5 Times To Swipe Your Credit Card Over Debit for Maximum Rewards in 2025
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Written by
Joseph Hostetler
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Edited by
Amen Oyiboke-Osifo
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Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron
There are plenty of situations where using a debit card has advantages over a credit card — from staying within budget to accessing cash with little to no fees.
But earning rewards is not one of those situations. Very few debit cards earn any rewards at all. If you can handle credit responsibly, using a credit card is almost always more rewarding than using a debit card for your everyday purchases.
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Let’s take a look at five times you should leave your debit card at home and swipe one of the best rewards credit cards instead.
1. You’re Trying To Earn a Credit Card Welcome Bonus
Credit card welcome bonuses are the hands-down best way to earn rewards in a hurry. Here’s how travel credit cards work when it comes to intro offers: Meet a card’s minimum spending requirement within a few months of account opening and receive a lump sum of cash or travel rewards.
If you fail to complete the spending requirement within the specified introductory time frame, you’ll forfeit the bonus. Use your credit card wisely by completing the requirements as quickly as possible to ensure you won’t miss out. When you’re chasing a credit card’s sign-up bonus, ignore the debit card and put every dime of expenses on your new card.
2. You’ve Got Expenses That Fall Into Credit Card Bonus Categories
Many large monthly expenses fit into bonus categories with popular credit cards. Transactions like groceries, dining, gas and travel can yield up to 10 points per dollar, depending on the specific credit card you have.
Aside from housing, these charges likely make up the lion’s share of your budget. Because the potential earning rate is so high for them, it’s not a good idea to use your debit card. It’s some of the easiest rewards you’ll ever earn — and it can translate to many tens of thousands of bonus points per year. My family of three easily spends over $1,500 per month on purchases like these.
3. Your Credit Card Can Offset Travel Purchases
To maximize some of the top travel credit cards, you’ve got to use that card specifically for your travel purchases. For example, your card may:
- Reimburse the first $300 in travel-related purchases you use the card for each year.
- Provide free checked bags for your flight when you pay the cash portion of your ticket with the card.
- Allow you to redeem miles to retroactively “erase” any travel purchases made with the card.
In other words, you’ll need to swipe your rewards-earning credit card for specific purchases to be rewarded.
4. You’re Meeting Annual Spending Requirements for a Specific Benefit
Many credit cards incentivize you to meet specific yearly spending thresholds by dangling annual perks in front of you. Think of free hotel night certificates, improved airport lounge access, and airline or hotel elite status.
If your credit card’s spending bonus is valuable to you (and if you can achieve it), leave the unrewarding debit card sheathed and funnel your money through your credit card.
5. You Want To Take Advantage of a Special Credit Card Promotion
Credit cards sometimes offer brief windows to receive an increased return for your credit card spending. This can come in different forms, such as:
- Rotating bonus categories: Your credit card may provide 5% back on Amazon purchases during the first quarter of the year and on supermarkets during the second quarter of the year. When a rotating bonus category appears that integrates into your spending, take advantage of it.
- Digital offers that you can add to your card: Several banks issue offers that, when manually added to your card via your online account, award you bonus points or cash back after spending with a specific merchant.
- Random spending promotions: You may receive an email asking you to activate a promo that boosts your spending in popular categories like grocery stores and gas stations for a limited time.
Warning: Don’t Spend Money You Don’t Have
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of credit card rewards. But don’t let your earnings undermine your budget. Only make purchases you can afford — and don’t make additional purchases you wouldn’t otherwise make just to earn some points and miles.
Rewards credit cards have startling interest rates. Any debt you carry month to month will incur interest, which will almost certainly negate any rewards you earn from spending. That’s why it’s important to treat your credit card like a debit card; if you don’t have the money in the bank to pay off each purchase, don’t swipe your card.
