Emily is a 27-year old married graduate student living in North Carolina.  Her blog, Evolving Personal Finance, focuses on navigating the financial transitions common for young adults.

Hi everyone, future doctor* here!  I’m going to tell you what’s what regarding your credit card usage.  Just like drugs, credit cards have prescribed uses in which they can be safe and helpful.  However, if you move into off-label uses or even abuses, they can burn you.  You could end up in consumer debt, paying fees and interest on top of what you charged.  You may even develop an addiction!

Prescribed Use

Directions

Treat your credit card as you would a debit card – only make purchases for which you already have money in the bank.  Always pay the full balance before it comes due.  Use the credit account only as an intermediary between your money and the retailer, not a way to delay paying for something.

Tips: Use an aggregation site like Mint to help you keep track of all your accounts and to monitor how your spending matches up with your budget.  Commit to paying off the balance at the end of each budgeting period, well before the due date.  Check your statements through for accuracy before paying them.  As a fail-safe, consider putting your credit card on auto-pay just before the due date.

Advantages

Protection: Using a credit card can protect you in some circumstances.  If a retailer charges you incorrectly or won’t accept a return, the credit card company will go to bat for you.  If your card is stolen, the credit card company will reverse those charges and you haven’t lost any money; if your debit card is stolen it may take time to restore your account balance.

Perks: If you have a rewards card, you can earn cash, frequent flyer miles, or other types of sign up bonuses from your credit card just for your normal spending.  There are other perks as well, like rental car insurance, extended warranties  and zero foreign transaction fees – check the fine print on your card for the specifics!  Be sure to choose rewards that best fit with your spending habits and lifestyle and watch out for downgrades in the rewards structure.

Build your credit score: Revolving debt is a component of your credit score.  To boost it, you should have lots of credit available but only using a small portion of it (still without carrying a balance).  Cultivating a high credit score may help you get a lower interest rate on future debt.

Warnings: Be sure to choose a card that either does not have an annual fee or has an annual fee that will be eclipsed by the rewards you are certain to garner.  (You can also ask for it to be waived.)  Don’t become so enamored by the advantages of using credit cards that you deviate from following the directions perfectly!

Off-Label Use

Directions

There are other common ways that credit cards are used that are not risk-free but may confer certain advantages.

It is possible to use a credit card as your emergency fund.  Some people hate leaving their emergency funds in cash in the bank because they feel they are passing up potential investment returns.  These people might use a credit card for quick money in the case of an emergency, giving them a little bit of time to turn their investments back into cash.  If they still pay the balance off in full before it comes due they will not have paid any interest.  This approach to an emergency fund, however, leaves open the possibility of having to sell the investments at an inopportune moment and losing principal.

Some credit cards can also serve as 0% loans.  If you pay the card off within the promotional 0% balance transfer or purchase period (for example, one year), you won’t have paid any interest.  Transferring existing debt to this kind of card may be worthwhile if the interest saved justifies the balance transfer fee.  However, if you don’t pay off the debt within the 0% period, you may have to pay even more interest than you would with your previous card, depending on what the rate resets to.

Warnings: Off-label use of credit cards may be a gateway to living beyond one’s means.  Making a small mistake can result in large interest charges or late fees.

Abuse

You will know that you are abusing your credit cards if you:

• Ever pay interest or late fees.
• Are “a month behind” – if you are making purchases you couldn’t pay cash for and waiting for your next paycheck to pay off the card.

If you find yourself abusing your credit cards, you should switch to an all-debit or all-cash spending model until you have learned to live within your means.  It may be useful to seek out a community of other people committed to using credit cards properly or not at all.

I hope that you now understand the beneficial, sketchy, and dangerous ways that you can use a credit card!  Credit cards can have wonderful effects if you stick to the prescribed use.

* Not that kind of doctor – I’m working on a PhD!

Do you use credit cards as prescribed or for off-label uses?  Have you ever abused credit cards?  What would you add as tips for staying within the “prescription?”

I guess having a fraud alert on my credit report works a bit too well. It isn’t as big of a problem as credit fraud alerts not working at all, but it is a bit frustrating. What exactly am I talking about?

