Britney Spears cannot sign record deals, buying homes, or probably even date someone without the consent of her father, conservator Jamie Spears.

That doesn't mean she can't find ways around the chains that legally bind her. When it comes to a recent shoe purchase, she was a credit card ninja.

The pop star has actually been using her bodyguard's credit card to buy stuff that doesn't fit into her conservatorship budget. Britney 1, Jamie 0!

WHOA! Underestimate Britney Spears' guile at your peril.

Britney hit up the Steve Madden store in the Valley over the weekend and bought two pairs of boots, paying for them with a credit card ... in a bodyguard's name.

The store employees gave Britney a hard time over the card ... because she signed her own name on the dotted line. Sigh. That will get you in trouble every time.

Spears ultimately convinced the clerk the person named on the card is an employee of hers and she was entitled to use it. Wonder if this will come up in court.

FUN FACT: Britney's personal credit card budget? $1,500 a week.