Perkstreet recently announce a special offer for the month of February. The offer gives members 5% cash back in certain categories. The offer is good for the entire month of February so you still have time to earn some cash back. The offer is good for select categories which are listed below.

1. 5% Cash Back at Museums & Tourist Attractions: February is a great month to get out of the house and into a nearby museum!
2. 5% Cash Back at Amusement Parks: Ordering that season pass to the water park now and it could be enough to make summer feel just a little bit closer. Or, take advantage of last minute deals if you are heading someplace sunny on family vacation. Either way, we’ll perk ya for it!
3. 5% Cash Back at Florists: Take advantage of Valentine’s day or add a pop of color to your dining room on a dreary winter day.
4. 5% Cash Back at Netflix: Best of all: Move your recurring Netflix payment to your PerkStreet card and you’ll always earn cash back without ever having to worry about getting knocked with an inactivity fee. The one transaction a month is enough to keep you fee-free with PerkStreet!
5. EXTRA BONUS: 5% Cash Back on Tax Prep Solutions: We’ve extended our 5% on tax prep solutions to the end of April. Earn 5% cash back at H&R Block, TaxAct, Liberty Tax Services, Jackson Hewitt, and on TurboTax Online.

The 5% cash back bonus rate is limited to $250 per household annually and starts the day you open your account. However, the total amount of cash back you earn is unlimited, because the standard cash back rates still apply. The standard cash back rates are still in effect and here is a review. You can earn 2% cash back on all non-PIN purchases for the first 3 months after you open your account. After the first 3 months, you can earn 2% cash back on all non-PIN purchases when your Account Balance is $5k or more. If your balance is under $5k, then you earn 1% cash back on purchases.

Just recently the U.S Treasury Department introduced a pilot programed that incorporates prepaid cards into the tax refund process. The program is aimed at low to moderate income Americans and will provide them with a prepaid debit card for the purpose of receiving their income tax refund. The Treasury Department will mail around 600,000 letters to individuals throughout the country explaining the program benefits. The letters will inform these consumers about the program and invite them to activate a MyAccountCard Visa® Prepaid Debit Card in time to have their 2010 federal tax refund direct deposited to the card. The MyAccountCard is provided by Green Dot Corp who is one of the leaders in the prepaid card industry.

This is a big win for the Green Dot Corp. because it is reported they might be both the program manager and the issuing bank. Typically, these roles are not performed by the same company which results in splitting the profits between the companies involved. If Green Dot ends up performing both roles they will earn all the profits. It usually works by having one company, like Green Dot Corp., handle the program manager responsibilities, in conjunction with the issuing bank.

This partnership with the U.S. Treasury Department could increase Green Dot’s customer base by 600,000 in just the first quarter of 2011. These new customers will be receiving a large amount of money for their refund, directly deposited to their new cards. It is common that prepaid card activations are on an upswing during tax season. Last year, according to Green Dot, Green Dot’s relationship with TurboTax accounted for approximately 5% of active cards during Q2 2010 (and more than that in Q1). The numbers dropped off in Q3 (with around 2% of active cards in June 2010) as cardholders took their tax refunds off the cards. This program is expected to be a big success for Green Dot.

AccountNow, which is one of the prepaid card industries leading card providers has partner with ezTaxReturn.com this tax season to offer nearly 40 million consumers a reliable and inexpensive option for filing and receive their tax refund. About 40 million consumers in the United States are considered to be in the unbanked or underbanked category, which means they do not have a traditional banking relationship. This presents these consumers with less options when it comes to their financial stability. Prepaid credit cards can fill this void and provide these consumers with many of the benefits that traditional bank accounts offer and that credit cards offer. Prepaid cards are able to offer many of the same options, but without the risk, making it a safe option for those who can’t or don’t participate in the banking system as we know it.

Low income families often have to pay high fees for getting their taxes done and in many cases are not getting some of the credits they deserve, such as the Earned Income Credit. As a result, AccountNow and ezTaxReturn.com have formed their relationship and are providing consumers with an inexpensive way to file their taxes and an AccountNow prepaid card to receive their refund on. The companies claim, tax payers will be able to file and receive their refund within 8 days. Consumes will have the option to file their taxes at ezTaxReturn.com and AccountNow will be providing them with their refund on their tax refund card. Consumers will have to pay a fee for the service, but if they are not satisfied they will receive their money back. By receiving their refund on an AccountNow card, consumers will avoid having to pay an additional check cashing fee and they won’t have to wait for their refund in the mail.

The companies say on average most people should be able to complete their tax return and have it filed with the IRS in about 30 minutes. You can try the program out for free, and if you decide to use it then you will pay a fee. Again, anyone that is not completely happy with the service has the option to receive their money back, guaranteed. This sounds like a great option for the 40 million unbanked or underbanked consumers out there. Prepaid cards offer a variety of benefits such as direct deposit of your paycheck, the ability to make purchases, and pay bills.