Remember a couple months ago when I thought I was dealing with a little bit of credit card fraud that actually turned into identity theft? Well… when that happened I immediately put a fraud alert on my credit report.

That fraud alert is designed to prevent others from opening any new credit in my name. The key there, is to prevent OTHERS from opening new credit in my name… not me.

DENIED!

No… I wasn’t featured on the Suze Orman show this weekend. Sorry to disappoint you. Instead, that was the unfortunate response I received this weekend when I was applying for a new credit card. I was a bit surprised to find out that I had been denied for a credit card because my credit is pretty good.

I called the credit card company’s reconsideration line to see if I could find out why I was denied. I figured maybe I was denied because I had just taken out a new mortgage, but other than that I was still pretty puzzled.

The credit card representative asked me what phone number I had used when I applied for the card. I thought this was a bit weird, but I told her which number I had used. She then said she had to do some research on my phone numbers and would have to call me back on a verified line.

After doing a few minutes of research she told me she wouldn’t be able to continue with the application process due to a special circumstance which she could not disclose to me… That struck me as really strange until I told her the following.

Is This Because I Have a Fraud Alert on My Credit Report?

Well… now that you mention it that is the problem! The credit card company representative explained that when someone has a fraud alert on their credit report they have to be able to verify my phone number and my address on my application going back at least 3 months time.

The problem with my application is that they could only verify my address going back one month… which makes perfect sense because I had just moved a little over a month ago. I asked her what we could do to resolve this problem and she said there really isn’t anything that we can do except wait until I’ve lived at my new house for three months.

Bummer! I then followed up to see if there were any other reasons why I was denied for the credit card I applied for. The representative informed me that was the only reason I was denied and that I should call back in two months since applications are good for 90 days. I wasn’t aware of that, but it is good info to know if you’re ever denied for a card for something you can fix quickly.

Finally, I asked the representative if they’d have to pull my credit report again when I call back in two months to be reconsidered for the credit card I applied for. She informed me that it isn’t company policy, but some representatives will insist that they pull another credit report. 

So, that’s what I’ve learned about how fraud alerts really affect your credit report. The good news is, because I couldn’t get a new line of credit myself, I doubt a fraudster could either. The bad news is… I couldn’t get a new line of credit and if I had needed it that could have been a real problem. Luckily, it wasn’t a necessity, but just a new card I wanted to add to my wallet.

Have you ever placed a fraud alert on your credit report? How did it affect you? Did you have any weird stories like mine from this weekend?

If you’ve sworn off debt but are trying to dig your way out, 0% balance transfer credit cards can be a great tool. You have to know that you’ve completely sworn off incurring any more debt in order to play the 0% balance transfer game, but if you’re certain then you can save a ton of money by taking advantage of some of the best balance transfer credit card offers.

Most balance transfer credit cards will offer you a promotional 0% balance transfer period lasting up to 18 months. Simply transfer your debt balance to the credit card and they won’t charge you a dime in interest until the promotion period ends. There may be balance transfer fees such as a set dollar amount or a certain percent up to a cap, but the best 0% balance transfer credit cards will waive this fee!

However, the game is a very dangerous one. You MUST be extremely careful and pay off the full balance you transferred before the promotional period ends. If you don’t, then you could be charged interest all the way back to the day you initially transferred the debt! That can add up fast as interest rates on credit cards are normally pretty high. This will likely lead to you losing more money than you saved so you have to have a very solid game plan.

If you don’t have any balances to transfer, there are other credit card options and you can read more about them in my post, the best sign up bonus credit cards of 2013.

So now that we have the basics out of the way, let’s take a look at the best 0% balance transfer credit cards currently on the market!

Slate Credit Card from Chase

If your sole purpose in getting a new credit card is for balance transfer features, the Slate credit card by Chase is the hands down winner. Why? While most 0% balance transfer credit cards charge a flat fee or percentage to transfer your balance, the Slate card from Chase has no balance transfer fees at all if you transfer your balance in the first 60 days! This feature can easily save you 3% or more since most other 0% balance transfer credit cards charge a 3% fee at a minimum.

