CardRatings.com Offers New Insight Into Credit Card Mobile Payments
Credit cards are one of the leading mobile payment systems around, owing mainly to a combination of incredible longevity and utility. With so many of them on the market, and competition running high, telling one deal from another could be difficult. That’s a point CardRatings.com is looking to address, and they filled us in recently about some new updates to better fill users in on credit card details.
The recent changes allowed for a complete, side-by-side comparison of 25 different cards with balance transfer capabilities. Now, users will be better able to identify new conditions that could ultimately impact their ability to get out of debt.
Since balance transfer cards can be useful on this front, but depend on a very strict schedule, knowing that schedule up front can make the difference between a good switch and a pointless effort. Some make the mistake of believing that the balance transfer window and the introductory annual percentage rate (APR) period are the same, but that’s not always the case.
Better yet, rates and fees are also compared side-by-side, so users can ultimately make the best decisions about where to park their debt. Given that we recently just finished the Christmas shopping season, there are likely more than a few people out there making such considerations right now.
A look at the balance transfer window shows some incredible differences. The Chase Freedom and Freedom Unlimited-as well as the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card-offer a 15-month window for balance transfers. By way of comparison, the Barclaycard Ring Mastercard’s window is just 45 days.
Knowing the specifics about credit card transfers should not only help consumers make better choices that fit their situations, but also help credit card companies spot issues where they’re not quite as competitive as the other firms in the market. It’s a safe bet that Barclaycard is at least reconsidering some policies, especially since it’s so far behind quite a few firms in the market. They may not make any changes—they might believe they have great interest rates or the like—but it’s certainly a point to consider.
CardRatings.com’s plan here should make it quite welcome among credit card users as well, especially thanks to improved ability to pay back debt under better conditions.