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Crunch Card

Sensible Way of Dodging Credit Card Charges

The much publicized credit crunch has led to both consumers and credit companies tightening their belts. One of the companies taking drastic action is the UK’s biggest  card lender Barclaycard, They have cut the credit limit of half a million customers and tightened the criteria for new  applicants saying no  to more than half of new applicants and monitoring the debts of existing customers.

However, Barclaycard are not the only company to take such action, earlier this year Egg cancelled the cards of some 161,000 customers because the company saw them as high risk. These were not customers who had defaulted or failed to pay their monthly bill but people who paid their bill on time and never defaulted. This shows how conscious card lenders are about lending in this climate.

According to Moneyexpert.com an average of £16,000 has been slashed off the credit limit of 1.8million credit card customers and most companies are taking similar action with their customers.

This however has not deterred customers from using their credit cards or issuers from introducing new cards to compete in a volatile market. Overstretched customers still look to credit card s to make ends meet but the advice from financial expects is not to rely on credit cards for day to day expenses. Regardless of the credit crunch hundreds of customers transfer about £1.1bn a month between cards according to Sainsbury’s finance, these transfers are mainly to cards with 0% interest rates which on the average  lasts for about 9 and a half months. Money expert data shows that some 980,000 customers switch deals every month. This shows customers are putting off paying their debts for as long as long as they can.

So if you are one of the many who cannot live without your credit card in these troubled times, here are a few pointers to help you borrow sensibly on the cheapest rates available and also help to incur the least charges possible

Because of the current economic climate, the best deals are reserves for customers with perfect credit history so if that is not you, you might want to borrow from companies you already have a relationship with i.e. your bank or Mortgage Company. But if you are one of the few with perfect credit history make sure you go with the cheapest rates available.

Also remember to pay your bill when the interest free period is over, you can always transfer your balance to a 0% interest card which will give you enough time to pay off your balance.

In terms of usage, banks love customers who do not pay attention to their interest rates, how they use their credit cards or how much their monthly payment is. Paying attention to these not only saves you from unnecessary charges but also saves you money.

First of all refrain from making cash withdrawals with your credit card unless it is absolutely necessary, most card issuers charge you 2-3% fee on all withdrawals and then charge further interest on it straight away instead of giving you the usual 50days plus interest free period which applies to card purchases. You are also likely to be charged a higher APR because of this so not withdrawing cash with your card will save you from a lot of charges and in the end money.

Again using credit card cheques also cost more than using the actual credit card because just like withdrawing cash you will be charged interest straight away and then APR will higher. So it is a good idea to use the card itself instead of writing a cheque.

Another thing to avoid is overseas charges, thinking of going on holiday or even buying stuff abroad? Think twice before you use your credit card because it is estimated that banks make about 500million in extra charges from customers who use their credit card abroad. So instead of taking your card on holiday, use cash or buy travelers cheques which saves you the extra charges and also credit card insurance has been known not to cover purchases made overseas. It will be safer to take your debit card, cash or travelers cheques on holiday instead of your credit card.

These are a few suggestions which if used will save you a lot of money because those credit card charges if added up makes big profit for card lenders so if you don’t want to be one of the many credit card holders lining the pockets of the banks and credit card companies make a few changes and save yourself some money.

About the Author

Elfy is an author of several articles pertaining to Credit Cards. She is known for her expertise on the subject and on other Business and Finance related articles.

Do you think the credit card companies will ever 'let us off' with paying back our debt?

If the economical crisis and credit crunch deepens do you think something will happen with the interest as some people are just paying off their interest which means they'll never be able to get rid of their debt.

They are never going to just write peoples debts off - would you if people owed you money?

The bottom line is, and always has been, if you want to improve your standard of living and use cards to pay for that, you are using the most expensive credit going apart from loan sharks and you have to pay the piper. The trouble with getting used to using the plastic is too many people see it as a way of getting what they want NOW and then just pay the minimum repayment which often means they are still paying for goods long after the goods themselves have worn out. The best way to reduce your card debts is to cut up the card and then pay as much as you can squeeze out each month to reduce the debt because a sizable chunk of what you pay back back month is just interest. Once you are in over your head it can take years to get back on an even keel and it takes a lot of self discipline.

4 Card Crunch