The Paypal solution of payment is used on the Fotolia web site for three reasons:
To allow users to purchase credits by using their Paypal account [Learn more]
To pay commissions to photographers [Learn more]
To allow users to convert credits into cash from affiliation revenue.
In these three cases, customers and photographers must have a Paypal account. We will outline how to open a Paypal account.
Paypal is a free solution which allows users to transfer money to anyone with an email address or securely purchase items from internet sites (purchase photographs from Fotolia for example) In addition Paypal customers may receive payments to their Paypal account (Commission payments to photographers or ebay sales for example). At anytime Paypal customers may transfer money to their regular bank account without any Paypal fees (for sums of more than $100, $1 of expenses if less).
Paypal is a subsidiary of e-bay, one of largest companies on the Internet.
To create a Paypal account, click on your country below to get started:
If you are American: Paypal US
If you are Canadian: Paypal Canada
or Paypal Worldwide
domingo, 28 de marzo de 2010
PartnersFirst Cash Back Visa Review
Summary: PartnersFirst carries a wide range of affinity credit cards from the Airboss Rewards Visa credit card to the Woodworkers Platinum Rewards Visa card. The Cash Back Visa is the basic credit card from PartnersFirst with cash back rewards for basically any kind of purchase.
Features and Benefits: New cardholders will receive a $50 statement credit when they spend $100 within the first 60 days of opening the credit account. This means that whatever you choose to buy for $100 is virtually half price. This is not a bad deal, and simple to take advantage of.
Other than the promotional period, this card essentially allows you to earn 1% cash back on all purchases. You can personalize your card with a photo that you choose! The rebates (or points) you earn can be redeemed for cash rebates (obviously) but also for things like airline travel and merchandise or even just cash.
Fees: There is no annual fee for the PartnersFirst Cash Back Visa card. New cardholders will also receive 0% interest on balance transfers for 6 months.
Conclusion: The PartnersFirst Cash Back card offers somewhat of a blanket cash back program which covers all purchases. The $50 statement credit that is offered to new cardholders when they use their cards for $100 worth of purchases is also a good deal in that you’re basically being given $50 back. But having said all that, when you strip it down, it is a basic 1% cash back card. There are better cards around that will pay you more than 1% rebates.
Features and Benefits: New cardholders will receive a $50 statement credit when they spend $100 within the first 60 days of opening the credit account. This means that whatever you choose to buy for $100 is virtually half price. This is not a bad deal, and simple to take advantage of.
Other than the promotional period, this card essentially allows you to earn 1% cash back on all purchases. You can personalize your card with a photo that you choose! The rebates (or points) you earn can be redeemed for cash rebates (obviously) but also for things like airline travel and merchandise or even just cash.
Fees: There is no annual fee for the PartnersFirst Cash Back Visa card. New cardholders will also receive 0% interest on balance transfers for 6 months.
Conclusion: The PartnersFirst Cash Back card offers somewhat of a blanket cash back program which covers all purchases. The $50 statement credit that is offered to new cardholders when they use their cards for $100 worth of purchases is also a good deal in that you’re basically being given $50 back. But having said all that, when you strip it down, it is a basic 1% cash back card. There are better cards around that will pay you more than 1% rebates.
The Card For The Rest Of You
Regular readers know that I am the high priest of the Deadbeats. That is to say, I am among the strongest advocates you will ever find for always paying your balance in full and on time. That said, I am painfully aware that we deadbeats are in the minority out there. The majority of credit card users do carry a balance. Today, I would like to suggest a card for rest of you.
Forget Rewards
If you regularly carry a balance, letting go of the idea of a reward card should be the first step you take when selecting a credit card. There are two reasons you should not consider any travel rewards or even a cash back card. For one, cards that offer rewards almost always come with a higher interest rate. When carrying a balance, even a small increase in your APR will overshadow whatever reward they are offering you. When you do the math, you will find that you are spending extra dollars in interest in order to make pennies in rewards. The second reason is that earning rewards for spending is exactly the wrong incentive for someone carrying a balance. The reason you have a balance is that you spent more than you could afford to pay at the end of the month, offering your a reward for spending more is a perverse incentive. One might as well offer free drinks at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting!
PenFed Comes Through
The Pentagon Federal Credit Union, or PenFed is offering a card that is well suited to people who carry a balance. It is called the PenFed Promise VISA Card, and it offers a spectacular 7.49% APR for the first three years. After that it floats to Prime plus 6.74% (which is currently 9.99%). There is no annual fee, but the card is only available to qualifying members of the military and others, both active and retired, as well as their families. Anyone else can pay $20 a year to join the National Military Family Association, which entitles you several benefits including an account with PenFed.
Why This Card Is Incredible
When I took a look at the summary of terms I had to do a double take. No late fees. No foreign transaction fees. No Over The Limit Fees. According to Ron Lieber at the New York Times, they will cut off your card if you pay late. Other than that, PenFed will all but pay your balance for you.
