and how much they cost. If there are no more seats available, you can try checking a different flight class to see if there are more there. 

Final Thoughts

To get the most out of your Delta SkyMiles, whether they are purchased or earned, you need to make sure you know what they’re worth. Purchasing miles is usually not a smart move, but a few scenarios (outlined above) make it potentially beneficial.

Visit the Delta SkyMiles Deals page for a complete list of advertised offers including the best-priced tickets available. Flash deals that maximize the value of your miles are updated monthly.

If you already have a sizable pool of miles in your account and you have a specific upgrade or trip in mind, then buying a few more to nab that offer may be a good way to travel cheaper.

American Eagle Credit Cards – Is Applying Right For You?

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You probably know American Eagle Outfitters best for the ubiquity of its clothes in high schools and on college campuses. The American Eagle brand can be seen in stylish logo hoodies, ripped baggy jeans, trendy crop tops, and everything else the kids are wearing these days—and it’s basically been popular since its creation.

But how has AEO, founded in 1977, beat the odds and stayed on top of the game through the decades? The company has managed to not only stay relevant but even grow by implementing innovative marketing campaigns that ​appeal to a wide range of young consumers​ and by introducing its now highly successful lingerie and intimate clothing line, Aerie.

Plain and simple, American Eagle sells higher-quality clothes than their competition and celebrates diversity with inclusive ads and product lines. They give the people what they want, and the people want AEO to stick around. With over 1,047 stores globally, the company isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Maybe you’re a regular American Eagle patron and you’re wondering whether signing up for one of their store cards would be a good idea. Keep reading for an in-depth review of AEO credit cards and all the information you’ll need to make a decision.

An Overview of AEO’s Two Store Credit Cards

image credit: ae.com

American Eagle offers not one but two credit card options to its customers, so you’ll have to know the difference between them in order to decide which is best for you. The AEO Connected® credit card is the standard option and the AEO Connected® Visa® offers more bells and whistles, plus a surprising perk.

Both American Eagle credit cards are issued by Synchrony Bank, an institution that has firmly established its presence in the retail credit card sector with over 100 store-branded cards, the likes of which include juggernauts Amazon, Lowe’s, Gap, and Marshall’s. Here’s everything you should know about the AEO Connected® card.

The AEO Connected® Credit Card

First up, AEO Connected. The “basic” AEO Connected® credit card option is only slightly more basic than its VISA counterpart and itself has a long list of perks and rewards. The benefits of this card include:

🛍️20% off your first card purchase
🛍️An extra 10% off every other purchase
📦Free shipping to the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada
💵15 points earned on the dollar
💵$10 off reward for every 2,500 points
👖 Buy 5 get 1 free on jeans and bras
🦹🏻‍♂️ $0 fraud liability
📱Mobile and online account management

The Connected card also offers coupons and events to cardholders, like:

🎁 – 15-20% off birthday coupon.Valid for 15% off any single total purchase for Full Access members and 20% for Extra Access and cardholding members.
🛒 – Personal shopping day coupon.A coupon for between 10 and 20% off a single total purchase, depending on what promotion is being run at the time of signup.
🎟️ – 6 cardholder events each year.Including savings events, opportunities to earn extra points, and more.

The AEO Connected® VISA® Credit Card

So how does adding that “VISA” to the AEO Connected card make a difference? Well, the AEO Connected® VISA® credit card offers all of the perks of the Connected credit card, plus:

  1. You can use it anywhere VISA cards are accepted.
  2. Earn 5 points for every $1 spent outside of AEO.

Yes, anywhere. You don’t have to be shopping at an American Eagle store to be earning American Eagle points, and that goes for online purchases too.

AEO Connected’s Extra Access Program

All cardholders are considered to have “Full Access” to Connected rewards from the time they sign up for an AEO credit card, but they are upgraded to “Extra Access” status when they spend $350 or more on net qualifying purchases with their AEO credit cards in a calendar year.

Extra Access members enjoy a birthday coupon for 20% instead of only 15% and a $15 credit reward on 2,500 points instead of $10. To maintain Extra Access status, members must continue to spend $350 annually. Otherwise, they return to Full Access status and lose any additional rewards they may have earned under the higher-tier membership level.

An In-Depth Overview of AEO Connected’s Rewards Program

The fine print on the AEO card rewards program is extensive, so here’s a breakdown on how to earn, manage, and spend points and rewards for the two cards.

An Important Note About AEO Connected

Before diving into nitty-gritty credit card reward details, it’s important to note that AEO credit cards are entirely ​separate ​from the AEO Connected rewards program. This just means that you’ll have to be both a cardholder and enrolled in AEO Connected in order to earn the benefits outlined above for each card (and some of these benefits are actually just Connected benefits).

