Store Cards: Seldom the Better Deal

With offers of an additional 15 percent off your purchase or free merchandise, it's tempting to apply for credit cards from your favorite retail stores. Think twice, however, before signing up. If you don't pay the bill in full at the end of each month, you could end up paying much more than you originally would have saved.

 

That's because interest rates on retail cards average about ten percentage points higher than credit union credit cards. Store cards usually offer special incentives for cardholders to increase loyalty and encourage them to spend more. 

 

The average household has about 2.5 store-issued credit cards. If you plan to buy a car or house in the near future, it can hurt your chances to get a loan at a favorable rate if you have many recently opened lines of credit. It's usually better to have one major credit card that you can use for all items you wish to charge.

 

Ascentra Credit Union offers credit cards at great rates and term like: no annual fee, no balance transfer fee with low balance transfer rate for 6 months, uChoose Rewards program, and a special holiday rate.