Quite obviously, the holiday shopping season is the time of year when most people do a lot more spending than normal. For many, it’s fun. The holiday season is the time of giving after all. Buying items that loved ones will enjoy is all part of the holiday spirit. Then again, for many people, all that extra spending can be stressful. Thankfully, credit cards make it so that consumers can shop without worry.

With credit cards, shoppers can make payments over time.

During the holiday season, this comes in especially handy. As mentioned, spending is much higher than normal during this time of year. When charges are placed on credit cards, the cardholders are given extra time to make payments. They can choose to pay their balances in full when their billing cycles are over. Alternatively, they can extend payment over time. Either way, credit card purchases mean that consumers don’t have to let go of their money right away.

“If you can qualify for a credit card offering a 0% promotional APR on purchases, you may be able to avoid the additional costs of borrowing,” points out Christy Bieber on Fool.com, “You could use your 0% card to buy what you need and pay no interest charges at all as long as you pay off the balance before the promotional rate expires. This can buy you months more time to come up with the cash for your holiday spending.”

Consumers get rewarded for their loyalty.

The most popular credit cards on the market are those that offer reward points for spending. For many credit card users, the act of making purchases is one that earns them additional benefits. Travel rewards are especially popular. Depending on the credit card you use, you can earn points for hotel stays, airline tickets and car rentals.

“If you regularly shop at a certain store or family of stores, charging your expenses to branded retail cards can result in a combination of extra discounts, cash back, and rewards points,” informs Nora Dunn on NerdWallet.com, “If you do your holiday shopping at any of these stores, you’ll reap even more benefits.”

Credit cards keep people within their budgets.

Credit cards offer free bookkeeping as a perk. No matter which credit card you use, your spending is clearly documented in online statements. As a result, you have live access to the amounts that you are spending. With these calculations being made for you, you can better determine whether or not there is any room left for spending during any billing cycle. With cash payments, you would have to create your own tallies.

“Putting holiday purchases on a credit card allows you to keep an accurate record of how much you’ve spent, so you can ensure everybody on your list is accounted for without going over budget,” writes Dunn, “Admittedly this goes two ways. For some people, the ease of whipping out plastic and charging gifts might not feel real, leading to overspending. It helps to download the app associated with your credit card so you can monitor your spending at a glance.”

Do you accept credit cards as methods of payment in your store?

At Unity Payments, we believe that one of the easiest and most convenient ways for merchants to accept credit cards is with the Poynt C Smart Terminal. To learn all about it, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761. You may also email us at info@unitypayments.ca.