Is that better than earning points that can be exchanged for airlines miles or goods and services?
Mr. McKinley said about half of the estimated 670 million cards held by Americans last year offered some kind of reward.
Before deciding what kind of benefits you want from credit cards, take a hard look at your spending.
If you carry a balance, the first consideration should be the interest rate on the card and not the rewards program, said Greg McBride, senior financial analyst for Bankrate.com, a personal-finance Web site.
Your spending habits, personal preferences and price of the card also should be considered when deciding which perk program suits you best.
For example, if you charge about $5,000 a year and pay a $50 annual fee for an airline card, it will take five years and $250 to earn the "free" domestic ticket, which typically require 25,000 miles.
Overall, though, airline cards do offer a decent value for cardholders, Mr. McKinley said.
He noted that airline mile costs 2.5 cents, so if you get one for every dollar spent, the return is 2.5 percent.
But Mr. McKinley also pointed out that General Motors Corp. has a card that offers a 5 percent rebate that can be used toward purchasing one of its cars.
Some offer more when spending exceeds a set point, or give more for certain kinds of purchases.
But cash rebate cards do have an advantage --- you can get a reward annually and can use the money any way you choose.
Mr. McKinley said he had been saving points to go on an African safari, but when he closed in on the necessary number, the trip disappeared from the company's perk program.