What type of credit cards do you have? Do you lean towards cash back credit cards, travel rewards credit cards, or merchant credit cards? Some cards offer no annual fees and there are others that have annual fees. Many credit cards offer promotions for new applicants and if they qualify. Some may offer a cash back bonus, hotel points, airlines miles, travel points, merchant credits, or other incentives. But did you know many credit card companies offer more than this? Don’t let your credit card benefits be forgotten.

When you open up a new credit card or have an existing credit, be sure to recognize the benefits they come with. Besides the promotional bonus, there can be other benefits that you may not typically use regularly. This could lead you to forget that those benefits are there.

My preferred credit cards are travel cards. Some come with benefits such as credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry, secondary auto rental insurance, credits at hotels, credits with airline purchases, free hotel night credits, airport lounge access, purchase protection, and possibly more.

Some of these benefits are not used regularly. Out of sight out of mind. Some of the benefits that I almost forgot include:

• $200 hotel resort credit
• $200 airline credit
• Free hotel nights
• Travel insurance
• Credit for Global Entry
• Cash back at certain vendors

If you add up all the benefits your credit cards provide, it could add up to more than what the annual fee is. When you leverage all your benefits, you can essentially get these benefits for free. How does this tie into financial independence? If you’re able to save money and keep more of it in your pocket, you can use it for other purposes such as investing. I can recall missing out on hundreds of dollars in benefits because I forgot they were there. Don’t let forgotten credit card benefits go unused. If you are interested in following my journey, email subscribe here to get alerts of latest posts or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.