Credit Card Processing Company in USA

Avoiding Credit Card Traps
By James Dimmitt

The next time you open your credit card statement, take a
closer look at the small insert titled “changes to your credit
card agreement”. You know the one I’m speaking about. It’s
that small, folded paper written in legalese that you promise
to read some other time (but of course that time never comes)
or you just discard it with the other “junk” inserts.

First and foremost you must understand that using your credit
card after you’ve received this notification results in your
automatic “agreement” to the new terms in the notice. To
prevent these new terms from affecting your account you must
stop using that credit card immediately or by the date given in
the notification statement.

The most common modifications to credit card agreements include
new APR’s (annual percentage rates), new fees and/or changes to
existing fees, or a change to the grace period on your account.
The grace period is the number of days during which any credit
used for purchases may be repaid in full without incurring a
finance charge.

Not knowing or not keeping track of the dollar amount limit on
your card is another trap you should avoid. Credit card
issuers will allow you to charge a small amount over the limit
set on your account. However, don’t be surprised when you get
hit with an “over limit fee”, usually around $35.00 or higher,
on your next statement. Also, be prepared for your APR to be
increased if you go over your credit limit.

You’ll also trigger an increase to your interest rate if you
miss your payment due date. Some companies consider your
payment late if not received by noon or 1 p.m. on the date due.

Along with the higher rate, you’ll also pay a “late fee” of $29
on up. Be sure to use the company’s preprinted envelope when
sending your payment. These envelopes allow the pre-printed
bar code to be scanned by the post office so that it can be
delivered more efficiently.

If you’ve counted on those few extra days from the time you
mail your check and the time the check clears your bank,
beware! Many credit card issuers have switched from the
traditional method of processing checks to a new electronic
process. This new system shaves off a day or more from the
traditional method it normally takes for your check to clear by
electronically debiting your account.

If you’re considering paying your credit card bills online,
check to see if any additional fees will be charged for using
this type of payment. I recently received an e-mail message
from one of my credit card companies announcing how easy it
would be to make my payments online. Included in fine print at
the bottom of the e-mail was this note - “A fee of up to $14.95
may be charged for this service and will be deducted from your
checking account”. Hmmm, spend 37 cents on postage and mail my
payment five days before the due date or pay now and get charged
an additional $14.95 fee? I’ll bet you can guess which choice I
made.

Taking the time to carefully read and understand your credit
card agreement now will help you save money by avoiding
unnecessary fees or climbing interest rates later down the
road.

About the Author: © 2005,
http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com Author: James H. Dimmitt
James is editor of “To Your Credit” a FREE weekly newsletter
focusing on managing your personal finances and credit.
Subscribe and get a FREE copy of your credit report when you
visit: http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com