7 Ways to Max Out Your Credit Card Rewards Over the Summer

The summer season is a golden opportunity to earn more rewards on your spending.

Summer is here, and that often means more going out, shopping, and maybe a nice vacation. It also means you have the chance to collect plenty of credit card rewards while you enjoy the season.

Whether you want to earn cash back, travel points, or both, follow these tips to earn more rewards this summer.

1. Get a new credit card with a welcome bonus

Welcome bonuses, which are bonuses available to new cardholders, are one of the most valuable credit card perks. Any time you want to earn a large amount of rewards quickly, it's worth looking at the credit cards with the best sign-up bonuses.

Most bonuses have a spending requirement and a time limit to reach it. For example, spend $1,000 in three months for a $250 cash back bonus. If you normally spend that much anyway, a bonus is an easy way to take advantage of the money you spend on your bills.

2. Use rewards cards that match your summer spending habits

Spending habits change from season to season. If there are areas where you find yourself spending more, see if any credit cards offer bonus rewards in that category. Here are a few suggestions:

• Going out to eat more? Check out dining credit cards that earn more on restaurant spending.
• Hosting cookouts for family and friends? Look for grocery credit cards to score bonus rewards on your food costs.
• Planning a trip? Travel rewards credit cards offer more back on typical travel expenses, such as airfare and hotels.

3. Keep an eye out for special offers

Credit card companies frequently have special rewards offers. One of the most common is extra rewards when you shop with merchants your card issuer has partnered with. For example, you may be able to earn 3% back instead of 1% shopping on the website at a department store you like.

You can find special offers like these in your online credit card account, and your card issuer may email you the latest offers as well. Some card issuers also have online shopping portals where you can see all its partner merchants.

Once you know where to find special offers like these, check back regularly so you don't miss any opportunities to earn more rewards.

4. Put your debit card and your cash away

When you have a credit card that earns rewards on purchases, it makes sense to use it for every eligible purchase. The only exceptions are purchases that have an extra fee for paying by credit card and merchants that don't accept credit cards. Other than that, you miss out on rewards if you pay with a debit card or cash.

There's one important thing to keep in mind before you put everything on your credit card. You only come out ahead if you pay your credit card bill in full. If you don't, the interest charges will cost more than you earn in rewards.

5. Recommend cards to friends and family

You might not be the only one in your circle interested in rewards credit cards. If you know anyone who's thinking about getting one and isn't sure where to start, you could recommend a card you have and get a referral bonus.

Most credit card companies offer these bonuses. From your account, you can either get a referral link to share or provide the email address of your referral. If that person applies for the card through your link and gets approved, you'll receive bonus rewards.

6. Activate rotating bonus categories

Several popular credit cards have rotating bonus categories. The bonus categories on these cards change, typically every quarter. One quarter your card could earn 5% at restaurants, the next it may offer 5% at fitness clubs, and so on.

With most of these cards, you need to activate your quarterly bonus categories, which you can do either online or by phone. Otherwise, your card won't earn the bonus rate. Even if you have a busy summer schedule, remember to activate this benefit so you can maximize your rotating card rewards.

7. Offer to put shared bills on your card and get reimbursed

Group activities can be another opportunity to pick up extra rewards. If it's most convenient to put the bill on one card, you can offer to use your rewards card and let everyone else pay you back for their share.

This works well at restaurants, buying tickets for sporting events, and any other situation where everyone is chipping in for a big bill. Just make sure the rest of the group is okay with it and that they're people you can trust to pay you back.

It's not hard to boost your rewards over the summer. See which of those tips you can work into your lifestyle, and by the time fall hits, you'll have more credit card rewards to cash in.