No annual fee
The convenience of a credit card is a fantastic option, but it's hard to justify paying a ton for it. Fees can sometimes be as high as $500. These are charged automatically to your card. If you're not paying attention, they can put you over your credit limit or leave you with a balance and unexpected payment coming due. Find a card with no annual fee to avoid these risks. If your card does have an annual fee, there are a number of ways you can get out of it. Some cards will waive the annual fee if you charge a certain amount each year. Choosing a card with no annual fee is the best first option, but there are ways to avoid the fee.
Rewards
Conventional wisdom says you should choose a card that offers a competitive rewards program. That way, you can charge everything to that card for maximizing your rewards potential. If you pay off the balance in full each month, you get all of the upside without the potential risks. Rewards programs are nice, but they shouldn't be a deciding factor in picking your credit card. Treat your rewards credit card like a bonus, but don't plan your financial habits around it. You might get a few gift cards you can use for a nice perk every now and again, but you'll save money if you focus on less costly credit cards.
Low financing fees
This is the most important factor in choosing between cards. You want to find the lowest cost for your credit services. This is made of two factors: grace periods and APR. A grace period is a time between a charge and interest accumulation. This gives you time to pay the balance without being charged any interest. APR is the interest rate. This is the percentage of the balance that will be added to your bill each month. They are usually fairly high, running between 17% and 27%. It's expensive, but you can keep it low by paying your credit card off in full each month. You want a lengthy grace period and a low interest rate. These two factors are critical to getting the convenience and security of a credit card without paying too much for it. Shop around for a credit card that gives you time to pay it off and avoid interest. A low interest rate for instances when you can't pay it in full would then complete the package.
While there are a lot of credit cards out there, Greater Iowa Credit Union offers a simple credit card program that features a 25 day grace period and no annual fee. Because it’s a program designed for our members, you can be sure there's nothing in the fine print that will come back to bite you. You can apply for a Greater Iowa Credit Union credit card today to start enjoying the convenience and security with a name you know and trust.
