8 ways to get your travel credit card to serve you

You see an irresistible credit card offer - tens of thousands of points or miles are easily worth a plane ticket or short-term hotel stay. You seized the opportunity, won the registration score, and enjoyed it.

Now, you only have one credit card left, and it's likely that you can't afford that much money anymore. There is no longer a five-figure point reward, it’s just a slow process of earning miles when shopping, and accumulating one or two points for every dollar spent, this speed may not bring you another A free trip. To make matters worse, you only need to pay an annual fee to hold a credit card. If you can't get these points or miles fast enough, your costs may exceed your reward.

Many people jump to the credit card registration bonus end here, credit card issuers rely on it. After all, they do business to make money, not to send free travel to customers who are already in the bag.

However, even with a late card, it is still possible to win in the points game. Here are eight ways to keep your credit card in the next few years.

1. Know the bonus category of your card

Many reward credit cards pay you a penny or a mile for every dollar you receive. However, in more and more cases, these cards will increase the bonus category, doubling or triple the points you earn in certain types of purchases. Dining, travel, petrol and groceries are the most common bonus categories. They vary by credit card, so please read the terms of the credit card to see where your purchase can get the best return.

2. Use your card for automated payment services

Do you have a Netflix, Hulu or other video or music streaming service? Will your insurance company automatically bill you? Is there an automatic update for newspaper subscriptions or charitable donations? Does your utility bill, telephone bill, insurance premium or other daily bill provide automatic payment? Make sure that the credit card they have filed pays you points or miles for these recurring expenses.

3. Pay with your card

Not every bill is automatically set and you forget to pay automatically. But even occasional doctors paying together and Amazon purchases can speed up your income if you put them on your reward card. Many state and local governments allow you to pay for parking tickets, taxes, and car registration fees online with a credit card—just make sure that the reward you receive offsets any fees you pay with your credit card.

4. Go get your card instead of cash

Some people think it is silly to take a credit card to buy cappuccino. But charging a small purchase fee helps build your points and mileage balance. But be careful: If paying in cash helps you resist impulsive shopping on the cash register, then a small credit card purchase may be a bad idea. Also, pay attention to retailers, such as gas stations, and sometimes charge a higher price if you use a credit card.

5. Online shopping through the virtual shopping mall of the rewards program

If you buy a $1,000 computer with a credit card, you are likely to earn 1000 or 1000 miles. But if you buy through an airline or hotel online shopping portal, you can earn extra points. These “shopping centers” are actually just a few websites, from which you can browse the official websites of hundreds of well-known retailers, including Apple and Macy's. It's like shopping directly on the store's website, except for cookies in the browser that trigger miles or points rewards.

6. Register your card in the hotel or airline's dining plan

It's easy to overlook food and beverage projects because they always pay in hundreds of restaurants and you never go there to eat. However, if you register your credit card in an airline or hotel catering plan, you may end up with points or miles that you didn't even expect.

7. Let loyalty pay off

Airline and hotel brands encourage you to buy through their website. Sometimes you will find better prices on a discount search engine like Travelocity or Trivago, but always compare the value of shopping with points. If you pay $25 more on the hotel's own website, you can earn $50, which is better than booking through a discount store's website.

8. Cancellation before canceling the card

If you are not satisfied with your reward credit card income and are willing to cancel it, please call the card issuer first to negotiate. The issuer may be willing to provide you with additional points or additional benefits to keep your happy and active customers. There is no guarantee that it will work, but it can make your credit card worth holding.