2020 is ending (finally) and it is time to start setting resolutions for 2021. Why not try to improve your financial health by following ones, or more, of these financial New Year’s resolutions?2020 is ending (finally) and it is time to start setting resolutions for 2021. Why not try to improve your financial health by following ones, or more, of these financial New Year’s resolutions?
The post 15 Financial New Yearâs Resolutions To Make In 2021 appeared first on Money Under 30.
Last fall, I received an email that appeared to be from my web host. The email claimed that there was a problem with my payment information and asked me to update it. I clicked on the link in the email and entered my credit card number, thinking that a recent change I’d made to my site must have caused a problem.
The next morning, I logged onto my credit card account to find two large unauthorized purchases. A scammer had successfully phished my payment information from me.
This failure of security is pretty embarrassing for a personal finance writer. I know better than to click through an email link claiming to be from my bank, credit card lender, or other financial institution. But because the email came from a source that wasn’t specifically financial (and because I was thinking about the changes I had made to my website just the day before), I let myself get played.
Thankfully, because I check my credit card balance daily, the scammers didn’t get away with it. However, it’s better to be proactive about avoiding credit card theft so you’re not stuck with the cleanup, which took me several months to complete.
Here’s how you can protect yourself from credit card theft.
Protecting your physical credit card
Stealing your physical credit or debit card is in some respects the easiest way for a scammer to get their hands on your sweet, sweet money. With the actual card in hand, a scammer has all the information they need to make fraudulent purchases: the credit card number, expiration date, and the security code on the back.
That means keeping your physical cards safe is one of the best ways to protect yourself from credit card theft. Don’t carry more cards than you intend to use. Having every card you own in a bulging wallet makes it more likely someone could steal one when you’re not paying attention and you may not realize it’s gone if you have multiple cards.
Another common place where you might be separated from your card is at a restaurant. After you’ve paid your bill, it can be easy to forget if you’ve put away your card (especially if you’ve been enjoying adult beverages). So make it a habit to confirm that you have your card before you leave a restaurant.
If you do find yourself missing a credit or debit card, make sure you call your bank immediately to report it lost or stolen. The faster you move to lock down the card, the less likely the scammers will be able to make fraudulent charges. Make sure you have your bank’s phone number written down somewhere so you’re able to contact them quickly if your card is stolen or lost. (See also: Don’t Panic: Do This If Your Identity Gets Stolen)
Recognizing card skimmers
Credit card thieves also go high-tech to get your information. Credit card skimmers are small devices placed on a legitimate spot for a card scanner, such as on a gas pump or ATM.
When you scan your card to pay, the skimmer device captures all the information stored in your card’s magnetic stripe. In some cases, when there’s a skimmer placed on an ATM, there’s also a tiny camera set up to record you entering your PIN so the fraudster has all the info they need to access your account.
The good news is that it’s possible to detect a card skimmer in the wild. Gas stations and ATMs are the most common places where you’ll see skimmer devices. Generally, these devices will often stick out past the panel rather than sit flush with it, as the legitimate credit card scanner is supposed to. Other red flags to look for are scanners that seem to jiggle or move slightly instead of being firmly affixed, or a pin pad that appears thicker than normal. All of these can potentially indicate a skimmer is in place.
If you find something that looks hinky, go to a different gas station or ATM. Better safe than sorry. (See also: 18 Surprising Ways Your Identity Can Be Stolen)
Protecting your credit card numbers at home
Your home is another place thieves will go searching for your sensitive information. To start, you likely receive credit card offers, the cards themselves, and your statements in the mail. While mail theft is relatively rare (it’s a federal crime, after all), it’s still a good idea to make sure you collect your mail daily and put a hold on it when you go out of town.
Once you get your card-related paperwork in the house, however, you still may be vulnerable. Because credit card scammers are not above a little dumpster diving to get their hands on your credit card number. This is why it’s a good idea to shred any paperwork with your credit card number and other identifying information on it before you throw it away.
Finally, protecting your credit cards at home also means being wary about whom you share information with over the phone. Unless you’ve initiated a phone call of your own volition — not because you’re calling someone who left a voicemail — you should never share your credit card numbers over the phone. Scammers will pose as customer service agents from your financial institution or a merchant you frequent to get your payment information. To be sure, you can hang up and call the institution yourself using the main phone number.