For years now, companies have been working on systems that allow consumers to use their mobile phones as payments instead of their credit cards. It looks like we might all be trading in our plastic sooner than we think. This year, the systems will be put to the test and they will be going from the labs into the real world. Starbucks will be one of the first stores in the U.S. that will be testing this out. Stores throughout the U.S. will be equipped to scan your phone, instead of your preloaded Starbucks card, for your latte payment. There is a lot of money involved in this new technology.

Those transactions are small slivers of a global mobile payments market analysts estimate at $69 billion in 2009, the latest year for which data is available, according to research firm Generator Research. It is reported that by 2014, mobile payments are expected to reach $633 billion annually, with 490 million customers using their phones to move cash around. Can you imagine having the ability to download Bump, and beam cash to your friends account from your PayPal account? If this works, those are the kind of things we can expect to be able to do with our smartphones.

In November, the three big wireless carries, Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile teamed up to create Isis, which is a new mobile commerce network the carriers plan to have up and running within 18 months. They surprisingly decided to partner with Discover Financial Services on the project instead of Visa and MasterCard as their financial partner. In addition, Visa, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo have also been testing these technologies that would also allow our smartphones to take the place of our wallets. Just recently, Google CEO Eric Schmidt reportedly said the next version of Google’s Android would include tap-and-pay feature that could replace credit cards. Apple recently hired an NFC product-development veteran to lead its mobile commerce efforts.

When SmartyPig was first initiated a few years ago, it received great reviews and was believed to be a great, unique way to save money. Just a few months ago, SmartyPig dropped their rate by 40 points which has caused people to question some of their decisions decisions over the last 12 months. Well, SmartyPig is at it again with another rate drop.

Last week, SmartyPig announced a another rate drop of 40 points, which brings their interest rate down to 1.35% APY. Don’t be surprised if you didn’t hear about their new rate because many account holders didn’t hear of it either. Apparently, this time around they made the change and kept this news on the hush hush. Back in September was the first rate drop, again of 40 points, but that information was well publicized and reported in detail on the SmartyPig blog. Evidently, the reasons for the drop this time around are economic related which raises some eye brows considering the SmartyPig business model has always had very little to do economics and more to do with gift card conversions. It looks like SmartyPig has changed their tune.

SmartyPig moved from the small West Bank to the much larger BBVA Compass and since has made their rate changes. It’s a sure bet they are receiving pressure from the FDIC to reduce the high interest rates of SmartyPig, unfortunately for consumers that results in a poor online bank offering one of the higher interest rates available. They are no longer the highest, but still comparable when you look at the available high interest savings accounts around today.

If you have money in SmartyPig (less than $50,000), it might be time to consider other options. While, 1.35% is still one of the highest APY’s around however the SmartyPig interface, deposit options and funding requirements / monthly goals might not be worth all the hassle. When SmartyPig was 80 points higher than everyone else, dealing with all the extras might not have been a big deal, but now that they’re almost level with the likes of American Express, Discover and Sallie Mae. Having to develop a savings goal and not be able to get your money until you meet the goal, might just not be worth the time and energy anymore.

RushCard Prepaid Visa has started 2011 off by listening to the feedback of their customers. The popular prepaid cards which were created by Russell Simmons, recently announced an enhanced fee structure for their cardmembers. As we have seen a boom in the prepaid card industry, we are starting to see the industry leaders providing even better products for consumers. The Rush Prepaid Cards include the Original RushCard, BabyPhat, Purple Diamond, and Black Diamond.

To better assist cardmembers, those interested in apply for a card or those who are already members, can use the new fee calculator to help them choose the plan that works best for them. Those interested can submit different card scenarios and then RushCard will offer a recommendation based on the plan that will work best. The fee calculator asks four simple questions about how the cardmember plans to use the RushCard. The four questions are listed below:

1. How many ATM withdraws do you expect to make each month?
2. How many purchases do you expect to make each month?
3. Of those purchases, how many do you expect to be PIN transactions?
4. Which plan would you like to choose?

The new RushCard features will allow members to only pay for the services they use and even allow them to switch between plans as needed. This is nice because if the cardmembers usage changes, they can change plans to fit their usage. Visa RushCard reports that some members have already reported they will save up to $600 a year by using the card. RushCard will still be offering their members the ability to choose between four card designs: Original Black, Baby Phat, Black Diamond and Purple Diamond. One unique feature of the cards is the free prescription discount card which offers up to an 85 percent discount on regular prescription drugs. Additionally, RushCard offers a free prescription discount card entitling cardholders, and non-members, to discounts of up to 85 percent on regular prescription drugs.

