At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time.

Credit cards and convenience fees

The idea of charging convenience fees for debit and credit card use isn’t entirely new. There’s a good chance you already do so if you use plastic to pay your power bills or for some government services. And back in June 2011, the IndexCreditCards.com news blog reported that UCLA had started charging a 2.75 percent fee to those students who choose to pay their tuition and fees, housing costs, parking permits and so on using certain credit cards.

None of this is good news for credit card companies, which are anxious to encourage people to use their plastic on as many occasions as possible. That’s so they maximize their revenues from the “interchange” fees (the cut of the transaction value) that they receive every time a card is swiped.

Indeed, both MasterCard and Visa ban the levying of supplementary charges (sometimes called “checkout fees”) for card use in their general merchant agreements, and encourage customers to report retailers and others who try to tack them on. What isn’t banned is offering a discount to those who pay by cash, check or PIN debit card. According to Visa’s website:

Retailers can encourage their customers to use other forms of payment, such as cash and checks, and can discount for PIN debit and cash and checks provided that the offer is made to all respective buyers.

Visa also reminds customers that it’s illegal to charge checkout fees for credit card use in most circumstances in 10 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Credit cards remain a good way to pay

Given half a chance, many merchants would probably love to cover the cost of processing credit card transactions by levying checkout fees. But it’s unlikely that many CEOs are going to set themselves up for a repeat performance of Dan Mead’s climbdown any time soon. So maybe Verizon has done cardholders (and credit card companies) a favor by deterring others who might otherwise have been similarly tempted to challenge the status quo.

Credit card use “surges”

The Post’s piece cited support from two sources for its contention. First is — appropriately enough — First Data, a research company that tracks how consumers make payments. It found that, compared with the same period in 2010, credit card purchases increased by 7 percent in November, and then “surged” again in the first part of December. And it went on to quote Ed Ferrell, director of the Consumer Reports national research center:

If past behavior is any predictor, the closer you get to Dec. 25 the more likely you’re running into that store and buying whatever you can. Plastic really starts flying more.

The second source was an earlier study by Consumer Reports itself. This found that, although the number of consumers who said they were planning to use credit cards over the holiday season remained steady compared with last year, the amount they intended to charge to those cards had increased by 6 percent. On average, respondents thought they’d add $756 to their card balances this year.

Credit card debt remains an unknown

Of course, a large proportion of those using plastic are likely to pay down their balances in full when their next monthly statement falls due. But some won’t, and it’s the number of those that credit card companies and other industry observers will be watching carefully.

Stand by for close scrutiny of data from many private and public bodies as they report over the coming weeks, and especially of the Federal Reserve’s figures for total credit card debt, which are due to be released in early January for November’s balances, and early February for December’s.

Credit card debt and consumer confidence

Two questions many people are likely to ask themselves when they come to decide how much they should reduce their holiday card balances are:

1. How secure do I feel in my job?
2. How confident am I in my financial prospects?

The answers to both these may be more cheerful now than they have been recently. Everyone knows that the unemployment rate has at last begun to fall, and the optimism that comes with this was reflected in The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which was published Dec. 27. Lynn Franco, director of the Board’s consumer research center, observed in a statement that day:

Looking ahead, consumers are more optimistic that business conditions, employment prospects, and their financial situations will continue to get better. While consumers are ending the year in a somewhat more upbeat mood, it is too soon to tell if this is a rebound from earlier declines or a sustainable shift in attitudes.

Credit card interest rates a factor

People who are considering carrying forward balances for the first time since the credit crunch should bear in mind one factor beyond their immediate prospects: the credit card interest rates they pay may be higher than they used to be. Right now, the IndexCreditCards.com rate monitor puts the average for all cards at 16.71 percent, while those for rewards credit cards average 17.58 percent.

It’s that higher rate that lies behind a piece of advice that’s oft-repeated here: charge to rewards credit cards only those purchases that you can clear at the end of the current billing cycle. Everything else should go on low interest credit cards.

“How much interest will I pay?”

Of course, even relatively high rates are unlikely to prove a serious problem for those thinking of paying down their holiday spending over two or three months. But anyone planning to carry credit card debt over the long term should probably take the costs of doing so seriously. So, if you’re in that position, why not check out this site’s credit card calculators, which can answer a range of questions, including “How much interest will I pay?“

Credit cards taking the strain…

USAA’s third annual holiday spending survey found that 48 percent of respondents were going to use their credit cards to buy holiday gifts (up from 42 percent in 2010), but surprisingly few consumers planned to clear their credit card debt immediately. As the organization’s press release put it, “Older is wiser when it comes to credit card management.” The percentage of respondents who intended to fully pay down their balances as soon as possible were:

• 55-64 year olds: 41 percent
• 45-54 year olds: 37 percent
• 35-44 year olds: 34 percent
• 18-34 year olds: 27 percent

Yep, nearly three in four young people said they were going to roll forward their card balances. USAA’s June Walbert, who’s a Certified Financial Planner, took a dim view of that. Speaking about all card users, she said in a statement:

Credit cards have many benefits, including general convenience, the ability to reap rewards, and fraud protection. However, financially responsible shoppers must remember to pay off the balance each month to avoid paying interest fees.

