Credit Card Rewards

The Idiots Guide to Selecting a Credit Card Part II

There are literally hundreds – possibly thousands – of credit card offers available to consumers these days. And these days there are more things to compare than just interest rates and fees. Now, credit card holders can be rewarded for their using credit cards. Or, if youre a business owner, you might find extra features and perks with a business credit card. In this article well go over the basics of some of these above-and-beyond features of credit cards. Whenever youre thinking of applying for a credit card, its always best to compare all of their features so you get the best credit card that matches your financial lifestyle.

Rewards Programs

Probably one of the most attractive features of credit cards these days is the rewards programs that they sometimes offer. Credit card companies will often reward their cardholders for making purchases with the cards. Rewards can range from airline tickets to cash back to hotel discounts, depending on which credit card you apply for. The rewards are usually based on a point system with each dollar you spend using your credit card, you are rewarded a certain number of points that are collected in your account. When you have a certain number of points, you are able to redeem them for the reward that your credit card offers.

How can you use these types of cards to your best advantage? Think about what you do the most do you travel? Do you drive a lot and use a lot of gasoline? Do you shop at a particular store a lot? Consumers usually choose rewards credit cards that match their spending habits the best. If you travel a lot, it would be best to get a credit card that offers airline rewards. If youre on the road a lot, try finding an offer that gives you a discount on gasoline, or cash back for gasoline purchases. One thing to remember when selecting a rewards program make sure that once you choose it, it fits your needs exactly. For instance, if you fly frequently but usually fly on Midwest Express, make sure your credit card offers rewards for Midwest Express and not American Airlines. If youre a big driver, make sure youre getting rewarded for using the gasoline thats most available to you BP, Amoco, etc. There are some rewards cards that allow you a choice, but its always important to make sure youre going to get what you expect!

Business Features

If you are a business owner, using a business credit card can help you with things like payroll, managing expenses, and managing employee spending. Business credit cards now offer features like:

Detailed expense reporting allowing you to see very clearly where your hard earned business dollars are being spent.
Online account management allowing you to view and manage your credit accounts via the internet for added convenience
Customized cards and employee cards allowing you as the business owner to receive cards for your employees
Increased credit limits- allowing you to make the business purchases you need to keep your business running.
Rewards either travel, cash back, or other discounts, rewards allow you to enjoy a little bit of what youre spending

Make sure when youre applying for a business credit card that you compare these types of features and make sure your business card will meet the needs of you, your business, and your employees.

Online Access

Its not news anymore online access to bank accounts and credit accounts is just about standard these days. If youre a high powered geek, though, you might want to check out the interface and features of the online access that your credit card allows you. Online access offers you 24×7 access to your statements, transactions, customer support and billing making it much easier for you to monitor your credit expenses and pay your bills.

Security & Protection

Another feature of credit cards that is just about standard these days is the protection that credit card issuers offer you for things like identity theft and fraudulent use of your credit card. Unfortunately, there are still people out there who can acquire your credit card numbers usually by finding a receipt with your credit card number on it, getting the number through hacking online, etc.
Consumers should always keep credit card receipts in a safe place, shred them, or at the very least make sure that the credit card number and expiration date is not shown on the receipt before you throw it out. The good news is that if you notice a fraudulent charge on your credit card, its usually as easy as calling up your credit card company and reporting it. 9 times out of 10, its easy enough to prove that you didnt make the charge, and your credit card company will remove that charge from your account. With some of the higher end cards platinum cards, etc. the credit card companies actively monitor your account and will personally call you if they notice unusual activity on your credit card. In some cases, they do not authorize payments until they get approval from the card holder. These types of features add safety and security for consumers.

How to Save Money With a Credit Card Balance Transfer

Would you like to know how a credit card balance transfer can save you hundreds of dollars from your credit card bills? Do you currently have trouble keeping up with your credit card balances? If yes, then a balance transfer may just be what you need.

