With consumer spending in the doldrums and unemployment on the rise, cash back credit card customers are taking it on the chin. Well, get ready, because there is more pain coming.

American Express recently scaled back their most popular cash rebate card. Scaling back card reward programs is the trend these days. What are the implications for cardmembers?

Consumers can stay out of debt and save 12 to 18 percent of their money by switching to a cash-only lifestyle. Learn what tricks to use when parting ways with your plastic and how to bypass any obstacles brought about by your Benjamins.

It is still profitable to rack up those rewards points on your credit card. Kelli Grant suggests some ways to make the most of the rewards programs for when you're paying with plastic.

Most cash rebate credit cards have stipulations on where to shop or how much to spend to get cash back. In a move to compete with American Express, Charles Schwab is introducing a new credit card with no preset spending limit and no annual fees - not even foreign exchange fees overseas.

Our credit card rewards programs may be in danger! If the power to negotiate interchange fees is given to merchants, credit card companies say their interchange revenue will suffer. They claim that they may have to cut back on our beloved rewards programs.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Gasoline prices are toying with $3.50 a gallon in some parts of the country, making the idea of getting a few of those dollars back -- even if it's just $10 a month -- an enticing one.

Discover Financial Services is expected to launch a new credit card -- dubbed Motiva -- that gives money to customers who pay their monthly bills on time.

Capital One aims to win consumers with a new credit card that offers a flat 1% refund on card spending plus an annual bonus, without requirements or restrictions that are common in the industry.

Changes to loyalty programs are making maximizing the freebies earned from credit-card and travel companies more challenging.Ron Lieber's Loyalty Annual Report