Cash Back Card information Blog

To get most out of balance transfer credit card strategies here is something you may want to put into practice today.

When credit card companies issue 0 APR cards and you transfer the balance, that balance (which was previously costing you money in interest charges) is now interest free (for a while). However, all the repayments you are making to your new card only serve to pay off the 0 APR portion of the debt. If you actually use the new card for purchases or to get cash that will attract interest, and that portion is not paid off by your monthly installments. This is a sneaky way for the banks to make more money by only letting you reduce the 0 interest debt, not the 15% interest debt or whatever it is – you’ll find this in the small print.

There are two ways to avoid this issue. The first is not to make any goods purchases or draw cash at all with the card after you’ve made the balance transfer. You must treat this card solely as a card for handling your transferred balance – you should literally not use it for anything else. This may be difficult though, because it means you can’t actually use the card when you want to and as you have been used to!

An alternative approach would be to use two cards. One would be the card with the 0 APR transfer rate and the other would be another card with a 0 APR or low APR, or even a rewards program. It would work like this:

1. First choose your zero-percent card and make sure that there are no hidden charges or annual fees.

2. Transfer your old balance to this new card and try to pay as much of this balance off per month as you can. Remember this balance now attracts no interest for the number of months stated by the issuer of this particular card – but it still has to be paid off! If you can’t pay off the entire balance, you can always transfer the balance again to another card when the time comes (at the end of the 0 APR period), so remember to transfer your balance as that time approaches.

3. Find a second credit card that you can use in the normal way for purchases, etc. You might even want a card with a cashback rewards system of some sort. You certainly want a card with a low APR rate or even a 0 APR rate on purchases as well as cash.

By doing this you’ve established a good debt management program for yourself. You’ve taken a big sum of money, moved it to a 0 APR card, and set up a repayment plan. You also have a second card which means you’ll be able to carry on as normal. Do bear in mind, though, that you do need to stick to the repayment plan you’ve decided is best for you.

Looking for a credit card with excellent reward program, and reasonable terms? The Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card has all the features to bowl you over. However, to get the maximum out of your Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card there are certain things to be kept in mind. Let us look at a few of them.

The Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card issued by J.P Morgan Chase has no annual fee and provides a good number of platinum card holder benefits. The card comes with a 0% intro APR for up to 12 months. The thing to be kept in mind regarding this APR is that the introductory rate period will largely depend on your review of application and credit history by chase. Depending on this assessment the introductory period can be either 12 months for purchases and balance transfers or 3 months for balance transfers only. In addition to this to get full benefit of 0% intro APR it is vital that terms and conditions listed with the Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card be followed carefully. These terms can greatly vary how your introductory rate is applied to existing balances. If you are good on your repayments and pay your balances in full before the due date the Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card doesn’t charge you any interest.

The platinum benefits that come with Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card allow participation in chase fleixble rewards program. In this program cardholders can earn 1 point per eligible dollar spent. These points can be redeemed for gift cards, travel discounts, merchandise or cashback. The thing to watchout about the Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card reward program is that the reward points are not earned on fees for products that protect or insure the balances of the card member’s account. If you use a travel agency service, you have to pay a ‘mileage redemption’ fee of $14.95.

The reward program of Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card has many fare and space related restrictions. The flights must be booked 21 days in advance and there are tabs on saturday night stays. The Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card doesn’t allow the reward programs to be transferred to another frequent flyer programs and there are prefferecd choice of carriers like Continental, Northwest, U.S. Airways, American, Delta, United, and other airways.

If accepted for the Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card, a detailed copy of terms and conditions will be mailed to you. It is in the best interest of credit card holder to read it carefully before using the credit card. Once used, the credit card company assumes acceptance of all such terms and the cardholder becomes legally bound with the terms and conditions. The above facts and terms listed in this article can change anytime without any notice. The latest details about Chase Platinum Visa Credit Card can be had from chase website and reader is encouraged to go through the details to get more insight about this great credit card.

Being a football fan is all about showing moral support, shouting at the telly, showing pride and wearing your teams colour.  Now fans are offered the chance to go on to the next level and not just support their club with pride but also help their much-loved football club financiall (without costing a penny) and build loyalty between you the fan and the football club.

