How to Use a Travel Reward Credit Card

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- Budget your income so you can repay your spending each month
The best way to use a travel reward credit card is to spend freely and then always repay your balance in full and on time each month.

Doing this will not only let you rack up travel points and miles quicker, but you'll also be able to save money in interest charges by benefiting from the interest free period on your purchases.

Obviously this isn't always possible, but you should always try and budget your income and keep abreast of your spending so that even when you don't quite manage to repay your credit card balance in full, you keep your credit card spending and outstanding balance under control.

The more often you do repay your balance in full, will mean saving yourself money in interest charges, and the travel rewards you do earn really will be free!

- Avoid cash transactions
Not only will you not earn any travel points or miles on cash transactions made with your travel reward credit card, but they also tend to carry higher interest rates and handling fees.

Cash transactions include ATM cash withdrawals, getting 'cash back' at the supermarket, buying foreign currency and traveller's cheques and also gambling transactions including any transaction made at a casino (even if you are just paying for food or drinks).

It's always best to use your debit card for cash transactions, however if you do need to use a credit card try and use a low cash advance rate credit card.

Make the most of your card...

- Double your travel points or miles
Some travel reward credit cards will offer you double points or miles when you spend with their travel company and partners.

Airline specific travel reward credit cards will often offer double miles when you fly on their airlines and partner airlines, and the same is so for hotel specific travel reward credit cards when you stay at their hotel chains.

Find out where you can earn double points or miles and make sure to use your travel reward credit card when you pay for goods and services with those companies or retailers.

- Increase your travel reward earning potential
By using your travel reward credit card to pay for as many goods or services as you can you'll soon start to see your travel points or miles adding up and be on your way to free travel quicker.

You can increase your travel reward earnings by using your travel reward credit card to pay for all your everyday spending such as your weekly shopping and petrol.

If your service providers allow you to, you could also move your monthly bills onto your new travel reward credit card.

Although not for everyone, you can also increase your travel reward earnings by getting additional cards for your immediate family, like your partner. It is important that you can trust their spending and that they will repay their purchases each month.

With all your extra credit card spending, remember to budget your income so that you can repay your travel reward credit card purchases each month.

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