"The negative is comparable to the composer's score and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways."Ansel Adams
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How APR(Annual Percentage Rate) works with credit cards.
One of the most important factors when deciding which credit card to choose is a comparison of the APR, or Annual Percentage Rate. This is the cost of credit, the actual interest rate, determined on an annual basis and expressed as a yearly rate. By ...
Teenagers And Credit Cards
If you have a teenage son or daughter you can be sure they are getting offers for credit cards. And while we all know how important having a credit card is in case of an emergency, it is just as important to make sure your child understands the ...
The Truth About Free Credit Cards
There are many credit card offers claiming they are free credit cards. What they mean is that they do not charge you for the card. It does not take much to figure out that can not be true. Credit card companies do not make any money without charging some ...
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What is a contactless credit card and how does it work?
For decades, credit cards have relied on magnetic stripes located on the reverse side of the card to store data. To transmit this data, the card must be swiped through a magnetic reader, making physical contact with the stripe. A contactless credit card, on the other hand, stores its data on a chip embedded in the card's plastic. This data is transmitted not magnetically, but rather via a tiny radio signal when the card comes in close proximity of a special reader at the checkout stand. This works through radio frequency identification technology, also known as RFID. When the chip comes close enough to the reader, an antenna on the chip is jolted to life by the electromagnetic field created by the reader, and transaction data is sent to into the system.
What are the advantages of contactless credit cards?
For starters, these RFID credit cards are much faster and more convenient than traditional magnetic stripe cards. A cardholder simply waves the card over the reader, waits a moment for the acceptence signal from the machine, and that's it. There's no need to fumble for cash, and with transactions under $25, there is no need to key in a PIN code or sign a receipt. Just wave and go. Also, since the card never leaves the user's hand, it is considered by some to be more secure.
What are the disadvantages of contactless credit cards?
Some opponents to contactless credit cards have contended that there are security risks with using these RFID credit cards, as the radio transmission could potentially get intercepted by a criminal with malicious intentions. The good news, however, is that the actual credit card number is not transmitted via radio wave. Rather, it is a unique encrypted code only good for RFID transactions. Also, just like ordinary cards, cardholders are not liable for any fraudulent charges.
Where can contactless credit cards be used?
Currently, Visa Contactless, American ExpressPay, and MasterCard PayPass are available at select retailers in certain locations in the United States, including 7-Eleven, McDonald's, KFC, Arby's, Walgreens, Sony Style, Wawa, Sheetz, CVS Pharmacy, and a variety of movie theaters. Retailers capable of handing contactless credit card transactions will have a special symbol on their credit card reader located at the checkout stand. RFID credit cards can also be used at any location that accepts ordinary credit cards, since the new contactless cards will still have a regular magnetic stripe on the back.
Who offers contactless credit cards?
All new American Express Blue and Blue Cash cards now come equipped with the contactless feature. Also available from American Express is an RFID key fob that can be linked to most existing credit card accounts. Chase has teamed with MasterCard and Visa to offer Chase blink cards in a variety of styles.
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Card debt still choking low, middle incomesChicago TribuneForty percent have turned to their credit cards to cover basic living expenses such as rent, mortgage bills, groceries and utilities, according to a national survey by think tank Demos. Those surveyed were low- and middle-income people who carried a ... |
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Glacier Credit Card Trust Raises C$200M From Debt IssueWall Street JournalTORONTO (Dow Jones)--Glacier Credit Card Trust raised C$200 millon (US$195.3 million) from an issue of asset-backed securities, according to people familiar with the matter. The offering was priced at 138 basis points over the relevant Government of ...and more » |
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