5 Best Third-Party Rewards Programs

Gray gift box printed plastic rewards card.Rewards programs have been used for decades to entice customers to sign up for credit cards and other financial packages. Today, borrowers have many options to choose from. From travel rewards programs to points for gas purchases, there are many different ways borrowers can be rewarded simply for spending money.

But credit cards are not the only way to rack up points. There are also third-party rewards and loyalty programs. These programs offer an additional layer of rewards by working with other companies to offer redeemable purchases at select stores. Some of these programs are even linkable to your credit card!

Here are our top picks for the five best third-party rewards programs.

1. Shop Your Way – General Shopping

ShopYourWay is a rewards program that allows people to link their Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit cards to the ShopYourWay rewards program or apply for the Shop Your Way MasterCard to earn even more rewards.

The ShopYourWay Link program is a growing operation tailored to people who shop at major retailers such as Walmart, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Uber, The Old Navy, Sears, Burger King, and many others locally, but offers even more deals and rewards on significantly more products when shopping through the website, or Android or Apple app online.

2. Thanks Again – Travel Rewards

Thanks Again is a travel rewards program that offers a sleek app for both Android and iOS. Borrowers can link their credit cards with the app and collect points while shopping at select stores and airports across the United States.

Points can be racked up at over 100 airports across the country and are automatically added to your Thanks Again account, which can be viewed directly in the company’s sleek mobile app. The points can be redeemed with various companies, including Alaska Mileage Plan, American AAdvantage, Hilton Honors, Fandango, and many others.

3. Fuel Rewards – Save on Gas!

Fuel Rewards is a third-party rewards program for those who want to earn points for money spent on their everyday purchases, dining, online shopping, travel, and gas. This program is free and offers cents-per-gallon rewards for MasterCard, Visa, and American Express credit cards. You can also register your grocery card, such as credit cards issued through companies like AVIS and GameStop.

In order to earn points, you must either use your Fuel Rewards card or your Alt ID at the pump. Points are used to shave cents off the cost of gas per gallon at participating Shell Fuel store locations and the points usually expire at the end of the month.

4. Neighborhood Nosh – Restaurant Rewards

Neighborhood Nosh is a service that allows people to earn points while dining at various restaurants.

After registering with a credit card with Neighborhood Nosh, shoppers can begin earning 3% back a participating location if they elect to not receive email communication from the company, 5% back on purchases when they spend less than $750 a year, and opt-in for email notifications, 10% cash back when they spend $750 or more.

There are a few requirements in order to be eligible for this program. First, you must always opt in for email notifications. Second, you must write a review of each participating restaurant you dine at in order to qualify for points. After earning $20 worth of points, you will be mailed an American Express Reward Card of the same value. Works best if you live near a major city.

5. Plenti – General Shopping (now defunct)

Plenti helps you “earn points on things you buy every day.” Plenti also offers an iOS and Android app but functions differently than Thanks Again. Borrowers are able to register their credit cards with Plenti and then receive a Plenti card in the mail within 10 to 14 business days.

The only way you can earn points is by using the Plenti card, although the purchases can be made using cash, credit card, or debit card. The one exception is Macy’s, where all borrowers need to do is use the credit card link to their Plenti card. However, you can shop even more merchants and get rewarded by shopping through Plenti’s online portal.

Points that are earned at select companies can then be spent at Plenti’s online marketplace, which offers access to hundreds of online retailers, including AT&T, Nationwide, American Express and Exxon Mobil.

Have a favorite 3rd-party rewards program you’d like to tell us about? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.

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Posted on April 28, 2017 by in Personal Finance

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