Getting a Balance Transfer Credit Card

What is a Balance Transfer credit card and how is it different from standard credit cards in the market? If you try to shop around for credit cards, youll notice that some credit cards offer 0% APR as part of their introductory offer. The 0% interest rate will usually apply on purchases but if you take a look closely at your choices, youll find credit cards that offer 0% rate on balance transfers. If youre lucky, you can even find a credit card that offers 0% APR for both purchases and balance transfers.

Why should you take advantage of 0% balance transfer credit cards? Carrying over your balances with each billing cycle increases your debt due to additional interest fees. With balance transfer credit card, you can focus on paying your original charges without the interest. Do the math, and youll realize how much you can save from the interest rates alone on your existing balances.

Finding the Right Balance Transfer Credit Card

Does this mean that all balance transfer credit cards are right for you? Take note that different credit card issuers also provide a variety of terms and conditions. Naturally, youll want to go with a company that will give you the best deals.

For instance, how long will the 0% introductory period last? Never forget that the zero interest offer is just a temporary option. Some companies offer as little as three months while others offer up to a year or more. Ideally, enjoying at least 12 months of 0% interest offer should give you enough time to repay your balances completely.

How much is the interest rate after the introductory period? Will the interest rate still be reasonable when the introductory offer ends or will it soar high? Its best to choose a card that will still give you a reasonably low interest even after the 0% APR expires.

How much is the interest on purchases? If the 0% APR is limited to balance transfers alone, how much will the interest be on your charges? If the interest on purchases will be expensive, you may want to consider using this particular card for balance transfers only.

Another thing to keep in mind is how much are the annual fee? Some balance transfer credit cards may have very expensive annual fees. If you have to pay such a large amount each year, will it still enable you to save your money? There are balance transfer cards that have no annual fee so youll want to take your time looking for the right card to fit your needs.

So, youve reached the next plateau of your life: College. Opportunities are beginning to present themselves to you, and odds are, credit card companies are stuffing your mailbox with offer upon offer for student credit cards. Having these cards can be important for establishing a good credit score for when you enter the real world.

What are some of the important things to know when selecting your first card? What should you watch out for? In this article, well discuss some of the pros and cons about getting your first student credit card.

Your credit history can be very important. Moneylenders use information on how you handled your financial obligations in the past when they are determining whether or not you are worthy of their loan services.

It can be important to determine your eligibility for such things as apartment rentals, employment, and insurance. Two cards are typically offered to students: secured and unsecured cards. Anybody with collateral can apply for a secured credit card and usually receive one, since they are backed up by your collateral. If you stop payment, the bank can simply repossess whatever you put down for collateral when you got the card.

Some pros for getting a credit card at this age include establishing a good credit history, possible benefits and bonuses from the company, and the convenience of carrying plastic as opposed to a wallet full of bills. However, you must watch yourself, because expenses can quickly add up, and beginning interest rates can be murder. Hopefully this article can help you make a more informed decision about your student credit cards.

You can find more guides and advice on credit cards at http://www.credit-guidance.info

Instant credit card approvals slicks are sweeping the Internet. Nearly anyone with outstanding credit can apply for these cards and receive a response in minutes, or sometimes-even seconds. The annual fees, interest rates, balance transfer fees, and other fees all vary on the credit cards, therefore contrasting and comparing is wise while seeking credit lines.

Annual fees – Many card issuers or banks often waive the annual fees, yet the card issuers will add the fees in a clause, therefore check the Terms & Conditions, fine lines, and other information before accepting the cards.

Interest Rates – The interest rates are often available upfront. Credit cards issued from banks offer revolving lines of credit, which 2% of the interest is levied, while the outstanding balance is repaid monthly. The actual rates of interest paid yearly can be right around 24%. This is an important issue to understand: if you roll over payments on credit cards, you may pay interest rates of up to 25% and more on a yearly basis.