The Political Implications Of This Card
President Obama has gone on record calling for banks to offer a simple, “plain vanilla” credit card. Other have started a grass roots movement to move your money away from big banks like the ones that were behind the recent economic crisis. The PenFed card is an answer to both of those movements. By offering a low interest, no fee credit card from a respected credit union, you can enjoy a low APR while avoiding all the tricks and traps as you pay down your credit card balance.
Forget Rewards
If you regularly carry a balance, letting go of the idea of a reward card should be the first step you take when selecting a credit card. There are two reasons you should not consider any travel rewards or even a cash back card. For one, cards that offer rewards almost always come with a higher interest rate. When carrying a balance, even a small increase in your APR will overshadow whatever reward they are offering you. When you do the math, you will find that you are spending extra dollars in interest in order to make pennies in rewards. The second reason is that earning rewards for spending is exactly the wrong incentive for someone carrying a balance. The reason you have a balance is that you spent more than you could afford to pay at the end of the month, offering your a reward for spending more is a perverse incentive. One might as well offer free drinks at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting!
PenFed Comes Through
The Pentagon Federal Credit Union, or PenFed is offering a card that is well suited to people who carry a balance. It is called the PenFed Promise VISA Card, and it offers a spectacular 7.49% APR for the first three years. After that it floats to Prime plus 6.74% (which is currently 9.99%). There is no annual fee, but the card is only available to qualifying members of the military and others, both active and retired, as well as their families. Anyone else can pay $20 a year to join the National Military Family Association, which entitles you several benefits including an account with PenFed.
Why This Card Is Incredible
When I took a look at the summary of terms I had to do a double take. No late fees. No foreign transaction fees. No Over The Limit Fees. According to Ron Lieber at the New York Times, they will cut off your card if you pay late. Other than that, PenFed will all but pay your balance for you.
The Political Implications Of This Card
President Obama has gone on record calling for banks to offer a simple, “plain vanilla” credit card. Other have started a grass roots movement to move your money away from big banks like the ones that were behind the recent economic crisis. The PenFed card is an answer to both of those movements. By offering a low interest, no fee credit card from a respected credit union, you can enjoy a low APR while avoiding all the tricks and traps as you pay down your credit card balance.
Jobs And Credit Ratings
The idea behind credit agencies and credit scores is to rate the likelihood that an individual will repay their debts. Sadly, more and more corporations are using this information for a purpose it was not intended for. Many jobs ask applicants to consent to a check of their credit rating, and some will even fire workers who fail recurring credit checks. Take this case in Ohio where a worker lost his security clearance and his job based on a falling credit score. As usual, the worker really doesn’t do anything security related, and his bad credit score is due, in large part, to unpaid medical bills for his spouse who has leukemia.
In college, I learned in history class that people were regularly denied employment or fired because they were suspected of being homosexuals. At that time, it was felt that homosexual behavior made someone a security risk as they could be blackmailed into revealing secrets if someone threatened to out them. Regrettably, we seemed to have moved beyond such draconian views on that subject, only to find new ways to persecute workers for conduct unrelated to their employment.
According to this report on my local Denver news, more and more employers are disqualifying people from employment due their credit scores. It is just so sad that people who are unemployed and unable to pay their bills are not able to get a job and get back on their feet. In the past, I have written about how many employers are going to be banning pre-employment credit checks, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Until then, it is important that you guard your credit score with your life. That does not mean fretting over ever credit card application or closed account. All it means is that you need to pay your bills on time. Every now and then I hear from readers how they just plan on “walking away” from some debt. This is the worst thing that you can possibly do. As long as you are paying your bills on time and have a decent credit score, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to employment. It is only the people who are repeatedly delinquent who will find themselves with credit scores that are low enough to preclude employment.
It is not right and it is not fair, but sadly, it is the world we live in. Until laws have changed, you would be well advised to maintain your credit score as if your livelihood depended on it.
In college, I learned in history class that people were regularly denied employment or fired because they were suspected of being homosexuals. At that time, it was felt that homosexual behavior made someone a security risk as they could be blackmailed into revealing secrets if someone threatened to out them. Regrettably, we seemed to have moved beyond such draconian views on that subject, only to find new ways to persecute workers for conduct unrelated to their employment.
According to this report on my local Denver news, more and more employers are disqualifying people from employment due their credit scores. It is just so sad that people who are unemployed and unable to pay their bills are not able to get a job and get back on their feet. In the past, I have written about how many employers are going to be banning pre-employment credit checks, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Until then, it is important that you guard your credit score with your life. That does not mean fretting over ever credit card application or closed account. All it means is that you need to pay your bills on time. Every now and then I hear from readers how they just plan on “walking away” from some debt. This is the worst thing that you can possibly do. As long as you are paying your bills on time and have a decent credit score, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to employment. It is only the people who are repeatedly delinquent who will find themselves with credit scores that are low enough to preclude employment.
It is not right and it is not fair, but sadly, it is the world we live in. Until laws have changed, you would be well advised to maintain your credit score as if your livelihood depended on it.
Where Can I Get a Credit Card Post Bankruptcy?
