2 Questions Please
 

1. Can anyone suggest a good credit card with low APR and no annual fee. If not, please provide me with information on a good credit card. I've never needed one, but I would like to have one for Christmas shopping this year.. as opposed to using cash (as I have in years past-it's not a good idea). I hear a lot of people have problems with some credit card companies.


2. Has anyone ever ordered prints online? (Digital photo prints)
I've found one website that offers 30 free plus 12 cents for each additional print. It's cheaper than our local 1 hour photo. I'm just wondering if online developing is legit.

I'd appreciate any knowledge/help! Thanks!!! :)

Well, for #2 I can say some online photo places are legit, and I can most likely tell you if it is legit or not. Have you tried walmart online photo printing? I have used walmart before, but usually do mine through either of a couple different Canadian companies depending on the type of print.

As far as the credit cards go, I have heard lots of good things about capital one... but I am no expert :)

http://www.capitalone.com/creditcard..._C3_02_G_CCOMP

I heard Capital One shows on your credit report that your "limit" is whatever you owe on the card. (It will always look like you've surpassed the card limit). Of course, that just only what I hear..don't know if that's true.
I thought about using a photo service called "snapfish?".
Thanks for the reply!

snapfish :) very popular, and I have not heard anything bad about them (and I am in tech support). They are owned by HP, and used by Comcast (possibly used by others, but I know Comcast uses them) I'd say they are a good bet, and definitely worth a try

(Comcast Photo Center - Snapfish) http://www.comcast.net/photocenter/

I have never heard that about capital one, and it doesn't seem like something that would be a good idea for any credit card company to do (although, being a credit card company I wouldn't put it past them) I'm very curious now.... lol gonna have to do some research

1. Stay away from American Express and store credit cards. I have heard the citibank is pretty good, but everyone has different experiences.

2. I use shutterfly and I like it. Walmart has it so you can download it and pick it up in an hour or they can be mailed to you for cheaper.

i am pretty sure you're right about capitol one, but they are not the only ones that do this. they always put a note on your credit report tho that says "balance is credit limit" or "credit limit is balance" etc.
I pull people's credit reports all the time. I suggest you go to your local credit union. they can usually give the best rates, are not subject to fdic's stricter guidelines. the one i work for never raises your rate if you are late or for any reason, really. what you see is what you get. i suggest you look for something like that.

i use photobucket, but my folks use snapfish and love it.

I'm currently staying at home with my daughter. I'm wondering if I will have to provide proof of income if I apply online or if it's instant approval and they go ahead and mail the card?
Do they just go by your credit score or do you have to supply other information.. such as current work address, etc..

Originally Posted by HappyHousewife:
1. Can anyone suggest a good credit card with low APR and no annual fee. If not, please provide me with information on a good credit card. I've never needed one, but I would like to have one for Christmas shopping this year.. as opposed to using cash (as I have in years past-it's not a good idea). I hear a lot of people have problems with some credit card companies.


2. Has anyone ever ordered prints online? (Digital photo prints)
I've found one website that offers 30 free plus 12 cents for each additional print. It's cheaper than our local 1 hour photo. I'm just wondering if online developing is legit.

I'd appreciate any knowledge/help! Thanks!!! :)

I'm going to second the recommendation for Citibank. I don't know anything about their acceptance, but as a member for 12 years I have been very impressed with their service. Anytime "unusual" charges have showed up on my card, they have called me. Most of the time these were mine, but once it wasn't. They immediately took care of this for me and with very little hassle I got the erroneous charges removed.

The BEST part about Citibank is their Virtual Card numbers. What this is good for is if you do online shopping. You generate a credit card number that is a one time use number, use it at whatever web site you need to and it can never be used again. This is really helpful just in case what ever site you bought something from, gets hacked and the customer's credit card numbers are stolen ( which is what had happened to me before I knew about the virtual card numbers). The card was used once to make the original purchase and can never be used again!

Just my experience.. YMMV but I've been very happy.

I've never done an online photo place, but I know people who use snapfish and really like it.

The credit card I used 99.5% of the time is Discover. While I've had some issues with them over the years, I've had it forever and have really benefitted from the cash back feature. I don't know about how hard it is to get one these days, though. I am pretty sure, though, that you'll have to provide information on any card that you want that didn't send you a preapproved letter.

