Tips for Using a Credit Card Responsibly

It’s hard to imagine a world without credit cards. They make it easy to reserve a hotel room, flight, or rental car—and to conveniently purchase gas, groceries, gifts, and more.

Credit cards can help people build credit —and potentially earn cash reward points, among other benefits. With a credit card, you don’t have to carry cash, debit cards, or checks if you don’t want to, plus you can order items with your card and, if they don’t arrive in satisfactory condition, you have some leverage to get your money back (limitations apply).

Credit cards are used by some as short-term loans and, if you pay your balance in full each month by the due date, it’s essentially a no-interest short-term loan (though keep in mind that some credit cards charge an annual fee).

The challenge comes in, of course, when you can’t pay your balance in full in a relatively short time. The average credit card interest rate for existing accounts is a whopping 14.4% , and interest charges add up very quickly.

Learn How to Be Responsible with Your Credit Cards with these Tips

In this post, we’ll share some very high-level tips that may help you use your accounts responsibly and may help you get your credit card balances under control.

Before we get started, though, we want to point out that none of this should be taken as financial advice. And we know this goes without saying, but always consult a qualified and licensed professional if you feel you need help with your finances.

1. Avoiding Making Too Many Impulse Purchases

If you enjoy making spontaneous buys, you may consider including this as a line item in your monthly budget.

How many is “too many” depends upon how much your impulse purchases cost and how easily they fit into your budget.

If you know you can pay off your credit card balances and otherwise meet your monthly expenses and savings goals, then that’s an entirely different situation from one where your impulse purchases are too large to be paid off each month and/or keep you from meeting other financial responsibilities or goals.

If you enjoy making spontaneous buys, then you may consider including this as a line item in your monthly budget and then sticking to it. This could add enjoyment to your life without causing financial problems.

2. Using the Right Credit Card

There are a variety of different types of credit cards and depending on how you plan to use it, one option may make more sense than another. Some credit cards charge an annual fee, while others may offer rewards for certain purchases or cashback, which can be helpful benefits for consumers.

For example, if it will take a few months to pay off a purchase, then it makes sense to use one with the lowest interest rate available. That way, when you do have interest charges, they’ll be as low as possible.

Here’s another scenario. Let’s say you’ve just made a major purchase that you’ve budgeted to pay off in six months. It might make sense to transfer the balance to a zero-interest credit card.

These credit cards typically offer a no-interest introductory period before reverting to the card’s regular interest rate and annual percentage rate (APR) which could be quite high.

So long as the balance is paid in full during the introductory period, this can be a useful strategy. If not, you might end up owing at a higher interest rate than you would have before you’d transferred the balance.

And here’s another catch. Sometimes, if you have a remaining balance when the introductory period ends, the company collects interest on your original principal, not just the remaining balance. So, in that situation, nothing was really free.

It may also be a good idea to consider annual fees (if any), as well as cash back options and other perks, when choosing the best card for you.

3. Taking Advantage of Benefits Offered

Signing up for eligible rewards programs can help credit card holders make the most of their card. Each type of credit card may have slightly different reward programs.

See what perks are being offered—if you’re not sure, check the card’s website or ask the credit card company for specifics. Once you know what they are, you can choose the ones you like and use them as strategically as you can.

You may discover that the card(s) you have don’t have the best benefits match for you. For example, perhaps you’re a frequent flyer. If so, some cards have better air-travel benefits than others. If you drive around the country instead, you could find one that offers the best cash-back deals on gas.

When switching credit cards, you might want to avoid closing the old one—that’s because canceling it might ding your credit rating. (If there’s a fee on the old card, though, it may make sense to cancel.)

Related: How to Cancel a Credit Card

Finally, if you are earning rewards points, consider the best way to use them. Sometimes it’s possible to get a bigger bang for your buck if, say, you use your rewards points at an approved store rather than opting for cash back.

4. Signing Up for Automatic Payments

To avoid missing payments or making them late, consider signing up for an automatic payment plan with the credit card company.

Another option is to sign up for automatic reminders about payment due dates (by text, for example, or by email), either through the credit card company or via a calendar app. What’s most important is coming up with a plan that accomplishes your goals in a way that works best for you.

5. Regularly Checking Your Statements

Mistakes do happen on credit card statements and, unfortunately, fraudulent activities could affect the account. So you might want to check your statement every month to ensure that you’ve made all the charges that appear on each statement, and that any payments you’ve made are reflected.

If something is missing, review the statement dates to see if the transaction may have happened, for example, right after the statement cut-off date. And if something seems off, consider contacting the credit card company to verify.

If you notice any fraudulent activity, contact the credit card company as soon as possible.

Tackling Outstanding Balances

Let’s face it: Credit card debt can be hard to pay off—and here is one of the reasons why. Many credit card companies charge compounding interest, which means that not only will you owe interest on any outstanding balance, you’ll also end up paying interest on the interest.

That’s because this interest is calculated continually, then added to your balance—and may be compounded daily. So it’s easy to see how fast balances can keep going up—and up and up.

Interest compounds even when you make required minimum payments. It compounds unless you pay off your balance in full. To get an idea of what unpaid interest could mean for you, use our credit card interest calculator.

Consolidating Credit Card Debt With a Personal Loan

To break this debt cycle, and depending upon the terms offered, it may make sense to consolidate your credit cards into a personal loan. Reasons could include:

•   Qualifying for a lower interest rate on a personal loan. Lower interest rate = less interest owed overall = more money going to pay down the principal (depending on the loan term).
•   Most personal loans offer a fixed rate option, which means the interest rate does not change over the life of the loan. This can be helpful when creating a budget, since you know how much is due each month in terms of payment.
•   A personal loan to consolidate credit cards could lower how much you’re paying each month on what you owe depending on what term you choose.

The Takeaway

When used responsibly, credit cards can be helpful for a whole slew of things, from making online purchases to building credit. The keywords there are, “when used responsibly.”

To stay on top of your credit cards, tips like signing up for automatic payments, making the most of the rewards programming, and using the right type of credit card for your use are all important.

If you’re currently repaying credit card debt, crafting a plan to get on top of it is important. One strategy is to consolidate credit card debt with a personal loan, which can help streamline monthly payments and could allow borrowers to qualify for a lower interest rate than on their credit cards. If you think a personal loan may be right for you, feel free to explore at SoFi. Learn more

About SoFi

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Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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