Adam, trying to find a credit card after filing bankruptcy will be difficult at first, especially when the bankruptcy was discharged only a month ago.
However, there are a number of secured credit cards which are bankruptcy friendly, and even unsecured creditors that will issue a credit card after around a year or two has passed. This is based on the assumption that you will keep a clean credit report, meaning no late payments, no missed payments on anything, no judgments or collections, etc. etc.
I would suggest waiting a little while longer before you start racking up credit cards, as the terms you will be offered will be significantly better in a year or two. If you absolutely need a credit card immediately though, you could go with secured cards like the following:
The Orchard Bank MasterCard
Public Savings Bank Secured Card
You could also try the credit companies that are specifically for those with problem credit histories, which include First Premier Bank and First Bank of Delaware.
Keep in mind though that a large number of credit card inquiries on your credit report appears as though you’re credit shopping and could harm your credit score more so don’t go applying everywhere to any credit card you come across. These inquiries stay on your credit report for 2 years, and affect your score more if you don’t have much on your credit report in the first place.
Additionally, if you select a secured credit card, make sure the bank reports to the credit bureaus, so that your payment history is reported. This will help you get better credit cards in the future.
Whatever your decision, remember to use your credit wisely and before you know it you’ll be receiving many offers for credit cards. If you need more information on secured credit cards, check out What are Secured Credit Cards.
Mr. Credit Card
However, there are a number of secured credit cards which are bankruptcy friendly, and even unsecured creditors that will issue a credit card after around a year or two has passed. This is based on the assumption that you will keep a clean credit report, meaning no late payments, no missed payments on anything, no judgments or collections, etc. etc.
I would suggest waiting a little while longer before you start racking up credit cards, as the terms you will be offered will be significantly better in a year or two. If you absolutely need a credit card immediately though, you could go with secured cards like the following:
The Orchard Bank MasterCard
Public Savings Bank Secured Card
You could also try the credit companies that are specifically for those with problem credit histories, which include First Premier Bank and First Bank of Delaware.
Keep in mind though that a large number of credit card inquiries on your credit report appears as though you’re credit shopping and could harm your credit score more so don’t go applying everywhere to any credit card you come across. These inquiries stay on your credit report for 2 years, and affect your score more if you don’t have much on your credit report in the first place.
Additionally, if you select a secured credit card, make sure the bank reports to the credit bureaus, so that your payment history is reported. This will help you get better credit cards in the future.
Whatever your decision, remember to use your credit wisely and before you know it you’ll be receiving many offers for credit cards. If you need more information on secured credit cards, check out What are Secured Credit Cards.
Mr. Credit Card
Credit Cards And Online Shopping
There was a time when the thought of using your credit card online was scary. Who knew what kind of devious hackers were out there on the Internet waiting to make off with your account information. I first started using the Internet in 1995, and it is hard to believe that 1995 was actually fifteen years ago.
These days, most of us make purchases over the Internet regularly, but the security of our method of payment is still worth considering. The New York Times recently featured an article about the the advantages and disadvantages of various methods of payment. The article is fairly spot on when it comes to credit cards, and the bottom line is that your risk when making a purchase online is zero.
Debit Versus Credit
When it comes to using debit cards online, the article downplays the risks substantially. Debit cards are governed by entirely different regulations than credit cards. The Times notes that if you report suspected fraud within two days of discovering the charge, your liability is capped at $50. If you notice the fraud within 60 days, the liability is capped at $500.
What the Times leaves out are two of the key differences between debit and credit cards. First, your debit card is directly linked to your bank account. A fraudulent transaction can trigger a chain of events can include bounced checks and insufficient funds to pay bills electronically. In fact, such costly and embarrassing events may be your first indication that your debit card has been used fraudulently. Your next step may a time consuming process where you go about making a fraud claim and untangling the mess. During this time, you are still without your funds while the bank goes through it’s process. With a credit card, you may not notice fraudulent activity until you receive your statement in the mail. Even if I were to notice a massive fraudulent charge, I would never be short of funds for a moment. With a credit card, I am not putting my bank account and bill payment at risk when I give out my card number.
The other substantial difference between credit cards and debit cards is that credit cards protect you not just from outright fraud but also from non delivery of goods and services, or goods and services that are not as described. With a debit card, when you authorize payment, it is just about the same as paying cash. With a credit card, you still have the opportunity to charge back a merchant if their products or services are not delivered in a timely manner or are significantly different than advertised.
Alternative Forms Of Payment
Paypal, Google Checkout, and Bill Me Later are three of the most popular alternative forms of payment. I am seeing these pop up increasingly on travel web sites. The article points out that Paypal and Google Checkout provide some measure of security in that they act as intermediaries storing your personal information. The problem is that both Paypal and Google are not known for their responsiveness to customer issues, to put it mildly. The Internet is filled with horror stories about Paypal ignoring user issues and Google being impossible to reach. BillMeLater is a kind of like the online version of a payday loan. If you do not comply precisely with the terms, you are on the hook for all sorts of penalties and fees that would make a loan shark blush. When I charge something to my credit card, I get the bill later, and that seems to work just fine for me.
