In the credit card world, there are two companies who are on top: Visa and MasterCard. They both conduct their business in almost the same way. MasterCard claims to process more than 18 billion payments each year, while Visa claims to have issued 1.6 billion credit cards. So it’s very hard to see who is actually ahead in the credit card

Both Visa and MasterCard are accepted in millions of locations worldwide. At the moment the exact number is estimated to be around 30 million locations. So let’s look at the difference between the two.

Which One Is Best?

Visa and MasterCard are just methods of payment. They merely provide the actual card and the means for the shop or supplier to process the payment for the goods or services that they are selling.

When it comes to which one is better, you actually have to look at the issuing bank, as they are the ones who are deciding the rate, the reward program, the annual fee and all of the other charges that are associated with the credit card. Basically, when you pay your credit card bill, the money actually goes to your bank, not to Visa or MasterCard.

So How Do People Decide?

In recent years, the best credit cards have come with prestigious rewards programs and lots of services. These high end features are found with credit cards that are Platinum or higher. However, the annual fees for these cards are higher, so even though the fees are offered with the card, do you have to pay a higher annual fee.

But these cards, that offer concierge assistance and other exclusive offers, are designed to make the banks and other financial institutions promote either Visa or MasterCard to their customers.

What Other Choices Do I Have?

Aside from Visa and MasterCard, there are also Diners Club and American Express.

Diners Club is a charge card. This means that although it is similar to a credit card, it is not completely identical. The biggest difference is that it does not work on credit. The dollar amounts that have been charged must be paid off in full every month. Card users cannot carry their debt over to the following month and pay it slowly.

American Express on the other hand, is another very popular credit card provider. American Express claims to have issued more than 86 million credit cards and charge cards worldwide. They are known for their rewards and services and their credit cards are more difficult to obtain.

How Should I Choose My Next Credit Card?

If you choice is between having a Visa or a MasterCard, then rather than looking at these two providers, it will be best to concentrate on looking at the actual charges that are associated with the card. Look at the different banks and what they have available to you. The best strategy is to compare all of the different products and compare the interest rates, annual fees, balance transfer rates and the reward programs.

However, keep in mind that it will be very unlikely that you will be effected by which provider the card is from. Both Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted everywhere, as you can pay for your petrol at your local petrol station, you can pay for a flight online and then you can even pay for your lunch in New York.

The deciding factors should be what the bank is offering you and the fees that are associated with a credit card – not the type of credit card that it is.

What Warwick Credit Union Has to Offer

Warwick Credit Union offers the Low Rate MasterCard, MyCard MasterCard, Visa Debit Card and Warwick rediCard.

The Low Rate Master Card offers interest free days on purchases, a low balance transfer rate, and a continuing low annual percentage rate (APR), which is one of the lowest on the credit card market. An added bonus is international travel insurance coverage.

The MyCard MasterCard offers a very competitive rate, 55 interest free days on purchases, and the Take Flight reward program, which allows the credit card user to redeem points for flights with any airline for any destination with no blackout dates. International travel insurance is also included with this card.

Visa Debit Card gives the card user access to your account around the clock. The Visa Debit card can be used online or EFTPOS locations and all ATM’s that accept the Visa card. Visa Debit card holders must be 18 years of age or older.

Applying for Warwick Credit cards

All credit and debit cards offered by Warwick Credit Union can be applied for online, or at a convenient Credit Union office. The application takes about 15 minutes to fill out once all the information is gathered. Credit card applicants must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of Australia.

The applicant must also be employed full time or have documented evidence of financial support. The information the applicant must supply is financial data, such as employment salary, bank accounts and the balances, debt such as mortgage or loan payments and employer contact information.

The application will be reviewed based on the information provided and in accordance with credit card application criteria. The applicant’s credit score will also have an impact on the approval or denial of the application.

The applicant can expect to be notified of approval or denial within 48 hours of submitting the application.

Incomplete applications will be returned for additional information and that will delay the approval process.

Interest Free Days

Interest free days are a great perk offered by credit card issuers. By paying the card balance each month before the end of the billing cycle, allows the card user to save on monthly interest fees. There is no interest charged on the card if the balance is paid in full each month.

