Make sure you read
all of the fine print. That includes the entire cardholder agreement and all of the disclosures that nobody ever reads. This is part of the reason so many people are in trouble with credit cards.
Consider the Chase card you linked:
Quote:
You will first be considered for a Visa Signature card. If you do not qualify for that product, you will automatically be considered for a Visa Platinum card, which has different fees, benefits, and credit availability...
|
In other words, the card you signed up for and the card you're issued are not necessarily the same thing. I'm not invested enough to research what the differences are between a Visa Signature and a Visa Platinum, but that's definitely something you want to figure out.
Citibank has a terrible reputation. I would recommend strongly against doing business with them.
A credit card is a very versatile and powerful financial tool
if and only if you use it correctly. Like any powerful tool, it has equal capacity for doing harm and good, and what it does for you will depend entirely on how you use it.
Food for thought: My job (which I am currently on hiatus from) is offering credit cards. I'm a telemarketer; I call people up and I convince them what a great idea it is to get a card with Chase/BoA/whoever the client of the day is. This is my job, and I am good at it. When I am at work I spend a significant portion of every day perusing credit card offers, determining the merits and disadvantages of them, and going over the fine print. I don't carry a credit card.