Hidden Payments

Merchants who accept credit cards must pay a processing fee ranging from 1- 6 % of the purchase price. These hidden costs and hidden payments are transferred to the consumer in various ways.

The first method is the most commonly accepted one of a surcharge on the payment, leading to the price being higher than the marked price. The problem has been compounded in India, where the credit card companies have not asked for “merchant agreements”, which provide that the processing charges will not be added on by the merchant. This has led to credit cards being used less frequently than they might be, a disadvantage to the issuer as well as the merchant.

A second method is simply marking up of the prices of all items in the shop, leading to the surcharge being hidden in the retail price. While the MRP does restrict this to some extent, the net result is that people who pay in cash are paying as if they were using a credit card. Thus, a part of the revenue earned by the credit card companies comes from people who do not even own a credit card!

The flip side is, with the boom in the credit card market in India, greater volume of credit card sales allow the merchants to keep their existing price structure, and still not lose any profit on paying the processing fee, since the credit card companies have relaxed their rates, as a measure to boost sales and increase the acceptability net. . Credit cards also allow for convenience in repeat sales, and the processing fee is greatly offset by the increased convenience. Also, the processing fee is simply an equivalent payment to the costs incurred in counting, transporting and depositing the cash payments.

Whichever way you look at it, using a credit card can entail certain hidden payments consequences of which must be closely examined before using a credit card.

Source:
Wikipedia
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/08/AR2007030802178.html
Statutory Instrument 1990 No. 2159: The Credit Cards (Price Discrimination) Order 1990

History of the Credit Card

The concept of using a card for purchases was invented in 1887 by Edward Bellamy and described in his utopian novel Looking Backward. The first version of the credit card was used in the 1920s, in the United States, as an alternate means of paying for petrol. In 1938 several companies started to accept each other's cards. It was not until 1950 that Ralph Schneider and Frank X. McNamara suggested that credit could be used for variegated transactions, in order to consolidate multiple cards. The Diners Club card, which was created partially through a merger with Dine and Sign, was the first of such general purpose charge cards and was called a Charga Plate. It was different to contemporary cards in that it required the entire bill to be paid with each statement; it was followed shortly thereafter by American Express and Carte Blanche. Bank of America created the BankAmericard in 1958, a product which eventually evolved into the Visa system ("Chargex" also became Visa). MasterCard was inaugrated in 1966 when a group of banks started the MasterCharge scheme. It was also the year when the first non-US credit card was issued by Barclays’ Bank in the UK.

At the time, there was no rapid method of communication between banks in different regions, and credit cards allowed travelers to procure credit, even when they were far from their local bank facilities. Credit cards became very poplar in the USA, UK and Canada.

In contrast, many cultures were much more cash-oriented and had developed alternative forms of cash-less payments, like Carte bleue, or the EC-card (Germany, France, Switzerland, among many others). In these places, the uptake of credit cards was initially much slower. It took until the 1990s to reach anything like the percentage market-penetration levels achieved in the US, Canada or UK. Till date, In many countries credit card acceptance still remains poor due to the lack of trust in the banking system of the country.

There are now countless variations on the basic concept of revolving credit for individuals (as issued by banks and honored by a network of financial institutions), including organization-branded credit cards, corporate-user credit cards, store cards and so on. The credit card has had a rapid and eventful history, and is fast replacing paper money as the most popular means of payment in our cities today.

Source
En.wikipedia.org
PBS Documentary “Secret history of the credit card”

Do it Yourself Credit Repair Or Hire a Credit Repair Service By Ron Lerman

People commonly choose to repair their own credit because they feel it will save them money. The only costs involved will be for postage to credit reporting agencies, credit card companies, and collection agencies along with the cost for copies of your credit reports. While everyone is eligible to receive one free copy annually, you will also want a copy of your 3 credit scores. Since free copies of credit reports do not include your credit scores, you will need to pay each credit reporting agency for a copy of their report with your score included.
 
