HOW A CREDIT CARD WORKS
A credit card allows you to spend money up to a pre-set limit. You’ll get a bill for what you’ve spent each month.
It‘s important to try to pay off the balance in full every month. But you’ll need to pay off at least the minimum amount. The minimum is set by your credit card provider, but must be at least 1% of the outstanding balance, plus interest, any default charges and the annual fee (if there is one). Most of the time it will be between 3 and 5%. It might also be set as a pound figure of at least £5.
If you pay off the bill in full, you won’t pay any interest on what you’ve borrowed unless you’ve used your credit card to withdraw cash. If you don’t pay off the bill in full, you’ll be charged interest. Interest is usually backdated to the date of your purchase.
If you’re worried about forgetting to pay, you can set up a Direct Debit. This is if you can rely on enough money coming into your bank account on the same date each month. This will mean you don’t miss a payment.
CREDIT CARD TERMINOLOGY
The cost of credit at a yearly rate. It is calculated in a standard way, taking the average compound interest rate over the term of the loan so borrowers can compare loans. Lenders are required by law to disclose a card account’s APR.
CASH ADVANCE–Using a credit card to obtain cash (as compared to making a purchase or consuming a service), for instance by using an ATM or a bank branch. There is normally a fee associated with cash advances.
Available Credit —The amount of unused credit on an account that is accessible for cardholder transactions. Generally it is the credit line amount less the outstanding balance less pending authorizations (holds). It is sometimes referred to as the “open-to-buy.” The amount of unused credit on an account that is accessible for cardholder transactions. Generally it is the credit line amount less the outstanding balance less pending authorizations (holds). It is sometimes referred to as the “open-to-buy.”
CHARGEBACKS—A transaction that is returned as a financial liability by the issuer and/or the cardholder to the acquirer and most often to the merchant for resolution after the sale has been settled. It is generated when a cardholder disputes a transaction or when the merchant does not follow proper card acceptance procedures. The issuer and acquirer research the facts to determine which party is responsible for the transaction, and strict Association rules must be followed. If the charge-back is upheld and the merchant cannot or does not cover it, the acquirer must cover it.
Billing cycle—The time (number of days) between billing statements. It is the period between the previous statement date and the current statement date during which both credit and debit transactions are accumulated for billing, usually about 30 days.
Billing statement—-The bill (printed record) sent by a card issuer to the customer. It is usually sent monthly and includes, but is not limited to, itemization of activity on the account, including balance, purchases, payments, credits, finance charges, and other account activity.
Charge card—-A card product with a line of credit that does not revolve (that is, the balance must be paid off each billing period (typically each month)).
Cardholder—-A person to whom a card has been issued.
Cardholder agreement—A written, legal contract between the issuer and the cardholder. It contains the terms of the account and a schedule of various fees.
Clearance—-The process of transmitting, reconciling, and, in some cases, confirming payment orders prior to settlement.
Credit Report—A record of a person’s credit profile including debt payments and other relevant financial information such as collections and public records. It is a compilation of a consumer’s use and pay-back of credit. The dollar amount assigned to an account as the ceiling of credit disclosed to the consumer that the consumer is approved to borrow. A full history of information within a consumer’s credit file at the credit bureau that includes identification information, current and historical account performance, collection activity, public records (bankruptcy, tax liens, and so forth), and records of other credit inquiries.
Point-of-sale—Face-to-face transactions in which the cardholder uses the physical card at a merchant’s physical place of business.
Paper-based transaction—A cardholder transaction for which the merchant imprints the credit card and submits a paper sales draft to the acquirer for collection. The paper draft is sent to the processing center where it is processed and transferred to magnetic tape for transmission through interchange.
Minimum Payment—The smallest amount a cardholder can pay to meet the terms of the account agreement and keep the account from going into default.
Over-limit—When the account’s balance is beyond its credit limit. One or any combination of purchases, cash advances, fees, and finance charges could cause an account to become over-limit.
Credit score—-The result of a calculation based on a consumer’s credit history that is intended to predict future credit performance for that consumer. It is a numerical estimation of the likelihood that the consumer will meet his or her debt obligation(s).
Debit Cards—-Cards issued to pay for goods and services or to make transactions at an Automated Teller Machine and for which the cardholder is accessing funds from a personal checking or savings account rather than drawing on credit. As such, they are a “pay-as-you-go” function (compared to credit cards, which are a “pay later” function).
Credit Limit—-The dollar amount assigned to an account as the ceiling of credit disclosed to the consumer that the consumer is approved to borrow.
Introductory Rates—Short-term, temporary interest rates that are also known as a promotional rates or teaser rates.
Grace period—The grace period is the interest-free period of time allowed by a lender. The standard grace period is usually between 20 and 30 days. If there is no grace period, finance charges start accruing the moment a purchase is made with the credit card. Consumers who carry a balance on their credit cards generally do not have a grace period for those cards (meaning that finance charges are accrued from the date of the charge, not from the end of the finance charge grace period).
Holdbacks—-A certain percentage of the merchant’s sales deposits is held-back (retained) by the acquirer to serve as a reserve against future chargeback exposure or to cover existing charge-backs.
Recovery—-Monies collected on an account after it has been charged-off. Recovery usually results from action taken by the collection department and may include legal action or agency referrals.
MAKE SURE A CREDIT CARD IS RIGHT FOR YOU
If you already struggle with managing your money or think you might be tempted to overspend, it’s important to avoid getting a credit card. Find out more about managing credit well.
Are you confident about managing your spending and being able to clear your balance every month? Then a credit card can be a good way to buy what you need now and pay for it each month.
If you’re facing higher living costs, find out about extra sources of income and support in our section Help with the cost of living.
PROS & CONS OF BORROWING ON CREDIT CARDS
- Easy to carry and use – credit cards are accepted at more places than charge cards and prepaid cards.
- Safer than cash – if your card is lost or stolen, just call your bank and cancel it. If it’s stolen and used fraudulently, you’re more likely to get the money back.
- Might be a cheaper way to borrow – if you pay off your balance in full each month, you won’t pay any interest. Some cards offer an initial interest-free period on purchases. But be aware of when this period ends and if any kind of spending doesn’t count during this time.
- You’re protected – under something called section 75, you’re protected for most purchases over £100 and up to £30,000. For example, if you book a holiday and the provider goes out of business, the card company should cover the cost even if you only paid a deposit by card.
- Freebies – these often come with credit cards, such as air miles, reward points and cashback. But it’s important to never choose a credit card because of these benefits.
- Can help your credit score – sticking to your credit limit and paying your credit card balance in full each month can improve your credit rating. But missing even a single payment can damage your credit record.
Cons
- High-interest payments – if you don’t pay your balance at the end of each month (and you’re not on a 0% deal), you’ll have to pay interest on what you owe. This can be a lot more than other forms of borrowing.
- Beware of debt building – miss just one payment and the interest will start to add up. Unless you pay off what you owe each month, your debt can build up.
- Can damage your credit score – if you miss a payment or go over your credit limit. This can affect your ability to borrow money in the future.
- Extra fees – as well as the interest, you could find yourself paying more fees or penalties for exceeding your credit limit or missing a payment. You’ll usually have to pay a higher rate of interest for withdrawing cash and some credit cards might also charge an annual or monthly fee.
- Deposits and pre-authorisations can cut into your credit limit – some places, such as hotels or car rental firms, might use your credit card to take a pre-authorisation. They’ll put a hold on part of your credit limit – say, £500 – and while it’s in place that amount of credit won’t be available to you. Even after they remove the hold, there might be a few days’ wait until your credit limit is back to normal.