Have you ever compared credit cards, found one that you thought was perfect for you, applied for it, were approved, and then you realised the credit card offer wasn’t all it was cracked up to be? In other words, have you ever felt roped in or “tricked” by a credit card company? Chances are that they didn’t technically trick you — everything’s laid out in the terms somewhere. That doesn’t mean things were clear to you as a consumer though. After all, the goal of the credit card company is to entice you to apply so they can increase their customer base. Not to worry. There are things you can do to make sure it never happens again.

Here are three things you can do before applying for a credit card to make sure you don’t feel tricked by the credit card company when all is said and done:

1. Get (and read) the full terms and conditions.

It’s not unusual for credit card terms and conditions to be tucked away somewhere in the application process. You’re sucked in by the details the credit card company chooses to highlight like an introductory balance transfer rate (such as with the Citibank Silver credit card). What you aren’t shown up front are any less-than-flattering details (like rewards programme caps).

Why should you bother applying for a credit card — a process that will show on your credit file for five years whether or not you get approved — without seeing all of the terms and conditions? You shouldn’t. Request them from the credit card company if they’re not easy to find on their website. If you know all of the fees, rates, limits, and other details before applying, nothing will surprise you later.

2. Keep a close eye on interest rates.

When you see a credit card ad you might see a low interest rate staring back at you in huge type. Don’t assume that’s your interest rate for the card. It might just be your balance transfer rate. More importantly, it might just be temporary!

Credit cards can have different rates for different things — balance transfers, purchases, and cash advances. Know up front how you plan to use your new credit card and choose one with an interest rate package that works for you. Once you apply, it’s stuck on your record. Don’t add enquiries to your credit file over incorrect assumptions. It’s not worth it.

3. Understand interest free days.

It’s not unusual for interest free days to come with strict terms attached. Yet they’re heavily promoted as a draw to consumers like you. After all, interest free days mean that you can pay off your balance without accruing any interest, right? Maybe.

The fact is that your interest free days might not apply to everything you think they apply to. For example, you probably won’t get interest free days on cash advances (which will be subject to their often-higher interest rates immediately). You also might not be able to get interest free days on purchases if you have a balance transfer on the account (which you generally don’t pay off in a single statement period). That’s because many cards stipulate that your entire balance has to be paid off for you to be eligible for interest free days on your purchases. Not all cards are equal in this regard and “interest free days” doesn’t always mean exactly the same thing. It’s just a specific example of why you should review your terms carefully before applying.

Don’t sign over any aspect of your financial future to a company unless you know exactly what you’re signing up for. There are laws and guidelines in place to make sure credit card companies can’t outright lie to you about what they’re offering, but that doesn’t mean things are always going to be easy for you to understand up front. Choosing a credit card is a big decision. Make it wisely. Make it informed.