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Business And Finance Blog

Archive for June, 2008

What is a debit card?

Debit card is a bank card which looks like a plastic card. It provides the alternative method or mode of payment instead of hot cash. It is very useful for shopping purposes. It does the work of cheque. Debit card comes in different forms. One form of it is exclusively for the use on internet and no physical format of the card is available. There are also debit cards like carte bleu in France, laser in Ireland and EFTPOS cards in Australia and New Zealand which are valid only on a particular region. Most of the debit cards are Visa or Master card brand.

What is the use of having a debit card?

A debit card is very useful for banking cum shopping. It is widely accepted and it has international validity. Using a debit card is one of the most convenient and safest ways of transferring money. The Master card debit card can also be used as an ATM card. They are used in number of places like in video arcades, bowling centres and theme parks for paying cash. The merchants also accept this card for payment purposes.

The debit card reduces the risk of the cash being stolen. Even if the card goes theft, it can be replaced immediately as soon as the bank is notified of the fraudulent. But unlike the ATM cards the debit card does not have secret PIN for payment purposes, so extra care must be taken to preserve the card. And the theft must be notified to the bank within two business days.

What are the extra benefits of using a debit card?

The debit card has a certain limit of money withdrawal per day, so that u don’t spend too much of money on a single day. One of the good things about using the debit cards is that there is a reduction of tax. There are other features like earning royalty points for the retail spent. These points depend on the bank. Earning more and more points on spending may lead to get surprise gifts and cash rewards. They also provide discounts on shopping. For fliers debit cards can be useful unlike the other things. They can earn debit card points called flier points.

Visa debit cards can also be used to withdraw money from any ATMs throughout the world. Also the payments made through these cards have a multiple layer of security and protection including on time and instant payments.

Nowadays the debit cards are being used globally. Almost all the banks provide this facility. Due to the fact that it is one of the fastest and securest modes of payment, it is popular among big business men.

These days there are so many credit cards offers that choosing the most beneficial one is very difficult. You will end up browsing so many websites to find the best one. So, if you want to save your time you can visit creditcardsclub.com. They have given amazing credit card ratings and reviews of almost all popular credit card companies. Now you do not have to waste your valuable time anymore you can simply visit them and compare several companies. This will help you in choosing the best company with low interest rates.

To make a right and perfect choice it is very important to read as many reviews as possible. You can go through their credit card categories to find credit cards with no annual fees, low interest credit cards, 0% APR cards, business credit cards, Bad credit cards and many more. They have also displayed reward cards such as cash back cards, airline rewards, gas rewards, travel rewards and lots. They share a top credit card category for their visitors so that they have to go through all reviews. If you are looking for financial articles you can get them on their website. They have given many well-written articles to help you out in knowing about credit cards. They believe in providing true and beneficial information to their visitors so that they do not get cheated by credit card companies. To find a great deal on Internet for your credit card purchase you must visit CreditCardsClub.com because they can take you on a right track.

No one ever wants disasters to strike, but sometimes it’s just unavoidable. Fires, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters can happen at the blink of an eye, and without warning. Luckily you were smart and have insurance to help pay for starting over. So how exactly do you get the insurance company to cover the property that has been lost?

You will most likely be working with two main people, your claims adjuster and a salvage company representative. Many people say that both of these people will screw you over at the drop of a hat, but as long as you watch everything carefully, and read everything you sign carefully, you should be ok.

Your first step in this unfortunately long process is to survey what exactly was damaged during the event. Go literally room by room through your house and make a list of everything that was either destroyed or damaged. This can be hard if you your house and property has been damaged beyond recognition. A good preventative measure is to take a picture while your house is still intact. This way if a disaster were to happen, you can just look at your photos and see exactly what needs replaced. It’s also proof to your insurance company of what you owned. Even if you no longer have the receipt for an item you should still claim it. However, don’t take this as an opportunity to try to rip off your insurance company. They are smarted than may think they are and will get suspicious if you are claiming a lot of really expensive property for your estimated income. A really smart tip is to get a disaster proof box for all of your important documents including receipts for all your major purchases (such as TVs, Appliances, Bedroom Sets, and Furniture).

Next is the time to tally all of the numbers up. Use exact prices if you have receipts and estimated prices (check online for what your property is selling for) for the rest of your lost or damaged property. Be very diligent and detail oriented. Once again, if the insurance company suspects you are trying to rip them off; your experience will get a lot more difficult. If something is truly a priceless heirloom, or a one of a kind item, be sure to document that in writing along side your tallies. You can even attach a separate sheet of paper listing out the reasons why some items are worth more than they may seem. An adjuster may see $3,000 dollars for a dining room table and start to wonder, but if you explain to them that it’s a Chinese antique they will do more research into your item rather than just delete it from your list or re-value it at a lower price.

The next step is almost like a divorce proceedings. You bring to the table what you want, and the insurance adjuster brings to the table what they are willing to pay. They will compromise on some things, but they will also expect you to compromise on some things as well. Pick and choose your battles well or you will leave the table frustrated and probably with less money than if you would have been more flexible with your adjuster.

Your insurance adjuster will then take your final agreement to your insurance company. Once your insurance company accepts it they will send you a final letter with your settlement. It’s a rough process, but as long as you are flexible yet firm, you will be rebuilding in no time.

As the name suggests a debit card will deduct money directly from your account each time you use it. A debit card reduces the use of cash. Just like credit card you can also make purchases using a debit card. Now most of the debit cards can also be used as ATM card.

A debit card cannot be used to obtain credit and therefore it avoids expensive purchases.
With a debit card you can make purchases only that are affordable to you. By using debit card you need not be worried about making regular payments, fines and interest rates.
Thus debit card is more convenient when compared to a credit card.

Credit Cards Vs Debit Cards

Compared to credit card the major advantage of using a debit card is that the transaction will be cancelled if you don’t have enough money on your account. Debit card will not charge any interest as like credit card. Normally the interest rate charged for credit cards will be between 9-20%. Debit cards will not carry this risk. The other most advantage of a debit card is that it is easy to obtain. Unlike credit cards you need not have to show any personal identification or information during transaction.

Online cards and offline cards

There are normally two types of debit cards- online cards and offline cards. Online debit cards are enhanced ATM cards which perform similar to ATM cards. Here the money will be electronically transferred from the holder’s bank account to merchant’s account.
In order to access at a store terminal, you have to enter the PIN, just like in the ATM. The system will verify whether you have enough money to cover the transaction.

Offline credit card is similar to a credit card. The terminal of the merchant reads your card and instead of crediting it, it debits. Here the amount will not be deducted immediately from your account. The amount will be normally debited with in 2-3 days.

The major draw back of using a debit card is that it is less secure than a credit card as it is directly linked with your account. A debit is like a blank cheque. Any unauthorized person can take money from your account quickly. So you have to be careful while using a debit card. Before you choose your debit card, understand the policies and charges while using at ATMs of other banks. While choosing your debit card try to understand the terms and conditions regarding theft or unauthorized use. If you lost your card try to report as soon as possible. Never give your PIN to any other person. Don’t choose any PIN that is very easy to remember just like your telephone number. Take the receipt along with you after the purchase has been made with a debit card.