Writer: Marcie Geffner
Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Reviewer: Ashley Fricker
Disclosure: When you apply through links on our site, we may earn a referral fee from our partners. For more, see our ad disclosure and review policy.
Labor Day sales offer a treasure trove of great deals. Whether you’re shopping for the coolest furniture, the latest electronics, the hottest fall fashions, or something else, you may find it on sale at an excellent price around this time of the year.
You could shop with cash, of course. But paying for your purchases with your favorite cards could make your Labor Day shopping more convenient and rewarding, especially if you plan ahead and use these six easy tips to maximize your card benefits during the sales.
1. Rack Up Rewards By Aligning Your Spending
Credit cards can give you a wealth of valuable rewards, from cash back and points to free flights and hotel stays. But you’ll only get these rewards — and the fun of earning and redeeming them — if you shop with cards that have a rewards program.
If you haven’t redeemed any rewards in a while, you may not be using the rewards cards that best fit your spending.
Maybe your rewards preferences have changed, you had some credit issues that are now resolved, or you haven’t had time to shop for new cards. Whatever the reason, Labor Day sales can provide a great incentive to update your cards so you’ll earn the rewards you really want and will feel excited to redeem.
2. Cash In on Signup Bonuses
Paying for your purchases with a rewards card isn’t the only way to earn extra cash when shopping for Labor Day sales. You may be able to add on an even larger reward, such as $200 cash back or 75,000 airline miles, by applying for a new card with a signup bonus.
To earn a signup bonus, you’ll typically have to use your new card to pay for a certain minimum dollar amount of purchases within the first few months after your account is opened. A higher minimum spending requirement generally nets a bigger bonus, but even a relatively modest amount spent, such as $1,000 within three months, could earn this type of reward.
Spend big on this year’s Labor Day sales with a new card, and you could earn a signup bonus while you rack up card rewards and save money on your purchases.
3. Add Co-Branded Cards to the Mix
Having a favorite card doesn’t necessarily mean you should always use that card to pay for everything you purchase. If you’re planning to shop online at a big-box outlet this Labor Day, but don’t have the merchant’s credit card, signing up for one may open the door to more rewards and savings.
The same opportunity exists with co-branded travel cards. Use these cards to pay for your Labor Day travel expenses, and you could earn extra points toward airline tickets, hotel stays, restaurant meals, and entertainment. Use your travel rewards to extend your trip, or save them for the next time you travel.
4. Get Extended Warranties at No Extra Cost
Products that break after you buy them can be a huge bummer, especially if there’s no manufacturer’s warranty or it’s expired. Extended warranties add more time to the manufacturer’s covered repair or replacement period.
Extended warranties can be costly to purchase through the merchant when you buy the product. On the other hand, they can be totally free if you use a card that offers extended warranty protection when you make your purchase.
Before you decide which extended warranty card to use for this year’s Labor Day sales, double-check the fine print. Most cards limit the dollar value of the extended warranty coverage and have other exclusions.
Always save your receipts so that if your product breaks, you can prove where you purchased it, how much you spent on it, and that you used your card for the transaction. If none of your current credit cards have a good extended warranty benefit, you may want to apply for this type of card soon.
5. Shop Interest-Free with 0% APR Cards
If you’re carrying a balance and paying interest charges on one or more of your cards, a new card with a 0% annual percentage rate (APR) for new purchases could empower you to shop Labor Day sales without adding to your monthly interest expense, even if you carry a balance on your new card.
That’s because 0% promotional APR cards let you make purchases now and pay for them later with no interest for a set period, typically up to 18 months, before your card’s regular APR is applied.
- New! 0% Intro APR for 21 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 14.99% – 25.99% will apply. A 5% fee applies to all balance transfers. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
- No annual fee.
- No penalty APR. Paying late won’t automatically raise your interest rate (APR). Other account pricing and terms apply.
- This offer may not be available elsewhere if you leave this page. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
- $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
- Earn 6% cash back for the first year in the category of your choice. You’ll automatically earn 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. After the first year from account opening, you’ll earn 3% cash back on purchases in your choice category.
- Earn 6% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the choice category, and at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, then earn unlimited 1% thereafter. After the 3% first-year bonus offer ends, you will earn 3% and 2% cash back on these purchases up to the quarterly maximum.
- No annual fee and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- Select your card design option when you apply – the Customized Cash Rewards design, or the limited-time FIFA World Cup 2026™ design.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 17.49% – 27.49% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 5%. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
- This offer may not be available elsewhere if you leave this page. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
- Earn 20,000 bonus Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months; after that, the variable APR will be 18.49% – 28.49%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- Earn 3 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent in an eligible Self-Select Category of your choice (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores). Choose your eligible Self-Select Category on Citi Online or by calling customer service. The default Self-Select Category is Select Streaming Services.
- Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals and Attractions booked on Citi Travel® via cititravel.com; earn 3 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent at Supermarkets, on Select Transit purchases, and at Gas & EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 2 ThankYou® Points for each $1 spent at Restaurants; earn 1 ThankYou® Point for each $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
- No Annual Fee
Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser.
A new 0% APR card may not make sense for you if you’re struggling to make your current card payments and you won’t be able to pay off any charges on a new card before the promotional rate ends. But if you’re comfortable with your balances and can handle more debt or pay off any new charges within the promotional period, a 0% APR card may be worth a look for this year’s Labor Day sales.
6. Boost Your Rewards in Shopping Portals
Online shopping portals give you access to special deals and extra rewards when you make purchases through the portal rather than the merchant’s website. Portals are operated by credit card companies and third-party operators.
Be sure to read the rules before you use a portal to make a purchase to score additional cash back or other card rewards. Portals generally have specific requirements and restrictions that may apply to your purchase.
If you’re good to go, all you need to do to boost your rewards is log in to the portal and shop with your card. You’ll earn your card rewards, and you’ll get a bonus because you used the portal.
In effect, it’s a double dip, with or without a Labor Day sale, and who doesn’t love that?
The First Monday in September
Labor Day is a US holiday that’s observed every year on the first Monday in September. The holiday honors the American worker’s skills, achievements, and contributions to the nation’s strength and prosperity.
Parades, picnics, and parties are traditional ways to celebrate Labor Day. In modern times, shopping Labor Day sales has become a tradition as well. The right cards and these tips can make your Labor Day holiday even more rewarding.
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CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.
Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
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