Prepaid Credit Cards

If you’re in the hunt for a credit card, you’ve probably searched everywhere and with so many type of credit cards out there, it’s hard to determine which credit card best suits your needs. Today, we’re going to focus on a prepaid credit card.

When you think of a prepaid card, you’re probably thinking of a card you give someone for Christmas as a gift but this isn’t the type we are going to talk about. Instead, these type of cards are designed for those that have bad credit. They work like a gift card but instead, they are in your name and work just like a Visa or MasterCard.

A prepaid credit card sounds like a joke when it comes to your finances but believe it or not, there are cards out there that actually report to the main credit bureaus. What does this mean for you? This means that your credit will be reported and this will help you build your credit score. This way, in the future, you’ll be able to get that home mortgage and loan you want.

How do I apply for one?

Applying for one is fairly simple. Many banks on the market offer these types of cards. There are things that you need to look out for though when you do apply. There are going to be maintenance fees, credit limit limitations and some cards will only allow you to use them at particular places.

A maintenance fee is what will be charged to you no matter how you use the card. Make sure that you read the terms and conditions when you want to find out more about this. This will either be charged weekly, monthly or even yearly. Sometimes you’ll be able to find a card on the market that doesn’t even have a fee like this so make sure you look for those too.

When it comes to credit limitations, this means that some cards may cap you at how much you can deposit into your account. There are accounts out there that will give you interest on your balance, so look for those too. For example, some cards may say that you can only deposit a maximum of $5,000. This will be your credit limit. If you can find a card that gives you interest on your balance, this is even better.

When it comes to applying for a card, make sure that you always look for a card that has a major card logo like Visa, Mastercard, etc. The reason you’ll want these main logos are because you’ll want to be able to use them wherever these cards are accepted (which is just about anywhere.)

Prepaid cards are great for those that are looking to get a card regardless of their past. Just about 99% of the people that apply are approved and even if you don’t have bad credit, these cards are great to control your debt. If you’re bad with your spending when it comes to credit cards, these can help you out a ton!

Tom Tessin

http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/finding-the-best-prepaid-credit-cards-709668.html

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Credit card companies do face a lot of competition these days – with each bank knowing that they make a lot of money from interest charges, annual fees, late payments, and the like. Because of the stiff competition, however, some of the card features that are now available on reward credit cards can really bring great benefit to you. You do not have to let the bank line their pockets with your hard-earned cash every month. Here are some of the options that will provide some of the greatest benefits.

0% Interest

The best reward credit cards will start by offering you 0% interest on both your balance transfers and your purchases. If you look at the interest that you pay on your current credit cards, you could save that amount each month by transferring your balance to this kind of card. Before you just sign up, however, try to avoid transfer fees that might apply, some as high as 5% or higher on the transferred amount.

Another factor to consider is how long the 0% APR lasts on the particular reward credit cards in question. The 0% APR is only for a specified time, anywhere from 3 months up to 15 months. Also, you will want to check and make sure that the 0% APR is for both balance transfers and for your purchases. Many cards will give you one or the other, but there are some that will offer both.

The Rewards Being Offered

The very best reward credit card offers now offer more and more rewards – which means it is a good time to get one. Here are some of the rewards you can get.

Air Miles

Travelers can greatly benefit by getting air miles credited to their card. Most reward credit cards give an initial amount of air miles – possibly up to 25,000. Then air miles are earned according to each dollar spent. Some give points per dollar spent, and others give miles per dollar spent – or a similar arrangement. One company even allows family members to pool their air miles together! The best kind of rebate credit cards will allow you to use your air miles with any airline. These kind of cards are issued by banks, rather than the ones offered by the airlines. Watch out for air miles that could expire after a certain amount of time – you don’t want to lose them.

Rebates

Other credit card rebates allow you to earn points for every dollar that you spend. These are often divided into two groups. The one that earns the highest benefits, anywhere from 1% up to 6%, are for your purchases of groceries, gas, and medicine. Most other purchases will fall into a lower category – usually from 1-3%. These points are often redeemable through cash, merchandise, and travel benefits such as hotels and restaurants, or gift certificates.

Some business reward credit cards enable you to get rewards for many of your business purchases, including office supplies, travel expenses, car rentals, and more. Some of these will give an initial 10,000 points after your first purchase. If you have your own business, or use credit cards often for your business, a rebate card could bring you a great way to save on expenses, as well as offer a simple way to keep track of all of your expenses all on one monthly statement.

Reward credit cards can really be a great tool to save some money throughout the year. Avoid cards with an annual fee, which could be as high as $180.00 and beyond. A single late payment, on most cards, could also take away your benefits and set you into the regular rate of interest or higher. The maximum benefit that can be derived from any reward credit, however, occurs when the balance is paid off IN FULL each month when the bill is due. Otherwise, finance charges will squash any benefit that you might receive from those reward points.

Robert Alan
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/enjoying-the-best-reward-credit-cards-62650.html

Notice how many swipe cards in the market use low interest offers to attract more cardholders? Are you in search of a low interest card yourself? Do you know how to find the card with the best offer? If you already one card, should you go and apply for a new card with a lower interest rate?

In this article, let’s answer these questions one by one. Should you get a LOW APR credit card? Many people prefer to use their old cards even though there are cards with much lower interest available in the market. But with the competition among credit card companies increasing, each issuer is doing its best to attract more customers. For card holders, this can be a great thing. The fact is, getting a card with a lower interest rate can enable you to save significantly from your spending.

