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The wonderful thing about living in a capitalistic society is that everyone is competing for your business. And when it comes to credit cards, the result has been a slew of options designed to reward users for the money they spend on credit. Whether you’re interested in cash back or mileage for travel, you can find the card that’s right for you. And then it’s just a matter of maximizing your points to get the most from every credit card. Here are a few pointers to put you on the right path.

1. Find a card that works with your lifestyle. There are all kinds of reward programs out there, depending on the card company and the type of account you select. If you travel frequently and you prefer a specific airline or hotel chain, you’ll probably want to look for cards that are designed to give you points for such expenditures. You might also want cards that offer rewards for certain retailers like Best Buy, Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s, or Toys R Us, just for example. You may be looking for a card that offers cash back rewards. You need to sift through the diverse array of reward credit cards available so that you can you get one that works with your lifestyle.
2. Understand the rules. Every card has different rules and regulations associated with their rewards programs, so you need to make sure you understand restrictions concerning thresholds, caps, blackout dates, cash back, and more.
3. Double points. Many reward cards offer ways to earn extra points on purchases. For example, you might earn additional rewards for using your card to book travel or by purchasing from specific airlines or hotels. You might earn more points for buying specific products or from affiliated vendors. But you won’t know unless you take the time to read the fine print or ask a company representative. And you could be missing out on points in the meantime. It’s a good idea to pay attention to communiques from your credit card company, as well, since they will often let you know by mail or email when they’re offering double or triple points opportunities on certain purchases. These may be offered seasonally, randomly, or permanently if your lender changes policy (perhaps annually). So pay attention in order to increase your points whenever possible.
4. Don’t spend unnecessarily. It can be tempting to make purchases simply because you know you’ll get extra points, but you’re really not making the most of your rewards when you spend unnecessarily on items you don’t really want or need.
5. Know your points. Your credit card rewards are useless if you don’t use them, so make sure to pay attention to the credit card points you have and how you can use them. Unfortunately, one of the best trackers out there (MileWise) was acquired by Yahoo and subsequently shut down. But you might want to take a newer service like AwardWallet for a spin. This way you can track all of your rewards (for credit cards and more) in one place, as well as receive notifications when your balances change or your points are about to expire. Sadly, the option to book travel using your miles directly from the site is not available (another reason to miss MileWise). But at least you can keep track of all your rewards programs effectively.