It is not mandatory to pay the balance each month, but if the credit card user crunched the numbers and looked at the interest rates alone they would be amazed to the point of always wanting to pay the balance each month for the savings along.

If the balance is not paid each month and is carried forward, it will be subject to the established and current interest fee.

Take Flight Rewards

Take Flight Rewards program allows the card user to collect points based on purchases and those points can be redeemed for flights to a favourite destination. There are no limits to the when and where of the flights and there are no blackout dates.

What the Visa Card has to offer

The Woolworth Visa Card features low interest rates, no cost balance transfers, no annual fee, up to 55 interest free days, interest charges that are calculated daily and charged monthly, cash advance, Internet and telephone access and the peace of mind that Visa is accepted worldwide.

The Application

The application for a Woolworth Visa card can be found online. The Application can be filled out and submitted on line or it can be printed from online, filled in and submitted at the Woolworth Credit Union office anytime during regular office hours.

The information required on the application is contact data, residential address, home ownership or rental, employment details including salary and employer contact information. Bank balances and debt payments including mortgage and other loans and personal references. There is a section in the event the applicant wants to apply for a credit card balance transfer.

The application will be reviewed based on the information provided, as well as the applicant’s credit score. The applicant will be notified of approval or denial of the credit card.

Visa Credit Card Security

All Visa credit cards are issued with a PIN for additional security. Your PIN will be sent separately from your Visa card. You will be required to use your PIN whenever using your Visa for a cash advance, Do not write your PIN on your credit card. Memorize the number and destroy all evidence containing that information.

Credit Card Balance transfer

The Woolworth Visa Card offers a credit card balance program that allows the card holder to transfer their existing credit card balance from their old car to their new Visa card with no transfer fee. There is a special promotional introductory interest rate for qualified customers that will allow the card user the opportunity to pay off their old debt at a low or no interest rate. There is no fee to transfer the balance.

If the balance is not paid off at the end of the promotional period, that balance will be subject to the regular, current day interest rate. Cash advances are not subject to any promotional interest rate. Any purchases made on the card during the promotional period are also not subject to any promotional rates.

Interest Free Days

One of the best things to come along since sliced bread is interest free days. Interest free days offers the credit card user up to 55 interest free days on all purchases provided the balance is paid in full by the end of the billing cycle. It is an incredible money saving perk for the disciplined credit card user. If you use your card a lot and accrue a balance every month, you know how staggering the interest charges can be.

Telephone and Internet Banking

Telephone and Internet banking offers the credit card customer the ability to check balances and authorize payments over the telephone as well as setting up an online account for the purpose of account management. This lets the card holder monitor their account regularly and check all transactions as they made to be assured all charges are correctly posted.

It also allows the card holder to check for unauthorized use of the card and put a stop to the card before any damage is done. With an online account the card holder can also make monthly payments and make them onetime if the card holder is a late bill payer. This will also save the card holder late fees that can add up to be quite a bit if the payments are late two or more times a year.

Apply Today for a Woolworth Employees Credit Union Credit Card and Enjoy Interest Free Days!

Why Should You Apply for Membership?

There are a great number of reasons for filling in an application form for membership of a building society or credit union. First of all, you should know that you will have the amazing opportunity to take advantage of some exclusive programs and features made available to members, including special rates and pricing schemes for every single product you apply for.

And all you will need to do is to choose the credit union or the building society that is the most appropriate for your financial needs. This can be achieve by doing a comparison between the offers made available by the different financial institutions of the Australian market.

Furthermore, with credit unions and building societies the focus will always be on the customers and on finding some very advantageous solutions for them. This is because of the fact that there is no pressure for maximising profits, as can be said about banks, which have to pay their shareholders.

Finally, the application process is a very simple one and you will only be required to get in touch with some of the representatives of such an institution. In addition to this, you can always have a chat with a person who is already a member of a credit union or a building societies in order to find out more about their own experiences.

