Credit card companies offer points for, well, doing nothing

Banks increasingly are rewarding customers who hold onto their credit cards.
"Loyalty has been the slow boat when it comes to credit card rewards," said Matt Schulz, chief industry analyst at CompareCards.com. "Now we've seen a few cards include ongoing bonuses for cardholders to keep using their card."
The new customer bonuses banks offer created a frenzy, Schulz said, in which many people signed up for a card only to ditch it soon after in pursuit of a new one with new rewards.
Rather than chasing these unfaithful customers, some banks are now working to deepen their current relationships.
"This is an interesting reaction to the peak of the credit card arms race," Schulz said.
For example, Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card offers 7,500 points for every additional one year anniversary you share with the card.
A travel card by Barclays doesn't offer any sign-up bonus, but it doles out up to 25,000 bonus miles for every year that you stay with it, spending a certain amount.
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Bank of America now has a card that gives 25 percent more rewards to customers who have at least $20,000 in one of their banking accounts (or in a Merrill Lynch investment account). If you have a $50,000 balance, you'll get a 50 percent rewards bump. $100,000? A 75 percent increase in rewards. That means you could earn up to 3.5 points per dollar on travel and dining.
This trend is good news for people who don't want to bother with constantly hunting down the best credit card offers or putting on their strategist hat every time they flip open their wallet.
"It will appeal to a broad swath of of Americans who don't want to work that hard to get their credit card rewards," Schulz said.
Indeed, some 40 percent of Americans say they've stuck to the same card or haven't signed up for a new one in over a decade, according to a recent survey by CreditCards.com.
You'll still want to read the fine print though. Most of the offers come with a list of stipulations, including minimum amounts you need to spend along with annual fees you need to pay.
Check that the card is compatible with your existing spending habits. For example, you'll want to make sure you already spend their minimum amount on a credit card, Schulz said. "No one should overspend on a credit card just for rewards," he said.
"These offers are a big deal because it shows that banks are beginning to grasp a fundamental reality of the credit card space: People don't change their credit cards very often," Schulz said. "These cards show the beginning of a gradual shift towards that idea."