Before you start your holiday shopping, you may want to take a closer look at some credit card deals that can easily put $100 in your pocket, save you money on interest via 0% promotional APRs or both. Sure, getting in line at Best Buy at midnight on Black Friday may get you a new laptop for $100, but these credit card deals offer a much easier way to save money.

Below are my top credit card picks for the holidays. These credit card offers feature cash back sign up bonuses and also let you earn up to 5% cash back on certain purchases. Plus, if you know you will need a few months to pay off your holiday expenses, some of these cards also offer 0% introductory rates that can help you save money on interest.

Best Overall Holiday Credit Card Deal

My pick for the best credit card deal of the holiday season is the Chase Freedom® Visa – $100 Bonus Cash Back. In order to earn the $100 cash back bonus, you simply need to spend $799 within three months of getting this credit card. This shouldn’t be an issue during the holidays. On top of the $100 promotional bonus you get for using this credit card, you can also earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 of purchases made at groceries stores and department stores.

If you take full advantage of the bonus 5% in cash back, you can save an additional $75, making this deal worth $175. (You can also earn 1% on all other purchases, so savings could actually be greater, especially for large spenders.) For more information and to apply, please see the online application.

Other Money Saving Holiday Credit Card Deals

The Discover® More Card – $100 Cashback Bonus comes in a close second to the Chase Freedom credit card. With this credit card, all you have to do is spend $500 to get your $100 cashback bonus. Unfortunately, while you can also earn a 5% cashback bonus on purchases at restaurants, department stores and clothing stores, you can only earn 5% on up to $300 in spending. This tacks on another $15 in cash back, bringing the total cash back potential to $115, or $60 less than you can earn with the Chase Freedom Card.

However, one thing that separates this offer and may make it a better option for some is the 0% introductory rate on purchases that lasts for 6 months. If you know you won’t be able to repay your new purchases immediately, the 0% rate may save you more than the $60 in cash back you miss out on. Plus, this card also offers a 0% rate on balance transfers that lasts 12 months, so if you have high interest debt, this credit card deal can help you save money on that as well. For more information and to apply, please see the online application.

The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Rewards Card is probably the best credit card deal for families and offers benefits that extend well beyond the holiday season. While it offers Citi Thank You rewards points and not cash back, new cardmembers get 6,000 of these points after making $300 in purchases. These points can be redeemed for a $50 gift card at a number of places, including Best Buy. While the 6,000 bonus points are not as generous as the $100 cashback bonuses offered by my top two picks, what makes this a great credit card deal is that it allows you to earn 5 points for every dollar you spend at gas stations, supermarkets and drugstores during the first twelve months you have this card.

The 5 points per dollar spent add up quickly. A family that spends $1200 a month on gas and groceries can earn $600 worth of points in one year. No other credit card promotion is this generous at the moment. An additional benefit of this card is that it offers a 0% interest rate for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, so if you need more than 6 months to pay off your upcoming holiday expenses, this might be the best card to get. For more information and to apply, please see the online application.

Final Thoughts

With any of these three credit card deals, you can enhance your holiday savings and put a little extra money in your pocket. Nevertheless, while getting $100 in cash back is a great deal, it is important to keep credit card debt under control during the holidays. Thus, if you know you will be taking on new credit card debt, stick with a 0% APR credit card, as this type of credit card will likely save you the most money in the long run. (For more, see the 0% APR credit card section of Smart Balance Transfers.)

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