jaylande

Good for you Fendergirl.

However, you are wrong.

There are credit cards that don't charge excessive fees, hold your payment up so it is late so they can charge you a late fee, charge over 22% interest today as Chase does.

midwesterner

One reason to get a card linked to your bank is that you can make payments online. This helps prevent the problems of payments made by check.

However, the most important part of having a card is learning how to control your spending. Even if you have had good spending habits until now, you could surprise yourself; it only takes a few splurges to put a high schooler's income in jeopardy. Sometimes your having a credit card is like being the one kid with a car: your friends may put pressure on you to use it for their benefit. If you don't need the card now, wait until the spring or summer before college to get one.

3bm103

Fendergirl: Maybe this was a few years ago and they learned from their mistake. Since then, they have repeatedly mailed him offering credit increases and a new card (it expired years ago) but he figures they wouldn't give it to him when he needed it, so there's no way he's taking it now. It was really stupid of them. He has one card for personal expenses, and two corporate cards. All three with huge credit limits. His old Capital One card sits in the drawer as an example of dumb corporate policies.

ucsd_ucla_dad

The problem with this is that you'll tend to purchase at Shell more even if their prices are higher (which is why they want you to get their CC). Depending on where you live you're usually better off foregoing the Shell card and gas station and looking for less expensive gas elsewhere and then getting cash back on that purchase.

I recently drove by two stations adjacent to one another, Chevron and Shell, and for some reason the Chevron was 9 cents per gallon more than Shell yet there was someone filling up at the Chevron. My guess is either he had a Chevron CC, he had a government or corporate Chevron CC, or he was just oblivious.

fendergirl

UCSD - I almost always get gas at Shell.. My car actually gets 6-7 MPG better milage with their gas. I'm usually 24-26 with other gas stations (never above 27) and 31-32 with Shell (I've gotten 33, 34 a few times - but never under 30). Also, Shell gas always lasts me a full 7 days, whereas other I have to refill at 6 days... I've done numerous calculations between their gas and the other stations around here... The only time I get gas elsewhere is if there is not a Shell around or if I'm about to run out and I'm next to another station.. and it always turns out for the worse

Yes I'm a geek who sits there calculating after every re-fill So I may pay the extra 1.00 per tank, but I'm getting an extra 60 miles or so for that dollar. I also love that every other gas station always has a line and at Shell you can just drive up and get it. Very convenient. (Most probably because it costs more so people stay away - haha)