Many credit card companies are looking to fatten your wallet – not necessarily with cash but with more cards – and they’ve got a whole deck of tricks up their sleeves to get you to sign up for their card. Low introductory rates, no annual fees and cash-back bonuses are all legitimate offers, but for an uneducated consumer, they can end up seeming like sleight of hand. To help you learn to sort the real treats from the credit card tricks, we’ve listed some popular credit card games here:

1. Bait and switch
Just because the letter you got in the mail says you’ve been “preapproved” for a card with great terms doesn’t mean you are guaranteed those terms when you send back your application. When you receive your actual card, read the accompanying documents to make sure it comes with the same terms as the one you thought you were applying for.

2. Rising rates
Many companies will offer low introductory interest rates that can then skyrocket by as much as 30 percent when the introductory period is up. And don’t think you’ll then be able to just transfer your balance to another card: you may incur a stiff monetary penalty and hurt your credit score.

3. Nothing is forever
Or, is it? Promises of no annual fees are often broken by credit card companies after a few years, especially if you haven’t been carrying a balance and paying interest charges. In fact, credit card companies can change nearly any term associated with your card -- even so-called “fixed” interest rates – with 15 days notice. Read your statements closely to stay on top of changes.

4. Not-so-free stuff
A free T-shirt or 10 percent off the day’s purchases may sound attractive at first, but not if you get stuck with a card that comes with a high interest rate or steep annual fees.

5. Free service, for now
Consumers are sometimes lured by temporary offers of free services – such as credit monitoring or credit card theft insurance – that they don’t necessarily need. Then they are charged for those services after the introductory period is over. Make sure you are aware of the cancellation procedures before you sign up, or simply decline the free services completely.

6. Cash advance conundrum
The advantage of a low interest rate on cash advances can be cancelled out by “transaction fees,” which can run as high as 3 percent of the advance amount.

7. Low minimum meltdown
Allowing you to make low monthly minimum payments may seem like a generous offer, but you’ll just end up paying more interest for your purchases if you only pay the minimum each month.