Knowing what you can and cannot buy with your credit card is helpful. This way, you won’t accidentally spend money you don’t have. However, there are some things that you need to avoid doing with your credit card. First, you should only spend as much money as you can afford to pay back within a given period—usually 60 days.
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It helps to know what you can and cannot buy with your credit card.
You might wonder what things you can buy with a credit card. You won’t, for example, be able to pay for groceries or gas with a credit card. These are considered essential purchases, and most people use cash or debit cards for them. But if your shopping list includes more discretionary items like clothing and jewelry, there are several ways to use your credit card to make these purchases:
- Use the rewards program on your credit card.
- Buy something from an online vendor who accepts payments through PayPal (like Etsy)
- Buy from another website that offers free shipping but requires you to enter personal information before purchasing.
What you can buy with a credit card
You can buy anything with a credit card, but this doesn’t mean that you should. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, so they’re convenient to carry around and use. However, they often have high-interest rates and fees, making them costlier than cash over time. Also, you’ll want to avoid buying things on your credit card if the purchase will prevent you from paying off the balance before interest begins accruing. Use care when making purchases online with your credit card—if something goes wrong or isn’t as described, it’s easier to dispute the charge if there is no physical evidence of it being made (like a receipt).
Some people even wonder if can you buy a money order with a credit card. Money orders are safe, and some credit cards allow you to buy one; it can be slightly expensive. “This fee is often either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater. On top of that, cash advance transactions are usually subject to a much higher cash advance APR,” says Lantern by SoFi experts.
What you can’t buy with a credit card
Your credit card can be a powerful tool, but it has limits. There are some things you can’t buy with a credit card.
- Cars and trucks: You can’t use your credit card to buy the car you love unless you put down enough of a deposit that the dealer will accept your payment over time in installments.
- Houses: It’s illegal for mortgage companies or banks to allow customers to make all payments on their loans by charging them to their regular bill cycles through electronic billing services such as Automatic Clearing House (ACH). This restriction also applies when paying off private debt (such as student loans) with a credit card. In other words, if someone offers you this kind of deal, then they’re breaking the law!
- Boats/planes: Purchasing any transportation equipment requires cash upfront. Even if it’s just one-third down payment before the delivery, don’t waste time trying to get around these rules by applying for an AMEX Platinum Card instead–it won’t work!
So there you have it. Hopefully, you’ve learned something valuable and can use this information in your life.