Remember that fixing your own credit can be time-consuming, especially if you have never done this before. You must do your homework! There are laws you must follow to ensure that you are repairing your credit legally and making appropriate demands on the credit reporting agencies. If you do not understand the laws, you won't be able to use them to your advantage.
 
Keep in mind that credit/collection agencies can be difficult for people to deal with, especially without the proper knowledge base. It doesn't serve the credit agencies interests for you to fix your bad credit. Without collecting money from you, they are out of business! 
 
Many credit repair agencies are well-versed in handling issues as they arise. Your decision as to whether to hire a credit repair agency should be based on how much time, patience, and money you have at your disposal. Many people have been successful at repairing their credit both by hiring someone to do it for them, and by doing it themselves. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. If you have good information on how to do the credit repair yourself, you can save much time and money. However, if you prefer to pay for convenience and can afford the monthly fee, hiring a credit repair agency may also be an option. If you decide to hire a credit repair agency, please investigate any prospective company carefully beforehand to ensure that it is legitimate and reputable.

For more information on Credit Repair, visit us at Unsecured Biz Credit.com a web site that provides individuals and small businesses with information to build their credit. Article Source: Ron Lerman, Business Credit Advisor

What is a Cash Back Credit Card? By Tom Tessin

A cash card is one of the most preferred credit cards on the open market today. Many consumers are looking to get something for the use of credit. The cash credit card is available with secured cards, unsecured credit cards, and with prepaid credit cards. The debit card user who normally has one of the major company logos like Visa, MasterCard, or Discover expects cash back rewards on their card.

A card is vital for most consumers because they are so use to getting rewards from manufacturers in the form of rebates and coupons it only stands reasonable for them to get rewards for using the credit card. A good reward program will not cost the consumer an arm and a leg to maintain. It is often part of the package deal that gives you a low APR% and late fee charges. One of the important parts of having a good cash back card is the fact that you earn no matter what you use your credit card for when spending. You should be able to make hotel reservations, airline reservations or on merchandise and still get cash back for all your expenditures.

The normal consumer and the business consumer are all looking for the same good package deal. The college student expects to be able to use the card while in college and have cash rewards when they graduate. A cash back credit card is highly acceptable by one and all in the economic world today, since it can save you so much money if you use it right.

Find the best cash back cards that give you back as much as 5%, and more of Tom's work all at FINDcashbackcards.

Understanding the Insane Math Behind Your Credit Cards By Tracey J Smith

Think back to that exciting day when you were approved for your first credit card. Perhaps your parents co-signed for you or perhaps you managed to get one with a small credit limit on your own. Either way, you were on your way to adulthood!

BUT, did you ever stop to think about what you were getting yourself into? Did you even look into the credit card's interest rate and service fees before you applied? Most credit card interest rates are between 15 and 25% these days. Have you done the math to determine what that means? Let's go through an example.

So, you're in the store looking at that brand new digital camera which retails for $349 and is on sale for $299. You absolutely LOVE it! You don't have the cash in the bank to pay for it right now so you decide that brand new shiny credit card in your wallet will do the trick. After all, you can't miss this sale, can you?

Within a few weeks, your credit card statement arrives. On the statement is the $299 for the camera (ignoring the fact that you really would have paid taxes on that as well). You still don't have the money, so you decide to make the minimum payment this month and carry the balance forward. Another month goes by and here comes another statement. Strangely, you still owe them $299 for the camera? How can that be? Didn't you pay them something last month? Yes, you did. But have you ever stopped to wonder what the minimum payment is based on? It's the interest on the amount you owe them, such that paying the minimum amount means you have paid them money but are absolutely no further ahead than when you started! That camera is getting more expensive by the day isn't it? Not really worth it, is it?

