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Really?? Free museum tickets and other little-known credit-card perks

Credit card issuers get all sorts of bad press for taking and taking and taking. They bilk us with high interest rates. They ambush us with high fees. They seduce us into spending more than we otherwise would.But could it be that a few credit cards out there want to make amends and give us something? For free?Apparently so. LowCards.com, a site that helps consumers out by rigorously comparing cre

Credit card issuers get all sorts of bad press for taking and taking and taking. They bilk us with high interest rates. They ambush us with high fees. They seduce us into spending more than we otherwise would.

But could it be that a few credit cards out there want to make amends and give us something? For free?

Apparently so. LowCards.com, a site that helps consumers out by rigorously comparing credit cards’ features and rates, just released a list of relatively unknown credit-card perks. Some of these little benefits are indeed quite cool. Here’s a look at what’s available if you know to seek it out:

  • Head out to a museum, zoo, aquarium or lovely garden – for no money! You can score free admissions during the first full weekend of every month in 2011 if you have a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch debit or credit card in your wallet. More than 100 attractions in 26 states participate in Bank of America’s “Museums on Us” program; to see the full list, click here.
  • Sick of paying to check bags on flights? The Continental Airlines OnePass Plus card and Delta SkyMiles credit card from American Express waive fees for the first checked bag on Continental or Delta flights booked with those cards.
  • Tired of paying big shipping fees when you buy stuff online? Many cards work with merchant partners – ranging from Wal-Mart to Macy’s to Sears to Pottery Barn to Home Depot to Apple Online Store – that offer free shipping and discounts on purchases made with those cards. To find out what partnerships your cards have, call the customer-service numbers on the backs of the cards.
  • American Express offers pre-sale tickets and preferred-seat tickets for events and concerts that run the gamut from the NBA All-Star game to Katy Perry to George Strait & Reba McEntire to popular Broadway shows.
  • The Citi Private Pass card also provides pre-sale access to concert tickets -- (Rush tour!) -- as well as theme-park discounts. For instance, you can get 25 percent off admission to LEGOLAND California when using the card.

To see LowCard.com’s complete list of cool credit-card perks, click here.