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Enjoy credit card benefits and perks, ranging from free airline miles, rebates, to cash back credit card incentives and rewards.
Use our credit card guide for help choosing a 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.
Rewards Cards
Reward credit cards can be very appealing. Yet it is important to do some research before making a selection. Read the fine print to make sure the other fees don't exceed the rewards you will get in return. Some cards don't give rewards if a balance is carried from one month to another so it may be necessary to pay off the balance every month. They could even charge higher interest rates on outstanding balances.
Read the terms carefully and take notice of words like "up to". This can mean the maximum you can get. You may not go up to that level unless you spend a lot of money on the card. In that case, you may get less than the advertised reward. The actual cost of the points is important and you should figure how much money is required to get a particular reward. By doing some figuring it is easy to get an idea about the cost. If you are required to spend $10,000 just to get the reward of a gift voucher of $60, it does not seem worth the effort.
Your spending habits are important in addition to how much is necessary to earn rewards. For example, programs offering frequent flyer miles usually require the cardholder to spend a lot of money. If you are an occasional spender, it could take a long time to get a free flight. Gas cards are very popular and great to have but read the terms before applying for the credit card. They have been popular due to the high cost of gas. Make sure you meet the requirements to get the rewards. Some gas cards may give points only if you shop only at a specific gas station.
Annual fees are an issue to consider as they can be high and you must decide the fee to have the card is worth the amount required to get rewards. For example if you have a high annual fee and you must spend up to $5,000 before earning rewards, it may be the right reward card for your needs. It is worth the time to review any limits imposed on rewards. If you get five per cent cash back on purchases but up to a limit of $250, spending over the limit will be wasted. Some rewards can expire if they are not used within a limited period of time.
The best way to save money is not to have spend a lot of money just to get a specific reward, the right reward card can be great if it matches the financial needs of the cardholder. Managing finances is important and before applying for any credit card, read the terms and conditions for the credit card. It is best to know the fees, interest rates, and what is necessary to get the benefits of the rewards offered. Many consumers who use reward cards have benefited by earning flying rewards, hotel rewards, and gas rewards. Any rewards should fit the specific needs of the cardholder. |
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