New Visa Logo

Looking for a Credit Card for Christmas Shopping? Before you submit a credit card application, first review the main points which will help you choose the right credit card for your needs.

What Charges You'll Make - If you're going to use the credit card mainly for booking airline reservations and hotels, it might be best for you to get a travel credit card that offers sky miles and hotel points or cashback. If this will be an emergency credit card only, then your main concern may be for a low interest rate credit card with low fees.

When You'll Repay Charges - Will you pay off credit card charges in full every month, or will you carry a balance month to month? If you're going to carry a balance, you want the lowest possible interest rate as well as a low introductory rate. But if you'll payoff balances in full every month, then interest rate really doesn't matter so no annual fee and/or a long grace period would be a bigger concern. If you're going to carry a balance, be concerned about how the finance charge is calculated. The most common method is the Average Daily Balance, which means that the daily balances are added together and then divided by the number of days in the billing cycle. Stay away from credit cards that compute the balance using two billing cycles, as this method costs more money in financing fees.

What Amount You'll Charge - If you're going to use the credit card for all your monthly expenses, then you need a card that has a high credit limit and a high cashback percentage.

More info about Interest Rates, Credit Limits, Incentives, Fees and Penalties

Interest Rates - The interest rate (Annual Percentage Rate) APR can either be a fixed rate or a variable rate that is tied to another financial indicator, most commonly the prime rate. With a fixed rate credit card you know what the interest rate will be every month, whereas a card with a variable rate can fluctuate. Of course, even the interest of a fixed rate card can change based on certain events, such as paying your credit card bill late, exceeding your limit, or simply because the credit card issuer decides to change it after providing you ample advance notice.

Credit Limit - This is the amount of money the credit card company will let you charge to the card. This amount varies depending upon the card offer and your credit history. Be sure to get a credit card with an ample limit, because getting close to your max can hurt your credit score. Just remember that you don't have to max out your limit just because it's available.

Incentives - To compete for and to gain customers, many credit card companies offer rewards. Even if you normally use cash, why not use your credit card and then use the cash to make the payment during the grace period? You still won't pay interest and meanwhile you'll rack-up rewards. A credit card with 5% cashback will earn you $5 for every $100 charged. If your total bills come to $2,000 per month, you'll earn a free $100 every month. Look for a rewards program that you'll use and which offers flexibility, such as cashback or travel.

Fees and Penalties - Compare common charges such as late fees, overlimit fees, balance transfers, cash advances, and for making payments by telephone. Regarding balance transfers, look for credit card offers with no transaction fees and zero percent interest for at least 12 months.

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New Visa Logo

By Credit Federal | Published 01/4/2006

Visa's New Logo Makes Official Debut In The U.S. Market

Visa Card Design Update to Reach New Audiences, Facilitate Product Extensions and Enhance Security

Visa USA has a new look for the famous blue, white, and gold Visa logo for the first time in 30 years. The new brand is designed to better reflect the broad range of electronic payment products provided by Visa's Member financial institutions and the ever expanding environments in which they're accepted.

"The Visa brand plays a critical role in connecting millions of cardholders and merchants. It's a brand that resonates around the world and today we're taking an important step that ensures our brand remains vibrant and relevant, positioning Visa for long-term growth," said Susanne D. Lyons, CMO, Visa USA. "Visa has evolved beyond credit cards to become the world leader in electronic payments including debit, commercial, and small business credit cards. The new logo and card design reflect these changes, and provide Visa and our Members with the flexibility to adapt to new innovations like contactless cards, payments by cell phones and whatever the next new technology may be."

Beginning today, the updated brand mark will start appearing on all new materials, including Visa payment cards, merchant decals, marketing materials and stadium signage. The new Visa mark, which debuted in regions outside the U.S. in September 2005, features prominent use of the iconic Visa brand name, the blue, white and gold colors, and italicized type style while incorporating new graphic enhancements to make it stand out even more.

Today also marks the rollout of a new card redesign. The new Visa cards will continue to carry the same protections that cardholders and merchants have come to know and trust, while offering important security enhancements including:

The dove hologram will move to the back of the card and be integrated into the magnetic stripe, enhancing Visa's multiple layers of security.

The three-digit security code, known as the CVV2 code, will be printed on a separate panel next to the signature panel, making it easier for consumers and merchants to read.

