Credit cards with cash back programs reward you with cold, hard cash for spending money. Because of the versatility of the reward, 57.4 percent of credit card holders choose cash back over other types of rewards, according to Bankrate.com. The credit card company usually pays you back a percentage of the amount you charge on the card. The amount you earn depends on your spending pattern, the type of credit card and the policies of the issuer.
Choose a credit card with a cash back program that matches your spending style. For example, some cards give you back a larger percentage of your spending amount for some spending categories, such as groceries and gas. Some cards give you more cash if you spend more than a certain amount of money each month.
Charge your purchases to your cash back credit card. ABC News recommends using the cash back credit card as much as possible if you don't carry a balance on any of your credit cards. The credit card company will automatically calculate the amount of cash back rewards you have earned.
Call your credit card company to claim the cash, if necessary. According to Mint, some credit card issuers require that you call them before giving you the money, while others automatically pay out the amount regularly or after you have earned a certain amount. Depending on your bank, there may be a limit on the amount of cash you may claim each time.
Redeem your cash. Some credit card companies send you a check that you can deposit at your bank. If your credit card company automatically credits the amount to your credit card balance or to your bank account, check your next statement to confirm that you get the correct amount.