This new incentive is the official football club credit card.  Many professional footballers, along with thousands of fans around the UK already own their own super cool football credit card and you can too – absolutely free!!  When you first apply for your football credit card, the credit card issuer, (most cards issued by MBNA Europe Bank Limited), makes an initial contribution to the football club for each account opened and used for the first time.  After that, every time you use your football club credit card to make a card purchase the football club recieves more valuable contribution based on the amount you spend.  Your club will continue to recieve financial contributions from the card issuer based on how often you use your football club credit card.  As you can imagine, this means a lot to the football clubs, and it won’t cost you a penny extra. These valuable contributions will go towards the football clubs Youth Development Academies, Schemes and Programmes.  This will help bring in young talented home grown players through the clubs youth teams into professional level.  You are in effect, helping to build the long term future of your favourite football club.

You can apply online and there is a wide range of football credit card from top UK football clubs. The Official Football Credit Cards are themed with each team’s colours and logo, there is now a football credit card available for almost every single Premiership Team, with more being introduced all the time.

All of these football credit cards feature introductory interest FREE offers on balance transfers and purchases and have APRs that rival those available on standard credit cards, making supporting your team in this way even more beneficial.  One of the major bonuses associated with football credit cards is the fantastic reward schemes that many football clubs offer their credit card holders as a means of thanking their fans for their support. The reward schemes available vary greatly between teams with some offering the opportunity to earn reward points each time you spend, while others offer discounts or cashback on season ticket purchases, interest bonuses based on your teams performance or run special ‘money can’t buy’ prize drawers for their card holders.

Take your support to the next level with the your football clubs credit card.  Apply now, don’t miss out.

For many small businesses, cash flow is all; suppliers have to be paid, items have to be bought and sometimes you just can’t wait for a customer to settle their invoice. At times like these, a business credit card can be the most effective way to manage your cash flow and run your business as usual.

A business credit card allows you the capacity to pay the people whose services you use, without it immediately leaving the company’s cash account. This is especially useful if you’re waiting for customer payments to clear, or the cash simply isn’t there. Using this facility, you can pay for items, supplies and services using the credit available to you through your business credit card.

But how much credit can you access? This rather depends on your credit rating and the type of credit you are applying for. When someone is setting up a business and applying for a business credit card, the card provider needs a yardstick against which to measure your capability to maintain credit. The only reference point they will have at that time is your own personal credit rating. This is a formulated figure based on your spending and credit habits when compared to those of the rest of the population. A positive score will allow you to apply for many types of credit, including a business credit card. Conversely, a negative score can impede and even prevent your application, so it is worth researching your credit score and, if necessary, taking steps to improve it before you apply for a card.

Credit limits come in two forms: a preset limit and one without a preset. Preset limits are good for companies who are only likely to use the card intermittently, not using up the monthly credit available. This way, money is always available in the event that something unexpected suddenly needs to be paid for. Preset cards generally carry an annual fee, but offer less flexibility than those without. Those without do tend to carry an annual fee, but offer more flexibility. The choice as to whether to opt for one or the other must be based on your company’s expected turnover and how the card will be used, and by whom.

As well as being useful tools to avoid a potential cash-flow crisis, the business credit card also offers other advantages; thanks to the fierce competition for custom between the financial institutions, Cards now come with a variety of incentives and perks that are aimed squarely at the owners of small businesses. There are discounts on services and products, cashback deals and even rewards on accommodation or Airmiles. These facilities can all be useful to reduce company expenditure in certain departments, particularly if these are areas of recurring expense. For example, companies whose staff use hotels a lot can benefit from accommodation deals, whilst product discounts might be useful to another.

There is also the obvious advantage for good bookkeeping practice; statements and online billing means that the paperwork involved in card transactions is significantly reduced. In addition, it also keeps the company spending separate from the business owner’s spending which can be invaluable during the tax period. A business credit card also offers a certain amount of protection against the receipt of unsatisfactory goods and services, as well as offering protection against credit card theft and fraud. It is often worth contacting your potential card provider to discuss their policies in such matters and to discover the other fringe benefits that are often left buried in the small print, as the focus tends to be on the many money-saving perks that accompany these dynamic pieces of plastic.

Narrowing down what you need the credit card for, will help you to determine the best card for your lifestyle.

First of all,

Are you going to school? Are you a college student?

College students will do best with a college student card. Contact your original bank where you have established your student account. Any other bank may not be as willing to accept your application and to issue you their card.

Will you be transfering a balance to you new card?

If so, look for a credit card with a low APR (Annual Percentage Rate) on balance transfers. It is best to shop around for a credit card whose APR stays low for as many months as possible, unless it’s your intention to switch again in a few months.

Is it your wish to make new purchases with your new credit card?