Now think of those people that are carrying thousands of dollars as a balance on their credit card. They're paying between 15 and 25% and racking up the charges each month. Let's think about this. What is the interest rate on a loan at the bank? Single digits, isn't it? And hard enough to pay off, isn't it? So why would you EVER carry a balance on a credit card knowing that they're so much higher in interest? Insanity indeed!

And now, one of the craziest questions I have ever been asked. You're carrying a balance on your credit card which we have now discovered is likely at 15%. You get paid a bonus at work for doing a good job and they give you $500. You wonder, should I pay down the credit card balance or invest in a bond? Oh my goodness people, look at the math! If you buy a bond, you might get 2% interest. You're being charged 14% on the credit card. Easy decision...pay down that credit card!

In over 40 years, I have never ONCE carried a balance on a credit card. I have never purchased anything without having the money already in the bank to pay for it. A credit card to me is just a way for me not to carry around cash. If you don't have the discipline to do this, then cut up the credit card and live off cash for a while. You'll find budgeting to be much easier.

I hope this helps our debt-filled society.

Click below to view another article by this author on personal spending: http://www.gomestic.com/Personal-Finance/Surviving-2009-A-Common-Sense-Discussion-of-Personal-Spending.501967 This author is the owner of http://www.numericalinsights.com

Prepaid Credit Cards For Free By Tom Tessin

When you open up a bank account you can request a debit card that works like a prepaid credit card and usually there is no fees attached. Most banks like having you as a customer and are more than glad to give you a prepaid debit card. The advantage of course is that you already have a committed amount of money in your checking account that secures your prepaid credit card.

People who have their payroll check automatically deposited usually find that it is very easy for them to obtain a credit card. People who are on a pension, social security or other controlled income often get a prepaid card in order to pay their bills, buy what they need, and make reservations when necessary. The prepaid credit card is one of the best types of credit cards because it is secured with funds already available, provides the consumer an available amount of cash, and protects the lender from losing any money.

The use of a free prepaid card for most consumers has been the answer to their spending problems. It seems that the cost of a secured or non secured credit card has been so high that most consumers shudder at the thought of having to use one for any purpose. The government is trying to put in sanctions that will help the consumer but the lending institutions may cancel the lending procedures in order to stay in business. While the government is coming up with their plan to help the consumer the lenders are also working on a plan to help govern their lending programs it should be interesting to see how it all comes out in the end for everyone concerned.

Check out some of the best prepaid credit cards on the market today, as well as more of Tom's work all at FINDsecuredcards.

Credit Cards For People With No Credit - How it Works By Court Tuttle

You might be surprised but even people who have a poor credit rating can also qualify for a brand new credit card. Now before you quality for a credit card with your poor history you need to first make yourself familiar with all the options open to you. You definitely don't want to get the wrong card and you want to make sure that you are protected against fraud and other inaccuracies that can come up with the use of credit.

The first thing you should know is that these credit cards often have high interest rates. This is a simple fact that you are going to have to simply live with. You also need to remember that trust is a big part of the credit card business so once the company trusts you, you will be able to ask for an interest rate that is lower. In order to do so you need to be able to pay off your credit card regularly. These credit cards also offer a balance transfer facility. This essentially means that your credit rating will improve and you can get right on track with improving your credit.

You are probably already anxious to know how you can get your hands on one of these credit cards? Your first step is to do some research about the different cards that are offered to people who have a bad credit history. You an start by applying for a few of them online, you can also printout their application form. If you have really bad credit or if you start to get denied by a lot of companies, I can recommend looking for a secured card. This will help you to get started.

Facts About Credit Cards of This Type

1. You can work towards a better credit rating by using them and paying them off.

2. You still have a level of security when you are having financial difficulty.

3.You can convert a poor credit card into a regular one if you pay off your cards regularly.

Issues With Using These Cards

1. High interest rates.

2. Low limits.

3. High fees.

If you want to effectively use credit cards for no credit, make sure to pay them off completely each month. Combine this strategy with Bank One signature loans for maximum credit building effectiveness.