During holidays it is a lot of temptation to sign up for the retailer’s promotional credit card offering a discount on all the stuff you’re handing over to the cashier is high, but what you may not know is not all cards are equal. The better deal may be using the card you already have.

Here’s are some Credit card tips during Holiday shopping:

Watch out for in-store cards
Beware of an in-store promotional card that offers an initial store discount and even a discounted introductory rate. Those 10%,15% or even higher discounts come with high interest rates, low credit limits and you can only use it at that store.

Plan which credit card to use
Make sure you have a careful look at the fine print now to see how high those rates can go for your card.

Check your credit limit
Credit card companies are slashing credit lines across the board or even closing accounts without prior notification. Your credit card limit may have been already lowered. Check your most recent billing statement for your current limit. If you try and spend more than this limit, you will run into over-credit fees and penalty rates and may hurt your credit score.

Enjoy return policies
Credit cards like American Express and certain Visa cards offer “return protection,” which means your issuer will take back items — in new condition — that the retailer will no longer accept, up until 90 days after the original purchase

Take advantage of post-holiday price cuts
Some bank affinity or elite credit cards actually have price protection policies for 60 days, so if your favorite store slashed prices after the holidays, you could be eligible for a refund of the difference in cos

Know how much you are spending on your credit card
You’ll save yourself money and a major headache if you know what you are spending and how you are going to pay for it. Make sure you’ve got enough cash in the bank to cover your credit card spending, your regular monthly expenses and other upcoming expenses, like a tuition bill due in January.

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