Using Credit Cards

Go beyond credit card basics and learn how to use your credit card responsibly. From interest to rewards, we'll teach you everything you need to know about using credit cards.

Explore Credit Cards 101

All Close a Credit Card
The Grand Canyon is a beautiful travel destination.
How To Fund a Trip to the Grand Canyon With Credit Card Points
Pay for travel to Puerto Rico with credit card points
How To Fund a Trip to Puerto Rico With Credit Card Points
Traveling to New York City with credit card points.
How To Fund a Trip to New York City With Credit Card Points
A couple enjoys a trip paid for with travel rewards.
How to Plan Your Travel Rewards Card Strategy
A woman looks at her phone and boarding pass while holding her passport and sitting in an airport next to her black rolling suitcase.
What To Do if Your Pandemic Airline Vouchers Are Expiring
A business owner processes a credit card payment.
What Is a Merchant Category Code (MCC)?
A businessman looks over the details of his fintech bank account.
Is That Flashy Card You’re Looking at Really Worth It?
A man's friends finally pay their share of the bill from the previous evening's adventures.
How To Use Amex Send & Split
A shopper buys a gift for a friend through PayPal rewards.
Should You Redeem Credit Card Rewards Through PayPal?
A PayPal Pay in 4 user makes a purchase.
What Is PayPal Pay in 4?
A man tries a glass of cabernet at a Sonoma-area winery.
Have You Heard of These Little-Known Credit Card Perks?
A shopper makes a mobile purchase with PayPal Key.
What Is PayPal Key and Where Can I Use It?
A couple drives a rental while on vacation in Colorado.
You Rented a Car Using Rewards Points—Do You Still Need Insurance?
A woman does an at-home workout through a paid streaming service her credit card discounts.
Credit Cards That Offer Fitness Perks and Rewards
A shopper considers signing up for a 0% offer to financing her holiday shopping.
Should You Use a Credit Card 0% Deal for Holiday Expenses?
Smiling young woman works on laptop at dining room table
How Credit Card Points Can Boost Your Bank Account Balance
A credit card customer considers his donation options.
Should You Donate Credit Card Rewards?
A consumer weighs her options for 0% credit card offers.
Should You Open a Card With a 0% APR Offer?
A gym member finishes up a workout.
What To Do When the Gym Won’t Stop Charging Your Credit Card
A woman at a cafe table considers how she should pay for her latte: credit account or credit card?
PayPal Credit vs. PayPal Cashback Mastercard: What's the Difference?
A graphic saying Our Money's on Travel overlays a view of Greek islands at sunset
How to Budget for a Trip
Gay couple at home using internet and laptop to buy online
What Is Credit Card Churning?
A clothing store merchant accepts credit card payment.
What Is a Credit Card Issuer?
The French Quarter and the Our Money's on Travel logo.
How To Fund a Trip to New Orleans With Credit Card Points
A young woman in an airport by the arrivals and departures screen
How Credit Card Miles Work and How You Can Earn Them
Man running from credit card
The Simple Way to Avoid a Finance Charge On Your Credit Card
Younger main sitting on a couch making a credit card purchase on his phone.
What Is a Credit Card?
A young woman is shopping online with smartphone and credit card in hand.
What Is Credit Card Preapproval?
A gender fluid person having a discussion with their friend while having coffee in a cafe.
What Are Credit Card Issuer True Name Policies?
A woman shops online with a credit card.
Where to Use Your Chase Freedom Card in 2021
a man making a bank transaction with credit card
Buying a Money Order With a Credit Card Treated Like Cash Advance
Hand Getting Cash From ATM
Credit Card Cash Advance: Definition From the Credit Glossary
Learn about the Chase Freedom card and how it earns 1% cash back on every purchase and up to 5% on purchases in quarterly categories.
Chase Ultimate Rewards Guide: How to Earn and Use Points
Just Moved? Four Ways to Ensure Your Statements Get to Your New Address
Woman looking at a credit card statement with expression of disbelief
What to Do About Bogus Charges on Your Credit Card
A man uses his credit card online
Here Are 7 Great Credit Card Safety Tips for Online Shoppers
Woman using credit card at computer
Is Your Credit Card Still Active? Here's How to Find Out
Image shows someone cutting a credit card in half. Text reads: "Steps to take before closing your credit card: use up credit card rewards; follow up with a letter of request to close the card; pay off the balance; check credit report after a few weeks to make sure the account has been closed; contact card issuer's customer service (record the date and time of the conversation)"
6 Steps to Close a Credit Card Correctly
Mother and daughter shopping online with credit card
Adding an Authorized User on a Credit Card
A woman sits at a table and calculates the value of her credit card rewards on her laptop.
How To Calculate the Value of Your Credit Card Rewards
Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World, with an illustrated overlay that reads, “Our Money’s on Travel.”
How To Fund a Trip to Disney World With Credit Card Points
A couple strolls the aisle of a grocery store.
How To Get the Most Out of Discover’s 2021 Cash-Back Calendar
American Airlines Boeing 737-800
American Airlines AAdvantage Guide: How To Earn and Use Miles
A top view of a person sitting on the floor surrounded by their credit card bills and a laptop, deciding between a balance transfer and a debt consolidation loan
Credit Card Balance Transfer vs. Debt Consolidation Loan
Woman using a credit card after filling out a credit application and being approved
How To Apply for a Credit Card
credit cards that could be used for balance transfers
Get the Basics of Credit Card Balance Transfers
Woman watches while a man scales a percent sign
How to Give Less of Your Money to Your Credit Card Company
a stack of credits cards resting on a $20 bill
Here Is a Look at the Advantages of Using a Credit Card vs Cash
Image shows a wallet with cash, a credit card, and a generic ID inside. Text reads: "What to know about credit card refunds: credit card refunds are not immediate—it's just an authorization; while your refund is pending; your credit card issuer puts a hold on those funds so you don't spend that money somewhere else; the actual refund doesn't post to your account for a few days; depending on the point in the billing cycle that your refund is processed, you may still have to make your credit card payment; returning an item that gave you rewards points will affect your rewards balance"
Everything You Should Know About Credit Card Refunds
A woman pays credit card bills using a tablet
A Simple Explanation of Your Credit Card Grace Period
7 Sample Letters for Dealing with Your Biggest Credit Problems
credit card on venmo
Using a Credit Card on Venmo
Paying credit card bill
Important Credit Card Dates You Should Know About
Image shows someone watching their card get declined at a register when they're trying to buy a pair of shoes. Text reads: "5 reasons your credit card declined: you don't have enough available credit; your account is closed; your payment is past due; your credit card has expired; your account has been flagged"
What You Should Do When Your Credit Card Is Declined
Side view of businessman holding credit card while using laptop at airport.
What You Need To Know About the Priority Pass Airport Lounge Program
Calling the credit card issuer
Remove an Authorized User From Your Credit Card With This Simple Step.
A man in a plaid shirt holds a credit card in his left hand and types his account number and CVV number onto a laptop keyboard with his right.
Here's How To Find Your Credit Card's CVV Code
Woman looks at a pyramid built from too many credit cards
You Might Have Too Many Credit Cards — Here's How to Tell
Woman's hands holding a wallet with credit cards in it.
Can You Use Your Credit Card To Get Cash Without a Fee?
How to Increase Your Limit on Your First Credit Card: Pay bills on time Don’t max out your card Wait for six months of timely payments before requesting an increase
Here Is a Look at What a Good Credit Limit Is on a First Credit Card