Credit is easier to get than it used to be, so more people, even students and people with bad credit, can get plastic cards.
A credit card is an easy way to build your credit score, and if you use it wisely, it can help you spend more freely and even give you perks like cash back or travel credits.
To get a gold or platinum card, you need to make more money each year. In general, you need this higher level of income to qualify for these cards, which is different from standard credit cards.
These cards may come with extra perks like free travel insurance, free purchase protection, discounts on travel and/or hotels, and free extended warranties for an extra year or more on many home appliances. They may also give you a higher credit limit and give you access to more cash every day. The card's owner can do anything he or she wants.
Once, having a gold or platinum card was a sign of prestige. Now, however, there isn't much difference between them, except that some credit card companies charge a fee for a Gold card.
Use the Internet to find information if you can afford a platinum or gold card. Look at as many of the big credit card companies as you can and compare rates to find the best one. You need to make sure that a deal is good for you. At http://www.platinumaz.com, you can find a list of credit cards.
Platinum cards come in many different forms. People who travel a lot can get cards with programmes for frequent fliers. Business cards are great for people who have a good credit history and often use their own credit cards for business expenses. Anyone who wants to get cash back can get a rewards card.
Also, you can find cards that fit your specific needs or shopping habits, like if you stay at Intercontinental Hotels a lot, are only interested in Sony rewards, or actually drink a lot of coffee.
Credit card companies don't just make money off of people who don't pay off their balances. Be careful about how and where you use your card, because you could get charged for things you didn't expect. Before you apply for a card, you should read all of the terms and conditions carefully.
You also need to keep an eye out for some things. For example, be careful if you are asked to pay fees up front when the ad or promotion doesn't say that there may be other costs. Find out how much this type of card will cost before you apply for it.
Be wary of people who say they can fix your credit or get you major credit cards even if you have bad credit. Any offer to get "easy credit" should make you think twice.
Marketers of "gold" and "platinum" cards often say that after using their cards for a while, it's easy to get major credit cards. In fact, most of the time you can only get secured major cards from these marketers.