VISA CREDIT CARDS VS MASTERCARD – DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

by ANISHA

If you’ve ever turned on a television or opened a magazine, you’ve probably seen advertisements for MasterCard (Priceless) and Visa (Life Takes Visa). But what do these companies actually do and what’s the difference, anyway?

MasterCard and Visa don’t issue credit cards

First, it’s important to understand that MasterCard and Visa do not issue credit cards.  Instead, they make money by processing transactions between your point of purchase and your bank. They have nothing to do with your rewards programs, interest rates, late feesor customer service issues. Simply put, they are payment networks that connect merchant payment terminals with your bank’s credit card department. Because millions of merchants accept huge amounts of credit card purchases every day, banks prefer to use one of these third party networks to process credit transactions.

How to Get Online Visa Cards

Merchants all over the world accept online visa cards for charging the customers and getting payment in lieu of any purchase made by them. The online visa cards can be used for personal as well as business purposes. Those who want to get them can easily apply online only and get the visa cards as per their requirements. One can also find about all the services too, online only. There is an official site of the visa cards through which all the people who want to get the them or any other details about the services and even how to get it, can log on to this site and get the card.

When you log on to the official site, see all the sections carefully and collect information about all the visa credit cards regarding what all would be required to get them along with the details about reward. When you have all the information about each card just click on the section "view rewards". This is to verify the various cards for which you have all the desired qualifications. Here you will get all the details about bank which would issue you the visa card that you want and annual percentage rate that you would be getting.

Ways to Repair Your Credit for Free

Having a bad credit report because of your past issues with debt can feel quite debilitating. Whether you are paying off your credit cards or believe that you are in good standing, it can be embarrassing to get rejected for a loan application because of your credit report.

There are a number of steps you can take to repair your credit for free. Repairing your past debt issues or concerns is not that difficult if you take it one step at a time. The best advice is not to panic, but instead to start evaluating your own credit and prepare to take action on getting your credit scores in order.

Take Control of Your Expenses

In essence, you need to set a budget that takes into account all of your payments. From utilities to gas to groceries and all the payments you normally make per month. In this manner, you can get the full picture of your credit situation.

This is vital because while your credit report may reflect inaccurate information, it can also reflect the actions that you unknowingly caused as well. By getting a full handle on your current situation, you can begin the process of repairing credit.

Advantages Of Prepaid Visa Cards

A prepaid visa card is as good as money. It looks just as flashy, smells just as good and never loses its grandeur! In fact it is an edge over money because of its many conveniences. Also as a leading credit card company would say "the look on somebody's face when you fetch out your own visa card... priceless!"

In the age of plastic money there is nothing as advantageous to use as a prepaid visa card. A prepaid visa gift card can be used by parents, children, and senior citizens etc. in this article we shall discuss the advantages from each person's point of view.

From the parents point of view this could be the best thing possible. Imagine a parent didn't know what to get their child for their wedding or birthday and ended up giving cash instead of a prepaid visa gift card. At such times the child would accept the money and spend it on his wants and the parent wouldn't even know where that money has gone. They could ask the child but there is no foolproof method to determine whether or not the child is telling the truth. However if the parent were to purchase a visa gift card and put in the same amount of money as the credit limit for the card, it would serve that purpose as well as the purpose of keep tabs on the child's expenses.

3 Ways to Invest Safely Today

There are books galore on investing smartly, butsafe investing today revolves around three key principles. If you follow these principles your long term investment future will also be quite profitable.

The three key principles of safe, and profitable investing are:

1. Consistency

2. Proven Analysis

3. Simplicity

These don't sound like today's stock picks, but following these three keys will tell you how to invest safely and profitably, or you could even say "how to invest smartly".

3 Profitable Investing Tools

Fear of losing your money to such an extent that you don't invest in the stock market or manage your retirement account can actually be worse than investing. Just watching or hoping your retirement account will grow is like watching the weather or predicting who is going to win the World Series in two years.

The right tools are required for safe investing. It's natural to be afraid of losing; no one wants to lose anything, much less money or even a life's savings. But money under the mattress will be worth half if that much after 20 or 40 years. The answer is to invest safely and profitably. And no this is not easier said than done, but neither is it extremely difficult.

