Most people think that paying for daily consumption with a credit card is a wise idea. After all, credit is safe, convenient and rewarding. In addition, if you have a sense of responsibility, you can get a reliable credit score every time you swipe your card.

But are you really taking advantage of your plastic experience? Here are some credit card tips everyone should know:

1. Balance alerts can help you control your spend

It's easier than ever to see how much you spend on credit cards. Most publishers allow you to set a balance alert so that when your total spend reaches a certain threshold you set, you will receive text and/or email.

Sign up for this service so that when your credit usage is close to 30%, you get a notification - so you know that you pay before your credit score is affected.

2. Expense analysis tools make your budget smooth

Today, one of the most undervalued online banking features offered by most credit card issuers is the expense analysis tool. This allows you to see your credit card spending details in different categories (restaurants, travel, department stores, etc.). You can usually choose to view it once a month or view the spending patterns over time.

The next time you log in to your card's online banking platform, be sure to look around for this tool. It can provide some useful insights, where you are doing well, stick to your budget, and where you may need to cut.

3. Mid-term payments can improve your credit score

Each month, your credit card issuer sends a report to your three credit agencies about your account. Your balance is included in this report to calculate your credit utilization.

However, this data is not necessarily sent after your monthly payment - it can be reported at any point in your billing cycle. If your credit card is charged a lot of money each month, then developing a habit of paying in the middle of the cycle will keep your credit utilization at a low level. This, in turn, will help you to 30% of your credit score, depending on the amount owed.

4. Shopping through reward malls will earn you top-notch rewards

If you are a big online shopper, you must use your credit card rewards store every time you place an order. This is an easy and convenient way to earn tons of extra rewards for every dollar you spend. Don't assume that your issuer does not provide this benefit. Even if it's not widely publicized, you can look around the next time you visit a credit card website. You may find reward malls or portals that you have never noticed before.

5. Moving your due date can help you avoid missing payments

For your FICO credit score, missing credit card payments is bad news because 35% of credit card payments are determined by the history of your on-time payments. If your credit card bill due date is inconvenient within a month, please consider switching it. You can usually do this online or by calling the publisher. This simple move may protect your good reputation to a large extent.


6. Strategic card is the best way to maximize rewards

You can get a lot of points with just one high reward card. However, in the business category you spend the most, getting a few big money cards and then using them strategically is a great way to increase the amount of rewards you are accumulating.

7. Promotion can save you a lot of interest

If you have a credit card debt or need to make a large purchase, and you don't have enough cash to pay, then you can use the credit card's APR promotion. By choosing a card that provides a 0% long-term interest rate on a purchase or balance transfer, you can circumvent the sky-high financial costs associated with using your regular card.

Pay attention to the balance transfer fee to ensure payment on time. If you don't do this, your trade may be cancelled and you may end up paying interest.