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If you’re the type of person who pays off their credit card bills every month, then it makes sense to buy almost everything with plastic. It’s convenient, you can rack up big rewards, and you get strong protections against fraud.

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But there are some cases where using a credit card could seriously backfire. Here are three things you should never buy with a credit card.

1. Lottery tickets

Some states allow you to buy lottery tickets with a credit card, and some don’t. However, even if you can, you should never do it.

When you buy a lottery ticket with a credit card, your card company treats the purchase as a cash advance. That’s because your ticket could be turned into cash immediately if you win.

You want to avoid any type of cash advance with your credit card, because:

• You’ll pay a cash advance fee — typically 3% to 5% of the transaction amount.
• You’ll likely owe interest on the purchase immediately — and the APR will probably be higher than normal.
• You may not earn rewards.

A little gambling can be fun, so long as it’s not taking up more than a tiny portion of your budget. But the next time you want to buy a scratcher or a lotto ticket, use cash or a debit card.

2. Cryptocurrency

There are some trading platforms that allow you to buy cryptocurrency with a credit card. However, the transaction will likely be treated as a cash advance for the same reason a lottery ticket purchase is: The thing you’re buying can be quickly converted to cash.

There are some downsides to this on top of the ones mentioned above:

• The exchange may charge a credit card transaction fee — often 2% or 3%.
• Cryptocurrencies can lose value quickly. If you can’t pay off your credit card immediately, it’s possible that you’ll lose money on your investment and owe high-interest debt to your card issuer.

Cryptocurrency investing is risky enough without adding a credit card to the mix. It’s best to make purchases from a savings or checking account.

Want to buy crypto safely and with no unnecessary fees? Check out our list of the cryptocurrency exchanges to get started.

3. Medical care

Medical care in the U.S. can be incredibly expensive, so it’s no wonder people sometimes pay with a credit card. And that may be fine if you can repay the full balance right away.

But don’t use your credit card just because you can’t pay the full amount out of pocket. That could leave you buried in high-interest debt that takes years to pay off.

First, explore these options:

• Take a very close look at your bill and make sure everything is accurate. Errors and undue charges are not unheard of.
• Speak with your insurance company to have every charge explained and make sure everything that can be covered by insurance is covered by insurance.
• Negotiate with the provider. You may be able to get a discount or pay the bill off over time at low or no interest.
• If you have a good credit score, you may be able to pay for medical care with a personal loan that has a much lower APR than a credit card.

Borrowers with good credit scores can get personal loans with APRs as low as 6.99%. Check out our list of the best personal loans to see if you qualify.

And if you’re still unable to pay off your medical debt, you at least have some time before it hurts your credit score. Medical bills don’t show up on your credit report until they’re at least 365 days past due, and amounts under $500 are not reported at all.

Meanwhile, an unpaid credit card bill will show up on your credit report as quickly as 30 days past due.

A credit card can be your worst enemy — or your best friend

I love my credit cards. They get me all kinds of discounts, and the points and miles they earn save me hundreds of dollars per year. But it can get a little too easy to use them for everything out of habit. Before you reach for the plastic, make sure you’re not about to cost yourself unnecessary fees or rack up avoidable debt.

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