What's Bugging You Today? Vol.1 Part II: Fat Chicks

[Hubbitron]

I've never been charged for using my bank card for a transaction except at a foreign atm. I build credit by paying bills and a car payment. Fuck all that other noise.

[Othello Harrington]

I expense a ton of shit hubs, no sense in paying out of my own pocket when I can put it on credit and get repaid before the bill comes due.

[Yoshi]

You can just process your debit card as a credit transaction. I don't know why anyone would not do this.

This doesn't change the fact that they can charge back like in the case here. Don't use cards tied to an account.

[Brand X]

I build credit by paying bills and a car payment.

Credit card bills, or things like electricity and gas? I'm pretty sure bills like utilities and rent do not get reported to the credit bureau if you pay on time. They only negatively effect your credit if you don't pay. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

[Othello Harrington]

You're correct, utilites and rent do not build credit. However late payments on said accounts are tagged.

[Hubbitron]

This doesn't change the fact that they can charge back like in the case here. Don't use cards tied to an account.

I see what you mean now.

[Nomi]

This is why you use a credit card and not a debit card. I would never, ever use a debit card for anything. It's 10x harder to dispute when they already have your money.

I learned this one the hard way, too, and now I use credit for shit that may end up being disputed for this very reason. Overdraft fees are a fucking bitch, and CC companies are more willing to work with complaints than my bank is.

[Rich]

Why spend money I don't have?

Don't. But why forego the rewards from the credit card, the chance to build credit (and save money in the future, as a result), and the extra weeks/month of interest you can earn on your money by putting off payment until due instead of day of purchase? It's the same thing as short term, interest free financing in present/future value terms if you pay on time.

This all costs you NOTHING if you use your credit card the same way you use your debit card in the sense that you only spend what you can afford to pay immediately.


On a related to the thread note, if you use a debit card for a purchase, ALWAYS respond "credit" when asked debit or credit. The payment will still take place in the same way as if you said debit, but the retailer pays the ~2-4% surcharge instead of you paying the $1-2 charge. There's a reason debit cards or on the visa/mastercard networks.

[Hubbitron]

that's all i'm sayin Rich.

[Rich]

Credit cards are not the evil everyone says imo.