Not all AEO Connected members are credit card holders, but all AEO credit cardholders are Connected members because they are automatically enrolled in the rewards program upon signup as long as they provide a valid email.

For the purposes of this article, AEO credit card rewards and AEO Connected rewards will be considered together as all cardholders enjoy at least Full Access Connected perks.

How to Earn Points/Rewards

Upon signup for an AEO credit card, customers are instantly awarded 500 points. From there, all purchases made online, in-store, and over the phone earn points.

The amount of a qualifying purchase that earns points is equal to the transaction total after rewards and discounts have been applied and before tax is added. For example, a $50 purchase (before tax) for which a $10 coupon is used only earns points on $40 of the total.

Individual stores may run promotions in which cardmembers receive additional points and/or discounts for certain purchases over a limited period of time, but these are up to the discretion of store administrators and vary by location. In addition, administrators may at any time terminate, expand, limit, or otherwise modify the Rewards program for their store with no warning.

Be sure to stay updated on the deals and terms of your local AE stores if you want to get the most out of your membership.

How Points and Rewards Are Issued

Points earned are automatically applied to a customer’s loyalty account via email, text, and/or the AEO mobile app (remember: a valid email address is required for enrollment with AEO Connected, as no paper statements or rewards are issued).

There is a 14-day waiting period to receive points and credits between the time of purchase for which rewards were earned and the time these rewards can be redeemed. American Eagle tells its members that they can expect to wait between 15 and 21 days to receive a reward after reaching that reward’s point

threshold. After this time period, updates to a customer’s account balance should be reflected in their Connected account at ​ae.com​ and on the app.

When a cardmember makes a return, any rewards earned on that purchase are removed from their account.

How to Manage Points and Rewards

Cardmembers can view their reward balances as well as access credits and coupons through their Connected account either online or through the ​American Eagle/Aerie mobile app​. From there, customers can also see reward activity and keep up with current Connected offers.

How to Use Points and Rewards

Points will never expire as long as members make at least 1 purchase a year, or in a 375 rolling period from the date of signup. This keeps a Connected account active. However, rewards ​do​ expire, and after only 45 days from the date of issue. For example, if you received a $10 off coupon for reaching 2,500 points, you have only 45 days to use it before it is nullified.

Rewards can be accessed and redeemed through a member’s Connected account at ​​https://www.ae.com/ca/en/myaccount/aeoconnected​. Customers must present email or text rewards and credits at the time of purchase, whether online or in-store, in order to redeem.

Credits and coupons contain codes that can be easily used to make online or over-the-phone purchases. Identification and/or proof of Connected membership may be required to use rewards at retail locations.

How Much Are Points and Rewards Worth?

Plain and simple, Connected rewards aren’t worth “real” money. Rewards, points, and credits earned have no monetary value and cannot be exchanged for cash. Rewards and points cannot be traded or sold and a customer cannot request to exchange store credit for money.

How to Apply for AEO Cards

image credit: apply.syf.com

The application process for an American Eagle credit card is no different than any other card application process. Interested customers can either apply in-stores or online through ​Synchrony’s application​ and must provide the following information:

  1. Name
  2. Address
  3. Phone number
  4. Email address
  5. Date of birth
  6. Last Four digits of your social security
  7. Annual net income

This information is enough for Synchrony to determine whether an applicant should be approved or denied credit. Upon credit approval, customers are then enrolled automatically in the AEO Connect program and awarded their signup points.

Core Demographic of AEO Cards

Because the people that score the most with an AEO credit card are people that frequent the establishment, it makes sense that the AEO credit card core demographic is comprised of its most loyal customers.

American Eagle Outfitters’ core demographic is comprised of middle- to upper-class, primarily caucasian, 15- to 25-year-old male and female patrons. Because one must be at least 18 years old to be approved for ​any​ credit card, AEO’s core card demographic is the 18- to 25-year-old range. Aerie, American Eagle’s women’s lifestyle brand and one of its greatest sources of revenue in 2020, caters specifically to women.

Prices at this behemoth retail store are reasonable enough to be affordable to the average middle-class citizen and products feel high-end enough to appeal to the upper-class. However, this doesn’t mean that just anyone that shops at American Eagle can get one of their credit cards—credit approval is still a factor.

Credit Score Minimum

AEO Connected® credit cards aren’t altogether difficult to get approved for, even for those with credit scores in the ​fair range​. Applicants with low-600s credit scores can expect to be approved for an AEO Connected® credit card as long as they don’t have any major blemishes on their record, but they’ll probably be stuck with a meager $150 credit limit.

As for AEO Connected® VISA® credit cards, scores in the upper-600s to low-700s are more typical. Because these are VISA cards and can be used everywhere that VISA is accepted—which is most anywhere—these are much more difficult to obtain than the exclusively store-branded credit card.

