Kredit kort | Kreditkort

Tänk efter före - och känn dig trygg på resan

2007-06-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

Snart stundar semester för de flesta, och många planerar att lämna vardagen för sol, bad och upplevelser utomlands. Men olyckan är framme oftare än vad man vill tro. Före resan är det därför klokt att se över sina försäkringar och fundera över hur man kan minimera riskerna.

En undersökning från försäkringsbolaget If från 2005 visar att en fjärdedel av alla svenskar drabbas av sjukdom, överfall eller rån under sin semester.

Enligt Helen Hellströmer, pressansvarig på försäkringsbolaget Europeiska, är det störst risk att råka ut för ficktjuveri på de stora turistorterna.
– De internationella ligorna följer ju med turistströmmarna.

För att få hjälp när olyckan är framme är det viktigt att ha någon typ av försäkring.

– De flesta har hemförsäkring och det ger ett bra grundskydd på resan. Sjukvårdskostnader och hemtransport, överfalls-, ansvars- och rättsskydd ingår i de allra flesta hemförsäkringar. Men saknar man helt försäkring kan summorna bli astronomiska. Exempelvis kostar ambulansflyg hem från Sydostasien 700 000 kronor per person, säger Björn Jonason, produktspecialist på If.

Enligt Fritidsresor köper ungefär hälften av resenärerna reseförsäkring, som är en kompletterande försäkring och går utöver hemförsäkringen. Här ingår exempelvis semestergaranti som innebär att man får en ny resa om man själv eller någon av medresenärerna är sjuka mer än halva resan.

– Men de stora kostnaderna som man kan drabbas av, till exempel hemtransport, täcks av hemförsäkringen, säger Björn Jonason, och upplyser om att ett alternativ är att köpa en reseförsäkring från sitt försäkringsbolag som komplement till den vanliga hemförsäkringen. En fördel är då att försäkringen gäller för alla resor under året, inte bara just den man ska åka på i sommar.

För att minska riskerna på resan är det också viktigt att ha ordning på reskassan. Ylva Yngvesson, privatekonom på Swedbank, tipsar om att det kan vara bra att på resan ha med sig två kort som man förvarar separat. Om det ena kortet försvinner har du fortfarande tillgång till det andra. Dessutom är det större chans att något av korten blir godtagna när man ska betala.

– Och ha inte för mycket pengar på ditt konto om det är knutet till kortet, till exempel bankkort, säger Ylva Yngvesson.

Hon poängterar även att det kan vara bra att ansluta sig till en spärrtjänst, och att det är ett måste att skriva upp telefonnummer, helst på flera ställen, så att du lätt kan spärra kort och värdehandlingar om något händer.

– Det är en sak som jag tror att är lätt att glömma bort. Det är bra att ha en strategi för vad man ska göra om något händer, säger Björn Jonason.

Det är också viktigt att tänka på att du måste ha haft tillräcklig kontroll över kortet för att få tillbaka pengar om ditt stulna kort använts innan du hunnit spärra det.

– Bär kortet inpå kroppen. Använd helst värdeficka innanför kläderna, säger Ylva Yngvesson.

Men trots allt är svenskarna ganska bra på att ta hand om sig på utlandsresan.

– Svenskarna är ju resvana så de flesta tänker på såna här saker. Det kanske mest är ungdomar som bara ger sig av, säger Björn Jonasson.

Ylva Yngvesson håller med.

– Det är mest unga hushåll som behöver en uppmaning att se över försäkringsskydd och annat.

Jenny Askåker

Blogger Labels: Kreditkort, Kredit kort, Hemförsäkring, Skydd, Resa

2007-05-20T06:31:00.001-07:00

Credit Cards

Benefits from Small Business Credit Cards

Tip! Cut up all credit cards but one. If you can't use it, you can't run up more debt.

Imagine hiring an accounts keeping agent for free for your small business. This is what small business credit card does for you indirectly. However, this is not the only benefit. There are a lot of other benefits too. It's for these benefits that the small business credit cards have gained the status of a necessity today. Let's see what these benefits are.

