Applying for travel rewards credit cards has a multitude of advantages. You can earn miles for free air travel, get upgrades while on the go, and even gain access to some very fancy airport lounges. However, unless you know how to maximize the benefits, your card can simply weight you down with its annual fees and interest rates. Following are some important pointers to keep in mind so that you can maximize the benefits on your travel reward card.

• Aim for the Welcome Bonus
  Most people apply for a particular travel rewards card because of its joining bonus. This bonus can be worth thousands of points, which in turn may be worth several hundred dollars. However, very few actually earn the bonus. This is because there is usually always a clause to the bonus. For instance, you might need to spend a minimum of $2000 on the card in the first three months. Therefore, when choosing among the travel rewards credit cards be sure to pick one which has conditions that you can manage to fulfill to benefit from the points.

• Only pay for services you use
  When applying for a travel rewards card, it might seem tempting to click on all available options. However, there is no point opting for a high-end premium card that offers services you hardly ever use. There are travel rewards credit cards with a $0 annual fee as well. Some of the high-end cards offer facilities such as priority pass lounge access, free hotel stays with ticket bookings, and free checked baggage. However, if you do not travel a lot, do a bit of research and try to opt for a card with a lower annual fee or one that has no annual fee at all.

• Always do a full payment
  Once you have applied for the card, the second step is making sure you set your autopay to pay the balance in full each month. You can do this online or simply call up customer service to get help with it. Complete payment is a good practice. It will keep your credit score high and prevent you from piling up huge bills with high interest on your card. By doing this, the points that are redeemable for cash can actually go towards free airfare or hotel stays, as opposed to simply paying off the outstanding payment on your card.

• Avoid sash advances and balance transfers
  Most of us apply for a new credit card to do a balance transfer for the zero-transfer fee introductory offer. However, it is a waste to get travel reward credit cards simply to transfer a balance. The same applies for a cash advance. Both balance transfers and cash advances earn you zero points on your travel card. Instead, they eat up a huge chunk of the amount that you can use to actually earn valuable points.

• Talk to customer service
  Most of us remember to call customer service only when there is something actually wrong with the card. We often forget to simply contact them to request a favor or two. Many travel reward credit cards are happy to wave foreign transaction fees for customers who pay in full and on time. Moreover, you can always call up your credit card company and request them to waive the annual fee on your travel credit card. It may not happen every time, but in the competitive business world, remember that credit card companies always strive to retain a good and loyal customer.