Credit cards have always been a popular way to pay for purchases. They are convenient, fast and have a large amount of buying power. Using your credit card to pay for products and services also provides fraud protection. In our world today, with crooks and scam artists on the rise, this protection of your money is very welcome.
Another benefit, some people are actually able to save money by using their credit cards – as long as they are used wisely. Some cards offer attractive perks or allow you to earn valuable purchase rewards. These rewards can add up over time and result in free flights and travel or even extra cash to put back into your account.
As great as credit cards can be, however, there are certain things you should avoid using a credit card for at all costs. The number one rule when using a credit card is to never charge more on your account than you can afford to pay off in full by the time your statement is due. These are just a few of the purchases you really cannot afford to pay off right away.
Tuition
You should never try to “afford” college tuition by charging the amount to your credit card. Interest rates are overwhelmingly high, especially when contrasted with those of student loans.
Wedding Expenses
Lavish weddings may be the trend right now, but if you’re not careful, you’ll end up charging thousands to your credit card. First, this is dangerous because it is very easy to lose track of how much you’re spending. Second, do you really want to start married life with a hefty amount of debt?
Taxes
Yes, the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) allows taxpayers to use their credit card for tax payments – for a price. Using a credit card to pay involves an additional expense of approximately 2%. In addition, some issuers consider paying your taxes with a credit card a risky move, which will affect your credit score.
Mortgages
During tight months of the year, it can be tempting to pay for your mortgage with your credit card. This can be a risky financial plan, since you’re simply borrowing from one to pay another. (Most mortgage providers will not allow you to pay with a credit card.)
Vacation Expenses
Similar to weddings, using a credit card to pay for vacation is not a good idea. It’s too easy to splurge and then risk not having the funds to pay for it. What was supposed to be a relaxing getaway will turn into disastrous post-vacation debt and stress.
Unfortunately, debt can spiral out of control faster than you realize. If you are already feeling the affects of bad credit, know that there are still options available to you. Many merchants with debt turn to merchant account bad credit to secure the services they need to continue to operate their business smoothly.
Has bad credit affected your business? Consider contacting an alternative provider like eMerchantBroker to learn more about your options, and how services like merchant account bad credit can actually help you get your credit score back on track.
Author Bio: Electronic payments expert Blair Thomas is the co-founder of high risk payment processing company eMerchantBroker. He’s just as passionate about his business as he is with traveling and spending time with his dog Cooper.