We never carry debt on our credit card, but use it a lot for business purposes. Am seeking a new one as the one with the airline miles and free hotel rooms now has a minimum finance charge ($1) each month and that irks me, since we don't keep a balance.

Am looking for a VISA card that has a benefit we would use, as we do rack up the points/dollars. Any suggestions? Our other card is a Walden's Preferred Reader card, but we aren't real happy with that one since they take months to send you your certificates.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), May 03, 2002

Answers

Well, most of the bennie cards now carry annual fees--so it really depends upon how much you use them, where you stay, what airline you use, etc. as to how fast you recoup that fee. I've never heard of a finance charge for not keeping a balance, I agree with you about getting rid of it!

This site may help you check some out:

http://www.credit-land.com/index.php?sid=20

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), May 03, 2002.

Hi Annie one if mine has a .50 cents charge for non use must be a coming thing. Bob se,ks.

-- Bobco (bobco@kans.com), May 03, 2002.

Alaska Air has one and if you sign up now you get something like a grand total of 20,000 points which gets you a free r/t ticket anywhere they fly. I think $1=1 point, some places give double or triple points if you shop with them.

-- najia (najia274@yahoo.com), May 03, 2002.

I have three credit cards. Two with the Royal Bank of Canada one is thier "Classic" card which gives points to several local stores, the other is a low interest rate version. I have a CIBC card too but only to give me an out if the Royal P/O's me too bad. Tricky though as Royal gave me my merchant account and CIBC was a big pain in the posterior on the topic. They'd (the Royal bank) would have to want a body part to P/O me that bad!! A good bank's worth a slice of soul, in my opinion.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), May 03, 2002.

fyi: i heard a report on npr this morning that said there are too many sky miles issued for how many seats there are. & they advised that one use their miles currency before it was devalued by larger 'blackout'periods, off hour flights, etc.

-- bj pepper ,in central MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), May 03, 2002.

I've got an L.L.Bean card. When you use the card you get coupons good for L.L.Bean stuff (my husband calls them "Bean Miles" :-)

There are no fees, and we pay it off every month so the interest rate isn't a concern (I'm not even sure what it is).

-- Jane in southwest WI (ladyjane@mwt.net), May 03, 2002.

You can also look into cash back and gas cards--you can get an American Express card through Costco now (your annual Costco membership fee covers it) and you get a small rebate (good only at Costco). Pretty good backup card.

Anne, you might also want to call your current company and explain that you are looking into switching cards because of this--they may waive the fee, or they might say, "if you could use it a bit more we can waive it" and see if that is acceptable to you.

One friend I knew only used one card for business and personal--she would just write two checks per month when paying (one from the business account, one from the personal account--that might be trickier to do if you pay online).

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), May 03, 2002.

I have the LL Bean card, too. I pay it off every month so no debt but use it a lot for online, mail order stuff. You get free shipping from LL Bean and a $10 coupon good for any Bean stuff for every $3000 you charge and pay off. Good for part of a new pair of jeans every year for me, at least.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), May 03, 2002.

I have aol visa card and get free aol internet access.

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), May 03, 2002.

Anne,

We have a First USA Visa card. It gives 1% cash back. Spend $2500, they send you a check for $25. No annual fee. The 'MONEY" can also be redeemed for gift certificates at many stores. No fee for non use. Best card we were able to find without being tied to a merchant like Aol etc. Would reccommend it to anybody. We are very happy with it.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), May 03, 2002.

We have 3. LL Bean, as mentioned above. Also TJX Visa (TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Home Goods) which pays you back 5% in gift certificates for purchases from any of those stores, and 1 % for other purchases, in the form of gift certificates to those stores. The 3rd is Gulf Mastercard, which gives you back a credit of 4% for Gulf gas purchases, and 1 % for all other purchases, all of which are automatically deducted eash month on your statement. We've had the Gulf card since '95, and this month's statement says I have had $495 worth of rebates in the past 7 years! All of the above cards have NO annual fee! They're betting I'll have a finance charge by not paying it off every month. I'm betting I won't. So far I'm winning! And Begorrah! , so are the Red Sox!! GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), May 03, 2002.

My MIL really likes her discover card because of the cash back benefits she receives.

-- Terri in WV (mrs_swift_26547@yahoo.com), May 03, 2002.

One caution with Discover--depending upon where you live and shop, hardly anyone may accept it. My friend's MIL went to NY City for a vacation and almost nobody took it.

To be sure, you can also have the problem with AMEX, but it seems to be confined to smaller businesses that can't afford the higher AMEX merchant fees.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), May 03, 2002.

Thanks. I want a VISA cause it is accepted everywhere. And we only spend, on average $600 a month. Will look into AOL card, since we use it.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), May 05, 2002.