5 ways to earn credit card points faster, from dining rewards programs to referral bonuses

You can earn extra frequent flyer miles just for dining out. By signing up with a program called Rewards Network, you earn miles each time you pay at a participating restaurant, plus a bonus of up to a few thousand miles when you first sign up and start eating.

The program is fairly simple: You sign up with your preferred airline's dining program, and then register your credit or debit card. Each time you use that card at a participating restaurant, your payment is recognized by Rewards Network and you earn extra miles.

Most major US airlines participate, as well as a few hotel chains. You can look up participating restaurants at the Rewards Network website, as well as see what sign-up bonuses are currently offered.

Make sure you "double-dip" on earning rewards by using a credit card that offers bonus points, miles, or cash back for dining purchases to pay for your meals out. Our favorite options include the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x points on dining), the American Express® Gold Card (4x points at restaurants worldwide), and the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card (3x points on dining out and ordering in).

Have you gotten a lot of value from your Chase Freedom? Have you been happy with the perks that come with your Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express? Know a friend or family member who's looking for a new card? Many credit and charge cards offer bonuses if you refer a new cardholder — a great way to help recommend a card to a friend and get rewarded at the same time.

American Express and Chase run the most robust credit card referral bonus programs, which you can access at the following sites:

• Amex Refer a Friend
• Chase Refer a Friend

Capital One, Citi, and Discover also offer cardholders referral bonuses. Capital One usually sends out referral bonus offers via email, while you can find your referral bonuses on Citi and Discover by logging in to your account.

Follow the prompts to refer a friend to a card (via a referral link you send them). If they apply for the card and are approved through your referral link, you earn a bonus — depending on the card, the referral bonus could be 5,000 to 10,000 points or miles. Best of all, the person you referred gets the standard sign-up bonus, too.

Read more: The best credit card sign-up bonuses available now

Some of the best credit card referral bonuses available as of publish time include:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 15,000 points per approved referral, up to 55,000 Amex Membership Rewards points per year
• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 10,000 points per approved referral, up to 55,000 Amex points per year
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Earn 15,000 points per approved referral, up to 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per year

While some cards charge a fee to add an authorized user to your account, other cards pay you to add one. Many cards offer bonus miles if you add an authorized user in your first few months of card membership.

When signing up for a new card, make sure to keep a lookout for the option to add someone trustworthy to your account in exchange for a nice bonus. You're responsible for paying any charges made on the authorized user card, but you also earn points or miles for those purchases.

It seems obvious, but people with a few cards in their wallet often forget that they can maximize their rewards simply by using the right card for the right purchases.

One card may earn 2x points at gas stations, while another earns 3x points on dining, and a third earns 4x points at grocery stores. Forgetting to pay attention to bonus categories can cost you thousands of extra points each year. By keeping track of cards and bonus categories, you can be sure to always get the most for your regular spending.

By taking advantage of your normal spending habits, it's easy to maximize the points and miles you get back from your credit cards. Before you know it, you'll be on your way to that next great award redemption, whether it's a free flight in first class or a hotel stay booked on points.