The other amazing feature of Slate is that the introductory period 0% period lasts 15 months. There are some cards, (a couple listed below) that offer longer time periods, but you’ll definitely be paying balance transfer fees. Run the numbers to see if the 15 month 0% no transfer fee option is better for you.

The Slate card from Chase has no annual fee and has a special feature called Blueprint that will help you to avoid paying interest by paying down your balance based on guidelines you set.

Click here to apply for and compare the best 0% introductory rate balance transfer credit cards.

As with any card, please read all of the fine print and details on the application before you sign up. You need to completely understand the details to ensure you don’t pay any extra fees or interest!

Discover It Credit Card with 18 Month 0% Balance Transfer Option

The Discover It credit card is another strong contender for the best 0% balance transfer credit card. When you’re signing up, make sure to pick the 18 month 0% balance transfer option to get the longest 0% introductory period possible.

This card has one of the longest 0% balance transfer introductory periods at 18 months. I haven’t seen another card with a longer time period on the market lately. In addition to that, the Discover It credit card will give you 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

This card won’t nickel and dime you either! It offers no annual fee, no overlimit fee, no foreign transaction fee and no pay by phone fees. They’ll even waive the late fee on your first late payment… but if you’re making late payments you shouldn’t be using 0% balance transfer credit cards. On top of that, they won’t increase your APR for paying late… although, as always, there are exceptions.

The other nice features include a Cash Back Concierge and 100% US Based HUMAN customer service. Not many cards offer that these days unless you pay an annual fee.

Be aware that balance transfers have a 3% fee on the Discover It credit card.

Click here to apply for and compare the best 0% introductory rate balance transfer credit cards.

As with any card, please read all of the fine print and details on the application before you sign up. You need to completely understand the details to ensure you don’t pay any extra fees or interest!

Citi Simplicity Credit Card

The Citi Simplicity credit card is exactly like it sounds, extremely simple. The Citi Simplicity card has an 18 month 0% balance transfer AND purchase introductory interest rate. Whenever you transfer your balance you’ll pay a fee equal to the greater of $5 or 3%. Other than that, this card has no late fees, penalty interest rates and no annual fee… EVER. How awesome is that? They also promise fast, personal help, 24 hours a day!

Click here to apply for and compare the best 0% introductory rate balance transfer credit cards.

As with any card, please read all of the fine print and details on the application before you sign up. You need to completely understand the details to ensure you don’t pay any extra fees or interest!

Citi Diamond Preferred Credit Card

The Citi Diamond Preferred credit card offers an awesome 18 month 0% introductory rate on balance transfers. They do charge a $5 or 3% fee, whichever is greater, on all balance transfers.

As a Citi Diamond Preferred card holder, you’ll have access to use Citi Price Rewind, which allows you the potential to get a lower price after you purchase an item. You’ll also have access to a 24/7 concierge to help you book hotel rooms or flights. You also get access to Citi Private Pass for special access to presale tickets and other awesome experiences.

This card does NOT have an annual fee either! Lots of benefits and no annual fee is always a great combination.

Click here to apply for and compare the best 0% introductory rate balance transfer credit cards.

As with any card, please read all of the fine print and details on the application before you sign up. You need to completely understand the details to ensure you don’t pay any extra fees or interest!

Chase Freedom Credit Card

The Chase Freedom is one of my favorite all around credit cards and it even comes with a 0% intro APR for 15 months on both balance transfers and purchases! The Chase Freedom Visa credit card does have the typical $5 or 3% (whichever is greater) balance transfer fee, but with all of the extra benefits, it might be worth paying the fee.

If you spend $500 within the first three months you’ll receive $100 cash back. Just to be clear, balance transfers do not count toward this spending limit. You’ll also get 5% cash back in rotating quarterly categories and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

You’ll never pay an annual fee on the Chase Freedom credit card and your rewards won’t ever expire. I absolutely love this credit card and it is easy to see why.

Click here to apply for and compare the best 0% introductory rate balance transfer credit cards.

As with any card, please read all of the fine print and details on the application before you sign up. You need to completely understand the details to ensure you don’t pay any extra fees or interest!