… or contributing to the stress?

The other November poll was conducted by CBS News. Over one-third of this survey’s respondents said that contemplating their holiday spending made them more stressed in 2011 than in previous years. That’s no surprise when you hear that 66 percent of those with household incomes under $50K a year were either somewhat or very concerned about not being able to afford the gifts they wanted to buy. Add in those with higher incomes, and you still find half of respondents with these concerns. A whopping 80 percent said they only had just enough or not enough money to buy the gifts they wanted.

Many of the 33 percent who didn’t have enough (more than half of the under-$50K category) may have taken on credit card debt to cover their shortfalls. However, that’s not always a wise move. In October, Consumer Reports found that 14.1 million Americans were then — 10 months after the festivities had ended — still paying back card debt they took on to cover holiday expenses in 2010.

Yet another poll was published just before Christmas by an organization called FreeScore.com. It’s hard to know how seriously to take its results because the press release that reported it failed to include any details of the survey’s sample size or methodology. But, for what it’s worth, it found:

1. The average consumer spends four hours each day worrying about or thinking about debt.
2. As many as 11 percent spend a (to this blogger, literally) incredible 10 hours a day worrying or thinking about debt.

The press release did include one indisputable fact. If you are stressed out about credit card debt (or any other sort), get advice. A good starting point is the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Credit card giving boosted by Capital One

‘Tis the season for charitable giving, so first up is Capital One, which recently reminded its customers of its donations website, www.capitalone.com/give. Generally, credit card companies deduct interchange fees from charitable donations, which means that up to 5 percent of any gift made using plastic goes into issuers’ coffers. But for those using this site, Capital One waives its fees, and 100 percent of your donation reaches the good cause of your choice.

You can search the site’s 1.2 million-strong database for the charity of your choice by name, type of cause or zip code, and you can also redeem points from Capital One rewards cards to make your donation. As Katya Andresen, the chief strategy officer at Network for Good, remarked in a press release:

While offline giving has declined through the economic downturn, online giving is on the rise and people are looking for easy, convenient and cost-effective ways to be generous. The Giving Site is a great tool for consumers and we are thrilled that Capital One is getting extra money to charities at a time when every penny counts.

Too busy to shop? American Express takes it on for you

If you’re lucky enough to have an American Express Platinum Card, your holiday shopping just got a whole lot easier. That’s because the concierge service that comes with that particular card is offering to do all the legwork for you.

All you have to do is send a list of the gifts you require, and the concierge team will research your options, find you the best price, buy what you want on your card, and then make sure the items are delivered in time for Christmas.

Store credit cards in decline

The amount people spent on “private-label” (store and similarly branded) credit cards plummeted by 14.4 percent to $183 billion in 2010, according to a study conducted by Packaged Facts and reported in Marketing Daily on Nov. 30.

Meanwhile the “receivables” (the total credit card debt outstanding) on private-label plastic fell even further, down 18 percent during last year. Much of this may be down to credit card companies “charging off” debt (writing it off their books and passing it on to collection agencies), though the dollar volume spent on this sort of card was also down.

This may well be a good thing. Although private-label plastic often comes with tempting discounts and exclusive offers, mainstream credit card interest rates tend to be lower than those for store cards, and the latter are frequently an expensive form of credit card debt.

It’s generally better to use low interest credit cards — rather than store cards or rewards credit cards — for purchases that you won’t be paying down quickly.

Record-breaking online holiday shopping

ComScore, a research company specializing in the digital world, is tracking online holiday spending. And 2011 is proving to be a bumper year. Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 4, online spending reached $19.57 billion, 15 percent up on the same period in 2010. On Cyber Monday (Nov. 28) alone, it reached over $1.25 billion, 22 percent more than that day last year.

This is almost certainly good news for credit card companies. More and more people are recognizing the superior statutory protections offered to consumers by credit cards — as opposed to debit, gift and prepaid cards — and these can be especially valuable online. So the more people shop on the web, the more the turnover of card issuers is likely to rise.