The Annual Percentage Rates (APR), is the interest rates, which are often fixed or variable. The interest fixed rates and variable rates differ, therefore understanding your plan is essential for getting the lowest rates.

Grace Periods are important to understand also. The grace periods are what determines the fees and interest paid on the instant approval credit cards. Many banks issuing credit cards will offer a 25-day grace period before attaching interest to the card balance. This means that if you purchased a $100 item on your card you wont pay interest on the balance, if paid before the grace period ends. If you pay the balance after the grace period, likely you will pay late fees and higher rates of interest.

Other Fees – Many credit cards charge fees on cash advances, balance transfers, etc. Therefore, read clauses, stipulations, Terms & Conditions, fine lines, and all other information before accepting a credit card.

Three Types of Credit Cards

Overall, there are three types of credit cards: house cards, bankcards and travel and entertainment cards. The bankcards are obtainable through banking institutions or card lenders. Most times, you receive a MasterCard or Visa. The Travel and Entertainment credit cards come from American Express, Diners Club, and so forth. These cards are accepted only in designated areas. The house cards include Wal-Mart Cards, Sears, Pennies, and so forth, and these cards are only accepted in the named stores. Still, you can apply for American Express, Gold Cards, and more through common credit card companies or banking institutions.

Overall

Conducting research is wise, yet it is nothing if you do not compare and contrast the instant approval credit cards. Many sites are available with information relating to instant credit card approvals. The secure sites will put you in touch with card issuers who specialize in helping you find the best credit cards online.

If credit cards have become a way of life for you, it might be time to organize your credit cards. If you have a lot of credit card debt, you might even want to look at consolidating your cards to a lower rate card that will save you in interest charges. Be careful, done incorrectly, canceling and consolidating credit card debt can harm your credit.

Before you consolidate, first you need to recognize why you want to consolidate. Are you looking for lower interest rates? Do you need lower monthly payments? Do you simply need to stretch out the term of your loan? If you answer yes to one of the last two questions, you should beware.

If you really just want to get out of debt, you need to understand how you got into the mess. Then you can fix the mess. Simply solving the problem with debt consolidation often makes the problem worse. Too many people consolidate and then charge the cards back up again.

If you know that you need to reduce the number of credit cards you have open, start with determining how much credit you need. How do you use your cards?

If you have several department store and gas cards that you never use, you should go ahead and close them. You also shouldn’t need to pay a yearly fee for a credit card that earns you gifts, like cash back or frequent flier miles. Pay attention to whether you use the miles or not. You may find that what you are paying isn’t worth what you are receiving.

You really only need one or two credit cards. Ideally, you need one card that is only used in emergencies. There are several steps you can take to start consolidating your balances into fewer cards.

Start by paying off all of the low balance cards that you plan to cancel and then close the accounts. Then, transfer your remaining balances onto the card that has the best interest rate. You can’t use this card or the other cards until it is paid off.

Now you need to have one or two cards that have high enough balances to cover your charging needs. Make sure that they have the lowest interest rates you can find. These should be the only accounts you have open. IF you charge to them, make sure you pay off each balance in full every month.

When it comes to balance transfers, there are some questions you should definitely ask. Find out how long the transfer rate lasts. Sometimes you can be given a rate for balance transfers that only lasts a few months. Find out if the rate is just for balance transfers, or is it for transfers and new purchases?

You need to find out about the fees that apply. Is there an annual fee? Find out what the late fees and over-the-limit fees are. Some institutions will charge balance-transfer fees as high as 4%. The higher the balance, the higher the fee. Just add it up: 4% of $5,000 is $200!

Read through your credit card offers very carefully. A lot of information is hard to understand (and find). Some offers waive the fees for the “initial balance transfer” only. This could be your first transfer and not the additional ones.

Each additional balance transfer will be treated like a cash advance and charged cash advance fees, which are very expensive.

