
The idea of racking up cashback, miles, or points every time you swipe your card is enticing, especially as the holiday season approaches. It sounds like easy money to most people, but you need to read the fine print before you sign on the dotted line. A lot of popular rewards cards will lure you in with a big signup bonus and flashy perks. Down the road, you’ll wind up paying for those perks in interest rates, annual fees, and redemption restrictions that essentially cancel out anything good. Here are 10 so-called rewards cards that often end up penalizing users for doing exactly what they were designed to do: use them.