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Getting confused about how to use your credit cards for the best effect on your credit scores?

You know you need credit card accounts - you've been cautioned not to close any accounts, especially your oldest accounts.

You've heard that you shouldn't carry a balance of more than 30% of your available credit in a given month. You know that if you do charge more, you should go on line and make a payment before your monthly credit card statement is generated.

But, do you need some kind of balance on those cards each month?

It turns out that yes, you do. But you don't need to carry that balance and pay interest on it. The best strategy for using a credit card to raise your credit scores is to use it each month for some small purchase - and then pay the balance in full when your statement arrives.

This demonstrates that you're using credit wisely and paying your bills on time. That factor is one that has frustrated more than one cash purchaser when they've tried to get a mortgage loan.

Many cannot understand how they can have poor credit scores when they don't owe a dime. But not owing a dime doesn't prove a thing to creditors. They want to see that you can owe, and then pay as agreed.

Thus, seeing a small balance and a notation that indicates "pays as agreed" looks better and will improve your scores more than seeing no balance. 35% of your FICO score is based on your payment history - how you handle debt.

Your credit card debt is reported to the credit bureaus when your statement is generated each month, so the dollar figure that you owe on that day is the number that's reported.

That's why it's so important to pay large balances before the statement is generated. The way credit reports are set up, no one can see that you charge $4,000 in business expense each month, and then pay it in full. All they see is the $4,000 balance. If the credit limit on your card is $4,200 - it looks like you've borrowed to the maximum.

30% of your FICO score is based on the amount you owe vs. the amount of credit available to you - so keeping debt under 30% of available credit is a huge boost to your scores.

If you think you may want to use credit in the near future, start using your credit cards as a tool to boost your credit scores. Sometimes just a point or two can make a difference in the interest you'll pay.

Along with the convenience that a credit card provide especially through online shopping, it is undeniable that many consumers are still apprehensive to use them. With the credit card fraud and identity theft being reported every year that cause great fear for millions of card holders worldwide, online card transactions still continues to increase despite these overwhelming cases.

Online Payment System Enhancements

Part of the huge effort credit card companies exert is to enhance the protection they provide to their clients. Today, replacement and fraud protection guarantee are often a standard feature in credit cards. In case his card incurs unauthorized costs and charges, a credit card zero liability protection feature give the holder a protection.

Online payment system providers are also doing their best to ensure online buyers that their payment will be safe and their identities will be secured using their system. To protect important data from getting easily hacked, a secured server is used with a standard 128-bit encryption. Secured web sites use a special URL that begins with https:// and is accompanied with a padlocked icon in the bottom right corner of the user's browser.

Nevertheless, owners of online stores are advised to take extra steps to protect themselves from fraud and ID theft as well. Scammers can also disguise as buyers over the web using stolen or fake credit card numbers. With that caution being taken, there are still a lot of retailers online who has been victimized by fraudulent buyers over the web.

These shoppers usually make purchases in large bulks using stolen accounts when placing their orders. For this reason, merchants are advised to take the extra time to call the credit card issuer before accepting the payments. This way, the identity of the credit card owner can be authenticated.

More importantly, online retailers are warned against buyers who place very large orders in a rush. If you're not sure about the reputation of a buyer who is making a suspiciously large order, better take additional steps in checking the customer's background and credibility.

Reminders for Cardholders

Cardholders, especially students are particularly advised to be very careful in using their credit cards for online payments. If this is your first time to own a credit card, you may be more prone to identity theft and credit card fraud. It is too easy to use a credit card in making a purchase but if you're not careful, you may find yourself in big trouble because of debts you never made.

To ensure that no illegal charges are made in your account, be vigilant about keeping track of your student credit card account. Most credit card companies right now provides a 24/7 online access for there cardholder. Avoid incurring bad credit. Check your account regularly and remember to keep up with your credit card payments on time.

In case you notice unfamiliar or questionable statements in your account, call your credit card company immediately and dispute these charges. Thus, the Federal Trade Commission advised you to be aware of your consumer's rights and uphold them.For a safer transaction, you can actually use a prepaid debit card for your online purchases. Debit cards can be used for online shopping and you can deposit only a limited amount in your debit account to reduce the risk of ID theft.