If this is your intention, pay closer attention to the annual percentage rate [APR] that applies to your purchases. In most cases, this APR is different to the APR for balance transfers.

Another area to be aware of is whether the card you are choosing has an interest free grace period. You don’t want to start paying interest on your purchases right away when you can get credit cards that offer interest free grace periods all the way up to 55 days.

Are you able to pay your credit card balance in full every month?

If your card is only kept for emergency purposes and you don’t use it for anything else, you may be able to pay it in full everytime your statement arrives.

If that’s the case, you’re probably in the position where you don’t need to worry too much about the interest rates on your card. (Be sure to look for a card that gives you a comfortable grace period though).

Many people are not aware that the Credit Card companies still make revenue even when you don’t pay any interest. Card companies will offer rewards or a little piece of the “pie” back to you for allowing them to make that money, even though you are paying the entire monthly amount back.

Most offer one of three choices:

Rebates – a percentage of your money sent back to you. If you are a big spender with your credit card, you can see this rebate amount add up to a nice sum of money quite quickly.

Get cashback. For always paying everything off, they’re quite willing to throw a few dollars your way. Once again, if you are a big spender, this can add up to a tidy sum.

You can gain points for dollars spent, that can be redeemed for airfare, hotels, appliances, or other items.

You can opt to use a credit card that allows you to put a percentage of every one of your transactions towards a charity or cause you support. Over time, even a small percentage can add up to a very worthy donation for that charity or cause.

Finally, review as many cards as you can, and take the time to do it thoroughly

You don’t have to feel pressured by the credit card company phone calls that invade your home and telephone. The best way to find out about the multitude of card options available to you is to go online to the Internet and visit a review, or resource directory. There you will find a very well rounded selection of credit cards to review and choose from.

Stay clear of offers that state they are valid for just a limited time. Those are just sales tactics to force you into hasty decisions.

Calculate your strategy. What do you want to use your credit card for? What are the spending habits you have developed while using prior credit cards? Take all of that into consideration, as well as all the card options available to you… then, when you’re informed, go get your credit card!

As the dependence on credit card is growing, new areas are finding the convenience offered by them simply too irresistible. Businesses, small or large are increasingly using credit cards for their monetary transactions. Keeping this in mind credit card companies are issuing credit cards which are specially suited to business. Business credit cards as we know them will certainly become a thing, which any business can’t do without. So, it is very essential that we know the benefits of these cards.

Business credit cards are the financial life line for your business

Don’t have funds to start up a business? Got an urgent expense? Business credit cards are here to help. Just convince a credit card company with your business plan and get a business credit card to fund your startup. Running a business requires a lot of money and the demands can crop up anytime. These unforeseen expenditures can be easily taken care if you have a business credit card at your disposal.

Spend and earn rewards

Yes, business credit cards come with a variety of reward options. Travel rewards, stay in hotel, cashback, savings on courier services etc. are some of them. The type of your business and services you require can be compared with various business credit card offers and the most suitable credit card can be applied for.

More money when you need it most

Business credit cards are specially designed to cater to large funding requirements of businesses. The credit limits on business credit cards are higher than normal credit cards. So, you are doubly sure to get that large expense properly handled without any anxiety.

Easy application process

If you have an established business, business credit cards are very easy to get. Small businesses or fresh startups need not worry here, because credit card companies are equally eager to give business credit cards to companies with good prospects and to those who show promise. So, even if you are just starting, you can get a business credit card.

Expert business help

Business credit card issuing companies have established a good online help archive with expert advice on how to run your business in a more productive way and to achieve the maximum. If you have any kind of problem it is very easy to tap into this knowledge pool and help yourself.

A business credit card has all the ingredients to make your business successful. It doesn’t matter whether you have a small company, a big corporation or are just beginning. Business credit cards will surely help you grow and prosper your business.

The use of credit cards is but just an evolution of the ancient merchants’ form of transacting for their various businesses.

It was Edward Bellamy who introduced the concept of the card usage to make purchases. The words Credit Card had been mentioned in his novel Looking Backward eleven times, and in the book’s sequel named Equality three times.

During the 1950s, Ralph Schneider and Frank Mcnamara invented the notion of making payments to merchants using a card. This gave rise to the foundation and opening of the Diner Club, which is still in existence and operation today.

This had been followed by the opening of Carte Blanche, American Express, and Bank of America’s introduction of the Visa Card.

It continuously evolved until it reached its recent form of using the plastic card that is most commonly known as the Credit Card.

