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Many people ask why it is important to have a credit card. The benefits of a credit card are many and not having to carry cash in your pocket every where you go is not the least of the reasons. Sometimes when you want to buy something that is way out of your budget at the moment you can opt to carry the transaction through with your credit card and make the payments in installments. No matter what the arguments against why it is important to have a credit card, credit cards are here to stay.
There are multiple benefits to having a credit card. Apart from being a convenient method of making payments for shopping, credit cards are safer to carry than cash and help you build a credit rating like no other instrument can, provided you keep up with your payments. This good credit rating will be useful anytime you wish to apply for a loan for whatever purpose. Most of all credit cards are there when you need some emergency cash. These are not all the benefits of a credit card we shall list some of the other benefits here for you to better understand why it is important to have a credit card.
Travel Insurance Cover:
Many credit cards come along with a travel insurance cover or the holder. This can help especially when you are traveling abroad, traveling over seas require a mandatory insurance cover and having a credit card saves on a lot of time and headaches. Or the frequent inland traveler too this is a good benefit. Check with the card company I the insurance covers medical and luggage insurance before applying.
Travel Discounts
Man credit card companies have agreements with various hotels, car rental companies, and shopping malls. This can benefit you a great deal and you should go for the card with the maximum discount stores and reward points offered. These discounts are very attractive most of the time and can turn out to be a huge cash saver or you. Your card can bargain for the best discounts where you cannot.
Reward Points
Most cards have a membership rewards program. Some cards require the holder to pay a fee to join these reward programs while others are free. So be aware o these fees and choose the best card for your use. Even though the ones that come with a fee offer better and more reward points than the free ones you should be the judge of that because you know how often you will be using your card. When you start using your card you begin to accumulate reward points for every spend and as you accumulate points you begin to become eligible for rewards which are based on the number of reward points you have. You can then cash in on the points for attractive gifts at partner stores or cash discounts. A heavy user of a card will acquire a lot of points in a short time and so be able to justify any fee he or she has paid for the program. Some of the gifts on offer are watches, luggage bags, wines you name it and you can get it.
Cash Back
Most of the credit cards offer attractive cash back incentives every time you use your credit card. This can be as high as 10% of the total spend on your card. Many of the cash back offers translate into actual savings and discounts that you would never have been able to bargain for if you used cash for the transaction.
So, once you have read the benefits of transaction through a credit card you will realize why it is important to have a credit card.
The current gas prices have made gas credit cards spread around like wild fire. Motorists are keen on saving every penny they can on gas money and gas cards can definitely save a considerable amount. But if you're one of those who haven't used a gas card before, don't go forth blindly into getting a gas card. There are important factors that should be considered in getting gas cards. To help you, below is a list of the top five important factors.
1. Rewards
Gas credit cards work just like ordinary credit cards only that you save more if used on gas purchases. Rebates are offered for every gas purchase and this is how you save from gas credit cards. When looking for gas credit cards, find out first how much you will be saving from your gas purchases. Rebates are usually at 2% to 5%, so you may want go with a card that offers the highest percentage. And if you plan to use your card on other purchases, look for cards that offer rebates on non-gas purchases.
2. Fine Print
Read the fine print; don't just go for the highest percentage rebate. Look into the card's rebate and rewards offers, and the process of redeeming them. Consider in particular cash back rebates that don't expire or if they do, consider longer expiration periods. If you are a frequent flyer, cards that convert rewards points into airline tickets may appeal to you. Also, look into how rebates are redeemed. Sure, every card offers rebates but make sure you will be able to redeem them. Lastly, read the card's fine print for rebate caps. Stay away from cards that limit your savings.
The APR is the annual percentage rate that will be charged on the maintaining balance on your card. To max up savings from gas credit cards, the balance should be paid in full every billing period. If not, the balance is charged with the APR. Even if you originally planned on paying your balances in full, there may be instances when you won't be able to. So, choosing a card with the lowest APR will be preferable.
4. Fees
Credit cards usually have annual fees but most gas credit cards don't. Consider credit cards that don't have annual fees, save for those that offer other benefits that negate these fees. If you're not meticulous in looking for cards, fees could easily eat out your savings especially if you don't spend that many miles on your car.
5. Introductory Period and Rates
Several cards offer higher percentage rebate during introductory periods-often from 90 days to 12 months. Introductory rebates are usually twice the regular rebate, from 6% to 10%. While it is okay to go for cards that offer introductory rates, the rebate that you get during regular months should be considered. Introductory rates can sometimes be too sweet.
Using gas credit cards is a sure win as long as you know how your card works. Be wary of fees and interests as they can easily negate your savings.