Be Aware of Credit Card Fraud!

Avoid Becoming a Victim of Credit Card Fraud

2011-09-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

Credit card fraud has become a major problem over recent years, and every year many people fall victim to this type of fraud.

Often this is through no fault of their own, but in some cases the reason why people fall victim to fraud is because they have been careless with their personal details, which is something that fraudsters prey on.

With fraud levels still rife it is vital that cardholders are more careful with their details, as otherwise the risk of becoming a victim of fraud is all the greater.

Certain types of credit card fraud are greater than others, and this includes CNP or Card Not Present fraud, which is where the actual credit card is not needed to conduct a transaction such as with online or telephone purchases.

With an increasing number of people shopping online for various items from groceries to clothes and entertainment it is vital that more caution is exercised with online transactions.

This includes ensuring that the site you use is a secure site, and also not linking to websites from emails and then putting in your details. You should also avoid saving your details on any sites that you purchase from if you have a shared computer, as this can also heighten the risk of becoming a victim of fraud if someone with dishonourable intentions gets hold of the details.

Another thing to be careful of is ordering or making purchases by phone. You should never give out your details to someone who has called you out of the blue stating that they are from some company or other, because unless you have phoned the firm yourself you actually have no idea who you are talking to.

Also, be careful about shouting out your details on the phone when there are other people around that you don't know as this could result in someone getting hold of your details.

One thing that many people do is dispose of their credit card statements by simply throwing them in the waste paper basket, which then gets emptied into black bags and put outside ready for collection day.

However, some fraudsters will go as far as to search through bin bags in order to find documentation such as this, which they then use to commit fraud. You need to ensure that you shred all bank statements and dispose of them carefully in order to avoid this happening.

Many credit cards now offer increased levels of protection and security against fraud.

This can include offering fraud guarantees that offer a zero liability policy if your credit card details are used without your knowledge or consent.

Credit card providers have now started offering identity theft protection services, including Barclaycard and Capital One.

Capital One, including the Capital One Classic credit card, also offer free access to Equifax alerts - sending you an alert if anything changes on your credit file and also offering you two free Equifax credit reports per year.

Whether you need a bad credit rating credit card or a mainstream one - you should be able to compare products and improve the level of security against fraud offered by your credit card company.

R. Charlton, award-winning writer, shares her financial expertise as a contributing columnist for Credit Card Comparison, where you can compare bad credit rating credit cards.

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How to Stop Credit Card Fraud

2011-09-29T05:41:00.001-07:00

If you are a merchant, particularly someone who sells products online, the chances of your business being exposed to credit card fraud is highly likely. For many businesses, credit card fraud is a cost that they apportion into doing business and they may even account for it in how the price products - similar to how a business may account for bad or doubtful debts. In the UK for example, government published statistics reveal that credit card fraud has went up from £83.3m 10 years ago to £504.8m just before the introduction of the chip and pin scheme. Chip and pin is a system where by a number is assigned to each credit card, meaning a thief has to do more than just fake a signature to complete a purchase with someone else's credit card. This has been said to have reduced fraud by 13% since its introduction.

With so many different types of credit card fraud, it is important to have a strategy to address each one. This article offers an insight into prevention methods for well known techniques of committing credit card fraud.

Card Not Present Fraud

CNP fraud is among the fastest rising category of fraud. The main reason for this is that it is becoming much harder to commit fraud in person, especially with the introduction of Chip and Pin. As online credit card fraud increases there are some measures that all merchants can take to ensure their associated costs of being exposed to online credit card fraud can be reduced.

● Call back customers to confirm orders. Although this is also a cost center, it could be used as a technique when the transaction appears somewhat out with the ordinary

● Pay attention to transactions where the delivery address and cardholder address are different

● AVS or CSC verification doesn't remove risks 100% but it removes the ability for fraud to be done base solely on acquiring account details with out having the credit card in person.

Card Present Fraud

Card Present Fraud has become increasingly hard to commit, and as a result it is no longer associated with being a white collar crime as is often the case with CNP fraud. Despite this, face to face or swiped card fraud can still be an issue which retail merchants still have to deal with. Following certain protocols can help to limit the chances of you being affected, and ensure that your business is refunded by following the correct procedures.

● Train employees to be on the look out for people who appear nervous or uncomfortable. They should not confront then based on that alone, but they should certainly be discreetly vigilant when they do.

