|Rockler's new Visa card gives a $20 certificate for every $2000 charged. Since |I pay my kids tuition bills by credit card and the way SWMBO spends money, I |could get some nice (free) tools at Rockler. Is there a catch I have missed? |Do the certificates expire at midnight or something?
First, I question why you're shopping at Rockler. On my last two web orders with them when I got the goods, my cc had been charged more than the web order form indicated the charges would be. On the first one it was only a buck and I called them and was told that there had been a price increase on that item. I said I didn't give a rat's ass about their after-the-fact price increase, I wanted the price the web said it would be and they promised a refund to my credit card. Never happened. After it happened the second time, they lost my business.
Second, after you get the card, they can always change the rules. I have a GM card. It used to pay a 5% rebate good for GM car purchases. You could accrue $500/year up to 7 years. They changed it to 1% and won't allow me as a GM retiree to use it at all for employee purchases. Consequently, I don't use the card and I don't buy GM cars (although the new Corvette might change my mind)
I had a First USA card that paid in frequent flyer miles. Their scam was to not credit your payments when received, and charge $35 late fees. This was well documented on a web site, firstusascams.com. (I think they were forced off the air.) There was a class action suit and settlement over this one. They pulled it on me a couple of times and when I called and challenged it they would reverse the charge. They were depending on the fools that carry a balance and don't reconcile their statements, thus never knowing they're being had.
The one we use now is Capital One. They pay in frequent flyer miles, but they also changed the rules, effectively cutting the rebate from
2% to 1%.
I looked at Costco's AMex card. The big print says 5% rebates. The little print says something different.
The fine print *always* has a catch.