The use of credit cards has its own pros and cons.

Below are some of the advantages:

1. Minimizes risk of loosing cash. The consumers need only to bring and present the plastic card to make transactions or purchases.

2. Convenience. Purchases that immediately needs to be made may be possible with the use of credit cards even if the individual is low in cash since all that would be looked at is the credit limit available.

Some of the disadvantages are:

1. This could result to accumulation of debt if the main and interest charges are not settled until its due dates.

2. It could be very tempting to make purchases that are really not quite necessary.

It had always been noted that the rampant use of the credit card system had resulted to the Great Depression of the 1920s.

With the sudden rise of automobiles available for purchase by the consumers during the said period, there had been an equal increase in the demand for fuel.

So as not to loose consumers, most fuel companies extended credit to their consumers to attract more buyers to increase sales.

This gave birth to the introduction and use of Gas Credit Cards.

Gas Credit Cards are somewhat similar with credit cards, but is limited to the use of purchasing of gasoline.

Cardholders of said cards are usually given rebates in the form of cash back check or by giving them a credit for their existing balance.

The following are some of the best offers by some gas credit cards:

1. Awarding of 5% Cashback Bonus upon purchase of gas or 1% for any other purchase

2. 3-9% rebate on all gas purchases that are made on any gas station during the first 90 days.

3. Free gas offers when a certain amount had been charged on the card.

4. Gas credit cards that have annual fees usually offer a lower interest rate for purchases that are charged to it.

A consumer may want to choose these types of cards if they have limited means to immediately pay the card balance so as to minimize interest accumulation.

5. Some gas stations offer discounts to consumers using their particular card

6. As compared to regular credit cards, gas credit cards offer a much lower interest rate for gas purchases, thus making it a wise decision to have one of this if the consumer is usually traveling using his or her own vehicle.

Still, it all depends on the consumer to use his or her card wisely for his or her own benefit.

Finding the right business credit card for your company can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The perks, deals and incentives that are designed to help your business run cost-effectively can sometimes serve to make the decision process more confusing, but there are logical steps that can help you make an informed decision which will benefit your business.

In order to find the business credit card that best suits your needs, the most sensible solution is to look at the cards available on the market and compare between them. Business credit card comparison sites can help you to see which financial institutions offer the best deals for you and also identify and discard those that will not benefit your business’s financial planning.

The factor that instantly attracts customers is the APR offers. An introductory offer of 0% APR is now commonplace and provides greater flexibility for a business within that time period. However, it is also worth checking out what the APR rises to once the introductory period is over. Balance this figure against what you think your company can reasonably afford to repay each month and your company’s projected turnover and you could already be whittling a few business credit cards off the list. You may find yourself choosing to go with a company that does not have a 0% APR offer, but does have consistently low rates. This could work out cheaper and more beneficial in the long-term.

Once you have found a card with repayment rates that suit you and you feel that the company can comfortably make those repayments each month, you can then start to look at the ‘fun stuff’. Most business credit cards come with associated deals and perks, which can range from cashback on certain product purchases to free air-miles. Looking carefully at your company’s expenditure can show you where repeat payments are made and you can then hunt around to find the deals that may save your business money. For example, if your employees travel a lot, you might find petrol discounts or hotel discounts useful. Some computer companies and delivery services offer discounts to selected business credit card holders. Only by examining the products on offer can you begin to decide which will be of the most benefit to your business.

Business credit cards generally come with a degree of consumer protection, which is particularly advantageous if your business makes purchases via the Internet. However, you may wish to seek out additional security measures to cover other eventualities, such as supplementary cards for employees. Some business credit cards offer further insurance against circumstances such as employee misuse. In the case of supplementary cards, there are also facilities available to set a limit on employee spending.

A great resource for business credit card comparison is the comparison website. There are many of these available online and they condense the data available on each business credit card, displaying it in a format where it can be easily summarised and compared. Many of these sites also contain a link to the application page of your chosen card, which can also be used for further research. While comparison sites such as Moneysupermarket.com hold a great deal of information on business credit cards, they do not hold ALL the information and it is often worthwhile visiting the individual web pages of the business credit cards on your final shortlist. This way you can reinforce your decision by comparing the finer points of the business credit cards that you feel may be of most benefit to your company. A business credit card can be a dynamic tool with which to manage your business’s cash flow and accounts. Taking a little time when choosing a business credit card can ensure that you make the right decision at the right time.