● Check that the card number that is embossed matches the card number on the receipt. Pay particular attention to the last 4 digits if this has to be done discreetly and promptly. If they are different then it is important to act. In situations like this it is likely that skimming has taken place.

Finally, large orders from overseas countries with US Billing address are almost always fraud so it's better to have these customers pay via western union or bank wire. Many times fraudsters will order a large order using a stolen credit card and by the time you've discovered the card is stolen you already shipped the order.

Mike Knudtson is the co-founder of the Payment Gateway Fastcharge.com and the founder of merchant account provider Electronic Transfer, Inc.. He has helped thousands of merchants set up retail and ecommerce payment processing for their business. Electronic Transfer, Inc. is one of the leading merchant account companies serving merchants since 1989.

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Credit Card Fraud

2011-09-29T05:40:00.000-07:00

Credit card fraud is a crime of deception. It occurs when someone pretends to be the cardholder and tricks a merchant (business, service provider, seller, etc.) into exchanging merchandise or rendering services while maintaining the belief that the credit card account will provide payment for services. Almost always the merchant eventually learns that they will not be paid, or the payment they received will be reclaimed by the card's issuing bank because they have been the victim of credit card fraud. This is why most merchants are becoming more vigilant then ever when it comes to verifying credit card numbers.

Credit card fraud is technically classified as a crime of identity theft. However there are several ways that credit card fraud could take place --

The Stolen Card - The most obvious way your identity is stolen is when your card is stolen. This makes it possible for the thief to make unauthorized charges on that card until you get a clue and cancel the charge or the credit card company notifies you to see why you are going over your limit.

Although technically businesses are supposed to check the identification of the cardholder this almost never happens in these modern days. This allows identity thieves to potentially charge up thousands of dollars in services and merchandises before you realize it. It is particularly easy to purchase things over the Internet and also at gas stations where there is nobody around to verify a card holder's identity.

Mail Order Fraud - One type of credit card fraud involves using a stolen credit card number or an identification card with a fake generated number to order merchandise and have it shipped to a temporary forwarding address. The thief then takes the merchandise ordered and sells it. When the person holding the card realizes that there is a fraudulent charge on their credit card report they call their credit card issuer and dispute it. This results in what is called a chargeback. The merchant then loses the money from the transaction, in addition to the merchandise that they do not recover. This is not only the most common type of credit card fraud it is also the most expensive.

Stealing Replacement Cards - In this scenario a thief intercepts a card that you have ordered to replace a lost card and uses it. This sometimes happens if you have been robbed of your card once. The thieves may know that you are expecting that second card and watching your mailbox. This is why so many banks now ask you to confirm your indent to the bank using your social security number, home address, mother's maiden names and personal questions. This type of theft has also inspired the credit card companies to make new cards non-active until you phone in to activate a newly received credit card.

First Party Fraud - Not all credit card theft is performed by thieves. Sometimes the thief is the cardholder. First party fraud or "chargeback fraud" commonly occurs when a legitimate cardholder pays for a good or service as usual but then claims never to have authorized the transaction, or that the good or service was never received. After disputing the charge the card holder only has to pay a $50.00 liability charge for an $800 he or she may have legitimately bought with her card.

Skimming - Skimming is the theft of credit card information by a corrupt employee who may use a magnetic device to scoop information from the magnetic stripe on your card or manually copy down your numbers to sell to thieves or use in their own identity theft ring. The magnetic skimmer devices can lift your three or four digit security code from the black stripe on the card. However keep in mind that most criminals don't need your PIN to make "card not present" type transactions over the Internet or over the telephone.

Criminals verify the numbers that are stolen by using a process called carding. This involves making a very minimal charge, one that is not that noticeable to you, on a credit card to see if it is still valid or if the PIN or password works. If it does then they will reserve a day when they will max it out and leave you or the merchant liable for the charges.

To prevent Identity Theft or get help if you are a victim visit Take Your Identity Back.

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Types of Credit Card Frauds

2011-09-29T05:31:00.002-07:00

Credit card fraud broadly implies theft and fraud that are committed using a card or any similar payment mechanism. It can simply be defined as "an act of making a purchase using someone else's credit card information." The purpose of the fraud can be to obtain goods without paying for them or to obtain unauthorized funds from an account.

