5 Credit Card Hacks to Avoid

1. Sending Money Using Payment Apps

Many payment apps, such as Venmo, PayPal and CashApp, allow you to connect a credit card for payments. The apps can be a safe way to send money to friends or family members and to make purchases.

And while using a connected credit card to send payments might seem like an easy way to earn rewards, the hack doesn't actually work. Payment apps generally charge a fee for each payment or transfer you make using a connected credit card, such as 3% of the transaction amount. The fee could be more than the rewards you'll earn.

Additionally, your credit card issuer might consider the transaction a cash advance, which won't earn rewards. You might have to pay a cash advance fee and your cash advances could start to accrue interest immediately.

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2. Purchasing Prepaid Cards to Earn Rewards

Buying prepaid gift cards also might seem like an easy way to earn credit card rewards. You could even try to use the money on the prepaid gift card to pay off your credit card bill.

However, buying prepaid cards is also often considered a cash advance. Even if the prepaid card company doesn't charge you a fee, you still won't come out ahead if you're paying a cash advance fee and interest.

3. Purchasing Gift Cards to Earn Rewards

Buying gift cards is a gray area rather than something to avoid altogether. Depending on your card issuer, where you buy the gift card and the type of gift card you're buying, the transaction might be classified as a standard purchase.

For example, if your credit card offers bonus points at grocery stores and you buy someone a $25 gift card at your local grocery store, you might receive the bonus points for the purchase. However, if you regularly buy gift cards to boost your rewards points, the card issuer might consider that to be gaming the rewards program, take your points and close your account.

Additionally, if you use a gift card for a purchase, you won't receive the purchase protections and benefits that many credit cards offer.

4. Opening Lots of New Cards for the Intro Bonuses

Many credit cards offer an intro bonus that you can earn for opening a new card or completing certain requirements. These intro bonuses can be quite large, and some people open new credit cards to earn the bonus without any intention to use the card later.

Repeatedly opening and closing credit cards for the intro bonus is sometimes called credit card churning or credit card flipping. You might be able to earn lots of rewards quickly, but credit card issuers may view this as gaming their rewards programs.

As a result, the card issuer might take back your rewards and close your credit card account. It also might close other credit cards or bank accounts you have at the company and deny new applications you submit.

Even if you're not regularly opening or closing new cards, you also might lose your rewards if you earn an intro bonus and then close the card within 12 months of opening the account.

Beyond implications to your credit card accounts, your credit score can drop from opening and closing multiple cards, especially in a short time period.

5. Lying About Your Income

While it can be tempting to enter a higher income on your application to potentially get a larger credit limit, this is not a good idea. Even though card issuers don't ask to verify your income like loan applications do, you should only enter an accurate income amount. Inflating your income is considered fraud, and if your card issuer finds out, your account can be closed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get Matched With Great Rewards Cards

Many credit card hacks focus on increasing your credit card rewards and credit scores. Often, these hacks can backfire and cost you money. But there are many legitimate ways to improve your credit scores and benefit from a rewards card.

You could start by checking your FICO^® Score^Θ for free to see where your credit stands. Your Experian account also comes with free credit report monitoring. And once you log in, you can get matched with credit card offers based on your unique credit profile.