These days it isn’t difficult to find a credit card that includes a rewards or frequent flyer points program. Chances are you have one in your wallet right now, even if you didn’t get it specifically for the points program. When used the right way, the rewards can be significant, and many people use them to ‘fund’ their holidays, travelling to local or international destinations at no cost, or for considerably less than it would have cost them without credit card points. But what is the right way to use your credit card to earn frequent flyer points? Some of that is influenced by the card you have, and the earning criteria for the card, but you could start with the following:

Use Your Credit Card

Many people have a credit card for when they want to buy big ticket items, or for emergencies, but if you want to boost the number of points you earn, you need to switch to using your credit card to pay for as many items as possible – even bills. This doesn’t mean using the card irresponsibly, but rather using it as your primary form of payment, while still paying off the full balance each month. That way you earn points without putting yourself into debt.

Shop With Program Partners

Many reward credit cards have partnerships with certain retailers, or have their own online mall giving you access to their retail partners. While you might earn reward points regardless of where you shop, shopping through their online mall or with one of their retail partners might give you access to a higher point earn rate, or bonus point offers. Read up on your credit card’s reward program to see if you aren’t missing out on extra points.

Make Your Spouse or Partner an Authorised User

Some credit cards allow you to get a linked card for your spouse or partner, and still earn points on their spend. This isn’t a completely separate credit card – it is linked to your credit card account, and you are still responsible for any spend on the card. But if your spouse does most of the household shopping anyway, it’s a great way to not lose out on points that could end up paying for your next holiday.

Pay the Full Balance Each Month

Unfortunately, you don’t earn extra points for paying the full balance on your credit card each month. However, carrying a balance beyond a certain number of days will see you being charged interest on the balance, which could end up cancelling out the value of any points you have earned. Earning points worth $100 doesn’t mean much if you end up paying $150 in interest on your credit card balance.

Use PointHacks to find the best credit card for points that matches your needs, and your lifestyle, since it is not only about the number of points you could earn, but also about how you earn points.