All posts by Leonard Kreicas

Discover It Cash Credit Card

Rewards, , ,

discover-it-credit-card

Discover It 5% rebate categories changed starting April 1

From April 1 to June 30 Discover cardholders earn 5% cash back rewards on items purchased:

  • at gas stations
  • with Uber and Lyft
  • at wholesale clubs such as Costco

The wholesale club category may be of interest in today’s times. According to an article titled Coronavirus: Six things that are booming in sales. These items are particularly in demand right now:

  • Bicycles and exercise gear
  • Outdoor and indoor games (pool tables)
  • Home and garden items
  • Electrical goods (freezers, computers)

Note there is a $1,500 max spend for the 5% rebate. Amounts over that get only 1% rewards, which limits the extra cash back to no more than $120 per quarter. But that can add up to a bonus of $480 for the first year.

New Account Incentives

  1. Get 0% financing on all your purchases for 14 months from the date of account opening to help spread out the bill for a large purchase, plus the rewards.
  2. For new account holders Discover matches cash back rebates at the end of your first year, that’s up to 10% cash back (limits apply).

Note: if the account is closed before 12 billing cycles complete, there will be no match.

You can redeem your rewards several ways

  1. Statement credit no minimum amount to qualify
  2. Direct deposit to your bank account
  3. Use on purchases at Amazon.com
  4. Buy featured gift cards with $5 added to certain ones, e.g. a Dell $50 gift card can obtained with only $45 cash rewards
  5. Donate to participating charities

All these perks are given to the cardholder with NO annual fee!

Other Discover it Credit Card benefits include

  • Get cash over your purchases, up to $120 per purchase every 24 hours, without ATM fees, at select retail locations, such as Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Walmart
  • 24/7 U.S. based customer service
  • Should you lose your card, you can freeze your account in seconds with an on/off switch with the Discover App on your smartphone or the discovercard website
  • $0 fraud liability guarantee on unknown purchases
  • Free monthly FICO scores to monitor your credit rating
  • Text alerts on account activity
  • Free Social Security number and new account alerts in case of unauthorized access
  • Automatic payments available so you never miss a payment
  • Paperless statement option
  • Year-end expense report and summary

The fine print (subject to change):

  • Annual fee: $0
  • No interest if balance paid in full with 25 days
  • Fee for balance transfer: 5% ($5 min)
  • Fee for cash advance: 5% ($10 min)
  • Fee for foreign transaction: 0%
  • Fee for late payment: $0 first time; $40 after that
  • Fee for returned payment: up to $40
  • Fee for going over your credit limit: $0

 

NHL Discover Card Benefits and Features

Rewards, ,

NHL Discover Card

NHL Discover Card 5% cash back categories changed beginning April 1

From April 1 to June 30 Discover cardholders now earn 5% cash back rewards

  • at gas stations
  • with Uber and Lyft
  • at wholesale clubs such as Costco

With recent surge of people staying at home wholesale clubs might offer great places to find popular items such as exercise equipment, indoor games, garden items, computers, appliances, and such.

Take note that after a $1,500 quarterly spend the rewards rate drop down to 1%.

Another incentive for new cardholders is that the Discover NHL card automatically doubles all the cash back on net purchases at the end of your first year only as a lump-sum bonus to the account. That 5% cash back becomes 10% savings.

New account holders also receive 0% financing on their purchases, on top of the rewards. However a minimum payment amount is due every month.

Unlike many other cash rewards credit cards, you can redeem the rewards for an account credit with no minimum amount necessary to reach before cashing them in.

Other features include:

  • No annual fee
  • The rewards never expire
  • Use your cash back instantly at Amazon.com checkout
  • $0 Fraud Liability Guarantee
  • Free overnight shipping for card replacement
  • No late fee for your first late payment
  • Paying late won’t raise your APR
  • Track recent FICO® Credit Scores for free
  • No foreign transaction fee

Apply here for your NHL credit card.

Wells Fargo Rewards Card with intro 5% rewards, no interest financing

Rewards, ,

dollar bills

Wells Fargo Rewards Card has introductory 15 month no interest financing on purchases and/or balance transfers to provide users some temporary help managing their bills. Many other credit cards have similar features, however it has a slight twist on redeeming their reward points.

