Shopping/ Merchandise card credit limits
Merchandise cards have low credit limits in most cases, but in the past several years, these limits have increased. Additionally, some shopping offers will give you a low credit limit and, over time, increase it as you prove your reliability. With these kinds of cards, it’s not uncommon for users to get from a $400 to a $600 credit limit initially. However, it also depends on what kind of store we are talking about. Giving out such a small credit limit for a large gadget means that the cardholder won’t be able to buy anything. However, with such a low credit limit, you will need to have a lot of control to ensure that your credit utilization rate doesn’t go over 30%.
Patience, please!
Simply put, merchandise cards require a lot of patience, and you can’t start buying everything you want instantly. On the other hand, if you are buying a lot and reaching the credit limit while paying off your balance on a regular basis, the card issuer might extend your limit prematurely to give you more spending ability.
Tips for using your store credit card responsibly
Like with any other credit card, you also need to use your shopping card responsibly. After all, nobody can guarantee complete safety if you aren’t making sure that you are doing everything in your power to protect yourself financially. Here are 5 things you need to do:
Protect your PIN
Your PIN number should be known by you alone. Make sure that you memorize it and don’t share it with anyone. If you have to, write it down somewhere but don’t carry it along with your credit card. This way, if someone gets ahold of your card, they won’t be able to use it because they don’t know the PIN.
Make sure your account number is completely private
There are several ways someone can find out your credit card number. You need to make sure this doesn’t happen by taking the necessary steps:
- Make sure that your card is always kept private and that nobody sees it in public.
- Never give anyone your card information on the phone. Do this only when you contact your issuer directly and when you make the call.
- Don’t answer emails that require personal information or any card information even if it looks like they’re coming from your card issuer.
Make online protection a priority
People are shopping online more than ever, and they can easily get carried away because they are sitting at home in front of their computers and forget about the dangers. This is why it’s essential to make sure that you are protecting all of your information online. Always make sure that the site you are shopping from is, in fact, the genuine website of the retailer. See if the site is secured and don’t give out any information anywhere unless you know how it will be used in the future. Check out all the policies involving shipping, returns, refunds, and payments.
Protect your passwords
First of all, make sure that you set up a complex password that is at least 9 characters long. To make it even more difficult to crack, include both numbers and letters. Create an account with your card only on the official site and don’t use it anywhere else. Make sure that your card account password is unique.
Update all of your information regularly
If you are moving, notify your card issuer. All of the information, including credit card statements, needs to have the right address. Use your cell phone number to sign up for potential fraud alerts, and always update your phone number so that nobody can abuse it.
Store Credit Offers Comparison
Buy On Trust vs Electro Finance – detailed comparison of buy to lease electronics lenders that offers store credit to purchase goods in BestBuy.
Bottom Line
Shopping cards have their upsides and downsides, which makes them suited for some people but not for others. You need to recognize whether your shopping and spending habits will fit in well with what a certain merchandise credit card has to offer. Think about all of the terms and conditions a card offers you before making the final decision because being stuck with a bad card can be a tiresome experience. We hope this post helped you understand what shopping credit cards are and how they work.
