If you travel for business, you know that it can be quite easy to rack up large amounts of rewards points. But are you doing enough with them to get the most out of them? There are many different ways you could be selling yourself short with the rewards that you get and you may not even know it. Even worse, you could be cutting yourself before you even get them by not going about earning them the proper way.

So how could you use your points better? Here are a few pointers.

Get a Better Credit Card

Of course, the best thing you can do to earn better rewards from your credit card is to get a better credit card. Don’t always use the same cards that everyone else is using – find the ones that work best for you. Real value comes when you do a little bit of digging and maybe even some math to figure out which cards will work best for you.

Think about where you travel, how you travel, and what you do when you travel and you will start to get a clear idea where most of your money goes. Even if you get reimbursed, you can still keep those points.

Know the Rules

When you use your card to earn points, you have to know the rules. Generally, you want to know about how to earn more points, where you earn the most points, limitations for using those points, if your points expire, and any specials that your card may run. Knowing these rules can help you to make a better decision about when, where, and how to use the points. If you know the rules, you will know how to use them in your favor.

Book Hotels

Using a card to book hotels can be a great way to earn a reputation at the hotel – and maybe score some free points. Many hotel giants, like Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, and more have loyalty programs that allow you to earn perks like free Wi-Fi, free breakfast, upgrades, and quicker check-in. Most of the time, you do have to use the card and book directly on the company’s website, so you have to weigh the pros and cons there as well.

Use Your Rewards Smartly

Most importantly, when you get rewards, you have to know how to use them in an intelligent manner. Make the most of your rewards and always do research.