In addition to enhanced security, the evolution of the Visa brand architecture provides more design options for Members with more space on the front of the card for them to customize.

"The Visa brand is a valuable shared asset for all of our key stakeholders," said Lyons. "As stewards of the brand, we need to stay relevant and forward-looking to support everyone's needs - Members, merchants and cardholders. Today's changes are positioning the Visa brand for the future, providing the additional strength and flexibility required to strengthen and extend our leadership position in today's marketplace."

With more than 488 million cards issued and more than 6 million acceptance locations in the U.S., Visa has planned a gradual transition that will continue for the next several years. Comprehensive brand guidelines were made available to Visa Member banks and card manufacturers in July 2005 to prepare for the transition, while actual card changes will take place over the next three years to five years.

Meanwhile, Members and merchants have received detailed toolkits to assist with employee education, and Visa has conducted extensive training with law enforcement officials in preparation for the new card issuance within the U.S. New Visa signage, such as window decals, tent cards, and check presenters have been made available for use by merchants. The new logo will be featured in upcoming print and television advertising.

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New Visa Logo - by <a href=http://creditfederal.com>CreditFederal.com</a> Visa's New Logo Makes Official Debut In The U.S. Market <a href="http://creditfederal.com/visa-credit-card.html">Visa Card</a> Design Update to Reach New Audiences, Facilitate Product Extensions and Enhance Security Visa USA has a new look for the famous blue, white, and gold Visa logo for the first time in 30 years. The new brand is designed to better reflect the broad range of electronic payment products provided by Visa's Member financial institutions and the ever expanding environments in which they're accepted. "The Visa brand plays a critical role in connecting millions of cardholders and merchants. It's a brand that resonates around the world and today we're taking an important step that ensures our brand remains vibrant and relevant, positioning Visa for long-term growth," said Susanne D. Lyons, CMO, Visa USA. "Visa has evolved beyond credit cards to become the world leader in electronic payments including debit, commercial, and small business credit cards. The new logo and card design reflect these changes, and provide Visa and our Members with the flexibility to adapt to new innovations like contactless cards, payments by cell phones and whatever the next new technology may be." Beginning today, the updated brand mark will start appearing on all new materials, including Visa payment cards, merchant decals, marketing materials and stadium signage. The new Visa mark, which debuted in regions outside the U.S. in September 2005, features prominent use of the iconic Visa brand name, the blue, white and gold colors, and italicized type style while incorporating new graphic enhancements to make it stand out even more. Today also marks the rollout of a new card redesign. The new Visa cards will continue to carry the same protections that cardholders and merchants have come to know and trust, while offering important security enhancements including: The dove hologram will move to the back of the card and be integrated into the magnetic stripe, enhancing Visa's multiple layers of security. The three-digit security code, known as the CVV2 code, will be printed on a separate panel next to the signature panel, making it easier for consumers and merchants to read. In addition to enhanced security, the evolution of the Visa brand architecture provides more design options for Members with more space on the front of the card for them to customize. "The Visa brand is a valuable shared asset for all of our key stakeholders," said Lyons. "As stewards of the brand, we need to stay relevant and forward-looking to support everyone's needs - Members, merchants and cardholders. Today's changes are positioning the Visa brand for the future, providing the additional strength and flexibility required to strengthen and extend our leadership position in today's marketplace." With more than 488 million cards issued and more than 6 million acceptance locations in the U.S., Visa has planned a gradual transition that will continue for the next several years. Comprehensive brand guidelines were made available to Visa Member banks and card manufacturers in July 2005 to prepare for the transition, while actual card changes will take place over the next three years to five years. Meanwhile, Members and merchants have received detailed toolkits to assist with employee education, and Visa has conducted extensive training with law enforcement officials in preparation for the new card issuance within the U.S. New Visa signage, such as window decals, tent cards, and check presenters have been made available for use by merchants. The new logo will be featured in upcoming print and television advertising. This article provided courtesy of <a href=http://creditfederal.com target=_new>www.CreditFederal.com</a>, a personal credit resource of good or bad credit credit cards and loans.

Credit Tip: Need a high limit for Christmas credit card charges? If you have bad credit, consider a personal loan by refinancing your mortgage. Even if you have cash to buy Christmas presents, we recommend using a prepaid card to make purchases because it's safer than carrying cash.