There are many types of card frauds but we can enumerate upon some of them:

Non-Receipt Card Fraud: This type of fraud occurs when a new or a replacement of the original card is sent by the bank through mail and it never reaches the actual recipient. Some of the banks have tackled this problem by setting up a system of sending inactive cards and the respective client has to call back to activate his/her card. But still there are some banks that have not adopted this procedure and send the activated card to their clients.

Personal Card Frauds: This happens when the card user makes purchases and then later claiming that someone else had done it. This results in the owner not paying from his/her pocket as the card is already reported stolen.

Non-Receipt of Goods Purchased: This is one of the many types of credit card frauds that occur when the owner buys some good & services through the card. When he/she receives the statement for same, they call the company and claim denial of ever having received the items. The owner may also claim that he/she never authorized the transaction.

Credit Card Fraud by Employees: This usually happens when the employee is designated as a signatory on the business cards. At times like these, the employee can make personal purchases and have the company pay for it by using the company card. Most of the times this happens with low-priced items so as to escape the notice of the accountants and at times it so happens that the employee does a major fraud and leaves the company before he is caught leaving no trace of his whereabouts.

Stolen Credit Card Frauds: This is the common type of fraud that occurs when one person steals another person's card and uses it to make his/her own purchases in the owner's name. This type of fraud can be done on online transactions too.

Forged Credit Card Fraud: Such a fraud can occur when someone creates a fake card with fake numbers and a fake name and then using it for transactions. As this card is not linked to any real account, the credit card company is not liable to pay for the transactions as there is no info about the user.

Skimming: This type of fraud occurs when there is a theft of card information wherein a merchant or an employee makes a second copy of the owner's card details. Then this copy is sold out to such people who are involved in forgery and make multiple and fake copies of the card.

Thus there are many types of frauds that can take place related to card. There are also penalties for the same and can include monetary punishment as well as imprisonment depending on the gravity of the offence.

For more information on Online Scam Forum and Credit Card Frauds please visit our website.

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Beware of Credit Card Fraud - Some Traditional and Modern Techniques Used

2011-09-29T05:31:00.000-07:00

Humans are greedy; we all know that, but one thing we can never understand completely is the limit to this greediness. Man works to earn. So that he could earn his living and fulfill his basic needs. But what if he starts earning through illicit means? Then there are constitutional obligations which make him liable for penalties and punishments.

Nature punishes mankind in various ways for not abiding to its fundamental rules. Similar is the case with technology. In case of credit cards, people do manipulate the transactions to gain money out of it. Credit card is often called as plastic money. There is a magnetic strip over every credit card which stores the information about the card holder's identity and his account details as well. There are various techniques of credit card fraud.

Credit card fraud is categorized into two basic categories depending upon the method of fraud conducted, which are traditional techniques and modern techniques of card fraud. Cards have made shopping very easier. Some of the traditional techniques used for cards frauds are:

• Application fraud- people submit forged applications by providing incorrect monetary information about their bank accounts and income statements.
• Intercept fraud- stealing the card, before reaching its final destination. That is stealing the card during post or courier transportation.
• Lost or stolen card- most common style of fraud but the most difficult to deal with.

Credit card prevents the user form he hassles of carrying hard cash in their wallets, which is truly insecure. People often use their cards to make payments for their purchases where they are unable to make one time down payment. They can then pay the rest amount in various installments.

But there are swindlers and scam artists who manipulate the privacy settings of the card information and perform card frauds. Technology can be altered in one's interest or favors by manipulating the in-built system.

As technology has provided ample knowledge to the youngsters about its origin and systems, it has made them aware of its use as well misuse too. Card companies take proactive actions to avoid such scams and frauds in advance, but even then there are possibilities of fraud and manipulation.

Modern techniques for credit card fraud are like:

• Skimming
• Fake or doctored cards
• Triangulations
• Credit card generators
• False merchant sites and site cloning.

Fraudsters abuse technology to produce fake cards to coddle in false card transactions. They use powerful electro-magnet to erase the details present in a card, and change those details to match the other card's details. Fraudsters often create fake merchant sites. Such fraudsters attract customers by providing heavy discounts on purchases and after that, they ask for card information to verify the order. This way they easily get access to the card information of a valid customer, which can now be used as per their intentions.

