Credit Card Rewards

Tempted to grab those instant credit cards at the checkout counters of your favourite stores to get those cool discounts? Before you sign on the dotted line, you may want to read the fine print. Some companies offering instant card approval may not be packing as much punch as they seem to promise and saving a few bucks today with some of these offers may end up costing you quite a few more than you bargained for. But with so many options out there, there are still quite a few instant credit card approval offers that might still make sense for you.

What Are Instant Credit Cards?

While many credit card companies take time to process your application before the card arrives at your doorstep with instant credit cards, you can qualify for the card almost immediately. You can find them at retail checkout counters, department stores as well as online. And we should not forget about the never ending stream of offers received via regular mail from credit card companies pitching hard for their latest offering.

Downside Of Instant Card Approvals

Setting aside the immediacy of an instant credit card approval, there are significant pitfalls of instant card approvals to be aware of. A common misconception regarding instant card approvals is the notion that you will gain instant access to credit. The instant approval process is a filter that merely qualifies card applicants for the application process. But you still have to fill out a card application and go through the approval process like anyone else. With an instant approval, you qualify for the application process but not necessarily the card itself.

Instant credit cards can also carry higher much interest rates than traditional card offerings in the marketplace. In such cases, the card will end up costing you more money in interest than you gained in benefits. Unlike traditional card offers that currently exist, some instant credit cards will not offer an introductory interest-free period at all. And similar to traditional credit cards, the people most likely to get instant credit card approval are those with good credit histories. Instant credit cards will require an inquiry about your credit history from at least one of the major credit bureaus so make sure not to attempt to gain approval for multiple instant card approvals at once as too many credit inquiries at the same time can adversely affect your credit rating.

If you thought instant approvals were to good to be true, you may have been right. But that is no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Spend some time researching various instant credit cards and compare them side by side. You can find a solid instant card approval offer with very competitive rates of interest, attractive rewards programs, balance transfer features and more. And while these type of benefits are not necessarily typical with instant credit cards, they are available, and with a little bit of effort, you can locate some very attractive offers.

How do you start to compare credit cards? Finding out the best credit card to suit your needs can be a very time consuming process but one which can save you money and bring you more benefits than just choosing a credit card at random or the one which accepts your application first.

There are many different types of credit cards on the market but knowing which way you are going to deal with your finances before you apply for one could help you choose the best credit card for you.

If you pay off the total amount of your credit card bill every month then you would benefit from a reward credit card. Reward credit cards can offer cash back if you prefer or if you are a traveler then a credit card that offers air miles would benefit you.

If you already have a credit card, with a big balance, and are looking to switch to another then you may want to take advantage of a 0% balance transfer deal where the balance on your current credit card can be transferred without interest being added for an introductory period. Ultimately this will cost you less and gives you the opportunity to pay off your balance a little quicker. Before choosing your 0% balance transfer credit card be aware of the interest rate after your initial interest free period as some cards can have a high interest rate so look around.

For the more extravagant spender, a 0% purchase credit card could be right up your street. In the first several months as an introductory offer there will be 0% interest on what you spend on your credit card meaning you may afford that little luxury item as you won’t be paying interest on your payment.

If you have a bad credit history and are worried whether you would be able to obtain a credit card or not, don’t worry, as there are lenders that will deal with your case, although you will most probably be charged a higher interest rate. Credit cards can benefit you if you have had previous bad debt to rebuild yourself a good credit history.

All of these different types of credit cards also have other added benefits included and you should look at them more in depth. You can save a lot of money by comparing credit cards and the hard work of choosing the best credit card will pay off, right into your back pocket.

Airline Credit Cards Are They Offering The Best Value?e

There are more reward credit cards around now than ever before. There are cash back credit cards, points cards and American Express even have a new nectar card out. One of the long running popular rewards has been the airline credit card. These are offered by many of the main card providers and they offer as their reward scheme the chance to collect airmiles as you spend. Airmiles are an extremely popular reward as they can be redeemed on major airlines for free or upgraded flights. However, the question customers have to keep asking themselves in this respect is whether or not they offer the best value.

Looking at airline credit cards as a whole, they typically reward you with one airmile per pound spent. This seems fair enough but when you look at airmile redemption prices, you can see that it costs thousands of airmiles for even the shortest flights. For the vast majority of customers, it will take literally years to spend enough on the card to redeem a free flight, even within the UK. Some customers will be able to add these miles to ones they also collect on flights and in this way build up miles faster.

If you compare this to other rewards however, you may be forced to ask yourself if they are worth the hassle. First, compare this type of reward with similar rewards for using say a cash back credit card. While it will depend on the specific circumstances of your card, it may well be the case that you would have got back enough cash to buy a flight out right before ever getting enough miles to claim a free one.

Also, if you are paying high interest on an outstanding balance then airmiles will be the last thing you should be thinking of. Rather you should consider getting a good balance transfer card that will allow you to switch your balance to it and enjoy a substantial interest free period on the balance. This will likely save you far more than any reward scheme will b e worth to you. Also, you may want a card that gives you lower rates on purchases if you do not pay off your balance in full each month. As a general rule, if you dont pay off your entire balance in full each month, you should be more concerned with interest rates and balance transfer possibilities than reward schemes on credit cards you use.

Airline Credit Cards Are They Offering The Best Value?

There are more reward credit cards around now than ever before. There are cash back credit cards, points cards and American Express even have a new nectar card out. One of the long running popular rewards has been the airline credit card. These are offered by many of the main card providers and they offer as their reward scheme the chance to collect airmiles as you spend. Airmiles are an extremely popular reward as they can be redeemed on major airlines for free or upgraded flights. However, the question customers have to keep asking themselves in this respect is whether or not they offer the best value.

Looking at airline credit cards as a whole, they typically reward you with one airmile per pound spent. This seems fair enough but when you look at airmile redemption prices, you can see that it costs thousands of airmiles for even the shortest flights. For the vast majority of customers, it will take literally years to spend enough on the card to redeem a free flight, even within the UK. Some customers will be able to add these miles to ones they also collect on flights and in this way build up miles faster.

If you compare this to other rewards however, you may be forced to ask yourself if they are worth the hassle. First, compare this type of reward with similar rewards for using say a cash back credit card. While it will depend on the specific circumstances of your card, it may well be the case that you would have got back enough cash to buy a flight out right before ever getting enough miles to claim a free one.

Also, if you are paying high interest on an outstanding balance then airmiles will be the last thing you should be thinking of. Rather you should consider getting a good balance transfer card that will allow you to switch your balance to it and enjoy a substantial interest free period on the balance. This will likely save you far more than any reward scheme will b e worth to you. Also, you may want a card that gives you lower rates on purchases if you do not pay off your balance in full each month. As a general rule, if you dont pay off your entire balance in full each month, you should be more concerned with interest rates and balance transfer possibilities than reward schemes on credit cards you use.