What separates this card from the pack

The Wells Fargo Rewards Card  lets cardholders redeem their rewards as cash at a Wells Fargo ATM, subject to a $20 minimum withdrawal according to a press release.

“Wells Fargo is the first major U.S. financial services provider to introduce this functionality, continuing the company’s history of customer-centered innovation.”

Refer to the announcement for details, or call customer service for details on this easy way to cash in the rewards.

5% rewards on grocery, gas and drugstore purchases for first 6 months

The rewards pile up fast on essential purchases during the introductory period. What’s even better is spreading out the payments over 15 months at no interest . That’s two great features in one package.

Consolidate credit card balances with 0% introductory APR on transfers for 15 months.

A $6,000 balance at 20% would set you back over a $1,000 in interest payments over 12 months. The 3% transfer fee makes a dent of $180 upfront, but the net savings are still substantial. Ask a professional financial advisor about all the long-term pros and cons.

After the introductory period the rewards drop down to a flat 1% on eligible purchases

Not great, but convenient would describe the ongoing rewards system. The Go Far Rewards have some advantages for the savvy redeemer who puts the work in. Don’t voluntarily close out the Rewards Card because that might lower the credit score. It still many useful features when used wisely.

The Wells Fargo Visa Rewards Card includes at no cost:

  • $0 annual fee
  • All Wells Fargo Credit Cards automatically protect you from liability for unauthorized transactions when you report them promptly.
  • Limited free smartphone protection from damage or theft
  • For Visa customers. Get fast text and email alerts for monitoring spending, tracking purchases, and receiving notifications of irregular or suspicious activity.
  • A Wells Fargo credit card with chip technology offers enhanced security features.
  • Protect your Wells Fargo Visa card with a unique password for online shopping.
  • Dispute resolution on damaged goods or misrepresentations
  • Monthly statements to track expenses

Apply for a Wells Fargo Rewards Visa Card here.

Quotes on dealing with stress may help calm the spirit and strengthen the body.

“The grass is not ‘greener’ on the other side – it is just another shade of green.”
― Annika Sorensen, Take Stress from Chaos to Calm

15 Best No Interest Credit Card Introductory offers

No Annual Fee,

wallet with credit cardsTired of paying interest on your credit card monthly balances?

Open a new account with no interest charges for a year or more using the 0% APR credit card introductory offers listed below.

Some of them feature interest-free periods as long as 20 months on purchases or 21 months on balance transfers.

A few allow you to transfer card balances without any upfront transaction fees.

You still must make the minimum monthly payments on the credit card account and keep track of when the introductory rate expires.

All of the featured selections also do not charge any annual fee.

LONG PURCHASE PERIODS MONTHS FEES BONUS REWARDS
US Bank Visa Platinum 20 3% $0 0.0%
Wells Fargo Platinum Visa 18 3% $0 0.0%
HSBC Gold Mastercard 18 4% $0 0.0%
Chase Slate 15 0% $0 0.0%
Amex Blue Everyday 15 3% $150 1-2-3%
Chase Freedom Unlimited 15 5% $150 1.5%
Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa 15 3% $150 1.5%
Wells Fargo Propel American Express® 12 3% $200 3% or 1%
LONG BALANCE TRANSFER PERIODS MONTHS FEES BONUS REWARDS
Citi Simplicity 21 3% $0 1.0%
Citi Diamond Preferred 21 5% $0 1.0%
US Bank Visa Platinum 20 3% $0 0.0%
ABOC Platinum Mastercard 18 3% $150 1.0%
Wells Fargo Platinum Visa 18 3% $0 0.0%
HSBC Gold Mastercard 18 4% $0 0.0%
NO BALANCE TRANSFER FEES MONTHS FEES BONUS REWARDS
Chase Slate 15 0% $0 0.0%
BankAmericard credit card 15 0%* $0 0.0%
Edward Jones World Mastercard 12 0% $100 1.0%
Perdue Federal Signature Visa 12 0% $0 1.0%
La Capitol FCU Cash Back Visa 12 0% $0 0.0%
Alliant CU Platinum Rewards 12 0% $50 2.0%

* First 60 days of account opening

Cards with no balance transfer fee

Save on costly balance transfer fees with this group of cards. Some are lesser-known financial institutions who offer great deals.

