Just browse through the daily newspaper and you will be overwhelmed by the number of credit card offers advertised. Move around the town and you will find credit card offers being advertised everywhere. Same is the case is with television which seems to host a number of credit card offers too. So, the credit card offers are there everywhere. Why are there so many credit card offers? Well, quite simply because credit card business is a highly profitable business for the credit card suppliers.
In this situation, when there is no dearth of credit card offers, which is the best credit card offer?
There is nothing like a best credit card offer, really. A better question to ask would be - 'Which credit card offer is the best for me?' The spending habits of one person are different from that of another person. Their living styles vary and hence their needs vary too. So for deciding on which credit card offer is best for you, you need to evaluate your needs vis--vis your lifestyle and your spending habits (and not go just by the recommendation of someone). For example, if you frequently travel by air, a co-branded airline credit card might be more suited to you than the general purpose one. These airline credit cards offer discounts, rebates and other kind of rewards when the credit card is used for making payments (the rewards are even higher when these credit cards are used for paying for the airline tickets or other airline products). Similarly, if you have a favourite retail store where you do a lot of your shopping, it would be beneficial to check if the retailer is a credit card supplier too and if there is a credit card offer that suits you. A lot of big retail chains do offer co-branded credit cards to their customers and these credit cards offer rebates/discounts etc when they are used for making payments at the retail store. As such, you get reward points for making payments at any place but the rewards are higher on the payments made at retail store. On similar lines, we have credit cards for gas stations and grocery stores too, which you can opt for if you have a favourite gas station or a favourite grocery store where you shop a lot.
So, if you look around, you will find a lot of lucrative credit card offers. However, this doesn't mean that you enrol for all the credit card offers. You need to first evaluate your needs and rank them. Then you need to evaluate what all credit card offers suit your needs. And finally you can make your choice and go for a credit card offer that covers most of your needs and gives maximum benefits.
Not all credit card offers are worth the paper that they are written on. In fact, some are downright terrible. With the thousands of offers out there, why would anyone choose anything less than a terrific offer? Well, if your credit isn't good that could be a big reason why you chose a particular offer. Yet, even some offers for people with good credit are substandard. Keep reading and we'll look at the different credit card offers that really should be avoided.
Low Interest, Low Credit Line ? If you are offering a low interest rate credit card what good is it if the credit line is too low? Nice of them to offer to you a 3% opening APR, however with a credit line of one thousand dollars or less you'll have a hard time making use of their ?good offer.?
Application Fee ? Paying an application fee is ridiculous. The only cards requiring such a stipulation are those for people with terrible credit. If you have bad credit, the last thing you need is another credit card. Expect to pay an elevated interest rate too for the ?privilege? of using one of these cards.
Annual Fee ? There are so many cards out there not charging an annual fee, so why would you pick one that does? Well, in the case of some business cards or perk laden consumer cards a small, annual fee could be worth it. However, if you are being charged $35 a year for a card with a credit line of $500 or $1000 then you are being taken to the cleaners.
Penalty APRs ? Watch out for that card offer touting a low rate. It could double or triple the moment you are late even just once with a payment. Think 6.9% is an attractive rate? Think again if you are late: how does 25.9% sound to you? Awful!
No Deal Convenience Checks ? If you haven't used your credit card in some time, don't be surprised if you find a heavier than usual envelope in the mail offering to you convenience checks to pay off expenses. In most cases these checks are not only convenient, but costly. You could be charged the cash advance rate to borrow money and/or a fee to use each check. Only go for those deals where fees are not charged and borrowing rates are very low. Read the fine print!
Certainly, most credit card offers are decent but you need to know what you are getting before agreeing to a card that is no bargain at all.
Both Charles And Kim Petty & Joseph Hanoa 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.
Charles And Kim Petty has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Businesses, Credit Cards and Business Credit Cards. Kim and Charles Petty,experienced in Real Estate Market. For FREE Special Report and CD and to set up strategy session on how you can make Six or Seven Figures A Year Buying and Selling Propertiesacross the USA & abroad go to. Charles And Kim Petty's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.
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