The best way to avoid such credit card frauds is to stay cautious about your cards, just the way you stay cautious about your cash.

Get more knowledge about various credit card fraud and know to tackle with them. Also look for the help in personal finance site for your various personal finance issues.

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Secured Credit Cards- Consumer Tips

2011-09-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

Whether you have no credit or damaged credit, secured credit cards are a good tool for building a good credit history.

Several months ago Tom, a member of CreditBoards.com, filed for a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Now he is in the process of rebuilding his credit history. It's a task that is not easy, but with patient persistence he is seeing progress already. Daily he checks his credit score and is slowly seeing improvement.

1 - In addition to correcting every mistake, even the smallest ones, on his credit report, he is using a secured credit card.

2 - This secured card is an important tool in the overall process of building or rebuilding credit.

Who should consider a secured credit card?

Someone who has no credit history.

Someone with a damaged credit history.

What is a secured credit card?

Secured cards are credit cards opened with a deposit into a savings account, money market or certificate of deposit. The amount of deposit required varies from card to card, but generally minimum amounts range from $250 - $500. These funds are considered your security and will even earn a little interest since they are being held in a savings account. Your credit limit is determined by the amount you deposit into the savings account. Sometimes the limit will be for the full amount of the deposit; other times it will be a percentage of the total.

It is important to keep in mind that a secured card is a credit card, not a debit card. If full payments are not made each month, then interest is charged on the outstanding balance. And the lending institution uses the security money to pay off the debt only as a last resort. Even though the card is secured, it is still possible to damage credit.

What are the benefits of a secured credit card?

Establishing credit. If you have never had a credit card, a good first step in establishing good credit is applying for a secured credit card. Assistant Professor of Economics at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN, Jerry Plummer says, "A secured card is most useful for the person starting out on their credit history, since it says that the person is willing to take the extra step to establish credit."

Reestablishing credit. If your credit history is damaged, you may only be able to qualify for a secured credit card. Using this secured card appropriately and within the set parameters will help rebuild your credit and qualify you for an unsecured card. If you have had to file for bankruptcy, however, you may not qualify until it has been discharged.

Preset limit cannot be exceeded. If poor spending habits were part of the cause for bad credit, then a secured credit card will help keep spending in check.

Useful for transactions that require a credit card. Hotels and car rentals require the use of a credit card. If you don't qualify for an unsecured card but you do for a secured card, then you are still able to make the transaction.

What should I look for or avoid when shopping for a secured credit card?

Fees. This is the area you will really want to research when shopping for a secured credit card. Some cards will come with fees that run into the hundreds of dollars, eating away much of the credit you secured with the savings account. Professor Plummer says a card with no fee is the best, but a small one-time fee can be okay. Annual fees for attractive secured cards typically range from $20-$35. Be sure to watch out for hidden fees such as "registration charges" and "setup fees."

Interest Rate. Just because you have no or poor credit doesn't mean you have to settle for the highest interest rate. Interest rates for attractive secured cards should not exceed 19%. Shop around and get the most competitive rate available.

Read the fine print. Linda Tucker, Director of Education for Consumer Credit Counseling Service for Arkansas and Memphis, TN, stresses the importance of reading the fine print. Doing so will let you know your exact obligations to the issuing company: for example, the grace period, what happens if you don't make a full payment, and what fees are attached if you don't make the full payment. Understanding these details will help make sure you are not further damaging your credit.

Fraudulent Offers. As with unsecured cards you need to watch out for fraudulent offers.The Federal Trade Commission gives the following advice to protect yourself from credit card fraud:

Offers of easy credit. No one can guarantee to get you credit. Before deciding whether to give you a credit card, legitimate credit providers examine your credit report.
A call to a '900' number for a credit card. You pay for calls with a '900' prefix -- and you may never receive a credit card.
Credit cards offered by "credit repair" companies or "credit clinics." These businesses also may offer to clean up your credit history for a fee. However, you can correct genuine mistakes or outdated information yourself by contacting credit bureaus directly. Remember that only time and good credit habits will restore your credit worthiness.

When will I qualify for an unsecured credit card?

It can take several months to see an improvement in your credit history. Bankrate says it's a good indicator when you start receiving flyers in the mail for unsecured cards that your credit is improving. However, it's a good idea to continue taking things slowly. Using a secured card will help you learn healthy habits so that when you do get an unsecured credit card you remain in control of your spending and credit.