Top credit card complaints

The CFPB broke down complaints into 33 categories (including one called “other”), so it gives us a chance to see the things about credit card companies that bother people most. Perhaps surprisingly, only three of these each made up over 10 percent of the total:

1. Billing disputes: 13.4 percent
2. Credit card rates: 11.0 percent
3. Identity theft/fraud/embezzlement: 10.8 percent

The fourth largest category was that “other” one, and no other (other than “other”) accounted for more than 4.4 percent of all complaints. One interesting observation is the low levels at which the three fee-related categories (late fee, overlimit fee and other fee) appear. When you add them all together, they make up less than 8 percent of all complaints. Before the Credit Card Act was implemented, you might have expected the ultra-high penalty fees that issuers used to charge to have topped the list.

Credit card interest rates

At first sight, consumers’ beefs with credit card rates seem strange. We all know what rates we have to pay on our cards, so what’s the problem? Unfortunately, the CFPB doesn’t provide an answer, but it may be that penalty rates are the issue. These can be triggered by late payments, and often result in a doubling of the APR that a consumer is used to paying. You can see someone being outraged if such a hike were to be imposed (and one usually would be) after they’d provided their credit card issuer with a perfectly reasonable and innocent explanation for a one-off slip.

Of course, credit card interest rates could easily become an increasingly common cause of complaint in the future. Most credit cards today have variable rates, and when these eventually begin to climb–and some believe they might do so steeply once the economy gets fully back on its feet–then many who carry forward significant balances could well find themselves suffering real pain.

Balance transfer credit cards

It was encouraging to see that only 83 complaints (1.7 percent of the total) were received concerning balance transfer credit cards or balance transfer fees. Many see these as important tools that can help them head off financial problems before they get too serious, so it’s important they work well.

However, you have to recognize the limitations of the data. If only 83 balance transfer credit cards were to have been issued during the period the figures covered (an incredibly unlikely scenario) then that would mean that every one of them was a cause of complaint. The thing is, we don’t know how many were issued, so we can’t make more than intelligent guesses about how well they’re performing for cardholders.

There is another weakness in the CFPB report: it provides only a snapshot of the period covered. Of course, that’s inevitable for the first data from any tracking study. What will be even more interesting in the future is to watch trends develop. The CFPB, the credit card companies, and you as a cardholder should then be able to identify problem areas of the business as they emerge, and address them. So, for example, you might one day see that complaints concerning cash advance fees have suddenly jumped (they account for only 0.3 percent in the current report), and that might prompt you to check whether your issuers have bumped up their fees recently and, if so, consider switching to a different card.

A truly free market can only exist when all parties have access to full, accurate and timely information. Anything that improves the flow of knowledge, even imperfectly, should surely be welcomed. The CFPB is surely a step in the right direction.

Online shopping

How many will venture out and how many will head for their home computers may well depend on the weather and the crowds. Extrapolating from the NRF survey sample, about 74 million are certain to visit stores, while another 77 million say they plan to wait and see how cold it is and how mobbed the malls are.

One thing seems certain, at least according to new research published by comScore on Nov. 23: it’s going to be a bumper year for online sales. Just during the first 20 days of November, retail e-commerce sales reached $9.67 billion, 14 percent up on the $8.47 billion spent during the same period last year. comScore now forecasts that such purchases for the whole 2011 holiday season will top $37.6 billion, 15 percent up on 2010’s equivalent number.

Credit cards and online shopping

Presumably, a large chunk of that will be spent using credit cards. There are at least four reasons why anyone with self-discipline, sound finances and cards (particularly rewards credit cards) should think twice before paying for online purchases any other way:

1. Credit cards provide better statutory protections against fraud and shoddy or wrongly described goods than any other payment method.
2. Many rewards credit cards are currently offering exceptional deals both on the cash and points you can earn and on redemptions.
3. You get an interest-free “loan” between the date you make a purchase and the date you have to settle your next card statement.
4. Many credit cards have built-in protections that can extend warranties and boost your right to return unwanted goods.

Credit card debt and temptation

Of course, those who can’t resist tempting bargains may be better off sticking to debit cards, checks and cash. Writing in the Detroit Free Press on Nov. 24, Susan Torpor gave a sobering example of how those extra impulse purchases can add up–and how they can affect your credit card debt.

Suppose, she suggested, that you charge an extra $25 a day in impulse purchases to your credit cards between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. If you only make minimum payments on the $950 you run up, it should, she calculates, take you six years to clear the debt. And, if your credit card rates average 15 percent (lucky you!), you’re likely to pay $501 in interest charges for the privilege.

