<prompt> Human: Long time reader. First time poster. Some of my family and friends play the credit card point game and claim they make money doing so. When is it in your best interests to pay cash vs. credit? Do the points value diminish after the first interest payment? Is 1cash back good? Thanks for the advise.  <response>: When is it in your best interests to pay cash vs. credit?Dont pay credit for anything you cant pay cash for today. Do the points value diminish after the first interest payment?Yes. Chasing rewards only works if you dont accrue interest. Is 1cash back good? Its better than 0, but not as good as 2. Check out rchurning 