Keeping your cards safe online
You should never provide your credit card information via a link in an email purporting to be from your financial institution or a merchant. Scammers are able to make their fake emails and websites look legitimate, which was exactly the reason I fell victim to this fraud.
But even with my momentary lapse in judgment about being asked for my payment information from my "web host," there were other warning signs that I could’ve heeded if I had been paying attention.
The first is the actual email address. These fake emails will often have a legitimate looking display name, which is the only thing you might see in your email. However, if you hover over or click on the display name, you can see the actual email address that sent you the message. Illegitimate addresses do not follow the same email address format you’ll see from the legitimate company.
In addition to that, looking at the URL that showed up when I clicked the link could’ve told me something weird was going on. Any legitimate site that needs your financial information will have a secure URL to accept your payment. Secure URLs start with https:// (rather than https://) and feature a lock icon in the browser bar. If these elements are missing, then you should not enter your credit card information. (See also: 3 Ways Millennials Can Avoid Financial Fraud)
Daily practices that keep you safe
In addition to these precautions, you can also protect your credit cards with the everyday choices you make. For instance, using strong, unique passwords for all of your online financial services, from shopping to banking, can help you prevent theft. Keeping those strong passwords safe — that is, not written down on a post-it note on your laptop — will also help protect your financial information.
Regularly going over your credit card and banking statements can also help ensure that you’re the only one making purchases with your credit cards. It was this daily habit of mine that made sure my scammers didn’t actually receive the computer they tried to purchase with my credit card. The fact that I check my balance daily meant I was able to shut down the fraudulent sale before they received the goods, even though I fell down on the job of protecting my credit card information.
The new year is right around the corner and if youâre like most people, youâve probably got a running list of resolutions to achieve and milestones to reach. If getting out of debt ranks near the top, nowâs the time to starting thinking about how youâre going to hit your goal. Developing a clear-cut action plan can get you that much closer to debt-free status in 2016.
1. Add up Your Debt
You canât start attacking your debt until you know exactly how much you owe. The first step to paying down your debt is sitting down with all of your statements and adding up every penny thatâs still outstanding. Once you know how deep in debt you are, you can move on to the next step.
2. Review Your Budget
A budget is a plan that sets limits on how you spend your money. If you donât have one, itâs a good idea to put a budget together as soon as possible. If you do have a budget, you can go over it line by line to find costs you can cut out. By eliminating fees and unnecessary expenses like cable subscriptions, youâll be able to use the money you save to pay off your debt.
3. Set Your Goals
At this point in the process, you should have two numbers: the total amount of money you owe and the amount you can put toward your debt payments each month. Using those two figures, you should be able determine how long itâs going to take you to pay off your mortgage, student loans, personal loans and credit card debt.
Letâs say you owe your credit card issuer $25,000. If you have $500 in your budget that you can use to pay off that debt each month, youâll be able to knock $6,000 off your card balance in a year. Keep in mind, however, that youâll still need to factor in interest to get an accurate idea of how the balance will shrink from one year to the next.
4. Lower Your Interest Rates
Interest is a major obstacle when youâre trying to get out of debt. If you want to speed up the payment process, you can look for ways to shave down your rates. If you have high-interest credit card debt, for instance, transferring the balances to a card with a 0% promotional period can save you some money and reduce the amount of time itâll take to get rid of your debt.
Refinancing might be worth considering if you have student loans, car loans or a mortgage. Just remember that completing a balance transfer or refinancing your debt isnât necessarily free. Credit card companies typically charge a 3% fee for balance transfers and if youâre taking out a refinance loan, you might be on the hook for origination fees and other closing costs.
5. Increase Your Income
Keeping a tight rein on your budget can go a long way. But thatâs not the only way to escape debt. Pumping up your paycheck in the new year can also help you pay off your loans and increase your disposable income.
Asking your boss for a raise will directly increase your earnings, but thereâs no guarantee that your supervisor will agree to your request. If youâre paid by the hour, you can always take on more hours at your current job. And if all else fails, you can start a side gig to bring in more money.
Hold Yourself Accountable
Having a plan to get out of debt in the new year wonât get you very far if youâre not 100% committed. Checking your progress regularly is a must, as is reviewing your budget and goals to make sure youâre staying on track.
Update 12/9/20: Deal is due to end on 1/13/2021 according to people with affiliate links. Make sure to apply through a link with the $50 bonus.