In short, low-average to average credit scores are generally approved for AEO Connected cards and 620 is the absolute minimum.

Pros and Cons of American Eagle Credit Cards

So these credit cards have a handful of appealing rewards and are easy enough to get, but does that make them worth getting? As with any credit card, there are advantages and disadvantages to AEO Connected cards.

Perks of the Connected Cards

Outside of the credits and rewards that AEO cardmembers can automatically count on, there are a couple of notable benefits to having a Connected credit card or Connected VISA.

  1. Extra Access status.
    Members that are upgraded to Extra Access status are rewarded just a little extra for their loyalty. Though not much, an additional $5 here and there would add up for frequent shoppers.
  2. Use of cards outside of AEO.
    Obviously, this only applies to the Connected VISA, but the convenience of being able to shop with your AEO card outside of AEO is a definite perk. For responsible buyers looking to build their credit and able to stay on top of payments, an AEO VISA is a decent option.

Connected Card Cons

Connected cards have their fair share of disadvantages. Some of the rewards offered to Full and Extra Access customers are decidedly stingy, the cards have high APRs, and the Connected program does not guarantee rewards long-term. These are just a few of the cards’ obvious drawbacks.

1. Discounts can’t be combined. The extra 10% or 15% off that members earn on AEO purchases cannot be combined with other discounts, which would be a huge bummer for some of the thriftier shoppers out there. In addition, there are many stipulations on the “earn free jeans and bras” bonus, like the fact that clearance jeans and bras —discounted at 49% or more off the original price—are excluded from the buy 5 get 1 free deal. Any AEO fan could tell you that jeans and bras are often clearanced, and that this “deal” would soon feel disappointing.

2. Late payments and APR. There are no annual fees for either AEO Connected credit card, but there is a late payment fee of up to $38 and 28.24% APR for either card.

3. Rewards must be used quickly and can’t be replaced. The Connected rewards program is quite restrictive. With a pretty small window for using rewards and a no-replacements policy, many credits and coupons could go unused. If you don’t find yourself shopping at American Eagle or Aerie every 45 days, you stand to lose any rewards you’ve earned.

4. Points don’t rollover.​ Points earned will not be carried over in the event that American Eagled ends their Connected rewards program and members will not be compensated for leftover rewards, so any point hoarders could suffer significant losses unexpectedly.

Why mention this?

Because ending a rewards program to start another has happened before at American Eagle Outfitters.

The AERewards program, predecessor to the AEO Connected program, was fully replaced in September of 2017. Members were automatically enrolled in AEO Connected and issued final credits, but there is no guarantee that Connected members would be similarly compensated in the event of program termination.

Of course, the Connected program isn’t set to end at this time, so this is only a small possible risk.

How Do AEO Cards Compare?

American Eagle might be able to compete using clever advertising and a solid collection of products, but how do their credit cards compare with other department store credit cards?

Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria’s Secret, and ​Gap​ are just a few of American Eagle’s fiercest competitors. See the table below for an analysis of the competition.

CardAPR %Rewards Expiration periodPoints Per DollarWhere to UseCreditKarma User Rating
AEO Connected28.2445 days15AEO and Aeire1/5
AEO Connected VISA28.2445 days15Anywhere VISA is accepted1/5
Abercrombie & Fitch 26.741 year15In-store only at Abercrombie & Fitch3/5
Victoria’s Secret Angel27.2490 days5+Victoria’s Secret, PINK, Bath and Body Works (in-store)3.5/5
Gap VISA 27.492 years5Any GAP brand store (Banana Republic, Old Navy, etc.)5

Final Verdict: Should You Sign Up?

Is AEO Connected the paperless credit card program you didn’t know you needed? That depends on how often you’re purchasing American Eagle apparel.

For the average consumer, AEO Connected credit cards aren’t the best credit cards out there, but they’re also not the worst. They have higher APRs than their store-brand card competitors and shorter rewards lifespans, but they also make it easy to rack up points. For shoppers with low credit scores that spend a reasonable portion of their money on American Eagle products, these cards are within reach and cost nothing annually, making them a fine option.

That said, you won’t be able to earn cash back or use these cards anywhere you please (unless you get the VISA version). Experienced credit card users that plan to stay on top of their balances will, at the very least, earn a few bucks here and there. Newbies, however, could fall victim to exorbitant interest fees and lose much more than they could gain.

If you do choose to apply for a Connected card, watch out for late fees, foreign transaction fees, and reward expiration dates to make the most of your card.

AmAll in all, most people should look elsewhere for a good credit card. Only those whose closets are filled floor to ceiling with American Eagle-branded merchandise—and who absolutely pay their card balances in full each period—would truly benefit from AEO Connected cards; high APRs and rewards with short shelf-lives should be red flags to anyone that doesn’t fall into that category.