In Conclusion
Shopping on the Internet is reaching a level of reliability that would have been hard to imagine in the early 90s. While companies keep trying to invent a more secure way to make purchases online, it turns out that they need not invent the wheel. With zero liability, your credit card remains your best bet for splurging online.
These days, most of us make purchases over the Internet regularly, but the security of our method of payment is still worth considering. The New York Times recently featured an article about the the advantages and disadvantages of various methods of payment. The article is fairly spot on when it comes to credit cards, and the bottom line is that your risk when making a purchase online is zero.
Debit Versus Credit
When it comes to using debit cards online, the article downplays the risks substantially. Debit cards are governed by entirely different regulations than credit cards. The Times notes that if you report suspected fraud within two days of discovering the charge, your liability is capped at $50. If you notice the fraud within 60 days, the liability is capped at $500.
What the Times leaves out are two of the key differences between debit and credit cards. First, your debit card is directly linked to your bank account. A fraudulent transaction can trigger a chain of events can include bounced checks and insufficient funds to pay bills electronically. In fact, such costly and embarrassing events may be your first indication that your debit card has been used fraudulently. Your next step may a time consuming process where you go about making a fraud claim and untangling the mess. During this time, you are still without your funds while the bank goes through it’s process. With a credit card, you may not notice fraudulent activity until you receive your statement in the mail. Even if I were to notice a massive fraudulent charge, I would never be short of funds for a moment. With a credit card, I am not putting my bank account and bill payment at risk when I give out my card number.
The other substantial difference between credit cards and debit cards is that credit cards protect you not just from outright fraud but also from non delivery of goods and services, or goods and services that are not as described. With a debit card, when you authorize payment, it is just about the same as paying cash. With a credit card, you still have the opportunity to charge back a merchant if their products or services are not delivered in a timely manner or are significantly different than advertised.
Alternative Forms Of Payment
Paypal, Google Checkout, and Bill Me Later are three of the most popular alternative forms of payment. I am seeing these pop up increasingly on travel web sites. The article points out that Paypal and Google Checkout provide some measure of security in that they act as intermediaries storing your personal information. The problem is that both Paypal and Google are not known for their responsiveness to customer issues, to put it mildly. The Internet is filled with horror stories about Paypal ignoring user issues and Google being impossible to reach. BillMeLater is a kind of like the online version of a payday loan. If you do not comply precisely with the terms, you are on the hook for all sorts of penalties and fees that would make a loan shark blush. When I charge something to my credit card, I get the bill later, and that seems to work just fine for me.
In Conclusion
Shopping on the Internet is reaching a level of reliability that would have been hard to imagine in the early 90s. While companies keep trying to invent a more secure way to make purchases online, it turns out that they need not invent the wheel. With zero liability, your credit card remains your best bet for splurging online.
Review of Golf Magazine Rewards Visa
Summary: The Golf Magazine Rewards Visa credit card by PartnersFirst will appeal to golf lovers that want to benefit from their golfing purchases when using their card and be rewarded with golf related perks and upgrades.
Features and Benefits: Currently, the Golf Magazine Rewards Visa card is offering 2 dozen Titleist Pro V1 golf balls after the first purchase made with the credit card of $50! Cardholders earn 1% cash back or can earn points for golf gear, gift cards and travel, as well as access to championship courses and VIP golf events. Additionally, cardmembers receive 3 free issues of Golf Magazine, preferred tee times and discounts on name brand equipment, and a 10% discount on all golf rounds at golf.com/tee times when you purchase with your Golf Magazine Rewards Visa card. The points don’t ever expire as long as you use your card every 2 years.
Fees: There is no annual fee for the credit card and an introductory APR on balance transfers of 0% for 6 months. Other benefits of the Golf Magazine Rewards card include fraud protection and 24/7 customer service.
Conclusion: This credit card by PartnersFirst could very well be a golfer’s dream come true. There are only a handful of credit cards that reward for golfing purchases and provide access to special events and discounts. The fact that this is also a rewards card with no annual fee and an introductory APR of 0% on balance transfers makes this card even more appealing. If you’re a golfer or are close to someone that is, and are looking for exclusive access and upgrades to go with your golfing purchases, this would be a great credit card to carry.
Features and Benefits: Currently, the Golf Magazine Rewards Visa card is offering 2 dozen Titleist Pro V1 golf balls after the first purchase made with the credit card of $50! Cardholders earn 1% cash back or can earn points for golf gear, gift cards and travel, as well as access to championship courses and VIP golf events. Additionally, cardmembers receive 3 free issues of Golf Magazine, preferred tee times and discounts on name brand equipment, and a 10% discount on all golf rounds at golf.com/tee times when you purchase with your Golf Magazine Rewards Visa card. The points don’t ever expire as long as you use your card every 2 years.
Fees: There is no annual fee for the credit card and an introductory APR on balance transfers of 0% for 6 months. Other benefits of the Golf Magazine Rewards card include fraud protection and 24/7 customer service.