More About the Two Types of Financial Institutions

Building societies and credit unions were created so that customers could enjoy a better handling of their deposits. Such institutions function under the same regulations as banks and therefore you will never have to worry about the safety of your funds, because there are some very strict rules that are applied in every situation.

Furthermore, in order to provide every single member of such an institution with even more help, there is a customised pricing scheme in the policy of a credit union and a building society that includes special banking services and features that come at a very low price. For example, some of the most popular ones include savings accounts and home loans, which you will always enjoy because of the very competitive rates included in them.

On the other hand, you will also have the unique chance to apply for more traditional product as a member of a credit union or a building society, such as credit or debit cards. In this situation you will also be able to benefit from a wide range of discounts and rewards that will increase your overall experience with your finances and will never disappoint you.

Supervision for Credit Unions and Building Societies

Every single such institution functions under the strict regulations established by the most important national authorities in Australia. In addition to this, you can be sure that every single deposit you choose to make in your account that is managed by a credit union or a building society will be guaranteed by the Federal Government as long as the amount does not exceed $1 million.

In addition to the licenses that are absolutely necessary in order for a credit union or a building society to have the rights of executing certain financial activities, you should also know that an AFSL is also required. This stands for Financial Services License and will always increase your confidence in the institution you apply for membership for.

Community Help

What is really important about credit unions and building societies and the aspect that makes the difference at the same time is related to the great help provided to the local communities. This is mainly because of the fact that the main focus of such financial institutions is on the people and on finding out certain solutions to make them enjoy a better financial life in most of the situations, regardless of their level of income and other similar aspects.

There are a great number of building societies and credit unions that have already managed to help millions of people by providing them with some very important programs, completely affordable for them. In this way, millions of members were provided with the chance of saving some important money in the long run and using it for other financial objectives for their future. In this way, finding the necessary funding source for paying for the fees associated with a certain financial product will also not be a problem.

And this is not all, because there are also a great number of partnerships between credit unions and some other institutions that collaborate with communities from all over the country. Because of this, the spirit of helping others and the implication in helping the community have always represented some of the key aspects for the success of credit unions and building societies.

And the results appeared as well. During a great number of recent surveys conducted all over Australia, the people who were interviewed were more satisfied with the services offered to them by the building society or the credit union they were member of than the ones who collaborated with banks.

In terms of the actual partnerships that aim at increasing the lifestyle of the members and provide some important help to the community, there is the system known under the name of NILS. Its name stands for No Interest Loan Schemes and is part of a program that provides support to a great number of people who are financially disadvantaged.

If you find yourself in such a situation, you should know that with a building society or a credit union you will be provided with some of the most competitive rates you will ever find on the market, completed by some valuable discounts for every member. For all these reasons, becoming a member of such an institution will only bring you advantages and the chance to achieve your most important financial goals in the shortest time possible and with very little effort.

Even More Help for the Community

If you thought that the programs described above were the only advantages when it comes to providing support to the communities, you were completely wrong. This is mainly because of the fact that there are also a great number of special grants created for people who belong to families with a great financial disadvantage, for example. In addition to this, members of such families will also be able to benefit from psychological support in order to be able to get right on track and begin a new financial life.

In addition to this, you might also want to know about the amazing opportunity that provides credit unions or building societies members to obtain a well paid job in the industry. This is again another important step that could contribute to a new financial beginning for a great number of people who are constantly struggling with some important financial difficulties and would like to make things better for them.

Furthermore, the loan programs are absolutely amazing and have already helped millions in their attempt to seek a better future in terms of their finances. As a consequence, if your income is not a favourable one for you at all you will be provided with the chance of applying for a financial product that comes with absolutely no interest if you decide to sign with a credit union or a building society. This is part of the program that aims at helping more and more people achieve their goals and have bigger dreams.

Why Are Credit Unions and Building Societies Better than Banks?

First of all, you should be completely aware of the fact that all the financial institutions in the country function under the same regulations, so you will not need to worry about the safety of your funds, regardless of the company you choose to collaborate with, because all of your funds will be carefully supervised in order to make sure that they are safe at any time.