Recently, Citi Cards announced the introduction of a new line of new Citi ThankYou Cards. The new Citi ThankYou Cards are: Citi ThankYou (SM) Card, Citi ThankYou (SM) Preferred Card, Citi ThankYou (SM) Premier Card and Citi ThankYou (SM) Prestige Card. This is a result of customer feedback Citi has received, and this is their way of providing customers with the enhanced features and benefits they are asking for. Customers will have the ability to choose the card level that best suits their needs. This means they can choose a card that provides additional point earning opportunities in select categories, no expiration of points at all, no fee for foreign purchase transactions and even complimentary companion travel. No matter which card the customer chooses, each card level will offer ways for the customer to earn bonus points and there is no limit to the number of points they can earn. Below is a summary of the benefits and features the cards offered by Citi:

Citi ThankYou / Citi ThankYou Preferred Card

• No limit to the points earned
• No expiration on points, with a purchase made every 12 months
• Earn 1 ThankYou Point for every dollar spent on purchases
• Earn a bonus for each year of card membership up to a maximum of 3%
• Earn 100 bonus points for enrolling in Paperless Statements
• Earn 100 bonus points for registering for Account Online
• Earn extra bonus points for shopping through the ThankYou Bonus Center, a network of 400+ retailers
• No annual fee
• No pre-set spending limit on the Citi ThankYou Preferred Card

Citi ThankYou Premier Card

• No limit to the points earned
• No expiration on points, with a purchase made every 12 months
• Earn 1 ThankYou Point for every dollar spent on purchases
• Earn a bonus for each year of card membership up to a maximum of 3%
• Earn 100 bonus points for enrolling in Paperless Statements
• Earn 100 bonus points for registering for Account Online
• Earn extra bonus points for shopping through the ThankYou Bonus Center, a network of 400+ retailers
• No annual fee
• No pre-set spending limit on the Citi ThankYou Preferred Card
• Points do not expire
• Earn 1 point per 1 mile flown on any airline
• Earn a bonus for each year of card membership up to a maximum of 5%
• Earn 200 bonus points for enrolling in Paperless Statements
• Earn 200 bonus points for registering for Account Online
• Access to a dedicated concierge unit
• Pay no foreign exchange fees on purchases
• Receive 15% discount on all air travel through Citi’s travel benefits provider, Spirit Incentives
• Receive a complimentary domestic companion airline ticket each year
• $125 annual fee

Citi ThankYou Prestige

• No limit to the points earned
• No expiration on points, with a purchase made every 12 months
• Earn 1 ThankYou Point for every dollar spent on purchases
• Earn a bonus for each year of card membership up to a maximum of 3%
• Earn 100 bonus points for enrolling in Paperless Statements
• Earn 100 bonus points for registering for Account Online
• Earn extra bonus points for shopping through the ThankYou Bonus Center, a network of 400+ retailers
• No annual fee
• No pre-set spending limit on the Citi ThankYou Preferred Card
• Points do not expire
• Earn 1 point per 1 mile flown on any airline
• 20% bonus points (1.2) ThankYou Points per $1 spent at supermarkets, drug stores, gas stations, commuter transportation and parking merchants
• Earn a bonus for each year of card membership up to a maximum of 5%
• Earn 200 bonus points for enrolling in Paperless Statements
• Earn 200 bonus points for registering for Account Online
• Access to a dedicated concierge unit
• Pay no foreign exchange fees on purchases
• Receive 15% discount on all air travel through Citi’s travel benefits provider, Spirit Incentives
• Receive a complimentary domestic companion airline ticket each year
• $125 annual fee
• 30% bonus points (1.3) ThankYou Points per $1 spent at supermarkets, drug stores and gas stations
• Earn 300 points for enrolling in Paperless Statements
• Earn 300 bonus points for registering for Account Online
• Receive a complimentary domestic or international companion airline ticket each year
• Enjoy airport lounge access with a complimentary Priority Pass membership for cardmember plus 2 guests
• Automatic Gold Status in the Hilton HHonors program
• $500 annual fee

The Citi ThankYou® Points Rewards Program allows members to redeem their points at thankyou.com. This reward program offers a variety of unique ways for members to cash in their points. They offer new items every month, from state-of-the-art electronics to rock climbing lessons, ThankYou Rewards members can get the rewards they really want, from travel, brand-name goods, and gift cards at favorite stores, to unique experiences and charitable donations. The reward options start at as low as 100 points and if members can’t find what they are looking for in the ThankYou Rewards collection, they have the option to create their own reward through the exclusive Your Wish Fulfilled service.