Dunno about credit cards, but Snapfish is the way to go for online prints. I've been using them for over a year now, and as far as quality, service, and convenience go... I don't think you can get any better.

I have a capital one card and have never had any problems with it on my credit report or otherwise... same with my discover card. I got them both when I was employed fulltime though so I can't say how it works as far as income. My friend did try to apply for a Capitol one card (she's a SAHM) and they denied her because she doesn't have a job... you may want to be aware of that.

As far as online photoprinting goes... I've uses snapfish, shutterfly, and walmart with great results :). Snapfish printed me a poster size photo and it came out awesome!

As far as credit cards goes, I've had problems with Capital One and Discover. Discover likes to increase APR's (fixed or variable) whenever they feel like it with no explanation (not because of federal hikes either) and I've had 2 instances where my online payment failed. CO makes mistakes with their rewards programs ALL of the time (charging when they shouldn't). I had Chase at one point, and I had a few billing problems with them. Bank of America has high limits, but they like to change fixed rates to variable rates. I have my balance on an RBS card, and they made their 0% fixed intro APR all year, and I haven't had any problems. RBS is the best one I've had, and I've had them all. I have an American Express card (I never use), so I can't say much about them. But I HIGHLY recommend RBS.

I just want to say, I have NEVER paid a dime in interest in 4 years, because I always transfer after my 0% APR intro rates expire. And it's always in November when I transfer; you would think someone looking at my credit report would realize what I'm doing, but I always get my balance transferred. I think the credit cards work so many people over, they need to worked over sometimes.

I just ordered prints through Snapfish! I wonder how long it will take to get them. It said 2 or 3 days..but we'll see.

I like Capital One if you have to have a Credit Card. But have you tried Pay Pal? You can put money into it and also I think they do have a credit card too. Oh and with Pay Pal you earn interest on all your purchases or you get $$ back. Not sure exactly how it works but I know you do get something.......

#2 I have no idea..........

I have to ask, why is cash a "bad idea" to use when Christmas shopping...I would honestly say that credit cards are the worst of the two-simply because unless you have 0% and pay the purchases off before that rate expires-you end up paying a lot more than what you would have if you had paid cash-even with a low rate.
As far as rates go-a lot of that depends on your personal credit history and score.
I personally shop with cash, or my debit card with my checking account-leaving me the ability to shop online as well. I save my credit card for emergencies, or things I CAN'T pay for all at once-like our license plates for our vehicles, which are all due in August-which also falls on school fees/supplies/clothes for the kids. It is always a rough month. But-they are necessities, so I don't feel abd about using the card for the plates.

Also-for the pictures I love using CVS online. I download them, and then pick them up in the local store when I go to get a prescription, etc. They are awesome.

I'm stating my opinion and only that :)

You shouldn't get a credit card for the purpose of carrying a balance. Credit cards can be good things if you know how to use them. They offer protections that are hard to match with debit cards or cash. If you have a charge that you need to dispute, then the credit card company will do that for you. In the meanwhile, you aren't out of pocket any money.

I use credit cards because they give me cash back. I don't even know what the APR on my cards are because I never carry a balance. I have 2 cards that I really like. One is an American Express Costco card. It gives me 3% cash back on eating out, 2% on travel and 1% on everything else. The other card I have is a Chase Cash Plus Rewards card which unfortunately they are no longer offering to new members. It gives me 5% on groceries, gas and drugstore purchases and 1% on everything else. There used to be a few cards offering 5% cash back on groceries, but I think most cards are no longer offered. It doesn't sound like much but credit cards pay me hundreds of dollars each year and I don't have to pay them anything.

Well, I just know too many people who got caught in the credit card game, and ended up way in debt. (Not myself...)

I believe that credit cards have their place-emergencies, rental cars/hotel reservations (where they are required in most cases) and things like that-not just for general shopping.