Where can I find a secured credit card?

Most companies don't advertise secured cards. But you can visit the Card Reports section of http://www.CardRatings.com to find out where and how to apply. Click on the link entitled "Cards for Consumers with Poor or No Credit".

Other tips

Tom recommends sticking with only one or two cards and keeping spending to a minimum. The goal is to pay the card off each month.

Tucker emphasizes the importance of paying the amount due each month; otherwise late fees can be charged, interest rates raised, privileges lost, and credit history negatively affected.

Make sure you are getting a credit card as opposed to a gas card or a department store card.

Make sure a reputable bank or credit union, even a local one, is issuing the card. And, don't automatically assume a bank is issuing the card.

Not all issuers report to the three major credit agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). It's important to get a card that does report to all three agencies; otherwise you will be wasting your time. Fortunately, secured cards normally report to the credit agencies just like unsecured cards (you should verify this before applying).

If you have filed for bankruptcy, you may need to wait until it has been discharged before qualifying for a secured card.

Get one only if you cannot get credit, since you have no credit record; or if you have poor credit. Plummer says, "Many companies will not even count them as credit, such as automobile F&I (Finance and Insurance) people, although they will not admit it." So, if you don't really need a secured card, you will be doing more harm than good.

Finally, whatever situation you are in, no credit or poor credit, the best way to build good credit is to set up a budget and then stick with it.

1 You can pay membership fees to any one of the three credit bureaus - Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax- to be able to check your credit score online daily. Visit our Credit Information section for more details. Tom recommends purchasing Microsoft Money 2004, which comes with a one-year membership to Experian (value of $99.00).

2 To find out more about correcting errors on your credit report, read our article How to Correct Mixed or Split Credit Reports.

About The Author

Amy Cooper-Arnold is a staff writer for http://www.CardRatings.com. Amy has been employed in various accounting-related positions. She will graduate this December from Austin Peay State University with a degree in English.

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Find The Best Credit Card Debt Elimination Programs

2011-09-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

No one would like to have the problem of credit card debt on their shoulders. A rising credit card bill is not of the things that can be easily paid due to their high interest rates. Despite the hardships you face with credit card debt, there are still ways to help you resolve debt issues. Debt consolidation removes all the high stake rates and in the process, replaces them with lower interest so you can pay quicker. Debt consolidation also makes a systematic payment scheme for all your bills to lessen the stress and confusion when you have to pay. With debt integration, you can bring your debt down faster and can even save money due to the lowered interest rates.

Is Debt Consolidation Right For Me?

Debt consolidation is right for anyone who has credit card debt problems especially if the person feels like it will take forever before he/she pays all her credit card debts. But before you apply for such program, you must first get many quotes from lenders. Having many quotes will enable you to compare which repayment scheme and rates will fit your financial needs. Getting more quotes also makes you see which are the cheaper ones and which are really good deals.

Once you have checked the quotes, move on to check the terms of prepayments and repayments. There are different policies among different lenders. Make sure to check them thoroughly. You can also check out clients under the program if they are satisfied and if it has helped them. One easy way to do all these things is to search the Internet and get online quotations. There is no need to go to the different offices and talk to sales people just to get different quotes. Companies that offer this program has websites where rates and terms are uploaded for you to get the information you need. It is that easy. Moreover, through the Internet you will have an easier time getting as many quotes as possible. Remember, getting more quotes is an advantage since you don't want to miss out on any good deal.

How Do I Find the Best Debt Consolidation Loan?

The market of debt integration has been growing for the past years due to the many people experiencing credit card debt problems. Many Americans are now applying for this program to help resolve their debt issues. With a debt consolidation loan, you debt payments will be lowered because of lower interest rates which in turn will maximize your spending potentials as well because of the savings you are acquiring.

Banks and lenders will always claim that they have the best deal for you and you might be confused with all the rates and terms they have given. But you should not be easily swayed, doing your own research and questioning will be the best method for you to know which is really the best. Do not be hesitant in asking everything that you want to know or is confused about since this is your finances that we are talking about. Information is power and use all the information to your advantage.

Request a Free Online Quote - How Much Will You Save?

