Mozo’s quick guide to racking up rewards points over Christmas

Between present shopping, sprucing up the Christmas tree (do baubles seem to disappear from the cupboard over the year, or is that just us?) and a trolley full of prawns for Christmas lunch, from now until December 25th, your credit card is likely to get a workout.

Which is why it’s the perfect opportunity to stack up a pile of rewards points! If you’re strategic about it, earning points doesn’t have to take as much time and effort as you might think, and you can start the new year with a nice little points stash built up.

Here’s our quick guide to 5 tactics you can use to build up rewards points fast this Christmas.

1. Put a bonus offer in your stocking

Kickstart your rewards point stash with a bumper bonus offer! There are heaps of great bonus point offers around at the moment which can net you more than a hundred thousand rewards points all in one go.

Just keep in mind that there are usually minimum spends to meet before you can collect these points - although the Christmas shopping bill could help you knock out that spend faster!

2. Put some shops on the nice list

Not all spends are equal when it comes to earning rewards points. With some cards, you can earn extra points per $1 by shopping at partner stores, big supermarkets or with partner airlines. For example, you’ll earn an extra 1 point per $1 spent on many Qantas rewards cards when you buy Qantas products or flights.

So be aware of what spends you’re putting on your rewards credit card, this Christmas. Paying for the flight to your parents home with your Frequent Flyer Rewards card could help plump up your points balance.

3. Make your card your Christmas shopping companion

Or, use your card wherever you go! Whether you’re on the Christmas lunch grocery run, buying presents at five different shops or treating the kids to a Friday night movie trip, flash your rewards plastic at the checkout to watch those points build up quicker.

Just remember to keep an eye on your balance and pay it off in full before the due date, so you don’t wind up stung with interest charges.

4. Make Christmas sending a family affair

While your own Christmas list might be top of mind this year, it pays to remember that everyone else is Christmas shopping too. That means your partner, mother, brother or sister’s spend could be going towards your points stash too.

If you’ve got a trusted family member who you can pool points with, look into getting a supplementary card for them. You can often get this card for free or for a small extra fee, and then spending on both cards will earn points to the one account. But remember, you’re responsible for paying off the purchases made on the supplementary card as well, so only give it to people you absolutely trust.

5. Play the Grinch with your credit card company

Another quick way to add a stack of rewards points to your stash is to play hardball with your card provider. You can call and say you’re thinking about cancelling your card, and ask if they’ll offer you some bonus points to stay. But be careful with this strategy - they might not offer anything, and then you’ll have to decide whether to go through with your bluff!

If you do this, it’s worth comparing other rewards card options in the market first - that way, you can use other offers as a bargaining tool, or if it really comes to it, you might decide to put your money where your mouth is and apply for a new credit card.

A word of warning…

When you’re piling up points, there are a few traps to be wary of. The main one is, never overspend just for the sake of earning more rewards points! It’s generally not worth it, and you’re better off just using the money you would have spent to buy the flights or gift cards you would have used your points on.

The other big thing to keep an eye on is your monthly balance. Rewards cards tend to have pretty high interest rates, and can sting you if you aren’t careful. Avoid racking up a credit card bill that you can’t pay off within the monthly interest free period, so that the value of your points isn’t cancelled out by hefty interest charges.