Thursday, March 13, 2008

What To Look For In The Best Gift Credit Cards

What To Look For In The Best Gift Credit Cards
When it comes to gift credit cards, they are definitely not
all created equal. For as many good gift cards that there
are available, there are just as many bad ones to match
them. How do you tell the difference between the good and
the bad? These pointers will help you navigate the
sometimes-confusing world of gift credit cards with ease.

A Gift Is a Gift

Anyone with any etiquette sense knows that a gift is a gift
and a gift recipient should not have to pay for that gift
-- but that's exactly what some gift credit cards require
gift recipients to do. Before you decide on any single gift
credit card, make sure you know exactly what fees that card
will require and who those fees will be charged to.

Almost any gift credit card is going to require some kind
of a fee, but it should be you, the gift giver, who is
responsible for that fee. If the card requires your gift
recipient to pay an activation fee or a per-transaction
fee, it's not the right card for your gift-giving needs.

What's It Gonna Cost You?

Another thing you need to ask yourself when buying gift
credit cards is how much the card costs. It's not uncommon
to pay $5 to $10 for a gift card, in addition to its face
value. This means your $25 gift may cost you $35 in the
long run. Just make sure you don't pay more than that. If a
card costs more than $10 plus the face value of the card,
it's not worth it.

Where Does The Money Go?

Some gift credit cards will take money away from the
available balance each month the card isn't used and some
cards expire altogether. This means your gift card might go
from a value of $50 to $0 in twelve months if your gift
recipient doesn't use it right away.

Your best bet is to go with one of the gift credit cards
that charges a minimum monthly fee for any balance not used
after six months. For example, a $50 card that isn't used
for six months could incur a fee of $2 per month for each
month the balance is unused. That's a lot better than
losing the entire $50 in one lump sum.

It's true that there are some really bad gift cards on the
market. If you keep the above tips in mind and read the
terms of the different cards available carefully, however,
you should have no problem finding the best gift credit
cards for sale.


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For more tips on credit cards, saving money and avoiding
getting taken, check out CreditCardTipsEtc.com, a website
that specializes in providing credit card tips, advice and
resources.
http://www.creditcardtipsetc.com

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