Business

Using Your Credit Card Wisely

Using Your Credit Card Wisely

Christmas time is shopping time and your credit card offers a safer option for all the spending that you will need to do this season. And, depending on the rewards offered with your card, you could be earning cash back, airline miles, hotel stays, spa treatments and many other attractive benefits while you spend.

A credit card also provides the user with convenience, ready access to cash and an opportunity to build up their creditworthiness.

With so many options available in today’s marketplace, though a potential customer may become confused by the different card offerings. For someone who is just starting out, a card with no annual fee and a low-interest rate is a good option. This will allow the individual to build up their credit rating. For someone more established though and depending on what their needs are, rewards cards with the aforementioned benefits are great options.

Importantly though, credit card users must be cognisant of the fact that their credit card doesn’t represent free money and is not a debit card. Swiping the card means that you will need to pay for your purchases at some point and what you have really done is to borrow money from the card provider.

Scotiabank Jamaica is one of the main providers of credit card services in Jamaica and their offerings are wide-ranging. Whether it’s the Scotia Debit or Aeroplatinum Mastercard, all Scotia customers receive a myriad of accumulated benefits including travel points, cash back and reward points and travel insurance from specific cards.

And as they seek to promote safety during the course of the Christmas holidays, Scotiabank cardholders will benefit from enhanced security with chip and PIN technology says Marketing Programmes Manager, Kaysia Johnson-Vaughan.

“We know that our cards remain the preferred option for our customers and, so we encourage them to be safe when using their debit or credit card, especially during the holiday season.” Some of the general safety tips she shared includes not giving out your credit card number, ensuring to sign the back of the card and to keep an eye on the card when conducting transactions.

This story originally appeared in Volume 9 #5 November-December 2017

Related: 7 things to know before you get a credit card

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