Don’t Forget the Following When Considering a Credit Card

The credit card game can be beaten, but in order to get the rewards there are risks. I ALWAYS pay my credit card off in full every month and you should too. If you can’t do this I would suggest against getting credit cards.

You absolutely should not get new credit cards if you know you have an ongoing problem with debt. You should not tempt fate unless you’re certain you have changed your charging ways forever. The benefits do NOT outweigh the risks.

What 0% balance transfer credit cards have you used and how did it work out for you? What other balance transfer credit cards are you considering? I’d love to hear your input below in the comments!

The information stated above is, to the best of my knowledge, correct as of May 16th, 2013. The offers on this page will change periodically as offers change. As with any offer, make sure to read all of the details on the application site as those are the terms and conditions that will govern any credit card you sign up for. What you have read here is simply a summary and does not contain all terms and conditions.

Chase Freedom is one of the most awesome cash back credit cards and I use it on a regular basis. They offer 5% cash back in categories that rotate each quarter. I almost always use my Chase Freedom card whenever I make a transaction in one of these categories because 5% cash back is very hard to beat.

Second Quarter 5% Cash Back Categories

For April, May and June 2013 (the second quarter) Chase has chosen restaurants, movie theaters and the home improvement store Lowe’s as their 5% cash back categories. We normally end up at restaurants and Lowe’s on a semi-regular basis so these are useful categories for us. We don’t go to too many movies, but there is a local $2 theater that we could get 5% cash back at. Granted 5% off of a $2 ticket isn’t much, but it is better than 1%!

If you have a Chase Freedom card, don’t forget to activate your 5% cash back for the second quarter of 2013. You can activate your 5% cash back here. As always, you’ll earn 1% cash back on all other purchases you make your Chase Freedom card.

The Chase Freedom card also offers a $100 sign up bonus if you don’t have one yet. You only have to spend $500 within the first three months in order to qualify to receive the $100 sign up bonus. It is one of the easier sign up bonuses to qualify for due to the low $500 spending threshold. If you’re interested, you can apply for the Chase Freedom credit card here.

5% Cash Back Gets Even Better

A great benefit of getting 5% cash back on my Chase Freedom card is the fact that I can transfer the Ultimate Rewards points I earn to my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. I can then transfer these points to other rewards programs such as the Southwest Rapid Rewards program at a 1:1 ratio.

This is great because 100 Southwest Rapid Rewards points can be exchanged for $1.67 in Wanna Get Away fares, essentially increasing the value of my points by 67%! If I use this strategy and transfer my points to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program, I could earn the equivalent of over 8% value on my bonus category purchases. There are a ton of other programs you can transfer your points to on a 1:1 value as well.

If you don’t have a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card make sure to check out the Best Credit Card Sign Up Bonuses post to learn more about it. The Sapphire Preferred credit card offers a $400 sign up bonus and many other great benefits. Be careful though… it does come with a $95 annual fee that is waived for the first year.

A Word of Warning

I consider credit cards as a tool. If not used properly, tools can be very dangerous. Much like using a chainsaw, if you can not handle using credit cards properly you could easily become injured, although it would be financially and not physically.

Please don’t apply for credit cards if you cannot pay them off in full every month. There are other payment methods other than credit cards. You can always use debit cards, cash or even try to remember how to write a check.

Do you have a Chase Freedom or Chase Sapphire Preferred card? Do you have any tricks to get more cash back or more value for your Ultimate Rewards points?

Sign up bonuses are one of the most lucrative ways to rack up credit card rewards quickly. There are currently some great credit card sign up bonus offers and I have used a couple of them myself. Basically you have to sign up for a credit card with a bonus and meet the various requirements within a time limit to get the bonus.

Sign up bonuses are normally awarded in some form of credit card reward points which you can normally use for either a statement credit, travel, gift cards or other rewards based on what each program offers. Each program values points differently so it is important to know your options before you cash out your sign up bonus.

You may get $0.01 of value per point if you apply your reward points to a statement credit or you could $0.0167 of value per point if you transfer your points to another program and use them with the other rewards program. This can greatly alter the value of the credit card sign up bonus reward points so make sure you know what you’ll use your points for before you sign up for a particular sign up bonus credit card to get the best deal.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

I personally signed up for this card a little less than a year ago and it was a major factor in earning almost $1,000 worth of credit card rewards in 2012.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card has an amazing 40,000 point sign up bonus after you spend $3,000 within 3 months of opening your card.

