3 On Your Side: Shopping Rewards
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Holiday shopping season is around the corner. So is the sting of paying for the perfect gift.
But as CBS 3 On Your Side consumer reporter Jim Donovan discovered, you can reap some rewards for yourself and you don't have to use a credit card.
Fighting the Black Friday crowds, scouring the internet and waiting for last minute bargains -- they're among the ways holiday shoppers save.
"Like everyone else, I've got a really tight budget," said shopper Jessykara Blum.
This year she is using a debit card that rewards her, every time she buys.
"Then I don't feel guilty that I'm spending my money," said Blum.
"It's similar to a credit card model," said marketing expert Glenn Kelly.
But it's better because you're earning rewards without going into debt.
Blum is using a Perk Street card that offers between a one and two percent reward back on purchases all year.
For the holidays, they're offering five percent back when you shop at stores like Macy's, Gap, Best Buy and Toys R Us.
The Perk Street reward comes in the form of a gift card from a retailer of your choice or a Visa gift card you can use anywhere.
Online banks are offering some great deals too.
ING is currently paying one percent back on every purchase under $50.
ING deposits the cash back directly into your account.
Because there are no branches, online banks save millions in administrative costs and are able to pass some of those savings on to their customers.
"This could be a trend and this could be an opportunity to fundamentally see more online banking," said Kelly.
Which benefits both the bank and customers.
The ING promotion lasts through the end of November.
The 5 percent deal at Perk Street lasts until the end of the year.
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Reported By: Jim Donovan, CBS 3
