Credit Card Terms Everyone Should Know

Published on: 15 April 2023 Last Updated on: 13 May 2023
Credit Card Terms

Whether you are a new credit card holder or have been using it for a while, you must have come across some credit card jargon that is hard to decipher. For instance, if you decide to apply for a credit card online, you might need to understand the annual fee, interest rate, and other charges applicable to that card. Even though all credit cards work in the same way, they differ a lot in terms of the benefits and rewards they offer. So, to make it easier for you to understand the basic credit card terminology and choose the best one, here is a quick guide for you.

Annual Fee

Card companies may charge annual fees on credit cards. This might range from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the benefits you can avail yourself of on the card. However, certain providers may waive the fee for the first year, while others, may offer credit cards that are free for a lifetime. So, depending upon the kind of benefits you seek, you may choose a lifetime free credit card or a card that has an annual fee but may waive it off on spending a certain amount.

Credit Limit

Credit Limit

This is the overall spending limit or credit line provided by the card issuer. There are several criteria such as your credit score, income, repayment history, as well as the length of your relationship with the bank that determines your credit card limit. Banks may sometimes offer you higher limits if you already have high limits on your existing cards along with a strong repayment history.

Additionally, when checking your credit card limit, there are further three terms that you must be aware of Total Credit Limit and Available Credit Limit.

  • Total Credit Limit: This is the credit limit granted by the bank when the card is issued. The total limit can also be increased when you request for the same or if you accept a limit increase offered by the provider.
  • Available Credit Limit: This is the credit limit that is available on one’s credit card at any one moment. In other terms, the available credit limit is the difference between the entire credit limit and the card’s current outstanding balance.
  • Cash Limit: Card issuers also offer a certain portion of your total credit limit as cash limit. This defines the amount of cash you can withdraw using your credit card. However, cash withdrawal from credit cards should be the last resort as cash withdrawal is not eligible for the interest-free period and even a small amount can escalate to a huge debt.

Billing Cycle

Billing Cycle

The billing cycle refers to the period between the closing of the previous statement and the new statement date. Your credit card provider compiles your statement at the end of your billing cycle, and you have until the due date to make the payment.

Due Date

This is the specified monthly date by which all outstanding payments must be made. To avoid late payment penalties and high-interest charges on unpaid dues, you must make the payment on or before the due date.

Total Amount Due And Minimum Amount Due

At the end of each billing cycle, a new statement is generated and it shows the dues that you owe on your card. Total amount due, as the name suggests, is the total sum that you owe to the issuer, and on making full payment, no charges will be applicable.

However, if you cannot afford to pay the total due, card providers give you the option to pay the minimum amount due to keep your card active and avoid late payment charges. It is usually 5% of the total due and also includes any active EMIs, additional fees, charges, etc. An important thing to note is that on making only the minimum payment, the rest of the outstanding balance starts attracting finance charges and new transactions become ineligible for the interest-free period as well. This is why you should always pay the total due and not just the minimum amount.

Finance Charges And APR

Interest rates on credit card balances are known as finance charges and APR is the annual percentage of interest. It is the rate of interest on all transactions from the date of the transaction until the cardholder’s balance is paid back in full. Note that interest on credit cards is compounded on a daily basis.

Being acquainted with these terms will ensure judicious use of the card and help you stay out of debt.

Additionals:

Abdul Aziz Mondol is a professional blogger who is having a colossal interest in writing blogs and other jones of calligraphies. In terms of his professional commitments, he loves to share content related to business, finance, technology, and the gaming niche.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Green Card Renewal

Ultimate Guide On Green Card Renewal

One simple way to define a Green Card renewal is thinking of it in terms of residency. This residency is subject to a ten-year term. The US government prints the details of the green card on the front facing side. This also houses the expiry date. The government states that the renewal of the green card must be done before the last six months of the expiry date. This needs to be done in order to maintain permanent residency in the United States. Important Steps You Need To Follow For Green Card Renewal     There are several essential steps you have to follow while you go for the green card renewal. Green Card Renewal Fee The cost of renewing the green card or replacing includes the filing fee. It also takes into account the biometric fee. The renewal fee must be deposited with its application Form I-90. The standard mode of payment is through a check or through a payable money order. You have to take care of the green card renewal fee while you are investing money in that. How to Renew Green Card You can in the application online, or do it through a physical application process. The form, which you would need to complete and submit is termed as Form I-90. Online Renewal of Green Card: The green card renewal application can be submitted online by visiting the official department website. You also have the option of completing the payment through a payment gateway by using your credit card. Mailing paper application: This is a long and cumbersome process. It involves downloading of the I-90 form. You need to fill out the complete form and mail it to the respective authorities. You also need to enclose the check or the money order while submitting the application. People who want to be immigrants with their qualified family members, or a job offer or the employment or some special category would be classified in the categories depending on the preference system. Apart from the immediate relatives of the United States citizen, those are given the highest immigration priority and other exceptions a set of visas can be used every year for both the category of the immigrants. Family-Based If you are an immediate relative of a US citizen, there is no need to wait so that Visas become available. Immediate relatives of US citizens are allowed Visas at all times. There is no limit to the same. The categories of relatives, which fall within the purview of Green Card Renewal are as follows- Parents Spouses· Unmarried children Job or Employment Based People looking to become the immigrants depending upon the job or the employment offer might apply for the permanent residence of the immigrant visa abroad when the immigrant visa number is available depending on different preferences. To get the legal permanent resident status (green card) for the United States of America, you need to follow some steps- Step 1- Authenticate the required documents The required documents to apply for the green card include contracts, essential records, court orders, and educational diplomas. Step 2- Check for eligibility criterion The eligibility criterion depends on the immigrant category under which you are applying for the permanent resident status. Step 3- Process for a general application form The application form for the green card is required to complete a minimum of two forms. One is an immigrant petition and the second is green card application (Form I-485). Step 4- Wait for application approval from USCIS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are responsible to approve for the green card application. You have to wait till USCIS doesn't approve your application form. Read Also: 5 Smart Ways To Boost Your Credit Score What Are The Important Parts Of A Free Business Credit Report?

