In the world of personal finance, you often see a focus on interest rates when credit cards are discussed. That may be because people often become interested in personal finance after accumulating consumer debt, often in the form of credit card debt. For individuals who are still trying to pay off debt and build good financial habits, getting the lowest interest rates possible is important. However, if you pay off your balance in full each month, responsible use of credit cards can help you save money on gas, groceries, or even travel. How? Via rewards credit cards. Rewards programs can be complicated, so here are some credit card considerations beyond APR.

Know your credit score

Gail Cunningham of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) says that it’s important that you “don’t apply for a card unless you think they are going to say yes. No use having an unnecessary inquiry on your credit report.”

If you think you’re ready to enter the world of rewards credit cards, the first step you take should be getting your free credit score from WisePiggy.

“With good credit, lenders will want you to be their customer,” says Maxine Sweet, vice president of public education for Experian.

Time your application

Once you’re in a position to qualify for the best offers, time your applications carefully. For example, Sweet recommends not opening new accounts in the 3-6 months before applying for a rate-sensitive loan, such as a mortgage. However, she adds that “having additional cards can help your scores by helping your utilization ratio as long as you don’t use them to overspend.”

In other words, judicious use of your credit cards can actually improve your credit score. This may help you get the best mortgage rates or finance an auto purchase.

Don’t get in over your head

The 2014 Financial Literacy Survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling revealed that 34 percent of respondents carry debt from month to month.

“Don’t apply for new credit if the only reason you’re doing so is because your other cards are maxed out,” Cunningham says. “More plastic equals more temptation.”

Rewards cards work best for individuals who pay their balance in full each month, as these cards tend to charge a purchase APR higher than the rebate you’ll receive for purchases with the card. In other words, the value of any potential reward would be negated by the interest paid if you carry a balance from month to month.

However, Cunningham points out that “people who pay their balance in full and on time should not be concerned over a double-digit interest rate.”

Remember that annual fees can be worth it

In addition to higher interest rates, many of the credit cards with the most significant rewards programs come with an annual fee. The annual fee is sometimes waived in the first year, but this isn’t always the case. Don’t let this be an automatic deterrent, says John Ulzheimer, CreditSesame.com president of consumer education.

“Some cards have rewards programs that return considerably more to the cardholder than they paid in an annual fee,” he says. “As such, the trade off is clearly in the cardholder’s favor.”

Choose rewards cards that fit your lifestyle

Ulzheimer says the key is identifying the rewards card that will be most meaningful to you. For example, if you rarely travel then an airline miles card isn’t going to be worth the annual fee no matter how generous the benefits are. However, Experian’s Maxine Sweet points out that “there are so many great reward card options, including cash back, airline miles, hotels, and points for purchases.” As a result, finding the best credit cards for you should be possible even if it requires some research.

Read the fine print

Cunningham says it is important to read the fine print on any credit card application, including conditions regarding rewards programs. Applying for an airline rewards credit card? She would ask “do the points or miles expire? What are the restrictions? Are there rotating months in which points can be earned or limits on how much can be earned? If you’re after airline miles, are there blackout dates or restricted seating? Can the points be given away to someone else?”

Other considerations

In addition to their normal rewards structure, many rewards cards offer sign-up bonuses for new cardholders in which you can receive a certain bonus — it could come in the form of miles, points or cash back — for spending a certain amount with the new card within a predetermined time frame. Cunningham believes it’s important to be careful in these circumstances.

The overall rule with rewards credit cards, both with the sign-up bonus and with the overall cash-back rebate, is to use the card sensibly and not get carried away by the prospect of earning more rewards.

“Consumers should not be lured into spending more than they need to simply to earn rewards,” Cunningham says.