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How do airline credit cards work?
Airline credit cards are a result of collaboration between credit card companies and different airlines. The concept of airline credit cards works well for frequent travelers, who gain in a number of ways by using airline credit cards.
Purchases made through the credit cards earn points for the card holders; these points can be redeemed for free miles with the airline, at a car wash, hotels, etc. Points are also earned by flying with the chosen airline. The points are earned on the basis of predetermined point levels. This helps fliers to calculate the number points required to qualify for free travel. It is important to be aware of the consequences of card inactivity over a period of time and factors that can lead to points expiration. There may also be a limit to the number of points that can be accumulated in a year. Some airline credit cards have a maximum limit of 100,000 points in a year and points lapse if the card is not used for three years.
Airline credit cards work in the same way as credit cards but may charge a slightly higher interest rate. Annual percentage rate (APR) is used to measure the cost of credit. The methods used for calculating the rate of interest are two cycle average daily balance and average daily balance. The former, which considers the average of the current and previous balance, works out to be more expensive; this is something one should bear in mind while selecting an airline credit card. Different airline credit cards offer different rates; the rate of interest also depends upon the card fees, bonus points, and the grace period. A high rate of interest need not be a worry for card holders who do not have a balance to be paid at the end of the month. All the same, there are airline credit cards that offer 0% interest on balance transfers for an introductory period and also charge a low interest rate.
Airline credit cards have a preset spending limit that affects the amount to be paid monthly; certain airline credit cards offer a very high spending limit and even allow users to exceed the limit, the excess amount being settled in the next month. Airline credit cards can be of greater value if they are compatible with other frequent-flyer programs as they enable cardholders to use the points earned to the best possible advantage. An annual fee is charged by most airline credit cards in order to cover the costs of the benefits offered. Cash advances may also incur a fee, which can have a minimum value of $5 and can go up to $50, depending upon the credit card company and the advance taken.
The Basic Credit Card Types (Page 1 of 3)
It may seem incredible, but credit card issuers clog the mails with over 2.5 billion offers inviting people to apply for a credit card. Even those who would not qualify for a conventional credit card due to serious credit problems are now able to get one; some credit card issuers even specialize in this particular type of market. And according to financial gurus, there are at least a billion credit cards in active circulation throughout the United States alone.
Credit has been an economic cornerstone for some time now. Surveys show that the average American household is estimated to have at least twelve credit cards, including charge cards. While you may tend to think that one credit card is pretty much the same as the next, there are in actual fact distinct characteristics for each different credit card type. It is good to know these difference between the three different types of cards in the market: a bank credit card, a travel credit card, an entertainment credit card (although nowadays the combined travel and entertainment card has become more common) and a retail credit card or house card.
Bank Credit Cards You have probably noticed that most credit cards bear either the logo of Visa or MasterCard together with the name of the bank. It would appear that the credit card has been issued by either Visa or MasterCard. That is not quite an accurate assumption: these two companies do not issue credit cards directly to the consumers. Most of the credit cards on the market today are offered by thousands of banks around the globe. Each bank is linked to the credit card association, because are not allowed to issue any kind of card unless they are association members.
Visa is a privately held membership association, although it is preparing to go public. It started as an association of banks in California and the West Coast. There are over 20,000 financial institutions in the membership rolls, and virtually all of them offer Visa Card. MasterCard is also a membership association, similar to Visa, and originally consisted of member banks in the East.
A bank credit card is in reality a revolving credit line. When you receive your statement, you can pay all or part of your balance each month, run up the balance again and so on. Being a credit line, the account comes with a pre-determined credit limit that depends on key factors like disposable income, credit history, etc. The credit limit can be as low as a $100 or as high as many thousands of dollars.
It is possible for card holders to get themselves into trouble when they do not properly manage the revolving credit line. When you carry a balance instead of paying it off, the credit card issuer starts charging interest on that balance in some cases, this interest could be pretty steep. The interest rate varies widely, depending on who issued the card, but you could expect the average credit card interest rate to be at about 18 percent.
For instance, if you carry forward a $1,000 balance for 12 months, you pay $180 in interest per year or $15 every month. If you maintain a $1,000 savings account, you will earn about $40 in interest per year. Those who get into trouble will have to reduce debt, and one of the more common ways to go about this, is to arrange for credit card debt consolidation, which helps lighten the interest burden.