I Need A New Credit Card Fast

Where did this leave me? Bottom line: I needed a new credit card fast! So I began the process of getting a replacement for my old card as quickly as possible. Here are some of my thoughts on shopping for a new card:

How To Get A New Credit Card: Shopping For A Card On Short Notice

Go for those credit cards with brand name recognition.
Credit cards that are associated with financial companies that are well recognized and deemed stable may be less of a risk than those offered by companies you’ve never heard of. I certainly don’t want to find myself experiencing trouble with yet another company, so I’d make sure to apply for credit cards from companies that are on solid footing. Here’s a sampling of popular credit cards that I’ve reviewed: 

Get a new credit card through financial institutions you already have a relationship with.
Because we didn’t have the forethought to double up on business cards before (we didn’t have any spares), we were stuck having to apply for new credit cards after our credit accounts were closed. So we opted to turn to the banks we were already doing business with to get us approved for new cards right away. If your financial institution carries your business accounts, and you’ve got a personal banker working with you, it’s quite likely that you’ll be able to get a credit card approved through them quickly because of your record with them as a loyal customer with an established business. Applying this strategy, we received new cards in our hands within a week!

Consider alternatives to business credit cards.
When you’ve lost a business credit card like I have (in Advanta), your replacement business card can’t come a moment too soon. But if you’re having problems securing a quick replacement, you can always consider using your personal card to back you up. While you can always use a personal credit card for business purposes, I wouldn’t do this for the long term — it’s more of a stop gap measure until you get yourself that replacement business card.

Business credit cards are still the better choice to use for your venture because they’ve got higher credit limits; they also usually offer rewards and perks that are advantageous to business owners, and most importantly, they offer a way for you to separate any liability from your person. As far as I know, if you ever encounter issues or problems with your credit through your business, having a business credit card can shield those problems from creeping into your personal credit history. Anyone care to confirm or dispute this?

Need A New Credit Card Fast? Thoughts On Replacing An Expired Card

Don’t forget to redeem your rewards!
If you’ve got a rewards credit card of some sort, try not to accumulate (hoard) your rewards and points for long periods in case your credit card program ends up on the chopping block. These days, the credit card industry is in so much flux that I’d prefer not to sit on my unclaimed rewards for too long. Who knows for how long your points will be honored? In Advanta’s case, they cut me a rewards check. For this reason, cash back credit cards may be less problematic than those that offer you points that could expire.

Take note of transactions that are affected by your defunct or expired card.
The biggest pain in the rear we’ve had to deal with in this situation was having to find a replacement card for all the automatic bill payments that were set up using our Advanta card. You can imagine how big an inconvenience this is, particularly for those businesses that are transaction heavy. To keep things running smoothly, stay on top of your card usage and automatic payment schedules to avoid disruptions of your operations.

Keep a spare credit card.
There are many people who’ve sworn off card debt, who’ve progressed to the point of banishing credit cards from their homes. But I find that the use of credit cards have made life so much easier for me (I’m never one to carry debt). And as someone who’s become partially dependent on cards to “make things work” both for my business and my household, I’ve realized that there’s a reason to own multiple credit cards: having a spare one allows me to keep functioning when one of my credit cards goes AWOL. As I’ve mentioned, I use cards to facilitate the financial transactions and operations I’m involved with everyday.

Lessons Learned

As my story shows, anything can happen to our finances that’s out of our control. I doubt we can really be proactive about everything that can happen; there’s no way to anticipate all the possible issues that can arise with our financial accounts. All we can really do is have a plan in case the worst happens (be ready for damage control) and realize that no company is immune to failure. Accept these facts and you’ll be less frustrated when the unexpected happens. Always expect the unexpected!

Islamic Economic System

Islamic Economics differs fundamentally from man-made laws and systems in defining economic problem. It represents the only wholly independent, alternative economic paradigm in the world today. It is based on principles revealed from Islamic sources as norms for human welfare that offer a strikingly alternative set of parameters for economic activity.


