Using Credit Cards on Vacation
Every year, millions of Americans go on vacation. This is a great way to enjoy time with family and friends in a relaxing atmosphere. Most vacations are spent between the months of April and September. Whether the vacations are spent domestically or abroad, states and countries depend on the millions of dollars they receive from the tourist industry every year. Vacationers do not realize exactly how much they can spend every year until they tally it up at the end of vacation.
In recent years, using cash or checks on vacation has become obsolete. It is much easier to use a credit card when you rent a car or check into a hotel. In fact, there are some hotels and rental companies that require a credit card for security purposes. If you do not have one or want to use it, you may find that you will have a difficult time. You may choose to use your cards for large purchases only, however you may not have a choice if you want to stay in a five star hotel.
Using your credit card can also protect you. It is a detailed record of what you have purchased and when you purchased it. Your statement can even state the time you made the purchase. Your credit card statement acts as your receipt of all purchases you have made, regardless if you do or do not have the original store receipt. You have detailed information of all transactions made with your card. It can be viewed anytime, on or offline.
Another advantage to using a credit card is that you do not have to carry large amounts of cash with you. It is not recommended that you do this because of the threat of violence if a fat wallet is noticed. Using a credit card requires only a signature and an ID. It is much easier than counting cash every time you want to make a purchase or take your family to local attractions.
Many credit card companies offer a cash back reward each time you use your credit card. This means that the credit card company will give you a small percentage of every purchase that you make. And is usually given on a monthly basis.
There are credit card companies that award points for every dollar you spend throughout the month. These points can be redeemed at local merchants for a plethora of different items. It is not necessary to redeem your points every month, you can save them and let them add up to purchase that “Big” item that you want.
Many people do not have credit cards. This does not mean that they cannot go on vacation or will not have a hotel room. For those people, there is hope.
Many stores now sell credit cards that are rechargeable. This means that you put funds on the credit card and that is the spending limit that you have. It is feasible to put all of your vacation funds on this card. By visiting participating retailers, you can add funds whenever you want. The cards are considered debit credit cards, and do not report to credit bureaus.
| 2010 EDITOR'S CHOICE - TOP 5 STUDENT CREDIT CARDS
|
|
RANK |
CARD |
CATEGORY |
RATING |
APPLY |
| 1 |
 |
| Best OVERALL Student Credit Card |
| Discover Student Card |
| No Annual Fee. Unlimited Cash Rewards. Up to 20% Cashback Bonus When You Shop Online. Customer Service in Less than a Minute, Anytime. |
|
97 |
|
| 2 |
 |
| Best Rewards Program Student Credit Card |
| Citibank mtvU Platinum Select Student Visa Card |
| Through the reward program, cardholders earn one point for general purchases and five points for every dollar spent at restaurants, bookstores, record stores, movie theaters, and video rentals. |
|
95 |
|
| 3 |
 |
| Best PERSONALIZED Student Credit Card |
| Discover Student Card - Monogram Collection |
| No Annual Fee. Unlimited Cash Rewards. Personalized Card Deisgn with your initials on the Card. Customer Service in Less than a Minute, Anytime. |
|
92 |
|
| 4 |
 |
| Best ON-TIME PAYMENT Student Credit Card |
| Citibank Forward Card for College Students |
| Students who use this card correctly by staying within their credit limit and paying on time will receive 100 bonus points per billing period and a potential reduction of their interest rate. |
|
91 |
|
| 5 |
 |
|
88 |
|
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