Kaile’s Credit Card Deals

With gas prices on the constant rise in the U.S. and worldwide gasoline credit cards are becoming more and more popular these days. You may be able to off-set some your additional expenses by signing up for a gasoline incentive program. Another benefit to using a gas card is the ability to track your gasoline spending habits. This can be a valuable tool that will enable you to factor this information into your budget.

Generally there are two different types of gasoline programs. The first kind of card we will be discussing is one that is offered directly from the gasoline company (like Shell and Exon). These type of cards are ideal for the person who wants to control and budget his/her gasoline expenses (as mentioned). By becoming a member you may also end up getting a discount and paying less for gasoline. This is not always the case, but don’t be surprised if you run into this.

To find out which ones offer discounted gasoline you may want to search around for the best gasoline credit card deals. If the company offers a discount they will normally advertise it along with their card, so it should be easy to find. These kind of cards are similar to mainstream ones as you may have to pay annual or monthly fee’s, and you are also subject to the companies interest rate. You will be restricted to buying gas and in store items only - so make sure their are enough store specific gas stations in your area. These types of programs are normally easier to obtain than traditional cards.

The other type is the gasoline reward card - which functions as an incentive program. Many companies are starting to provide gasoline as an incentive - due to the overwhelming rise of prices in gas worldwide. This functions the same way other incentive cards do - the more you spend the more points you earn. Your points can then be converted into gasoline. These points will add up over time and thus you have earned free gas. These kind of programs are generally geared toward people who have a solid credit history - it will be a lot harder to get accepted into one if you have less than perfect credit. The rates on these cards vary but you can usually find a good introductory rate if you look hard enough. In our modern day gasoline programs have the best credit card deals you can find.

When you are making your decision you should consider the pro’s and cons of both types. It would be a good idea to track your gasoline spending habits for the next month or so. As a side note - store specific cards normally require you to pay your balance in full each month. So if you are not bringing in a stable income I would not recommend this - instead you should go with the other option. Hopefully by now you should have a good idea as to whether this is the type of program for you.

So now that you’ve read through our previous articles and have researched the best credit card deals you are wondering the best way to sort through and compare the interest rates. If you have spent a good deal of time gathering card offers than this may seem complicated. I must admit that it can take you a few hours to go through and evaluate all of your options. You really should take the time to sit down and do this to avoid frustration down the road. In this article we will be discussing exactly how to do just that.

You should take the time to look through and jot down the information provided to you by the credit card company. This will make it much easier to compare rates. In order to do this effectively you will need to know exactly where to look and what to look out for. If you are doing your research online than be sure to bookmark the pages. If you have the promotional material in hand this will be a little easier as you have everything right in front of you - for easy comparison. In order for you to find the best credit card deals you must understand what an annual percentage (APR) is and what it entails.

The annual percentage rate is the interest that the credit card companies charge you based on your credit card’s balance each and every single year. If you read the fine print of most of cards out there you will see that this is subject to change at anytime based on various factors, including your credit rating. So when you are going through the credit card deals and comparing them to one another you will mainly be comparing the APR of each card to one another. When you are doing this make sure you are not only comparing the promotional rate - but also the normal annual rate after the promotion has ended.

Many people are fooled into believing they will always have the promotional APR they signed up with. This is not true. You must find out exactly how long the promotional rate lasts and the APR that will follow it. The APR is required by law to be disclosed to the consumer but many people seem to skip past this. They word these disclosures very carefully and almost always put them in small print. You must read through the fine print carefully! If you don’t understand something than just ask someone to help you.

If you are looking at online credit card offers than a brief overview of the fine print & APR disclosure will usually be at the bottom of the web site. Normally there will be an entire disclosure page you can click through to - to read everything. They will also list any other fee’s that are associated with the card.

Don’t be one of the many people’s that are fooled into believing the promotional APR is permanent. On the flip side don’t ignore the promotional rate either - it can offer you short term benefits if you are planning on making frequent (or large purchases). The most common promo rates last between 3 months to 6 months, but there are always some that extend longer than this. Other things to look out for are activation fee’s and processing fee’s. If you have good credit you should not have to pay for those kinds of fee’s, so avoid them. If you have bad or less than perfect credit fee’s like this will probably apply to you - just make sure you are not paying too much.

Unsecured credit cards have many advantages if you are someone who makes frequent purchases. In most cases, if you have good credit, an unsecured line is the best (and most common) way to go. With these types of cards you do not need a security deposit and you do not have to open any kind of savings account. With a little bit of online research you should be able to find the perfect program that meets all of your financial needs. As with any credit card the interest rate is what you should be judging. This is fairly easy to do now a days. You also need to look out for any hidden & annual fees that may apply. While this is a disadvantage on some cards - its not always as bad as it may seem. You should be able to search and find the exact kind of program that meets your needs regardless of minor credit problems (unless you have really horrible credit).

There are many things that affect the amount of interest you will end up paying. Some things that factor into this are your credit history, amount of current debt, and personal income. In a perfect scenario you should generally choose a card that offers a very low interest rate. You want the lowest rate you can possible find. If you are looking for these types than please consider looking at some of the best credit card deals we have reviewed. You also need to keep an eye on the annual percentage rate, which is commonly referred to as APR. You should compare the APR of various companies to find the best credit card deals that match your financial situation. When comparing you should keep in mind that the lower your APR is the less you will be paying in interest for each payment period.

Once again, in the perfect scenario the credit card you choose will charge you interest based on a very low APR. If your credit is less than perfect than you may (and probably will) have to pay additional fee’s. Let me just be clear, there is a difference between having less than perfect credit and horrible credit. If your credit is not horrible, yet not great than you will fit into this category. If you have really bad credit than just forget trying to get an unsecured credit card for now. Go with a secured instead, to help you establish better credit - do this for 1 year and then try to get an unsecured line.

Take your time when searching for credit card deals and don’t rush into applying. Every time you apply for a different line of credit - it will effect your credit score.

Reward cards are pretty easy to understand yet they are so diverse and it can get confusing at times. Reward credit cards usually offer some type of incentive or bonus points depending on how much you spend. Normally most of these types of cards have higher interest rates - but thats not always the case. If you were to compare the interest rates between regular cards and reward cards you will be able to see the generalized difference. These types are not for everyone and may end up costing you more despite what all of the sales hype may say.

Its a good thing if you are earning cash back, airline miles, or free products - but is the interest rate costing you more than the rewards? You need to take that into very careful consideration when hunting for credit card deals. Just make sure you know what you are getting into before you sign up for anything. While researching you should note down the specific interest rate and reward programs. Get a calculator out and break down all of the number based off of your spending habits. This should help you determine whether or not a rewards credit card is the way to go.

This doesn’t mean all reward cards are bad. There are many benefits to having a card like this. They all differ and some may offer you things like free points (usually redeemable at participating stores/restraunts), free items, gas, airline miles, etc. A lot of stores are starting to offer their own VISA & MASTERCARD credit cards and they normally offer rewards at their specific store only.

If you already know the bank you want to get credit with (such as Wachovia or Bank Of America) than you may be able to choose the type of rewards for your specific card. A lot of times banks will offer brochures that allow you to grab, mix, and match the type of rewards that fit your lifestyle. Before you start researching the different credit card deals out there, make sure you read and go through everything in the fine print.