In fact, it is more advantageous for you to choose a credit union or a building society instead of a bank, mainly because of the great number of advantages that will be provided to you and the rates that a bank will never be able to provide you with.

This is mainly because of the fact that all of the banks feel a certain level of pressure when it comes to bringing their profits at the highest level possible, since there are a great number of shareholders who need to be paid by such financial institutions. Because of this, they are unable to focus on the actual needs of the customers, regardless of their situation and position in different rankings.

On the other hand, with a credit union or a building society you can be sure that representatives of such financial institutions will always focus on your needs and on finding some programs that could help you increase your overall financial situation, because there is no such pressure on them.

In addition to this, all of the funds will be invested in to promoting some new programs or upgrading the ones that were already created with some new fabulous rates, in order to ensure that more and more people can afford to become members and apply for a product that could make things better for them.

Finally, with credit unions and building societies you will also be able to benefit from customised pricing schemes and some marvellous products that could help you achieve the greatest results in the shortest time possible. This is because of the fact  that the founders of such institutions put all their confidence in the members and regard them as the most valuable investment for them. This is because the members are the actual owners and the persons who own all the shares and without them, such companies would not exist.

More About Security

There are even more reasons why you might decide to apply for a financial product distributed by a credit union or a building society instead of using the services of a bank. And most of the reasons are related to a couple of safety issues that are really important for the entire process.

One of the first things you will need to be aware of is the fact that credit unions come exactly with the same rules as any type of other financial institution on the market and functions under the same regulations as building societies and banks. As a consequence, you will never have to worry about the safety of your funds, because they will always be deposited in a very secure place which you will always enjoy.

Next, there are even more advantages, simply because of the lack of exposure to the sub-prime loans from the United States. This will also enjoy a greater level of security and you will be able to make sure that your financial experience will become safer and safer with every single day that passes by.

With a building society or a credit union you will be provided with the unique opportunity of having one of the lowest arrears level, which will be completed by the chance to contributed to a company with the aim of taking the leadership in the financial market. In addition to this, you will be able to benefit from a level of security you have always dreamed of, which will make you always enjoy your experience with a credit union or a building society.

Ownership of the Organisations

Another important aspect that makes the difference between credit unions and other similar financial institutions in the Australian market and not only is related to the fact that the owners are the members themselves. In this way, you can be sure that the focus of the company collaborate with will always be on your needs and therefore, you will be able to achieve some of your most important financial goals in the shortest time.

In addition to the aspect mentioned above, this is also the reason why mutuals (credit unions and building societies) will always use all the extra funds they have in order to provide members with even more exceptional offers, so you can be sure that your level of satisfaction with the financial products offered will always be at a maximum value.

Money Saving

This is another important aspect that you will need to take into consideration before deciding whether a certain financial institution and its offers are fully compatible with the limitations of your budget and the overall situation as well. This is because a great number of credit unions and building societies come with products that are completely affordable for everyone and which enable consumers to save a very important amount of money in the shortest time.

First of all, this is about the very low rates and fees that will be applied to your account whenever you decide that it is time for you to fill in an application form and become a member of a credit union or a building society. Most of these are among the most competitive ones you will ever find and, as a consequence, you will no longer need to worry about finding the appropriate financing source for you and you will have the chance to avoid a great number of financial difficulties that might occur in your lifestyle.

There were a great number of surveys and researches during the last years that proved that credit unions and building societies are always the ideal choice for most of the customers, because they provide rates, penalties and fees that are a low lower than in the case of other major financial institutions, such as banks.

If you want to get help when it comes to this particular financial aspect and see a comparison between different offers made available by building societies and credit unions, you should know that there are a great number of websites that are able to help you in this matter by providing you with some very accurate pieces of information. For example, the ones known under the name of Rate City and InfoChoice, which contain a great number of useful options that you will surely enjoy.

In addition to the features you will be provided with after signing up for a website like this one, you should also know that there are some sections that will provide you with information related to the amount you will be able to save if you decide to become a member of a credit union or a building society. For example, certain statistics indicate that members of mutuals can put aside over $30,000 for every single year of their contract.