No wonder credit card companies are so keen to tempt you with promotions and enhanced rewards this holiday. They want your money.

Credit card companies and sign-up bonuses

As you probably know by now, credit card companies are currently locked in a desperate battle to win market share. This largely explains the recent rush of enhancements to rewards credit cards. And it may also be behind sign-up bonuses, which card issuers pay on some products simply to say thank you for becoming a new customer and for spending a certain amount on your new plastic.

Right now, at least two cash back credit cards are offering a whopping $200 in sign-up bonuses, and that’s in addition to the usual rewards (up to 5 percent cash back) you would normally receive. But, before we explore those cards, here are two caveats:

1. You’re likely to need excellent credit in order to qualify for either, so don’t bother reading further if you’ve had financial problems recently. It’ll probably only make you feel worse.
2. Deals like these are seductive. Don’t apply if you already have significant credit card debt, or if you’re one of those people who can’t resist temptation when it comes to spending.

Cash back credit cards from Chase

The first of today’s cash back credit cards to offer a $200 sign-up bonus is the Chase Freedom® Visa card. To get the bonus, you have to spend at least $500 within the first three months that you have it, which may not be a problem, given the time of year.

Chase pays 5-percent cash back but only for purchases (capped at $1,500 a quarter) made within revolving categories that change every three months. So, for example, during the current (October-December) quarter, that 5 percent is paid on purchases made in restaurants, department stores and movie theaters, as well as on charitable donations. Generally speaking, you get 1 percent on everything else, though you can get up to 10 percent if you shop at certain retailers through Chase’s online portal.

There’s no annual fee on this card, but interest rates, which are variable, are currently 15.99 percent to 22.99 percent annual percentage rate (APR), depending on your creditworthiness. That isn’t uncompetitive, but it’s hardly generous either. It might be best to charge to this one only purchases that you know you can pay down quickly, and to use low interest credit cards for everything else.

Cash back credit cards from Citi

The second card (only alphabetically) is the Citi® Dividend World MasterCard®. The sign-up bonus deal is precisely the same as Chase’s: $200 back if you spend $500 during the first three months after your account is opened.

And its rewards are very similar too. Its bonus categories also pay 5 percent (1 percent on everything else), and change each quarter. Citi’s choice of categories for the current quarter seems even more seasonally appropriate than Chase’s:

1. Department stores
2. Clothing stores
3. Electronics stores
4. Toy stores

Citi caps the rewards you can earn in any one calendar year at $300, but makes an exception for purchases made through the Citi Bonus Cash Center, where they’re unlimited. Like the Chase card, Citi’s card has no annual fee, and, interestingly enough, both Chase and Citi charge precisely the same credit card rates on these two near-identical products. So the same suggestion applies about not using it for purchases that you can’t pay down quickly.

The fact these two credit cards are so similar may relieve you of one holiday headache: choosing which to apply for. Just toss a coin. Heads you win, tails you win.

This content is not provided or commissioned by any company mentioned in this post. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. This site is compensated by companies referenced in the blog posts through advertising, affiliate programs or otherwise.

Rewards credit cards bad?

That’s better. Anyway, the overall thrust of McNeal’s blog was that she was (on balance and with caveats) against rewards credit cards in general and travel rewards cards in particular. And she gave three reasons why:

1. Having had so much credit card debt before, she was determined to avoid it again. And using plastic for most purchases, rather than just exceptional ones as she does now, would mean that she’d have to micro-manage her cards so as to be sure she retained control.
2. Most travel rewards cards come with fees, and McNeal objects to those “on principle.”
3. Credit card interest rates on rewards plastic tend to be higher than those on non-rewards cards.

All of those are good points. If you’re going to use your rewards credit cards for most of your purchases, you really need to keep on top of managing your payments and expenditure. Everyone hates annual fees. And, on average, credit card interest rates are higher for rewards cards than others.

Rewards credit cards good?

However, only some people need to be concerned about McNeal’s points. Many have no difficulty in successfully managing their spending and payments. Quite a few are happy to pay a fee because they find the rewards they earn significantly outweigh it. And, as this blog regularly advises, rewards cards should ideally be used only for those transactions that are going to be cleared at the end of the then-current billing cycle; anything else should be charged to low interest credit cards.

You have to admire McNeal, and her counsel is spot-on for those, like her, who have a tendency to get carried away with their plastic. But, luckily, most of us aren’t in that position. For us, following such advice is about as sensible as asking a recovering alcoholic to recommend a good wine.