You may have learned how to have them pay you, rather than you paying them-but you are in the minority. ;)

I have a Dept. store card and my car-maintenance card, but I want a "universal" card. I plan on doing a bit of Christmas shopping online. Also, I don't live in an area where it's safe to carry a lot of cash. I can always cancel the card if someone mugs me or something. I'm starting to think they are good for emergency situations while I'm traveling.
What does "pre-approved" mean when you get the info in the mail? I get those all the time, but figured it was a hassle (or a rip-off).
Thanks for all your replies!!

Preapproved means that from "mailing lists" you have "passed" on the beginning requirements to get the card. A lot of cc companies can check to see if you have purchased a car recently, or that you own your own home, etc. so they know you have SOME credit history-and can preapprove you. This means you will not be DENIED a card...however, your actual credit history and debt to income ration will determine what rate and credit limit that you actually get-and they have to check your credit score/report for that.

So...credit card company B may pre-approve you for a card, but you have to request it, therefore releasing your credit report to them-to find out if you will get a card with a $500 limit, or a card with a $5000 limit.

Others have made a very good point that I failed to emphasize in my response. I use Discover, HOWEVER (big however), I pay off the balance every month. I make money on the cash back bonus because I don't pay any interest, service charges or late fees. I'm using the credit card to pay for things I would buy anyway, so it truly is a money maker.

I just assumed the OP wanted a credit card to try to establish some credit history, not to try to spend more for Christmas than she would have spent using cash (which is a really bad idea).

HappyHouseWife - My advice is don't let a credit card company pick you. Do your research and pick a credit card that works for you. I wouldn't worry about having a low APR because no matter how low the APR, it is still too much. The only reason someone should worry about the APR of their credit card is because they carry a balance but you shouldn't go into getting a credit card with the thought that you'll carry a balance.

Some places where you can do your research:
http://moneycentral.msn.com/banking/...creditcard.asp
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/rate/cc_home.asp
http://www.cardweb.com/

Also here is the top 10 list from consumer reports for consumer-friendly credit cards:
Platinum MasterCard Town North
Visa Platinum First Tennessee
Visa Gold Pulaski
Visa Platinum Rewards Simmons First National
Target Visa Target
Visa Platinum BB&T
Platinum MasterCard Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust
Visa Platinum RBC Centura
Visa Platinum Commerce
Visa Platinum Zions

aphil - yes I know a lot of people who have got in trouble with their credit cards and even at one point I was one of those people. Somehow I didn't realize that my income couldn't match my expenses. Luckily, I didn't end up in too much trouble that I couldn't handle. I use credit cards for everything but I don't think credit cards are for everyone.

If you don't have a credit card, don't get one. Just don't get started with that mess.... seriously. If you have the money for christams shopping and just don't want to pay in cash, then open a separate christmas checking account and get a debit card for it. You can avoid paying "stupid tax" on your christmas gifts.
I would never, ever, ever! recommend getting a credit card for ANYONE.
I also recommend visiting www.daveramsey.com where you can read more about stupid tax and credit cards.

Originally Posted by jillybean720:
I can say I HATE Chase. With a burning passion.

and i can say, i totally second this. Chase is BAD NEWS. DH and i had a heck of a time with our card... we used it more than usual one month, but didn't charge it over the limit - we left enough space for the interest, and whatnot, and we'd always been good about paying it early or on time. But they decided that because we had a "high balance", they had to DOUBLE the interest, so when they charged the interest, it put the card over the limit... so of course they tacked on overlimit fees on top of that. THEN we got into a financial bind, so we could only afford the minimum payments for a few months, which didn't do any good, because of all the interest and overlimit fees... by the worst of it all, a $200+ payment only put about $1 towards the principal, and the balance was almost EIGHT TIMES the original limit!!!! :mad:

they did this to a friend of mine, too... doubled, almost TRIPLED her interest rate, when they bought out one of her credit card companies, because her credit report showed a "high balance". nevermind, that it was on THEIR card, and she had a flawless payment history. :(

DH has a First Premier Visa card, which is pretty good... i think it's one of those, meant for people who have no credit, or are rebuilding their credit, 'cuz he hadn't bothered getting any credit cards until a couple of years ago. it's been a good one, though :)


as for photo stuff, i wouldn't have a clue. i don't generally use a digital camera

I have gotten several pre-approval notices in the mail, and I did take one, and only one, with Capital One. When I entered all of my info online, they didn't ask for any employment info, just our annual household income. I stay at home and only my DH works, but they still issued me a card with no annual fee, and a high credit limit. Just check them all out, but I have had no problems with CO.