Many online consolidation loan companies can offer a free online debt consolidation quote to you. Your work is to find out about a company before you even get a free online debt consolidation quote from them. Learn about a company's reputation, success rate, terms and interest rate.

Now that you are more familiar with how debt consolidation works and the importance of requesting free quotes, you probably want to see just how much you can save with a debt consolidation loan. A great place to learn more about debt consolidation, and get free quotes, is http://debtconsolidationsource.googlepages.com/, an excellent online resource with lots of valuable information on debt consolidation.

To Compare Free Debt Consolidation Quotes and Find the Best Consolidation Loan Click Here

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Best Cash Back Credit Card For 2011

2011-09-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

If you have seen on TV and other news media that the USA is coming out of the recession, then why will no bank offer you a decent, no balance transfer fee offer with zero percent interest for 12 months, zero interest on purchases for six months, and a generous 5% money back on purchases rolled in one card?

Well the answer is quite simple. The banks are really not too sure that the recession is over, and their lending standards reflect that. However, there is one way you can get a top, high cash back credit card in 2010 and 2011. The way to do it is to reduce your debt level, increase your FICO score, and then apply for a best cash back credit card you can find.

So what is the best cash back credit card for 2011?

Once you have established a high FICO score by reducing your debt, preferably to less than 25% of the credit limit on each of your cards, banks will compete for your attention with high cash rewards card offers. You will probably start getting attractive pre-approved offers in the mail again! Which will be the best credit card for you will depend on where you spend the most money. Let's see a few possibilities:

If you carry a credit card balance

Maybe in this case you should not even focus on getting your money back as much but rather on developing methods of getting out of credit card debt as soon as possible. Look for a balance transfer card with the longest intro rate possible. And look for cash back debit cards in addition.

If you have high weekly grocery and gasoline expenses

Maybe you are taking care of a large family and spend significant amount of money on groceries and for the cost of transportation, that is gas? In that case, the best credit card for 2011 will give you as much as 5% off on all gasoline purchases and some grocery purchases. Likely, you will get the highest 5% money back by pumping gas at a single brand station such as BP.

If you travel much

When you travel across the globe or within the USA, you could benefit most from a no-limits miles card. You will receive multiple miles, up to 5, for purchases of airline tickets, and lower amount of miles on all other purchases. Combining frequent flyer miles with the miles earned through purchases, your rewards will come quickly and will be easy to redeem.

For everyone else...

For everyone else, getting cash back on most purchases makes the most sense. While there are no cards that will give you high, as much as 5% cash back on all purchases, you could go ahead and get two or three different cards that will have high cash back of 5% at different times of the year. Thus, by rotating your cards, you could earn 5% on many purchases throughout the year. Of course, shuffling credit cards like that requires quite a sophisticated tracking system.

As you can see, there are many options out there to get a significant cash back on all your purchases in 2011. For specific brands with best cash back credit card offers that provide the highest cash back, check out best cashback credit card site http://bestcashrebatecreditcard.org.

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THE BEST CREDIT CARD YOU CAN THINK OF!

2011-09-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

chase Freedom^® Visa - As Low As 9.99% APR

·         0% Intro APR for 12 months on balance transfers - a variable APR as low as 9.99% -22.99% after your 0% ends
·         0% Intro APR for 6 months on purchases - a variable APR as low as 9.99% -22.99% after your 0% ends
·         $50 Bonus Cash Back after your first purchase
·         5% Cash Back on up to $1,500 spent on GAS, HOTEL and AIRLINE purchases from 7/1/11 - 9/30/11
·         You'll enjoy new 5% categories every 3 months like grocery stores, dining, department stores and even home improvement stores. It's free and easy to activate your bonus each quarter
·         Unlimited 1% Cash Back on all other purchases without limits on what you can earn
·         Up to an additional 10% Cash Back when you shop online at select merchants through Chase
·         Cash back rewards never expire.
·         No Annual Fee

2-Citi^® Platinum Select^® MasterCard^®

·         0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers and Purchases for 21 months. After that, the APR will be 11.99%-20.99% based upon your creditworthiness.
·         Extra Cash from Citi: enjoy discounts on gift cards, travel, merchandise and more
·         Secure, free online account management
·         Citi^® Identity Theft Solutions
·         No annual fee*

3-Capital One^® VentureOne^SM Rewards Credit Card

·         1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
·         Redeem miles for airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals and more
·         No limit on the miles you can earn and miles won't expire
·         Fly free on any airline, any time with no blackout dates
·         Earn 10,000 bonus miles, equal to $100 in travel
·         0% intro APR on purchases until September 2012
·         No foreign transaction fees
·         No annual fee

4-Capital One^®Venture^SM Rewards Credit Card

·         2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
·         Redeem your miles for ANY travel expense
·         Earn 25,000 bonus miles, equal to $250 in travel
·         No limit on the miles you can earn and miles won't expire
·         Fly free on any airline, any time with no blackout dates
·         No foreign transaction fees
·         $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $59 after that

5-Chase Freedom^® Visa - $200 Bonus Cash Back

Earn $200 Bonus Cash Back after you make $500 in purchases in your first 3 month

5% Cash Back on up to $1,500 spent on GAS, HOTEL and AIRLINE purchases from 7/1/11 - 9/30/11

Unlimited 1% Cash Back on all other purchases without limits on what you can earn

· You'll enjoy new 5% categories every 3 months like grocery stores, dining, department stores and even home improvement stores. It's free and easy to activate your bonus each quarter
·         Unlimited 1% Cash Back on all other purchases without limits on what you can earn
·         Up to an additional 10% Cash Back when you shop online at select merchants through Chase
·         Cash back rewards never expire
·         No Annual Fee

6-Chase Freedom^® Visa - $100 Bonus Cash Back + 0% Intro APR

·         "Best Overall Card", CBS MoneyWatch 2011
·         Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you make $500 in purchases in your first 3 months
·         0% Intro APR for 12 months on balance transfers and 6 months on purchases
·         5% Cash Back on up to $1,500 spent on GAS, HOTEL and AIRLINE purchases from 7/1/11 - 9/30/11
·         You'll enjoy new 5% categories every 3 months like grocery stores, dining, department stores and even home improvement stores. It's free and easy to activate your bonus each quarter
·         Unlimited 1% Cash Back on all other purchases without limits on what you can earn
·         Up to an additional 10% Cash Back when you shop online at select merchants through Chase
·         Cash back rewards never expire.
·         No Annual Fee

7-Slate^SM from Chase
0% Intro APR for up to 15 months - a variable APR as low as 11.99% -21.99% after your 0% ends

Slate with BlueprintSM helps you pay down your balances faster and save on interest\

Transfer your higher rate balances

Zero liability on unauthorized purchases

No Annual Fee

8-Chase Sapphire^SM Preferred Card
  Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months- that's worth $625 toward airfare or hotel accommodations  Points go 25% farther when you travel - For example, 50,000 points can be redeemed for two flights worth up to $312.50 each, which would usually cost 62,500 points. Just book your flight, cruise, or other travel through Ultimate Rewards^SM

·         Pay no foreign transaction fees when you use your card on purchases made outside of the United States.
·         Earn a 7% annual points dividend - even on points already redeemed
·         Redeem your points at leading airlines and hotels at a 1:1 value
·         2X points earned on airfare & hotel accommodations booked through Ultimate Rewards and 1 point for every dollar spent on all other purchases
·         When you call us, our phones are answered by people, not prompts
·         No Annual Fee for your first year - A $95 value

9-Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card

·         NOW - Earn a FREE FLIGHT after your first purchase.
·         -Get 3,000 Points every year on your Card member Anniversary - that's equal to $50 toward a Wanna Get Away^® Fare
·         Now you can redeem for International Travel, Hotels, Gift Cards and more.
·         Earn unlimited FREE FLIGHTS - 2 Points per $1 Spent on Southwest Purchases and 1 Point per $1 Spent on EVERYTHING else
·         Your Bags Fly FREE - No Blackout Dates, Points Don't Expire, and Unlimited Reward Seats
·         September 11th Security Fee Applies

10-Continental Airlines OnePass^® Plus Card

·         Earn up to 40,000 bonus miles & first year free ($95 value)*
·         Now with priority boarding privileges on Continental and United flights
·         Check your first bag for free on Continental and United flights, up to a $50 value
·         Visit the United Club with two complimentary passes every year, a $100 value
·         Earn 2 miles for $1 spent on tickets purchased from Continental and United and 1 mile per $1 everywhere else
·         Your miles don?t expire and there is no limit to the number of miles you can earn