The 40,000 points can be applied as a statement credit or exchanged for a check  worth $400 with each point being worth a penny. If you use the rewards through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards program you can get $500 worth of value. However, there are some even better ways to use your 40,000 point sign up bonus.

Advanced card users will likely transfer their points to another rewards program at a 1 point to 1 point value to some of these amazing rewards programs: British Airways Executive Club, United MileagePlus^®, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards^®, Korean Air SKYPASS, Amtrak Guest Rewards^®, Hyatt Gold Passport^®, Marriott Rewards^®, Priority Club^® Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards^®.

I plan to transfer my points to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® program because each Chase Ultimate Rewards point is equal to 1 Rapid Rewards point. I can exchange 100 Rapid Rewards points for $1.67 in Wanna Get Away?^® fares which essentially increases the value of my points 67%! Not shabby.

You also earn points for your purchases. You earn 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining purchases and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

That’s not all! Each year you’ll receive a 7% points dividend on all points earned on purchases. The first year, assuming you just spend the $3,000 required for the sign up bonus and nothing more , that dividend is worth a minimum of 210 points.

A couple of the other great benefits include no foreign transaction fees and a customer service number answered directly by real humans! You don’t have to go through any computer automated prompts and that is pretty awesome if you ask me.

There is an annual fee but Chase will waive the $95 annual fee on the Sapphire Preferred card for the first year. You’ll have to pay the fee each year after that.

Click here to apply for and compare the best sign up bonus credit cards.

P.S. This card is pretty cool because it is made of metal and heavier than normal credit cards.

As with any card, please read all of the fine print and details on the application before you sign up. You need to completely understand the details to ensure you get your rewards!

Chase Ink Plus Business Credit Card

The Chase Ink Plus Business Credit Card offers one of the largest sign up bonuses I’m aware of at 50,000 sign up bonus points but it comes with a large spending requirement of $5,000 in the first 3 months from opening your account.

Just like the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, these points can be transferred with no transfer fees at a 1 point to 1 point value to any of the following reward programs: British Airways Executive Club, United MileagePlus^®, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards^®, Korean Air SKYPASS, Amtrak Guest Rewards^®, Hyatt Gold Passport^®, Marriott Rewards^®, Priority Club^® Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards^®.

This credit card offers no foreign transaction fees and waives the annual fee for the first year. Each year after the first there is an annual fee of $95.

Even though this is a business card you can still apply for it as a sole proprietor by simply giving your name as the legal name of your business your SSN as the taxpayer identification number. If you sell anything on the side  or have a side gig that isn’t a W-2 job you could likely consider it a business (and you should be reporting the income to the IRS as well if it is taxable). Don’t lie about your business though… Be honest when filing out the application.

Click here to apply for and compare the best sign up bonus credit cards.

As with any card, please read all of the fine print and details on the application before you sign up. You need to completely understand the details to ensure you get your rewards!

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and Premier Credit Cards from Chase

If you fly on Southwest these cards offer some tremendous sign up bonus values! Both credit cards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and Premier, offer 25,000 sign up bonus points after you spend $1,000 in the first three months of opening an account. Those 25,000 points can be redeemed for over $400 in Wanna Get Away?^® fares which can be redeemed for a round trip flight ($416 per round trip flight).

In addition to the sign up bonus you earn 2 points for every dollar spent on Southwest Airlines^® and AirTran^® Airways when you book directly with the airlines and 2 points for every dollar you spend on Southwest Rapid Rewards Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar spent.

Both versions of the Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card have anniversary bonuses. The Plus credit card has a 3,000 point anniversary bonus and the Premier credit card has a 6,000 point anniversary bonus.

The Premier version boasts two perks the Plus card does not have at all. It offers 1,500 Tier-Qualifying Points for every $10,000 in purchases each year (up to 15,000 Tier Qualifying Points) and no foreign transaction fees which can save you a ton of money if you commonly use credit cards in foreign countries.