If you feel comfortable with the terms offered to you, fill out the balance transfer form carefully. Mistakes can mean that the transfer won’t go through. Keep making the minimum payment on your old card until you are absolutely sure that the balance transfer has been completed. This can take two to four weeks. You don’t want to try to lower your payments and still receive a late fee and penalty.

Even though the new card company will contact you when the transfer is complete, you still need to talk to your old card. Call and verify that there is no balance left on your account. Write down the representative, time, date and what is said every time you talk with a company over the phone.

Have your card company send you a billing statement with a zero balance stated on it. You may need this in order to clear up any mix-ups. Oh, don’t forget to close your old card, you don’t want to accidentally charge on it!

There are some situations that can occur when you are consolidating your credit cards. You don’t want to suffer because you are taking control of your credit. Manage your transfers well and you should avoid errors.

Don’t cancel a card that still has a balance. This causes your rate to shoot up, because they know that they have to get the most out of you now. Don’t even tell a card issuer that you are leaving until you have no balance. Many issuers will raise rates if you cancel with a balance remaining.

Pay all of your cards on time no matter what. It can take one late payment for your interest to go from 9% to 28%. Amazing, isn’t it?

Don’t start canceling all of your cards before you apply for a mortgage or car loan. This can make your chances of approval even lower. Credit scoring is based on many factors, including how much debt you have and how much you have available. If you have cards with no balance on them, it can raise your credit score.

You need to remember, even if you find better terms for your debt, it is still debt. You must be sure that you pay it off before you add to it. If you don’t, then it will never end.

Consolidation doesn’t offer you a new start, just a better path to paying off your debt. If you truly want to get rid of your debt, use consolidation as a way to put all of your debt in one payment. And get out the scissors.

Around one third of all credit cardholders do not pay off their credit card balances in full each month, which means they are paying interest on the money for their purchases. However, in todays competitive market many credit card companies are offering 0% credit card balance transfers for new customers. This can really help those people that are becoming farther and farther in debt by not paying off their balance.

With a 0% credit card balance transfer offer you can transfer the balance that you have on one card that is charging you 17% to a card that offers 0%. The new card pays off the debt that you have on the old card and then the balance is on your new card at the lower, better rate. Then you will have the time until this introductory feature ends to pay off the debt without incurring any interest fees.

A credit card balance transfer can be great if you can find one that will have the 0% long enough for you to be able to pay off your entire balance. Many of these credit card companies that are now offering the 0% balance transfer give you 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, or 15 months to pay off your debt before you begin paying any interest on your balance. You should however, read the fine print of each credit card company to ensure that you will not have any other miscellaneous fees, and if possible, 0% on all new purchases as well.

If you do not believe that you can pay off the entire balance in the allotted time then a card balance can also be transferred to a credit card with competitively lower interest rates. American Express offers a fixed, low APR for credit card balance transfers for the entire life of the balance.

As you begin searching for a credit card balance transfer offer there are a few things you should take into consideration, which include:

- Does the credit card company charges for balance transfers?
- Do you pay off your card balance each month?
- Will you need to charge additional purchases with the balance transfer card?
- Will you pay off the card balance before the intro rate expires?

Some credit card companies may offer 0% credit card balance transfers but they may also charge you fees for the transfer. Most charge between 2 – 3% for the total balance transfer. You should always pay the minimum payment or you can find yourself paying finance charges. Most of the time, new purchases on the new card will not be given the same 0% APR and you will end up paying interest charges, since the money that you pay on the card balance will be put toward the balance transfer and you will be paying interest on the new purchases. Changing credit card companies before the expiration of the 0% or low APR may be the way to go if you still have a large balance left on your credit card.

Instant credit card approvals slicks are sweeping the Internet. Nearly anyone with outstanding credit can apply for these cards and receive a response in minutes, or sometimes-even seconds. The annual fees, interest rates, balance transfer fees, and other fees all vary on the credit cards, therefore contrasting and comparing is wise while seeking credit lines.

