Household Bank Credit Card

Household Bank Credit Card Services

This credit card offers the following services and benefits:

• 24-hour customer service. You can contact customer service either by telephone or through instant messaging live chats.
• Free online bill pay. There are no fees or charges for paying your bill online. If you are making a rush payment, then there may be fees associated with your payment.
• Free additional cards. You may request up to 3 additional cards for family members at no cost to you.
• Card protection. The Household Bank credit card offers you protection against fraud, and authorization protection.
• Cash Advances. You may receive cash advances against your credit card in cases of emergency.
• ATM access. Once you have requested and received a Personal Identification Number (PIN) you can withdraw cash from any MasterCard/Cirrus ATM.

What They Don't Tell You

If you are searching for a credit card because you have no credit, this card may be a great choice for you. If you are searching for a credit card because you are trying to re-establish your credit, be sure to conduct a credit card comparison before making your final decision. There are a few things you need to keep in mind when comparing the Household Bank credit card to other, similar credit cards.

• You have to apply for the card to receive the specific terms, conditions and disclosures. First you would fill out an application in full and submit it to Household Bank. Once you do that, they will find the credit cards that match your credit history. An inquiry into your credit report means points off your already low credit score. These precious points don't come back, even if you decide not to get the credit card.
• Fees and interest rates. If you have poor credit, you already know that you are going to have to pay higher interest rates than people with fair and good credit. Unfortunately, you have to bear this burden until your credit score increases. Credit cards for those with bad credit almost always involve high fees such as processing fees, annual fees and account set up fees. These fees can effectively leave you with a brand new credit card with a $500 limit, but after all the fees are taken out, that available limit decreases significantly.

Read the Fine Print

It's tough building your credit history. It is even tougher re-establishing your credit after a financial fall-out such as bankruptcy, major illness or a loss of employment. There really are only two options when these things happen. Option 1 is to apply for high interest loans or credit cards and make on time payments. Option 2 is to wait 7 years for your bad credit history to fall off your credit report, 10 years in the case of bankruptcy. The complaints with poor credit or no credit, credit cards are many; here is a list of the major complaints found on consumeraffairs.com, epinions.com, and complaints.com. To find the specific complaints, type Household Bank credit card into the search box for both epinions.com and complaints.com.

• Arbitrary interest rate increases. The major complaint about this card is that the interest rate is increased for seemingly unknown reasons to the consumer. Different reasons for the increase in interest rates are given, the most common being that the person was late or over the limit on one of their other credit cards. It may not be fair, but unfortunately, it is legal.
• High Over-the-Limit Fees. Even if you go over the limit by $1, you will be charged an over-the-limit fee of up to $46.
• Poor customer service. This is the most common complaint for this card. Customers have found it difficult to get questions answered and problems with their accounts straightened out.

Common Fees

If your debt problems of the past are haunting you, then you know that the world of sub-prime lending is scary. Here are some common fees associated with this card. These fees give you a general idea of the costs associated with this specific card. Which fee is applied to your account and the exact amount you are charged depends upon your credit score and history.