Conclusion: This credit card by PartnersFirst could very well be a golfer’s dream come true. There are only a handful of credit cards that reward for golfing purchases and provide access to special events and discounts. The fact that this is also a rewards card with no annual fee and an introductory APR of 0% on balance transfers makes this card even more appealing. If you’re a golfer or are close to someone that is, and are looking for exclusive access and upgrades to go with your golfing purchases, this would be a great credit card to carry.
What To Do Before And After Chargeback
The chargeback is the most powerful tool in your arsenal as a credit card holder. Chargebacks can be used whenever there is an unauthorized charge, or the products or services charged are not delivered, or are substantially different than ordered.
Case In Point
Take for example, this post in The Consumerist. The author describes how Delta ignored his voucher and charged him for a higher price. At first Delta agrees to a refund, but fails to deliver. Now, the author can’t even get in touch with Delta. The author claims that the chargeback was denied by Visa because he is using a voucher.
First, I have never heard of the usage of a voucher as being the reason for denying a chargeback. A voucher is essentially just a coupon, and I can’t see how Visa can say that they won’t consider a chargeback if you are quoted and authorize one price with a voucher, and are charged another. At this point, I would have to speak with a supervisor at Visa to get them to reconsider.
Before The Chargeback
One trick that I have learned is that companies, especially airlines, live in fear of chargebacks. Chargebacks end up costing a merchant in terms of extra merchant fees on every single transactions. Knowing that, you can effectively threaten a chargeback effectively without actually using it. When I have had an airline charge an unauthorized fee to my credit card, I spoke with a supervisor and explained that they would be refunding me that fee, or I would file a chargeback. After being offered more vouchers, which I refused, I was issued a check because I stuck to my guns. When you authorize a charge at a price, an airline or any other merchant cannot charge you a different price. If they do so, it is unauthorized and can be disputed.
After A Chargeback
Even if the author is unable to get Visa to reconsider his chargeback, there are still a few options left. First, he could still threaten a chargeback, as Delta would be unaware that Visa is not allowing him to file one. It would be a bluff, but he has nothing to lose. Another option would be to file a case in small claims court. This will engage the company’s legal department, who would probably be more interested in letting him use his voucher than traveling to your home city to defend a case in court.
Some of the commenters suggest launching and Executive Email Carpet Bomb or EECB. This is the technique where you write a brief, polite, email to the executives of a company, in the hope that their desire to achieve customer satisfaction will motivate them to cut through the red tape and do the right thing.
Finally, the author has already achieved some measure of success just by posting his problem on the Consumerist. Companies do take note of stories like this on travel and consumer web sites, and would like to correct the problems that get the most publicity. Typically, the web sites then follow up with a story about how the original company did the right thing. In that way, bad publicity is turned around and becomes good publicity.
Let’s home that is the case with problem.
Case In Point
Take for example, this post in The Consumerist. The author describes how Delta ignored his voucher and charged him for a higher price. At first Delta agrees to a refund, but fails to deliver. Now, the author can’t even get in touch with Delta. The author claims that the chargeback was denied by Visa because he is using a voucher.
First, I have never heard of the usage of a voucher as being the reason for denying a chargeback. A voucher is essentially just a coupon, and I can’t see how Visa can say that they won’t consider a chargeback if you are quoted and authorize one price with a voucher, and are charged another. At this point, I would have to speak with a supervisor at Visa to get them to reconsider.
Before The Chargeback
One trick that I have learned is that companies, especially airlines, live in fear of chargebacks. Chargebacks end up costing a merchant in terms of extra merchant fees on every single transactions. Knowing that, you can effectively threaten a chargeback effectively without actually using it. When I have had an airline charge an unauthorized fee to my credit card, I spoke with a supervisor and explained that they would be refunding me that fee, or I would file a chargeback. After being offered more vouchers, which I refused, I was issued a check because I stuck to my guns. When you authorize a charge at a price, an airline or any other merchant cannot charge you a different price. If they do so, it is unauthorized and can be disputed.
After A Chargeback
Even if the author is unable to get Visa to reconsider his chargeback, there are still a few options left. First, he could still threaten a chargeback, as Delta would be unaware that Visa is not allowing him to file one. It would be a bluff, but he has nothing to lose. Another option would be to file a case in small claims court. This will engage the company’s legal department, who would probably be more interested in letting him use his voucher than traveling to your home city to defend a case in court.
Some of the commenters suggest launching and Executive Email Carpet Bomb or EECB. This is the technique where you write a brief, polite, email to the executives of a company, in the hope that their desire to achieve customer satisfaction will motivate them to cut through the red tape and do the right thing.
Finally, the author has already achieved some measure of success just by posting his problem on the Consumerist. Companies do take note of stories like this on travel and consumer web sites, and would like to correct the problems that get the most publicity. Typically, the web sites then follow up with a story about how the original company did the right thing. In that way, bad publicity is turned around and becomes good publicity.
Let’s home that is the case with problem.
