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WalletHub featured Lubin Professor Paul Kurnit in "Ask the Experts: Cashing in on Credit Card Rewards"

WalletHub featured Lubin Professor Paul Kurnit in "Ask the Experts: Cashing in on Credit Card Rewards"
What would you say the best cash back credit cards all have in common?
Cashback!
Do you think cash back is the best credit card rewards currency?
There are many reward forms in the credit and charge card business. The best of them extend benefits that are effortless and immediately appealing to cardholders. Cash is a great benefit because it represents discounts and money in the bank. For many, that’s first prize. But, other benefits, especially travel perks, are appealing because they represent incentives and rewards that can be banked and cashed in later for personal pleasures – leisure activities, getaways, and pampering.
What limitations do even the best cash back credit cards tend to have?
Limitations of any rewards program deal with complexity and catch. The key is to be frictionless. The cash benefit has got to be clear, communicated, and very visible when the incentive is rewarded.
Which cash back credit card(s) would you recommend to consumers?
I like Discover because they make it clear that there are no fees, ever. It is simple, clear, and trustworthy. I started using it years ago as the go-to card for my gas purchases as prices skyrocketed. It was a perfect marriage of a specific expenditure for which a discount – i.e. cashback – for an increasingly rising cost commodity was very welcome.