How Do Credit Cards Work?
A credit card can be used to make a purchase of goods or services in-person or online. When you apply for and are approved for a credit card, you’re given a line of credit based on your credit score and other factors like your income.
A potential advantage to using a credit card over paying cash or a debit card is that a credit card functions like a short-term loan. By using a credit card, you have until the end of the credit card billing period (also known as a grace period) to pay what you charged to the card. You can also earn cash-back or travel rewards with some types of cards, along with extras like purchase and travel protections. The downside is that if you don’t pay the entire amount that you charged to your card, you’ll accrue interest on your purchases which can be expensive over time.
Pro Tip
The disadvantages of credit cards can be disproportionate to the advantages, making it really important to be honest with yourself about your financial diligence before applying for a card. Make sure to use your credit cards responsibly.
How Do Credit Card Points Work?
When you make a purchase on a rewards credit card, you’ll earn a percentage back on your spending as either cash back, points or miles depending on the type of card and what type of rewards it’s offering. Airline credit cards, for example, typically earn miles, cash-back cards earn cash that can be used as statement credits or direct deposits and general purpose rewards cards may earn points that can be used for a variety of redemptions including travel, merchandise or other options.
Some rewards credit cards will earn the same flat-rate back on all spending, like a card that earns 2% back on every purchase. Others have tiered rewards where a certain type of purchase, like gas or groceries, may earn at a higher reward rate than other types of purchases. Before choosing the best credit cards for your needs, consider your spending habits and the type of rewards you’ll get the most benefit from and then compare it to other various options available to you.
How To Maximize Credit Card Rewards
Maximizing credit card rewards can be done both while earning and redeeming.
To maximize the number of credit card rewards you earn, choose a credit card that offers strong earnings on the types of purchases you make most. Cards with category bonuses in groceries, gas or travel might allow you to earn 3% or more on eligible purchases. If your purchases are all over the place, you may do best with a flat-rate 2% cash-back card.
You can also maximize the value of your credit card rewards when redeeming rewards. Most importantly, you should focus on rewards that match your goals—whether that’s airline miles, flexible points, cash back or other rewards. Then, compare redemption options to see if any in particular are worth more. The best redemptions typically yield a minimum of 1 cent per point.
Ask an expert
What’s an important consideration if you’re trying to maximize your credit card rewards?
Becky Pokora
Credit Cards Expert Writer
Julian Kheel
Credit Cards and Travel Rewards Expert
Clint Proctor
Lead Editor Credit Cards
Don’t go overboard trying to optimize all your purchases. It can be tempting to maximize every type of purchase, but getting an extra 1% back on a category you only spend $500 per year will only put an extra $5 in your pocket. Focus on your major expenses and use a flat-rate card for everything else.
If you’re already carrying a balance on your credit card, the interest you’re paying each month on your debt is much higher than the value of any credit card rewards you’ll earn. So you’ll want to prioritize getting yourself out of that debt first by looking at the sections of this guide covering balance transfer credit cards instead of focusing on the cards that earn travel or cash back rewards. Then once your debt is under control, you can take a closer glance at the rewards side of the equation.
When you’re trying to maximize credit card rewards that come in the form of points, it’s important to consider the value per point that you would get from a redemption. A good baseline redemption value is 1 cent per point, in which case 10,000 points equals $100 in value. But by learning the sweet spots of your card’s rewards program you may be able to find better redemptions, even up to 2 cents per point or more. Some cards also give you the option to transfer your points to airline or hotel partners that are known for offering high-value redemptions.
How Does Credit Card Interest Work?
Most credit cards calculate interest using the average daily balance method, which means your interest is compounded and accumulates every day, based on your daily rate of interest. In other words, every day your finance charges are based on the balance from the day before.
Pro Tip
The most important thing to remember about credit card interest is that it’s calculated based on your full, unpaid balance rather than on only your purchases. That means if you had $100 in charges but $105 in charges and already accrued interest combined, your next statement will apply interest to the full $105. Over time, this little bit extra could cost you a lot!
How To Calculate Credit Card Interest
The daily rate of interest is determined by dividing your card’s APR by 365 to find the daily rate of interest and then multiplying that number by your balance. For example, to determine the average daily balance on a card with a $10,000 balance on the first day of the billing cycle and an APR of 17%, you’d divide 17 by 365, which equals a daily rate of 0.0466%. This means the next day, your card would have a balance of $10,004.66, which is what you get when you multiply the balance of $10,000 by 1.000466.
Since the average daily balance is compounded, each day’s credit card interest calculation gets a little more expensive.
APR vs. APY vs. Interest
It’s important to understand the difference between APR and APY.
APR stands for annual percentage rate and refers to the amount of interest you’d pay on a credit card balance or other line of credit over the course of a year. On the other hand, APY stands for annual percentage yield and is used to define the amount of interest you earn on a bank account or other savings vehicle over the year.
In other words, APR is used when you’re paying interest and APY is used when you’re earning interest.
How To Apply for a Credit Card
In general, there are several steps to applying for a credit card:
- Check your credit score through a credit card issuer or by ordering it from one of the three main credit agencies.
- Once you know where you stand with your credit score, decide which type of card will be the best for you based on what you’re planning to use it for. Credit cards typically fall into one of three categories: rewards, low APR and credit-building.
