Carnival MasterCard From Barclaycard Makes Free Cruises Possible

The Carnival MasterCard from Barclaycard is a credit card that is aimed toward those who like to travel, especially on cruise ships to various places throughout the world. With this card, many cruising opportunities are opened up, especially those that involve cruising for less.

The Carnival MasterCard from Barclaycard is a card that can give you the opportunity to go on a cruise for free. How this works is you gain FunPoints when using the card on everyday spending and when traveling Carnival Cruise Lines. When using the card on regular purchases, one FunPoint is earned for every $1 spent. When used on Carnival Cruise Lines purchases, cardholders earn 2 FunPoints for every $1. This includes onboard purchases charged to Sail & Sign.

It is very possible for a cardholder to earn enough points to pay for their entire cruise. For instance, the first redemption can occur rather quickly because there are bonus FunPoints earned when the card is used for the first time. If a balance transfer is done within a specific time of opening the account and over a specific amount, then even more bonus FunPoints are earned. In addition to the points earned for other purchases, it is easy to receive significant savings on a cruise.

The Application Process

Applying for the card is easy, as the process is carried out online. The decision is instant in that it comes back in approximately 30 seconds. Once approved, it does not take long before you receive the card and can start using it to earn FunPoints to redeem for cruises.

In order to apply, you have to be at least 18 years of age and have credit. Your credit should be good, as this is a requirement for applying for the card. Creditworthiness also determines the standard variable APR and any other APRs on the account.

When applying, you simply provide your basic personal information, employment and financial information, and you agree to the terms and conditions. Once you submit the application, it is time for your 30 second decision.

APR Breakdown

There are APRs for different types of transactions. However, one of the initial benefits of the card is the introductory period. There is an introductory period for purchases. This introductory period lasts for a specific amount of time and the APR is a certain percentage. There are times it may be zero or it may be a small amount. If the introductory period is 0 APR, then this means that no interest will be charged on purchases during the introductory period.

This card is also notorious for 0 APR on balance transfers for a certain amount of time. This means that you can transfer your high interest balances to this lower interest card. This will save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on the interest of the other card.

There is no introductory APR on cash advances, but it does have an established standard variable APR that is separate from the APRs for purchases and for balance transfers.

If a payment is made late, a penalty APR is established. This means that the APR is higher than the standard variable rate. The standard variable rate is typically based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate. In this case, it is a default APR that is put in place because a single late payment was made.

To avoid paying the APR, you can pay off your entire balance 23 days within the close of the billing cycle. If you pay off this balance and avoid the interest, you have essentially gained FunPoints without having to pay anything for the card.

Fees

The fees are very few in that there is no over the limit fee, which is because the card cannot exceed its limit on purchases. Although it can go over the credit limit due to the card's own fees, Barclaycard doesn't charge an over the limit fee on their own fees.

In addition to the late fee, there is a returned payment fee. This fee is assessed to the account if the payment that is made is returned due to insufficient funds or another reason that results in the payment not being able to be completed with the decided payment method.

The last two fees are the balance transfer fee and the cash advance fee. These fees are charged in addition to the APRs associated with those types of transactions. In order to avoid as much of these transactions as possible, you can execute them during the balance transfer introductory period. The cash advance fee and the APR associated with it remains standard throughout the life of the card.

Customer Service

Customer service is easy to access. You can reach a customer service representative via telephone or you can do so online. Through both, you can check your card balance, available credit, due date, account activity, and make your payment. When using the Internet to manage your account, you can see your statements on your computer screen in front of you and see your account activity. This is the ideal way to see if there is any fraudulent activity on the account. If so, you can contact Barclaycard about the activity so that the matter can be addressed.

Because online account access is available, you can opt for paperless billing in the application process. This is so you receive your statements online instead of through the mail. Doing this does bring about a sense of security since identity theft can occur easily by having statements sent to you via the mail. You are not only doing something good for the environment, but you are also doing something for your own security.

Final Word

The Carnival MasterCard from Barclaycard is a card that makes cruising much more affordable. Because of FunPoints and a card that is easy to maintain, you can use your card for everything you need so that you can secure a cruise for less or even free.