Credit card is one of the most popular forms of payment in Brazil, as in 2021, 31.1 billion transactions of the type were made, according to data from Abecs. Given the variety of offers and benefit packages, it is necessary to make a careful analysis in choosing the right products for the profile and income of the user.
Read too: How many points do you need on the score to have a credit card?
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Before choosing any option offered on the market, it is necessary to ask yourself some questions. same, such as: It is interesting not to have an annuity, but to be obliged to make a minimum expense monthly? Is the amount of the annual fee compatible with the benefits received? Is it interesting to have a card from a specific retail chain, car manufacturer or appliance manufacturer in order to obtain a special payment condition? What is more advantageous: having a portion of the expense turned into a discount on the invoice or accumulating points in order to exchange them for products and airline tickets?
— It is necessary to have a critical eye on the offers. Evaluate, for example, the number of points to be accumulated to exchange for products, the validity of the score and your average spend. Those with a low bill may not be able to redeem the benefit. In other cases, in order to have a return on part of the investment expenses, it is necessary to keep the money in applications that are not always the best. Wouldn't it be better to have part of the invoice amount converted into a discount on the next due date? — asks Iona Amorim, economist at the Brazilian Institute of Consumer Defense (Idec).
Customization of cards
According to the executive director of Visa do Brasil, Hugo Costa, customization is a trend that will never come back. The number of transactions with co-branded cards, developed in partnership with other companies by the brand, increased by 90% between September 2020 and September 2021.
— The growing trend is towards customization so that the card is suitable for the consumer's financial moment, age and habits. It should also be easier to exchange one card for the other - said the director of Itaú Unibanco, Rubens Fogli.
How to use the card correctly?
With so many offers in front of you, it is not difficult to find those who have numerous cards in their wallet, which is a way to organize the monthly budget.
— In addition to concentrating payments all on one date, you can use the card as a strategy to separate expenses, such as fixed accounts (cell phone, streaming), variables and even keeping an exclusive account for superfluous, with a limit low. The invoice available online allows continuous monitoring of expenses, which can help with budget control - says financial planner Letícia Camargo.
When the card becomes a “complement” of income, it becomes a problem. This is because this form of payment is pointed out as the main responsible for the indebtedness, which reaches eight out of ten Brazilian families, which is a record level analyzed in March by the National Confederation of Commerce (CNC).
— A card limit greater than the payment capacity should not be accepted. One day the parcels will meet. The limit should not exceed one third of your annual income - argues Ibmec professor and economist Gecilda Esteves.
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