The Credit Card is trying to get me
You ever do something you thought was a great idea at the time, but the hassle made you rethink that decision over and over again? I’m really starting to feel that way about this whole $50 gift card for using your new credit card operation. Ugh.
The charge at Walmart from Saturday finally posted to my new credit card account this morning. I logged in and tried to pay it online on the credit card’s site, which of course meant registering my bank account with them. I chose this method because paying through their website means the payment will post the same day and I am a huge fan of instant gratification.
I get done registering my bank account, then the site tells me it will take 5 business days for the bank account to be approved so I cannot make a payment until August 15th! The bill is not due until August 30th, so no worries there, but I had to add the credit card to my list of bills to be paid just so I make sure I won’t forget, and generally, it made me grumpy. I didn’t want this one purchase thing to take up so much of my emotional energy, I just wanted to do it and be done with it. I’m starting to think it was so not worth the $50 gift card. But it is too late now so I must forge on. I’m so itchy to do the balance transfer and be done with it, and now I need to wait even longer. With all the extra time this whole thing is taking that I never accounted for, I may only be breaking even by the time the balance is transferred. Lesson learned I guess - don’t bother with rewards when you are trying to stop the interest accruing insanity.
I did also earn 9 “Thank You” points (their reward program) for my purchase. Must put “Check out Thank You Points program” on my to-do list. Since I know I will be receiving 6000 Bonus “Thank You” points for my making my first purchase, and that is equal to a $50 gift card, it seems the “rewards” back are less than 1%. Whoopee. This won’t be a card I will be using to make purchases to get rewards once we’re not in debt if that remains the same, I can guarantee that. Maybe it has a great airline rewards or something. It seems like the card would need to have more competitive rewards to stay in the game. Unless their only game is balance transfers.
~J
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August 8th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
I have to agree with you. I got three cards about 9-10 months ago for the free gift cards and statement credits. Pain in the butt - not worth it for me. All those cards are gone. I’m going to just stick with my one card, thank you.