Update 10/1/20: Doing a dummy booking gets you 140,000 points + $50 statement credit with the AF waived. Somebody in the comments reported seeing a $150 statement credit, but I can’t get that to show at all. Updated the direct link.
Update 9/30/20: New direct link available, no longer needed to apply in app (wasn’t showing for everybody anyway). This time the annual fee is waived, making the deal the best ever.
The Offer
Direct link to offer
Chase IHG Premier card is offering a signup bonus of 140,000 points after $3,000 in spend within the first three months.
Card Details
Annual fee of $89 waived first year
Card earns at the following rates:
25x points per $1 spent on IHG properties (10x from the card + 15x from status and club membership)
2x points per $1 spent on gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants
1x points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Free night certificate on card anniversary, this is limited to properties that cost 40,000 or fewer points
Automatic Platinum elite status
Fourth Reward Night Free on any stay of 4 or more nights
20% discount when purchasing points
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit
10,000 bonus points when you spend $20,000 or more and make one additional purchase each account anniversary year
This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months. If you have the old IHG card, youâre still eligible to get this bonus/card.
Chase 5/24 rule applies to this card
Our Verdict
Best offer we’ve ever seen was 125,000 plus $50 statement credit, this one doesn’t have the $50, but comes with 15,000 more points. If IHG interests you and you are eligible, this one is worth signing up for. We’ll add this to our best credit card bonus page.
If you recently signed up with the targeted 125,000 points offer, you should be able to message Chase and have this 140k offer matched. As always read these things everybody should know about Chase credit cards before applying.
Thanks to all those who sent this in.
Post history:
Update 9/17/20: Deal is now publicly 125,000 points. But there is a 140,000 point offer showing up in app for some. Hat tip to Kyle
Offer was supposed to end at end of March, but is still alive and well. Hat tip to VFTW
While you can use a debit card to pay for almost all the things you would use a credit card for, these cards aren’t the same type of thing. A debit card is tied to existing money, either prepaid on the card itself or in your savings or checking account. A credit card lets you make purchases on credit, and you won’t be able to do this with a debit card.
Can You Use Your Debit Card as Credit?
When you pay at the register, you’re often asked whether you’re making a debit or credit payment. This isn’t a question about whether you’re paying with existing checking account funds or if you’ll be borrowing the money from a credit card lender. It’s a question about how you want the payment processed. And most of the time, yes, you can use your debit card as credit at check out.
What Happens When You Use a Debit Card as Credit?
When make a purchase and select to process your payment as credit, it’s an offline transaction. “The funds for offline transactions are deducted after the merchant settles the purchase with the credit card processor and typically take 2-3 days to be reflected in your account balance,” MasterCard says.
According to MasterCard, when you use a debit card and your PIN (personal identification number), the transaction is completed in real time. That’s also known as an online transactionâ you authorize the purchase with your PIN, and the money is immediately transferred from your bank account to the merchant. These are debit card transactions.
But in reality, the difference between debit and credit transactions have little real impact on your bottom line. There may be some differences in fees paid by the retailer or processor, but those fees are rarely passed on to the consumer directly.
Some individuals choose to use their debit cards as credit at the register to avoid having to enter their PIN. Itâs commonly believed that this creates some additional security against someone learning that number and having one more piece of information to support credit card fraud.
While you certainly want to protect your PIN, simply being aware of who is around you and keeping the keypad covered during debit transactions can help keep you secure if you do decide to pay this way. It may seem like an unnecessary precaution, but you can never be too careful when it comes to debit card fraud.
Can I Use My Debit Card if I Have No Money?
One thing that’s important to note is that you can’t usually use your debit card for credit. If you are short on cash, your credit card still works if you have available credit on it. If there’s no money in your bank account, your debit card may get declined when you attempt to pay. So make sure there’s cash in your bank account anytime you use your debit card.
There’s one exception to this rule. Some banks offer overdraft protection. If you qualify for this protection, the bank covers your charges up to a certain amount and you simply rectify the situation later. That way, you avoid potentially embarrassing declines â for a cost in overdraft fees, which can be $15 to $30 per overdraft.
Can I Use My Debit Card as Credit at Walmart?
Whether or not you can choose to pay as credit with a debit card depends on each retailer and payment system setup. Many Walmart payment systems are set up to allow this, but they default to debit. When this happens, tell the cashier you want to pay as credit or select the option for changing payment method and choose to pay as credit and sign for your purchases instead of entering your PIN.
Does Using My Debit Card Build Credit?
