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Credit Card Cash Advance or Payday Advance?

People will always have some reason for needing cash that they do not have. It does not always have to be an emergency such as unexpected expenses in between paychecks. It could also be because they want buy big-ticket items or go on a grand holiday. For whatever reason, two of the fastest ways to get funds is through credit card cash advances or payday advances.

Both have its advantages and disadvantages. It all boils down to the borrower’s ability to pay. Below is a comparison between the two options:

§ Payday advances have a higher interest rate than cash advances from credit cards. The $10 to $30 finance charge per $100 borrowed may not seem too much to pay at first, especially if the borrower is able to pay off the loan after two weeks. However, if the borrower cannot pay on the deadline, the finance charge is compounded for every week that the loan is unpaid, a rate of increase much faster than for credit cards.

§ Credit card cash advances can take a longer time to pay. The usual practice of credit card companies is to apply payments to any existing balance first before paying off the cash advance itself. Unless the payment is large enough – certainly well over the combined minimum payment for the current balance and the cash advance – it will take a long time for the borrower to make a dent on his credit card debt.

§ Payday loans have no effect your credit history. Because the terms are quite short and the loan is guaranteed against the borrower’s next paycheck, payday advances do not contribute to or detract from your credit score. This is unlike credit card cash advances, which are included in your credit history.

§ Borrowers get cash faster with payday advances than with credit card cash advances. There are usually less requirements, no faxing of documents and credit history checks, making the loan process faster and the loan guaranteed, more or less. On the other hand, credit card cash advances are subject to credit history checks and is not guaranteed.

Based on the pro’s and con’s listed above, fast cash loans, like payday advances, seem to be the better choice over credit card cash advances. However, the borrower has to keep in mind that fast cash loans are short-term loans only and should not be used as a long-term financial solution. It is better only if the loan is sure to be paid on or before the deadline.

If the borrower is not sure that the loan can be paid in two weeks, a credit card cash advance would be better because of the longer period for payment. However, one should not make a cash advance on a card with a large balance or, worse, maxed out. People should avoid maxing out their credit cards because it becomes harder to pay several of these at once. In the end, only the borrower can decide which of the two options – payday advance or credit card cash advance – is more suitable for the situation.

Visa or MasterCard: Which Credit Card Should You Apply For? (Page 1 of 2)

Should you get Visa or MasterCard? Is one of them better than the other? Will one of them help your credit rating more than the other? Many people ask themselves these types of questions when they think about getting their first credit card or additional ones. The fact is, few differences exist between the two credit card brands today, but you can benefit by having a better understanding of the two companies and using their competition to your advantage.

Just Who Are Visa and MasterCard

First, you should know that neither Visa nor MasterCard actually issue credit cards themselves. Neither company deals with consumers or merchants directly. Instead, they create and run the worldwide computer networks that process the billions of transactions that occur each day from people who use their credit cards at millions of merchants and ATMs. Both companies make their money from financial institutions to whom they license the ability to market the MasterCard or Visa system to consumers and merchants.

MasterCard and Visa have been fierce competitors for years, each vying to be faster and more global than the other, just like Hertz and Avis, and McDonalds and Burger King. Each time one brand creates a new twist on their credit cards, the other soon follows to match it. Both companies now offer nearly identical benefits, such as travel insurance, car rental insurance, product warranty extensions, and so on.

Furthermore, both cards are accepted worldwide by nearly the same number of merchants. MasterCard says its cards can be used at more than 23 million locations around the globe, including 1 million ATMs and other locations where cash can be obtained. Visa says its cards are accepted at more than twenty million locations in more than 150 countries.

In general, most merchants throughout the world accept both cards, or if a merchant takes only one of the brands, another merchant down the block takes the other. The point is, your chances of being locked out of eating or buying a gift or getting a hotel room because you have only one brand of credit card are usually minimal — other than at a few noted events where one card or the other may have negotiated to be the sole credit card to be accepted. But such instances are far and few between.

Which Card is Right for You?

Given the above, is one card better or more right for you? The best answer depends on whether it’s your first, second, or additional card, as follows:

If You’re Applying for Your FIRST Credit Card

In this situation, you can make a choice based simply on selecting which issuing bank you prefer to work with, or which promotional offer you like the most, without regard to the brand on the card. Perhaps you like Chase or Citibank or HSBC, or perhaps you like the 0% APR with no-annual-fee offer you found online. It’s six of one, a half-dozen of the other.

If You’re Applying for Your SECOND Card

In this situation, it is strategically smart to select the opposite brand card from your first card AND to choose a different issuing bank. The rationale for this is that when you have two different cards, you will find that the two banks will compete for your business (assuming you maintain good credit). You will get offers for 0% balance transfers, higher credit limits, and other perks as the two banks vie for your increased use of their card. And just in case you find a merchant who only takes one brand of card, you can now be assured of having all your bases covered.