Annual fees – Many card issuers or banks often waive the annual fees, yet the card issuers will add the fees in a clause, therefore check the Terms & Conditions, fine lines, and other information before accepting the cards.

Interest Rates – The interest rates are often available upfront. Credit cards issued from banks offer revolving lines of credit, which 2% of the interest is levied, while the outstanding balance is repaid monthly. The actual rates of interest paid yearly can be right around 24%. This is an important issue to understand: if you roll over payments on credit cards, you may pay interest rates of up to 25% and more on a yearly basis.

The Annual Percentage Rates (APR), is the interest rates, which are often fixed or variable. The interest fixed rates and variable rates differ, therefore understanding your plan is essential for getting the lowest rates.

Grace Periods are important to understand also. The grace periods are what determines the fees and interest paid on the instant approval credit cards. Many banks issuing credit cards will offer a 25-day grace period before attaching interest to the card balance. This means that if you purchased a $100 item on your card you wont pay interest on the balance, if paid before the grace period ends. If you pay the balance after the grace period, likely you will pay late fees and higher rates of interest.

Other Fees – Many credit cards charge fees on cash advances, balance transfers, etc. Therefore, read clauses, stipulations, Terms & Conditions, fine lines, and all other information before accepting a credit card.

Three Types of Credit Cards

Overall, there are three types of credit cards: house cards, bankcards and travel and entertainment cards. The bankcards are obtainable through banking institutions or card lenders. Most times, you receive a MasterCard or Visa. The Travel and Entertainment credit cards come from American Express, Diners Club, and so forth. These cards are accepted only in designated areas. The house cards include Wal-Mart Cards, Sears, Pennies, and so forth, and these cards are only accepted in the named stores. Still, you can apply for American Express, Gold Cards, and more through common credit card companies or banking institutions.

Overall

Conducting research is wise, yet it is nothing if you do not compare and contrast the instant approval credit cards. Many sites are available with information relating to instant credit card approvals. The secure sites will put you in touch with card issuers who specialize in helping you find the best credit cards online.

Tips on Getting More from Your Credit Card Rewards Program

Do you own a reward credit card or are you planning on applying for one? Many people own one or more reward credit cards on their account but not all of them are reaping the rewards they deserve. In this article, let’s discuss some tips on how you can get more from your credit card rewards program and how to make sure that you’ll be redeeming those well-deserved rewards:

Use your discount privileges. Most reward credit cards include discount privileges that are exclusive only to their card holders. Are you aware of the discount privileges your credit card provides? If not, then take the time to review the terms of your card or check online and make sure that you are maximizing the full potential of your credit card. For instance, some credit cards provide printable coupon codes online that you can use in purchasing from selected merchants. Usually, all you need to do is register online in order to access these printable discount coupons and get big savings.

Pay your balance in full each month. Reward credit cards usually come with higher interest rates than regular credit cards so you’ll want to make sure that you’re not carrying a balance over to the next billing cycle. Why would you pay for additional cost on the interest rates when you can avoid it by paying on time? If you need to pay for the interest rate each time, you may actually be paying more than what you earn from your reward credit card.

Stay true to your card’s terms and conditions. Did you know that not paying your bills on time, delaying on your payments or exceeding your credit limit can disqualify you from redeeming your rewards? Yes, most reward credit cards impose this rule on their card holders. If you’re not sure, take out your copy of your credit card’s terms and conditions and review the stipulations on this matter. To be sure that you’ll be eligible to claim your hard-earned points, always stay true to your credit card’s conditions.

Use your reward credit card wisely. To collect points and earn your rewards quickly, obviously you need to use your credit card. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean you need to go out of your way to make unnecessary purchases which can result to credit card debt. Remember, it is crucial for you to pay off your monthly balance regularly to avoid the interest and penalty fees. Exercise caution when using your reward credit card and don’t charge purchases on it just to collect your rewards.

