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I've had a VISA card for many years with no problems. I've decided it might come in handy to acquire a second card. I carry no balance, and am what you would call, "a small-time operator." I usually have a monthly statement of less than $500, which I pay off. Would something like Discover or Master Card be good?
Get a rewards card. My current favorite is the Citi Double Cash Rewards. It pays 2% cash back on everything. Mine is a MC, but it probably comes as a Visa too.
I've had a VISA card for many years with no problems. I've decided it might come in handy to acquire a second card. I carry no balance, and am what you would call, "a small-time operator." I usually have a monthly statement of less than $500, which I pay off. Would something like Discover or Master Card be good?
Visa/Mastercard isn't nearly as important as who the bank is, since the bank is the one who sets most of the terms of the card(Rate, Rewards, Limit, etc). While you may run into a few things internationally, I don't think there's a need to make sure you get a Mastercard.
A second card isn't a bad idea though. If you're always paying off the balance in full every month, focus on the rewards aspect since the rate is meaningless to you.
I've had a VISA card for many years with no problems. I've decided it might come in handy to acquire a second card. I carry no balance, and am what you would call, "a small-time operator." I usually have a monthly statement of less than $500, which I pay off. Would something like Discover or Master Card be good?
In todays world, if you are a "smart operator" you can actually earn some halfway decent kickbacks by using cards that offer rewards without paying a penny in interest.
I'm like you, no balance is the right balance. So what benefit do you expect to gain from a second card?
Note that a second card raises your potential limit of indebtedness, which is considered when applying for auto loans, mortgages, etc. In other words, creditors consider that if you maxed out both cards and had to make payments on each you would have less cash available to pay other things. Having one card with a 20K limit is better than two cards with a 40K limit for that reason. And of course, from a privacy standpoint the less you buy with plastic the better. One less company building a marketing profile based on your every purchase.
I usually carry zero balance, but every so often one of the 3 floats me a 0% interest offer that I take advantage of. Seems like every 3-4 months I get another offer.
I'm like you, no balance is the right balance. So what benefit do you expect to gain from a second card?
Note that a second card raises your potential limit of indebtedness, which is considered when applying for auto loans, mortgages, etc. In other words, creditors consider that if you maxed out both cards and had to make payments on each you would have less cash available to pay other things. Having one card with a 20K limit is better than two cards with a 40K limit for that reason. And of course, from a privacy standpoint the less you buy with plastic the better. One less company building a marketing profile based on your every purchase.
If you wanted to put everything on the cards and pay the full amount every month to get rewards without paying interest, you'd have a lower utilization ratio with 2 cards than with 1.
Not saying everyone has to do it, just that for some people there are benefits.
If you wanted to put everything on the cards and pay the full amount every month to get rewards without paying interest, you'd have a lower utilization ratio with 2 cards than with 1.
Not saying everyone has to do it, just that for some people there are benefits.
And of course another benefit is that if one card is compromised, you can switch to using the other card until the replacement for the first card arrives in the mail. (This is an especially important benefit when you're traveling.)
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