The first key to successful, safe and profitable investing is to know that anyone can do it. Anyone. You.

The second key is getting and using the right tools. Thanksgiving dinner requires the right tools, ingredients and recipes. Remodeling a home requires tools, materials and know-how. The same is required for successful investing.

Types of Credit Cards - Pros, Cons and Comparison

Business Credit Cards Who They're For: Business Owners & Executives Interest Rates:13.24 - 22.99% Pros: Expect low introductory rates, cash back programs, airline rewards and special bonuses that may include: separate business and personal expenses, additional cards hooked to the same account for trusted employees, expense management reports and increased credit limits. It's easier to qualify for these than it is for a personal loan or line of credit from the bank. Cons: They can be an expensive way of financing purchases, thanks to late fees and interest rates. There is less purchase protection extended to business cards in the event that someone uses the card fraudulently or you need to return goods you are dissatisfied with.

Personal Credit Cards Who They're For: Responsible Borrowers Interest Rates: 9.99 - 20.99% Pros: Standard low-interest cards are good because you can begin developing a positive credit portfolio when you use your card regularly but responsibly, paying off the full balance each month. Many of these cards come with amazing rewards on retail purchases, cruises, airline tickets, gasoline and other perks. Cons: You may be offered a "low introductory APR" or "free balance transfers." Beware of this when making your decision, as that "low APR" will soon balloon to a higher rate, which will then become the standard interest you're stuck paying indefinitely. Also, it's only good to transfer a balance if you can pay it off in full before your "free transfer" is eligible to accrue interest. Read all terms, fees and conditions before signing!

American Express Gift Cards

American Express gift cards provide a simple solution for businesses and consumers. Businesses can reward their employees, or award their customers. Consumers can send a personalized gift card to their loved ones as a Christmas gift, a graduation present, or a birthday.

I see a lot of questions and popularity with the American Express Gift Card. With the holidays coming up, Christmas gift cards from American Express is a viable alternative to limiting someone to a particular store or restaurant, or risking sounding cash over the US Postal Service.

American Express Gift Card, in two formats. There is the American Express business gift card, and the American Express consumer gift card (for family and friends). Each American Express Gift Card has different features and applicable uses.

Are Visa Credit Cards Better Than Master Cards?

The point itself is not that important - are VISA cards better than MASTER credit cards for both of them are just payment gateways. That means when you pay through a VISA card, it is VISA which is paying money on your behalf and when you pay through MASTER card, it is MASTER which is paying on your behalf. And when you repay the credit amount to the bank on the end of each month, the repaid amount goes back to the subsequent debt payer.

Whether VISA is good or MASTER depends entirely upon the country where the card is being used. In a country like India, VISA is more acclaimed than the MASTER card which means it is more widely accepted than a MASTER Card. So, when Indian Credit card companies launch a credit card, they prefer to launch a VISA card for Indian Markets.

How to Dispute Your Low Credit Score

There can be a number of reasons why an individual can have a low credit score. Your low credit score may be due to your credit misbehavior and mismanagement or it may be because of errors that have been incorrectly entered into your credit report and many other reasons. Upon receiving the credit report, many people assume that it contains accurate information. If you suddenly experience a huge increase in your interest rates or you have been turned down for a loan, it is time for you to check your credit report.

When you discover that your record is flawed and you believe it is not your fault, you should properly dispute the errors. This way, your low credit score will be fixed and only correct information can be found on your report.

Credit Cards - A Good Servant But a Bad Master

Most of us use credit cards on a regular basis to manage our day to day expenses. Here are some principles to keep in mind when using the plastic.

Rule 1 - Always pay off the balance in full each month

This seems like a simple thing, but it is amazing how many people I have come across who keep an outstanding balance on their card accruing interest at an alarming rate. The best way to avoid this is to set up a direct debit from your everyday bank account which deducts the full payment on the due date. This is not a widely used facility so you may need to ask your bank for the form. Paying your credit card by direct debit will also ensure that you make the most of interest free days (see rule 3).

If you are finding it difficult to pay off your credit card - then you need to spend the time preparing a budget and monitoring your cashflow on a weekly basis.