Some of the Salient Features of islamic economic system include

1. Allah is the sustainer
2. God is real owner of everything and man is merely a trustee
3. Everything created for service and use of man
4. Concept of halah and haram
5. System of sadaqat and zakat
6. Prohibition of interest
7. Ban on hoarding of wealth
8. Policy of moderation
9. Condemnation of monasticism and materialism
10. Equity and not equality

SBP guidelines for credit card business

The State Bank of Pakistan issued comprehensive operational guidelines for credit card business of commercial banks/DFIs, outlining code of conduct for various aspects of credit card operations including their marketing, interest rate charges, recovery of dues, billing processes etc.
Some of the main features of the guidelines are; Banks / DFIs


    * are advised to quote interest rate and service charges on annual basis.

    * are required to set well defined service level for each of the product/service.

    * should also inform the credit card holder on the interest rate or services charges through advertisement and/or sending information to card holders on their addresses.

    * should not levy any charge without the prior consent of the card holder.

    * are also advised that interest amount should be charged on net credit i.e. after deducting the amount paid by the card holder.

    * must ensure that their recovery/collection officers should not resort to any verbal or physical harassment of the delinquent credit card holder, their family members, referees and friends during recovery/collection efforts.

    * should discourage aggressive and hard selling & marketing practices during working/office hours; except with prior appointment of the prospective customer.

    * should seek prior consent of their customers/account holders for informing them on new products and services on telephone as and when introduced.

    * are advised to simplify the credit card terms and conditions, and keep them clear and understandable both in English and Urdu languages.

    * may also arrange online complaint registration on their websites

Web Development » ASP.NET » General Intermediate Ultimate .NET Credit Card Utility Class By BlueLaser05 A powerfully simple .NET utility class for validating and testing credit card numbers in C# and VB.

Introduction

The ultimate credit card utility provides all of the functions you need to validate and test credit cards in your .NET application, including:

• IsValidNumber
• GetCardTypeFromNumber
• GetCardTestNumber
• PassesLuhnTest

All code is provided in both C# and VB. In addition to the utility class, this project includes complete NUnit tests and a sample website for testing the code.

Background

If you have ever tried to process credit cards in your .NET applications you know that it can be a challenge. Even if you have a good payment processor that provides a .NET SDK, there are a number of functions you're left to handle on your own, like credit card number validation and card type detection. Stop wasting time trying to piece together a utility class from all of the code snippets scattered across the Internet. I have assembled the "ultimate" credit card utility class that provides robust credit number testing, easy credit card type detection, and functions for testing credit card interfaces in your application. To top it off, the ultimate credit card utility class also comes with NUnit tests to help guarantee the code always works as expected in your important credit card applications.

In this article, we'll look at each of the functions included in the ultimate credit card utility class and explain how simple .NET concepts are used to provide powerful functionality.

Using the code

The ultimate credit card utility class can be easily integrated into any .NET project by directly adding the .cs/.vb file or by compiling the credit card class into a separate assembly that is referenced by the application. If you have multiple applications that deal with credit cards, the best approach is to build the credit card utitlity class into a separate dll so that any updates you make in the future can easily be distributed to all of your .NET applications.

There are five basic functions in this utility class and we'll look at each in reverse order, building up from the more complex base functions to the simple validation functions.

PassesLuhnTest

At the core of any credit card utility class is Luhn's test. This test, also known as "mod 10", was created by IBM engineer Hans Luhn in the mid-1950's and stands as one of the easiest ways to validate that a series of numbers is valid and not a random collection of integers. All credit card numbers should pass Luhn's test; if they don't, it's an easy way to determine that an incorrect number has been entered.

In the ultimate credit card utility, we implement a simple function that accepts a credit card number as a string and returns True if the number passes Luhn's test.

American Express Credit Cards Useful Information

It’s hard imagining life in today’s world without a credit card. Unfortunately, if you cancel your American Express credit card like I did, it means you cannot have access to certain services you may have taken for granted. Without that credit card, I was unable to join the local gym, to order t-shirts off of the Internet, to reserve a plane ticket online - and that is just a few of the basics. The old days of cash as the preferred method of doing obtaining goods have gone.

