7 Useful Ways to Make Your Credit Card Work for You
Credit cards. Like money itself, they are a great servant and a bad master. We all know at least one person who uses them unwisely. Nobody wants that. Instead, you want to know how to make a credit card work for you the best you can.
Check out the list below to learn about some helpful ways to use your credit card.
Payment Form
This may seem like an obvious or simple way to use a credit card. However, it's worth noting. When used as a form of payment, a credit card does a few things for you. First, you have a simple way to make purchases using your credit card. Plus, with fraud protection on credit cards, you can do so safely. When you look at your credit card as a form of payment, not a form of financing, you can easily track payments and pay your bill monthly.
There is another thought about using a credit card as a form of payment. Some make sure they use a credit card for regular purchases like gas and groceries. For some, this allows them to keep an eye on spending and helps provide added protection against identity theft or other security concerns.
Earn Rewards
When used as a form of payment, a person can stack up rewards over time. The rewards will depend on what kind of card you have. Premium credit cards generally offer more rewards than traditional credit cards. Also, there are different kinds of rewards depending on the card. For instance, some premium credit cards cater to travelers because of their unique needs.
Get a Signup Bonus
Added Safety and Security
When you want added safety and security with your purchases, you may consider using your credit card. With various kinds of fraud and identity theft, having some protection on your purchases can be the difference between a wonderful shopping experience and a terrible headache. Credit cards offer fraud security and added protection against these kinds of threats.
Online Purchases (Especially using Wi-Fi)
Staying on the topic of safety and security, it's important to highlight online purchases. People are shopping online more than ever. It can be a good way to buy goods and services. However, when you shop online, especially using a public Wi-Fi, you may be on an unsecured connection. This leaves your information at risk of theft. The added security and safety credit cards provide can help protect you when you make that online purchase.
In addition, you may want to consider using a credit card on purchases that will be delivered to your home. If there is a problem with the delivery such as damaged goods, using your credit card will be helpful to document and dispute problems with the purchase.
Hotel Rooms
You may know the drill when you go to a hotel. The clerk asks you a set of questions upon checking in and asks for a credit or debit card. Many believe they are asked for their card to verify who they are to the hotel. While that may be true, that's not the only reason the hotel asks for your card. In fact, the card is a kind of security deposit for the hotel. They want this information to help ensure that they get the funds to pay for the room. In the case of your debit card, if there is an unforeseen issue, it will tie up the funds in your account. To avoid this situation, you may consider using a credit card.
Car Rentals
This is on the list simply to let people who seldom or never rent cars know how it works. At many car rental companies, they simply won't take a debit card. They have an interest in knowing something about the reliability of the renter. So if the company does take debit cards, they may do a credit check. With a credit card, you avoid the hassles and your credit won't dip temporarily because it's being checked by car rental companies.
Hopefully, this list provided some valuable insight into some of the ways a credit card can be used to your benefit. As with any financial matters, you want to make informed, responsible decisions. Understanding how credit cards work and ways they can be used is a good idea to help you make your money work for you.