1. Auto-segregation of business expenses

This is the most important benefit from using a small business credit card. You just have to ensure that you make all your business payments using your small business credit card and your monthly credit card statement will clearly and accurately reflect all your business expenses. You can use this further for accounting purposes or business planning.

2. Rolling credit

Small businesses, as any business, incur expenditures first and earnings later e.g. a business might need to make purchases, pay their staff, incur maintenance costs etc, all towards building a product or providing services to their clients. The client is, of course, going to make payments. However, there is a time lag between these expenditures and earning. A small business credit card allows you to roll-over the credit i.e. you can pay for your expense using your credit card especially when you are expecting the client to pay in a month or so. This way you are rolling-over the credit to your small business credit card supplier. Thus the money to fund those expenses doesn't come from your cash account

Tip! Insurance: All credit cards should come with insurance, which covers you for fraud or theft that results in your card being used before you can cancel it. With the rise in the number of people buying on the Internet nowadays this is a vital requirement.

3. Emergency help

This is something which every small business requires. Small businesses experience crests and troughs. You never know when an immediate need for money might arise (on account of new purchases etc for a new project). More importantly, such a need generally arises from more/new business and you would surely not want this good news to be transformed into bad news. In such situations, a small business credit card can become really handy and bail you out.

Tip! Compare credit cards to be sure you're getting the best credit card deal for you.

4. Rewards

As with personal credit cards, the small business credit cards too have membership rewards. When choosing a small business credit card, this factor should also be given proper importance. Based on the requirements of your business, the rewards program of one credit card might suit you better than that of another credit card e.g. if your business involves a lot of air travel, a credit card offered by an airlines might give you additional benefits in terms of how fast and how much award points you earn. You can then barter these points for other benefits or products.

Tip! Know the Interest Rate. Airline credit cards traditionally charge higher interest rates to cover the expenses of the elevated benefits.

5. Other benefits

There are a lot of other benefits too which apply to small business credit cards. Though some of them are similar to what you have for personal credit cards, the ones for small business credit cards generally have something extra with them. These benefits include: cash back option, discounts on certain merchandise, free travel insurance, free baggage protection, discounts on hotels and rental cars and many more. Again, since these vary from company to company, you might as well look for these when choosing a small business credit card for your business.

Tip! Rewards program: Some credit cards offer very attractive rewards program. These are the points you earn for spending on your credit card.

With so many benefits, small business credit cards are really indispensable and demand attention.

2007-05-18T02:20:00.000-07:00

Credit Cards

Bad UK Credit Cards

Tip! Know the Annual Membership Fee. Airline credit cards are different than most credit cards as they carry an annual fee.

Do you have a bad credit history due to missed payments on bills and loans? Or maybe a UK county court judgment (CCJ) is against you. Are you planning to get a credit card to put your credit record in order? There are a number of credit card companies offering the best deals for people with a bad credit history. Admittedly, finding a credit card when you have a poor credit record may be difficult, since most credit card institutions tend to not accommodate anyone with a bad credit history. However, there are some companies in the UK that offer credit card deals aimed at people with poor credit ratings.

Tip! Bank Sponsored Vs. Airline Sponsored Credit Cards.

If you have bad credit and are looking for a UK credit card, you may be offered higher than ordinary interest rates. This is because companies that offer bad credit cards need to insure themselves from people with a history of not making payments or making them late. Since you have bad credit, you should do your best to start building a better credit history. You can do this by making your monthly payments on time. This way, you will eventually qualify for a better credit card deal with a better rate.

Tip! Cut up all credit cards but one. If you can't use it, you can't run up more debt.

If you are looking for new UK credit card, but fear that your credit card history will drastically narrow your chances, there are a number of credit card institutions in the UK that can help you overcome your poor credit history. Do your research on which UK credit card company will fit your needs and your credit rating. Look for the lowest rate possible, and plan to make larger payments on time to improve your credit standing. To help you find the right credit card deal, you can also utilize credit card comparison services.

Bad Credit Credit Cards

2007-05-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Credit Cards

Bad Credit Credit Cards

Tip! Cut up all credit cards but one. If you can't use it, you can't run up more debt.