It’s now normal almost everywhere in the world to use your Mastercard, Visa or American Express to pay for goods or services you may not even need with money they do not have. Your American Express card may be convenient but there is a heavy penalty for buying now and paying later. In some places, credit card debt is spiraling out of control. One of the largest problems facing America today is that of credit card debt.

I couldn’t think of any other alternative but to get rid of my American Express credit card. I was getting out of control with my spending because it was just so easy handing over the card. Charging everything to my card was stupid because before too long the debts just spiraled out of control. I stated to panic because the debt became so great it was impossible to pay it.

I actually had to go through a debt refinancing service to get my credit card debt into some kind of shape where I could hope to pay it. To say the situation had become a nightmare would be a gross understatement. It took some time but the American Express credit card has gone and so has my debt. Don’t think I am making excuses when I blame my credit card because you are not taking into account basic human psychology.

Paying with cash makes you aware of how much things cost. But like I said before, a credit card made everything way too easy. Just handing the card over time and time again, it is almost addictive. So now there is no American Express credit card problem for me to worry about.

CES 2010: Credit Card Reader by Mophie in your iPhone!

If you have a business  that you are running and it is quite small, you may not be able to have a great office with all those credit card machines to take cash in. You might be travelling to tiny towns, or perhaps you travel abroad enough but find it difficult to accept cards. This time around, it just might be possible to use your iPhone as a credit card reader.

Thanks to a new gadget launched by Mophie, your iPhone becomes a cool credit card reader and with the help of a dedicated hardware device and third party app, you would be able to take credit card payments on the go. There is also the Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s newly created company Square’s product which also is a competitor to the one that has been announced by Mophie.

I would say, it is a great thing to have some healthy competition around, but we would also like to see how the Credit Card Reader by Mophie is going to be different from its already existing competitor. Of course, both the gadgets would make lives easier for business owners who travel a lot. You could learn more when CES 2010 happens.

Real-Time Internet Processing

         If most of your business is conducted on the Internet, Real-Time processing is the way to go. When your customer is finished shopping and is ready to pay, they simply click on your "Checkout" link and are switched to a secure page where they type in their credit card information. In about 3-5 seconds a message will then appear on their monitor showing whether their card has been accept or declined. Two days later the money will arrive in your business checking account. Real-Time providers will provide you with an online database containing all of your credit card transactions which makes month-end accounting and balancing simple. Real-Time processing is a good solution for those who plan on having a lot of transactions daily. Real-Time processing helps to automate your payment acceptance process, unlike in Retail establishments where entering in credit card information must be done manually. Most Real-Time solutions are coupled with a "Virtual Terminal" that allows you to process MOTO orders manually via your web browser from any location that has access to the Internet. You're basically getting a 2-in-1 solution for the same price. 

Real-Time purchase prices usually range from around no cost to $200. The pricing greatly depends on how much the Merchant Account Provider wants to profit off of a Real-Time sale.

North American Credit Card Association

North American Credit Card Association - NACCA - has been a leader in merchant credit card processing since 1989.  NACCA provides the equipment and service for merchants to accept credit, check, debit, gift cards and checks as electronic forms of payment from their customers.  NACCA is a member service provider for NOVA • US Bank, Minneapolis, MN and iPayment • First Data Merchant Services • JPMorgan Chase Bank, Hicksville, NY.

we offer the following payment processing solutions

• Visa • MasterCard • American Express • Discover

• Check Cards • Pin Based Debit Cards

• Electronic Gift Cards • Electronic Check Conversion

• Dynamic Currency Conversion and more

Citibank Pakistan Credit Card Ad Review

Client: Citibank Pakistan
Campaign: Win Rs. 100,000 this Summer

Reivew: With HSBC credit cards making their into the Pakistani market, Citibank comes up with their ad offering one lack rupees to lucky winner. Another reason this ad is here is because of the summer vacations people are going on to and you can expect hot season for credit card companies.