For all these reasons, you can be sure that whenever you decide to apply for such a financial institution, you will have the chance to fulfill all your financial objectives in a very short time, which will not happen if you decide to collaborate with a bank. With a credit union or a building society, you will always save more and more money with a very small effort.

Accessibility Issues

There are a great number of accessibility issues that you will need to be aware of before deciding to apply for membership with a certain credit union or building society. First of all, access to your funds will be available for you at any time, because of the fact that a great number of products will come with a credit card manufactured by one of the most important brands in the financial industry.

In addition to this, you should know that there are also some features that will be included in your account and a great number of locations where you can seek financial advice. The number of such branches is currently evaluated at around 1,800. As a consequence, you can always be sure that your finances will be handled safely and that you will benefit from the necessary support whenever you ask representatives of the staff for certain pieces of advice for you.

And this is not all because there are a great number of ATMs spread all over the country and managed by one of the building societies or credit unions that currently have an important financial activity in Australia. Their number has already exceeded 3,100, so you can be sure that regardless of the city or town you live in, you will always have a great number of solutions made available to you.

Because of all the aspects mentioned above, there is no reason for worrying about having full access to your funds at any time and by applying with a credit union or a building society you can make sure that you will encounter no problem during the entire process.

Customer Services

When it comes to the quality of the customer service programs, you should know that the majority of all the deals provided to you as a member of a certain building society or credit union come with the highest level of quality you will ever find on the market. As a consequence, more and more customers are changing their minds and decide to apply with a credit union or a building society instead of a bank.

As a proof, there were a great number of surveys conducted all over the country, including the Customer Satisfaction Survey of Roy Morgan, who pointed to the fact that 87% of the total customers of building societies are really satisfied with the quality of the services offered, while this is valid for 88.4% of credit unions members. On the other hand, banks have only showed 73.9% in terms of the satisfaction with the support provided to them by representatives of the financial institution they collaborated with.

Commitment to Community

As mentioned above, the main objective of a credit union or building society is to improve the overall financial experience of each customer. And the credit card offers made available to everyone are no exception from this rule. This is because of the fact that through credit cards a wide range of consumers will have the opportunity to increase the quality of their financial experience and shop more and more.

In addition to this, every single extra cent of the profit of such a company will be invested into new features made available to you as a member. Another important aspect is related to the fact that a credit union or building society will always care for the environment with every single program included in the offer of a financial institution like this one. Moreover, there is also the financial literacy that will make you enjoy your financial situation more and more and will provide you with some other reasons to become a member of a credit union or a building society as well.

Finally, you should also know that because of the fact that you will become the owner of a certain amount of shares whenever you decide to become a member of a credit union or building society, you will contribute to the help of families with financial difficulties yourself and with some other support offered to the ones who really need it.

Responsibility of Lending

This is another very important fact that you should be aware of before deciding upon the ideal financial product for you and the limitations of your budget. And you will never be disappointed in this matter either because most of the building societies and credit unions that function in the Australian market nowadays show great respect towards all of the members when it comes to the actual process of lending money.

In this matter, the key to success is represented by the term known under the name of ethical banking, which functions perfectly inside the system of a credit union or a building society. Representatives of the institution will never let you borrow more than you can handle and you can always have a chat with members of the staff in order to find some useful advice about the programs they offer. In this way, the risk of debt will be significantly reduced for you and you will enjoy a better experience with your finances every time you shop.

Last but not least, a great number of mutuals are already running programs for people who are constantly struggling with financial difficulties, in their attempt to provide these people with the help they require. And because of the responsible lending you will always find in a building society or a credit union, you can tell for sure that everyone will be advantaged in the end.

The Range of Products Available

In terms of the actual products that are made available for members of building societies and credit unions, you will firstly need to know that there will always be the chance for you to decide upon the most important aspects of your loan. For example, if a fixed rate is the most convenient solution for you, you have no reason for not choosing it. And the same can be said about the variable rates and some other aspects, such as the term of your loan.

