This Chrome Extension Tells You Which Credit Card to Use for Your Online Purchases
Shopping online is easy. Almost too easy. But knowing which credit card will get you the best rewards is not. Enter the new Chrome extension from Wallaby, which allows you to compare rewards with one quick click on your browser toolbar.
It’s great for online power shoppers who want to build up mileage points for discounted travel, hotel upgrades, or purchases. Hey, as long as you’re using credit cards, you might as well use them to get the best possible perks, right?
Here’s how it works:
1. First, you’ll need to sign up for Wallaby here. Be forewarned: You’ll need your credit cards handy.
2. Once you create a username and password, you’ll be asked to connect your credit card banks to Wallaby. You might be wondering, is that secure? Well, just as secure as the majority of the Internet. That is to say, Wallaby was affected by the Heartbleed bug but was immediately patched. Though not likely to be open to any other vulnerability, it was in the past.
If you choose to try it out, you can either search for a specific bank or choose from a list below.
3. Each time you choose a bank, a box will pop up asking you to type in your online log-in information for that specific institution.
4. After you’ve added your cards, click Done. You’ll be brought to the Goals section, during which you’ll be asked a series of questions about what kind of points and discounts you’d like. For instance, my priority is to build up mileage points, so Wallaby asked me about my future travel plans.
5. Finally, you’ll need to categorize or “link” the type of credit cards you own. Meaning you might need to clarify whether they’re Platinum or Platinum Plus. You know, basically sift through some consumer jargon.
Luckily, Wallaby offers visual hints as to which type of card you’re carrying. To select a card, tap the blue Link Card button.
6. When you’ve finished categorizing your cards, you’ll be brought to a page that recommends a new credit card based on the goals you provided. To be clear, this is how Wallaby makes money, but you don’t actually have to sign up for a promoted card to use the site. I might enjoy staying at the Hyatt, but I am definitely not going to get a credit card branded in its name.
Scroll down, however, and you can see some interesting stats about what you’ve spent your money on recently. It’ll also estimate the amount in rewards you’ll receive if you sign up for the recommended card. Again, this is Wallaby’s pitch, but you don’t have to sign up to get money-saving advice from the service.
7. When you’re done looking at those stats, download Wallaby’s new Chrome extension, which we first learned about from The Next Web. Click the blue Free button.
8. The extension will ask if it can access some information. Click Add.
9. A little box will pop up in the upper-right corner of your browser. That’s your new Wallaby extension saying hi. From now on, if you’re in the throes of a transaction and want to know which card to use, you can click it and it’ll tell you.
10. Just make sure you’re signed in.
11. Here’s where the magic happens: When you’re about to pay for a transaction on a site, click the Wallaby icon in the upper-right corner of your browser. The best card will pop up on the right.
12. You can even click the arrow to run through the perks you’ll get from the other cards you own.
If you end up liking Wallaby enough, you might want to try its mobile app, which is available on Android and iOS. It will tell you which of your cards to use in whatever physical storefront you’re at.
The app finds the best credit card deal available to you for stores in the physical world.
So maybe by this time next year, you’ll have enough travel points to be lying on a beach sipping a mojito.
Follow Alyssa Bereznak on Twitter or email her here.
