Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Credit Cards

Category: Finance, Credit.

Just about everyone knows what a credit card is. Do you know what a charge card is?



It's the little piece of plastic with which you buy and pay on credit. Do you know that the two are very different from each other? On the contrary, there are several differences between the two types of cards that determine how you use them and what you get out of them. Sometimes people are led to believe that a charge card and a credit card are the same thing. Credit Cards. It can be better to have a credit card because they have no annual fees and they allow you to pay off your debt when you like.


Credit cards are beneficial to you if you need to buy on credit and can afford to pay on a balance along with the interest fees. Charge Cards. They allow you to buy things that you cannot pay for now, but because of the periodic pay off requirement, it keeps you from getting into debt further than you can escape from. If you are the kind of person who would be able to pay off your debt when the card company requires it, charge cards are a good investment. Whether you are willing to pay on interest rates and be allowed a credit balance or pay annual fees and get great rewards is up to you. There are benefits and pitfalls to both sides, but if you manage either or both of them wisely, you will be able to reap the benefits they bring and control the expenses they incur. Depending on what kind of spending you need to do and how well you will be able to pay it back are big factors to consider when comparing the two types of cards.


Another difference is that credit card holders must pay interest fees. They only have to pay the minimum monthly requirement. This is because the card holders are not required to pay their debt in full periodically. Interest is where credit card companies make their money. One difference between a credit card and a charge card is that credit cards allow you to have a balance. Though they do not require you to pay your bill completely by a certain deadline, they do charge you interest for the entire time that you do not have it paid off.


Charge cards do not, because they require that you pay in full the amount that you charge on an annual basis. With a charge card, you must pay off the amount you owe periodically, no matter how great the amount is. This is how credit cards can be used for long periods of time without ever being paid off, though payments are made monthly that may reduce the balance, but never actually eliminate it. Credit cards give you the opportunity to pay off your balance whenever you want, but charge cards have more rewards. Depending on who the card holder is and what their spending habits are, preferences between charge cards and credit cards differ depending on the person. There is such a thing as a rewards credit card, but many charge cards outweigh these in benefits.


The different aspects of each can determine which one is the best for you.

No comments: