Gift cards are much like cash cards. The distinction is the gift card has the logo and design of a sponsoring business embossed on the front of the card.
The value of the cards can be preset or flexible, and consumers find them much more convenient than paper gift certificates. In other words, a preset amount means the card is used up and thrown away. A flexible card, on the other hand, can be refilled with more money by the person who owns the card. This of course is a sign that he or she has been made a loyal customer by the gift card promotion.
The most important feature of a gift card is the special account numbers it displays that prevents fraud. Gift cards are easy to use. Merchants activate the credit as soon as the card is sold, and shoppers can use it until the balance is used up. The card’s magnetic stripe always has a current, updated balance.
Gift cards are positive for both buyers and sellers. Shoppers are protected from fraud, and business owners gain customer’s loyalty because the gift cards are specially designed for their shops. If a shopper likes what he or she purchases, they probably will return to the shop.
If you don’t know what to buy someone, give a gift card. There are many types to choose from including prepaid cash cards, gas cards, mail cards, donation cards, promotion cards, etc. There are even cards for major department stores, for supermarkets, flower shops, and more. This is veritably endless.
Gift Cards provides detailed information on gift cards, restaurant gift cards, online gift cards, gas gift cards and more. Gift Cards is affiliated with Online Gift Certificates.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Sturo
Gift Cards
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Credit card refusal draws ire
GEORGE TOWN: Motorists here are fuming over the sudden move by petrol stations here as well as Kedah and Perlis to refuse payment by credit and fleet cards.
The decision was made following a meeting in Butterworth at 3.30pm yesterday to discuss a circular by the Petroleum Dealers Association of Malaysia, which had sent out a notice to 3,200 members nationwide advising them to refuse all cards.
More than 400 stations in the northern region decided to enforce the move and started refusing the payment from midnight.
In the meeting, Mobil Stations Malaysia deputy president Roslan Jamaludin said petrol station operators could no longer shoulder the burden of the card charges.
Sorry, no credit: Workers informing a customer that only cash would be accepted at a petrol station in Tajung Tokong, Penang on Tuesday.
“We lose nearly 50% of our profit to card transactions. How are we going to cut costs if everyone uses cards for their purchase?” he asked.
He added that operators agreed to this “business decision” for “long-term survival” and to highlight their plight to the Government.
Motorist Zafran Zakri Mohamad, 37, said the petrol station operators should not be heartless.
“We are struggling to cope with the recent increase in fuel price. We thought we could depend on credit cards when we run out of cash.
“But now we cannot not even use credit cards. And to impose such a ruling at a time of month when most people are running out of cash is really unacceptable,” said an irate Zafran.
Car rental agent Kintan Natasuri Aziz, 40, who uses the fleet card, said the new ruling would pose much inconvenience to him, as he has to travel outstation to send and pick up cars for rental.
“We also do not carry much cash,” he said.
Another motorist, Maisarah Khairul Anuar, 27, said that if petrol station operators were unhappy with the interest imposed by the banks then they should take it up with banks.
“They should not make consumers suffer,” she said.
Ryan Tang, 31, a graphic designer, said it was not right to immediately implement such decision without giving prior notice to customers.
“What if we run out of petrol after midnight when the ATMs are closed and we cannot withdraw money?” said Tang.
Source:http://the star.com.my/news
Credit card
The decision was made following a meeting in Butterworth at 3.30pm yesterday to discuss a circular by the Petroleum Dealers Association of Malaysia, which had sent out a notice to 3,200 members nationwide advising them to refuse all cards.
More than 400 stations in the northern region decided to enforce the move and started refusing the payment from midnight.
In the meeting, Mobil Stations Malaysia deputy president Roslan Jamaludin said petrol station operators could no longer shoulder the burden of the card charges.
Sorry, no credit: Workers informing a customer that only cash would be accepted at a petrol station in Tajung Tokong, Penang on Tuesday.
“We lose nearly 50% of our profit to card transactions. How are we going to cut costs if everyone uses cards for their purchase?” he asked.
He added that operators agreed to this “business decision” for “long-term survival” and to highlight their plight to the Government.
Motorist Zafran Zakri Mohamad, 37, said the petrol station operators should not be heartless.
“We are struggling to cope with the recent increase in fuel price. We thought we could depend on credit cards when we run out of cash.
“But now we cannot not even use credit cards. And to impose such a ruling at a time of month when most people are running out of cash is really unacceptable,” said an irate Zafran.
Car rental agent Kintan Natasuri Aziz, 40, who uses the fleet card, said the new ruling would pose much inconvenience to him, as he has to travel outstation to send and pick up cars for rental.
“We also do not carry much cash,” he said.
Another motorist, Maisarah Khairul Anuar, 27, said that if petrol station operators were unhappy with the interest imposed by the banks then they should take it up with banks.
“They should not make consumers suffer,” she said.
Ryan Tang, 31, a graphic designer, said it was not right to immediately implement such decision without giving prior notice to customers.
“What if we run out of petrol after midnight when the ATMs are closed and we cannot withdraw money?” said Tang.
Source:http://the star.com.my/news
Credit card
Monday, June 23, 2008
Gift Credit Cards - Read the Fine Print
Article by:Mark Bennet
Gift credit cards can be useful and much-appreciated gifts, but it is important to understand what they are and how they work, and to check the terms and conditions of your particular card. Each issuer has different fine print relating to their cards, and some of the clauses in the fine print can be costly.
What Are Gift Credit Cards?
A gift credit card is actually not a credit card in the traditional sense of the word. A holder of a traditional credit card makes purchases on credit, and pays the bill later, when it falls due. A gift credit card is a stored value card, or debit card. A certain amount of money is deposited into the card by the purchaser at the time the card is issued, and only that amount of money may be spent using the card.
If you think about the old-fashioned paper gift certificate still issued by many major retailers, you will have a more accurate notion of the nature of a gift card than if you think about a credit card in general.
Who Issues Them?
Some retailers have switched from using paper gift certificates to issuing gift credit cards. While these store-specific gift cards have the disadvantage of being limited to use in a particular store, this is offset by the benefit that generally charge lower fees than more general gift cards.
Gift credit cards are issued by major credit card providers, such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, both directly and through banks. Each issuer has their own particular set of terms and conditions.
What Are The Problems?
Some issuers limit gift cards to use within the USA. Others will not allow them to be used for certain purchases, such as air tickets or hotels. American Express will not issue gift cards to the residents of five US states, because, according to American Express, "restrictive legislation" makes it prohibitively expensive to do so.
Gift credit cards issued by Visa and Mastercard can usually be used in most places around the world where Visa and Mastercard are accepted, with the exception in some cases of specific types of purchases. It is very important to read the terms and conditions to make sure you, or the recipient, will be able to make use of the card as you expect.
Other Issues
In some cases, gift cards can be used at ATMs to withdraw cash. Obviously, this is not the case with store-specific gift cards, and it is not available as an option in all cases, even with Visa and Mastercard gift cards. If you wish to have this option available, you will need to research carefully before choosing your card.
Check your terms and conditions to understand the fees payable. In most cases, it is a costly mistake to keep a balance on your gift card for more than a few months. Most providers have expiry dates on their gift cards, or start charging relatively costly monthly fees after a particular time period has passed. In some cases, the balance on the card at the expiry date is simply lost. In other cases, the card issuer will send you balance by check - less an account closing fee and a check drawing fee which can add up to $30 or thereabouts, and often consume the balance completely anyway.
If you have chosen the right gift credit card, you will be able to give a gift which is as flexible as cash, but as personalised as a gift certificate. If you have received a gift credit card, you have no choice about the issuer, so make sure you read the fine print, so you can avoid any unwanted fees or complications.
Mark Bennett is a staff writer for Money Talks, and contributes regularly to other financial sites. This article is part of his series on credit cards.
You can find the top 10 questions to ask the issuer of your gift credit card at the Money Talks site.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Bennett
Gift credit cards can be useful and much-appreciated gifts, but it is important to understand what they are and how they work, and to check the terms and conditions of your particular card. Each issuer has different fine print relating to their cards, and some of the clauses in the fine print can be costly.
What Are Gift Credit Cards?
A gift credit card is actually not a credit card in the traditional sense of the word. A holder of a traditional credit card makes purchases on credit, and pays the bill later, when it falls due. A gift credit card is a stored value card, or debit card. A certain amount of money is deposited into the card by the purchaser at the time the card is issued, and only that amount of money may be spent using the card.
If you think about the old-fashioned paper gift certificate still issued by many major retailers, you will have a more accurate notion of the nature of a gift card than if you think about a credit card in general.
Who Issues Them?
Some retailers have switched from using paper gift certificates to issuing gift credit cards. While these store-specific gift cards have the disadvantage of being limited to use in a particular store, this is offset by the benefit that generally charge lower fees than more general gift cards.
Gift credit cards are issued by major credit card providers, such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, both directly and through banks. Each issuer has their own particular set of terms and conditions.
What Are The Problems?
Some issuers limit gift cards to use within the USA. Others will not allow them to be used for certain purchases, such as air tickets or hotels. American Express will not issue gift cards to the residents of five US states, because, according to American Express, "restrictive legislation" makes it prohibitively expensive to do so.
Gift credit cards issued by Visa and Mastercard can usually be used in most places around the world where Visa and Mastercard are accepted, with the exception in some cases of specific types of purchases. It is very important to read the terms and conditions to make sure you, or the recipient, will be able to make use of the card as you expect.
Other Issues
In some cases, gift cards can be used at ATMs to withdraw cash. Obviously, this is not the case with store-specific gift cards, and it is not available as an option in all cases, even with Visa and Mastercard gift cards. If you wish to have this option available, you will need to research carefully before choosing your card.
Check your terms and conditions to understand the fees payable. In most cases, it is a costly mistake to keep a balance on your gift card for more than a few months. Most providers have expiry dates on their gift cards, or start charging relatively costly monthly fees after a particular time period has passed. In some cases, the balance on the card at the expiry date is simply lost. In other cases, the card issuer will send you balance by check - less an account closing fee and a check drawing fee which can add up to $30 or thereabouts, and often consume the balance completely anyway.
If you have chosen the right gift credit card, you will be able to give a gift which is as flexible as cash, but as personalised as a gift certificate. If you have received a gift credit card, you have no choice about the issuer, so make sure you read the fine print, so you can avoid any unwanted fees or complications.
Mark Bennett is a staff writer for Money Talks, and contributes regularly to other financial sites. This article is part of his series on credit cards.
You can find the top 10 questions to ask the issuer of your gift credit card at the Money Talks site.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Bennett
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Gift Giving Credit Cards - Who Is Really Receiving With These Cards?
Article by:Peter Craske
Gift giving credit cards are marketed by credit card companies under the guise that you will be donating a large wedge of cash to your favourite charity every time you use it. To be honest with you, nothing could be further from the truth! Read this article to find out why you should dump your charity card today and what your real gift giving credit card options are.
The reason you should get rid of the charity credit card in your wallet is quite simple; your credit card company is taking you for a fool! Now before we go any further, let me back that previous statement up with some hard facts. The majority of gift giving or charity cards only give the charity up to a maximum of 0.3% of the value you spend on your card. This is compared to an average 2% charge that the credit card companies levy on Retailers etc., every time you use your card. So from this quick analysis, it's easy to see who's making all the money here, right?
If you do believe in charitable donations and want to give via a credit card, what is the most efficient way of doing so? The answer my friend is staring you in the face. Sign up for the best cash back credit card you can get your hands on. If you do your homework properly, you should be able to get one that pays out at a rate of 1% (compare this to the 0.3% above!). Over the course of a year this can really mount up, especially if you use your cash back card for all of your monthly expenditure and pay it off in full each month.
For more tips on how to better a Gift Giving Credit Card and related issues like 5 % Cash Back On All Credit Card Purchases make sure you visit Peter Craske's visit site ===> http://www.ukcreditcard-directory.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Craske
Gift giving credit cards are marketed by credit card companies under the guise that you will be donating a large wedge of cash to your favourite charity every time you use it. To be honest with you, nothing could be further from the truth! Read this article to find out why you should dump your charity card today and what your real gift giving credit card options are.
The reason you should get rid of the charity credit card in your wallet is quite simple; your credit card company is taking you for a fool! Now before we go any further, let me back that previous statement up with some hard facts. The majority of gift giving or charity cards only give the charity up to a maximum of 0.3% of the value you spend on your card. This is compared to an average 2% charge that the credit card companies levy on Retailers etc., every time you use your card. So from this quick analysis, it's easy to see who's making all the money here, right?
If you do believe in charitable donations and want to give via a credit card, what is the most efficient way of doing so? The answer my friend is staring you in the face. Sign up for the best cash back credit card you can get your hands on. If you do your homework properly, you should be able to get one that pays out at a rate of 1% (compare this to the 0.3% above!). Over the course of a year this can really mount up, especially if you use your cash back card for all of your monthly expenditure and pay it off in full each month.
For more tips on how to better a Gift Giving Credit Card and related issues like 5 % Cash Back On All Credit Card Purchases make sure you visit Peter Craske's visit site ===> http://www.ukcreditcard-directory.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Craske
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