Exposed! The Legal Loophole That Lets You Wipe Out All Of Your Credit Card Debt.

There are literally millions of credit cards in the world today and even with the current credit crunch, the numbers of cards being issued is still on the increase, so the ramifications for the credit card industry are immense and for them at least, difficult to comprehend.

During the good times, credit card companies issued cards under the guidelines of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. However, in their greed to attract even greater numbers of customers each month, they forgot to ensure that their consumer credit agreements they issued to customers were legal and above reproach. This situation changed in April 2008 with the creation of new rules and regulations that fully covered every lending institution that issued a consumer credit agreement.

However (and this is the good part), there are literally millions of potentially flawed agreements in existence that mean you, the consumer, can wipe out your total credit card debt in an instant, legally and ethically/

The other thing to consider is that legal loophole applies to all unsecured debt such as personal loans, car finance, mortgages and PPI. They all have to abide by the Consumer Credit Act (CCA) 1974 and if they do not, then they could be left open to all of their customers making a claim against the vaibility of their credit agreement.

This is the hottest topic in the financial services industry at the moment as credit card companies frantically look to avoid claims and the potential for huge losses. They are full aware of this situation and are bracing themselves for the fall out as this dwarfs anything we have seen from the ‘reclaim your bank charges’ scneario that has been on the news for the last 12 months.

The process itself is simple to administer if you know how and if you have the right Barrister contacts. The Barrister in question must have an understanding of the legal process and the ensuing legal complexities of wiping out credit card debt. But remember, it is happening now and hundreds of thousands of people have started to wipe out their debts and ensure that they can start living a debt free life once again.

What is online credit card processing

Online credit card processing can be defined as the processing of any kind of credit card payment. An Online Credit Card Payment Processing company, usually referred to as a Payment Service Provider, will offer merchants online services for accepting payment online including credit and debit cards, direct debit, bank transfer and real-time bank transfers.

The history of credit card processing:

The earliest methods of credit card processing involved submitting credit card slips to a merchant processing bank by mail or by accessing an Automated Response Unit (ARU) by telephone.

These days the majority of credit card transactions are sent electronically to merchant processing banks for authorisation, capture and deposit. In all circumstances either the entire magnetic strip is read by a swipe through a credit card terminal/reader or the credit card information is manually entered into a credit card terminal, a computer or website.

Accepting credit card online payments:

The easiest way for businesses (merchants) to begin accepting online payments through their website is to open a merchant account with a Payment Service Provider (PSP)

A merchant account is a contract between the merchant and the PSP, without such a contract one cannot directly accept payments by any of the major credit card brands.

The reason that merchants need an account with a PSP is that any company wishing to accept online credit card payments need to process the credit card transactions through a payment gateway. The payment gateway service is provided by the PSP, some of whom will have their own payment gateway but the majority of PSPs use third party payment gateways.

The gateway usually has 2 components: a) the virtual terminal that can allow for a merchant to securely login and key in credit card numbers or b) have the website’s shopping-cart connect to the gateway via an API (Application Programming Interface) to allow for real time processing from the merchant’s website.

The fees charged by a PSP are usually dictated by the volume of transactions that are processed by the merchant e.g. the higher the volume the lower the rates. As well as a fee that is charged against each transaction most PSPs will impose a holdback charge. This charge is a set fee that is held by the PSP for a certain period of time, normally 180 days as security against any chargebacks.

PSPs will usually provide merchants with access to the payment gateways back office which allows merchants to view details about the transactions that have been processed including volumes, amounts etc.

Explaining Credit Card Debt Counseling

Sometimes a debt piles up so high because of interest rates that a person’s monthly income becomes virtually nil and he finds that just this month’s salary isn’t enough to cover the

bases on his expenses. The most immediate course of action that a person can do is to opt for credit card debt help, in this case, credit card debt relief programs or to avail of credit

card debt counseling. The question, though, is why exactly should one opt for debt counseling?

This is just one step in the effort to reduce debt…and, possibly, virtual credit card debt elimination. This method seeks the help of a professional debt counselor, or a financial shrink, if

you will. What they will do is to negotiate with the credit card company with the aim to possibly alleviate you of your plight, in other words, reduce your credit card debt drastically to

levels payable with your money at the time. There are some who might tell you to avail of a debt consolidation program after they’ve assessed that it would somehow ease your

financial burdens and at the same time, facilitate credit card debt elimination.

Typically, you’d start off with basic money management…manage your finances properly, kind of like functioning as a kind of credit repair services thing…then they’ll help you out to

map a solid budget plan. The general idea is to not only help a person rise out of their current indebted situation but also to improve the way he or she manages his or her finances to

guarantee a person’s permanent rise out of his debt situation.

A person’s choices for debt relief are quite numerous. Which is why it’s very hard to decide whether debt counseling is the best solution or not. Each credit company has his or her own

counselors that are the best in what they do, and is responsible for handling the budgeting, consumer credit and debt management aspects. Which is also why it is important to have a

reliable debt counselor to handle your financial organization.

