7 Signs You Need to Drop Your Credit Card Company ...

There's nothing wrong with a no-frills credit card – as long as it works for you. But if you're ready to take advantage of reward credit cards and earn points, miles or cashback on every purchase, it's time to ditch your plain vanilla credit card and explore other options. Reward credit cards make sense if you use credit on a regular basis, and you pay your balance in full every month.

The representatives who work for your credit card company can greatly influence your credit experience. Nobody wants to deal with horrible customer service or impatient customer service reps. If you've called your credit card company on several occasions to ask a question or express a concern, only to be greeted by representatives who aren't friendly or willing to assist, you deserve better.

If you have good credit and always pay your bill on time, there's no reason to pay a high credit card rate. Call your credit card company and ask the company to reduce your rate. If they won't comply with your request, start shopping around for new offers. A low rate is important if you carry a balance from month-to-month. A low rate reduces how much you pay in interest, and it can decrease minimum payments.

Paying an annual fee isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if you're getting a lot in return. But if you feel the annual fee on your credit card isn't justified, start looking for a credit card offering a lower annual fee or no annual fee.

Maybe the problem isn't the credit card, but you. A credit card can help you build your credit history, and it can provide cash during an emergency. But some people cannot handle a credit card. It's too much temptation and they accumulate too much debt. If you find it's hard to control your spending with a credit card, cut your credit card in half and use cash only.

Nowadays, many people prefer to pay their credit card bills and manage their accounts online. But if your credit card is through a smaller bank, this bank's online features might need improving. It can be frustrating if you can't access the page, or if the site isn't user-friendly. If the bank doesn't have any plans to upgrade its system, look for credit cards offered by larger banks.

For other reasons, you may feel it's time to move on and get another credit card. Maybe you have a Discover or American Express, but you want a credit card that's more widely accepted at retail stores. Or maybe you travel a lot and you need a credit card that doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee.

Many banks and credit unions offer credit cards, so there's certain to be a credit card that's just right for you, but you have to know your options and comparison shop. What are other reasons to drop your credit card company?