Quick question about credit cards

darkmaker94 said:You can't even use a Bank of America Visa or Mastercard anyway if you're looking to pay in installments.

Anyway, there's already a thread about credit cards. 🙂

I guess I misread something on their website...
(and totally missed the point of the discussion)

Andrew Murphy5 said:Trust me, you’re better off without a credit card sitting next to those loans. Honestly, banks are doing you a favor here. It sounds weird, I know—but maybe they're just making sure you don't spiral into a massive credit card debt hole that you can't dig yourself out of.
They'd much rather hand a card to someone who doesn't have existing debt and pulls in at least $4,000 a month.☕

They aren't "doing me a favor." I know how to control myself, and obviously, I wouldn't be using a card for dumb stuff like paying for a ski trip or a vacation.
When my car insurance bill hits $1000, it's way easier to split that into six monthly payments on a card instead of dropping all the cash at once. Or like buying new tires... I'm not just handing over $2,500 in cold hard cash.

And yeah, sure, they prefer giving cards to people with higher incomes, but who's to say one of those guys won't end up deep in the red too?
They make more money, but naturally, they spend more too.
Honestly, it makes zero sense...

When my car insurance bill hits from $1000, honestly, just splitting it into 6 monthly payments on my card is way easier.

What’s wrong with good old-fashioned checks? They should bring those back. Makes total sense to me—you just gotta know how to write one.

I don't have any checks, nor do I even want them, and honestly, I'm not even sure if they'd take them anyway.
My card is way more convenient and actually works at most places, but man... I had no idea getting one was going to be such a massive headache.

Amex and Diners Club play by their own rules, whereas banks decide on their own Visa and Mastercard issuance, making them much easier to snag.

Since I can't get my hands on a Diners or an American Express right now, I'm looking into Mastercard and Visa options instead.

Is it even possible to pay in installments with those cards? That’s basically my top priority at the moment...
From what I've read online, they're mostly just deferred payment cards, and if someone actually offers installment plans, they basically turn into revolving credit cards, if I'm understanding this right.
If anyone here has actually dealt with this, please let me know...

I also noticed in some online shops that the specific bank matters a ton. Like, some places offer installments if you're using a Visa from Zions Bank, but if it's a Zaba card, you have to pay the whole thing upfront—probably because of their specific contracts or whatever.

You can't pull off installment plans with Zions Bank cards (Visa or Mastercard). If you want to pay in installments, the Zaba Mastercard or their Debit Card are your best bets since they're accepted at way more places.
From what I know, the Federal Reserve or Split banks let you do installments with their Visa cards, but the number of merchants that actually support it is pretty slim.
So yeah, stick with the Zaba MC or the Debit Card. 🙂

wiredviper19 said:Since I can't get my hands on a Diners or an American Express right now, I'm looking into Mastercard and Visa options instead.

Is it even possible to pay in installments with those cards? That’s basically my top priority at the moment...
From what I've read online, they're mostly just deferred payment cards, and if someone actually offers installment plans, they basically turn into revolving credit cards, if I'm understanding this right.
If anyone here has actually dealt with this, please let me know...

I also noticed in some online shops that the specific bank matters a ton. Like, some places offer installments if you're using a Visa from Zions Bank, but if it's a Zaba card, you have to pay the whole thing upfront—probably because of their specific contracts or whatever.

Are you talking about revolving credit lines, or specifically about paying in installments at stores that have an agreement with the card processor?🤷

By the way, getting approved isn't just about your income; having a high salary doesn't mean you'll get one by default.

darkmaker94 said:You can't pull off installment plans with Zions Bank cards (Visa or Mastercard). If you want to pay in installments, the Zaba Mastercard or their Debit Card are your best bets since they're accepted at way more places.
From what I know, the Federal Reserve or Split banks let you do installments with their Visa cards, but the number of merchants that actually support it is pretty slim.
So yeah, stick with the Zaba MC or the Debit Card. 🙂

Alright, just checking.

Charles Ramos7 said:Are you talking about revolving credit lines, or specifically about paying in installments at stores that have an agreement with the card processor?🤷

By the way, getting approved isn't just about your income; having a high salary doesn't mean you'll get one by default.

I’m not talking about revolving credit, I don't care about that crap... I need the installment plan option. But I saw on some bank websites that they handle debit cards that way—they offer installment payments and then suddenly your debit card turns into a revolving line of credit or some weird scheme like that.