Copyright (c) 2009 Tara Tiemann

Along with the convenience that a credit card provide especially through online shopping, it is undeniable that many consumers are still apprehensive to use them. With the credit card fraud and identity theft being reported every year that cause great fear for millions of card holders worldwide, online card transactions still continues to increase despite these overwhelming cases.

Online Payment System Enhancements

Part of the huge effort credit card companies exert is to enhance the protection they provide to their clients. Today, replacement and fraud protection guarantee are often a standard feature in credit cards. In case his card incurs unauthorized costs and charges, a credit card zero liability protection feature give the holder a protection.

Online payment system providers are also doing their best to ensure online buyers that their payment will be safe and their identities will be secured using their system. To protect important data from getting easily hacked, a secured server is used with a standard 128-bit encryption. Secured web sites use a special URL that begins with https:// and is accompanied with a padlocked icon in the bottom right corner of the user's browser.

Nevertheless, owners of online stores are advised to take extra steps to protect themselves from fraud and ID theft as well. Scammers can also disguise as buyers over the web using stolen or fake credit card numbers. With that caution being taken, there are still a lot of retailers online who has been victimized by fraudulent buyers over the web.

These shoppers usually make purchases in large bulks using stolen accounts when placing their orders. For this reason, merchants are advised to take the extra time to call the credit card issuer before accepting the payments. This way, the identity of the credit card owner can be authenticated.

More importantly, online retailers are warned against buyers who place very large orders in a rush. If you're not sure about the reputation of a buyer who is making a suspiciously large order, better take additional steps in checking the customer's background and credibility.

Reminders for Cardholders

Cardholders, especially students are particularly advised to be very careful in using their credit cards for online payments. If this is your first time to own a credit card, you may be more prone to identity theft and credit card fraud. It is too easy to use a credit card in making a purchase but if you're not careful, you may find yourself in big trouble because of debts you never made.

To ensure that no illegal charges are made in your account, be vigilant about keeping track of your student credit card account. Most credit card companies right now provides a 24/7 online access for there cardholder. Avoid incurring bad credit. Check your account regularly and remember to keep up with your credit card payments on time.

In case you notice unfamiliar or questionable statements in your account, call your credit card company immediately and dispute these charges. Thus, the Federal Trade Commission advised you to be aware of your consumer's rights and uphold them.For a safer transaction, you can actually use a prepaid debit card for your online purchases. Debit cards can be used for online shopping and you can deposit only a limited amount in your debit account to reduce the risk of ID theft.


Copyright (c) 2009 Tara Tiemann

When it comes to sales, amateurs think in terms of "new" sales while professionals focus on "existing" sales. Of course, new sales are vitally important, but do not overlook the role that existing - proven - customers can have on your bottom line! Unless you're only selling snake oil (in which case you're simply relying on Barnum's famous dictum about there being one born every minute), it's the satisfied customers who could prove decisive.

Think about it. Happy customers are most likely to buy from you again - repeat sales. Such folks are also likely to buy even more in the future, especially if you get creative with incentive programs and volume discounting. And perhaps best of all, existing, proven, repeat customers can likely help generate very positive word-of-mouth - that's free advertising, of the best kind: unsolicited, in-person, and from a trusted source. Focus on your customer base, in other words, to stimulate your own economic growth!

Many merchants fail to appreciate what they can do for their existing customers. It often involves something quite simple, such as accepting credit card payments. It's a simple gesture that's appreciated greatly in our increasingly digital, wired age. With a credit card processing account, your business is able to cater to both existing and potential customers at the same time! Offering the ability to pay by credit card is typically perceived by consumers as adding to their convenience and a sign of your thoughtfulness. After all, who would you choose to do business with, all else being equal: someone that makes your life easier, or someone requiring you to go through a whole process just to get paid by you? Sounds ridiculous, right?

But it gets even worse than that! Since you're reading this advice on the internet, it's almost guaranteed that you are a business owner either with an online presence or seriously contemplating one. Yet did you know that there actually are e-tailers who do not offer a way to pay electronically! This being the 21st Century, it would seem like a sign of laziness - or worse - for an internet merchant to seem not fully aware of internet technologies! Moreover, the ease-of-use associated with online credit card payment options encourages impulse buying. It's a documented fact that credit cards encourage greater spending than does cash that has to be diligently (and reluctantly!) counted out first. A web business that doesn't offer the option to pay with a credit card is really just driving itself out of business.

After all, are you really going to wait for that check in the mail?

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