Posts Tagged ‘gift credit cards’

Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Balance Transfer Credit Cards or Transfer Credit Cards offer to the cardholder the facility of balance transfer. By this facility,an outstanding debt balance on your one credit card can be transferred to another that is newer or less used.  But the credit limit of the latter will have a reduction to the extent of the transferred sum.For instance,suppose you transfer your outstanding debt of Rs. 20,000 on your card A to card B which has a credit limit of Rs. 50,000. By this, the credit limit of card B is reduced to Rs. 30,000.  Again, the balance transfer amount should not exceed 80% of the credit limit.For example,if the credit limit of your card is Rs. 50000, you can transfer to it only an amount up to Rs. 40000. Balance Transfer Credit Cards may offer zero interest balance transfer.In order to induce potential customers to change from other cards to theirs, banks often offer low or zero interest balance transfer.But this is only for the introductory period of 3-6 months.  After that the transferred amount acquires its original rate of interest.   If you want to avail a balance transfer credit card, as a first step,you have to apply to the credit card issuer for the facility of transferring your credit amount.Then on approval, your outstanding debt will be paid off by the card issuer and the due amount will be transferred to your new credit card.It may take 1-2 weeks to get the amount transferred.If you are not wary, your payment date may fall in between and you may not notice it. This will adversely affect you credit report.  Hence, make it a point to pay the minimum due amount till the transfer is made.  Credit card companies may offer free balance transfers to woo customers.They may offer you two, one or zero percent interest.But this may be only for an initial grace period.But this opportunity can be used to reduce your credit card debt.Before applying for a balance transfer, you need to look into the terms to know if there are some hidden costs.There may be some initial fee or annual fee.  Zero percent Balance Transfer Credit Cards gives you the facility of paying off debt along with saving money.You can save the 16 to 18% interest that you are supposed to pay otherwise.  Balance transfer credit cards can get you cash on emergency.You can even transfer money to your bank account or you can transfer through cheque.  Balance transfer credit cards can change your habit of delaying payments.As you are pushed into paying off purchases, you can save interest otherwise payable.

Transfer Credit Cards

Transfer credit cards or balance transfer credit cards are a recent development in the history of credit cards.Suppose you are a credit card holder with a balance debt of $ 7000.Now you decide to switch to a new card.But you have a liability outstanding on the first card, your debt balance.The new company allows you to transfer your outstanding balance on the existing card to the new card.The new one is a balance transfer credit card.Suppose the credit limit of your new card is $ 25,000.Your balance with the old card is $ 7000.Now the credit limit will have a reduction to the extent of the balance amount.The credit limit of the new card will be $ 18,000. Transfer credit cards are advantageous in many ways.Most of the cards allow you a very low or nil interest for the balance. Hence it will be beneficial for you in your debt management.As a matter of fact,these companies offer you a 0% transfer facility as means to woo you to leave your first card and take theirs.But this low or nil interest will be only for an introductory period of 3-6 months.Also, there may be some hidden costs.Hence it makes sense you look in to the terms and conditions if any hidden costs lurk behind the rosy face.Some companies charge some introductory fee or annual fee.But it is an advantage that you can save the interest of 16-18.If you opt for a Balance Transfer Credit Cards, first you have to apply to the card issuer stating your need of a balance transfer.Along with, you should obtain the credit statement from your card issuer and produce it to the new company.On due approval of your transfer application, the new card issuer will pay off the balance amount payable to the old card issuer. Then the amount paid by the new card issuer will be added to the debit of your new card. After your submitting of application for balance transfer,it may take a couple of weeks for the transfer to take effect. During this intervening period your payment date may fall due which you may not take notice of.This lapse will have an adverse effect on your credit report.As such, you should ensure the remittance of the due sum by the stipulated time until the transfer is effected.

Bad Credit Credit Cards

Bad credit credit cards can cause you worries.But that problem can be solved if you plan your financial dealings properly.Usually, a credit card is issued with a limit, beyond which one cannot purchase anything.As per the agreement, you would have to make a minimum monthly payment and if you fail to make the minimum payment, interest will be charged for the amount unpaid.  

If it is a prepaid credit card,you can make purchases with it and you can add the credit value by furthering your deposit any time and the bad credit status of your credit card can be improved. In that case, there may not be any interest, but there may be fee for activation, transactions, etc.If it is a secured credit card, you have to make an advance deposit and your payments can be adjusted against this initial deposit.There may be an annual fee for the service and that may be higher than the usual interest.In unsecured credit cards, there is no initial deposit and you will have a second chance and the limit can be increased if it is satisfied that you are reliable.

Your bad credit may limit the scope of your credit card. Most of the financial institutions are offering credit card facilities to their clients. Even though your credit status is low they may offer you a credit card with very low limit.If your credit status is very low,you may have to wait for 6 months to accumulate credit value.Some shopping and commercial establishments offer credit card facility.But such cards can be used only at such stores.Also such establishments charge a higher rate of interest.