Review of BMW Car Club of America Rewards Visa
Summary: The PartnersFirst BMW Car Club of America Rewards Visa credit card is a must have for owners of BMW cars (or even those that aspire to be). BMW Car Club of America is the official BMW car club that supports BMW fans and enthusiasts with driving events, discounts and a monthly publication. The BMW CCA worked closely with PartnersFirst to create this credit card which includes special BWM rewards for cardholders as well as rewards for unrelated BMW purchases.
Features and Benefits: This credit card can be customized with your favorite BMW photo! Points can be redeemed for BMW Performance Center driving experiences, BMW gear and free membership.
Cardholders are also able to redeem points for airline travel, gift cards or pro sporting events and earn 1% cash back on every purchase.
Fees: There is no annual fee, late fee or over the limit fees. New cardmembers receive an introductory 0% APR for balance transfers for 6 months.
Conclusion: The BMW Car Club of America Rewards Visa from PartnersFirst is a great card to own if you’re a fan of BMW automobiles. Obviously if you’re not interested in cars or BMWs than this isn’t the card for you. If you are even slightly interested though, this credit card includes many perks like membership in the exclusive BMW Car Club of America. No annual fee and the 0% APR on balance transfers adds to the benefits of being able to earn points for practically any purchase and if you don’t need any BMW gear or discounts, the points can be redeemed for a wide range of other unrelated products and services.
Positives: $0 annual fee, 0% APR on balance transfers, 1% cash back on all purchases, BMW related discounts and extras.
Negatives: Other cards pay better rewards and if you aren’t a BMW automobile enthusiast you may not get much out of this credit card.
Features and Benefits: This credit card can be customized with your favorite BMW photo! Points can be redeemed for BMW Performance Center driving experiences, BMW gear and free membership.
Cardholders are also able to redeem points for airline travel, gift cards or pro sporting events and earn 1% cash back on every purchase.
Fees: There is no annual fee, late fee or over the limit fees. New cardmembers receive an introductory 0% APR for balance transfers for 6 months.
Conclusion: The BMW Car Club of America Rewards Visa from PartnersFirst is a great card to own if you’re a fan of BMW automobiles. Obviously if you’re not interested in cars or BMWs than this isn’t the card for you. If you are even slightly interested though, this credit card includes many perks like membership in the exclusive BMW Car Club of America. No annual fee and the 0% APR on balance transfers adds to the benefits of being able to earn points for practically any purchase and if you don’t need any BMW gear or discounts, the points can be redeemed for a wide range of other unrelated products and services.
Positives: $0 annual fee, 0% APR on balance transfers, 1% cash back on all purchases, BMW related discounts and extras.
Negatives: Other cards pay better rewards and if you aren’t a BMW automobile enthusiast you may not get much out of this credit card.
SouthWest Airlines To Leave Membership Rewards
From July 1st 2010, Southwest Airlines will no longer be a partner of the Membership Rewards program. For those who have membership rewards points that need to be transferred to SouthWest have to do it by 30th June 2010.
Though this might represent a blow to cardholders of Amex, Southwest still has partnership with Chase. In fact, cardholder of the Chase Sapphire Card (which has no annual fee), could exchange their points for Southwest gift certificates. And because booking your travel with Chase earns you double points, the Chase Sapphire is like an airline credit card but without the annual fee!
Hence, if you want to earn Southwest rewards without having the Southwest credit card, then the Chase Sapphire will now be the card of choice.
Though this might represent a blow to cardholders of Amex, Southwest still has partnership with Chase. In fact, cardholder of the Chase Sapphire Card (which has no annual fee), could exchange their points for Southwest gift certificates. And because booking your travel with Chase earns you double points, the Chase Sapphire is like an airline credit card but without the annual fee!
Hence, if you want to earn Southwest rewards without having the Southwest credit card, then the Chase Sapphire will now be the card of choice.
How Credit Cards Work
That sounds good, in theory. But in reality, many consumers are unable to take advantage of these benefits because they carry a balance on their credit card from month to month, paying finance charges that can go up to a whopping 23 percent. Many find it hard to resist using the old "plastic" for impulse purchases or buying things they really can't afford. The numbers are striking: In 1999, American consumers charged about $1.2 trillion on their general-purpose credit cards.
In this article we'll look at the credit card -- how it works both financially and technically -- and we'll offer tips on how to shop for a credit card. (Experts say this should be a project on the scale of shopping for a car loan or mortgage!) We'll also describe the different credit-card plans available, talk about your credit history and how that might affect your card options, and discuss how to avoid credit-card fraud -- both online and in the real world.
Let's start at the beginning. A credit card is a thin plastic card, usually 3-1/8 inches by 2-1/8 inches in size, that contains identification information such as a signature or picture, and authorizes the person named on it to charge purchases or services to his account -- charges for which he will be billed periodically. Today, the information on the card is read by automated teller machines (ATMs), store readers, and bank and Internet computers.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the use of credit cards originated in the United States during the 1920s, when individual companies, such as hotel chains and oil companies, began issuing them to customers for purchases made at those businesses. This use increased significantly after World War II.
