Credit card benefits and perks - airline miles, rebates and cash back credit card.
Enjoy credit card benefits and perks, ranging from free airline miles, rebates, to cash back credit card incentives and rewards. Typically, platinum credit cards offer the best rates.
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Use our credit card guide for help choosing a credit card
Instant approval credit card: If you've been denied credit, or are behind on several bills, or if your annual income is less than $24,000 or you've filed bankruptcy, apply for a secured card or a guaranteed credit card.
Fair or Bad credit credit card: If you have minor credit problems, or are late paying a few minor bills, you may still qualify for a no deposit, unsecured credit card.
Excellent credit credit card: If you make over $30,000 per year, and if you make all your payments on time plus have 3 good credit references, you may qualify for a platinum credit card.
Credit Card Benefits
Credit cards are safe: If your card was issued in the United States and is lost or stolen and used by a thief, the most you'll be held liable for is $50. You don’t get that kind of guarantee with cash or checks.
Credit cards provide emergency buying power: Car broke down? An unexpected emergency room visit? A reassuring credit card benefit is that you don’t need to worry about having enough cash on hand or if a merchant accepts checks.
Credit cards offer protection: In most cases it's easier to reverse a credit card charge than to cancel a check payment or get a cash refund.
Credit cards can build your credit rating: A major credit card can help build credit ratings. Fact: the single strongest reference on a credit report is a major credit card, paid on time over time.
More credit card benefits
In many countries, major credit cards are widely accepted. You’ll often get a favorable exchange rate as well. And some cards offer benefits like emergency card replacement or free Collision Damage Waiver Coverage on rental cars.
With a credit card, you have the option of paying your bill in full and usually avoiding any interest charges, or making smaller payments. Charge cards, on the other hand, require you pay the entire balance in full each month. Of course it’s a good idea to pay as much as you can each month to avoid carrying too much debt or paying large finance charges.
Credit card perks range from free frequent flier miles to extended warranties on merchandise you buy with the card.
There are credit cards for just about every walk-of-life, meaning; chances are, there's a credit card tailored to satisfy your individuality. Credit card issuers; in their attempts to attract new customers, are creating card offers leaning heavily towards user personality.
But before you rush out to find a card that fits your personality, you first need to determine which types of credit cards you may qualify for. If you aren't sure of your credit score, you should order a credit report, or you can use the estimated prequalification guide.
Once you have an idea of what types of credit cards you may qualify for, you can begin your search to find your personality card. Listed below are examples of these types of credit cards:
Airline Miles Credit Card - this card is perfect for anyone who travels frequently. In addition to awarding frequent flyer miles to the user, this card can also offer discounts on airfare at participating airlines, such as Southwest.
Cash Back Credit Card - this type of card is ideal for people who rarely use cash when making purchases. By making purchases with the card, users can earn cash back based upon a percentage of their charges. Some issuers tailor the card to the user's personality, by allowing a higher cash back percentage on charges they most frequently make. For example; if the user mostly makes charges at a grocery store, the issuer credits a higher cash back percentage for those purchases. Other issuers may offer higher cash back percentages for purchases made at participating retailers, such as Home Depot or Sears.
Business Credit Card - these are not only for large businesses, now even small businesses can get this type of credit card, and can get separate cards for employees who make purchases on behalf of the company. Again, some business credit card issuers will sweeten the offer by awarding discounts for purchases made at participating retailers, such as Office Depot, or will award cash back percentages.
Retail Credit Card - if a person uses a credit card only at one particular store, a retail credit card can offer discounts on purchases. Examples of this type of card are: Sears Card, JC Penney Card, Wal Mart etc. Regarding the Wal Mart Card, users can get discounts on Wal Mart gasoline purchases, which is quite beneficial during current high gas prices.
Shopping Credit Card - typically known as Catalog or Merchant credit cards, these allow even bad credit people to obtain an unsecured line of credit. Purchases are restricted to a certain merchant or a specified catalog, but nonetheless offer the ability to make purchases on credit. For people with very bad credit, this is an excellent way to obtain credit. Just be sure to use a card that reports your timely payments to a major credit bureau so you can build your credit.