For someone who never had the responsibility in stewardship of financial matters, a credit card seems like a dream come true. Possessing a credit card allows the user to make transactions in the absence of physical money. But the dream can easily become a nightmare if the credit card holder does not have enough money to pay for the monthly dues.

The common mistake of credit card holders is to make purchases beyond their financial capacity. They use the credit card indiscriminately without properly monitoring the charges made to the credit card. As a result, the dues eventually accumulate to an amount that the card owner can no longer afford.

Tip! Know the Interest Rate. Airline credit cards traditionally charge higher interest rates to cover the expenses of the elevated benefits.

Charges

Although credit card billing statements include a minimum amount due in the event that the card holder cannot afford to pay the whole amount, there are interest charges that would apply. Either the card owner is uninformed or do not have a clear amount of the interest fee, but even after paying for the minimum amount required for payment, interest rates are charged to the whole amount due for the month and not just the balance. Meaning if the bill for the month is $151.00 and the minimum amount due is $100, even after paying for the $100, but because the whole amount was not paid, the interest fee is applied on the whole $151.00 not just the remaining $51.00. Some banks charge as high as 30% in late charges.

Credit cards has corresponding credit limit. In the event that usage has exceeded the limit allowable, there are also corresponding charges that would apply.

Eventually, if the credit card holder maintains only the minimum amount due, the credit can bloat out of proportion making the credit much harder to pay in the end. The person would end up paying for the interests rather than the actual amount that was owed.

After unable to pay the balance on a regular basis, credit records would eventually be sent to a regulating body keeping track of people with bad credits.

Credit Cards

2007-05-16T02:36:00.000-07:00

Credit Cards

Accept Visa Credit Cards

Tip! Compare credit cards to be sure you're getting the best credit card deal for you.

Should you accept Visa credit card payments? Why not? More and more often, merchants are coming to appreciate the ease with which a credit card payment system can be implemented in their business through a merchant services account. Customers love the convenience of paying by credit, especially when cash flow is low or temporarily restricted. Letting them pay with plastic will allow your clients to enjoy greater flexibility in shopping for goods at your company and paying on their own terms.

Tip! Bank Sponsored Vs. Airline Sponsored Credit Cards.

If you decide to accept Visa credit card transactions, you will first need to secure a merchant services account. This is not hard to do. Just check with any of several merchant account providers, usually banks or lenders of some sort, to inquire about terms and costs. When you find a plan that suits your business and your customers' needs, you are ready to apply for the account. Most lenders want to be sure that you have a good credit history and are capable of making monthly payments to the account. They typically do not want to deal with a company that is involved with unethical or unsavory business operations.

Tip! Cut up all credit cards but one. If you can't use it, you can't run up more debt.

When you receive a merchant services account, you are ready to accept Visa credit card payments. You will want to implement a system that will best fit your company's system. For example, if you handle a high volume of telephone sales, you may want to install a digital phone ordering system, with or without the support of a customer service representative who will be on call during hours of operation. But if you do a lot of traveling with your business, such as pizza delivery or consulting work, you may be more interested in securing a wireless credit processor that can go with you for point-of-sale credit processing. Perhaps a pager would be a better way to transfer credit transactions. You also may be interested in an e-check or debit processor. The possibilities are exciting, so choose carefully to avoid overextending your business and decreasing profit margins.

Tip! Rewards program: Some credit cards offer very attractive rewards program. These are the points you earn for spending on your credit card.

Another way to accept Visa credit card transactions is by establishing a Website. You can hire a Web consultant to put up a site for you, or you can learn to do it yourself. Your merchant services account will provide the means of letting the site accept credit card payments from customers anywhere in the world. Customers from any time zone can browse your site at any time, entering credit card payment through your secure Website. Your revenues can increase substantially when you add this credit card option to your marketing strategies. Your Website can include color photos of products, price lists, testimonials, product reviews, and other features that will bring customers back again and again to sample your wares. Then when they are ready to buy, your online credit processor is ready to accommodate them.

