Air Miles Credit Cards

How to use an air miles credit card...

For the frequent flyer air mile credit cards offer many rewards and added perks that can be a goldmine if used diligently.

Make sure you follow the tips to get the most out of your air miles credit card and avoid any pitfalls put in place to stop you maximising your savings.

Making the most of your card:

- Use your card as much as possible
Don't change your typical spending, just what you spend with. Credit cards are now widely accepted everywhere from pubs to cornershops. Instead of withdrawing cash for your lunch, petrol, groceries etc. put it on your air mile credit card to squeeze as many extra miles out as possible.

- Repay the balance each month
Make sure that the switch to regular usage is also accompanied by regular repayment. If you don't repay the full balance every month you won't see any of the benefits that your card has to offer.

Budget your income effectively to ensure you aren't caught short at the end of the month.

It might be worth your while setting up a direct debit to pay off the balance in full every month. It will allow you peace of mind and security.

- Avoid cash transactions
Unfortunately withdrawing cash from these cards will only land you with an ATM handling fee and less money available to spend. You can't accrue points in this fashion, so keep your debit card handy for accessing cash.

Things to watch out for:

Check the APR of the air mile credit card to give you an idea of how much a missed payment is likely to sting and to give any indications of an annual fee.

If the typical APR on the majority of cards is around 16% and the one you are looking at is 35%, that's a good indication of an annual fee. Check the details to see just how much you will have to pay each year, and if it's worth it. Thankfully ChooseMoney make it all very simple, by laying out a comparison table for all air mile credit cards currently on the market so you can analyse in one place at one time.

Compare air miles credit cards