Tag Archives | Discover Credit Cards

Review of the Mariott Rewards Credit Cards

The rewards cards offered by Mariott allow you to choose between points, air miles and rewards certificates. The program offers three levels of Elite Membership: Platinum, Gold, and Silver. This article highlights some of the benefits of each of the three cards offered by Marriott and compares the cards to other travel rewards cards such as: the Amex Starwood, Discover Miles, and Chase Sapphire. With this information you can see how they stack up against each other and hopefully make an informed decision on which card or cards will work best for you.

Marriott Rewards Credit Card

The Marriott Rewards Visa Signature Card is a rewards card that offers 22,500 bonus points after your first purchase. Once you are approved for the card you will receive a free night stay at category 1-4 hotels. Members also receive 10 nights credit towards Elite status. You can qualify for the anniversary 10 nights Elite status credit, as long as your account is open and not in default on your account anniversary date. The card offers 3 points per $1 spent at Marriott locations and 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else. The rate for purchases and balance transfer 9.99% plus the prime rate. The annual fee waived for the first year and $30 thereafter.

Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card

The Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card offers 30,000 bonus points after your first purchase. Once approved as a member you will receive a free night at any category 1-4 hotels. You will also receive a free night stay EVERY YEAR upon account anniversary at any category 1-5hotels and 15 nights credit toward Elite status. For every $1 spent at Marriott locations you will earn 5 points, 2 points per $1 spent on airline, dining and rental car purchases and $1 spent everywhere else. The card offers a purchase and balance transfer APR of 10.99% plus the prime rate. The annual fee is waived the first year and is $30 thereafter.

Marriott Rewards Business Card

The Marriott Rewards Business Card offers 22,500 bonus points after your first purchase. Once approved for an account you will receive a free night stay at any category 1-4 hotels. Account holders also receive 10 night credit toward Elite status. You will earn 3 points per $1 spent at Marriott locations and 1 point per $1 everywhere else. You can get cards for key employees at no additional cost, consolidated monthly billing statements and quarterly management reports. The purchase and balance transfer APR is 9.99% plus the prime rate. The annual fee is waived the first year and is $30 thereafter.

How Do They Match Up

We’ve always been partial to the Starwood Preferred Guest card from American Express. It offers great bonus Starpoints, you can accumulate Starpoints quickly, and they can be used for hotel stays or flights. But each card listed below has pros and cons.

Interest RatesIntro RatesBonus OffersAnnual Fees

Mariott Rewards Visa
9.9% + prime rateN/A22,500 points & free hotel stay$30 - waived 1st year
Mariott Premier Visa10.9% + prime rateN/A30,000 points & free hotel stay$30 - waived 1st year
Mariott Rewards Business Visa9.9% + prime rateN/A22,500 points & free hotel stay$30 - waived 1st year
American Express Starwood11.99% + prime rate2.9% for 6 months25,000 points$45 - waived 1st year
Discover Miles8.74% + prime rate0% for 6 months12,000 miles$0
Chase Sapphire(SM)Prime Rate + 8.99%N/A10,000 points$0

Of the five cards listed the Discover Miles Card offers a low APR at a rate of 8.74% plus the prime rate. All three of the Mariott Rewards Cards offer low rates as well at 9.99% plus the prime rate. The Mariott Cards do not offer any special introductory rates like the Amex Starwood Card, Discover Miles Card, and the Chase Sapphire(SM). However, the bonus offers appear to be on the generous side for the Mariott Cards with all three cards offering bonus points after your first purchase and a free hotel stay once you are approved for the card. The cards also requires an annual fee of $30 that is waived the first year, as does the Amex Starwood Card with a fee of $45. The cards that offer no annual fee are the Discover Miles, and Chase Sapphire cards.

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The Best Credit Card For a Large Purchase

Which credit card is best when making a large purchase? We believe the answer depends in part on what you are buying. For example, if it’s an expensive vacation, an airline or travel rewards card might be best because you can earn more rewards. If it’s a home renovation, a cash back card might be the best option. You also might want to consider a 0% APR card to avoid fiance charges or a card with a low interest rate. Of course, a low or no interest rate card only matters if you intend to pay off the balance over time. With that being said, here are 5 cards that might be beneficial to consider when you make a large purchase.

Credit Cards for Large Purchases

Cash BackTravel Rewards0% Intro RateLow Interest Rate
Discover More
XXX
Amex Starwood
X
Chase Freedom(SM)
XXX
Chase Slate
XX

Here are details on each card:

Discover® More® Card
Discover® More® Card
Apply Now...
  • 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 14 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 20.99%*
  • Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases at Department Stores and everywhere you shop online through December. It's free and easy to sign up.
  • 5% Cashback Bonus in categories that change throughout the year like gas, restaurants, and department stores up to the quarterly maximum. Signing up each time is free and easy.*
  • Up to 20% Cashback Bonus at popular retailers when you shop online through Discover.com
  • 24/7 access to a U.S.-based Account Manager within 60 seconds
  • $0 Fraud Liability. You're never responsible for unauthorized charges on your Discover card account, plus mobile and email fraud alert options
  • Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee
  • *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information
Purchase
Intro APR
Purchase
Intro APR Period
Balance Transfer
Intro APR
Balance Transfer
Intro APR Period
Regular
APR
Annual
Fee
Balance
Transfer
Credit
Needed
0%*14 months*0%*14 months*10.99% - 20.99%* (Variable)$0*YesExcellent Credit

