|
CARDNEWS FOR CONSUMERS
|
(1/30/04)
MBNA AmEx Card
Unless VISA and MasterCard get the Supreme Court to stop it, MBNA will begin to issue American Express cards alongside its current range of VISA and MasterCards by the end of this year. The announcement this week of the partnership between the world's second largest card issuer, and the world's third most powerful payment card brand, is the first such deal in the USA.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/29/04)
Rate Picture
While the Feds did not raise short-term interest rates this week, there are indications they may do so before the end of this year. Currently, the spread between the average credit card interest rate and the prime rate remains at its highest level in nearly 20 years.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/28/04)
Card Mail 04
If your mail is lighter these days, it's probably due to fewer credit card solicitations. Direct mail credit card solicitations may have declined 17%, or by more than 750,000 pieces, last year.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/27/04)
Fee Fever
Credit card issuers are turning up the heat again on cardholders with hikes in late payment fees, expedited payment fees, and balance transfer fees. MBNA, the nation's second largest issuer and market leader in high cardholder fees, has raised its late payment fee to $49 on some accounts.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/23/04)
Authenticated E-Transactions
More than half of online consumers indicate they have used some sort of transaction verification service when making a credit card purchase on the Internet. However, 23% don't have a clue about this relatively new option for conducting safer transactions on the Internet.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/22/04)
Card Metrographics
A new study on a metros' propensity for credit card usage has found that some Southern cities have the highest level of impulse buyers. The research also found that two Northern cities had the highest average monthly expenditures using credit cards.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/21/04)
DebIT or Forget IT
A new survey shows that half of American consumers would consider walking out of a store without making a purchase if their debit cards were not accepted. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of respondents said their feelings toward a store would be negatively impacted if a merchant stopped accepting debit cards.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/20/04)
Gift Cards
A survey conducted this month has found that 59% of all consumers received a gift card or certificate this holiday season, and that by January 5th, 50% of gift card recipients had already redeemed some or all of their cards. According to the survey, on average, consumers received 2.5 gift cards that had a combined value of $106.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/16/04)
Card Miles
Reward credit cards offering air miles, and not affiliated with any airline, average 1.6 cents per mile, significantly less than the 2.5 to 3.0 cents per mile offered by credit cards sponsored by a specific airline. However, the non-affiliated air mile programs do offer lower redemption thresholds than the typical 25,000 miles needed to get a free domestic ticket.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/15/04)
Elvis Returns
Elvis has been sighted again and this time he is on the front of a "MasterCard Gift Card." There is also a special Web site to order the new, limited edition gift cards, in amounts ranging between $25 and $100.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/14/04)
Plastic Holiday
The final tally on retail spending via major payment cards, during the recently concluded holiday season, show Americans racked up 7% more than the previous year. Consumers used their VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit and debit cards to charge $118.5 billion in retail spending between November 17th and December 26th.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/13/04)
Go Miles Card
The "No Hassle" credit card issuer has introduced a new airline travel credit card that reimburses you for buying a plane ticket on the cheap. The new "Go Miles VISA or MasterCard" from Capital One enables cardholders to shop for the lowest fares and most convenient itineraries, charge the ticket to the card, and then receive a cash credit for the ticket based on previously earned miles.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/12/04)
Payment Points
Citibank has launched a program to reward on-time cardholders with points. The new "Citi Card Payment Rewards" program offers one point for each on-time dollar paid. Cardholders who make six consecutive on-time payments receive 600 bonus points.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/9/04)
Adult Delinquency
There is nothing juvenile about it, there is a growing number of adult delinquents. The number of past-due credit card accounts hit an all-time high of 4.09% in the three-month period ending September 30th.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/8/04)
Debt or Diet?
More Americans would rather get fiscally fit then physically fit this year. A recent survey on New Year's resolutions reveals that 28% of consumers want to get out of debt while 27% say losing weight and exercising is their top goal of 2004.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/7/04)
Triple Dip
The popular hotel guest program offering the famous "Double Dip" is now adding another way to earn rewards this winter. Hilton's "HHonors" program will award an extra 500 points to members who book and pay with their VISA cards at Hilton's Web site through March 31st.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/6/04)
Cocky Capital One
After sorting through 4.6 million votes cast between September and December, the nation's 4th largest issuer of credit cards has named college football's "National Mascot of the Year."
Cocky, from the University of South Carolina, beat out 11 other college mascots for the title.
-(READ MORE)
|
(1/5/04)
New Year's Resolution
A new survey shows that eight out of ten consumers expect to have less debt this year. Of those surveyed, 72% plan to limit credit card usage while 40% expect to limit ATM visits during 2004. The survey, conducted by CoolSavings, also found that 57% expect to put more money away in savings in the new year.
-(READ MORE)
|
