Cash back credit cards are true to their name and pay you back the amount you have earned in the form of hard cash, as a check or a deduction in your outstanding credit card balance. On the other hand, a rewards credit card lets you accumulate points on your purchases, which can later be redeemed for discounts or gifts.
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A good feature is some business credit cards is that you do not have to put any collateral for it. So, if you don’t own a house you still can get this card for starting or expanding your business. Business credit cards are often easier to get than any other line of credit.
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Americans continue to borrow heavily on credit cards as new Federal Reserve Board figures reveal. But don’t expect them to talk openly about how much they owe.
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To all you angry credit card customers out there, don’t get mad – get smart.
Learn a few tricks of the trade to avoid paying extra fees and make the credit companies work for you. Do this and credit card big shots will hate you and call you a free-loader, but also grudgingly salute you in private, hoping that few people imitate your sage actions.
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When you start to think of all the different credit card companies out there you may start to wonder if they are going to be a friend or foe to you. When it comes to the credit card companies giving you a line of credit when you first apply for a credit card, you are going to feel that they are your friends. They are going to even be your friend when you see the rewards you are receiving if you have signed up for one of the credit card reward programs that they may out there for you. Just when you may think that everything is going well and there has been not problem with your account because you have received credit line increases and may have even received a lower interest because you are keeping your payments up to date and even paying a little extra when you can.
Read more at Credit Card Companies: Friends or Foe?
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You can’t much pick up the paper or turn on the telly without hearing something about credit card fraud and identity theft these days. That’s why the UK credit card market started testing a new type of card back in 2003. By mid-2004, the new Chip and PIN card was declared a resounding success after a wide ranging trial in Northampton. There was already a good deal of evidence for using the Chip and PIN method to verify credit cards and users. A similar experiment in France showed that the Chip and PIN reduced credit card fraud by as much as 80%. The Northampton trial showed similar numbers. As of February 14 of this year (2006), Chip and PIN is the standard method for all credit card transactions.
What are Chip and PIN credit cards?
Instead of a magnetic stripe, Chip and PIN cards contain a miniature computer chip that stores information about your account. When you present your card to a merchant, or slide it through the card reader at the till, the cashier will ask you to enter a 4-digit PIN (personal identification number) to confirm that you are the proper owner of that credit card. That’s all there is to it.
Read more at Credit Card Chip & Pin – What’s It All About?
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In the UK the 8 largest credit card providers have been ordered to reduce their charges, for default and late payment, by between 40 and 50%. The current late payment charge by most major issuers is between £20 – £25 ($30 – $40 US) and the have been instructed to slash that down to £12 -£15 UK ($18 – $20 US).
The UK Office of Fair trading, who have been investigating credit card charges for the last few months, stated "The OFT considers that, in a consumer contract, a default charge is likely to be disproportionately high if it is more than a genuine pre-estimate of the damages that the card issuer would win in court if it sued the cardholder for breach of contract," adding "The OFT’s provisional view is that the levels of the default charges imposed by the credit card companies need to be reduced in order to be fair."
In the opinion of the OFT the current charges of between £20 and £25 excessive and possibly illegal and has given the card issuers 3 months to respond.
Whilst the current ruling is provisional it is expected that the final ruling will apply to all credit card issuers in the UK and, if necessary, the OFT will take a test case to the UK courts for a ruling forcing the banks to comply.
Read more at Credit Card Charges Set to Fall
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Cashback is a popular incentive offered by many credit card companies. What it means is that for every dollar you spend, your card issuer will give you back some money, usually in a single payment made once a year.
The amount paid back is calculated as a percentage of your total spending. Percentages vary, but typically range from 0.5% to 2%. Some card issuers pay higher rates for purchases in some categories or made through certain retailers. The Discover® Platinum Card, for example, offers up to 1% cashback normally, but 5% on purchases made from selected merchants in their Get More Program.
Cashback is obviously an attractive incentive, but if you are likely to leave a balance outstanding on your credit card, it should not be your first priority when deciding what card to pick. For one thing, many card issuers only offer cashback as long as you clear your balance every month. For another, if you are paying interest, the cost of this will probably far outweigh the benefit of cashback. In such instances, your first priority should be to pick a card with a low APR (annual percentage rate) and/or a long interest-free introductory period.
Read more at Credit Card Cashback Offers
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When you receive a credit card, you will want to carefully follow an outlined budget for your entire household. Yes, this is easier said than done, however, if you fail to follow a strict budget and do not carefully plan the expenses of your credit card then you could fall into the same trap that many all over the world have fallen into, and become in serious financial debt. If you use a credit card as it was intended for use, for emergencies or traveling, then you may find it much easier to maintain financial stability. However, if you choose to use a credit card as a personal ATM or for every purchase large or small, you could find yourself in deep trouble. Here are some tips you can use to budget and protect yourself against falling in the large hole of credit card debt.
No matter if a person has a credit card or not, it is a wise suggestion to never spend more than they can afford. The best advice anyone can offer is to use your credit card as if it were cash. This is because no matter how much you charge, you will still have to pay it back with additional fees. Many people have begun to use their credit cards for shopping at the grocery store, in addition to using them to buy things they really could not afford to with cash. This is where many begin the downfall into financial debt, even with all the excellent deals and promotions that appeal to you, with the interest rates the credit card charges you will not be getting those deals and likely end up paying more.
Read more at Credit Card Budgeting
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