Here’s another travel rule I live by — never use a debit card when checking into a hotel. 

Always use a credit card. Why? Because a hotel will often put a hold on your account for incidentals and they don’t tell you how much they’re holding. 

It could be $50 or $100 a night. 

That means they’ve essentially frozen your bank account. 

And it may take more than a week for that hold to be removed. So use a credit card. No holds. And you can still earn points.