The ad is good, you can note how the fonts used for the caption compliment the font in the Citibank logo. Cool Thing! The image is overall festive and summer fun. The slogan ” Citi Card ho saath main, Duniya hai aapke haath mein!” is umm a little run of the mill and very Indian

Payment Gateway

A payment gateway is a hosted software application that authorizes credit card payments and ach (check) payments between a website and a credit card processor. A payment gateway is similar to a POS (Point-of-sale) terminal located in many retail stores. Payment gateways encrypt sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, amount, and customer name, passing that info to the credit card processor, who then processes the payment through the Visa / MasterCard network. The transaction result is then sent back from the issuing bank to the credit card processor, who then returns the results of the transaction (either approval or decline) to the payment gateway. The payment gateway thus acts as the intermediary between the website and the credit card processor.

We use the Authorize.net payment gateway, as it is has the most features, is the easiest to use, and is pre-integrated with most every shopping cart. The diagram below shows how Authorize.net payment gateway works. For more details and even a live of Authorize.net demo. If you sign up with Merchant Accounts Express, setup of the Authorize.net payment gateway is completely free.

UBL WIZ – A PrePaid Debit & Credit Card

 

E-payments have always been a problem for us, here in Pakistan. As PayPal is not providing its service here in Pakistan right now, so the only legal way, we are left with is Credit Card.

But not everyone is eligible or does afford these credit cards (which come with huge security deposits and service charges).Here UBL (United Bank Limited) Wiz card serves the purposes. At the moment this can be regarded as best Pre-Paid debit card which also works as a credit card, for online payments.

UBL Wiz card has tag line of Cash Do Card Lo, means it is really easy to have this -  you just have to fill up a form and to pay for card fee and deposit money, that’s it – you are done. Card can be obtained from any UBL branch for just Rs. 120 and you don’t even need to have a bank account.

UBL Wiz card has tag line of Cash Do Card Lo, means it is really easy to have this -  you just have to fill up a form and to pay for card fee and deposit money, that’s it – you are done. Card can be obtained from any UBL branch for just Rs. 120 and you don’t even need to have a bank account.
Yes it is the main point, UBL Wiz has a virtual account that is not associated with any branch. You are not provided with extra account number, instead account number is extracted from your 16 digit card number. So all you get is a Wiz card with Visa Logo on it.
Card number can be extracted as following,
if your Card Number is ABCD EFGH IJKL MNOP ( Conventional 16 Digit Code), then your Account Number will be GH IJKL MN (8 Digit Code). i.e to leave first 6 digits and last 2, remaining is your account number
One of the best features of UBL Wiz card is that, You can deposit money in your WIZ card from any branch in Pakistan, means you do not need to go to any specific branch.
UBL WIZ currently has three basic cards, which differ only in deposit/withdrawal and daily usage limit. subscription charges are same whatsoever is the type.

• Travelers
• Ladies
• Teens

Using WiZ Card for Online Transactions
To Use Wiz Card as a Credit Card you need to have Internet Session activated. You can get it activated any time by calling UAN 111-825-888.
One time session activation charges are 100 Rs and session remains active for one Calendar date, and during this time you can pay online as much as balance you have in your account. As the session expires, you cannot use your card anymore, on internet.
Note that, Wiz card does not comes with pre-activated internet usage, to get it activated, you need to fill up internet usage form and fax/email it to UBL, and they will get it working with in 24 to 48 hours. (This is one time activation or say registration for online payments)
A bonus point of this card is that it can also be used at any One Link ATM in Pakistan. And this is the only way to withdraw funds from your account as you do not have checkbook or actually a bank account.

Keeping in view present e-business in Pakistan and availability of suitable options, UBL WIZ card is serving the purpose at its extreme and is very viable yet affordable method of e-payments here in Pakistan where we do not have PayPal.

How Online Credit Card Processing Works

The online customer finds the merchant's website and adds products to their shopping cart. When they are ready to check out, they enter their billing information.

If the merchant does not have a secure page, the customer can be transferred to a secure payment gateway. If the merchant does have a secure site, then the information will be "passed" to the payment gateway without the customer ever leaving the merchant's site.