Imagine how much you can save by not paying the additional 14% to 19% interest each month. Even if you intend to pay off your monthly charges in full, there may be some instances when you need to carry over your balance and pay the interest. During these instances, having a low APR credit card protects you from the risk of debt build-up. So if your current credit card has a high APR, it’s not too late to find a low interest card that you can use for your purchases. This doesn’t mean that you have to close your old account right away.

If you’ve had that card for years, you don’t have to close it. Closing your oldest accounts would be like erasing the oldest parts of your credit history. Nevertheless, you won’t have to use your high interest card frequently. If you must use your old card to prevent it from closing, you can charge only a small amount of purchase and pay it off in full as soon as you can. How can you find the card with the best offer? Again, the market presents a number of choices for low APR cards.

As a consumer, it is up to you to research for the card with the best offer. One good place to start is a reputable card review website. Here, you can find that the cards are arranged in specific categories which make it easier for you to find a list of low interest cards right away. Each card is reviewed based on its best and weakest points so you can narrow down your choices more easily.

However, take note that online reviews do not discuss everything about the credit cards. If you really want to learn the complete information about a particular card, visit the official card’s website and read the full Terms & Conditions.

It is always worth noting that low APR credit cards often require good to excellent credit. Have you checked your credit report yet to see if you’re qualified? Make sure that your credit score is enough to get approved. Otherwise, your application can get rejected and your credit score can be affected.

Liz Roberts
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/in-search-of-the-best-low-interest-rate-credit-card-686691.html

Credit cards can be expensive, and if you find yourself in need of one, you probably want to make sure that you get a great deal. The pursuit of the best credit card may not be easy, but if you find it, it can save you a great deal of money over the course of time that you use it. Finding the best credit card will probably not be the easiest task, but with a little work, you can get a great credit card that you will be happy with. The following are a few great tips that can help you find the best credit card.

Tip #1 – Keep Good Credit – One of the first things that you can do to make sure that you can get the best credit card possible, is to make sure you keep your credit looking good. Poor credit, and negative marks on your credit report can make it a great deal more difficult to find a good deal on a credit card. If you have a good credit rating, then you are more likely to get a variety of offers, better interest rates, and lower fees.

Tip #2 – Look for Low APR – There are many credit cards out there to choose from, but a credit card with a high APR can cost you a great deal of money. You want to find the card that has the lowest APR possible, so you will not have to pay a great deal of interest on the money you spend on your new card. Make sure you check out the rates so you can get the lowest rates possible.

Tip #3 – Beware of Introductory Rates – Yes, you will want to look for a card for great rates, but cards that only offer the low rates as introductory rates should be avoided. Many cards promote low rates, or even 0% interest for an introductory period, but after that period is over the rates tend to increase drastically. You are much better off to look for a card that offers a fixed rate that you will have for the life of the card.

Tip #4 – Avoid Excess Fees – While all cards are going to have some fees associate with them, such as late fees and over the limit fees, you want to avoid picking a card that has excessive fees. Some cards will charge you an annual fee, a set up fee, and monthly fee, and more. If you want to make sure that you get the best credit card, make sure that you pick a card that does not charge you all of those fees.

Taking these tips into consideration and using them can help you find the best credit card. Remember, you are the one making the choice, so be sure to consider your options and compare possible card to find the best deal for you.

Adrian Adams
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/tips-for-finding-the-best-credit-card-135998.html

When you go shopping, you will see that most people are now using credit cards to purchase the things they need. You have to consider that the credit card is now one of the most important and also one of the widely used financial tools that people are using. Besides, with credit cards, you can purchase the things that you want even if you still don’t have the money for it.

However, before you go and start applying for a credit card, you first need to remember that credit cards are not tools for unlimited wealth. You first have to ask yourself if you are responsible enough to own one as irresponsible use of credit cards is known to get people in financial ruin and left with a large amount of debt.

Applying for a credit card is fairly easy. You just need to choose what kind of credit card you want and fill out an application form. However, the hard part in credit card application is getting it approved by the credit card issuer. This is why you need to consider knowing what factors are needed when applying for a credit card.

To start with, using a credit card means that you will be borrowing money from the credit card issuer, such as the bank. The borrowed money here should be paid back in time. So, the next question would be how the bank will be sure that you will pay back the borrowed money. The answer to this question is by looking at your credit score.

When applying for loans and credit cards, the credit score is perhaps the most important factor in order to get you approved in your application. So, just what is the credit score?

A credit score is what lenders usually look at in order to determine if the borrower can be trusted to pay back the loan. Every person has a credit score. To put it simply, your credit score is your credit history. This means that if you borrowed money in the past from large financial institutions, it will instantly be recorded. And, if you paid it back on time, your credit score will increase. However, if you don’t pay your loan back on time, your credit score will decrease.

When applying for a credit card, you will notice that credit card issuers will usually have different varieties of cards. Depending on the type of credit card you apply for, the best credit cards often go to people with the best credit score. This is because the issuer will have some sort of assurance that the borrower will pay back the credit on time.

If you haven’t had a loan in your life and it is your first time to apply for a credit card, the best thing that you can do is get a credit card with a high interest rate or get a secured credit card. Although the APR or annual percentage rate of this kind of cards are high, this is a great way to build your credit score. Just make sure that you pay back all your purchases made on the credit card on or before the grace period. In time, you will see that your credit score will go up and will have more chances of getting approved for an unsecured credit card with low interest rates or low APR.

Mario Churchill

http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/credit-card-application-how-to-get-the-best-credit-card-deals-135184.html

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