Can someone walk me through how a revolving credit card actually works? Someone mentioned that if I buy something for $233 at a place like Hypo Bank, for instance, I could spread those payments out over ten months. Is that standard practice across all banks, or is it specific to somewhere like Raiffeisen?

The Raiffeisen Mastercard is a true credit card through and through. You’re only required to cover the minimum monthly payment—which is 10% of your total balance (at least $50)—and anything extra you decide to pay is entirely up to you.

Charles Ramos7 said:The Raiffeisen Mastercard is a true credit card through and through. You’re only required to cover the minimum monthly payment—which is 10% of your total balance (at least $50)—and anything extra you decide to pay is entirely up to you.

So, if I buy something for $50, does the full amount hit my bill immediately? Or is that $50 minimum amount actually what I can opt to pay in installments? (Sorry, I'm a little lost here 😉).
Also, regarding my own choice—do I need to specify how many installments I want every single time?

They don't look at what you buy individually; they focus on your total balance or debt. But yeah, if you only spend $50 in a single month (assuming you aren't starting with any existing debt), that full amount will be due for that period. To make it easier to visualize, if you spent a total of $333 in the first month, your payment would be $50 (leaving a balance of $283). If you spend another $333 the following month, your payment would be $62 (which is 850 + $333 in remaining debt). By the third month, if you spend $1000, your payment would hit $156 (3000 + $555 in debt), and so on...

You don't need to explain anything to anyone.

Charles Ramos7 said:They don't look at what you buy individually; they focus on your total balance or debt. But yeah, if you only spend $50 in a single month (assuming you aren't starting with any existing debt), that full amount will be due for that period. To make it easier to visualize, if you spent a total of $333 in the first month, your payment would be $50 (leaving a balance of $283). If you spend another $333 the following month, your payment would be $62 (which is 850 + $333 in remaining debt). By the third month, if you spend $1000, your payment would hit $156 (3000 + $555 in debt), and so on...

You don't need to explain anything to anyone.

+ a little extra interest 😁

Sure 🙏

I was actually just thinking about whether this is even worth it. You can usually just pick up tech on a few interest-free installments anyway, so... 🤔

Charles Ramos7 said:Sure 🙏

I was actually just thinking about whether this is even worth it. You can usually just pick up tech on a few interest-free installments anyway, so... 🤔

It's not worth it at all. Unfortunately, I know from my own experience.😢

Zions Bank seems to run these special promotions pretty frequently.
Does anyone happen to know if there's anything active right now?

Hey there.

Not sure if this is the right spot for this, but I've got a question:
So, I just opened up a checking and a savings account over at Zaba and picked up my cards and PINs. When I went to try and change those PINs, they basically told me it wasn't an option. Honestly, I’m wondering if we should start a group complaint or something—I mean, Chase lets you change your PIN whenever you want. This whole "no changes allowed" thing is just ridiculous. I'm sitting here juggling 6 or 7 different cards, and I shouldn't be forced to memorize whatever random numbers they decide to assign me. Anyone else feel the same way about this?

Hey everyone. So, like the title says, I'm trying to figure out which card makes the most sense for me—mostly because I want to buy things on an installment plan (thinking about paying it down at maybe 15-20% a month) and maybe pull some cash out, maybe $1,000$667 every couple of months if I really need to... I'm honestly feeling pretty lost in this sea of different cards and terms—charge, debit, revolving, Amex, Visa, Mastercard... Thanks in advance for any help.

If you're looking to buy things on installment plans, you'll need a revolving credit line. But honestly, if you're planning to just withdraw cash and go on a massive shopping spree using installments, my best advice is to skip the card entirely. It’ll save you a lot of headaches later on.😉

I haven't seen any posts from you yet! Just a heads up, I'm here whenever you want to chat or vent about whatever's on your mind. No pressure though. Just hanging out. kaže:
Look, if you’re trying to buy stuff on installments, yeah, you’re gonna need a revolving line of credit or whatever. But honestly? If you’re planning on pulling cash out of an ATM just to go on a massive shopping spree using those monthly payment plans... man, just don't even bother getting the card. Seriously. Save yourself the headache. You'll have way fewer problems in life if you just skip that whole mess entirely. 😉

I'm with you on this one. Seriously, stay far away from credit cards. Honestly, picking up any kind of card feels like you're just walking straight toward an event horizon. Once you cross that line, there’s no turning back.