Tag Archives: credit cards
Private Label Reward Credit Cards (Page 1 of 2)
More and more, consumers are becoming just as interested in the label associated with their reward credit card as they are with the interest rate, possible annual fees, and rewards. After all, credit cards were once very nondescript with nothing special separating one from the other but the Visa or MasterCard logo in the bottom right hand corner.
Looking for Unique
Today, many consumers are looking for reward credit cards with flair, personality, and a unique quality. Of course, consumers are still interested in receiving a great deal with their reward credit cards and, for the most part, won’t be willing to give up quality for a pretty picture. Nonetheless, the offerings of credit cards are becoming more and more competitive as they fight each other for customers. Therefore, many of the best reward credit cards offer a variety of different styles to the consumer in order to attract them to their card. In some cases, the designs may indicate a different type of card with different benefits. In other cases, the same type of card may have many design options to choose from.
Breaking the Mould
The first credit card to offer an intriguing design was the Discover Card. This occurred over twenty years ago when their sunburst design crashed into the market. Since all credit cards looked pretty much the same at the time, the design on the Discover Card was considered to be quite revolutionary. In addition, it garnered a great deal of attention from consumers. Understandably, other cards followed suit.
Following the Trend
Today, most reward credit cards offer attractive and fun designs. Nonetheless, Discover Card continues to lead the charge. Understanding that a single design is not going to please everyone, Discover offers more design choices than any other reward credit card. They have many wild designs, ranging from fun and colorful to professional and demure.
Discover’s variety of options began when it launched its clear card option for those who were applying for the card. At this time, it offered a credit card with a translucent blue background with a bright lighter blue grid pattern on top. After this design caught on in popularity, Discover decided to start offering more designs for all of their cards, including reward credit cards.
Today’s Designs
Today, Discover offers a patriotic American Flag card, which was launched after the 9/11 attacks. It also currently offers an entire line of sea life and wildlife cards that include images of animals such as a bald eagle, a tiger, and a killer whale. Their designs also include artistic designs, see-through cards, and other cards with a natural or patriotic theme. When selecting from rewards credit cards, you do not have quite as many design choices as you would if you were not limiting yourself to a certain type of card. Nonetheless, you will still have different designs to choose from in order to make the card unique to your personal taste and lifestyle.
Low APR Credit Cards or 0 APR Introductory Which is Better?
Comparing low APR credit cards to all the 0 APR Credit Cards can be a long and troublesome chore and you may still have problems deciding which one to choose from. When you see all of the various incentive programs, rewards, and, of course, the 0 APR feature you may think you should jump in and get that card before the offer expires. But are the benefits really worth the price you will have to pay after the introductory offer expires or are low APR credit cards instead a better choice?
First, look at the incentive programs offered by the various companies. If you do not travel all the time, then one with rewards of air miles is one you can ignore, and so on and so forth. If you are just trying to decide on a regular credit card without all the free incentives that you can earn and you just desire to learn if low APR credit cards or 0 APR Credit Cards are better, then you can now compare these two types of offers.
So ask yourself these questions: -Do you wish to have a credit card to purchase something expensive that you cannot afford without putting it on credit? -How long will the 0 APR last? -After the introductory period ends, how will the APR change? -Are there membership fees, annual fees, etc
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If you really need to buy something expensive then the 0% APR can look very appetizing, however if you will not be able to pay off your purchase by the end of the introductory special, you may learn that you will be paying more in the long run with higher interest rates. If you buy something expensive with a low APR credit card, of course you will have to pay interest, but the APR will not rise drastically after the introductory special. This can make a big difference if you do not pay off the debt within the timeframe of the introductory offer only to be left with a much, much higher APR to pay off. The low APR credit cards have the advantage of a sustainable APR and may even save you more money over time.
Remember, the introductory special will not last forever, most credit cards companies have introductory APR offers that last from 3 months to as long as 15 months. Then you will go to a higher APR. Therefore, low APR credit cards might, in fact, be a better solution for some consumers.
The best way to decide is to calculate the big purchase that you wish to make, see how much balance you will have left on your card when the special APR is gone and then see if it is still lower than what you will pay with low ongoing low APR credit cards.
Most importantly, regarding any credit card offer, you need to learn to ask questions and read the fine print. Are there any other fees that apply with low APR credit cards? It is always best to choose a credit with lower fees, lower interest rates and of course one that will fit your needs. Low APR credit cards do not change once the introductory time period is over which is a very big plus.