Using Your Plastic Wisely for Everyday Purchases

Your credit score, which is the key to long-term loans at favorable rates, employment opportunities and more, depends on your credit card usage. You want to make sure you use your cards, but you don’t want to spend more than you can pay. In addition, there are some purchases that are best off being made on a credit card. 

Here are six purchases you may want to charge to your credit card:

1. Electronics and appliances

It’s a good idea to pay for big-ticket items, like electronics and appliances, with your credit card. This will provide you with an insurance of sorts on these purchases, such as doubling up on the offered warranty. Some cards also offer price protection, which covers the difference if the price of an item drops after you’ve bought it. 

2. Car rentals

Here, too, paying with a credit card can provide you with a level of insurance on the car. The insurance likely won’t be as robust as temporary insurance you might buy through the rental service, but it will probably offer some collision coverage at no extra charge.

3. Purchases made abroad

When traveling and making purchases abroad, a credit card is usually your best way to pay. Cash has the risk of loss or theft and debit cards may have fees for transactions that are made outside the country. They may not even be accepted at some vendors. Credit cards from well-known issuers, on the other hand, are accepted almost everywhere and are a lot safer to carry than large sums of cash. In addition, many credit card companies offer a favorable exchange rate.

4. Fixed monthly bills

If you’re looking for an easy way to build credit, pay a fixed monthly bill, such as a subscription or payment for phone or internet service, on your credit card each month. This will ensure regular transactions are made on your card. As long as you’re paying your credit card bill on time or early each month, you will show a pattern of responsible credit usage!

5. Online purchases

When shopping online, you’re usually best off paying with a credit card. Unlike other forms of payment, credit card transactions are always traceable and provide some coverage for fraud. 

6. Mobile phone bills

Another good candidate for credit card payments is your monthly mobile phone bill. Many credit card companies offer some coverage for phones that are lost, damaged or stolen if the card was used to pay a specific number of bills and the cardholder is up to date on their bills.

Use this guide to learn which purchases to charge to your credit card.