As a nation we’ve all become pretty reliant on plastic over the years, and many of us enjoy the convenience and flexibility that credit cards offer. But unless you use your card in the right way these cards can become more of a burden than a convenience.

If you find yourself continually clocking up fees and charges, paying far too much interest, or not benefiting from any rewards offered on the card it may be time to review the way that you are using your card – and if necessary to change your card to fit in with your spending and repayment habits.

One way of maximising on the benefits of your credit card is to try and repay the balance in full each month. This means that you won’t have to worry about paying interest for the privilege of using the card, and you can reduce the chances of being hit with hefty fees.

If you have a rewards based credit card such as a cash back card you can really benefit from paying off your balance in full each month, as you can clock up the rewards for using the card without having this offset by extortionate interest charges.

Another way that you can gain maximum benefit from credit cards is to take out a 0% balance transfer credit card, and then transfer existing balances from high interest credit cards onto your new card. Of course, in order to really benefit from this move you should repay the balance in full by the end of the interest free period, otherwise you will probably be charged higher than average interest on any remaining balance.

If you intend to use your credit card to make purchases and spread the repayment then you will fare better with a credit card that offers 0% interest on purchases for a specified period – again, try and repay the balance in full by the end of the interest free period otherwise you will start paying hefty interest charges on any remaining balance.

When using a credit card it is important not to exceed your credit limit, and also to avoid making late payments, as this can result in fees being added to your balance, making it even more difficult to clear. Likewise, you should try and avoid using your credit card to make cash transactions, as you will incur hefty charges for this with most credit card companies – this means withdrawing cash as well as various other transactions such as purchasing gift vouchers or gambling online with your credit card.

Following simple but effective steps such as these can help you to get the most from your credit card without having to put up with the downside of credit cards. With the wide choice of credit cards available these days it shouldn’t be difficult to find one that suits your needs and your circumstances, so you can more or less find a card that is tailored to fit in with your needs and your spending and repayment habits.

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Reno Charlton, award-winning writer, shares her financial expertise as a contributing columnist for www.credit-card-comparison-online.co.uk and www.personal-loan-comparison-online.co.uk.