As of January 1, 2011, there have been changes made to the federal law that will allow consumers even more access to their credit score for free. A federal regulation recently took place that requires card issues and other lenders to provide their applicants with the exact reason why they received a certain interest rate on a new credit card or loan. This new rule will apply to anyone who does not receive the best rate offered by the card or loan company. For example, if you apply for the Discover More card that offers a low rate of 11.99% and you don’t receive that rate, then you will be entitled to a free copy of your credit score.

For the first time, consumers now have a legal right to find out why you didn’t receive a certain rate. You will be able to receive your credit report so you can determine what when wrong and why you didn’t receive the best possible rate offered. This new law is expected to provide millions of people with their FICO score from lenders. In the United States the most common score used is a FICO score. Typically, consumers pay anywhere from $7 to $20 to receive their credit score from FICO or another credit score provider.

Basics About Your Credit Score
Your credit history is a detailed record of your credit activity. It captures your ability to handle credit and make timely payments. Having a good credit history will only benefit you when you decide to apply for a loan or a line of credit. All consumers have the right to request a free credit report from each of the three major credit agencies every year. In compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Equifax, Experian and TransUnion have set up a central website and a toll-free telephone number through which you can order your free annual report. To order, visit annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228.

Your credit history is kept on file by credit bureaus. Your credit report could include any of the following:

• List of credit card accounts
• How promptly you’ve paid off credit cards and loans
• How well you have handled other bills, such as rent and utilities
• Your checking and savings account histories, including bounced checks
• Your total outstanding debts
• How much credit you still have available on your cards

The Kardashian Prepaid MasterCard was released earlier this month and received heavy criticism for the fees the card was charging. You might know who the Kardashian sisters are, they have their own reality show and they gave the prepaid card business a shot. The Kardashian Kard was a prepaid MasterCard that allowed users to add funds to the card and use the card anywhere MasterCard debit is accepted. With all the negative publicity the card has been officially pulled and is no longer available. Forbes reported on Monday that the Kardashian’s attorney sent a letter to MasterCard asking them to discontinue the card and terminate the card agreement.

The card was just released on November 10 and was met with huge criticism over the high fees associated with using the card. The card was charging high membership fees, either an annual fee of $99.95 or a semi-annual of $59.95. The cardholder got to choose which fee they wanted to pay, either the annual fee or the semi-annual fee. After the first year you will then be required to pay a monthly fee of $7.95. It costs $1.50 for every ATM withdrawal, $2 to pay a bill, and $1.50 to talk to someone in customer service. If you want to transfer money from another debit or credit card to the account costs $1 plus 2.5% of the amount being added. These fees were just too high compared to the other prepaid cards on the market and as a result the card didn’t last long. The table below lists all the card fees so you can see for yourself.

For the 250 consumers that actually signed up for the card, the card will remain active for the next 30 days and then you will be refunded the balance. If you are looking for a different prepaid card there are many others out on the market with much cheaper fees. There are even prepaid cards out there now that offer rewards. As these cards become more and more popular, the deals are getting better and better.

From now until January 15th 2011, all students that sign up for a Citi student credit card will receive a $50 statement credit after they’ve spent $50. You just have to spend the $50 within the first three months of being a cardmember. There are three different Citi student credit cards that qualify for this offer:

• Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Card
• Citi Forward® Card
• Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card

All three of these cards offer the $50 cash back bonus and they all offer a special introductory rate as well. With any of the three cards you will get a 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 7 months. After the introductory period is over, the APR will be 12.99% to 21.99% based on your creditworthiness. None of the cards have an annual fee which makes the offer even better. Using a student credit card, like one of these Citi cards, is a great way to build a solid credit history while your still in school. Each of these cards is a rewards card and offers different rewards options which are listed below.

Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Card
The Citi mtvU™ Platinum Select® Card rewards students for their everyday purchases and for getting good grades. The card offers cardmembers 5 ThankYou® points for every dollar you spend on books, movies, music and restaurants. Beyond that you will receive 1 ThankYou® point for all your other purchases. If you have good grades, you can earn an additional 4,000 ThankYou® points each year. Cardholders will also have access to free concert tickets and other promotional events.

Citi Forward® Card
The Citi Forward® Card rewards students for being responsible. For example, you can earn up to a 2% APR reduction their first year when you stay under the credit limit and pay your bill on time for three consecutive months. Cardholders will also receive 100 rewards points a month if their bill is paid on time and another 2,500 rewards points after signing up for paperless statements. This card also allows students to earn 5 ThankYou® points for every dollar spent on books, movies, music and restaurants and 1 ThankYou® point on all other purchases.

Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card
The Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card is a cash back card that offers a pretty good deal. Cardholders can earn 5% cash back at supermarkets, drugstores, gas stations and utilities for 6 months and 1% thereafter. Cardholders will also earn 2% cash back in rotating categories like restaurants, apparel, hotel and more. All other purchases will receive the standard 1% cash back.