Credit cards lead to debt, right? Not for everyone. Did you know that it’s technically possible to make money with credit cards? The key is discipline and planning (understanding your terms, so you can avoid fees and actually come out ahead).

Here are a few ideas to help you make money with your credit cards. While these three money-making tactics may not net you a huge profit, making money is certainly better than owing it.

1. Cash Advances, Savings, and Balance Transfers

Balance transfers can be a profit-seeker’s best friend when it comes to making money with credit cards. That’s because you can often take advantage of an introductory 0% interest period. In this case, you’ll want to look for the longest no-interest period possible, like six months with the NAB Low Rate Visa card.

By taking out a cash advance on your existing card and putting it into savings (or an investment), you’ll begin earning interest. Then you would transfer that credit card balance (at a high cash advance interest rate) to a 0% APR balance transfer card. You then have money earning interest, and you’re not paying any interest. With modest earnings of 5% annually over those six months, on a $2000 total, you would earn around $50. After six months, you would pay off the debt in full and keep the profit.

Risks: You may not come out ahead with this tactic at all. It depends a lot on the total amount withdrawn and the potential interest you can earn. If you invest that money in stocks, for example, you may end up losing it rather than profiting. Savings with set interest rates are a safer option. You’ll also need to consider the annual fee of your new card. If it has a $49 annual fee, and you’re only going earn $50, it probably isn’t worth having the new credit application marked on your credit file for five years just to earn a dollar. Keep in mind that you’ll still have to make monthly payments on that balance, preferably not with the money earning you interest.

2. Cash Back Rewards Cards

This is the tactic that requires a lot of discipline in your spending if you want to actually make money with your credit card. The idea is simple: you get a rewards card with a cash back program like the NAB Visa Mini credit card which lets you earn up to $120 cash back on your card every year. You only use the credit card for routine expenses that you would have to pay anyway (like petrol, food, and utility bills). You also pay off the balance in full every month to avoid interest payments (so it’s important to find a card offering interest free days).

The trick to earning money with this tactic is to be a typically big spender. You may earn a few dollars each year with basic purchases, but those spending more (and able to pay it off each month) will profit more. They’ll have to choose cards with higher rewards limits than the Visa Mini card though. For example, a professional who spends several thousand dollars on business trips every month, to be reimbursed by his employer, could book those trips with his rewards card and earn cash back, frequent flyer points, or other significant rewards he otherwise wouldn’t have.

Risks: The biggest risks of rewards cards are that you won’t pay attention to the terms (meaning you’ll get hit with something like an annual fee that exceeds any rewards earned) or that you’ll be tempted to spend more than what you can actually afford to pay off every month (meaning you’ll be subjected to interest fees).

3. Credit Cards to Fund Business Ventures

The option with the biggest profit potential is to use credit cards to fund other money making ventures, like a small business startup. Web-based businesses (like blogging for money) can have low barriers to entry, making them particularly attractive to some people. While they won’t make you rich in a few months’ time, they can earn a profit over the startup costs fairly quickly if you don’t have to outsource everything. For example, to start a blog, you may only have to pay for a domain name (about $10 per year) and hosting (up to $10 per month). Through ad revenue or selling products on the blog, you should be able to earn that money back and more. Larger and more traditional small businesses can also be funded in whole or in part by credit cards, and are an option that can appeal to home business owners who don’t need a huge amount of startup capital.

Risks: Business startups of any kind are always a risk. There’s always a chance that the business will fail, and that you’ll lose that initial investment. You’ll also want to look closely at your interest rates and fees on your credit card. If your startup idea would likely not cover those monthly or annual costs on top of the principal payments, you could end up losing money.

Trying to make money with credit cards isn’t for the feint of heart. There is always a risk involved, where you may end up losing even more than you anticipated earning. Most importantly, keep in mind that making money with credit cards is never a get rich quick scheme. In fact, you won’t “get rich” at all. If the added hassle is worth a few dollars or a few hundred dollars yearly to you, then consider one of the options here — but making money with credit cards is definitely not for everyone.