A credit card is one of the most convenient ways to pay for things that you need.
If you are in the market for a new unsecured card, you no doubt want to get the best rates and terms on the card that you choose.
Since there are so many cards out there, finding the right one may have begun to feel like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.
Cut through the card clutter by following a few quick tips to jump start your unsecured credit card hunt.
Lock In A Fixed Interest Rate Look for a fixed APR.
The annual percentage rate is the amount of interest you will pay for the items that you charge to your new unsecured credit card.
Cards that feature a variable rate are less favorable than fixed rate cards because you know the amount of interest that will be charged on outstanding balances on your card.
A variable rate means that the rate of interest will fluctuate with market conditions which are based on the prime rate as published in daily financials like the Wall Street Journal.
By obtaining a fixed rate card, you lock in the amount of interest that can be charged to your account when you use your new unsecured card.
Go For Great Introductory Offers Most of your options for a new, unsecured credit card will feature an introductory offer for the chosen card.
Look for introductory offers that feature no interest for a period of time, preferably during the first year.
Be careful, however, to read the terms and conditions of the offer carefully.
Oftentimes, a payment that is a day or two late will cause your zero percent interest rate to rise to a higher rate for the life of the card.
Transfer Balance Options If you find an unsecured card that offers a transfer balance options, you might realize some additional savings by transferring balances from other cards (some issuers even allow you to transfer department store, gas, and other cards to the new card) over to a new, lower rate.
The best unsecured credit card would feature no fees for doing the balance transfer option, and a locked in rate on any balances that you decide to transfer over.
Cards Without Fees With the vast amount of competition in the credit card industry, you should be able to easily obtain an unsecured credit card that does not have any fees associated with it other than interest.
This means saying no to cards with annual fees (some cards have annual fees as high as $250), monthly fees, maintenance fees, or account fees.
Also, the card you choose should let you do a cash advance with the smallest possible fee, usually no more than 1% of the amount of the advance, or $5, whichever is greatest.
Perks For Good Customers A really great unsecured credit card will have some type of cardholder benefit program.
Look for an unsecured credit card that offers points towards airline miles, merchandise credit, or cash back on purchases.