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1992-12-20
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TYPES OF CREDIT AND CHARGE CARDS
CREDIT CARDS
When we refer to credit cards, we are typically talking
about either MasterCard, VISA, Optima Card or Discover Card.
These cards are similar to an "open end loan" in that the
user has a fixed line of available credit on which he or she
pays interest for the use of that credit line. Unlike charge
cards, which are also called "Travel and Expense" cards, the
entire balance does not have to be paid in full each month.
Think of a credit card as a high interest loan that you can
access using a 3½ x 2 inch piece of plastic. That about sums
it up!
TRAVEL & EXPENSE CARDS
Travel and Expense cards, also called "charge cards," are
widely known by the names American Express, Carte Blanche,
or Diner's Club card, which was first introduced to the
world in 1951. American Express is the undisputed leader in
the charge card marketplace. In 1992, American Express had
issued roughly 12.4 million cards compared to Diner's Club's
435,000 and Carte Blanche's insignificant customer base of
69,500.
Unlike credit cards, the balance on these cards must be paid
in full, each month. Many cardholders use Travel & Expense
cards as they would cash. This is because they provide only
a 30-day extension of credit, per se. Also, companies such
as American Express do not subscribe to credit reporting
agencies, so, having such a card does not help build credit.
Charge card issuers make a profit by charging the merchant a
"commission," which is a percentage of purchases made using
their card; this "sales commission" averages 3.3 percent.
Each year, consumers charge about $100 billion to American
Express Cards alone.
In general, charge cards appeal to a cardholder's need for
prestige ("Membership has its privileges"). Membership also
has a price tag. Each year, cardholders pay millions just
for the privilege of carrying a certain "prestige" card,
usually $55 to $300.
One of the biggest falsehoods about charge cards is that
they have no pre-approved spending limit. Nothing could be
farther from the truth. Companies such as American Express
have a system of "checks and balances." Each customer has a
usage profile, which is tracked by their computer.
If, for instance, a cardholder who usually charges $500 each
month starts running charges that total $3,000, he or she
can expect a "friendly" call asking them if they can "cover"
these charges. Yes -- charge cards DO have a credit limit!
REVOLVING CHARGE ACCOUNT CARDS
Department stores, tire stores, clothing stores and the like
belong to this category. This is an "open ended" credit line
that is granted for use at a particular store, such as
SEARS, J.C. Penny, etc. While credit cards and revolving
charge accounts operate similarly, a revolving charge
account is usually honored by only one particular merchant.
They do, however, share a common trait: the extremely high
rate of interest they charge, which is about 18½ percent.
DEBIT CARDS
The debit card could be best described as "a credit card
that's not really a credit card." A debit card is nothing
more than an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) Card dressed up
like a credit card. Fact is that on the surface, you can't
tell debit and credit cards apart. Debit cards also are
called "Electronic Checks," "Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
cards." A term used by credit card industry personnel to
describe a debit card is an "account access device."
Debit cards are good for people in financial trouble because
the cardholder can't spend money that they don't have. This
is because a debit card transaction comes right out of one's
checking account -- if the money is not there, it can't be
spent!
The debit card is not without its problems. It's no good for
emergencies since you can only spend the amount of money
that's in your account. Also, a debit card does nothing to
improve your credit rating. The biggest disadvantage of a
debit card is that it lacks certain consumer protection
rights enjoyed by credit card users. Credit card users can
obtain a refund on a disputed credit card purchase, but,
debit card users generally cannot.
The up side to debit cards is they are fairly easy to obtain
since there is no true extension of credit. Also, there
usually is no annual or monthly fee charged by the bank. A
big plus is the ease with which one can take a cash advance.
With national Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) networks such
as Cirrus, Plus System, NYCE, CASH, Action Network, etc., a
debit card holder can access their account from virtually
anywhere in the world.
SMART CARDS
Smart Cards are credit cards that have a built-in computer
chip, essentially making them pocket-sized personal
computers. Smart cards, which premiered in the late 1980's,
were predicated to revolutionize the financial and business
world by replacing cash and automating record keeping. The
smart card can link millions of people in a computer and
telecommunications network while providing a high degree of
security. Currently, 80 percent of the smart cards have
"memory only" capabilities, while the other 20 percent have
computing capability.
To date, there are only 50 million smart cards in use
worldwide; it's estimated that number could jump to 200
million by 1994. The majority of smart cards are used in
Europe; they are used primarily as pre-paid telephone
calling cards and bank cards. In the future, the smart card
may replace credit cards altogether.
* * * * * End of Types of Credit & Charge Cards * * * * *