Chase Slate

  • Long 0% Introductory APR (15 months) with no balance transfer fee.
  • The  transfer must be made during the first 60 days of account opening.
  • Monthly FICO® Score and Credit Dashboard for free

BankAmericard credit card

  • Long 15 month introductory no interest APR period on purchases and balance transfers
  • 0% balance transfer fee during first 60 days; 3% thereafter
  • Basic low interest card for uncomplicated life styles

Edward Jones World Card

  • Must be an Edward Jones client to receive credit card
  • No balance transfer fee for first 60 days
  • $100 Loyalty Invest™ Deposit bonus after making $500 in purchases within 90 days of opening account
  • Creditor and issuer is Elan Financial services

Perdue Federal Visa Signature

  • One-time $50 fee to join Purdue University Alumni Association as a Friend of the University
  • No cash advance fee
  • Earn 1.25 rewards points per $1 spent on purchases with card

La Capitol Federal Credit Union

  • Must pay a modest $20 fee to join the La Capitol Federal Credit Union by becoming a member of the Louisiana Association for Personal Financial Achievement
  • 0% APR for 12 months is only valid for balance transfers, not purchases, made within first 90 days of account opening
  • 1.99% APR on purchases made within the first 90 days for 12 months

Alliant Credit Union

  • Must be a member of the Alliant credit union, which anyone can do with a $10 donation towards Foster Care to Success.
  • 1 rewards point for every dollar spent with card
  • Earn 10,000 bonus points with qualifying spend

Cards with balance transfer fees

Balance transfer fees take away some of the benefits of 0% financing. New purchases may not incur interest charges during the introductory period, but transfer fees may add hundreds of dollars to your spend.

Citi Diamond Preferred

  • Longest zero-interest intro APR for new accounts at 21 months of zero percent financing
  • 0% APR for balance transfer is subject to an upfront 3% fee and must be completed with 4 months of account opening
  • Purchases receive interest-free financing for 12 months
  • Enjoyed the many privileges of Mastercard Diamond Preferred membership

Citi Simplicity

  • Longest no interest intro APR for new accounts at 21 months of zero percent financing
  • 0% APR for balance transfer is subject to an upfront 3% fee and must be completed with 4 months of account opening
  • Purchases receive interest-free financing for 12 months
  • No late fees, no penalty rate and no annual fee

US Bank Visa Platinum Card

  • Long 20 month 0% intro APR period to pay off large purchases
  • 0% intro APR is only valid for transfers within first 4 months of account opening and a 3% balance transfer fee will be charged.

Wells Fargo Platinum Visa

  • No interest APR for first 18 months on purchases and balance transfers
  • Free cell phone protection up to $600 ($25 deductible) on phones purchased with Wells Fargo credit card.
  • Free access to your FICO® Credit Score with Wells Fargo Mobile® Banking.

American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card

  • 15 month introductory no interest APR period on purchases and balance transfers
  • 3% balance transfer fee
  • $150 Bonus after spending $500 on purchases in first 3 months from account opening (see details for restrictions)
  • 3% back on groceries, 2% back on gas, 1% back elsewhere

ABOC Platinum Rewards Mastercard

  • No interest APR for first 18 months on balance transfers
  • No interest APR for first 12 months on purchases
  • 3% fee for balance transfers

HSBC Gold Mastercard

  • No interest APR for first 18 months on purchases and balance transfers
  • 0% intro APR is only valid for transfers within 60 days of account opening and a 4% balance transfer fee applies.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

  • $150 Bonus after spending $500 on purchases in first 3 months from account opening (see details for restrictions)
  • Longer than normal 15 month 0% intro APR period
  • Stiff 5% balance transfer fee
  • Unlimited 1.5% cash back on net purchases with credit card

Wells Fargo Propel American Express®

  • $200 introductory bonus and 0% APR for 12 months makes for compelling case
  • Earn 3x points at gas stations and dining in or out, 1x on other purchases
  • Great features for no annual fee card.

Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa®

  • $150 introductory bonus and no interest for 15 months
  • Simple unlimited 1.5% cash rewards keep on giving
  • Get the Visa suite of features and benefits