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Cashback & Rewards Points

An inventory of every rewards scheme, cards cleared in full, routines that collect missed cashback and points, and the checks that stop rewards nudging you into extra spending.

Free · Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows · v1.0.0 · Other platforms

Then open the Marketplace in the app, search for Cashback & Rewards Points, and click Install. It goes into your own files, and works offline from then on.

Before you start: this plan is general information to help you organise your own money decisions. It is not financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Check decisions that matter with a qualified, licensed adviser in your country, and remember that investing and trading can lose money.

What it installs.

1

Pillar

1

Area

50

Projects

200

Starter tasks

💷 Personal Finance

Cashback & Rewards Points

Earning cashback and loyalty points on spending you already do, without letting rewards encourage extra spending.

  1. Inventory of every rewards card and loyalty scheme
  2. Full-balance direct debit on every rewards card
  3. Last year's rewards earnings worked out
  4. Category spend profile for matching rewards
  5. Choosing between cashback and points
  6. Personal rewards rules on one page
  7. Loyalty accounts secured and tidied
  8. Points expiry and inactivity date list
  9. Cashback site set-up and tracking test
  10. Monthly rewards posting check
  11. Missing cashback claims routine
  12. Supermarket loyalty offers before the weekly shop
  13. Card-linked offers activation routine
  14. Quarterly promotions and bonus calendar
  15. Cashback payout and withdrawal routine
  16. Rewards ledger of earned and redeemed value
  17. Annual fee card keep or downgrade decision
  18. Yearly rewards portfolio audit
  19. Receipt scanning apps with a time cap
  20. Valuing points in pence per point
  21. Reading rewards terms and exclusions
  22. Card applications and your credit file
  23. Foreign spending fees versus rewards
  24. Price check before buying for the cashback
  25. Airline and hotel points basics
  26. Discounted gift cards and retailer risk
  27. Choosing an everyday cashback or rewards card
  28. Sign-up bonus spending test
  29. Pruning loyalty schemes you never use
  30. Choosing a main supermarket loyalty scheme
  31. Routing regular bills onto a rewards card
  32. Redemption options compared by value
  33. Spending-creep check on rewards categories
  34. Stacking rewards on a planned big purchase
  35. Booking a trip with saved points
  36. Sale season cashback plan
  37. Redeeming points before closing an account
  38. Responding to a programme devaluation notice
  39. Student rewards without a credit card
  40. Rewards on the costs of raising children
  41. Couple's rewards plan for shared spending
  42. A simple rewards set-up for retirement
  43. Rewards on business spending for sole traders
  44. Rewards while rebuilding after debt
  45. Earning on work expenses you claim back
  46. Transfer partners and points conversion
  47. Airline and hotel status worth chasing or not
  48. Two or three card category strategy
  49. Escalating a refused or reversed reward
  50. Referral bonus records and tax check

Where it starts.

Each project arrives with its purpose, milestones and first tasks written out. Here is how the first three read.

Inventory of every rewards card and loyalty scheme

Most households belong to ten or more loyalty schemes, cashback sites and rewards cards without knowing which ones earn anything. A single list showing each scheme, the login, the current balance and what it pays per pound spent is the base every other decision in this area rests on. It usually turns up at least one forgotten balance worth claiming.

First tasks

  • Search your email for welcome and statement messages from loyalty schemes
  • Check your wallet, phone wallet and key ring for physical loyalty cards
  • List each scheme with its login email, membership number and current balance
  • Note the earn rate for each scheme in pence per pound spent

Full-balance direct debit on every rewards card

Rewards are worth having only when the card is cleared in full every month: a typical rewards card pays back around 0.5 to 1 percent while charging over 20 percent a year on any balance carried. Setting a direct debit for the full statement balance on every credit card you earn on removes the one mistake that turns rewards into a loss. Do this before applying for anything new.

First tasks

  • Log in to each rewards card account and open the direct debit settings
  • Set each direct debit to pay the full statement balance
  • Write each card's statement date and payment date in the inventory
  • Confirm every card statement shows paid in full with no interest @recurring(monthly:12)

Last year's rewards earnings worked out

People often keep a fee-paying card or a time-consuming cashback habit because it feels rewarding, without ever adding up the result. Totalling what each scheme actually paid out over the past twelve months, minus any annual fees, shows which ones earn their place and gives you a baseline to beat. Expect the number to be smaller than you thought; that is useful information.

First tasks

  • Download the last twelve months of points history from each scheme
  • Total the cashback credited in the same period from statements and cashback sites
  • Subtract every annual fee and paid membership from the totals
  • Write the net yearly figure at the top of the rewards inventory

Make it yours.

Install Cashback & Rewards Points, then tell Aurum the date you're aiming for. It checks whether the plan fits the weeks you actually have.

Free · Mac (Apple silicon) and Windows · v1.0.0 · Other platforms

Blueprints are general information to help you organise your own work. They are not medical, financial, legal or other professional advice. See the Terms.