Deciding can be quite hard, so you should ask your local debt counseling agency these questions so that you can figure out if this debt repair service is for you:

– Will the service cost you much?

– What is the percentage of payments or are there any hidden fees?

– Will the services you offer meet my debt relief needs, and what are they?

After you’ve pinpointed a reliable debt counseling agency which would provide services that are suited to your needs and will still leave you with some money after you’ve paid for the

program, then it shouldn’t be that bad an option for debt relief.

A ddebt counselor’s advice can really make a difference. It could help pump some life into your financial management strategies while also helping you realize a greater insight into

how you can work at resolving your other debt problems. If you feel you are still undecided about choosing credit card debt counseling to provide the financial relief which you

Consumers Could Pay More if the European Commission Caps Credit Card Fees

The European Commission (EU) has threatened to cap the credit card processing charges that banks impose on businesses and shops. In turn, the banks have threatened to add higher fees and other charges onto cards used by consumers. When it all finally boils down, it’s likely that UK households will take another hit in their billfolds.

As it stands now, credit cards like MasterCard and Visa charge businesses a 0.9 percent charge on all credit card purchases. This credit card fee costs businesses 850 million annually. The charge in debit cards is 0.2 percent. The EU wants to set a flat service charge fee of 0.3 percent.

On further examination, this matter gets more complex. The fees that businesses pay to banks are known as interchange fees. These fees cover the bank’s costs of processing credit card transactions such as fraud insurance and administration. Shops and businesses give banks different interchange fees based on size. Big retailers generating tons of sales tend to pay a smaller interchange fee. A mom and pop store will pay a larger interchange fee. These fees can vary from 2.5 to 0.1 percent.

The European Commission (EC) estimates that this fee payment market has a value of 112 billion. The EC is laying out the argument that the credit card sector is expensive and fragmented. Retailers tend to agree with the EC opinion. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has been hammering the EC for a decade to end what it calls excessive and anti-competitive fees for processing credit cards. The BRC argues that consumers will benefit via lower prices if the fees are capped. At present, retailers eat these fees and charge them back into the business.

“We’re delighted with this landmark proposal,” said Helen Dickinson, the BRC director. “Capping these excessive and anti-competitive fees will support the UK retail industry by 362 million a year, boosting the industry’s ability to invest and innovate while continuing to deliver lower prices and value for customers,” Dickinson added in an interview at Daily Mail.

MasterCard Europe contends that if this EC cap goes through, consumers will be hit with a 25 annual fee per credit card. Marion King, president of MasterCard, warned that lower fees will result in less income for issuing banks, and that will force banks to charge consumers for using cards.

The EC fee proposal will force credit card companies to separate their payment card schemes from the business division that processes transactions. Essentially, this would destroy the current credit card model. The Financial Times (FT) describes this matter as the final battle in the long war between EU bureaucrats and payment providers. The Commission proposal calls for a 0.2 percent cap on debit transactions. Credit card fees would be capped at 0.3 percent. The EC estimates that EU debit card fees will be cut to 2.5 billion from 4.8 billion. Credit card fees will tumble to 3.5 billion from 5.7 billion.

Low Interest Credit Cards – Ways To Identify The Most Beneficial Offers

It’s very important to highlight the fact that low interest credit cards are definitely not credit cards that you can acquire without first meeting the appropriate criteria. Before deciding to submit an application for a credit card that has a lower rate of interest, you must determine what your credit score is. This will certainly establish just how low the rate of interest you end up getting will likely be.

The initial step would be to attain a record of your credit file. A very good credit ranking will let you select exactly which card or cards you choose. This is actually the most convenient way to understand if you will get an affordable percentage rate.

The weaker your score, the less likely you will have the capability to obtain cards with low APRs. Knowing your current score will enable you to opt for the credit card which will in all probability be approved.

The Web has become a convenient way of searching for low interest credit cards as long as you match the necessary requirements. The typical card interest rates ought to be looked at initially so you have a way of comparing the offers you are contemplating to discover if their rates of interest are average or more costly. Some will end up being under the average.

Each credit card issuer possesses a record of guidelines they use to determine whether you will be authorized for their bank card or not. The creditors that offer the most agreeable interest rate will certainly reserve authorization for men and women that currently maintain a credit standing varying from around 720 to 760 or maybe even higher.

What’s more, they will be searching for a consumer credit record that is nothing short of superb, a robust source of income and little consumer debt. You may also desire to check out credit card balance transfer offers should you at present hold high APR balances.

The credit balance versus the credit ceiling is often considered rather seriously prior to approving a card. The universally accepted rule says that 20% available credit to debt usage is ideal in regards to what you want your credit rating to reflect whenever you apply for low interest credit cards.

Given that applying for too many charge cards all at once will surely have an adverse impact on your consumer credit rating, make sure you just apply for one offer at a time. This can keep your credit rating from getting lowered. This is one of the biggest aspects that financial institutions examine while you’re submitting an application for low interest credit cards, you will definitely want to keep the greatest rating possible.