Don't wait to implement e-commerce in your business. Start browsing the possibilities today to find out how much they cost with a merchant services account. Before long you can accept Visa credit card transactions that will make your customers happy and your profits jump.

Credit Cards over the phone

2007-05-15T03:37:00.000-07:00

Credit Cards

Accept Credit Cards Over the Phone

Tip! Know the Interest Rate. Airline credit cards traditionally charge higher interest rates to cover the expenses of the elevated benefits.

Why not accept credit cards over the phone? Many companies do, and they find that profits are expanding because of the convenience their customers enjoy in being able to shop and pay from home or any other location where they can use a telephone to access your business.

Customers love it when companies accept credit cards over the phone because they need not dress up to go shopping, they don't have to find a babysitter, they need not put gas in the car, and they don't have to worry about stopping at the bank for cash while en route to your establishment. All they have to do is pick up a phone receiver, dial your number, and punch in responses to the automated order and payment system. It sounds highly sophisticated, but actually the process is fairly simple. Here is how to get started.

First, to accept credit cards over the phone you will need a merchant account. This will provide you with a financial underwriter for coordinating customers' credit payments with your account. The underwriter facilitates the credit payment to ensure it is good and when cleared, puts the money into your account for ready access. Of course there are fees for this service, but most merchant account users feel they are well worth it because of the unlimited potential for growth and profit. Find a reputable financial underwriter, like a solid bank or other lender, and apply for a merchant account. Check out all possible fees so there are no surprises later. In fact, you should compare account options among various lenders to get the best deal.

Next, when your merchant account is approved, you can select digital phone services that will enable you to accept credit cards over the phone via a selection of customer options. For example, you may wish to make the service available 24/7, or you might wish to limit access to certain hours when a customer service employee can be on hand, if needed, to complete transactions if a glitch should occur or to answer questions. You will need to ensure the phone connection is secure, and you can decide whether to have customers key in their credit card numbers or be able to choose the voice option as well or instead of the key-in choice. Will your provide a confirmation number? Will receipts be mailed or emailed? These and other questions will need to be worked out when setting up your phone credit card processing service.

Tip! Compare credit cards to be sure you're getting the best credit card deal for you.

Telephones are being used more and more for business ordering and payment services, especially with the credit payment feature for those who wish to accept credit cards online. By paying a few cents for each transaction or a low interest rate overall, you can remove limits from your sales field and increase volume dramatically. Contact a merchant account representative to find out more about the many exciting possibilities that await you when you implement the latest technology for your business, beginning with the choice to accept credit card s over the phone.

Tip! Know the Annual Membership Fee. Airline credit cards are different than most credit cards as they carry an annual fee.

Credit Cards

2007-05-15T03:18:00.000-07:00

Credit Cards

American Express Credit Cards

Tip! Know the Interest Rate. Airline credit cards traditionally charge higher interest rates to cover the expenses of the elevated benefits.

American Express Co., operating in over 130 countries around the globe, offers a number of credit cards to meet the different needs of various customers including common man, businessman and students. Some of the American Express credit cards currently available are: Blue from American Express, Blue Cash, Blue for Students, Blue Sky from American Express, Optima Platinum Card, Clear from American Express. The company also provides city-based credit cards like New York City Card, Chicago Card and Los Angeles Card.

These cards come with several benefits and incentives. Blue from American Express has no annual fee, a competitive 0% APR for the first 15 months and a grace period up to 20 days. If you want additional cards, you will not have to pay any fee and you can share all the benefits and services with your family members. It offers a low balance transfer fixed APR of 3.99% until the balance is paid off in full. There are several other benefits in using the card.

Another American Express credit card, Blue Cash, offers 5% cash back in all transactions and purchases. It has also no annual fee and its introductory APR is 0%. It also charges a low balance transfer rate — 4.99% fixed APR for the life of the balance. You can avail additional cards along with Blue Cash and that can let you share all the benefits and services of the card with friends or family members. There is no charge for transfer of balances from MasterCard, Discover and Visa cards to this American Express card.

