It seems that credit cards are either a hassle or a life saver. They help buy that pair of designer shoes you really don’t need, or maybe get you out of a tight squeeze. Either way, credit cards eventually become just another bill that you have to pay. But nowadays people need to establish credit in order to buy a car, home, or rent an apartment. Credit cards help to do this. It is usually pretty easy to get a credit card; it is just a matter of filling out credit card applications as long as you already have established good credit and make a certain income. But for some people, getting a credit card and establishing credit may be more difficult. There are options available for people who want to establish credit. Many sites, including Card Offers, Managing Money, and Credit.com, show lists of the different types of credit card applications you can fill out. They also give easy to read information on award programs and APR’s.
Some of the cards that they offer are pre-paid or specifically for people with poor credit. Pre-paid credit cards allow the person to deposit a certain amount of money into an account, and then they can only spend up to the amount that they have deposited. The cards have no APR’s, but some do have monthly or annual fees. Cards specifically for people with poor credit usually require a few fees to get started. The Centennial Gold MasterCard, found on Card Offers, requires the card holder to pay an annual fee of $48, an account set-up fee of $29, a program fee of $95, and a monthly participation fee of $6. It is not unusual for people trying to establish credit to pay these types of fees. Fortunately the interest rates are reasonably low compared to other cards.
For people with excellent or good credit it is much easier for credit card applications to be approved, and there are many options available to them. ManagingMoney.com has a comprehensive list of cards that offer rewards. These rewards come in the form of air, gas, cash, hotel, retail, travel, or auto-related rewards. For every purchase that the cardholder makes they are awarded with points or cash towards the specific reward. For example the air-reward program awards one mile per dollar spent on the credit card. Cash back programs usually offer a percentage of cash back per dollar spent. Cards for people with excellent credit may have a minimum credit limit, but have no maximum credit limit. Managing Money also lists cards specifically for business or students. Business cards are for people who want to keep their business and personal expenses separate. Business cards may also have reward programs. Student cards are for people who have no credit history. They may have lower credit limits. The sites mentioned give people interested in finding a credit card more options and information than if they were to wait to get a credit card application in the mail. They also offer the advantage of rating systems, which show how the cards have been rated, (using stars, etc.) by users. They offer a variety of cards tailored to different people. Visit these sites to find just the right credit card applications for you.
By Nila Steinkamp