Get the Most From Your Credit Card - Part 2

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Get the Most From Your Credit Card by Finance Globe

Getting the most from your credit card
Be true to yourself when choosing a credit card. Before you shop for any product, the first step is to know what you want and how you’re going to use it. Then you’ve reduced your choices to products that suit your needs. Once you’ve decided what type of product you actually need, you can further narrow your choices based on the price of the product. It’s no different with credit cards. You may get credit card solicitations every week in the mail, but what are the chances that it’s the best one for your needs when you have so many to choose from? Every day a retailer wants you to apply for their credit card at checkout, as if the card’s incentives will prevent you from shopping anywhere else. Don’t let them suck you in just because they offer credit; be sure that you’ll benefit from the use of that particular card before you apply.

Rewards aren’t freebies; they come at a price. I overheard a conversation in a store at checkout the other day, a shopper’s friend commented that the shopper had spent way more than she said she was going to. The shopper replied, “Oh, it’s okay, this card gives me rewards and the minimum payment is really low.” Her response showed that she was not being rewarded at all, but being punished. It’s too bad; she obviously didn’t realize it. It’s fun to think of all the things you can do with your credit card rewards; travel the world, redeem points for gift certificates, or even get cash back. But it’s important to understand how much those rewards are actually costing you if you carry a balance.

For example, many rewards cards generally give you one point for every dollar you spend. One hundred points equals one dollar in redemption value. So what it boils down to is that for every dollar you spent, you get back one cent. To get one full dollar back, you have to spend one hundred dollars. If you carry a balance, that one hundred dollars will accrue an annual finance charge of anywhere from ten to thirty dollars, depending on your card’s APR. How can you call it a reward if you are paying that kind of interest? You can’t, that’s why it’s so important to pay your balance in full every month to truly benefit from the rewards your card offers.

Another way people are missing out on their rewards is by overspending simply to build up rewards points. If you are hoping to earn a plane ticket valued at three and fifty dollars, you would have to charge thirty-five thousand dollars on your credit card. That’s a lot of money! It’s better to pay for your ticket outright rather than buy stuff on impulse just to accrue rewards points. You can benefit from the card’s rewards only if you are using your credit card for things that you would normally buy anyway. Use your rewards card for everyday purchases, like gas and groceries, to build up points based on what you normally spend, without spending more just to get the rewards. Over time, you can redeem your points or miles to get a bonus, without breaking the bank to get that bonus.

For people who don’t pay their balance in full every month, a card with a low APR is the way to go. Forget about the rewards you’ll be “missing”; many rewards cards charge a significantly higher rate of interest than a no rewards card. The card issuers have to make up for the cost of their rewards somewhere, and they often do it by charging a higher APR. If you always carry a balance, and you can get a card with an APR that’s 5% lower than a rewards card, you’ll automatically be saving five dollars in interest for every hundred dollars you spend. That’s a much better deal than the one dollar you’ll get back with a rewards card!

It’s up to you to decide what kind of credit card will benefit you most. You must consider your spending habits, as well as your debt repayment habits. It’s great to be rewarded for buying the things you already spend money on, as long as you aren’t paying more in interest charges than the rewards are worth.

Finance Globe is a professional contributor of personal finance publications. All inquiries pertaining to this article should be submitted to them.

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January 28 2008 06:38 am | Credit Card

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