Comment by Alupis

It's often about getting benefits out of transactions you're going to make regardless of how you pay for it.

If you're going to buy groceries, does it matter if you pay cash (debit) or use a credit card? The credit card gives you some percentage of that purchase back in rewards, which you then redeem on other things such as airfare, hotels, dinner out, uber, etc.

Think of it like a coupon that's valid everywhere, and every time you use it, a tiny sum is deposited into a savings account.

Pay it off at the end of the month and it's pretty much free money. Credit cards also have better cardholder protections, security and safety than using debit cards or cash.

Some people use credit cards for every purchase and become highly skilled at maximizing card rewards. This is also why many will say card fees don't matter - you often accrue enough rewards to pay for the fee itself plus lots more, making the fee irrelevant. The fee is there to compel you to use the card often enough to exceed the fee's value.