What kind of credit card do you have?

ZENGHOST

ZENGHOST

Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
3,834
I've only had one standard Visa card from my credit union for the past dozen years and I've been thinking of picking up one of those cards with some kind of reward incentive. I just got one of those miles cards applications but I haven't travelled since pre-9/11 so that's not real high on my list. There's also things like Amazon or PayPal or some kind of car type card. What do you carry and do you think it's actually worth it?

I'm the type that pays off the entire balance each month so I don't know if that makes a difference. I don't like to rack up the bills and I've never spent more than I can afford. Just trying to figure out if I'm missing out on something.
 
I carry a BankOne Disney Visa card. By using this card I can save up $$$ towards the inevitable trip to Disney World with my kids.
 
I have no suggestions about individual cards or rewards programs, except to say that there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you're not paying for your rewards, somebody else is (which is fine as long as you can make sure you are the one coming out ahead).

I would recommend having as few cards as possible. Personally, I have one standard Visa, one Visa credit/debit card, and an AmEx. This mix covers just about every possible credit or payment option I have ever needed.
 
I only have a Visa, and I've never had a problem anywhere. My dad has some sort of card that's connected to a gas station, and whenever you use the card at the pump it gives you some percentage back. Of course the prices are probably higher for everybody so they can do that for the people with the card, but it's still nice to see on the bill :)
 
We also keep a few cards for whatever may arise - amex, visa, m/c. Corporate amex for work. Balances paid to $0 every month.

The rewards cards can be good if they are used enough - for example my american express cards have a rewards program (I believe it costs $75 annually) which made a lot of sense to have when I traveled frequently because I was able to rack up hundreds of thousands of points using the card for airline tickets, hotel, car rentals, and most meals, for 40-50 weeks out of the year.

We also have one from sears just to get the 0% financing deals on major purchases like appliances - which works great as long as you get the balance paid before the offer ends...be very careful because their normal rates are stupendously high, as are most other retail and gas cards.
 
Should I also post my SS# and other pertinent personal information on a public web site?
 
i picked up one of those amazon visa cards to pick up the "bonus" on those items i would not use a debit card or cash for...travel/gas/mail order etc. i have friends who do a lot of business travel...some put down 10-15k per month and their company reimburses them and they can really rack up the rewards ...that's a good deal as long as you do not screw up payment or your company is late one month...the fees and interest can offset more than a year of "perks"

i have never had a credit card balance and it is nice to get a 1% perk so i got one

however, if you use any type of plastic (credit or even debit) you will tend to spend more...it's easier to plunk down plastic than count out 20s...why do you think stores let you use debit cards to buy things AND get cash back? (both cost money to the store)....because people will buy more on an average visit.. more than enough to off set the banking fees on debit cards

same thing with these bonus credit cards..the average person spends way more than 1% extra...often on stuff they don't need...diminishing the value of the perk

still, i thought i am smarter than that....i put each credit card purchase in to my accounting software so i never am suprised by the bill...even though i am fairly frugal overall...i still spent more over the laast 2 years.

the really silly cards are the amex ones that give you "double bonuses" if you keep a balance and pay a lot of interest...an extra 1% back in order to pay 7-22% more overall....that's a deal!!!!!
 
I have a standard Visa, a debit card from the bank, and a MasterCard from a gas station. The only reason I got the gas CC was because I get some percentage back on all gas purchases, and a smaller percent on all others. I don't drive all that much, so it doesn't make that much of a difference really. But I would rather have an extra $20 in my pocket than let someone else have it.
 
FullerH said:
Should I also post my SS# and other pertinent personal information on a public web site?
Click to expand...

So what if you say you have an visa or whatever. So do 200 million other people. It's easy enough to find out far more than that anyway.
 
Hmmm...not sounding like it's worth the hassle of having an extra card so far. I do use my card occasionally for school, but that usually only amounts to a few thousand a year, which I don't see as really getting me much in the way of rewards. Maybe I'll just stick to the one card.

FullerH said:
Should I also post my SS# and other pertinent personal information on a public web site?
Click to expand...
FullerH--I'm sorry that I somehow offended you with my question. I didn't realize that forumites (freely) choosing to indicate that they are one of the millions of Visa users out there would somehow jeopardize your (and their) privacy--which, wasn't even the question anyway. I just wanted to know whether the rewards type cards are useful. Please feel free to add me to your ignore list.

edited to add: looks like DB1 and I were typing at the same time (and had the same idea)...
 
VISA Premier, what you would call a "debit card" (you pay from your account). Credit cards (you pay a bill and interests if you can't pay all at the end of the month) are not very popular arround here.
 
I have a great credit card. They gave me a $300 line of credit at only 19.99% interest. The application fee, membership fee, annual fee, and usage fee came to only $273. I took a $25 cash advance even though that increased my APR to 23.99% until I can zero out the balance. Unfortunately, my first payment was posted a day late even though I mailed it in two weeks early so I was charged a $29 late fee and that caused me to go over my $300 limit so I was charged another $29 penalty for exceeding my limit. Because of my late payment they raised my interest rate to 26.99% and they raised it again to 29.99% because I went over my limit.

So now I owe $356, so I'm going to pay $57 this month so I'm no longer over my limit. I can then make a minimum payment of only about $17.50 a month to cover interest, principal and additional annual and usage fees, and in just under 30 years I will have paid back that $25 cash advance.

Now that I'm a "player" I receive at least 4 or 5 pre-approved credit card applications in the mail every day! I think I'll open two or three more so I can get the $50 in advance to make that big payment I have to make on the first card. I'm on the road to riches - and all of it with those suckers' money. Ain't it grand?
 
I have my parents Visa ;) hehe my new khukuri was ordered on it, same with lots of other projects hehe..

...I used to have my own but I chopped it up. :footinmou
 
Chase Freedom Platinum, 1% back on all purchases, 3% on gas--credited MONTHLY right back to your account...
 
Marriott Rewards Visa. But if you only put a few thousand on it a year, it's probably not worth it.

BTW, Fuller's SSN is 000-00-0001. :p
 
I have the best kind. I still have the credit card that fell out of Gollnick's wallet at the Blade show! :p :D


(this is a vague, poor attempt at sick humor, in case any Jack Booted Thugs are reading this!)
 
I just do the regular Visa, and Visa check card thing. I use the ones from my bank cause that way there's no anual fee. The check card is so I don't need to carry much cash but can still buy groceries, gas, ect at those card reader things next to the cash register. The regular card is for any time it might leave my sight for even a second. That way if it gets swiped and cloned by some unscrupulous type, I have some recourse through the bank, and my checking account doesn't get emptied the next morning.
 
Citibank Platinum VISA.

Some bugger just cloned it about a month ago. f*ck!n9 @$$H01£ actually bought a USD$1000 ++ watch from some watch store.

AND HERE I AM WEARING A CASIO G-SHOCK.

Hope they tracked him.
 
I just have debit cards. I screwed myself early in life with a few credit cards which is kind of good as it was before the limits got to high and now I gotta chance to get out of debt easier. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top