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The Fair Credit Reporting Act: What You Need to Know
What Do I Do If My Credit Is Stolen?
Teaching Kids About Credit Card Responsibility
Understanding Credit Card Ratings
Cell Phone=Credit Card?
Damaged Credit?
Fund your business with Credit Cards
Rewards Cards: Reap the Benefits
Credit Tips for the Holiday season
How Promotions work: Direct mail, TV Offers, and the Internet
Student Credit Cards
Finding the Right Card: Factors to Compare
 

How Promotions Work: Direct Mail, TV Offers and the Internet

 

Like other rewards cards, credit cards that offer promotions try to win your business by offering free merchandise, low APRs and cash rewards. The only difference is promotions are often much more generous.

Credit cards that offer promotions want your immediate business, so they’re willing to offer packages that are sure to grab your attention. Often, these promotions are more significant in the short-term and are only available through the exclusive offering. If you see a great promotional deal that accompanies a card which suits your credit needs, don’t wait until it’s too late to sign up. Promotions require quick action.

Some people don’t examine the potential promotions they can receive because promotions can make comparison-shopping difficult. With direct mail promotions or television advertisements, it’s not easy to see how certain credit cards stack up against others. However, by searching for promotions exclusive to the Internet, you can find similar offers while exploring all of your options.

One of the best ways to find the great promotions is to see which credit cards and businesses have ‘partnered’. For instance, sometimes a major gas station company, a car company and a credit card will get together on a package that includes car rebates, free gas, miles rewards and a low APR. If you take advantage of partnered promotional offerings, you can end up saving more than if you were just to look for a card designed for a single reward return.

In fact, some of the best promotional credit cards with time sensitive offerings include deals on cars. If you’re planning on purchasing a new vehicle, you should look to see if that particular brand or model has partnered with a credit card lender. Credit lenders and car companies will often work together to offer a financing package that works for all parties. With some promotional deals, you can get separate, lower APRs for large, promotional items, such as a new car. Just for signing up with a partnered credit card lender, you could save thousands of dollars on a vehicle you had already planned on buying. When you’re making such a large investment, you can’t afford to skip on the research.

The same applies to air miles cards. If a specific airline carrier and a credit card partner for a credit card, the promotional deals can offer big rewards like instant flight credits, double miles, free hotel packages and other unbeatable offers. These benefits are great if you make sure the promotion is something you can take advantage of.

Contests are a common promotion credit card companies offer new customers. When signing up, you can be automatically entered into giveaways, some of which can include generous cash prizes, cars, electronics and luxurious vacations. Cards that enter customers into contests understand that a promotional offer which plays the odds isn’t enough to persuade potential customers, so many also accompany low rates and merchandise giveaways.

Promotional giveaways are a fun way to get a product that you want, but don’t necessarily need. Some of the items can include sporting tickets, electronics and gift certificates. Look to see if a company that manufactures a product you want has partnered with a lending company.

When looking at promotional cards, make sure that the deals you want accompany cards that suit your other needs. If a card has an APR you can’t afford, or doesn’t offer the long-term rewards you need, it isn’t the right card for you. Luckily, there are numerous promotional giveaways that accompany a wide variety of cards, and if you look around, you should be able to find a card that rewards you both in the short- and long-term.

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