Once the billing information has made it to the payment gateway, it is then transmitted to the processor.

The processor passes the information from the online payment gateway onto the bank that issued the credit card, which verifies that the card is valid and that the amount requested is available on the card.

The bank sets aside the purchase amount for the merchant, then sends back an approval number or a decline message to the processor.

Within 3-15 seconds, the information in steps 2-6 is passed back to the gateway.

The gateway passes the approval code back to the merchant's site or, if the merchant does not have a secure site, gives the customer their approval information. At this point, the merchant can also choose to have the payment gateway email the customer a payment receipt.

Final payment is secured and is deposited in the internet merchant’s account. It typically takes two business days from the time of the original transaction for the funds to reach the merchant's checking account.

MY BANK TURNED ME DOWN

When I needed to accept credit cards for my equipment business my bank turned me down ---- so I got into the credit card processing business. Now my goal is to help each business get the best deal possible for them. Since every business has its own unique needs, I never quote rates without first finding out how your business works and what you expect. Remember, the devil is in the details !!!  Please give me a call or use the contact page to find out if I can help you. Low rates All brands of terminals Internet processing Gift card programs

Eastcompeace smartCardCo., Ltd. - China (Guangdong)

• Card material: PVC.
• Magnetic stripe type: high-co or low-co.
• Card dimensions: 85.6 x 53.9 x 0.78mm.
• China UnionPay, Visa, and MasterCard standard size.
• Card shape: standard and special design (mini card).
• Printing features: embossing, indent, laser engraving, silkscreen, and offset printing
• Security features: hologram logo, UV letters, micro lettering, and customized signature panel.
• Special design offer: transparent, fragrant, luminous, and UV sensitive cards.
• Card applications: credit card for all banks including Visa member banks, MasterCard member banks, and China UnionPay member banks.

• Certifications, Standards & Safety Approvals, Awards:	ISO 2009-2010
  Minimum Order Quantity:	5,000 pc(s)
  Delivery Lead Time:	10day(s)

   

Memo Recorder

Model No.:	TS-039
Product Specifications:	Credit card size 6.5mm (H) . Quick and easy way to record your own message . Different design or company logo can be printed on the surface . 10 seconds recording time . Optional key chain . Suitable as gifts and promotional items.

Credit Card Service

Product Specifications:

Visa is one of the world's leading payments companies, with solutions and services for a wide range of purchases. We offer payment products that allow consumers to pay later (credit). Visa offers consumers a single global currency that works virtually anywhere, anytime, in any way. Visa cardholders enjoy security, convenience and ease-of-use, with unsurpassed acceptance in more than 170 countries. Visa's leadership in reliability and global payment standards means that consumers trust Visa products to work around the clock, worldwide.  ATM locater Online exchange rate calculator Lost card service Commercial solutions

Credit Card Advice from the Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal wrote a great piece entitled “Avoiding College’s Plastic Hangover” last week. I felt that it deserved a write-up on here because it addresses some really simple concepts that could potentially save graduates from piling extra debt on top of what they already have in the way of student loans. It has become next to impossible to fund four years of college without taking on some kind of student loan debt, and many would say that is not the worst thing that can happen. Student loan debt is often considered “good debt” because it usually has low fixed rates which if paid on time is likely to help your credit score instead of ruining it. Credit card debt, on the other hand, is what is considered to be “bad debt”. Rates are high, fees and penalties can be overwhelming, and they are just so easy to use that many times the spending gets out of control.
Here is a synopsis of the advice they give:

Don’t be lured in by free t-shirts.
Credit card providers will do everything in their power to hook the student into getting a credit card. Many attach a free gift or special offer and while that t-shirt of frisbee might look nice now, it isn’t worth the headache that a credit card will ultimately bring you. The most important thing to consider when applying for a card is the terms and conditions, not the free stuff.