Paying with your debit card doesn’t really impact your credit score, regardless of the payment type you select. That’s because your debit card is simply a stand-in for money you actually have on hand (or in the bank). It’s not credit and doesn’t provide any type of illustration of your likelihood of making payments in a timely manner or using credit responsibly. Therefore, it won’t impact your credit history.
If you use your debit card to overdraw your bank account on a regular basis or do so and leave the negative balance long-term, it could negatively impact your credit score. Banks do report checking and savings details like this to the credit bureaus.
The Bottom Line on Debit Cards as Credit Cards
Whether you use your debit card as credit or debit, the funds will still be withdrawn from your checking account. You can use your debit card to make a payment processed as credit, but you can’t use your debit card for credit in most cases. And even when you can, it’s via the limited fail-safe of overdraft protection, which is not meant for regular use and can be quite expensive.
Debit cards are wonderful money-management tools that provide a lot of modern convenience. But for many people, it’s a good idea to have at least one credit card in your wallet too for those times when debit just doesn’t quite cut it. Just make sure to check your credit score, understand how credit cards work and apply for the card that provides you the best perks at the lowest cost.
The post Using Debit Card as Credit appeared first on Credit.com.
When you make a payment with a credit card not all of that money goes to the merchant. Your payment has to be authorized by multiple companies or banks along the way and some of them will deduct fees for their services. A portion of your payment goes to your card issuerâs bank, the merchantâs bank, the big payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard as well as payment processing companies. Hereâs what you need to know about credit card processing fees.
What Happens When You Make a Credit Card Transaction
Before we break down the individual credit card processing fees, itâs helpful to give a quick rundown of what happens when you make a payment with your credit card.
When you try to make a purchase with your card, whichever credit card processor the merchant uses will need to receive authorization to complete the transaction. To do that, the first step is to send your information and the transaction details to the appropriate payment network, Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover.
The payment network then contacts the bank that issues your credit card. Your card issuer has to confirm that you have enough available credit to cover the purchase you are trying to make. If you have enough available credit, it will approve the transaction. If you donât have enough, it will deny the transaction. That approval or denial goes back to the payment network, who sends its approval (or denial) of the transaction back to the merchantâs bank.
This entire process only takes a few seconds but it happens every time you make a purchase with your card. It doesnât matter whether you swipe, insert a card with an EVM chip or manually enter your credit card number.
Average Credit Card Processing Fees Average Credit Card Processing Fees Visa 1.40% â 2.50% Mastercard 1.60% â 2.90% Discover 1.56% â 2.30% American Express 1.60% â 3.00%
The table above lists an an average range for credit card processing fees from each major credit card provider. These ranges are meant only to give you an idea of how it works. There are a number of things that go into the final processing fees for any individual merchant (more on that later). Credit card issuers also are not always transparent with their fees and how they change over time. This is particularly true of Discover and American Express. However, credit card processing fees generally average around 2%. Another key trend is that American Express regularly charges higher fees.
Credit Card Processing Fees: Interchange Fees
An interchange fee is money that merchants pay every time they make a credit or debit card transaction. Itâs typically a percentage of the transaction plus a flat rate for each transaction. For example, an interchange fee might be 1% of the transaction plus a flat fee of $0.25 per transaction.
This fee goes to the credit (or debit) cardâs issuing bank so that it can cover its own fees. In general, a credit card issuer will charge higher fees for cards that offer more perks of benefits. However, the biggest fee that your card issuer has to pay is an assessment fee. This goes to the credit card network (e.g. Visa or Mastercard) and all networks charge the same assessment fee.
Interchange fees make up the majority of credit card processing costs for a merchant. There is a base part of the interchange fee that is non-negotiable because it is the same no matter what credit card companies a merchant works with. There is also a markup fee, which is an additional cost on top of the base fee. The markup goes to credit card processing companies (learn more about them in the next section) and they vary between processors. These fees are negotiable so a merchant should always compare these fees before choosing a company to process their transactions.
Credit Card Processing Fees: Merchant Service Providers
Even though merchants have to contact card-issuing banks to approve every transaction, they do not directly contact those banks. Instead, the transaction goes through a middle man that allows merchants and banks to communicate. This middle man is a merchant service provider (MSP). Common MSPs are Square and Payline.
MSPs charge merchants a certain fee for every transaction, whether itâs a sale, declined transaction or return. They may also charge the merchant a setup fee, a monthly usage fee and a cancellation fee.
