Credit Information

Credit Card Rates - Negotiating Rates with Your Credit Card Company





Ok, let's face it, everybody hates high credit card rates, and they drain hard earned money out of your wallet. As a valued consumer, it is apparent that you learn how to negotiate to get the absolute best rate that you possibly can. The good news however is that it doesn't have to be a difficult or time-consuming process. In fact, it can be very easy indeed if you know what you're doing. In this article we will discuss the ins and outs of credit card negotiating to ensure that you get the best possible rate with the least amount of effort.

1. First and foremost, you should figure out if you even want to continue using your current credit card company. Are you pleased with the overall service that you are receiving? Do you like their benefits? If the answer is yes then you can proceed. If not, you should stop reading this article and start looking for a better company.

2. Second, you should evaluate your paying history and make sure that it is positive before you call to negotiate. If it is positive then you have power and if it isn't then you'll be negotiating from a position of weakness and that might not be good. Instead, you should wait until it is more positive before you call them to negotiate rates.

3. Third, if you have a good history then remember this when you call. In essence, you'll have extremely high negotiating power. The company needs your business in order to be successful and with clients they lose big time. Therefore, you should always display this "take them or leave them attitude" while conducting your negotiations.

4. Draft up a script and memorize it. It can be as simple as "Hello, my name is Bill and I have been a cardholder for X years and I consistently pay my bills on a time. Well recently I have been receiving all types of credit card offers from XYZ bank indicating that I qualify for an extremely low interest rate of X and am considering leaving you and going there if you can't offer me a lower rate. Is this something that you can help me with?

5. Practice, practice and practice some more with your script until you are completely and totally used to it. Once you are, contact the company. Read your script and see what happens.

6. If you get a hard nose customer service representative then don't threaten her. Be agreeable and ask to speak to his/her supervisor. If that is not possible, be nice to her and try again she may have some leeway. If you like your present company, you can even try negotiating interest rates, annual and even those yucky late fees.

7. However, if you're fed up, have an alternative company in the wings, and your current company won't budge with their rates then be willing to take your business elsewhere. After all, you hold the power so don't be afraid to use it! They key however is to not bluff but to follow through with your threat. Close the account, ask for them to send you notification in the mail, cancel the credit card and use another card.

Summary

You can be successful with the negotiating process if you follow the above mentioned tips. If your current company is unwilling to cooperate then you should simply take your business elsewhere. You're better off with another credit card company that values your savvy negotiating skills!

Claire Bowes is a successful freelance writer and owner of the http://www.the-credit-card-centre.co.uk where you will find further advice and tips on the best credit card deals, balance transfers and 0% credit cards.


MORE RESOURCES:

Bloomberg

Citigroup hopes to flood China with credit cards
CBS News
Citigroup (C) is set to become the first global bank to issue its own credit cards in China. The financial giant said Monday that Chinese banking regulators have given the company the green light to begin issuing credit cards in the country.
Nod for Citibank's Credit Cards May Signal Chinese Banking Market OpeningBloomberg
Citigroup to issue China credit cardsFinancial Times
Chinese Nod for Citibank Credit Cards May Signal Market OpeningSan Francisco Chronicle
Boston.com
all 134 news articles »


ABC News

Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images.
ABC News
Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images. Madonna went over the top with the Super Bowl halftime show as only the Queen of Pop could, doing a sequin and gold-studded medley of some of her greatest hits - "Vogue," "Like a Prayer" - and a couple of her ...

and more »


Credit Cards For Kids
San Francisco Chronicle
Should you give your child a credit card? Maybe. Credit cards are an increasingly common payment method in today's world, so the sooner your child learns to manage credit responsibly, the better. Can you teach your child to manage credit responsibly, ...
The 2012 Election & Your Credit CardsCredit.com News (blog)
Geithner: Financial Reform is Helping ConsumersBusiness Insider
US Consumers Paid Down Debt in 2011ACA International

all 4 news articles »


Credit Builder Loans Can Help Burnish Your Credit Score
New York Times (blog)
By TARA SIEGEL BERNARD If you're one of the many people whose credit took a big hit during the Great Recession, you may be looking for ways to nurse your score back to health. And we've written about a variety of strategies and products, ...
Letter: Selling information is a big businessThe Columbian

all 2 news articles »


ESPN (blog)

Brady: Credit to the Giants
ESPN (blog)
"I'd like to give the Giants a lot of credit," he said. "They certainly made the plays when they needed to. That is a very good football team. They put a lot of pressure on us. We just came up a little bit short. I think we had a couple of missed ...
Izenberg: Giants can credit this Super Bowl crown to their defenseThe Star-Ledger - NJ.com
Quarterbacks get too much credit for Super Bowl winsWashington Observer Reporter
Have We Given the Patriots Offensive Line Enough Credit?WEEI.com
KENS 5 TV -Los Angeles Times -San Jose Mercury News (blog)
all 17,419 news articles »


Russia, China lose credit in Arab world: League chief
Reuters
By Paul Ingrassia and Edmund Blair | CAIRO (Reuters) - The Arab League chief said on Monday that Russia and China had lost diplomatic credit in the Arab world by vetoing a UN resolution on Syria and may have sent a message to Damascus that it had a ...

and more »


Navigant Credit Union Selects Acumen from Fiserv
MarketWatch (press release)
Fiserv, Inc. /quotes/zigman/72191/quotes/nls/fisv FISV -1.09% , a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions and the largest provider of business-driven technology solutions for credit unions, announced today that Navigant ...

and more »


TAX TIP: Check your Eligibility for EITC
Lahontan Valley News
The Earned Income Tax Credit is a financial boost for workers earning $49078 or less in 2011. Four of five eligible taxpayers filed for and received their EITC last year. The IRS wants you to get what you earned also, if you are eligible.
2011 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Benefits Working Families With Up to ...MarketWatch (press release)

all 7 news articles »


Bloomberg

Denmark's Credit Crunch Worsening as Retrenching Banks Spur Vicious Circle
Bloomberg
Denmark's credit crunch is getting worse as businesses accuse banks of withholding funds and the financial regulator warns that deteriorating asset quality may put more lenders out of business. “When we ask our companies, small- and medium-sized, ...

and more »


Credit card rates rise for rewards cards
Fox Business
Despite that, the rate on consumer rewards credit cards rose during the second half of January, pulling overall consumer credit card rates up as well. Even with the other categories remaining stable, when compared with the broader interest rate context ...
If you have any questions about rewards credit cards, please just fire away.USA TODAY (blog)

all 2 news articles »

Google News

Home | Site Map |
© 2007