Credit cards
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Set up automatic payments for at least the minimum amount due on all credit cards and bills to prevent late fees.
This prevents late fees and worries about missed payments.
- This does not stop fully automated payments like Netflix or magazine subscriptions.
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State that you are unwilling to pay the fee and would like to cancel your account if it is not waived.
Companies do not want to lose customers.
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Treat credit cards as a payment method for existing funds only; do not spend money you do not have.
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Call your credit card issuer to request a waiver for late fees, annual fees, or overdraft charges.
Providers often refund or waive these fees upon request.
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Use a Costco Citi card for fuel purchases to earn 4% cash back.
The rewards from fuel and grocery purchases can cover the membership cost.
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Expect fee waivers to be one-time courtesies; repeated requests are often denied after one or two instances per year.
Put planned expenses on a credit card instead of paying with cash or debit.
You earn cash back or rewards on the same amount of spending.
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Sell the asset purchased with the debt (like a hot tub) to pay down the balance, even if you do not recover the full purchase price.
It provides a start toward paying off the debt.
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Be polite and respectful to the first customer service representative you speak with.
Being nice increases the likelihood that they will waive or reduce fees.
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Expect fee waivers to be one-time courtesies; repeated requests are often denied after one or two instances per year.
- Waivers may be limited to once per year or two total 'mulligans'.
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- Claim ignorance about the possibility of fees (such as overdraft fees on debit cards) to secure a waiver.1
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Pay more than the minimum on credit cards to avoid carrying debt indefinitely.
Minimum payments can keep you paying for past purchases for years.
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Keep emergency cash instead of airline miles for last-minute travel needs like funerals or canceled trips.
Points redemption value is terrible on last-minute flights.
- Keeping some miles for emergencies makes sense to ensure you can get on a flight if needed.
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Negotiate your APR while you are not carrying a balance.
Issuers have less incentive to lower rates if you are already in debt.
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Add credit cards to online shopping accounts only at the time of purchase and delete them immediately afterward to reduce fraud risk.
One person reported being hacked twice on their Amazon account while keeping no cards on file.
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Cash out rewards monthly and deposit them into a high-yield savings account.
Points sitting there do not collect interest.
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Set up autopay to clear the balance a month before the promotional term expires.
This ensures no interest is charged by avoiding last-minute errors.
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Avoid using credit cards if you realize you are not ready to handle them.
It takes maturity to recognize when you are not ready for something.
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Avoid 'no interest' offers unless certain you can pay off the balance within the promotional period.
Issuers advertise these knowing most people will carry the balance longer than the interest-free period.
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Use credit cards for fraud protection and dispute resolution.
The card protects you against fraudulent charges or lack of service, such as cancelled tours.
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Learn to use credit cards properly to earn cash-back for major expenses.
It allows you to pay for vacations and holidays without altering your budget.
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Keep old credit card accounts open to preserve the length of your credit history and total available credit.
Closed accounts still count toward your oldest account age.
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Write down your credit card rewards rates by hand to help memorize them.
One person found they could not retain the information by reading it repeatedly but remembered it after writing it once.
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Use rubbing alcohol to clean sticky stains off credit cards.
It removes residue and makes the cards look nicer.
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Be aware that Apple may refuse to honor gift cards purchased through credit card portals like Chase.
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Check if your credit card rewards are about to expire before deadline dates like the New Year.
Points may expire after midnight on specific dates, causing you to lose them.
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Call to politely request the removal of phone or credit card surcharges.
Employees have allowances for fee waivers and are more likely to grant credits to customers who do not insult them.
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If a merchant fails to resolve an issue, contact the credit card issuer's dispute resolution service.
Merchants are generally reluctant to fight with major card networks like Visa.
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Use credit cards for purchases to access protections like warranty extensions and theft protection.
Credit cards offer more protections and are safer than debit or cash.
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Wait before closing a credit card after receiving a bonus to avoid the bank reclaiming the funds or blacklisting you from future promotions.
Banks may pull back bonuses and blacklist customers for future promotions if cards are closed too quickly.
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Make separate payments for extra amounts toward specific promotional balances and ask the lender to apply them there, rather than adding them to your regular payment.
To ensure the extra amount goes to the promo balance.
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Always get verbal agreements from credit card representatives in writing.
Verbal promises are worthless unless documented; representatives may deny previous statements if not confirmed in writing.
- Representatives often refuse to send confirmation emails or play dumb upon callback.
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Use credit card features such as chargebacks and extended warranties to protect consumer purchases.
Credit card companies support you with chargebacks if merchants fail and provide extra warranty coverage beyond the manufacturer's.
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Call your credit card company repeatedly on the same day to try different strategies.
You will likely speak to different agents who do not share notes.
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Pay off and cancel high-fee credit cards as soon as you qualify for better options, ideally before the next annual fee is charged.
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Ask for an internal review similar to SCRA protections even if you are not military, citing sudden income loss.
Some banks quietly offer temporary rate reductions in these cases.
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Ask friends for referral codes before signing up for credit cards, memberships, or gig economy jobs.
Friends may get benefits for referrals.
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Consider canceling Capital One cards if they report your current balance as your maximum credit limit.
This reporting practice can falsely prevent you from obtaining new credit.
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Keep a record of old credit card numbers when replacing a card to help with receipt-less returns at retailers like Target or Home Depot.
Some businesses allow receipt-less returns by looking up purchases using the original credit card number.
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Mention your long-term relationship with the company and your history of on-time payments when requesting a fee waiver.
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Do not mix business and personal credit cards or accounts to avoid accounting complications and reimbursement delays.
Mixing accounts can lead to personal cards being charged for work orders, causing reimbursement delays and accounting issues.
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Delete all saved payment methods from Amazon after cancelling Prime to avoid accidental renewal charges.
Amazon may charge cancelled cards or initiate unexpected renewals if payment methods remain on file.
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Use one specific credit card exclusively for online shopping.
This keeps statements clear by separating online from in-person purchases and makes it easier to manage if the card is compromised.
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Recognize that the representative is following an algorithmic program, not making a personal decision.
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Submit a police report to Discover when an item is stolen to potentially receive reimbursement.
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Contact local newspapers or consumer interest reporters to publicize unfair banking practices.
Local papers may run stories on behalf of consumers to appear supportive of the community.
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Report fraudulent activity by a university peer to university authorities.
This may have more immediate social consequences for the perpetrator than court proceedings.
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