Credit cards can be a bit of a funny thing; you either love them or you hate them. But the reality is that they can be a good thing for you, if you know how to use them well. If you don’t use them well, and use them to pay for what you can’t afford, then it can spiral out of control and lead to debt. But when used well, they really can be your flexible friend. And not just because they are a useful tool for borrowing money. They can come with plenty of benefits too.

Take cash back, for instance. Depending on your credit provider, they can offer you a percentage amount of what you spend as cash, tax-free, right back to you. It would go into your account and be there a essentially free money to spend. But this is where using your credit card in the right way comes in; if you pay it off in full each month, then getting cash back is going to really work for you. If you only pay off a minimal amount each month, then the interest that you’re paying won’t make a dent in any rewards. So use your card well, and then you can take advantage.

There are many other benefits to credit cards too. Take the Citiprivatepass as an example. It is a perk enjoyed by Citi credit cardholders that provides early access to music, sports, dining, and theater events. Can’t get much better than that, right? So if this is the kind of thing that you enjoy, and you’d be spending money to go these events anyway, then looking into a Citi card could be a good idea for you. You can also earn many benefits and rewards such as air-mile programs, discounts of retailers, as well as free travel insurance. This isn’t an exhaustive list of examples, as different cards will provide different benefits. But as has been said, use your card wisely and it will pay off to do so.

Another great benefit of having a credit card is that if you shop online, there is greater protection that if you used a debit card. Not only can you get your money back if the items arrive damaged, or don’t arrive at all, but your data isn’t going to be online. When you use a debit card, it is the information pertaining to your own money. When it is a credit card, it is the bank’s money that is essentially ‘up for grabs’ should there be any issues with fraud.

One of the most obvious benefits that people will know about credit cards is that you can build up a credit score. So even if you’re not the biggest fan of credit cards, it can make it easier to get credit in the future, if you have a proven record of being able to pay back money on time each month. Anything from a cell phone contract to getting a mortgage will check your credit score. So building a good score up is a really good idea.