Chase Offers New Program to Assist Consumers

[Aug 17, 2007.]

 

The credit card giant known as Chase is offering a new program to assist consumers with their money management.

The program, entitled the "Chase Clear & Simple" program, offers customers a $10 credit as soon as they sign up for automatic payments, online statements, and free alerts. Through the program, cardholders become greater stakeholders in their credit accounts. As a result, they may be able to manage their credit better, enabling them to enjoy low interest rates and avoid late fees and other penalties.

Customers can receive e-mail, text message, or phone message alerts whenever they come close to their credit limit, whenever their payment is due, or when a large transaction is recorded on their account.

Nearly two million Chase customers have enrolled in the program so far. In addition, Chase is trying to assist consumers who appear to be in financial trouble. By acting when signs of trouble first appear, Chase may be able to help customers avoid defaulting on their credit card payments.
With the flexibility that Chase offers, customers can choose their own payment due dates to coincide with their pay days. That way, they're less likely to miss a payment or pay a credit card bill late.

Chase is certainly not the only credit card issuer to reach out to cardholders in new, innovative ways. A number of other companies, such as Discover and Citibank, are following suit, offering special programs tailor-made to consumer needs. Such programs are beneficial to both the consumer and the credit card issuer, since they help consumers avoid the financial difficulties which can make them unable to pay their credit card debts. Some credit card companies even offer special rewards to student cardholders who maintain good grades.

In addition, because of the many credit card issuers that are in existence today, consumers can do quite a bit of comparison shopping, applying for the cards with the most generous rewards programs and other attractive perks.

Julie Ann Amos
August 17th 2007

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