Both versions have balance transfer bonuses as well but the 3% balance transfer fee exceeds the value of the points you would earn from transferring your balances. I recommend you pass on this feature. 

Unfortunately, both credit cards have annual fees. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus annual fee is $69 and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier annual fee is $99. If you use all of your points each year, the extra $30 for 3,000 extra anniversary bonus points is actually worth $50 in Wanna Get Away?^® fares so it might be worth it to splurge for the Premier card.

Apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus credit card from Chase here.

Apply for the Southwest Rapid Reward Premier credit card from Chase here.

As with any card, please read all of the fine print and details on the application before you sign up. You need to completely understand the details to ensure you get your rewards!

Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Credit Card

If you like fancy hotels then the Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve credit card might be worth checking out. You can earn two weekend night certificates, each good for one weekend night in a standard room with double occupancy at select hotels and resorts within the Hilton HHonors portfolio. To receive this sign up bonus you must spend $2,500 in eligible purchases within the first four months of card membership.

In addition to the sign up bonus, you will earn 10 bonus points for every dollar spent on hotel stays within the Hilton HHonors portfolio, 5 bonus points for every dollar spent on airline and car rental purchases and 3 bonus points for every dollar spent on all other purchases. These are in addition to the HHonors base points you may earn for your stays.

You can earn an anniversary bonus of one weekend night at select hotels and resorts if you spend $10,000 or more on eligible purchases in each card membership year.

The Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve credit card features no foreign transaction fees and a Citi chip to assist in making global travel easier.

Finally, you will be rewarded complimentary HHonors gold status as long as you’re a Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve cardmember and can earn an upgrade to HHonors Diamond status by making $40,000 or more in eligible purchases during each calendar year.

Like many of these stellar sign up bonus cards, the Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve card has a $95 annual fee.

Click here to apply for and compare the best sign up bonus credit cards.

As with any card, please read all of the fine print and details on the application before you sign up. You need to completely understand the details to ensure you get your rewards!

Citi ThankYou Premier Card

The last sign up bonus credit card I’m highlighting is the Citi ThankYou Premier Credit Card. This card offers 25,000 sign up bonus ThankYou points after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months. You can redeem these points for $250 in gift cards or $333 for airfare.

The Citi ThankYou Premier Card offers an annual domestic companion ticket (within the contiguous USA) and a 15% discount when you book air travel through Citi’s travel benefits provider.

You earn 1.2 ThankYou points per dollar spent when you use your card at supermarkets, gas stations, drugstores, commuter transportation and parking merchants. You’ll also earn 1 ThankYou point for every dollar spent on all other purchases.

When you redeem ThankYou point for airfare you get 33% more value per point as long as you book through the ThankYou Travel Center. You can book on any airline with no blackout dates.

The Citi ThinkYou Premier credit card also offers an anniversary bonus on points earned from purchases each year. The bonus increases each year, up to a maximum of 5% after you’re a cardmember for 4 years.

This credit card offers no foreign transaction fees and a Citi chip in the credit card to make global travel easier and more convenient.

Apply for the Citi ThankYou Premier credit card here.

As with any card, please read all of the fine print and details on the application before you sign up. You need to completely understand the details to ensure you get your rewards!

Keep These Thoughts In Mind When Considering a Credit Card

Credit cards can be great tools and make you a ton of money, if, and only if you play the game correctly. I ALWAYS pay my credit card off in full every month and you should too. If you can’t do this I would suggest against getting credit cards.

If you have a problem with debt and/or credit cards I would suggest you not sign up for new cards. The cash back benefits do not outweigh the interest charges you will pay.

Credit card interest rates are normally higher than most other loans and the interest can add up fast. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

What sign up bonus credit cards have you used in the past? Are there any other offers I should be aware of or add to my list? I’d love to hear your input below in the comments!

The information in the article is accurate to the best of my knowledge as of April 27th, 2013. It will be periodically updated as offers change. As with any offer, make sure to read all of the details on the application site as those are the terms and conditions that will govern any credit card you sign up for. What you have read here is simply a summary and does not contain all terms and conditions.