Pay your utilities using your reward credit card. One way to rack up those points without making unnecessary purchases is to use your reward credit card in paying your monthly utilities. These include your electricity, cable, telephone, gasoline, and other services you’re subscribed to. You can also work as a family in collecting points on your reward credit card. If your family members need to make purchases, tell them to charge on your card and pay you the cash instead. This way, you can accumulate more points on your account without breaking your budget.

The Best Credit Card Reward: For Those Who Had Been Naughty And Nice

Think about it. If people would normally pay all their credit card balances in time, then what is the purpose of interest rates?

None.

And how will people get the benefits that their credit card company claims? It is through the credit card rewards.

These are freebies or prizes designed to make the big boys and girls happy because they had been naughty and yet nice enough to pay their dues.

Credit card rewards are also one way of enticing people to sign up to them. It tells them about countless benefits they could get just for signing up and getting a credit card.

There are actually a variety of credit card rewards available today. Most of them are being offered by credit card companies all the same. But what the people mostly wanted is the cold cash.

According to some reports, most people, who are entitled for some credit card rewards, would rather have cash for reward than with any other freebies available. They claim that they just want to be feasible. Hence, cash backs were deemed as the best credit card reward

In reality, financial experts claim that the arrangements of cash-back programs are actually the most straightforward credit card rewards than the other types. Plus, consumers can even track it, get hold of it, and see if it really is true.

Moreover, cash-back programs have a wide variety of classifications. It all depends on the type of credit card consumers have. For example, there are credit card rewards intended for college students such as college savings. For retirees, they also have retirement investing rewards.

But for those who do not want cash backs, there are still other credit card rewards that work best for the consumers. There are those rewards about frequent flyer plans and freebie-giveaways.

Indeed, credit card rewards keep on flowing. The reason behind that is to entice people not to delay their payment so as to avoid adding to the pile of credit card debts and numerous bankruptcy cases.

There are still many credit card rewards that would be initiated upon the people especially for those who spend a lot. In fact, some reports say that there is a credit card reward these days that entails the consumer to not pay the annual fee for as long as they get to pay the balance on time. That would be a heaping $3,000 off in the event that the consumers standing balance is $30, 000.

That, indeed, is a lot of money.

With many people, looking for the best credit is a very tough task. Even though there really is no best credit card, there are credit cards out there that are the best for you. There are many different types of credit cards available, some that may be for you and some that wont. With so many to choose from, it can be tough finding your ideal credit card.

No matter type of lifestyle you have, how much money you are looking to spend, or how you plan to use your credit card, the one thing you should always pay very close attention to when choosing your card is the APR. Most people, choose the credit cards with the lowest APR, which gives you better interest rates. The lower the number of APR you can get, the less youll have to pay. Many times, the best credit card offers are those with the lowest interest rates.

No matter what type of credit card you choose, you should always pick the one that best fits your needs and interests. If you look at several of the companies and compare their rates, youll find the best possible deals. You should always compare companies and what they offer before you make a decision, so that you can find which company fits as your best credit card offer.

If you have never applied for a credit card before, you may find it quite difficult to get a low interest rate. If this is the case, youll find other offers that will give you what you need. Those of you who have bad credit or no credit, will obviously need to look into credit cards that will give you credit at the best possible deal. Once you have had your credit card for period of time and begin to establish credit, youll be able to go back and apply for credit cards that offer a much lower APR, or interest rate.

Although you may get an offer from a company that sounds amazing, you should read the fine print before you sign the dotted line, then look around at other companies. With the credit card industry being so competitive, there are hundreds and hundreds of companies out there willing to compete for your business. Before you rush into an agreement, you should always find out what other companies will off you.

No matter how you go about getting your credit card, you should always look around for your ideal credit card offer. Even though your choice may be questioned by others, it will be the credit card that you feel most comfortable with. If you put some time and research into looking and compare other offers – youll find the best credit card for you and your money.

Mike Miller