Piggyback on a parent’s card.
This is a good idea on many levels. First, your parents will most likely have much better rates because they have a long history of established credit. Second, having your card tied in to your parents account gives them the opportunity to see how you are using your card. While that might not seem like a great idea, you will think twice before spending $200.00 at the local watering hole if you know your parents will see your bill.

Know your credit limits.
Usually credit limits are low when you get you first card. This is a good thing. It keeps your debt manageable, and allows you to start to build your credit score at an early age. Whatever you do, don’t go over your limit or you will pay some hefty penalties. Keep track of your spending.

Remember, promotional rates are temporary.
Just about every credit card offers a promotional rate for a fixed period of time to attract new customers. Do your homework and find out exactly how long, and then make sure you know what the APR will be set at after the promotional rate has expired.

Watch out for penalties and unnecessary fees.
The biggest pitfall with a credit card other than spending too much, is to have unnecessary fees added onto to your balance. These fees are most commonly associated with late or missed payments. In most cases, any missed payment results in a penalty plus a resetting of the APR to the highest possible rate.

My last piece of advice is to keep one card only. The more you have, the more likely you are to use them and confuse them. Keep it simple.

Credit Card Processing Review

Accept All Forms of Payment with a Credit Card Processing Service

Telling your customer that you cannot accept their form of payment is a sale killer. With a credit card processing service, you can accept all forms of payment, from anywhere. 

Why does your business need a Credit Card Processing Service?

A versatile, reliable credit card processing service can help your business increase sales by enabling you to accept all forms of payment from anywhere at anytime. With a first-rate credit card processing service, you can:

• Accept all Forms of Payment - With an adept credit card processing service your business can accept and verify payment from all major credit cards, debit cards, electronic checks and traditional checks.
• Accept Payments Anywhere - The way we conduct business changes everyday. With a good credit card service, payment can be accepted anywhere. Transactions are processed online, at a retail site or at a remote location with internet access, such as a trade booth or kiosk. Most services will also let you manually enter information if you sell something away from internet access.
• Get Fraud and Security Protection - A valuable service will offer security protection by utilizing modern encryption technology to give you and your customer peace of mind when processing credit card information. Many will process using a VeriSign SSL Certificate without requiring you to purchase a certificate separately as well as an Address Verification Service (AVS) to protect against the fraudulent use of a credit card.

In this site, you'll find a credit card processing learning center, as well as comprehensive reviews and aside-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which merchant account service is right for your business. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

What to Look For in a Credit Card Processing Service?

It's hard to determine which credit card processing solution is best for your business with so many choices available. Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to rank credit card processing services:

Average Approval Rating
This criterion, usually evaluated by percentage of approved applicants, refers to its approval rate, the processing speed and the fee to apply. An accommodating service will have a high approval rate and process your application quickly and without a fee.

Cost per Month
A low monthly cost helps keep overhead costs down. A competitive credit card processing company will require a low monthly fee with clear communication about ongoing fees and costs. Our ratings are based on 500 transactions per month with one statement, charge back and gateway fee.

Start-Up Cost
Credit card processing companies shouldn't charge you too much to set up a merchant account and a payment gateway.

Account Setup Time
A competent service will expedite your application and get you in business as quickly as possible, some can approve the application and set-up an account within a days time.

Customer Service
Accessible customer service answers inquires 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service should offer many avenues of contact including telephone, email or instant messaging and help should be quick to respond and provide useful information.

Internet Based Features
Most companies offer more than one type of virtual terminal as well as an online merchant account and payment gateway.

POS/ Swipers Features
A variety of Point of Sale options and swipers (card readers) should be available through the service. This is especially important if you are a retail business or operate from remote sales locations.

With a good credit card processing service, you can increase your sales and flexibility and give your customers many payment options.

Credit Card Processing Since 1986

Electronic Clearing House, Inc. (ECHO) has been a tier 1 credit card processor providing a complete solution for payment processing since 1986. ECHO is an Intuit® company.

ECHO’s services included.

Customers include retail merchants, banks, collection agencies, technology companies, and software providers across the nation.

Intuit Acquires ECHO 
Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. More information can be found on Internet.