The first universal credit card -- one that could be used at a variety of stores and businesses -- was introduced by Diners Club, Inc., in 1950. With this system, the credit-card company charged cardholders an annual fee and billed them on a monthly or yearly basis. Another major universal card -- "Don't leave home without it!" -- was established in 1958 by the American Express company.
Later came the bank credit-card system. Under this plan, the bank credits the account of the merchant as sales slips are received (this means merchants are paid quickly -- something they love!) and assembles charges to be billed to the cardholder at the end of the billing period. The cardholder, in turn, pays the bank either the entire balance or in monthly installments with interest (sometimes called carrying charges).
The first national bank plan was BankAmericard, which was started on a statewide basis in 1959 by the Bank of America in California. This system was licensed in other states starting in 1966, and was renamed Visa in 1976.
Other major bank cards followed, including MasterCard, formerly Master Charge. In order to offer expanded services, such as meals and lodging, many smaller banks that earlier offered credit cards on a local or regional basis formed relationships with large national or international banks.
How to Verify a PayPal Account
Verify With a Bank Account
Step 1:Gather your bank account information, including the bank name, account number and routing information.
Step 2:Log in to your PayPal account. You will be at the "My Account Overview" page.
Step 3:Look for the heading "Activate Account" and click "Add Bank Account." You may also add a bank account by going to the "Profile Summary" page and clicking on "Bank Accounts" in the "Financial Information" column.
Step 4:Enter your bank information and hit continue. PayPal allows for two ways to verify using a bank account: if you have online banking access, you can offer your login information to your financial institution's website, and PayPal will check the information to instantly verify your account. Alternatively, PayPal will make two small deposits into your banking account.
Step 5:Check your bank statements for the PayPal deposits. Return to the verification page by clicking the "Confirm Bank Account" link on your Account Summary page, and then enter the amounts of the deposits.
Verify by Applying for a PayPal Plus Credit Card
Step 1:Scroll down to the bottom of any PayPal page.
Step 2:Click the "Plus Card" link. You will be redirected to a page entitled "PayPal Plus Credit Card."
Step 3:Locate and click on the "Apply Now" button.
Step 4:Fill in the empty fields on the application form. Many of them will be filled in with information PayPal already has from your account.
Step 5:Decide whether you want to enroll in the Account Security program. If so, check the box. Then read the "Terms and Conditions" of the card.
Step 6:Hit the "Accept and Submit" button. In less than 1 minute, PayPal will tell you whether or not you have been approved. If you are approved, it will automatically verify your PayPal account.
jueves, 25 de marzo de 2010
Now You Can Withdraw PayPal Money to Debit, Credit Cards
Image: withdraw paypal funds to credit card
The new feature is great for PayPal members in the countries where previously can send money but had limited ways to receive or withdraw money. Example: Previously, Malaysian PayPal members can only send or receive PayPal funds but no official way to withdraw the funds. Now, they can withdraw their funds to their card.
The new functionality is available in: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Cyprus, Estonia, Gibraltar, Iceland, Indonesia, India, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Philippines, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, UAE, and Uruguay.
Check PayPal Offerings Worldwide for updates.
Withdraw PayPal funds to your card
Before you can withdraw PayPal funds to your card, you need to add a valid debit, credit card or prepaid card to your account.
The PayPal website stated that you can withdraw PayPal funds to both Visa and MasterCard cards but the official blog stated that the new withdrawal function is only available to Visa-branded cards. But I believe MasterCard cards will be supported soon.
Each withdrawal cost $5 USD. Minimum withdrawal amount is $10 USD (check other currency limits). Maximum withdrawal amount per day is $500 USD. The processing time takes 5-7 business days.
How to Create a Paypal Account
The Paypal solution of payment is used on the Fotolia web site for three reasons:
To allow users to purchase credits by using their Paypal account [Learn more]
To pay commissions to photographers [Learn more]
To allow users to convert credits into cash from affiliation revenue.
In these three cases, customers and photographers must have a Paypal account. We will outline how to open a Paypal account.
Paypal is a free solution which allows users to transfer money to anyone with an email address or securely purchase items from internet sites (purchase photographs from Fotolia for example) In addition Paypal customers may receive payments to their Paypal account (Commission payments to photographers or ebay sales for example). At anytime Paypal customers may transfer money to their regular bank account without any Paypal fees (for sums of more than $100, $1 of expenses if less).
Paypal is a subsidiary of e-bay, one of largest companies on the Internet.
To create a Paypal account, click on your country below to get started:
If you are American: Paypal US
If you are Canadian: Paypal Canada
or Paypal Worldwide
To allow users to purchase credits by using their Paypal account [Learn more]
To pay commissions to photographers [Learn more]
To allow users to convert credits into cash from affiliation revenue.
In these three cases, customers and photographers must have a Paypal account. We will outline how to open a Paypal account.
