|
Not only can you find card deals on the Web, sign
up for them and have your card in the mail to you the same day,
you can also take care of card business online.
A good place to start: Go to our credit
card search page and choose "online cards" from the
top pull-down menu.
A lot of card companies have Web sites that let you
do a lot of administration with digital ease. You can look at your
statements, pay bills, talk to company problem solvers, download
your information into your own computer and even download pre-prepared
tax numbers.
Some will let you know if your statement has been
sent, others will let you know if you are approaching a problem
-- maybe you're nearing your credit limit. Some will tell you how
your perks (like frequent flier miles) are piling up.
Decide just how valuable these services are before
you sign up with a card. If they are super convenient it may be
worth paying a little extra for the card as you trade money for
time. But before you do, understand fully what each little online
offer means.
|
Q |
Will
payment be faster and cheaper? |
| An online credit
card bill payment may actually take longer, or cost more, than
a snail mail payment, for example. |
| Q
|
Is it a secure
site? |
| Also be sure to check your card
company Web site for security -- that's your private financial
(and personal) information up there, so you need to be sure
you go with a card operation that has a secure Web site. A site
that does not tell you exactly how they protect your privacy
may not be the best pick. |
|
Q |
Is
paperless option worthwhile? |
| Some card companies
on the Net offer you the chance of going completely paperless.
It can be convenient, but there are those experts who argue
that having a paper record may be a very good thing if you get
into a dispute with your card company. |
| Q
|
Will it save
me money? |
| Using the Net offers you and the
card company a lot of conveniences -- but don't assume all that
ease will translate into savings. Ask the same questions you
would if you were on the phone or looking at information the
card company had mailed to you. Find out ALL of the costs and
potential costs associated with the card. The Net may offer
no real savings, just a different way of doing business. |
Bankrate gives you the best rates, but you can surf
over to Visa,
MasterCard,
American
Express, Discover
or Diner's
Club to get a feel of how online card company sites work before
you get down to the serious work of applying.
|
Chapter 1: Matching the card to your lifestyle