Some merchants may have a bank that provides these services, but the majority of merchants have to use a third party MSP.
Online Versus In-Store Transactions
Credit card processing fees are cheaper if you pay in-person versus online. Thatâs because there is a greater risk of fraud with online payments. If you buy something in a store, the merchant has the ability to confirm that someone if using a real card and that they are the cardholder. This is harder to do with an online payment. The result is higher fees as companies try to protect themselves from fraudulent payments.
MSPs also charge additional fees for providing the software that makes an online payment transaction possible for a merchant.
The Bottom Line
It only takes a few seconds for a credit card transaction to go through, but there is a lot going on behind the scenes. Multiple banks and companies help facilitate transactions and they all want their cut of the profit. This is where credit card processing fees come in. A merchant has to pay an interchange fee every time a transaction is made, some of which is non-negotiable and some of which varies depending on the merchant service provider that a merchant uses.
A merchant bears the brunt of credit card processing fees and some merchants cannot afford to pay all the fees. This is a common reason why smaller merchants do not accept credit cards. These fees are also the reason that some merchants will require a minimum transaction amount in order to use a credit card.
Common Credit Card Fees to Avoid
Some credit cards charge an annual fee. This is a fee the cardholder pays each year simply for the privilege of having the card. Annual fees are particularly common for credit cards that offer valuable rewards. Shop around though because you can avoid an annual fee with some of this yearâs best rewards credit card.
If you plan to travel, using your card outside of the U.S. could leave you paying a foreign transaction fee. Luckily, we have some cards with no foreign transaction fee in our list of the best travel credit cards.
One fee that you can avoid with responsible credit card usage is a late payment fee. This is a fee that your card issuer will charge if you do not pay your bill by the due date. You should always pay on time because paying late will not only result in a fee but your credit score could also be negatively impacted.
If youâre like many people, your spending habits changed in 2020. You probably traded travel and in-person dining for online shopping and takeout. You may have even added a streaming service or two to your list of subscriptions.
Credit card issuers have started offering new perks and rewards to address these changes. And though these perks try to solve for pandemic woes, thereâs something to be said for the convenience they offer, even when normalcy returns. There are also a few long-standing features, like online shopping portals, that belong in the credit card conversation now more than ever.
The best cash back card for you depends on your spending habits. So when your budget or lifestyle changes, you should make sure your credit cards are still bringing you consistent value. Here are a few cash back credit card features you need to look out for in 2021.
All information about Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature, Wells Fargo Propel and U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature has been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
1. Discounted grocery and takeout delivery services
If youâre planning to do a fair portion of your dining at home this year, you should look for a card that makes that easier and cheaper. With the right card, you can earn rewards on restaurant and grocery store purchases, while also saving on the services that deliver them, like Uber Eats, Doordash and Instacart.
Here are a few of our favorite cash back cards for food delivery:
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American Express® Gold Card â Youâll get up to 12 months of complimentary Uber Eats Pass membership, as long as youâre enrolled by Dec. 31, 2021. This service usually costs $9.99 per month, offering an unlimited $0 delivery fee for restaurant orders and 5 percent off restaurant orders over $15, along with a $0 delivery fee on select supermarket groceries over $30. In addition, youâll get up to $120 in annual dining credits for eligible purchases with Grubhub, Seamless, Boxed and more.
Chase Sapphire Reserve® â If you enroll by 12/31/2021, you and your authorized user(s) will receive at least 12 months of complimentary DashPass (usually $9.99 per month), which means free delivery on qualifying DoorDash orders. Youâll also get up to $60 in DoorDash credits in 2021.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card â Because itâs in the Mastercard network of credit cards, youâll get two months of Instacart Express, including $0 delivery fees on orders over $35. You can get this benefit with any US-issued Mastercard card, but the Capital One Savor is an especially good option because it also offers 4% cash back on dining and 2% cash back on grocery store purchases.
2. Online shopping portals and rewards
Though cash back cards are known for their simple redemption process, you can often get even more value by using their shopping portals. Not every card and issuer has this option, but itâs certainly worth looking into if you now prefer to do your shopping digitally.
For example, the Shop Through Chase portal features deals from over 200 retailers, offering boosted cash back rates as well as discounts on purchases at stores like Nike, Banana Republic, Sephora and Under Armour. Other shopping portals include the Wells Fargo Earn More Mall and the Citi Bonus Cash Center.
