# Do I NEED to have credit cards? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520 "2014-09-04T20:15:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/61 "2014-09-06T05:44:20Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Your argument makes a good case to have a credit card but it makes no case at all for having more than one. He is already allowing debt to accumulate if he “always pay[s] part of it off per month,” emphasis on “part.” No need to exacerbate that. Agreed. Somehow I missed the part about not paying off his current card in full every month. I would amend my advice to side with the OP and not his GF. ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Shift](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Time\_Shift](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Shift)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/62 "2014-09-06T07:44:47Z")
I’m only a few thousand above the poverty line, live on a fixed income and yet, I still have a few credit cards. Key is that I only charge what I can payback. Otherwise, I would say you should at least have a second credit card in case your credit card gets lost, or stolen. That being said, it’s whatever works for you. There’s many people who do not even have one credit card, and still manage, regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/63 "2014-09-06T09:57:24Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > We live apart (I’m in Charlotte and she is in Orlando) If you are regularly in Charlotte, your relationship has bigger issues then credit cards. I must ask, what does she put in Orlando? ---
**Author:** ![MrsTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@MrsTime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrsTime)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/64 "2014-09-06T15:20:55Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I’m not sure why you’re scared of a higher limit. You aren’t responsible for purchases you don’t make. > > Now, if you’re afraid you might run it up, then that’s a good reason to be afraid of a higher limit. Don’t you think it would be foolish to do online purchases with a card with a huge limit? Really what if the bank decided that you are lying and that you did make certain purchases? You are counting on the bank to believe you. I am not that trusting. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/65 "2014-09-06T16:21:00Z")
The fundamental difference credit v. debit when compromised is burden of proof: If its a debit card, your money is gone and you have to fight to prove that you are entitled to get it back. If its a credit card, you keep your money until the issuer proves that it is a valid debt. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/66 "2014-09-06T16:58:25Z")
> [@MrsTime](#): > > Don’t you think it would be foolish to do online purchases with a card with a huge limit? Really what if the bank decided that you are lying and that you did make certain purchases? You are counting on the bank to believe you. I am not that trusting. No, I don’t. The bank isn’t going to do that. First of all, either you or they will catch the error before anyone has time to run up your card. They will not have your signature on the transaction and any purchases made online (if the crook is that stupid) will be mailed somewhere other than your house. It is literally a non-issue. Full stop. I have never heard of a case of a credit card theft being held against the card holder, ever, in all my years working for a bank. Same with a debit card, regardless of the nonsense written above about burden of proof. That’s not how it works in practice. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/67 "2014-09-06T17:35:21Z")
> [@MrsTime](#): > > Don’t you think it would be foolish to do online purchases with a card with a huge limit? Really what if the bank decided that you are lying and that you did make certain purchases? You are counting on the bank to believe you. I am not that trusting. What a peculiar notion. That’s just not how things work. I wouldn’t use a debit card, though, since I don’t want my money tied up while they sort it out. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/68 "2014-09-07T14:33:13Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > If you are regularly in Charlotte, your relationship has bigger issues then credit cards. > > I must ask, what does she put in Orlando? We’re both fresh out of grad school (her fresher than I), I picked up a job here in Charlotte when I graduated that’s decent but not spectacular, and when she was job searching she looked everywhere, found a great opportunity in Orlando. We had already been apart when I was here and she was back at school, so she took it and moved down there. I’m not really in a position to up and leave my job til around Jan, so I’m here and she’s down there ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/69 "2014-09-07T18:03:24Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > We live apart (I’m in Charlotte and she is in Orlando) and we would use the accured miles to see each other. > > Also my family is in Indiana and hers in Wisconsin, we could/would also use miles to go see them as well. How often are you flying to see each other? Do you always use the same airline? Given that you live at a hub city for USAir, let’s assume you’ll fly them from Charlotte to Orlando 4 times a year to see your GF. If you open up a USAir Dividends Master Card for $89/year, you will get 40,000 miles as a sign-on bonus. That’s enough for as least one free trip. The test dates that I picked (Fri to Sun in mid-October) listed retail rates of $275+ for these flights. [http://www.worldgotbigger.com/us-airways-credit-card/rewards/](http://www.worldgotbigger.com/us-airways-credit-card/rewards/) Even if you don’t use any other perks of the card, by getting just one free flight will have you coming out ahead significantly in Year 1. If you use the companion pass, then it’ll be even better. (To use the companion pass, one of you would have to fly/dry to the other city so that you can fly together, so this may not be a likely thing.) So, logically speaking, it does make sense to open up the USAir card. However, there are a few caveats: #1) You’re living on a shoestring budget already. The fact that you carry a balance already means that you’re living beyond your means. Can you really afford to fly 4 times a year anyway? Maybe you should consider getting a car with great gas mileage (if you don’t already) and driving the 7.5 hours instead. #2) Will you be tempted to overextend yourself even further if you got a second card? #3) What is in the interest rate on the card you currently hold? The lowest rate on USAir card is 15.99%. If you’re going to carry a balance, you should pocket the bonus miles on the new card, then put it in a drawer. If you don’t use the companion certificate or the free checked-bag perks, then cancel the USAir card after year 1. #4) I wouldn’t officially cancel the no annual fee card, even if that meant cutting it up. First it is helping keep your $ borrowed/credit available ratio lower. Secondly, if you need to cancel the USAir card for any reason, you are already approved for that one. (Just call them and tell them to send you a new one because you damaged your first one.) ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/70 "2014-09-08T15:47:54Z")
I haven’t used a credit card in over 20 years. I just use my debit card. If I overdraw, I have overdraft insurance, so it’s like a last-minute credit card. I’m like you; I’m too poor to buy a lot of stuff. The only time an issue of credit ever came up was when I was buying my house. The realtor took my bank statement instead. I think the GF just wants you to buy her more stuff. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/71 "2014-09-08T17:01:53Z")
I have three credit cards - two are personal and one is for company business travel. I have never bothered looking at my credit score. The house is paid for and we have always paid cash for cars. I suppose we are not viewed favorably by the credit card companies since we don’t carry a balance. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520/72 "2014-09-09T03:38:47Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > A second card is particularly important for international travel. IF your main card gets eaten by a machine or suspended by your bank for suspicious charges or lost or stolen or compromised, you still have access to funds. That’s what family is for – to help you out in unexpected temporary difficulties. He’s got the girlfriend. She’s got the second card. If she looses her card while they are on an overseas trip, he can use his one card to get them home again. One each is enough. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-need-to-have-credit-cards/697520.md?page=3)