Other Rewards Credit Cards - you can find cards that offer a variety of discounts and free services, such as free music downloads, free roadside assistance, as well as protection against identity theft.
For nearly every individual personality and credit rating, their is a credit card issuer who wants you to become their customer. Be sure to read all the Terms and Conditions, so you know exactly what you will get before you apply.
Need more credit card information? Read our financial and credit articles related to benefits.
Credit Cards Rebuild Credit - It does not take too many trips to the mall or a local coffee shop to end up with a charge card that has a high balance. The danger is when that balance quickly causes poor credit by not paying the bill on time every month or missing payments. Making payments on time is crucial to keeping good ratings and to keep from ruing credit. For those already in debt and in trouble, using a credit card can help you get your credit back on track if you use it wisely.
A great first step to improving credit scores, is to own, use, and pay on a credit card regularly. Charging purchases and paying off the balance on time lets creditors know that you can use credit responsibly. It is also a sign that you can be trusted with higher lines of credit in the future. Even if you don't already have a card, and you think no one will approve you, have no fear there are plenty of cards that people get approved for everyday. The key feature to look for in a new credit card, is to make sure they report to major credit bureaus. This ensures that your good behavior with the card is reported to the companies that track your credit history. These are major bureaus like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Over time, good account history can lift scores and help you move from bad credit to good credit.
The last thing any person should do is max out their card, or get close to doing so. Find out what the credit limits are on all cards. Be careful and do not charge more than 50% of the available credit limits, thirty percent or less is the best goal. If for example, you have a card with a $500 limit, keep the balance below $250, which is 50% of the available credit. Keeping balances at 30% or lower is even better. Find one or several small things a month that you can charge and pay off right away, such as putting gas in your auto.
Paying your credit card is the most important part, if improving credit is your goal. The last thing you want to do is miss a payment due date. Not only could it cause your credit score drop, but you may incur late fees. Another problem could be that it could cause your interest rates to go through the roof. A lower score means it could cost more to take out an auto loan, mortgage, or other line of credit, than it would if you had paid your bills on time. Missing one payment, or paying a little late, can be very costly. Make at least the minimum payment due on time and stay current with all bills. Even if credit is used responsibly, it does not guarantee a better credit rating. Pay on time and maintain all balances below the limits to eventually see credit scores rise. That little piece of plastic that became an enemy, could become your biggest ally in your quest to rebuild your credit.
American Express News: Small businesses now have a brand new resource available to help them grow and succeed through social media.
"Social Media Show + Tell" resides within American Express' newly created Business Knowledge Share enhanced LinkedIn user group. Through a series of "show and tell" videos available to members, representatives from the most popular digital and social platforms – starting with Facebook – explain how their tools can have a formidable impact on small businesses and empower business owners to maximize the potential of the growing digital landscape.
The Social Media Show + Tell videos aim to demystify these platforms for small businesses by providing easy to understand commentary and advice from the leading experts behind each of the platforms. Each video shows how small business owners can take advantage of different social media platforms, walks business owners through each step of the registration process and clearly illustrates the business potential of engaging customers in an ongoing dialogue. Further, group members will be able to engage directly with the featured platform expert to ask questions. Coupled with the collaborative community of Business Knowledge Share, small business owners now have actionable insights relevant to their businesses in a single, easily accessible location. Social Media Show + Tell will next roll out how-to videos containing tips and advice on how to take advantage of the foursquare platform, among others.
Chase Launches Disney's Premier Visa® Card - New Must-Have Credit Card For Disney Fans Offers The Ability to Earn Rewards Faster; Redeem For Disney Rewards And Toward Airline Travel on Any Airline to any Destination, Anytime.