- Choosing the best credit cards may be difficult, but applying which one you’ve chosen is easy. Ways to apply for a credit card:
- Via online application
- By phone, working with an agent
- By mailing a paper application
- By visiting a financial institution to apply in-person
How To Get Preapproved for a Credit Card
Many issuers will let you check to see if you’re pre-qualified for any of their cards before you formally apply. Keep in mind that pre-qualification doesn’t ensure approval and should be considered more of a best guess.
Checking whether you’re pre-qualified is often as easy as entering your name and address on the card issuer’s website and then perusing offers, if any, that are available to you. These preapproved credit cards make it easy to check if you’re likely to be approved in advance.
Pro Tip
Checking whether you’re pre-qualified won’t impact your credit score, so you’re free to check your approval odds even if you’re not completely ready to apply for a card. Knowing your odds in advance can give you time to improve your credit before applying, if needed.
How To Improve Your Credit Score
There are several steps you can take to improve your credit score. First, check your credit report to make sure there aren’t any errors that could have an adverse effect. Paying your bills on time, every time will have the single biggest impact on your score. After payment history, the next biggest factor in your credit score is the amount of debt you have. Since credit reporting agencies don’t have your income information, they use something called credit utilization instead of a debt-to-income ratio.
Credit utilization is the amount of debt you owe relative to the amount of credit you have. So if you have a balance of $3,000 on a card with a $10,000 limit, you’re using 30% of your credit. Total credit utilization is based on the aggregate amount across all your lines of credit, both what you owe and how much you have available. It’s typically suggested that utilization of 30% or below should be the goal.
Credit Cards for Good Credit
Lenders each have their own definition of what they consider a good credit score. Customers typically aren’t told the exact cutoff point between a good credit score and a bad one. However, FICO, the most widely known credit scoring model, shares some helpful information you can use as a guide. The most common scores feature a scale of 300 to 850. On that scale, a credit score between 670 and 739 is generally considered “good.”
You can check out Forbes Advisor’s list of best cards for good credit of 2024 to see what might work for your particular circumstances.
Credit Cards for Fair Credit
The definition of a fair credit score varies among lenders. On the widely known FICO credit scoring model, a credit score between 580 and 669 is generally considered fair.
You can check out Forbes Advisor’s list of best cards for fair credit of 2024 to see what might be a fit for your particular circumstances
Credit Cards for Bad Credit
While there’s no exact number that counts as the threshold between “bad” and “good” credit, generally a FICO Score below 580 is considered poor.
The lower your credit score, the more limited your options when it comes to credit cards. Someone with bad credit will typically only be able to get approved for a secured card or a card with high interest rates and other additional fees.
See Forbes Advisor’s list of best credit cards for bad credit of 2024 to see what some of the options are if your credit isn’t stellar.
What Are the Three Credit Bureaus?
There are three major credit bureaus in the U.S.:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Each of these agencies may use a slightly different method of evaluating your credit behavior, so it’s not uncommon to have a slightly different credit score with each agency. All three companies serve the same function: To analyze your credit behavior to generate a three-digit credit score used to determine your creditworthiness and in turn, the rates you’ll be offered on loans like a credit card or a mortgage.
What Credit Card Should I Get?
Different types of credit card users will benefit most from different types of credit cards. Here are tips to help you decide what’s the best credit card for you.
Value Shoppers
Value shoppers will likely benefit most from cash-back cards that provide rewards on everyday purchases. These cardholders will want to minimize annual fees and aren’t concerned about travel rewards or high-end perks. Check out the best cards for shopping and best cards for groceries to learn more.
Travelers
The best travel credit card of 2024 will vary based on the kind of traveler you are. If you like to play license plate ABC, check out our best cards for road trips. If you prefer your travels at 35,000 feet, check out the best airline credit cards of 2024.
Credit Builders
When you’re just starting out, it can feel like a Catch-22. You need good credit to get a credit card, but you need a credit card to build good credit. Fortunately, there are some cards out there that are good for both those starting out and those needing to get back on track. Check our best first credit cards and best cards for rebuilding credit of 2024 lists to learn more.
Students
College students have a plethora of credit card options because the banks understand the value of a lifetime customer. Many of these cards act as little siblings to their rewards card counterparts, giving students a chance to earn rewards without needing as much of a credit history. Check out these best credit cards for students.
Business Owners
Whether it’s a roadside stand or a shop on Etsy, small businesses have unique credit needs. Business credit cards offer benefits tailored to commerce and offer a way to keep personal and business expenses separate. If you are just starting out, one of our best cards for new businesses of 2024 may do the trick. If you operate an established business, even if it’s a side hustle, check out our best business credit cards list to learn about your options.
Brand Loyalists
If you only stay at Hyatt or only shop at Pottery Barn, it may make sense for you to pick up a co-branded credit card for that store, airline or hotel chain. By doing so, you’ll earn points and perks within that specific ecosystem, which you can then use to further your love of the brand.
Cardholders may also be loyal to a specific card issuer in order to continue working with a financial institution they prefer or have other accounts with. This can also be a good way to collect a specific type of rewards points. If you are loyal to a certain brand of credit card, you can limit your card search accordingly: