The Basic Credit Card Types

It may seem incredible, but credit card issuers clog the mails with over 2.5 billion offers inviting people to apply for a credit card. Even those who would not qualify for a conventional credit card due to serious credit problems are now able to get one; some credit card issuers even specialize in this particular type of market. And according to financial gurus, there are at least a billion credit cards in active circulation throughout the United States alone.

Credit has been an economic cornerstone for some time now. Surveys show that the average American household is estimated to have at least twelve credit cards, including charge cards. While you may tend to think that one credit card is pretty much the same as the next, there are in actual fact distinct characteristics for each different credit card type. It is good to know these difference between the three different types of cards in the market: a bank credit card, a travel credit card, an entertainment credit card (although nowadays the combined travel and entertainment card has become more common) and a retail credit card or house card.

Bank Credit Cards

You have probably noticed that most credit cards bear either the logo of Visa or MasterCard together with the name of the bank. It would appear that the credit card has been issued by either Visa or MasterCard. That is not quite an accurate assumption: these two companies do not issue credit cards directly to the consumers. Most of the credit cards on the market today are offered by thousands of banks around the globe. Each bank is linked to the credit card association, because are not allowed to issue any kind of card unless they are association members.

Visa is a privately held membership association, although it is preparing to go public. It started as an association of banks in California and the West Coast. There are over 20,000 financial institutions in the membership rolls, and virtually all of them offer Visa Card. MasterCard is also a membership association, similar to Visa, and originally consisted of member banks in the East.

A bank credit card is in reality a revolving credit line. When you receive your statement, you can pay all or part of your balance each month, run up the balance again and so on. Being a credit line, the account comes with a pre-determined credit limit that depends on key factors like disposable income, credit history, etc. The credit limit can be as low as a $100 or as high as many thousands of dollars.

It is possible for card holders to get themselves into trouble when they do not properly manage the revolving credit line. When you carry a balance instead of paying it off, the credit card issuer starts charging interest on that balance - in some cases, this interest could be pretty steep. The interest rate varies widely, depending on who issued the card, but you could expect the average credit card interest rate to be at about 18 percent.

For instance, if you carry forward a $1,000 balance for 12 months, you pay $180 in interest per year or $15 every month. If you maintain a $1,000 savings account, you will earn about $40 in interest per year. Those who get into trouble will have to reduce debt, and one of the more common ways to go about this, is to arrange for credit card debt consolidation, which helps lighten the interest burden.

Travel and Entertainment Card

Travel and entertainment cards are similar to bank credit cards in the sense that holders can charge purchases at various stores and locations. However, they are also different from bank credit cards because they are offered directly by the credit card companies, namely, American Express and Diners Club.

This credit card type was once accepted primarily at travel- and entertainment-related businesses such as airlines, hotels, restaurants and car rentals. Nowadays, all other establishments, such as upscale department stores, gas stations and drugstores, accept them. Like any bank card, the typical travel and entertainment card of today offers the menu of features that most credit card holders have come to expect, such as frequent flyer miles, luggage insurance and collision insurance coverage on rented cars.

A further difference between travel and entertainment cards, and bank cards, is that travel entertainment cards do not carry an extended line of credit. This means that you will are required to pay your outstanding balances in full, either within one or two billing periods, in order to for the account to stay current.

Both travel and entertainment credit card providers, such as American Express and Diners Club, also deliver categorized summaries of expenses charged to the credit cards at the end of each year. This certainly is a convenience at tax time.

House Card

Unlike a bank credit card, and a travel and entertainment card, which you can use in many purchase locations, a house card is accepted only at a particular store or stores within the same chain. House cards (also referred to as retail charge cards) are the second largest category of credit cards; major house issuers include department stores, oil and gasoline companies, and telephone companies. Discover Card, once owned by Sears, was probably the biggest house card until it was purchased by a financial institution to become a distinct credit card company.

Merchants are very much in favor of house cards as these cards are valuable in helping them to both develop customer loyalty and enhance sales; you may appreciate the shopping convenience they give you. Just like bank credit cards, house cards give you a line of credit, with a limit that varies depending on your creditworthiness. For this reason, you may choose not to pay your credit card bill in full each month. Note, however, that the majority of house cards charge fixed interest rates of between 18 and 22 percent annually; thus a house card is more expensive in terms of interest cost than a bank credit card.

All types of credit cards involve costs when you use them. After knowing the different credit card types, you may choose the credit card that best fits your personality and needs. If you have a number of credit cards on your wallet, you may also consider discarding some.

If you are the type who does not carry a monthly balance, you can have a credit card with no annual fee but make sure that there is a grace period on purchases. However, if you do carry a balance, it is wise to do away with a credit card that has the worst of the following:

· High interest rates

· Unfavorable interest calculations. A credit card may calculate interest charges based on average daily balance, not on the balance due.

· No grace period. Some credit cards might charge interest from the date of purchase until payment date, even if you pay off your balance.

· Nuisance fees. Try to do away with credit cards that have late-payment fees, over-limit fees, fees for not carrying a balance or only a balance below a certain level, or a percentage fee on your credit limit.

The modern bank credit card was first introduced in the 1960s by the Bank of America; the travel and entertainment credit cards were both introduced in the 1950s. Much may changed since then in terms of features and benefits, but the basic characteristics of each type of credit card have remained the same.

Cash Rebate Credit Cards - Benefits and Detailed Descriptions

The cash rebate credit cards are very helpful to the people who make big credit card purchases. The cash rebate rates vary from credit card to credit card. There will be normally 1% cash back on general purchases and 5% on specific purchases. The rebate rates are depending on the type of card the customer chose from. I’ll personally recommend to the people not chose this card, if they couldn’t pay off their credit card balances every month. It’s because, the APR rates are comparatively higher than other credit cards.

There are lots of new credit cards have been introduced in this category. Let see the most recommendable Cash Rebate Credit Cards offers, their benefits and detailed descriptions.

Discover® More Card This card offers 0% Intro APR for Purchases and Balance Transfers for 12 months and 5% Cashback Bonus on purchases in popular categories that change four times a year like home, apparel and more. Provides up to 1% Cashback Bonus on all other purchases automatically. Provides $0 Fraud Liability Guarantee and easiest online account management options. There is no annual fee. The card members can DOUBLE their Cashback Bonus (turn $20 into $40) when they redeem for gift cards or certificates from many of the 70 brand name partners.

Discover® More American Flag CardThis card offers 0% Intro APR for purchases and balance transfers for 12 months and 5% Cashback Bonus on purchases in popular categories that change four times a year like home, apparel and more. Provides up to 1% Cashback Bonus on all other purchases automatically and unlimited cash rewards that never expire. Provides $0 fraud liability guarantee and easiest online account management options. There is no annual fee and the card member can DOUBLE their Cashback Bonus (turn $20 into $40) when they redeem for gift cards or certificates from many of the 70 brand name partners.

BP Visa® Rewards Card This card offers double rebates for two months and 5% rebates on all participating BP location purchases. Provides 2% rebates on all eligible travel and dining purchases and 1% rebates on all other eligible purchases. There are no limit on rebates and the card member can redeem every $25 rebates for: BP Gift Card, cash, donation to the Conservation Fund.

Discover® Student Tropical Beach Card This card offers 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 6 Months and there is no annual fee. Provides $0 fraud liability guarantee and easiest online account management options. Provides 5% Cashback Bonus on purchases in popular categories that change four times a year like home, apparel and more. The card members will earn upto 1% Cashback Bonus on all other purchases automatically.

Discover® Motiva Card This card has its own specific advantages like the card members can Pay-On-Time bonus equal to a full month's interest each time they make 6 on-time payments in a row– twice a year, every year when they pay on-time every month. Provides 5% to 20% Cashback Bonus at top online retailers through the exclusive online site. The card member will earn up to 1% Cashback Bonus on all other purchases and unlimited cash rewards that never expire as long as the card member use the card. There is no annual fee.

Chase Free Cash RewardsSM Visa® Card The card members earn 1 point for every dollar in purchases and they can choose from a variety of great brand name products. Provides 1,000 Bonus Points with the first purchase and Intro 0% fixed APR for up to 12 months on all purchases and balance transfers. The time period for the introductory APR and the balance transfers to which it will apply will be based on the review of the applicants application and credit history. There is no annual fee. The card members can get their rewards with as few as 2,500 points choose from either a $25 check or a $25 gift card or certificate from leading national merchants for every 2,500 points earned.

Discover® More Wildlife Card This card offers 0% Intro APR for purchases and balance transfers for 12 months and 5% Cashback Bonus on purchases in popular categories that change four times a year like home, apparel and more. The card member will earn up to 1% Cashback bonus on
all other purchases automatically and also eligible for unlimited cash rewards that never expire. Provides $0 Fraud Liability Guarantee.

Chase PerfectCard™ MasterCard® This card is named as STREAMLINE YOUR WALLET. The card member will earn rewards at any gas station to maximize their rebates! This card also provides excellent rebate offers to its members such as, provides 6% rebates on all gas purchases at any gas station for the first 90 days, 3% rebates on all gas purchases at ANY gas station after the first 90 days, and 1% rebates on all other purchases made anywhere. Provides 0% Intro APR and the time period for the introductory APR and the balance transfers to which it will apply will be based on the review of the applicants application and credit history. There is no annual fee.

Discover® Student Card This card offers 0% Intro APR on purchases for 6 Months and there is no annual fee. Provides $0 fraud liability guarantee and easiest online account management options. Provides 5% Cashback Bonus on purchases in popular categories that change four times a year like home, apparel and more and 1% Cashback Bonus on all other purchases automatically. The card members can DOUBLE their Cashback Bonus(turn $20 into $40) when they redeem for gift cards or certificates from many of the 70 brand name partners.

Discover® Student Clear Card This card offers 0% Intro APR on purchases for 6 Months and there is no annual fee. Provides $0 fraud liability guarantee and easiest online account management options. Provides 5% Cashback Bonus on purchases in popular categories that change four times a year like home, apparel and more. Provides up to 1% Cashback Bonus on all other purchases automatically.

Citi® Home Rebate Platinum Select® MasterCard® This card offers full 6% rebate on Utilities, Cable/Satellite TV, Internet Connection, and Telecommunications for 6 Months. This card holders will get a statement credit instead to start saving for their Dream House. Provides full 1% on all other purchases and rebate automatically applied to the card holder's Mortgage Principal. There are no cap or Limits on the amount of rebates that the card holders can accumulate in a Year.

The Chase Business Cash Rewards Card This card offers its card members to earn up to 5% cash back with unlimited rewards potential and with no merchant or category spending restrictions, the card members can earn points by shopping wherever they want, for whatever they want. Offers 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for up to 12 months and there is no annual fee. The card members receive quarterly management reports and they can receive additional cards to their employees.

Blue Cash® from American Express: This card offers up to 5% Cash Back with unlimited Cash Rewards and unlimited cash back earnings. Offers 0% Intro APR for 6 months and low balance transfer rate - 4.99% fixed APR for the life of the balance. There is no annual fee.

The Chase Business Rebate Card This card offers 3% cCash back for purchases at restaurants, gas stations, office supply stores, building supply stores, hardware and home improvement stores and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Provides 0% APR for up to 12 Months on purchases and balance transfers. there is no annual fee. The card members can get free additional cards for their employees, free quarterly reports, and other online account management tools to help them keep track of their business expenses.

Money Return Visa® Platinum The card members will get back 10% of their yearly interest charges. Provides 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 6 billing cycles. There is no annual fee. Provides online banking service and total security protection.

Efectiva™ Visa®: This card member will earn points towards cash back. This card offers 0% (APR) on purchases and balance transfers for the first 6 billing cycles. The card member earn 5 bonus points with the first purchase. Additional advantage is that the card member get bilingual communications and services in English or Spanish. There is no annual fee.

TrueEarningsSM Card from Costco and American Express The card members earn 3% cash back for eating out, 2% for traveling, and 1% everywhere else, including at Costco. There is no annual fee. Provides the flexibility to pay charges in full each month or over time and there is no limit on the cash back earned. The card member can doubles as their Costco Membership Card. The applicant nust be a Costco Member to apply for this card.

Chase Freedom Cash This card offers 05 intro APR and the APR period is for 6 months. There is no annual fee. The card member can Earn 3% cash back for every eligible $1 spent in purchases at Grocery Stores, Stock up on food, household goods and more. Also earn 3% cash back for gas station purchases such as using the card for fuel, repairs, car washes, and other purchases. The same 3% cash back offers also applicable for purchases at Quick Service Restaurants, the rewards add up fast from pizza to hamburgers to tacos - even sandwich shops, coffee houses and more. The card members earn 1% cash back for every $1 spent in purchases everywhere else. The card members get a $50 Check once they have earned $50 in rewards. The card members can save up to $200 in rewards and redeem for $250 cash back.

The Pros And Cons Of Prepaid Credit Cards

Observers in the lending industry have estimated that there may be at least 50 million Americans who are not able to qualify for credit. These consumers are usually young, often members of the minority groups and unbanked...and they are faced with the long-standing dilemma of credit: how can I build my credit record if no one will give me any credit at all?

One of the answers offered by credit card companies is a variety of prepaid credit cards, designed for use by specific segments in the market. The prepaid credit cards are meant for that significant portion of the population that cannot meet the qualification criteria for regular credit cards, or who qualified before but have since lost their credit due to repeated defaults and other reasons.

Advantages of Prepaid Credit Cards For those who do not have enough credit history or have had it blemished, prepaid credit cards are an effective way to build or slowly rebuild credit. That may not happen immediately, but it is something to work on over time. The banks that issue prepaid credit cards are also prepared to extend normal credit the moment you are able to show that you have become a worthy credit risk.

For the moment, you may have to make do with prepaid credit cards. You can use prepaid credit cards as you would any other regular credit card to purchase airline tickets, reserve hotel rooms, or order items online.

Prepaid Credit Card for Students

There is a special prepaid Visa credit card for students, which offers a lot of convenience not only for the students but also for their parents. These reloadable prepaid credit cards offer parents several options on how to reload. Parents can add money to reloadable prepaid credit cards by depositing money, by arranging an automatic transfer of funds from their account (a deposit account or their own credit card account), or by online transfer. Using the prepaid Visa credit card is no different from giving the regular allowance to their child, only they do so by electronic means and there is no more cash that changes hands.

The big advantage of the prepaid Visa credit card is that the student is limited to spend only as much money as there is in the card. The parent is thus able to control to some extent the spending behavior of their child. They can use the prepaid credit card anywhere that the credit card brand is accepted.

Prepaid Credit Cards as Gift Certificates

Some prepaid credit cards function like gift certificates. You buy the prepaid credit card for a certain amount, and your recipient can purchase items with it at any of the brick-and-mortar stores or online merchants, and also for mail order items, that accept the particular credit card brand. Your recipient can use the prepaid credit card only up to the amount of money that you loaded on it. This particular version of prepaid credit cards is non-reloadable.

Like any gift certificate, recipients of prepaid credit cards can buy whatever it is they want at any time they want. Unlike a gift certificate that, when it gets lost is lost forever to the recipient, prepaid credit cards may be replaced if it gets lost or is stolen.

Prepaid Credit Cards for Travel There is a prepaid credit card designed for travel. These reloadable prepaid credit cards can be purchased in lieu of travelers' checks or cash. In a way, it combines the best features of a credit card and a traveler's check because of its convenience and security features. Should you lose the prepaid credit card while you are on travel, you can easily obtain an emergency replacement, both for the prepaid credit card and some cash.

Prepaid credit cards for travel are accepted all over the world, and also allow you to obtain currency from ATM machines. When you need to reload and you are already traveling you can arrange for the reload by phone or online. Apart from the fact that it is a prepaid credit card, you can use it exactly like a regular credit card. That also means you enjoy other benefits just like a regular card - reimbursements for lost luggage of up to $1,000 per cardholder if your luggage is lost; zero liability if your prepaid credit card is used fraudulently after you lose it or have it stolen from you; purchase security up to $500 per claim for any items you buy with prepaid credit cards, which subsequently gets stolen or damaged for certain reasons.

Generally, you can purchase prepaid credit cards of all the major credit card brands at their participating retailers. You don't have to worry about not having acceptable credit because prepaid credit cards are made available without need of a credit report or a bank account. The only qualifications you need to have are that you have reached 18 years of age and that you must be able to present a valid identification issued by government.

Disadvantages of Prepaid Credit Cards

There are a few things about prepaid credit cards that may not be as convenient as the regular credit cards. For one thing, you load only so much money onto it. You will need to keep track of the balance on the prepaid credit card because not all of the merchant terminals where you use the card may be able to help you determine it. However, there are procedures that tell you how to determine your balance, and you will these detailed on the back of the prepaid credit card and in the instructions accompanying it.

The process of reloading your prepaid credit card may be a little inconvenient to some. If you're using cash, you would have to visit the participating outlet where you bought your reloadable prepaid credit cards. The more convenient way will be reloading online.

There are also the charges. Prepaid credit cards impose an application fee, the amount of which varies with the issuer, and there is also a service charge that you have to pay monthly. You also have to pay for transaction fees, charges when you transfer funds to top up the balance, when you replace your prepaid credit card, and many other fees. To be sure about the fees, you should read closely the fine print on the prepaid credit card account.

Prospects of Prepaid Credit Cards

Prepaid credit cards do not provide credit; it is your money that you're using. You are asked to pay other charges, so it is not for free. You are paying for the convenience and security of carrying plastic instead of large amounts of cash. People with bad credit will be able to act as if they had a regular credit card and enjoy the convenience of one.

Issuers of prepaid credit cards realize that it is a good way to monitor the credit behavior of the cardholder. A prepaid credit card would be a source of information that indicates to the credit bureaus and issuing lenders about how you as the individual card-holder use the card to pay your bills such as utilities. If these consumer data could be formatted in such a way as to provide the basis for a statistical model on probable future behavior in spending, then this could become the foundation for building a credit history.

You would benefit, because by using prepaid credit cards you are rebuilding your credit. The prepaid credit card issuers would benefit, too, because they would be making previously unproven customers bankable. More people could then qualify for regular credit, and that would mean tremendous incremental revenue for the lenders.

The Basic Credit Card Types

It may seem incredible, but credit card issuers clog the mails with over 2.5 billion offers inviting people to apply for a credit card. Even those who would not qualify for a conventional credit card due to serious credit problems are now able to get one; some credit card issuers even specialize in this particular type of market. And according to financial gurus, there are at least a billion credit cards in active circulation throughout the United States alone.

Credit has been an economic cornerstone for some time now. Surveys show that the average American household is estimated to have at least twelve credit cards, including charge cards. While you may tend to think that one credit card is pretty much the same as the next, there are in actual fact distinct characteristics for each different credit card type. It is good to know these difference between the three different types of cards in the market: a bank credit card, a travel credit card, an entertainment credit card (although nowadays the combined travel and entertainment card has become more common) and a retail credit card or house card.

Bank Credit Cards

You have probably noticed that most credit cards bear either the logo of Visa or MasterCard together with the name of the bank. It would appear that the credit card has been issued by either Visa or MasterCard. That is not quite an accurate assumption: these two companies do not issue credit cards directly to the consumers. Most of the credit cards on the market today are offered by thousands of banks around the globe. Each bank is linked to the credit card association, because are not allowed to issue any kind of card unless they are association members.

Visa is a privately held membership association, although it is preparing to go public. It started as an association of banks in California and the West Coast. There are over 20,000 financial institutions in the membership rolls, and virtually all of them offer Visa Card. MasterCard is also a membership association, similar to Visa, and originally consisted of member banks in the East.

