"Use Credit Cards for Everything to Get Points"

The idea that earning credit card points is always beneficial ignores the 12-18% overspending researchers attribute to card usage compared to cash. Unless you pay every balance in full each month, the typical 2% cash back is dwarfed by behavioral overspending. When measured against a debit card for every transaction, credit card users on average spend $1,200 more per year on a $10,000 budget—a figure that far outweighs any rewards earned.