If you end up with a negative balance on your credit card, you can kick back and wait for the credit card company to handle it. Even if you don’t request a refund, your credit card company is required by law to make a good-faith effort to return the cash to you if the negative balance remains for six months.

Do balance transfers go against your credit?

A balance transfer can affect your credit score, depending on 1) if you open a new card to transfer a balance and 2) what you do once your balances have been transferred. If you simply move your balances around on your existing cards, your credit score likely won’t be impacted.

Why are credit card companies not offering balance transfers?

Balance transfer cards typically provide up to 20 months of interest-free financing. However, due to the recent economic downturn, many financial institutions are shortening the length of their 0% APR offers or getting rid of them altogether.

When to dispute credit card charges with issuer?

You can dispute credit card charges with your issuer for three reasons under the Fair Credit Billing Act: Someone else used your card without permission. Say a fraudster charged a big-screen TV to your card. You could dispute that payment as an unauthorized purchase.

Can a credit card company charge twice the interest?

3. Twice the interest in one month. Another one-two financial punch comes in the form of a legal maneuver which allows your card company to impose two months’ interest for just one month of late balance payments. For example: You’re charged twice the interest for a partial balance payment in October even though you paid on time in September.

What happens if my credit card company changes the terms?

For many changes, you have the right to opt out of the newly changed terms. However, if you opt out, the card company might close your account. If your account is closed, you do not have to pay the balance in full immediately after the account is closed, but you are still responsible for making payments until the balance is paid in full.

When does credit card disputes become’friendly fraud’?

If you don’t, a merchant could successfully dispute your chargeback. To be sure, the term “friendly fraud” is often a misnomer — at least when referring to accidental chargebacks. “‘Fraud’ usually implies some sort of intent,” says Chi Chi Wu, staff attorney for the National Consumer Law Center.