Borders and Waldenbooks Platinum Visa® Card

$20 Gift Card Awarded after First Purchase 0% Fixed APR for Up To 12 Months No Annual Fee Earn 2 Points for Every $1 Spent at Borders®, Waldenbooks®, Borders.com and Waldenbooks.com

Review: The Borders and Waldenbooks Platinum Visa® Card, issued by Chase, is designed for those with very good credit who shop at Borders® and Waldenbooks®. The reward program is by far the best benefit offered. Cardholders earn two points per dollar spent at Borders®, Borders Outlet, Waldenbooks®, Brentano's, Borders.com, and Waldenbooks.com and one point per dollar spent everywhere else. For every 500 points earned on the account, cardholders receive a $5 savings certificate that can be used at Borders® and Waldenbooks® stores. Certificates expire six months after they are issued. Cardholders also receive a $20 Borders® and Waldenbooks® gift card after their first purchase. In addition to the reward program, the card also offers platinum cardholder benefits provided by Chase that include up to $500,000 in travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance, and various travel and emergency assistance services. Aside from the benefits, the card has a reasonable interest rate for purchases and balance transfers (for those who qualify), no annual fee, and a 0% introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers for the first twelve months of membership. Those who plan to occasionally carry a large revolving balance may find doing so costly due to the "Two Cycles Average Daily Balance" method used by this credit card to determine finance charges, which ends up costing more to maintain an occasional balance as compared to the "Average Daily Balance" method used by many credit card issuers. Therefore, those who qualify for the lowest rate offered, frequently shop at Borders® and Waldenbooks®, and can pay in full each month after the introductory rate expires (to avoid finance charges) will benefit most from what the Borders and Waldenbooks Platinum Visa® Card has to offer.

Date of Review: 2006-04-07 00:00:00

Notes: The APR for purchases and balance transfers varies according to the applicant's credit history and is either 5.99%, 9.99% or 14.99% + Prime Rate. See website for complete terms and conditions of card usage and application disclosure.

Additional Perks: Various Internet account related services. Emergency card replacement. Emergency cash replacement. Lost and stolen card reporting. Up to $500,000 travel accident insurance Auto rental insurance. Various travel and emergency assistance services. Extended warranty for purchases. No liability for unauthorized transactions. See website for additional benefits.