Don't Ever Pay For a Credit Card
If You Have To Pay For a Credit Card, It’s Not Legit
Have you ever been asked to pay to receive a credit card? I’m not talking about annual fees or one-time processing fees, I’m talking about being asked to pay hundreds of dollars to receive a credit card. Believe it or not, it happens. In fact, someone tried to pull this one on me.
The Phone Call
The other day I received a phone call at my home. It was someone telling me I was approved for a MasterCard credit card with a $5,000 credit limit. They asked if I remembered applying for the card and I stated that while I didn’t remember applying for the card, it was very possible that I did so, but since he did not provide me with the name of his company, I couldn’t be sure.
Ignoring my request for the name of his company, the gentleman went on to state that he needed to confirm what address to send my credit card to. I confirmed my address. He then asked if I had a checking or savings account. I confirmed I did (he did not ask for the account numbers, so I figured there was no harm, no foul).
The Shocker
The gentleman than went on to explain that there were no annual fees, no processing fees and no transaction fees. Up until this point, I was game. I figured if there were no annual fees or processing fees then all I had to confirm was the interest rate, but before I could even ask what the interest rate was, he said he would need $379. No, I’m not kidding. He had the nerve to ask for $379 in order for me to receive this credit card.
So what did I do when he told me that he needed $379 for this credit card? I laughed. I told him I had enough credit cards in my wallet and didn’t need to pay $379 for another one. He then went on to scream in my ear that I have bad credit (which I do not) and hung up on me. Just goes to show you that the company he was calling for wasn’t legit. Unfortunately, the number that showed up on my caller ID was a phony and there was no name associated with it.
Someone’s Gonna Fall For It
The sad thing is, there are people out there who are desperate enough for a credit card with a $5,000 credit limit that they would pay $379 to receive it. Someone is going to fall for this guy’s pitch and they’re going to lose $379. Fortunately, that someone is not going to be one of our readers. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, unless you’re applying for a secured card with a major credit card company, never, ever, ever send in money for a credit card. Ten times out of ten it’s a scam. You’ll lose your money and you’ll never see the credit card materialize.
To apply for a legitimate credit card, visit this credit card directory.