Another option is to use a credit card that offers boosted cash back on online shopping purchases. While the cash back rates may not be as high as you would find in a shopping portal, youâll earn consistent cash back on all of your online shopping purchases, regardless of the merchant.
Our favorite cash back card for online shopping is the Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card, which earns 3% cash back on a category of choice (gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores or home improvements and furnishings), as well as 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs. Note, however, that those rates apply only to the first $2,500 in combined grocery store/wholesale club/choice category per quarter. After that, itâs just 1%.
Another contender is the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature. You have to have a Prime membership to get it, but the rewards offer serious value for Amazon lovers. Cardholders earn 5% cash back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods purchases.
3. Streaming service rewards
As streaming services continue to multiply, it seems like you need two or three subscriptions just to stay up to date on your favorite shows. Earning cash back for your subscriptions can make this pleasure a bit less guilty.
The best card for earning cash back on streaming services is the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, which offers 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, including Disney+, HBO and HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Apple TV, Prime Video and more.
Another great card that offers rewards for streaming subscriptions is the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card, which offers 3 points per dollar for select streaming service subscriptions. While this isnât strictly a cash back card, you can redeem your points for cash back at the same value. Plus, thereâs no annual fee.
4. Rewards on utilities
If youâre working from home or spending more time indoors, your utility bills have probably increased this year. It might instinctively feel wrong to pay bills with a credit card, but it can actually save you money. With the right card, you can earn cash back on your energy, electricity, gas and water bills. Just make sure your utility providers donât charge a convenience fee for using a credit card.
The best cash back card to use for home utilities is the U.S. Bank Cash+⢠Visa Signature Card. This card allows you to pick two categories from a list of 12 to earn 5% cash back in (on up to $2,000 in combined purchases per quarter). On that list of twelve is home utilities. If you were to spend $150 on eligible utilities each month, that 5% cash back would put an extra $90 in your pocket annually.
Bottom line
The start of a new year is a perfect time to assess your budget and credit card strategy. If youâre earning a measly 1% cash back or nothing at all on a significant portion of your budget, consider applying for a credit card that will help you make the most of those expenses. Check out our full analysis of the best cash back credit cards and apply securely when youâre ready.
It would be easy to fill up a wallet with just credit cards. A card to maximize airline miles. A card targeted at your favorite hotel chain. A card that gives you cash back on groceries. Even a card that earns you points when you spend at NFL games. So, where to begin? And where to end?
How many credit cards should I have?
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The short answer: you should have at least two – ideally each from a different network (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, etc.) and each offering you different kind of rewards (cash back, miles, rewards points, etc.). How many credit cards is too many? That depends on the individual – you should never have more than you can handle.
Experts say the number of cards one should have varies according to individual and circumstance. “Generally speaking, there is no one perfect number,” said Ethan Dornhelm, a vice president at FICO.
While the number varies by generation, credit score and other factors, the average American has three credit cards and 2.4 retail store cards, according to a 2020 survey by the credit reporting agency Experian.
To ensure a mix of credit cards and keep your credit score climbing, credit expert John Ulzheimer suggests asking yourself two questions about the cards in your wallet:
Do you have cards across more than one network? If you have three cards, but all of them are Mastercards, this could be a problem if you run into a merchant who only takes Visa. An example? Costco only accepts Visa now, though you can use your Mastercard on the wholesaler’s website.
Do you have a low credit card utilization ratio? Your average balances across all your cards for the past 24 months “should represent no more than 10% of your overall credit limit,” Ulzheimer says.
Credit utilization – how much credit you’re using each month, on average, of all the credit available to you from all your cards combined – accounts for 30% of your credit score under FICO’s traditional model.
If you can add another credit card while keeping your overall spending the same, you’ll lower this ratio – and boost your score.
See related: What is a good credit utilization ratio?
Two? Twenty? The answer is personal
That former number sounds about right to John Corcoran, a hotel industry executive in Aspen, Colorado.
He’s got two for personal use – both airline mileage cards – and a third for work. He added the second mileage card solely for the points bonus, and is thinking about dropping it before the $90 annual fee comes due. “I don’t like credit cards,” he said. “I don’t like debt.”
On the other end of the spectrum is Naomi Sachs, an international business executive in San Rafael, California. Sachs estimates she has 20 or 30 cards “sitting in a sock drawer, unused” – generally retail cards she signed up for to lower the cost of a purchase at that store or credit cards she acquired for the points boost.
