Dear Clever Credit,
I’m 29 years old, and my Xbox is my best friend. I log around 40 hours of gaming per week and spend about $200 each month on the newest games and accessories with my PNC Cash Rewards®Visa® Credit Card. I’m also an avid user of food delivery apps, especially when I get hungry during a gaming session with friends. I want a card that will better reward my Xbox obsession and save me money on gaming purchases — and Taco Bell delivery. I have a good credit score and don’t want to pay an annual fee. Any ideas?
Sincerely,
Leveling Up My Game
Dear Leveling Up,
As a PS5 girlie, this means we’re mortal enemies. But I guess I can help you out just this once.
The PNC Cash Rewards Visa Credit Card is a good cash back card for foodies, but if you’re willing to pivot to points, I may have a better option.
The Xbox Mastercard has no annual fee and lets you earn rewards in the form of points that you can redeem for games, hardware, add-ons, preorders and more. It earns:
— Five points per dollar spent on eligible products at the digital Microsoft Store
— Three points per dollar spent on eligible streaming services like Netflix, Audible and Spotify
— Three points per dollar spent on eligible dining delivery services like Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats
— One point per dollar spent on everything else
The information for the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card has been collected independently by U.S. News and the card is not currently available on the site. The information has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer and it is accurate as of the date posted.
If you’re new to the points game, the easiest way to understand this conversion is 100 points are worth $1. So let’s take a look at the current introductory bonus being offered by the Xbox Mastercard. New cardholders can earn 5,000 bonus points after making their first purchase within 180 days of opening their account. That’s equivalent to $50 in value.
As part of the introductory bonus, cardholders can also earn a three-month subscription to Game Pass Ultimate. Unfortunately, this benefit is only for new Game Pass subscriptions, so if you already paid for one, you can gift it to a friend or family member. New cardholders can also earn a three-month free trial of Spotify Premium Individual.
Now, I know the PNC Cash Rewards card has an annual cap of $8,000 across all categories. If you’re spending a minimum of $200 a month on just games and accessories, that’s $2,400 in one year. This means you can only spend about $460 a month on other purchases within PNC’s applicable categories.
With the Xbox Mastercard, there is no annual cap. Plus, there’s no limit to how many points you can earn, and they don’t expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. What’s more is you can redeem your points directly through your Xbox; just go through the Microsoft Store app on your console.
The Xbox Mastercard also comes in five different designs, and you can even personalize it with your gamertag.
However, if you’re not into points and would prefer another cash back credit card, you might like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card or the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. Both are general cash back credit cards, so they don’t cater to gamers, but their rewards are more straightforward.
[Read: Best Rewards Credit Cards.]
The Active Cash Card offers 2% cash back on all purchases, and the SavorOne offers 3% cash back on dining, entertainment and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®). Neither card has an annual fee or an annual cap. (See Rates & Fees for the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card) (See Rates & Fees for the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card)
Whichever card you decide on, it’s definitely time to level up your credit card game. Now, go defeat that Netherbrain!
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Dear Clever Credit: I’m a Gamer. What Credit Card Will Level Up My Spending? originally appeared on usnews.com