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Apply Now...
  • Starpoints® bonus: earn up to 25,000 bonus points: 10,000 after your first purchase and another 15,000 after you spend $5,000 within the first 6 months of Cardmembership
  • That’s enough for a weekend getaway to a Category 4 Hotel like the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, or six free nights at a Category 2 Hotel
  • Free Hotel Nights: redeem Starpoints at over 1,100 hotels in nearly 100 countries worldwide - with no blackout dates
  • Free Flights: redeem Starpoints on over 350 airlines with SPG Flights - with no blackout dates
  • Get 5,000 bonus Starpoints after you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to a frequent flyer program with more than 30 airlines
  • No limits on the number of Starpoints you can earn
  • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65
  • Terms and Restrictions apply.
Purchase
Intro APR
Purchase
Intro APR Period
Balance Transfer
Intro APR
Balance Transfer
Intro APR Period
Regular
APR
Annual
Fee
Balance
Transfer
Credit
Needed
N/AN/AN/AN/A15.24%-19.24% (Variable)$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65YesExcellent Credit

Chase Freedom® Visa
Chase Freedom<sup>®</sup> Visa
Apply Now...
  • Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you make $500 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
  • 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
  • 5% Cash Back on up to $1,500 spent between Jan 1 and Mar 31, 2013 at gas stations, drugstores and Starbucks® stores
  • You'll enjoy new 5% categories every 3 months like gas stations, restaurants and Amazon.com. It's free and easy to activate your bonus each quarter!
  • Unlimited 1% Cash Back on all other purchases
  • No annual fee and rewards never expire
Purchase
Intro APR
Purchase
Intro APR Period
Balance Transfer
Intro APR
Balance Transfer
Intro APR Period
Regular
APR
Annual
Fee
Balance
Transfer
Credit
Needed
0%15 months0%15 months12.99%-22.99% (Variable)$0YesExcellent Credit

Slate® from Chase
Slate® from Chase
Apply Now...
  • Transfer your post holiday balances
  • Introductory offer - No Balance Transfer Fee!*
  • Pay no balance transfer fee when you transfer a balance during the first 60 days your account is open*
  • 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers!*
  • Patented Fraud Protection and zero liability on unauthorized purchases*
  • Add an additional card user to your Slate account at no extra cost*
  • No Annual Fee*
Purchase
Intro APR
Purchase
Intro APR Period
Balance Transfer
Intro APR
Balance Transfer
Intro APR Period
Regular
APR
Annual
Fee
Balance
Transfer
Credit
Needed
0%15 months0%15 months11.99%-21.99% (Variable)$0YesExcellent Credit

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Pay No Interest for 24 Months with these Walmart Credit Cards

Walmart offers two different credit cards: The Walmart® Discover® Credit Card and The Walmart Credit Card. Both cards offer savings on your gasoline purchases and have no annual fee. Let’s take a look at all the details.

Walmart® Discover® Credit Card

The Walmart® Discover® Credit Card is a cash back rewards card that can be used anywhere Discover is accepted. With this credit card offer you can earn up to 1% cash back on all purchases. The card gives no interest on purchases for $599 or more on electronic purchases if paid off in 24 months. Here’s an overview of what the card offers:

  • Earn up to 1% cash back on all purchases
  • Accepted everywhere you see the Discover® Network Acceptance Mark
  • Save 5¢ per gallon at participating Walmart gas stations in the U.S.
  • Receive your free monthly FICO® Score when you enroll in electronic statements online
  • Get a cash advance at the time of purchase
  • Pay no annual fee
  • $0 fraud liability

You can apply for the Walmart® Discover® Credit Card by completing an online application.

Get 5% Cash Back Instead of 1%

If you are looking for a cash back card that earns more than 1% then consider the Discover it™ card which gives 5% cash back in rotating categories. The card also gives an introductory rate of 0% for 6 months*. This works well if you need extra time to pay off the charges on a purchase and there are no dollar amount restrictions like with the Walmart® Discover® Credit Card. Check out our Discover it™ Card Review for more details.

Walmart Credit Card

The Walmart Credit Card is a basic card that can be used at Walmart stores only. This card is not a cash back card, but it does offer some perks to cardholders. You can save 5¢ per gallon at participating Walmart gas stations in the U.S. and there is no annual fee.

  • Save 5¢ per gallon at participating Walmart gas stations in the U.S.
  • Receive your free monthly FICO® Score when you enroll in electronic statements online
  • Get a cash advance at the time of purchase
  • Pay no annual fee
  • $0 fraud liability

You can apply for the Walmart Credit Card by completing an online application.

Rates and Offers

Both Walmart Cards always have special rates that give you 0%. It’s important to check the offer before applying because they do change. Right now, you get 0% for 24 months on any electronic purchases totaling $599 or more. This offer is valid until February 8, 2013. This is perfect if you need some extra time to pay off your big purchase. The regular rate you receive is based on your creditworthiness.

The standard purchase APR is currently 9.87%, 15.87%, 18.87%, or 19.87%, based on your creditworthiness.

Credit Card Rewards

Both credit cards offer special bonus offers and rewards. Currently, when you open an account and make a purchase you get $20 back on a $100 purchase at Walmart.com. To qualify you have to apply online, make an online purchase and spend $100.

Walmart® Discover® Credit Card vs Walmart Credit Card

If you are interested in applying for the Walmart® Discover® Credit Card or the Walmart Credit Card visit the Walmart website.

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