As with most smart consumers, the key to finding the best credit card company is to stick with the best. Among the hundreds of credit card companies that exist, only about 10 to 20 can be considered truly successful. Identifying these companies will narrow down your choices to the select few credit cards that are worth applying for.
Here are some of the characteristics of successful credit card companies.
1) No Annual Fee ? Some credit card companies are confident enough in their status that they do not need to collect annual fees. When you consider applying for a card, make sure you consider those that do not have annual fees first. Remember, if these companies that require annual fees are not content to make money off of the interest on your purchases, then they are not financially reliable to bank on. If the card you are looking at has annual fees, steer clear of them unless they offer some fantastic feature that you just can't miss.
2) Extended Interest Days- Upon purchase of an item using your credit card, you will not be charged interest unless you are unable to pay before the set interest day deadline. The most successful credit card companies offer longer periods of grace. This means that you do no have to pay interest until that day comes. Often enough, the standard for this period is 25 days.
To avoid having to pay interest, you have to pay within 25 days after your billing statement. For large purchases that require numerous months to pay, you can swallow the interest for its sake.
3) Low Annual Percentage Rate ? Some credit card companies offer low annual percentage rates. These companies can attract more customers because they have the financial clout to wag such a deal in front of consumers. Consumers will benefit from lower APR. Companies that offer lower APRs hint of larger consumer bases that make such offers possible.
If you plan to pay your balance on credit cards in full, the APR may not be much of a factor in your selection of a credit card.
4) Consult Feedbacks and Industry Profiles ? most successful credit card companies are featured in business journals and other media. This will also give you an idea of who's who in the credit card business.
Credit Cards For Travel
Most major banks now offer their own credit cards. Washington Mutual(Wamu) is a national brick and mortar and online bank. Banks have many different types of credit cards, which makes sense after taking over or merging with several other banks that had numerous types of credit cards themselves. Like most banks offering their own series of credit cards, Wamu has a wide variety for consumers to choose from.
With so many option to choose from, we have made it easy for you to get a card custom fitted for you.
This bank actually has its own branch that deals just specifically with credit cards and nothing else. Most major banks have a dedicated credit card division that is subsidiaries of the main company. The theory behind this is that by running the company this way there will be more direct service and better response to the customers' needs and desires.
There are many different levels of cards. There are basic credit cards, the gold card, the platinum card, rewards card, and a wide variety of business credit cards, as well, so you can keep business separate from personal expenses. There is a plan in the near future to eliminate the gold cards and make all opening cards platinum level. This might make it harder for individuals with terrible credit to start out with a card, but it also means the most base line of Washington Mutual credit cards will have a higher level of bonuses.
One of the best features of the Wamu platinum credit cards is that they all start out with a 0% APR for a limited introduction time, and they also all have natural protection in case someone makes an unauthorized charge on your card. That way if you ever suffer from identity theft or errant charges, you will not be held responsible. There are many credit card companies that force you to pay extra for that kind of payment protection, as either a flat fee or a percentage of the outstanding balance.
Online servicing sites allow users to check their balances and payment information any time of the day. One free credit score is kept track of every month, so in addition to being able to pay online and see everything about your credit card in a glance, you can also keep track of your over all credit health by keeping track of your credit score.
Aside from the basic platinum cards, there are also the "real rewards" credit cards, which offer a point for every dollar spent, which can then be used for a wide variety of services from restaurant coupons to gift certificates to frequent flyer miles. This wide variety of uses for these points is a plus, and everyone likes to get a little extra bonus for using their cards.
There are a lot of credit card companies out there, but the added bonuses of a great online page, as well as natural anti-theft protection helps Wamu credit cards to stand out a little bit stronger over the rest of the competition. If they continue to improve services, then they're sure to remain a favorite credit card among borrowers everywhere.
Both Nicky Pilkington & Thomas Boston are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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