| |
| |
|
Kellys Credit Information |
|
|
|
Cash Back vs. Rewards Credit Cards
Ah, the sweet rewards of using credit! Not only do you get immediate gratification with the buy now-pay later plastic, but now, many credit cards offer rewards and incentives for using their card to make purchases. You can get cash back, or gift cards, or 'reward points' that you can spend on merchandise or services from various merchants. There are also cards that allow you to designate your 'cash back' points to a charity - sometimes called affinity cards - and those that put your cash back into a special savings account for college. Great deal, right? You spend your money and get something in return. The catch is, of course, that you're paying interest and card fees to get your cash back rewards. But if you're going to be using the credit card anyway, you might as well get something back out of it, right? Most cash-back cards give you 1-2% cash back on most of your purchases. You'll get a check at specified periods for the amount of your 'rewards cash'. You can cash the check and spend the money on anything you want. Reward cards give you 1-5 reward points for every dollar that you spend at different merchants and types of merchants. Most pay you 5 reward points for purchases made at their 'Merchant Thank You' network, and for purchases made at gas stations, drug stores and supermarkets. You'll get 1 reward point for every dollar that you spend at other merchants. You can then redeem your reward points for particular items from the merchants that belong to the credit card's merchant network. Which is the better choice? Each kind of credit card reward has its own pros and cons, and the better choice depends on what's most important to you. Cash-back Rewards - Pros Cash can be used anywhere, for any kind of purchase. Gives 1% - 2% cash back on all purchases. Cash-back Rewards - Cons Rewards points cards may give rewards of higher value, particularly for purchases at merchant networks stores, gas stations and supermarkets. Cash-back can only be used when a check is issued. Rewards Points - Pros Rewards points are often higher value than cash-back. If you use the credit card for purchases made within the merchant member network, you can get as much as 5% value back when you spend your reward points. Reward points are available to use on a rolling basis. Some card companies may require you to accumulate a certain number of rewards points before redeeming them, but reward point rewards are often more easily available than cash-back rewards. Reward points can be used for cash rewards in some circumstances. Reward Points - Cons Reward points can only be redeemed from particular merchants and/or on particular merchandise. Whichever your choice, it makes good sense to get something back when you choose to use credit. If you're a frequent credit card user, the rewards can certainly add up. Among the merchants that belong to various Merchant Member networks are such well-known companies as airlines, Saks Fifth Avenue, Evelyn & Crabtree and Smarter Edge. Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the credit card comparison sites Credit Cards Info and also Credit Cards 121
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
3 Free Credit Reports For You If you were to tell someone that they can have a certain item for free, more than likely their response would be, "what's the catch?" In the case of credit reports there is no catch, you can now get a free copy of this report through the three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnions, and Experian. Let's take a look at the law and how you can benefit from it. Different Types of Credit Cards and Features - Part 1 Just as there are too many credit card companies to count, there seems to be just as many different credit cards, all claiming to offer you the best possible deal. Since no two people are alike, not all programs and incentives will work the same for everyone. Credit Cards - The Top 3 Things You Need To Know Today there are so many different credit cards available, student prepaid, low interest cards etc. that it has becomes a real hassle to find the right one that will suit your needs. Special Credit Information for Married Couples If you are married, establish separate credit accounts.Try to finance real estate in just one partner's name to increase your investment financing potential. Five Reasons to Repair Your Credit Score - You Can Do It Yourself There are multiple reasons that tell us why we should have a 700+ Credit Score, but these five facts will definitely give you the big picture and hopefully will drive you to want to fix your credit score starting today.Fact #1: Did you know that consumers with Credit Scores of 700+ are likely to get interest rates up to four points lower than those with scores under 640. Beware the Shopping Mall Monster Like me, you've probably been offered a fair old number of these by now.. Start Building Credit Fast! There are a couple of reasons for this. You can pay your bills on time for years and never gain more than a few points on your credit score. What Does Your Credit Say About You? A credit report is more than just a snapshot of your financial picture; it can assist credit grantors in determining your overall risk factor. Additionally, lenders, credit grantors, and even human resource departments often use it as a tool to determine a person's character. Saving Money with Credit Cards Having a credit card is a wonderful convenience for those times when you don't have immediate access to your cash. It can allow you to purchase something on time for which you can pay later, thereby giving you the ability to afford something NOW that you'd have had to save for later. Establishing Credit - What You Need To Know Part 2 In my previous article "Establishing Credit - What You Need To Know Part 1" I discussed the need for a good credit history and what lenders were looking for prior to loaning an individual money or additional funds based on their credit history. This article will go into the necessary steps someone needs to take in order to initially establish their credit history. Commercial Collections And Credit Granting It is estimated that billions of dollars in delinquent commercial credit is currently being carried on the books of both American and international businesses. This figure changes as our economy grows or contracts. Rate Tarts Losing Ability to Cherry Pick A "rate tart" is someone who switches from one zero per cent introductory credit card deal to another to avoid paying interest; however they may be set to become something of the past. Recently a number of the major credit card companies, including Egg, Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland and MBNA have introduced transfer charges for people who want to shift their outstanding credit card balances to a new card to take advantage of a zero per cent introductory rate. How Creditors Measure Your Credit Rating Creditors will measure your credit rating based on the following three main things.CapacityCollateralCharacterThe three "C's" show creditors your:"Capacity" or income to pay the debt"Collateral" or assets to secure the obligation"Character" shows your compliance to repay the debt1. Avoiding Credit Card Traps The next time you open your credit card statement, take a closer look at the small insert titled "changes to your credit card agreement". You know the one I'm speaking about. SuperCharged Secret 5, Credit Card Utopia LIVING IN CREDIT CARD UTOPIALet's just take a brief moment to recap:If you've been following along on this journey with me, learning the 5 Super-Charged secrets to Credit Card Utopia, then you now know 4 very important things:You now know how to take advantage of zero to low interest credit card offers.You now know that there is safety in numbers, and you know the magic "Who's Who" of the major credit card companies. Get Your Credit Score To Soar In The Twinkling of An Eye Ever wonder how a creditor decides whether to grant you credit? For years, creditors have been using credit scoring systems to determine if you'd be a good risk for credit cards and auto loans. More recently, credit scoring has been used to help creditors evaluate your ability to repay home mortgage loans. How To Get a Low Interest Credit Card Consumers often have the first credit card that they ever applied for, never really analizing how the interest rate affects their payments, but many other options exist and can help consumers decrease their payments and achieve financial stability.With interest rates on some credit cards rising to over 23%, even low balance credit card debt can be crippling. Figuring Out the Ever Nebulous Numbers Called Credit Scores Credit Score FactorsThe information contained on our credit reports affect every aspect of our lives; including employment, insurance, and even interest rates (mortgage, credit cards, automobiles, etc.). Credit Report - Look Out for Your Debit Report, Too Most consumers are aware that there are companies that keep track of their personal financial transactions - installment loans, mortgages, credit card accounts, bankruptcies and judgements. These items are assembled by the three main credit bureaus into a credit report, which is available upon request by lenders, employers and anyone else with whom a consumer might do business. 10 Signs You May Need Credit Counseling Debt management programs can be of real help for people that discover they cannot face their debts. At first, they will attempt to solve the situation all by themselves by cutting down on spending and keeping a close eye on accounts.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
