Credit cards.

Possibilities to make purchases and account terms for hang from what type of a card you use. There are three main types of cards:

 Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, etc.) allow you to buy the goods in those shops which have the agreement with the relevant credit company (types of accepted cards always are designated on shop doors), and also to pay for hotels, transport, theater tickets etc. Each card has the limit of monthly expenditure established by the credit company on the basis of an assessment of level of your income, credit history, duration of using a card etc. The more long you use the credit company (under condition of accurate payments), the more you will have a credit level (credit line, or monthly limit). At the very beginning of your using a card the monthly limit of purchases makes usually 1,000 — 1,500 dollars, and then gradually raises to 3,000 — 5,000 and even more. Every month you receive the account with about Russian cabbage soup in cost of purchases for last period which together with the remains of your duty for previous months forms total amount which you should pay to the credit company (total balance). You can draw the companies the check or attract the warrant for all sum at once, and can pay only a part (minimum balance). Each company establishes the level of the minimum monthly payment (usually from 2.5 to 10 percent). If you pay all amount of debt during so-called "grace period" (grace period), from you won't take any additional payment. This period makes usually from 20 to 30 days. If you pay all sum, but will be late with payment, the company will add a fine (late payment fee). If you decide to pay only a part of total amount, for the rest of your duty the credit company will charge percent usually at the rate of 15 — 23 % per annum. It more than when receiving the usual credit in bank, but you don't need to achieve each time the statement of the credit, and you can establish terms of payment of a duty. Practically all credit cards allow not only to pay for purchases and services, but also to borrow cash (this service is called as cash advance). However, unlike financing of purchases, percent on this duty start to be charged at once, without "grace period". Except percent on a loan and penalties for the payment delay, many companies take an annual payment for use of the card (annual fee). This payment usually makes about 20 dollars. Credit cards of the trading companies by a principle of action are identical to cards of financial institutions. The difference is that these cards are accepted only in shops the firm which have let out them. Besides, for using they don't raise an additional payment (Annual Fee). Now the majority of major trading companies has the credit cards. Payment cards, as well as bank credit cards, are accepted for payment by many shops and the companies occupied in a services sector. You also receive at the end of the month joint account on all expenditure. However these cards don't represent actually the credit as you should pay all sum at once. If you detain payment, to you at first will add a penalty for delay (late payment fee) but if after that you don't pay all duty completely, your payment card will be cancelled. Advantage of payment cards before the credit is that they, as a rule, have no quantitative restrictions of monthly expenses that happens very conveniently (for example, at carrying out holiday abroad).

Choice of a credit card

Choosing a credit card, solve at first a question of, whether it is necessary to you in general. Certainly, such type of payment of the goods and services is very convenient, but it strongly stimulates the increased expenditure of money and can lead to control loss over your budget. "Creditomaniya" («card addiction») became a serious illness of many American families and led them to ruin. So if you aren't sure that can constrain «a consumer impulse» and refuse purchase of not so necessary things, we advise to you not to get credit cards in general or, as a last resort, to be limited to payment cards. If you are sure of yourselves and decided to use services of the credit companies, you should make a hard choice among huge number of options. 
To choose a payment card it is much simpler, than credit as it is a little of them. In the territory of the USA only three payment cards — American Express, Carte Blanche are accepted by Diners Club practically. American Express (AMEX) certainly wins first place, as it is accepted by much bigger number of businesses, than her both competitors together taken. AMEX exists three types usual ("green") «, gold» and "platinum", and each subsequent type of a card manages to you more expensively (the annual payment for services makes 55 dollars for a usual card, 75 dollars for "gold" and 300 for "platinum"). As all payment cards don't limit the credit sum, hardly it is meaningful to use "gold" and "platinum" cards. However, they render some additional services (for example, privileges to order tickets in theaters and on concerts, in trips, etc.) but if you aren't going to use often them, stop the choice on usual, classical AMEX. At last, the list of the additional services rendered by the credit companies can become one more factor at a choice of a card. This list constantly extends, and many of provided services really are very useful (for example, granting the increased guarantee period on the goods acquired by this card, and also compensation of cost of the stolen or spoiled goods if they weren't insured from is efficient). According to Consumers union, such services only very insignificant number of owners of credit cards really uses — more often it occurs on ignorance. Therefore we would advise to you attentively to study this list.