READ MOREDetails
Short-Term Loans

Using Short-Term Loans to Help Rebuild Your Credit Score

Life in America is difficult enough without someone having to deal with credit issues. A low credit score usually has a profound effect on the choices people make and how they may have to live their lives. Make use of short-term loans to improve your credit score. No matter what kind of financial difficulties you may find yourself dealing with, nothing is ever etched in stone. Even bankruptcy comes with time constraints that make certain you will get a second chance. The truth is there are ways someone with a bad credit score can actively participate in fixing their own credit score. The discussion below will discuss how short-term loans can be used by borrowers to help rebuild their credit scores. Different Ways Short Term loans can improve Your Credit Score Are As Follows:-     There are multiple ways Short term loans can help you to improve your credit score. In this article, you will get the complete details of it. The Stigma of Bankruptcy: When someone is forced into bankruptcy to protect certain assets and their overall well-being, there's a price that has to be paid in the eyes of the credit market. Lenders don't like to be left holding the bag. The ultimate penalty is a substandard credit score, which subsequently makes it very difficult for the individual to borrow any kind of money for a period of time, usually not to exceed 10 years. What everyone has to remember is that poor credit performance is a historical perspective on the borrower's past behavior. Based on historical facts, potential lenders can rightfully assume the individual is a poor credit risk. The good news is history is a constantly evolving notion that gets rewritten every day. Using Short Term Debt to Rebuild One's Credit Score: If someone wants to rebuild their credit score, they have to convert bad financial behaviors into good financial behaviors. No matter how low someone's credit score might get, it's an objective rating based on certain criteria. As such, it can improve just as easily as it can fall apart. As you contemplate how to repair and rebuild your credit, you need to be aware that the only way to increase your rating is by strictly adhering to all future obligations. To that end, there's an interesting strategy you can employ to speed up the process. First, it's duly noted it is going to be difficult for you to secure new loans. Your credit score ratios and payment profile will interfere with the approval process. However, it's worth the effort for you to do whatever's necessary to establish short term debt with manageable terms. Initially, you might have to swallow high-interest rates and lender-friendly terms to secure a credit card, title loan or whatever other kinds of loan you can get. Once you have the first short-term loan in place, your credit score might take a small dip. However, your credit score will eventually start increasing as you make your payments on time. At some point, you can pay off that loan early and followup by securing a new loan. As you continue abiding by your agreements and perhaps exceeding expectations, your credit score with pick up momentum to the upside. Eventually, your bad credit history will fade into the past, being replaced by new credit history that supports the fact you are again becoming a worthy risk. How well does this approach work? Bankruptcy stays on your record for approximately 10 years. If you can represent to a succession of lenders that the past is the past and you are now able to handle your responsibilities, that bankruptcy will lose significance in the eyes of many lenders. Read Also: 5 Smart Ways To Boost Your Credit Score 7 Simple Tips To Pay Off Your Loans Faster Are Payday Loans Really As Bad As People Say? Title Loan Requirements: What You Do And Don’t Need

READ MOREDetails
hire Insurance

How Private Hire Insurance Takes You Out from Problems?

It is always expected that you could also think that you have some sort of problem such as you are thinking that you could also be insured in a proper way, but you are not insured. These are some questions that pop up in your mind often. If these thoughts are coming to your mind daily, then it is a great time for you to make a review of your insurance policy plan. You need to make a choice of Private Hire Insurance for your vehicle or taxi which would take out all your problems or worries. Importance of Private Hire Insurance Policy: Being a public hire taxi or vehicle driver, you could also suffer from an unknown passenger since they do not have the idea that who they would be picking up. On the contrary, these private hire taxis or vehicles are basically pre-booked and the benefit of these insurance organizations provides you a break for making in advance. It is surely a long journey of selecting your booking and your customers as well. Know About the Liabilities as Well: There are many people who get worried about the loss of business due to cases of liability and many payouts as well. If you see the courts of the UK, then you would see the history of forgiving the man and punishes them in a tough way who does not follow rules. You do not need to take a risk and you also never make your company a target of any problem or mistake. If you make the right and suitable choice of Cheap Private Hire Insurance as it would mean that you are protecting your business and permitting yourself to great money. This insurance provides you the protection of your all demands and requirements. In the calculation of this, you do not aspire to have any type of sort of stress or tension like legal support or liability protection since it would be protected in your pocket. You Get Various Opportunities: Private hire insurance also provides you with various opportunities in the business world and you could also make your great sort of reputation at the protect end without having any required expensed. If you are a taxi or vehicle driver then it is obvious that there would also be some issues that are obviously a part of everyone’s life. You always get coverage so that you could also get customer services easily which would be great and amazing for you indeed. Conclusion: You are also supposed to make yourself sign up with the suitable and best insurance policy so that you could also get relief from any sort of type of stress of problem. If you get an insurance policy, then it would also provide you peace of mind and it also takes your problems away which would be beneficial for you surely. You must know all the information as it would help you to get the right policy for insurance. Read Also: 5 Tips For Transport & Logistics Business Owners Before Investing In Insurance Learning How To Choose The Best Merchant Account For Your Burgeoning Insurance Company Get Cheap Car Insurance For Young Drivers

READ MOREDetails