15 Credit Card Blunders We've All Been Guilty Of

Many of us use credit cards regularly -- but how well do we really manage them? Here are a few mistakes you may have fallen victim to in your day -- or risk falling victim to in the future.

Our credit card expert uses this card, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)
As long as you pay them off each month, credit cards are a no-brainer for savvy Americans. They protect against fraud far better than debit cards, help raise your credit score, and can put hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in rewards back in your pocket each year.

But with so many cards out there, you need to choose wisely. This top-rated card offers the ability to pay 0% interest on purchases until late 2021, has some of the most generous cash back rewards we’ve ever seen (up to 5%!), and somehow still sports a $0 annual fee.

That’s why our expert – who has reviewed hundreds of cards – signed up for this one personally. Click here to get free access to our expert’s top pick.

If you make your minimum monthly payment on your credit card, you won't be considered delinquent. That's good news for your credit score but not your wallet. If you only pay your minimums, you'll wind up accruing interest on your balance that'll cost you over time.

Being late with your credit card bills is a great way to destroy your credit score. If you can't pay your full balance by its due date, at least cover your minimum so your payment isn't flagged as delinquent and reported to a credit bureau as such.

Many of us pay our credit card bills without reading our statements first. But what if there's a fraudulent charge in there, or even an accidental double charge? If you pay your bills without confirming what it is you're paying for, you could end up throwing away money.

When you have a credit card that hardly gets any use, you may be tempted to close it. But if there's no fee attached to that card, keeping it open could leave you with a higher total spending limit, which could actually help your credit score improve or stay strong.

Sometimes, paying an annual credit card fee gives you access to certain perks you wouldn't get elsewhere. And often, credit card rewards can make up for annual fees. But paying an annual fee makes no sense if you're not getting anything in return, so if there's a card like that in your collection, you may want to dump it.

Our credit card expert uses this card, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)
As long as you pay them off each month, credit cards are a no-brainer for savvy Americans. They protect against fraud far better than debit cards, help raise your credit score, and can put hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in rewards back in your pocket each year.

But with so many cards out there, you need to choose wisely. This top-rated card offers the ability to pay 0% interest on purchases until late 2021, has some of the most generous cash back rewards we’ve ever seen (up to 5%!), and somehow still sports a $0 annual fee.

That’s why our expert – who has reviewed hundreds of cards – signed up for this one personally. Click here to get free access to our expert’s top pick.

The higher your income, the higher your spending limit is apt to be on your credit cards. And while you could argue that a higher spending limit opens the door to excessive spending, it could also help your credit score improve by lowering your credit utilization ratio. Therefore, it pays to let your credit card companies know when your income gets a boost.

Applying for too many credit cards within a short time period could cause your credit score to drop. At that point, you may have a hard time borrowing when you need to. Aim to space out your credit card applications by about six months.

Credit card rewards are wonderful -- but only if you actually use them. If you let your rewards expire, they won't do you any good, so if any of your cards' perks come with an end date, note it on your calendar and make sure those rewards don't go to waste.

Many credit cards offer bonus rewards in different categories each quarter. Not paying attention to what those are could cause you to lose out on extra cash back, so don't let that happen. Instead, develop a system for tracking bonus categories -- especially if you have multiple credit cards.

Many people browse retail sites for entertainment, but that could lead to impulse shopping. This especially holds true if you store your credit card number on your laptop or phone so it's easy to complete transactions. A better bet? Don't save that information -- it could prevent you from going overboard.

Our credit card expert uses this card, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)
As long as you pay them off each month, credit cards are a no-brainer for savvy Americans. They protect against fraud far better than debit cards, help raise your credit score, and can put hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in rewards back in your pocket each year.

But with so many cards out there, you need to choose wisely. This top-rated card offers the ability to pay 0% interest on purchases until late 2021, has some of the most generous cash back rewards we’ve ever seen (up to 5%!), and somehow still sports a $0 annual fee.

That’s why our expert – who has reviewed hundreds of cards – signed up for this one personally. Click here to get free access to our expert’s top pick.

Many credit cards offer sign-up bonuses, which can be a great way to score free cash. But if you spend extra money just to get money back, you won't end up doing yourself any favors. Instead, time your credit card applications around big purchases so you're more likely to snag sign-up bonuses with ease.

Let's be clear -- paying off debt is a good thing. But paying it off without a plan could mean spending more on interest than necessary. Rather than pay off your cards at random, establish a strategy. You could, for example, pay off your cards in order of highest to lowest interest rate. Or, you could try consolidating that debt via a balance transfer.

You may, at some point, be late with a credit card payment. But if it's your first offense, don't just resign yourself to a late fee. Instead, ask your credit card company to cut you some slack, especially if you're a long-term cardholder whose account is in good standing.

Swiping your credit card in a foreign country or different state could cause it to get declined due to fraud concerns. Before you travel, decide which cards you'll take with you and let your issuers know where you'll be.

You never know when you might be able to use your credit card for a large expense, like furniture or childcare, without incurring added fees. It always pays to ask if you can use a credit card, as doing so could mean extra cash back for you.

Our credit card expert uses this card, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)
As long as you pay them off each month, credit cards are a no-brainer for savvy Americans. They protect against fraud far better than debit cards, help raise your credit score, and can put hundreds (or thousands!) of dollars in rewards back in your pocket each year.

But with so many cards out there, you need to choose wisely. This top-rated card offers the ability to pay 0% interest on purchases until late 2021, has some of the most generous cash back rewards we’ve ever seen (up to 5%!), and somehow still sports a $0 annual fee.

That’s why our expert – who has reviewed hundreds of cards – signed up for this one personally. Click here to get free access to our expert’s top pick.

Credit cards can be a truly useful, wonderful tool, but only if you manage them correctly. Make every effort to avoid these mistakes, because while they're fairly common, they can also be extremely costly.