Bad credit credit card holders can sign up with another person to increase his credit value.If the credit value of the other party is good,you will be easily accepted. This is because the liability under the card collectively and individually rests upon both the parties.If your credit value is below the limit, your co-signer is liable to pay the amount.Thus the service provider liability is minimized.In a secured credit card,credit accounts are guaranteed by the deposit of the holders.In most countries, your application for a credit card will be referred to the credit bureaus.Hence, too many credit applications to different agencies will adversely affect your chance of getting a credit facility because that will decrease your credit score.

Bad credit credit card holders may face many inconveniences and complications.A bad credit score will adversely affect your financial reputation.That will affect your future rating of a financial credit application with any financial institution.  Therefore,it is better to control your expenditures and ensure a flawless credit score.If you plan your income and expenditure properly, and discipline your spending nature, you can perfectly maintain a good credit score and you will not have to bother about any bad credit credit card. 

Credit Card For Teens / Students

A prepaid credit card is the credit card for teens or students. Unlike a normal credit card, no credit check is required and there is no chance of your teen running up a large credit card bill.

Perhaps your teen mainly shops online or would prefer not to carry cash but due to a lack of any credit history they can not apply for a regular credit card. (And, let’s face it you probably wouldn’t want them to have one anyway). But, remember, it can be a great way to teach them basic budgeting.

Teens and students often need credit cards for a variety of reasons. They make it easier to purchase a variety of goods and services and are great to have on hand in case of an emergency. But maybe they’re not quite ready for a regular credit card. A prepaid credit card is just what they need.

Advantages of a Prepaid Credit Card

Prepaid credit cards operate more like a checking account with no overdraft facility. Money is prepaid onto the account and cannot be overspent.

The best part of the prepaid credit card is that your teen can charge to their heart’s content and they won’t be in any debt. The money is theirs and once it’s gone, they can’t spend any more until they make another deposit. And you can make deposits on their behalf. There are no bills and no interest charges. It’s the same principle as using a debit card linked to a savings or checking account.

Disadvantages of a Prepaid Credit Card

Well, they’ll have to pay a small fee to set up the account. In addition, they’ll have to pay additional fees every time they deposit more cash into their repaid credit card account. Also note, certain types of service , like a monthly internet subscription may not accept a prepaid credit card.

If you’re looking for a credit card for your teen, consider a prepaid credit card. They have most of the advantages of a normal credit card but you won’t have to worry about your teen getting into debt. And it’s a great way to teach your teens how to budget!

Prepaid Credit Card Application FAQs

If you are about to make a prepaid credit card application it’s likely you will have a number of questions. This short article will answer your main concerns.

What are Prepaid Credit Cards?

Prepaid credit cards are not a credit card as such, as no credit is offered by the card issuer. Money is placed, or “topped-up” on the card first and you can only spend what is available on the card at any one time. But, they carry a credit card brand (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover) and can be used in the same convenient way as a normal credit card.

Who Are Prepaid Credit Cards For?

The short answer is anyone can apply for and use a prepaid credit card. There are no credit checks so, they are particularly useful for young people, teenagers or students, who have not yet built up a credit rating, or people with a poor credit history. But they can also be ideal for people who simply don’t want to run the risk of running up a large outstanding credit balance. They can be used for learning budgeting skills and can even be given as gifts.

Are There Any Charges On Prepaid Credit Cards?

Yes, of course, but as you can only spend what is already available on the card you will not incur any debit interest charges. Charges are typically for: the initial issue of the card; an annual or monthly fee; transactional charges. In nearly all cases the charges are small and dependant on how you want to use the card. For example, some cards have a monthly fee but with minimum transaction charges. Other cards are ‘pay as you go’ in which case there may not be a monthly or annual fee but you will be charged per transaction. You should, therefore, carefully consider how you will be using the card and then shop around for the best deal for you. You may also be charged if you make any transactions with the card that subsequently fail for some reason.

What Can I Use Prepaid Credit Cards For?

Pretty much anything that you would with a normal credit card (provided sufficient funds are already stored on the card.) You can shop on or offline, book travel and hotels, etc. even pay certain bills on some cards. Indeed, some cards act more like bank accounts. You can have your salary / wages paid into the card account and also set-up direct debits, etc. They are very flexible but remember there will likely be a charge for such transactions dependant on the card conditions.

Are Prepaid Credit Cards Safe?

Yes, in fact, in many ways they are even safer than normal credit cards. The amount available on the card at any one time is limited to the balance stored on the card and not a (likely to be) much larger credit card limit. Also many cards allow you to store your money off the card in a related Eaccount. In this way you can ensure that the card is only charged up with what you need on a day to day basis.

So, if you on the point of making a prepaid credit application I would certainly recommend them. They are safe and convenient and a great way to manage your budget.