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How to Compare Credit Cards
All across the United States, there are hundreds and hundreds of banks and credit card companies looking for your business. This day and age, banks and credit card companies are in competition with each other, trying all they can to get your business. To try and get your business, they offer different credit cards with various incentives, rebates, and other perks.
Before you make your decision and choose a credit card, you should always compare what each company or bank has to offer you. If you get an offer in the mail for a credit card, you should go on the Internet and look into it more. You should also make sure that you read the fine print as well, to see if there are any type of hidden fees or other costs associated with that card. Many times, with offers in the mail, credit card companies or banks will try to sneak hidden fees and costs in there.
When you start to compare offers, you should make sure that you look at the APR and the fees. The APR is very important, as this will tell you your interest rate. You want to get the lowest APR possible with your credit card. If you look at a credit card that has an unusually high APR, you should immediately rule it out. Credit cards that come with high APR rates can easily lead you on a roller coaster towards credit card debt. No matter how good your credit may be, high APR rates can leave you with charges that are really difficult to pay.
Among the many options available to you, you’ll have three primary choices for your credit card – Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. These three giants are the leaders in credit cards. Visa and MasterCard don’t issue the cards themselves, they have banks and other companies issue on their behalf. American Express, or AMEX, is the only one that does everything themselves. AMEX issues their credit cards, maintains their own networks, and doesn’t use any type of third party.
If you like to travel, you will probably want to choose either Visa or MasterCard, as they are accepted all over the world. American Express is the least accepted of the three, although the company is upgrading their networks every chance they get. Before too long, AMEX will be accepted virtually everywhere. Right now though, AMEX isn’t accepted in all areas of the world.
Discover is another type of credit card, although it isn’t near as popular as the three above. Discover does have some great benefits to offer you, although it isn’t accepted in other parts of the world. Most people who have Discover credit cards stay local and use their cards in the event of an emergency. If you don’t have a credit card and have been thinking about getting a Discover card, you should really think about that decision and choose either Visa or MasterCard instead.
All in all, there are a lot of credit cards to choose from. That final decision though, is entirely up to you. There are a lot of great companies and banks out there, although it’s up to you to find the best credit card for your needs. You can choose to go with a company or bank that’s local to you, or get online and look for your credit card. The Internet can be a great resource for credit cards, as long as you know what you want. If you know what you want before you go online – you’ll save yourself a lot of time and money.
Creating Savings Every Month With Cash Back Credit Cards
Cash back credit cards are one of the ways that millions of people have begun reducing the amount that they spend each month with their credit card. By simply choosing the right card, you can save anywhere from one to twenty percent on your purchases! These guidelines will help you find a credit card that offers the rewards that are most appealing to you personally.
Earning Cash Back
Your cashback credit card should earn you money at the places that you shop most often. If you shop online frequently, then you may find that you will begin seeing huge savings almost immediately, since most credit card companies offer up to twenty percent cash back when shopping online. You can check the list of approved vendors though the credit card to find the items that you can purchase online, but make sure that you do not use the savings to overspend. Credit cards all have variable interest rates, although not all cash back credit cards require that you pay an annual fee.
The amount that you will earn in rewards will vary, depending on the credit card that you are using. It is definitely worth the time to read through the fine print to see which items will earn you money, but most credit cards to offer rewards for restaurant and gas purchases. Additionally, most credit card companies do offer at least one percent cash back on most purchases, including groceries and clothing. You will want to look for the credit card that offers the most cash back for the items that are purchased most often. You will also need to fill out an application for each of the cards that you are interested in separately.
Choosing Your Credit Card
Choosing the right card is the first step to earning cash back. In addition to offering cash back rewards, some credit card companies also offer gas credit cards that can be used specifically to earn rewards for purchases of fuel. Other credit cards work with large retail stores, such as Costco, to bring you more savings when shopping with the chain. There are tons of options to choose from, ensuring that there are cash back credit cards that will meet, and exceed, your expectations. To be sure you have the right credit card, you can look for a comparison.
There are websites that offer to compare all of the major credit cards that fit your criteria for earning cash back. You will find that it is much simpler, and more rewarding, to use a website for your research. This will allow you to see all of the major credit cards side by side to find the one that you like best. Some of the most common features that are listed include the current APR, which items earn cash back, and how much each item will earn. Some of the most common amounts are one percent for all purchased, three percent for gas purchases, and up to twenty percent for items purchased online.