I respect Dave Ramsey's position on credit, to an extent. One needs to have a good credit score to get the best interest rate for a house, for example. I don't think it's reasonable to think you can pay cash for a home.

I know people who can pay cash for just about anything. Until they got a discover card, they didn't have a credit score and were unable to obtain credit when they wanted it for convenience because they'd never used credit for anything.

I think it's prudent to establish a strong credit history and to use credit cards if you have enough self control to charge only what you can afford to pay off at the end of the month and only what you would buy if you were using cash.

I'm not planning to carry-over a balance. I noticed today that one of my store cards increased my credit limit. I've had the card about 6 years. I didn't authorize it.. is it common for them to "automatically" increase your limit???
Opening a "Christmas account" might not be a bad idea.... Thanks for the idea. So far, it seems Capital One would be the best way to go-as far as a good company. I might look into that later.
Has anyone even used an online service (Experian, Transunion, Equifax) to look at their credit score/credit report? Is it safe???? How much does it cost??

I had a both a Citibank, Fleet & Capital One until I did a debt consolidation loan to get rid of all my credit cards, some miscellaneous medical bills and paying off my daughter's braces, Capital One was the one with the lowest balance and the hardest to get an answer on the payoff, I paid off the amount they said only to be billed a small amount the next month I finally just ended up doubling what they said and they had to send me a refund check that took almost a month to get to me when they said that I would have it in three to seven business days.

Originally Posted by HappyHousewife:
I'm not planning to carry-over a balance. I noticed today that one of my store cards increased my credit limit. I've had the card about 6 years. I didn't authorize it.. is it common for them to "automatically" increase your limit???
Opening a "Christmas account" might not be a bad idea.... Thanks for the idea. So far, it seems Capital One would be the best way to go-as far as a good company. I might look into that later.
Has anyone even used an online service (Experian, Transunion, Equifax) to look at their credit score/credit report? Is it safe???? How much does it cost??

You get a free credit report from every service every year. Go to their websites for details.

I've already requested a copy of my free credit reports, but you have to pay $5.00-6.00 for the credit "score".

Originally Posted by HappyHousewife:
Has anyone even used an online service (Experian, Transunion, Equifax) to look at their credit score/credit report? Is it safe???? How much does it cost??

I have looked up my credit score online several times... It is the law that you are allowed 1 free credit report from each agency per year (but it costs like $5 to get your credit score). If you go to www.annualcreditreport.com, you can access your free report from each agency. This is not a website that tries to sell you something... as quoted from the website "This central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion."

Originally Posted by kateful:
I respect Dave Ramsey's position on credit, to an extent. One needs to have a good credit score to get the best interest rate for a house, for example. I don't think it's reasonable to think you can pay cash for a home.

I know people who can pay cash for just about anything. Until they got a discover card, they didn't have a credit score and were unable to obtain credit when they wanted it for convenience because they'd never used credit for anything.

I think it's prudent to establish a strong credit history and to use credit cards if you have enough self control to charge only what you can afford to pay off at the end of the month and only what you would buy if you were using cash.

I don't necessarily agree with paying for a home with cash - but I am going to follow Dave Ramsey's advice about not getting a home mortgage for longer than 15 years, with no more than 25% of our income going to the house payment. Makes perfect sense to me.
Statistically, most people do not have any self control with credit cards. As a nation we are saving less and spending more (and spending beyond our means) than we ever have in history. I don't feel sorry for anyone with bad credit card stories to tell because they did it to themselves. I did it to myself and unfortunately did not find Dave Ramsey until after I filed bankruptcy. However, because of Dave Ramsey's common sense ideas, we have been able to get a substantial amount of money in savings and more than double our assests/net worth since my bankruptcy was discharged this summer.
My husband doesn't even have a credit score; and I have a bad credit score and yet we were still able to be approved for a home loan in 2005 (actually, my husband was approved, I wasn't on it because I wasn't employed)....which just simply making a house payment will improve one's credit score... so its not like getting credit is impossible.