Find the Best Credit Card Offers

For over 6 years, Credit Card Depot has been helping consumers compare the best credit card offers online. We provide vital credit card application details on offers from Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express® and Discover® so our visitors can isolate the best credit card deals on the market. Whether you're looking for a 0% credit card to reduce interest expenses or a rewards credit card that features airline miles, our website can help you sort through the plethora of offers available and find the best credit card for your lifestyle.

Top Rated Credit Card Applications

Credit card companies have been generating a lot of headlines lately, and not the type they'd like. While increased regulation over how credit card offers are marketed to consumers will make the process of choosing a credit card simpler in the future, for the time being, understanding credit card applications still requires due diligence. Here, we will look at the key elements you should examine before applying for a credit card online.

Without question, the most important element of a credit card offer is the long term interest rate. This is the APR our balances are charged once 0% honeymoons end. Unfortunately, most credit cards offer multiple interest rates for the same cards. These tiered or range bound APRs can be a bit confusing, especially since the lowest APR is generally the advertised APR. Essentially, credit cards that offer tiered rates will offer three interest rates. The lowest APR will be for consumers with the best credit and the highest APR will be for those who just meet approval criteria.

With tiered interest rates, a consumer who does not qualify for the lowest interest rate will be given the second rate offered. Oftentimes, this can be 4% higher than the lowest advertised rate. Unfortunately, the difference between getting the lowest rate and the second rate could theoretically come down to 1 point on your credit score.

The better alternative to tiered pricing is range pricing. Credit card offers with range pricing, such as those from Discover, charge consumers interest rates between, for example, 11.99% and 18.99%. If an applicant doesn't qualify for a 11.99% APR, they may be offered an 11.24% APR. For most consumers seeking a low long term interest rate, these are the best credit cards offers.

0% APR credit cards often have pricing tiers as well. Applicants with the best credit will be given 0% interest rates for 1 year, while those who barely qualify will be given 0% rates for as little as three or six months. Because you will not know your long term interest rate or the length of your 0% APR when you apply, it is particularly important to wait until your credit card arrives in the mail before initiating balance transfers. I can only imagine how many consumers transferred balances online expecting a 0% APR for 1 year, only to find out they've been given a 0% APR for three or six months. The thought is sickening. (Credit Card Application Tip: Discover offers the full advertised 0% interest rate period to all approved applicants.)

While long term interest rates and the lengths of 0% APR deals are the most important factors to consider when you apply for a credit card online, other factors such as rewards, annual fees, late fees, cash advance fees, and over-the-limit fees should also be taken into consideration. Generally, credit card rewards should be considered a perk and nothing more. Unless you pay your balance in full every month, stick to cash back rewards programs that charge no annual fees. As to the rest of the fees, please avoid them at all costs. Credit card companies love fees and use events such as late payments or exceeded credit limits to raise interest rates into the high 20 percents. Simply use your credit card wisely and you won't have to worry about them.

Lastly, when trying to find the best credit card, remember that the best credit card for some people may not be the best credit card for you. Select a credit card that fits your credit card usage style and credit profile. If you carry balances from month to month, seek out a low apr credit card that offers a 0% APR. If you pay your bill in full every month, look for a card with a lucrative rewards program. Ultimately, the best credit card is the one that costs you the least money to use. Hopefully, you can find such a card here.

Recent Credit Card Articles

Finding the Best Credit Card Offer
If you're not using a 0% APR credit card, you're probably paying a much higher interest rate than you were a few years ago. And, if the credit card market continues on its current path, you may not be able to access 0% interest rates much longer. Learn more about 0 APR credit card offers and find out how to select the best credit card for your lifestyle.

0% APR Credit Cards Get One While You Card:
Most of us have thrown out a few hundred 0% APR credit card applications during the past few years. For a while, it was nearly impossible to open up the mailbox without receiving at least one credit card solicitation. Recently, those once annoying offers have all but disappeared. And, while there is still an abundance of 0% credit cards on the internet, these offers may soon disappear as well.

Credit Card Depot's Balance Transfer Website
Due to strong visitor interest in balance transfer credit cards, Credit Card Depot Inc has launched a companion website, www.SmartBalanceTransfers.com. At Smart Balance Transfers, consumers can compare current balance transfer offers from all the leading banks before applying online. Additionally, Smart Balance Transfers features in depth articles as well as a balance transfer calculator designed to help consumers make the best balance transfer decision. To learn more about balance transfer credit cards, visit Smart Balance Transfers.

0% APR Credit Card Offers
Credit card companies are once again offering 0% APR credit card deals lasting up to 12 months. However, after 0% intro periods expire, interest rates are significantly higher. Nevertheless, getting a 0% APR credit card with a 12 month intro period is once again possible for the time being.

Cash Advance Credit Cards You Should Know About These Costs:
Thinking about taking a cash advance from your credit card? Be careful. Interest rates on cash advances can be nearly double standard rates. If that's not enough to make you think twice, cash advance fees are steadily rising, with some companies now charging 4%. And when you pay your credit card balances, the money you send in goes to the balance with the lowest interest rate, not cash advance interest rate. Learn more about cash advance credit cards.

Need a Credit Card For Gifts? Apply Soon: If you're seeking out a 0% credit card to use for holiday gifts, try to apply as soon as possible, since getting a new credit card can take at least a week. Some companies may notify you of your approval status quickly, but credit cards still have to ship via snail mail.

Instant Approval Credit Cards Today: The days of the instant approval credit card are all but finished.  While a few companies continue to advertise instant credit decisions and sixty second approval, the vast majority of credit card companies no longer provide approval decisions immediately.  This will come as a not so pleasant surprise to anyone hoping to get a credit [...]

The Best Credit Cards of 2009: The best credit cards of 2009 were not Visa or Mastercard credit cards. Despite coming in second in J.D. Power's credit card satisfaction survey, Discover credit cards are clearly the best credit card offers available to consumers.

Low APR Credit Cards Today: Despite an historically low Prime Rate, low APR credit card offers carry significantly higher APRs than they did two years ago. One method to avoid these higher interest rates is to take advantage of 0% credit card offers. Another is to repay credit card debt as quickly as possible.

Understanding 0% Credit Card Offers: 0% credit card offers are not as straightforward as they seem. Many credit cards offer 0% interest rates for up to 1 year, but may approve you with a 0% APR for 6 months. The same is true for low long term interest rates.