Holy Monkey Crap, Batman!

[Rath Darkblade]

Tales of Monkey Island has just been released in Aussie stores!!

I just found it today and, naturally, snapped it up. I know it's been available online for yonks, but I could not get it because I don't have a credit card, and don't want to get one just for one purchase.

Anyway, yaaaaaay! *waves a little monkey flag*

[DeadPoolX]

Tales of Monkey Island has just been released in Aussie stores!!

I just found it today and, naturally, snapped it up. I know it's been available online for yonks, but I could not get it because I don't have a credit card, and don't want to get one just for one purchase.

Anyway, yaaaaaay! *waves a little monkey flag*

How do you normally pay for items (online or offline) if you don't have a credit card?

[Rath Darkblade]

Offline, I use a bank card or cash. I don't normally shop online, so I don't need a credit card.

[DeadPoolX]

Bank card? Is that like a debit card?

If it is, I've got a question for you: can you swipe-and-sign with it or do you need to use a PIN? The reason I'm asking is because in the US and UK, you can do both, whereas in Canada, you have to use a PIN.

Anyway... I know you dislike credit cards, but I'd recommend getting one with a low limit ($300 to $500) so you can buy stuff online if you need or want; it might also be useful in an emergency. With a low limit like that, you're highly unlikely to go into debit.

[Collector]

I agree with DPX. It is generally safer to use a credit card online than a debit. And a credit card used responsibly is an easy way to build credit.

[Rath Darkblade]

Bank card? Is that like a debit card?

If it is, I've got a question for you: can you swipe-and-sign with it or do you need to use a PIN? The reason I'm asking is because in the US and UK, you can do both, whereas in Canada, you have to use a PIN.

Anyway... I know you dislike credit cards, but I'd recommend getting one with a low limit ($300 to $500) so you can buy stuff online if you need or want; it might also be useful in an emergency. With a low limit like that, you're highly unlikely to go into debit.

A bank card is... well... it's both credit and debit, in that I use it to make EFT and EFTPOS payments. (And yes, I use a PIN - I don't swipe-and-sign).

Hmm... to be honest, I dislike credit cards because I've heard too many horror stories about people being gouged with hideous interest rates (15-17% etc.) on their monthly bills. I doubt something like that's going to happen to me, but then when I buy luxuries (e.g. books, CDs, DVDs etc.), I only buy those offline or ask a bookshop to specially order them for me.

Also, to be honest, I doubt that, if I had a credit card, I'd be making that many purchases online... maybe one every two-three months, maybe even rarer. Aren't there fees for having a credit card, even if I don't use it? I'm just not sure.

Thanks!

[DeadPoolX]

A bank card is... well... it's both credit and debit, in that I use it to make EFT and EFTPOS payments. (And yes, I use a PIN - I don't swipe-and-sign).

I don't know what EFTPOS is, but I know EFT is "electronic funds transfer." I'm surprised you need a card for that. Couldn't you just do it through online banking?

Hmm... to be honest, I dislike credit cards because I've heard too many horror stories about people being gouged with hideous interest rates (15-17% etc.) on their monthly bills. I doubt something like that's going to happen to me, but then when I buy luxuries (e.g. books, CDs, DVDs etc.), I only buy those offline or ask a bookshop to specially order them for me.

Interest rates only matter if you're carrying a balance. It won't matter if you pay your bill in full each time.

You should see if your bank allows virtual credit cards. Bank of America does this. Basically, you log into your account online and have it create a temporary credit card number. You can decide how long that virtual card is active for and how much money it can be used for as well.

The downside, of course, is that you can only use it online. Given that you usually use debit or cash in real life, this wouldn't be an issue for you.

Also, to be honest, I doubt that, if I had a credit card, I'd be making that many purchases online... maybe one every two-three months, maybe even rarer. Aren't there fees for having a credit card, even if I don't use it? I'm just not sure.

Some credit cards have annual fees and some don't. Many credit cards offer benefits (like points or miles) that can be exchanged for goods, services or cash back based on a limited percentage.

[Collector]

As DPX said, interest is only charged if you carry over a balance. Banks love card members that use their cards all of the time, even when they pay off every month. They might not make make money directly off of those customers, but each transaction carries a merchant fee, so they make their profit from the seller. The rewards cards are a way that you can get a cut of the transaction for yourself. I managed to buy the 6 GB of RAM for my current machine with rewards from a couple of my cards.

I use my credit cards in lieu of my debit card. I pay them off 100% each month, so I pay no interest. It also saves me the trouble of entering all of those purchases to balance my checkbook. Combine that with the fact that you can make money by using certain cards and that you quickly build credit for free.

[DeadPoolX]

Yeah, the rewards are nice. Normally I get 1 mile per dollar whenever using my Capital One credit card, but double that amount (2 miles per dollar) when buying groceries. Now maybe 1 or 2 miles per dollar doesn't sound like much, but it quickly adds up.

If you're going to buy stuff (like groceries or whatever) you might as well get something back for it. I currently have over 85,000 miles, which I've been saving for Maia and me to use on a trip at some point.

[Rath Darkblade]

A bank card is... well... it's both credit and debit, in that I use it to make EFT and EFTPOS payments. (And yes, I use a PIN - I don't swipe-and-sign).

I don't know what EFTPOS is, but I know EFT is "electronic funds transfer." I'm surprised you need a card for that. Couldn't you just do it through online banking?

I do need a bank card to do online banking. The back of the card has an account number, and I set up a password with the bank.

EFTPOS is "EFT at point-of-sale" - that's basically what happens when you use your card at the supermarket or dentist's, or where-ever.

You should see if your bank allows virtual credit cards. Bank of America does this. Basically, you log into your account online and have it create a temporary credit card number. You can decide how long that virtual card is active for and how much money it can be used for as well.

The downside, of course, is that you can only use it online. Given that you usually use debit or cash in real life, this wouldn't be an issue for you.

Some things to think about. Thanks.