Fast Credit Card Application

Visa, MasterCard and Discover fill your mailbox with credit card offers. You can’t log onto the Internet without pop-up ads encouraging you to apply for the latest cash-back or rewards credit cards. You’d think, then, that all you’d need is decent credit to qualify for consumer credit cards today.

Maybe … but not if you’re applying for many of American Express’ premium credit cards.

Try applying for the American Express Platinum or Gold Card. You might find that even if you do have a solid credit record, that American Express will send you a “No Thanks” after you submit your application.

Desirable Cards

These top-of-the-line credit cards are desirable. The American Express Platinum Card, for instance, awards members 50,000 rewards points after they charge at least $1,000 worth of purchases in the first three months in which they own their cards.

The Gold card isn’t quite so generous, but it still awards cardholders 10,000 rewards points as long as they charge at least $1,000 in the first three months after they activate their cards.

Both cards come with other perks, too. The Platinum Card

Read more…

Tags: Card, Credit Card

A new warning from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) says thieves are now skimming RFID information in order to steal credit card and debit card information. According to the not-for-profit organization, identity thieves are able to harvest numbers and personal details from new debit and credit cards by brushing past a purse or wallet.

How is the New RFID Technology Scanned?

Many credit and debit card issuers have started releasing cards to the public that come equipped with an embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) chip.  The cards use radio waves to transmit card information by simply swiping it through the air in general proximity of the card reader.

While the new technology makes it simple to complete card transactions, the ITRC says it makes identity theft simple as well. By using RFID skimmer technology, a tech-savvy thief could easily steal your credit card number and other information without ever seeing your card.

To prove how simple the process is, Walt Augustinowicz, an expert with Identity Stronghold, a company that sells sleeves to block RFID transactions among other security products, conducted an experiment for Memphis local television station WREG. He

Read more…

Tags: Card, Credit Card

With credit card companies desperately vying for the attention of prospective customers, there have never been more rewards credit card offers available on the market. Fortunately, the majority of rewards credit cards provide some form of benefit or discount which can be extremely advantageous when one is planning for or is enjoying a vacation. The following are five ways that a rewards credit card can save money on a vacation.

1. Gasoline Discounts

Some credit cards, commonly known as gas rewards cards, provide a specific rebate percentage for each gasoline purchase. At the end of the rewards period, a check or certificate is mailed to the cardholder for the total amount of all of the rebates applied to the account during that year. Other cards may provide these rewards in the form of a balance credit, while others may send out rebate checks on monthly basis rather than annually. Using one of these cards to purchase gasoline while on vacation can save anywhere from 3% to 10% of the total gas expense.

2. Airline Miles

Many airline companies partner with credit card issuers to provide airline miles reward cards.

Read more…

Tags: Card, Credit Card, Rewards Credit, Rewards Credit Card

Issuing employee credit cards is an excellent way to alleviate and allocate the fiscal responsibilities of managing and operating a business. Many small to medium-size businesses have a moderate employee base, with supervisors, managers, and administrators often needing access to funds for supplies and company investments. In the interests of time and productivity, many business owners choose to issue credit cards to their employees, which are all linked to a single business credit card account. Employee credit cards offer a number of benefits, including centralized expenditure tracking, fewer financial administrative duties, and simplified tax accounting. The following information provides tips and techniques which can be employed to manage employee credit card accounts and ensure the safety of company funds.

Establishing Acceptable Use

The first step that any business owner should take, after issuing employee credit cards, is to establish a detailed and professional policy which outlines what types of purchases and transactions are considered to be an acceptable use of company credit cards.

Read more…

Tags: Card, Credit Card, Employee Credit, Employee Credit Card

Verdict: The American Express Premier Gold Card doesn’t come cheap; it comes with a high $175 annual fee. But this card also comes with a host of perks. You’ll earn rewards that you can spend on travel, hotel stays, car rentals and merchandise. And you’ll earn these reward points quickly depending upon what type of charges you make.

Overview: If you plan on charging a significant amount of purchases, the American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card can pay off fairly quickly. The good news is that the rewards points you do earn never expire. You’ll also earn bonus rewards points if you make a certain number of charges in a calendar year.

How This Card Works: This Gold card allows you to earn triple, double and single reward points with every dollar that you charge. If you spend wisely, you’ll be able to earn a significant number of points each year. You’ll tehn be able to redeem these points for a wide variety of merchandise, ranging from airline tickets to gift cards to items from the American Express Bonus Points Mall.

Read more…

Tags: American Express Premier, Card, Express Premier, Gold Card