Because of the great flexibility you will always enjoy the absolutely striking functionality of building societies and credit unions and of your loan at the same time, in your attempt to save as much money as possible in a very short time. This was proven by the recent statistics that indicated the fact that a great number of members managed to save up to the impressive sum of $30,000 in a single year.

This is very important to know because if you choose to collaborate with a bank you will never have this unique chance of saving as much money with such a small effort, no matter which institution you choose for your loan, since there is a constant pressure to maximise profits in order to pay the shareholders regularly.

Back to the actual products, some of the most important ones are related to the savings accounts and the transaction ones included in the offers of credit unions and building societies. They will all provide you with full access to all of your funds regardless of your favourite shopping place or the city you live in, because of the strongly developed ATM network that includes machines available all over the country.

In addition to this, you will also get the chance to apply for term deposits and some other extra features, which also come with a very impressive rate and some of the most competitive fees associated with them, which makes them affordable for every single member of such a financial institution. Moreover, the loans are also a significant aspect, since they also include the flexibility of your choices, since you will be able to apply for secured and unsecured ones, whichever suits you best.

Finally, in terms of the debit and credit cards made available for members of the mutuals, you will be absolutely glad to know that there are a great number of such products that will provide you with numerous advantages. In addition to this, in some of the situations you will also be provided with complementary insurance simply by becoming a client of such a company and therefore, you will have the amazing opportunity of saving some funds and increase the quality of your financial experience.

Conclusions

First of all, you are totally recommended to choose a building society or a credit union instead of a bank, simply because of the great number of extra benefits and solutions that are affordable to every single member. In addition to this, because of the fact that there is no pressure on paying the shareholders, you will be part of the owners of such a society and you will never regret applying for this position.

So make sure you take full advantage of all the pieces of information presented to you in this article because you will surely start seeing a difference and enjoy some serious improvements of your financial life in the shortest time possible.

We all make new year’s resolutions. We might want to stop smoking, get in better shape, do better at work or in school or we might want to clear our debts.

The last resolution is one of the hardest to achieve. It takes a lot of will power, but if you actually put a bit of work into it, you will be able to see results. Let’s look at some tips that will help you have a more prosperous new year.

Where Do I Start?

There are a few great ways for you to save money, they can actually start right away. Even if you don’t have debt, these can be great ways for you to save up some extra money.

A really great money saving strategy is to get an empty jar, and every day when you get home you should take all of the change that has accumulated during the day and stick it in the jar. This adds up really quickly, and you will be surprised at how much money you will have when the jar is full!

The money can then be put towards paying your debt or it can be put towards buying something nice for yourself – like a holiday or a new fancy gadget.

How Do I Stick To My Resolution?

The jar with the change is a great way of saving up some money. But if you are in debt, you have to address this issue properly. The first thing you need to do is to create a budget.

Take a few weeks to do this, it might even be beneficial to take a month or two, just so you can cover everything. You have to chart all of your income and all of your expenses. This is why it is a better idea for you to take at least a month to do this. There are some expenses that we have that happen maybe only once per month or even more, like bills or dog food or other things that you do not buy on a regular basis.

It is important to really have a good idea of what your financial situation is. And you do have to write down absolutely everything – even the chocolate bar that you may have grabbed on the way home from work yesterday.

Once you have done this, you have to take the total from the “expenses” column and deduct it from the “income” column. If you are left with a positive number, then you are living within your means. If you are left with a negative number then you are in a deficit.

If you have some money left over every month and you have debt, you can take this money to pay your debt off with. If you are over spending, then you will have to look through your expenses and trim off the unnecessary things – like the daily cup of coffee that you buy, you could take your coffee to work instead!

Review your budget every so often, to make sure that you are still on track.

What Happens Next?

The goal is to pay as much of your debt off as you can. If you are only able to make the minimum payment, try to be able to pay a little bit more every month. Eventually, you should see your debt reducing and by having your budget, it should be a lot easier for you to control your finances.

Once your debts are cleared, you can take the money that you have been paying towards your debts and put it in a savings account. With a little bit of saving, you will be able to afford a great holiday or a nice gift for yourself.

Start by looking in your kitchen for an empty jar so you can start saving today!