By Rick
Credit cards have changed over the years from a simple way to buy larger, more expensive items into the preferred method payment for many merchants. They are used for everything from groceries to Money Orders and with the expansion of the web, internet shopping. It is more important than ever that you have a credit card you can use for things you do every day.
Universal payment
Even though credit card money can be used for a variety of things, its most popular use by far is for shopping. People like the flexibility it provides as well as allowing them to avoid carrying cash with them. Using a credit card is a quick and easy way to pay for a day at the mall shopping. Unlike in years past, all the merchants in the mall now accept a wide variety of cards and actually prefer being paid this way.
Allowing you to pay with credit card money not only speeds up the checkout process, it helps eliminate the theft that results when their employees handle cash. Once the sale is made, the proceeds are sent directly to the merchants account for the transaction. Carrying cash to make these same purchases is a much bigger hassle and could also make you a target for theft in some areas.
Enhancing your warranty
One major benefit that buying an item with credit card money provides is an extended warranty on your purchases. Many lenders insure your satisfaction with a purchase and may even extend the warranty on some items you buy with the card. They do this as added protection when using the card to purchase an item and will work with the vendor on your behalf to sort out any issues. In some cases they can reverse a transaction you made and allow you to return the item to the merchant. This extra protection can really come in handy if you’re having trouble with a particular store or an item you’ve purchased.
Bonus for using the card
These days most credit cards have bonus programs that reward you for using the card. These may involve free nights at a hotel, extra days on a rental car or free checked bags on your next airplane flight. All of these are nice benefits for simply using the credit card money when paying for an item. Over time these types of benefits can add up to substantial savings for you, especially if you have the type of program that awards points that can be used to purchase things. It’s surprising how many points you can accumulate quickly just by using the credit card regularly. Many people will save up these points for the entire year and treat themselves to a special gift they have been wanting by simply trading in the points.
With some programs you can even redeem these points for a gift card that can be used like cash to shop at your local store. This type of bonus is much more flexible than some of the other programs that are tied to a specific redemption program since it allows you to use the bonus points wherever you normally shop. You may even be able to use your accumulated points to lower your balance on a card by applying them directly to your account.
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