Category: General

Through the end of 2016, you can earn points or cash back when you pay your rent! This offer comes to you courtesy of RadPad, a photo-based rental listings mobile app. One of the services RadPad offers is allowing renters to charge their rent to their credit card. In turn, RadPad sends the landlord a check, but they normally charge a 3.49% fee for the service. It just announced, however, that through the end of the year, it would be waiving that fee when you use Android Pay.
» Read more

While paying your tax bill with your credit card isn’t for everyone, in many cases it can make sense. For instance, it can be a helpful way to meet the minimum spending requirement on an introductory offer or a way to generate a small profit for those with excellent rebate cards. If you don’t have the means to pay off your credit card bill in full, however, it’s usually a poor choice and there are better alternatives. Many of the pros and cons are discussed in this post.

If you’re still considering paying with a credit card, though, this post touches on a few key things you should know.
» Read more

Sometimes, it pays to know the letter of the law. In this case, if you’re in the market for a credit card with a hefty annual fee, you may be able to save yourself a chunk of change. As part of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act), a provision was added to the Truth in Lending Act that was intended to combat so-called “fee harvester cards” — cards that target subprime borrowers and charge excessively high upfront fees, coupled with low credit limits.

As it turns out, those with excellent credit can also benefit from this rule. In particular, in at least one instance, when applying for a specific premium credit card with a high annual fee, it’s possible to get the annual fee waived for the first year, though there are some risks involved.
» Read more

With 1099s, W-2s and other assorted tax statements now being sent out, we’re all being reminded that the tax season is upon us. One of the questions that arises for those who end up with a tax bill is: Is it worth it to pay my taxes with my credit card? Interestingly enough, one of the very first posts on this blog, posted nearly 9 years ago, covered exactly this topic. Since then, some things have changed while others have remained the same.
» Read more

It usually isn’t a good idea to carry a balance on your credit card, especially if it’s not at a promotional rate. The good news for those that do carry a balance, however, is that it is often quite easy to lower your rate simply by asking. In a recent survey of 983 credit card users performed by CreditCards.com, 65% of consumers who requested a lower interest rate were granted one. The same survey found it was even easier to get late fees waived–86% of consumers who missed a payment and asked for a late fee waiver were successful.
» Read more

Worried about how secure your credit card is? The good news is that most Americans will eventually find their existing credit cards replaced with more secure EMV versions. The less good news is that in most cases, it won’t be happening immediately.

According to a recently released report from the Aite Group, 70% of U.S. credit cards and 41% of U.S. debit cards will be EMV enabled by the end of 2015. EMV chip technology, named after its original developers (Europay, MasterCard and Visa), is becoming the global standard for credit card and debit card payments because it promises to bring a reduction in card fraud resulting from counterfeit, lost and stolen cards.
» Read more

Though American credit card companies have been slow to adopt it, smart chip technology is a feature that you may want to look for in your next card. The benefits are primarily twofold: 1) it makes your international travel easier, as many merchants, especially in Europe, will not accept credit cards without a chip, and 2) it makes your credit card information more secure, a benefit that shouldn’t be overlooked in light of the recent Target data breach.
» Read more