Sachs is carrying around in her wallet about 10 more cards, of which she uses two or three with regularity. As for cash? Maybe there’s a $20 bill in there somewhere. Debit? “I don’t put anything on debit, ever, ever,” she said.
Instead, she charges strategically, and checks her card balances a few times a week to stay on top of her finances. “I aggressively try to maximize my spend, for almost every single dollar, every single time,” she said.
Credit expert John Ulzheimer suggests two things that can help you determine the number of cards that is right for you. Always keep your overall credit card utilization low, and secure access to more than one credit card network.
While merchants in the U.S. accept the big four card networks – especially Mastercard and Visa, and, to a lesser extent, American Express and Discover – you can still find places where some of them are not accepted. Costco is one example. The warehouse club switched in 2016 from American Express as its card partner to Citi, so now the only card Costco accepts in-store is Visa.
And if you travel abroad, you should pack credit cards from a variety of card networks. While Visa and Mastercard are most universally accepted, and American Express signs are increasingly common in store windows across the globe, you will inevitably wind up in a place that doesn’t accept the type of credit card you have with you.
Beyond those two key elements, Ulzheimer explains, many approaches are valid, so long as they work for you.
See related: How to use your credit card wisely
How many cards should you have if…
Want to get more specific? Here’s a list of some particular situations you may find yourself in, and some experts’ thoughts on how that might affect what kinds of cards, and how many, you may want to carry in your wallet:
You’re new to credit cards, or just recovering from a bankruptcy or other bad credit incident
Start with one card, a secured card if necessary, then add a second card when you can prove to yourself that you are making your payments on time and paying your bill off in full each month, says Netiva Heard, a credit counselor in Chicago.
“It’s a learning period,” she said. “That’s why you start with just one card first, to get adjusted to those good habits.”
You want to take advantage of rewards programs
Cards that don’t offer rewards “are a complete waste of your time,” Heard says. She recommends thinking about what rewards would benefit you the most, and whether you want to pay an annual fee to get them.
Cards that don’t charge an annual fee generally come with lower introductory bonuses than cards that do and may not be as generous with rewards points on day-to-day spending. But be careful that you don’t sign up for more rewards cards than you can manage to juggle.
Heard advises most people to keep no more than three to five credit cards total in their wallets. Ulzheimer said two rewards cards seems like more than enough – one for airline points and one for cash back.
You plan to buy a new house or car soon
You should stick to the number of cards you already have, at least temporarily. Don’t open even one new credit card within at least six months of applying for a so-called installment loan. Opening a new card will lower your score by a few points due to the hard inquiry on your credit, “and you want it to be in the best shape possible when you go out to get that expensive loan,” Ulzheimer said.
That said, he added, installment lenders will pay the most attention to whether you’ve had a mortgage or auto loan before, if you paid it off on time and whether you tend to pay off your bills in general on time.
You want to improve your credit score
This is not a reason to get a new credit card, Ulzheimer said. “Opening a new card can actually backfire,” he said, because it will, at least initially, lower your score.
When you apply for a credit card, the issuer pulls your credit report, which triggers a hard inquiry. A hard inquiry can lower your score by five points, but it only affects your credit score for one year. After two years, the inquiry falls off your credit report. Note that applying for multiple credit cards at once can exacerbate the negative credit score impact of inquiries, at least in the short term.
A new credit card can also reduce your length of credit history, a key credit scoring factor that considers the average age of all your credit accounts. While length of credit history only counts for 15% of your FICO score, the effect can be significant if you only have one or two existing credit accounts.
On the other hand, if your new credit card has a high credit limit and you keep your balance low, the card can eventually boost your credit score by increasing your overall available credit.
debit card, or cash, Ulzheimer said.
If you need to close your credit cards to avoid using them, then do it, but know that every time you close a credit card, it can lower your score, he said – because it may reduce your available credit, thus increasing your aforementioned credit utilization ratio.
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Bottom line
So, whether you have two or 20 cards doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that your cards give you access to more than one network and offer you the rewards that best meet your needs (which can change over your lifetime).
And, of course, you need to be sure you’re not juggling so many cards that you can’t keep track of all the payment due dates The whole point of having two to 20 or more credit cards is earning points or cash back on your everyday spending that you pay off every month. All the while, keep your credit utilization low so that your credit score climbs.