Paypal is a free solution which allows users to transfer money to anyone with an email address or securely purchase items from internet sites (purchase photographs from Fotolia for example) In addition Paypal customers may receive payments to their Paypal account (Commission payments to photographers or ebay sales for example). At anytime Paypal customers may transfer money to their regular bank account without any Paypal fees (for sums of more than $100, $1 of expenses if less).
Paypal is a subsidiary of e-bay, one of largest companies on the Internet.
To create a Paypal account, click on your country below to get started:
If you are American: Paypal US
If you are Canadian: Paypal Canada
or Paypal Worldwide
Use and Verify Paypal without Credit Card
For adding funds in your PayPal account & lifting limits you would need a credit card. But as we all know not everyone is interested in having a credit card or some people are ineligible to be issued a credit card. A credit card can only be issued to a person above 18years of age and earning regular income.
First why not use Virtual Credit Card (VCC)…
Many people to use a Virtual Credit Card (VCC). But I don’t recommend it because the purpose of the PayPal verification is to validate your personnel information. Their goal is to verify the information given by you is correct. VCC’s cheat the system and do so in such a way that compromises the entire network. So even if you were able to verify using VCC, there is constant risk that PayPal might detect it and freeze your account. That’s why I don’t recommend using a Virtual Credit Card (VCC).
Use E-wallet by ICICI Bank
E-wallet is a VISA card issued by ICICI bank. It works exactly like a normal credit card and it is accepted on all online stores(including PayPal). It would be issued under your name. You will also get regular online statements for it.
It is different from a normal debit/credit as:
1. you won’t get a physical card.
2. you have to fill it before doing any transaction via B2 Internet Banking. It works like a prepaid debit VISA card
How to Get an E-wallet
E-wallet service is a Part of ICICI b2 saving account. For getting E-wallet service you have to Apply for a B2 account. To know more about ICICI branch free banking service visit b2 – Homepage. You can also more about it on my blog.
Eligibility and charges: Its a free service without any charges and is available to all Indian residents. b2 account is also a zero balance account, so do not worry about minimum balance.
Verifying PayPal with E-wallet
1. After your b2 account is activated (it takes 10-15 days) and you have moved money into this account via NEFT or Cheque deposit, login into your account. In summary tab, Under E-wallet Section click on “Allocate Funds”.
2.Now Click on “Fill now” and follow other onscreen directions. If it asks you to enter few grid values from security card and you won’t know what to do, probably you haven’t received your security card yet, please wait for few more days. security card will be sent to you via postal mail.
3.Please remember to fill your E-wallet with Higher amount like Rs2,500/-. Doing Transactions with international merchants in foreign currency
need some extra balance. Don’t worry after completing verification you can withdraw this amount.
4.Logon to you PayPal Account and go to Add your Card form to-do list. Now enter your E-wallet card number and other details. All this details can be found in your b2 saving account. check in Card > E-wallet
5.Wait for 2-3days and check statement of your E-wallet for 4-digit PayPal code. Statement can be found in Card > E-wallet section > View statement
6. Now login to your PayPal account and enter that four digit code! After you have successfully confirmed your card, PayPal will refund you that $1.95 USD.
Congrats, now you are a verified PayPal member and you have done that without using any unfair means.
How to add a PAYPAL DONATE
This post explains how to add a Paypal donate button to your blogger(blogspot) blog:-
Adding a Paypal donation button to your blog will give your loyal readers a chance to support(encourage) you by donating a few bucks.
If you don't have a paypal account yet,.. you can get a Free Paypal account here.
so,let's see how to put a Paypal donation button in your blog...
1.First,Log in to your Paypal account.
2.Click on the 'Merchant Services' tab (see at the top of the page).
3.Scroll down the window and you will see an option "Donations" in the right sidebar.Click on it!
4.Now,you will see some options like Donation name/service ,donation id,etc etc...
The first field (Donation name/service) is the only thing that is required and all the remaining fields are optional.
Enter that first field,choose a button style,scroll down the window and click on "Create a button Now"
5.Now,you will see some html code... Copy it and sign in to your blogger dashboard »» Click on the layout »» Add a Page element »» html/javascript »» and paste that html code and SAVE THE CHANGES.
Here is how the button will look in your sidebar
Adding a Paypal donation button to your blog will give your loyal readers a chance to support(encourage) you by donating a few bucks.
If you don't have a paypal account yet,.. you can get a Free Paypal account here.
so,let's see how to put a Paypal donation button in your blog...
1.First,Log in to your Paypal account.
2.Click on the 'Merchant Services' tab (see at the top of the page).
3.Scroll down the window and you will see an option "Donations" in the right sidebar.Click on it!
4.Now,you will see some options like Donation name/service ,donation id,etc etc...
The first field (Donation name/service) is the only thing that is required and all the remaining fields are optional.
Enter that first field,choose a button style,scroll down the window and click on "Create a button Now"
5.Now,you will see some html code... Copy it and sign in to your blogger dashboard »» Click on the layout »» Add a Page element »» html/javascript »» and paste that html code and SAVE THE CHANGES.
Here is how the button will look in your sidebar
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