A bank credit card is in reality a revolving credit line. When you receive your statement, you can pay all or part of your balance each month, run up the balance again and so on. Being a credit line, the account comes with a pre-determined credit limit that depends on key factors like disposable income, credit history, etc. The credit limit can be as low as a $100 or as high as many thousands of dollars.

It is possible for card holders to get themselves into trouble when they do not properly manage the revolving credit line. When you carry a balance instead of paying it off, the credit card issuer starts charging interest on that balance - in some cases, this interest could be pretty steep. The interest rate varies widely, depending on who issued the card, but you could expect the average credit card interest rate to be at about 18 percent.

For instance, if you carry forward a $1,000 balance for 12 months, you pay $180 in interest per year or $15 every month. If you maintain a $1,000 savings account, you will earn about $40 in interest per year. Those who get into trouble will have to reduce debt, and one of the more common ways to go about this, is to arrange for credit card debt consolidation, which helps lighten the interest burden.

Travel and Entertainment Card

Travel and entertainment cards are similar to bank credit cards in the sense that holders can charge purchases at various stores and locations. However, they are also different from bank credit cards because they are offered directly by the credit card companies, namely, American Express and Diners Club.

This credit card type was once accepted primarily at travel- and entertainment-related businesses such as airlines, hotels, restaurants and car rentals. Nowadays, all other establishments, such as upscale department stores, gas stations and drugstores, accept them. Like any bank card, the typical travel and entertainment card of today offers the menu of features that most credit card holders have come to expect, such as frequent flyer miles, luggage insurance and collision insurance coverage on rented cars.

A further difference between travel and entertainment cards, and bank cards, is that travel entertainment cards do not carry an extended line of credit. This means that you will are required to pay your outstanding balances in full, either within one or two billing periods, in order to for the account to stay current.

Both travel and entertainment credit card providers, such as American Express and Diners Club, also deliver categorized summaries of expenses charged to the credit cards at the end of each year. This certainly is a convenience at tax time.

House Card

Unlike a bank credit card, and a travel and entertainment card, which you can use in many purchase locations, a house card is accepted only at a particular store or stores within the same chain. House cards (also referred to as retail charge cards) are the second largest category of credit cards; major house issuers include department stores, oil and gasoline companies, and telephone companies. Discover Card, once owned by Sears, was probably the biggest house card until it was purchased by a financial institution to become a distinct credit card company.

Merchants are very much in favor of house cards as these cards are valuable in helping them to both develop customer loyalty and enhance sales; you may appreciate the shopping convenience they give you. Just like bank credit cards, house cards give you a line of credit, with a limit that varies depending on your creditworthiness. For this reason, you may choose not to pay your credit card bill in full each month. Note, however, that the majority of house cards charge fixed interest rates of between 18 and 22 percent annually; thus a house card is more expensive in terms of interest cost than a bank credit card.

All types of credit cards involve costs when you use them. After knowing the different credit card types, you may choose the credit card that best fits your personality and needs. If you have a number of credit cards on your wallet, you may also consider discarding some.

If you are the type who does not carry a monthly balance, you can have a credit card with no annual fee but make sure that there is a grace period on purchases. However, if you do carry a balance, it is wise to do away with a credit card that has the worst of the following:

· High interest rates

· Unfavorable interest calculations. A credit card may calculate interest charges based on average daily balance, not on the balance due.

· No grace period. Some credit cards might charge interest from the date of purchase until payment date, even if you pay off your balance.

· Nuisance fees. Try to do away with credit cards that have late-payment fees, over-limit fees, fees for not carrying a balance or only a balance below a certain level, or a percentage fee on your credit limit.

The modern bank credit card was first introduced in the 1960s by the Bank of America; the travel and entertainment credit cards were both introduced in the 1950s. Much may changed since then in terms of features and benefits, but the basic characteristics of each type of credit card have remained the same.

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Balance Transfer Credit Cards - Benefits and Detailed Descriptions