To deliver the Disney promise of creating special memories that last a lifetime, Chase Card Services, a division of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
and The Walt Disney Company, through its subsidiary Disney Rewards LLC, announced today the launch of Disney's Premier Visa® Card from Chase. The new card offers customers ways to earn rewards twice as fast, the opportunity to now redeem toward airline travel in addition to most everything Disney, plus access to special Cardmember-only perks when visiting Walt Disney World® and the Disneyland® Resorts.
With Disney's Premier Visa Card, Cardmembers earn 2% in Disney Dream Reward Dollars® on card purchases at restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations and most Disney locations at Walt Disney World® Resort, the Disneyland® Resort, Disney Cruise Line® and Disney Store. Cardmembers earn 1% on all other purchases made with the card.
Citi News: The Citi Team USA Flag Tour made its fourth stop today in Jacksonville, one of Citi’s largest sites in the United States. Olympic Hopeful Kellie Wells (track & field) and Paralympian Carlos Leon (track & field, discus) joined Citi Site President Kristi Bageant-Epperson, Rich Garside, Co-Head of Global Operations & Technology, and Citi employees in celebration and support of Team USA and the athletes’ journeys to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
At the event, the athletes spoke to a crowd of more than 350 people and highlighted the importance of the network of support they received from family, friends and the community as part of their own personal Olympic and Paralympic journeys. The event was capped off by a ceremony to raise the Citi Team USA flag on the Citi Jacksonville campus which will remain up through the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Previous tour stops have included Citi sites in Sioux Falls, S.D., Irving, Texas, and Tucson, Ariz.
Discover Card News: Specialty Studen Loans Feature Competitive Rates and 24/7 Customer Service
Discover Student Loans recently added three new private student loans designed for graduate students in health professions, law school and MBA programs. The new loans are available on the recently redesigned DiscoverStudentLoans.com and are supported by student loan specialists available 24 hours every day.
The new DiscoverStudentLoans.com includes more tools and information to help students and parents with each step of the process – from exploring financial aid to repaying student loans.
Variable rates for the new graduate loans are currently lower than the fixed-rate federal Graduate PLUS Loan and include a nine-month grace period and a 20-year repayment period to help students manage their monthly payments.
As with Discover's other loans for undergraduate and graduate students, the new specialty loans have zero origination fees, and borrowers are eligible for a 2 percent Graduation Reward that can be applied to the principal loan balance or received in cash once they complete their degrees.
The new Discover Health Professions Loan is for graduate students seeking advanced degrees in allopathy, dentistry, nursing, occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathy, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, podiatry, and veterinary medicine.
Auto Loan: Get free quotes and apply for a new or used auto loan or for auto refinancing.
Credit Report: Free credit report help to fix credit report errors and improve credit score ratings. You are entitled to one free credit report annually.
Debt Counseling: Get your expenses under control with credit counseling, an unsecured debt consolidation loan, debt management or negotiate debt settlement.
Free Credit Offers: Get no obligation, free credit offers plus financial tips to help effectively manage your personal finances.
Home Loan: Free multiple quotes from mortgage lenders. Apply for a new home loan and start building your financial security.
Mortgage Refinancing: 2nd mortgage loan and other types of mortgage refinancing for home remodeling, equity cash out or a debt consolidation loan and more.
Payday Loan: Easy approval bad credit unsecured loan with no credit check, no deposit and no security.
Personal Loan: Submit a short or long term personal loan application (if available), or apply for other secured or unsecured loan offers.
Personal Finance: How to file bankruptcy plus free bankruptcy forms. Create a household personal budget, balance a checkbook register, track expenses and more.
If you don't activate a credit card, it can still be considered an available line of credit, unless it's from an issuer you never applied to. If; for example, you received a preapproved credit card in the mail and all you have to do is call the number to activate it, that would not be considered an available line of credit by the credit bureaus. But, if you applied for the card and it is then sent to you pending your "activation", then it is indeed considered an open, available line of credit by the bureaus. Some issuers require activating the credit card merely as a method to confirm to the issuer that you received it. Some issuers won't allow transactions on the account until that activation occurs. So if you applied for a credit card from the issuer and received it pending activation, it will likely appear on your credit report regardless if you activate it or not.