Finding the best travel credit card

Earlier this month, Rachel Koning Beals wrote a good piece on travel rewards cards for Business Insider. Beals is clearly an informed and insightful writer, not least because she referenced IndexCreditCards.com in her article. But enough mutual backscratching. The important thing is that she mentioned a key (perhaps the key) rule abut selecting travel rewards cards:

But long before consumers pack their flip-flops and board the dog, they should review the terms, fees, and interest rates attached to travel credit cards (and all cards with rewards programs), which can vary greatly.

Recently, this news blog reported that, despite growing customer satisfaction with card rewards in general, travel rewards continued to cause resentment. In particular many consumers reported problems with blackout dates and difficulties making last-minute bookings.

So take care when choosing your rewards cards. Find one that suits your lifestyle by comparing the best credit card deals, and then read the small print. It’s worth the effort in the long run.

Rewards credit cards satisfaction improves

The number of respondents who ranked their rewards programs “excellent” rose across three criteria between the first and third quarters of this year:

1. Thirty-two percent said the rewards-related customer service they received from their credit card companies was excellent, up from 25 percent six months ago.
2. An even greater rise in excellence ratings (8.7 percentage points) was seen in the “flexibility of redemption options” category.
3. More consumers (up 6.3 percentage points) rated their “ability to earn rewards quickly” as excellent.

Why the change?

Capital One suggests that low consumer confidence in the economy might be behind these shifts. It quoted data from the Conference Board that showed this “recently plunging to 44.5 from 59.2 in July.”

Even more telling may be a study published last week by Sentier Research. The study found that real median annual household income has plummeted in the U.S. over the last few years. It stood at $49,909 in June 2011, down from $55,309 in December 2007.

With all that plunging and plummeting going on, it’s no real surprise that consumers are counting every cent, and valuing even more the benefits they can derive from their rewards credit cards.

Travel rewards cards could be more flexible

In general, respondents reported being happier with their rewards programs, with 23.9 percent telling Capital One’s research company in late August that they were “completely satisfied” with theirs. That was up from 21.7 percent in the first quarter.

However, those with travel rewards cards still have some major gripes. They cited two factors that prevented them from redeeming travel rewards:

1. Blackout dates (25.8 percent)
2. Can’t make last-minute bookings (22.5 percent)

These restrictions are spelled out in each card’s terms and conditions, which can vary considerably from card to card.

Rewards credit cards and redemptions

Many consumers already have plans for the rewards they’re earning. More than a quarter of those with cash back credit cards are saving at least some of theirs for shopping this holiday season, significantly more than the number who are saving for more strategic events such as retirement (13 percent) and college (5.6 percent).

Whether they have cash back credit cards or earn points, an astonishing 54.9 percent of those intending to redeem rewards for holiday gift purchases are planning to buy gift cards. At this rate, those mounds of beautifully wrapped boxes we’re used to seeing under Christmas trees could soon be replaced by neat piles of envelopes.

Is it too soon to wish you a Happy Holiday? Thought so.

The great debate over swipe fees

On Friday, The Augusta Chronicle quoted David Oliver, a spokesperson for Georgia Bankers Association, as saying: “As a result of the Dodd-Frank Act, the cost of debit card payment services has shifted from retailers and merchants to consumers.”

And that’s certainly one valid way of looking at it. Another is that few merchants ever shouldered the burden of swipe fees themselves, but instead raised prices to cover them. And those higher prices were paid by all customers–including poor, unbanked ones who use cash. Looked at that way, you could see such fees as a sort of private-sector sales tax by which the poor subsidized better-off people’s free banking and rewards programs.

Which view is correct? You pays yer money and you takes yer choice, though you’d probably be better off using a credit card when you do so.

Credit cards are better

That’s because, generally speaking, credit cards have always been the best way to pay for purchases. Toward the end of last year, this credit card news blog identified 7 ways in which credit cards beat debit cards, and three of those were:

1. Better statutory protections if you’re a victim of fraud
2. Better statutory protections if you need to dispute transactions because of shoddy, misdescribed or undelivered goods or services
3. Better benefits from rewards credit cards

As banks scale back or abolish debit card rewards, that last point is likely to become even more significant. That’s because rewards credit cards (indeed, all credit cards) are exempt from the Dodd-Frank Act’s provisions, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t remain as generous as ever.

Rewards credit cards improving

Indeed, as this blog recently pointed out, the rewards on offer from many credit card companies are actually getting better. In particular, recently launched cash back credit cards and travel rewards cards often offer superior benefits compared with older ones.

Among the new cash back credit cards now available are the Capital One Cash card, and BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ card. Recently launched travel rewards cards include the Citi Executive^SM / AAdvantage^® World Elite^TM MasterCard^®, and the United MileagePlus^® Explorer Card from Chase.