Shop For Credit Card Rewards Program That Offers Best Payback (NAPSA)—Rewardscredit card programs have enjoyed an unheard-of level of popularity over the past few years. The tide may be turning, though, as the level of frustration with many of the most popular programs, such asairline miles, is growing. Ask anyone who has recently tried to book a family vacation to a desirable destination using miles earned with a frequentflyer credit card program.It seems that unless you plan half a year or more ahead, the odds of getting a seat on someflights is akin to winningthelottery. In fact, while over 50 percent of respondents in a recent national survey of over 3,000 Americans sponsored by GMAC Mortgage reported having at least one rewards card, more than 41 percent of these rewards cardholders either rarely or never even bother to use the rewards they’ve earned. Only 18 percent of all respondents in the survey ranked airline miles as a valuable reward. The survey also revealed that nearly one in four rewards cardholders would use their rewards moreoften if it were easier to redeem their points. “Theresults of this survey send a loud and clear message that consumers are looking for a more compelling option when it comes to credit card rewards programs,” said Mike Piazza, vice president at GMAC Mortgage. “Many consumers have rewards cards but the value of those cards is reduced when it comes to redeeming their rewards points. Thereis a lot of hassle associated with trying to redeem miles or points.” With hundreds of credit card options, consumersneed to do their homeworkto find a credit card rewards program that best meets their needs—andactually provides rewards they can count on. The type of reward, the ease of redeeming the rewards and the expiration date of the rewards are three factors that should be taken into consideration before you sign up. Keep in mind that many programsalso have an annual fee to participate in their rewards programs. Consumersneed to look beyond the airline miles and retail rewards to find cutting-edge programs. For example, the recently released ditech.com Equity Rewards” MasterCard, along with the existing GMAC Mortgage Equity Rewards” MasterCard, are two rewards programs that give consumers a different option when it comes to credit card rewards programs. Exclusively available to GMAC Mortgage and ditech.com mortgage customers, these equity rewards cards allow users to pay down their mortgage with qualified retail purchases. Users earn one point for every dollar in net retail purchases charged to the card, and when they accumulate 2,500 points, they will receive an automatic principal reduction of $25 on their GMAC or ditech.com mortgage. There are no restrictions on the number of points that can be earned and redeemed on an annualbasis. To learn more about the GMAC Mortgage Equity Rewards” MasterCard credit card, call (800) 821-8758 and mention priority code L4W0O or online at http://www.newcardonline.com and enter priority code CO8P. To learn more about the ditech.com Equity Rewards” MasterCard credit card, call (800) 545-7899 and mention priority code MB3R or online at http://www.newcard online.com and enter priority code MB36. _EQUITY- REWARDS MORTGAGE PAY-DOWN CARD GMAC Mortgage PLATINUM PLUS S490 tes S78 oe 5490 tary. 00/00 % RICHARD 0 CROSWELL
