jaymacfla Posted October 16, 2016 Posted October 16, 2016 Yes, it is that time again! Time to check on your cards to see what you have, what you need and what is in need of replacing. Here are a few of the checks and suggestions listed below. Chime in with your own suggestions for a safe and sane shopping experience: 1: Check for worn out credit cards that are hard to swipe. If you need to use a bag trick to swipe, replace them now. 2: Replace any card that does not have a V chip where banks already use them and cut up the outdated one. 3: If you use a bank card/debit backed by Visa, find out the daily limits and change them if you can to suit your needs. 4: Call your financial institution and let them know that you will be purchasing items that are above your normal daily usage just before Black Friday so that they will have a record of it. 5. Know the limits and use the Bank card accordingly. Many people do not know about this and wrongly assume that debit and credit are the same. Use Credit and run the card again if the debit side does not work. (Rule 3) 6. Make sure your credit cards are paid up on time to avoid any denials. keep your credit-worthiness sound. 7. Use gift cards where practical and load them up to back up your plan in case your institutions servers are down. Check for expiration dates! 8. Use store credit cards (activated, of course) if you need to increase your spending power until the next payday where you plan to pay it off anyway. There are some instances where you can qualify for interest free purchases for certain items. Check the details carefully, as these fluctuate depending upon the price and promotion. 9. PayPal as a backup. You may be able to load up your PayPal business debit card (MasterCard) as yet another alternative. 10. Best Buy credit cards. There are two different ones offered and read the distinct difference between them. They can be used on more than just Best Buy and one is backed by Visa. You will also get bonus points if you activate the card within 14 days of Black Friday. (Rule 8) 11. Cash. A limited amount of cash is always required to bump that purchase or last minute purchases into the win column. How much you bring will depend upon your own personal needs and safety factors to consider. Always divide your cash up among family members if you can. 12. Receipts. Always keep your receipts and check them at the register. Get gift receipts where offered. 3
jewleyp Posted October 16, 2016 Posted October 16, 2016 I always have some cash for the times that the machines go down (happens at least once every year!) or the cash only lanes when getting smaller items. 2
tracy0504 Posted October 17, 2016 Posted October 17, 2016 I always carry cash as well as my cards...there is usually @ least one crash where the registers go down and cash comes in handy... 1
jesusluvu Posted October 17, 2016 Posted October 17, 2016 Love the suggestions. I remember one year I was "THAT GUY" that held up the line trying everything to get the card to swipe - plastic bag, between receipt paper I was so embarrassed...Then I hear some guy yelling and talking noise in the back about the line moving slow and come to find out it was by cousin so he came up and paid for my stuff until we got to the ATM...... I had a buggy full of door busters too and if I left it they would have been gone in 2 minutes ---- Now I carry cash not only to not overspend but to make sure I have no problems checking out. 2
bethed Posted October 18, 2016 Posted October 18, 2016 I carry mostly cash. I know safety is always a factor but cash is just simpler in my opinion. I have had so many bad experiences with cards. Machine readers not working.. Banks failing ... Etc. I carry a set limit of cash and a smaller amount to access with a card for quicker lines.
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