Best Ways to Use Credit Card Concierge

Somewhere on your credit card statement—or maybe even on the back of the card—is contact information for a credit card concierge. The service is usually free, and while it isn’t available on all credit cards, many travel rewards cards offer it as a way to have someone do some tasks for you. Requests can be made over the phone or by filling out an online form.

Here are some of the best ways to use a concierge service offered through your credit card:

Sports Tickets
Is that hockey game you want to go to sold out? Is the game in two days and you really want to go? A credit card concierge can check resale markets for you, and should have a number of price ranges for you within a few hours.

Restaurant Reservations
If the OpenTable app or calling a restaurant directly doesn’t get you a dinner reservation at the time you want, try the concierge. They may be able to find availability that you can’t, getting you in to a popular restaurant.

Hotel
If you have a hotel rewards credit card, you may be better off calling the card’s customer service line for help. After all, hotels are their specialty, so they should be able to find you a great room at a great price.

Otherwise, ask the credit card concierge for hotel recommendations. The hotel chain doesn’t have to be tied to your credit card, though that can’t hurt if it allows you to collect more rewards points from the trip. Just tell the concierge your travel dates, price range and location, and see what they can do.

Gifts
If you don’t like to shop for gifts, give your concierge a few ideas on what your friend likes—along with their age—and, chances are, they can find a few gift ideas for birthdays or other events that you may not find on your own. You can direct the concierge to charge them to your credit card, or you can go purchase them yourself online.

If you’re pressed for time and don’t mind that you won’t be comparison-shopping yourself, a credit card concierge can be one of the best free services on your credit card.