Credit cards are convenient for making purchases online and in-person, especially contactless cards in today’s social-distancing world. And if your credit card has cash-back or other rewards, it can be tempting to overuse it. Below are the top 20 credit card tips from the pros to help make sure you use your credit cards properly.

1. Keep your credit utilization low
2. Use a secured credit card to build your credit
3. Pay off your card each month to maximize rewards value
4. Pay off high-interest credit cards first
5. Stay away from cash advances
6. Use a personal finance app to monitor your credit usage
7. Use online reporting from your credit card to monitor spending habits
8. Be careful with promotional offers
9. Refrain from using charge cards
10. Never make late credit card payments
11. Take advantage of any 0% balance transfer offers
12. Understand the card’s terms and conditions before applying
13. Review your credit reports annually
14. Report a lost or missing credit card immediately
15. Sign up for automatic payments
16. Be wary making online financial transactions on public internet connections
17. Heavy travelers should use a travel rewards credit card
18. Use the credit card for convenience, not a license to spend
19. Use credit cards to build and increase your credit score
20. Stop using credit cards until they’re paid off

Read more at Fit Small Business.

Learn more about Stanford FCU’s credit cards, and Card Tools.