CASH back for every thing you charge – up to X percent.

Boy, what a great deal!

But cash-back cards are not a lay-up, say consumer advocates. They have bad and good features.

“They can be good products, but people should be careful not to go wild and charge everything in order to get some money back,” says Linda Sherry, a spokesman for the San Francisco-based Consumer Action group.

Sherry says those who pay off their balances every month can benefit, but the fact is most Americans carry credit balances from month to month.

Travis Plunkett, legislative director with the Washington-based Consumer Federation of America, says there’s another problem.

“Rewards cards traditionally carry higher interest rates than other cards,” said Plunkett. “So if you don’t pay off your balance in full, you’re better off with a low-interest card than you are with a cash-back or rewards card.” Gregory Bresiger