Blue for students has no annual fee. Its introductory APR is 8.90% for purchases for the first 6 months. For cash advance its APR is 22.99%. In case of default, APR is 20.99% and the APRs may increase if you have seriously defaulted. Grace period is 25 days for purchases, if the previous balance shown on each billing statement is paid in full by each respective due date. If you have a permanent U.S. residence and are enrolled in a degree program at an accredited 4-year college or university or graduate school, you can get this card.

Tip! Know the Annual Membership Fee. Airline credit cards are different than most credit cards as they carry an annual fee.

Optima Platinum Card has 0.00% Introductory APR for purchases for the first 6 months of card membership. Then, it charges a variable APR of 14.00%. For Balance Transfer, APR is 8.90% and Cash advance APR is 22.99%. For defaulted and seriously defaulted accounts, the company increases the APR.

City American Express credit card like Chicago card charges 0.00% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months. It has no annual fee and there are options to carry a balance. You will also earn a reward point for every dollar you spend, whether you are in Chicago or not. You will get double reward points on city essentials like dining, cell phone service, and gym memberships. There is no limit to the number of points you earn and you can redeem points for rewards in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. The city card some time offers special benefits and you can save 10% at select retailers, spas and health clubs. The city card can even help you save on memberships at museums and tickets to clubs, concerts, and more.

Tip! Rewards program: Some credit cards offer very attractive rewards program. These are the points you earn for spending on your credit card.

The American Express credit card also offers a credit card for the small business owners. With the small business credit cards, you can enjoy American Express's many benefits. The American Express credit card even offers rewards for the small business owners just like the credit cards for the personal solutions. You can receive a credit card with cash back, airline awards, travel and shopping rewards. They even offer credit cards with no pre-set limit, low introduction APR, complimentary first year, and no annual fee for the small business in the country.

Tip! Compare credit cards to be sure you're getting the best credit card deal for you.

Besides, you can avail car rental loss and damage insurance and travel accident insurance. Car rental loss and damage insurance plan provides coverage for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles. Travel accident insurance provides up to $100,000.

Note: The figures specified in this article were current at the time of writing the article. However, author doesn't guarantee the correctness of these figures.

Stort dataintrång - tusentals kreditkort återkallas

2007-05-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

Stort dataintrång - tusentals kreditkort återkallas

Ett rikstäckande företag uppges ha drabbats av ett större intrång i ett kassasystem. Eurocard och SEB återkallar tusentals kreditkort.
SEB varnar för att ett stort antal av bankens kunder kan ha drabbats av ett dataintrång genom att deras kreditkortsnummer hamnat i orätta händer.

- Detta är större än vi först trodde, säger SEB:s informationschef Kerstin Ottosson till Aftonbladet.

Kreditkortsnumren ska ha kommit på vift efter att ett rikstäckande företag drabbats av ett större intrång i deras kassasystem. Kerstin Ottosson uppger att kreditkortsnummer inte får sparas hos företagen, men att det i alla fall gjorts i det här fallet. De som kan drabbats använder Eurocard, VISA eller Mastercard. Enligt Aftonbladet kan över 10 000 SEB-kunder ha råkat ut för intrånget, kunder vars kortnummer kommer att bytas ut.

Kerstin Ottosson säger också till Aftonbladet att andra banker är drabbade. Expressen uppger dock att representanter från Handelsbanken och Swedbank säger att deras kunder inte drabbats.

Eurocard skriver på sin hemsida att kontonummer är på vift, och att de kommer skicka ut ett brev till kunder som de misstänks drabbats eller kan komma att drabbas. Kundernas kort kommer att bytas ut.

- För att förhindra att kunder råkar ut för bedragare byter vi därför ut över 1 000 kort. Troligtvis byter vi ut en del kort i onödan, men väljer att göra det för att inte riskera att någon drabbas, skriver Eurocard på sin hemsida.

Andra bloggar om: credit card, eurocard, kredit, kredit kort, kreditkort, SEB

Eurocard-kort med jättekredit på drift

2007-05-10T01:06:00.000-07:00

Kreditkorten från Eurocard saknar övre gräns. Men kortnumren misstänks ha kommit i orätta händer och Eurocard tvingas därför byta ut mer än 1.000 svenska kunders kort.
- Vi gör det i preventivt syfte för att skydda kunderna och undvika att de utsätts för bedrägerier, säger Sofia Fjellestad, marknadsansvarig på Eurocard.

