For the past six months, credit card companies have been fighting a pretty fierce battle to win new customers. As a result, credit card offers have become extremely generous. Consumers looking to save money with 0% interest rates can find a handful of balance transfer credit cards with 0% rates lasting up to 21 months. Deals like these were unheard of a year ago.

The same generosity has spilled into the credit card rewards market. In the past, airline credit card offers were typically the only type of cards that offered sign-up incentives worth $100 or more. Today, it is possible to get sign up bonuses worth up to $500 on a broad range of credit card offers, including many that carry no annual fees.

Here are some noteworthy picks for rewards credit cards with sign up bonuses:

Best Cash Back Rewards Credit Cards

Cash back credit card offers provide the best value to consumers in the rewards space. These cards let you earn between 1% and 5% on every purchase you make and, unlike points or miles, using the rewards you earn with cash back cards is pretty easy.

Chase is offering the most generous cash back sign up bonuses with the Chase Freedom Visa. Presently, they have four offers available. Continue Reading »

Citibank is rolling out some major changes on its primary cash back credit card, the Citi Dividend Platinum Select MasterCard. The first change is the introduction of a limited time offer that gives new applicants a $100 cash back bonus if they spend $500 within the first three months of becoming a cardmember. The second change is the extension of 0% introductory rates on purchases and balance transfers.

The Citi Dividend Platinum Select MasterCard – Limited Time Offer provides a $100 cash back bonus to new cardmembers who spend $500 within three months of opening an account. In addition to this bonus, cardmembers earn 1% cash back on all eligible purchases and 5% cash back on purchases in categories that rotate four times a year. Until June 30th, cardmembers earn 5% cash back at The Home Depot and on Home Furnishing and Home & Garden purchases. Continue Reading »

The best credit card offers in October range from money saving 0% balance transfers that last 18 months to enhanced cash back credit card promotions that offer up to $100 cash back to new card members. Discover is the main driver behind improvements in the quality of credit card deals this month, as they improved 0% APR balance transfer offers and increased their cash back promotions.

Best Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers

Discover leads the pack with an 18 month 0% balance transfer offer (I wrote recently on why I consider this to be the best balance transfer credit card.) The new offer, available on the Discover More Card, matches the 0% APR for 18 months balance transfer deal available on the Citi Platinum Card. Both credit cards charge a 5% balance transfer fee and, while Discover is consistently ranked as a better credit card company, the Citi Platinum Card does offer a longer 0% interest period for new purchases, 12 months versus 6 months.

Consumers who think they will need a 0% APR on purchases may want to choose the Citi Platinum Card, but those who are just looking for a balance transfer will likely be much happier with Discover. For more information on these and other current balance transfer offers, please see the 0% APR balance transfer section where you can compare balance transfer credit cards and apply online.

Best 0% APR Credit Card Offers

The aforementioned Citi Platinum Select card remains the best overall 0% APR credit card offer with its industry leading 0% APR for 18 months on balance transfers and 0% APR for 12 months on purchases. A few other Citi credit cards, as well as one offer from Discover and one offer from Chase, also provide a 0% APR for a 12 months on purchases and balance transfers. However, no major issuer is offering a 0% APR on purchases for more than 12 months. Continue Reading »

I stumbled upon a great web posting today at the Myfico forum. The posting contains a list of what they call “backdoor” customer service numbers. Essentially, these numbers get you past the fumbling, useless, barely coherent customer service representatives that have no power and put you on the line with people who can make decisions.

Using these customer service numbers isn’t a magic bullet that will solve all your credit card problems. However, you may find that the people who answer these numbers are more capable of explaining and resolving your complaints than the reps you usually deal with.

Here are “backdoor” credit card customer service numbers for some of the largest issuers:

Bank of America Credit Card Customer Service Numbers:

Two numbers I found for Bank of America that should be helpful are 1-800-718-6072 which should connect you to a credit analyst. The second is 1-888-645-6733 which is for new application reconsideration after denial. Continue Reading »

I’ve begun getting comments from visitors who are being asked to do a $5000 balance transfer with Citibank in order to receive an interest rate lower than the 29.99% offer currently being pushed on consumers.  At this point, only two reports have come in to Smart Balance Transfers, so we don’t have a ton of information of this deal.  We are also unsure of the complete terms of the deal and whether or not this is something customer service reps are offering or part of a letter being sent to customers.   Continue Reading »

I’ve been intrigued by the thought that Citi might be becoming a good credit card company.  At first, I had some theories, which I stand by. (Read More Here).  Today, after sticking my neck on the line, I got some reassuring evidence that the new Citibank is a good credit card company.

Today’s evidence arrived in the mail, in the form of a mail offer for my wife.  Unlike similar offers which have been infrequently appearing, this card provided a 0% APR for a full year on purchases and balance transfers.  This in itself is surprising, as the few offers that have hit our mailbox lately have only offered 0% rates for 6 months.  (The offer was the Citi Platinum Select Card, which you can learn more about here.) Continue Reading »

Consumers worried that their credit card companies are going to raise their interest rates who are also scared that a company they do a 0% balance transfer with will also raise their rates are justifiably concerned.  However, these concerns are generally unfounded, as credit card companies must honor 0% introductory rates as long as consumers don’t violate the terms of their agreements by going over the limit or paying late.

That said, 0% interest rate periods only last so long, and choosing a good credit card company is more important today than ever.  That is why even I am surprised to write that Citibank’s 0% balance transfer deals are probably the safest balance transfer offers around.  I recently outlined my thesis on Citi in the article, “Is Citi Becoming a Good Credit Card Company?.” Continue Reading »