An international debit card is a globally recognized plastic card that provides an alterative payment method to cash and checks in making purchases. Functionally, a debit card can be called an electronic check, as funds are directly debited from the holder’s related bank account. The use of international debit cards have gained great popularity over almost all countries of the world and in many of these countries have almost replaced the check and even cash on some instances for voluminous trade transactions.

International debit cards are also known as convenient ways of instant cash withdrawal, serving as the ATM card for withdrawing cash and at the same time a check guarantee card. Many merchants now offer cashback or cashout facilities to customers where the customer can withdraw cash together with their purchase through his debit card. International debit cards are now also means of protecting oneself from frozen bank accounts as offshore bank accounts under Panaman Laws are protected from the legislation of one’s state.

Credit or Debit?

For card holders, the difference between a debit card and a credit card is that the debit card deducts the balance from the holder’s deposit account while the credit card allows the consumer to spend on credit to the issuing bank. Stated differently, the debit card spends the money the holder has while the credit card spends money the issuing bank has. There are also combined credit+debit cards in which a debit card linked directly to a checking account serves as a debit card and credit card at the same time. The holder has the option whether the purchase he makes will be under a debit card or credit card system. If the holder uses it as a debit card the cost of purchase will be deducted from his bank account while if he opts to use it as a credit card the cost will be debited on the credit balance.

The debit networks usually require that a personal identification number be supplied while the credit networks typically require that purchases be made in person and often allow cards to be charged with only a signature, and/or picture ID.

An example of the front of a typical debit card:

1. Issuing bank logo

2. EMV chip

3. Hologram

4. Card number

5. Card brand logo

6. Expiry date

7. Cardholder’s name

An example of the reverse side of a typical debit card:

1. Magnetic stripe

2. Signature strip

3. Card Security Code

Although many international debit cards are of the Visa or MasterCard brand, there are many other types of debit card, each accepted only within a particular country or region, for example Maestro and Solo in the United Kingdom, Interac in Canada, Carte Bleue in France, Laser in Ireland, EC Electronic Cash in Germany and EFTPOS cards in Australia and New Zealand. The need for cross-border compatibility and the advent of the euro recently led to many of these card networks (such as Switzerland’s “EC direkt”, Austria’s “Bankomatkasse” and Switch in the United Kingdom) being re-branded with the internationally recognized Maestro logo, which is part of the MasterCard brand. Some debit cards are dual branded with the logo of the (former) national card as well as Maestro (e.g. EC cards in Germany, Laser cards in Ireland, Switch and Solo in the UK, Pinpas cards in the Netherlands, Bancontact cards in Belgium, etc.). The use of a debit card system allows operators to package their product more effectively while monitoring customer spending. An example of one of these systems is ECS by Embed International.

2-GetCash offers the same reliable and convenient international debit card without hidden, extra, annual, cash conversion or cash transaction charges. The only time you will be paying is when you buy the card and have your offshore bank account set up.

While this credit card may appear to be like any other student credit card, upon further inspection, you will realize that the Discover Student Clear Card comes in a variety of flashy and funky designs.

Apart from that, internet account related services are also tagged along with the Discover Student Credit Card, with additional benefits such as no annual fee and a 0% introductory APR for the first six months or until the end of the billing cycle in December, whichever comes first.

Additionally, the Discover Student Credit Card also offers double cash rebates at participating stores through the Cashback Bonus award program. Fantastic! Plus, a 5% full cash rebate at participating retailers. Marvelous.

But all that glitters is not gold, and all that shimmers will fade away. Once the intro period is up, the APR for this credit card is found to hover on the high side of exorbitant rates.

Couple that with the demonic method of calculating finance charges called the “Two Cycles Average Daily Balance”, this card will suck the lifeblood out of your fledgling student finances. You will probably be put you into economic servitude and shackles through debt servicing. The only way out is not to accrue any outstanding balances, paying them off before charges apply.

From that point of view, the rest of the reward program starts to lose its shine. With the exception of the promotional offers mentioned earlier, it seems unreasonable to spend $3000 or above just to earn 1% cash rebate. Unless you actually have that kind of money, this is just another gimmick. And if the fact that the 1% will only apply to the sum above the first $3000 doesn’t tell you that this is a gimmick, what will?

In a nutshell, the Discover Student Clear Card, as it is officially called, is ideal if you regularly spend above $3000 a month and pay off the outstanding balance each month, or if you plan to take advantage of the Cashback Bonus it offers. Otherwise this card will just take advantage of you.