Ett större antal Eurocard-kunder får i dagarna ett brev från kortföretaget där de uppmanas att byta ut sitt kort från företaget.

- Det stämmer att vi skickat ut ett brev till några kunder för att be dem kontakta oss så att vi kan byta ut deras kort. Men vi gör det i preventivt syfte för att skydda kunderna och undvika att de utsätts för bedrägerier, säger Sofia Fjellestad, marknadsansvarig på Eurocard.

Man vill inte berätta vilken händelsen är.

- Vi jobbar ju preventivt och aktivt med att förebygga bedrägerier, vi har fått vissa signaler. Men jag kan inte gå in i detalj på hur vi snappar upp det här, säger Sofia Fjellestad.

Hotet är extra allvarligt eftersom att Eurocard-kort saknar övre köpgräns. Därmed finns en risk för att någon som kommit över ett kortnummer kan handla stora mängder varor och tjänster på till exempel internet. Räkningen hamnar så småningom hos kortinnehavaren.

- Det är därför vi gör det här i preventivt syfte, säger Sofia Fjellestad.

Är det någon drabbad som hört av sig?

- Vad jag vet så har vi nog lyckats kontakta kunderna innan det hänt något.

Att byta ut korten är en ganska avancerad åtgärd, när gjordes det senast i den här omfattningen?

- Det är inget som händer ofta, det är det inte.

Vi har fått uppgiften att det rör sig om tusentals svenska kort?

- Det är strax över tusen.

Om andra utgivare av kort har drabbats av händelsen är för närvarande oklart. Eurocard ingår i Mastercard-nätverket och Dinapengar.se känner inte till om Mastercard-kort påverkats.

Om någon med ett Eurocard har fått uppmaningen att byta ut sitt kort och behöver det snabbt säger sig företaget kunna hjälpa till.

- Då löser vi det, säger Sofia Fjellestad.

En möjlig orsak till det som inträffat är att Eurocard-kortens nummer har stulits eller på annat sätt kommit på drift. Det sker varje år intrång i datasystem som ger förövarna tillgång till kreditkortsnummer.

- Bara i USA förra året stals 120 miljoner kreditkortsnummer, säger Per Hellqvist, säkerhetsexpert på it-säkerhetsföretaget Symantec.

Dinapengar.se har med hjälp av it-säkerhetsexperten Lars-Olov Guttke på Secu sökt efter aktuella försäljningar av Eurocard-kortnummer. Sådana erbjudanden saknas i dagsläget.

Lars-Olov Guttke bedömer det som troligt att det enbart är Eurocard-kort som omfattas av en möjlig attack.

- Förmodligen kan det röra sig om en riktatd attack mot Eurocard eftersom det rör sig om kort utan övre köpgräns. Dessa kort betingar ett högre värde på den svarta kontokortsmarknaden. Antagligen har dessa erbjudits via olika kanaler till högsbjudande och detta har i sin tur kommit fram till Eurocard som därför ersätter korten, säger Lars-Olov Guttke.

Andra bloggar om: Kreditkort, Eurocard, kredit

2007-05-10T00:50:00.000-07:00

Ett kreditkort är en variant av kontokort. Det är ett intyg som talar om att innehavaren har kredit hos utställaren av kortet. Kortföretaget betalar handlaren och fakturerar i sin tur kortinnehavaren. Beviset är oftast utformat som ett kort i plast med en magnetremsa. Med kreditkortet kan man köpa varor och senare får man en faktura som man kan betala vid ett tillfälle eller genom avbetalningar. Det första kreditkortet skapades 1950 av amerikanen Frank McNamara. Han hade glömt sin plånbok när han var på restaurang och därför grundade han företaget Diners Club.

Andra bloggar om: Kreditkort, kredit

Kreditkort | Kredit kort

2007-05-07T11:05:00.001-07:00