Wednesday, September 2, 2015

The New Star Wars Credit Card: Apply Should You?

Star Wars fans have a lot to be excited about: The newest movie is coming out in December, Disney recently announced it will build two Star Wars parks and Chase just unveiled Star Wars credit card perks through its Disney Visa cards.

Credit cards may not be as thrilling as light sabers or the ability to use the Force, but if you want Disney rewards and a credit card featuring Yoda, Darth Vader or C-3PO and R2-D2, this might appeal to you. Chase offers two Disney credit cards — the Disney Premier Visa Card and the Disney Rewards Visa Card — with the same features. The added Star Wars benefits (which are available to Disney cardholders, regardless of card design) includes an “Imperial Meet ‘n’ Greet” in private cardmember areas at Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts, in addition to 10% off select Star Wars merchandise of $50 at select Disneyland and Disney World locations.

General Disney cardmember benefits include some discounts on dining and shopping at resorts and special Disney vacation financing. You also earn 1% back in rewards dollars for everyday purchases, and those can be redeemed for a variety of things, depending on your card. The Disney Premier Visa Card has more rewards options, but it also carries a $49 annual fee. Both cards have gift card sign-up bonuses if you spend a certain amount on the card within your first months as a cardholder.

If your love for Star Wars doesn’t extend to a significant level of enthusiasm for Disney things, you’re probably not going to get much out of these cards, other than the excitement of getting to see Yoda’s face every time you open your wallet. Like many rewards cards, the APR doesn’t make this card your best bet if you’ll be carrying a balance (unless you’re taking advantage of the promotional 0% financing for the first six billing cycles), because Disney rewards cards carry a variable 15.99% APR. (Here’s an expert guide to picking a rewards credit card that’s right for you.)

Before you apply for any credit cards, make sure the terms, perks and rewards line up with your priorities and how you plan to use the card. Most important, check your credit score (if you don’t know where you stand, you can get a free credit report summary that includes two credit scores updated monthly from Credit.com) before shopping around and applying for credit cards. Applying for new credit can hurt your credit score, so you should strategically apply for credit you believe you have a good chance of getting. Most credit card issuers identify the kind of credit you need to get a certain card, so if you check your scores and see you have poor credit, you should probably exclude cards for great credit from your search. There are several credit cards for bad credit out there, so take your time, research and apply for your best option.

Note: It’s important to remember that interest rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products frequently change. As a result, rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products cited in these articles may have changed since the date of publication. Please be sure to verify current rates, fees and terms with credit card issuers, banks or other financial institutions directly.

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This article originally appeared on Credit.com.

This article by Christine DiGangi was distributed by the Personal Finance Syndication Network.


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