Sometimes organizations, such as stores, airlines, or even schools, offer credit cards. These fall into two categories:

• Affinity cards are credit cards that bear the logo of the credit card issuer, as well as that of a non-financial organization. These cards can be used at any store that accepts regular credit cards.
  
  
• Store cards are usually issued by oil companies, retail chains, and department stores and can only be used within the chain where they’re issued.

These cards are usually offered with incentives and special promotions: opportunities to save money on your current purchase, take advantage of other savings in the future, or earn frequent flyer miles toward travel. These may be great deals, but they may cost you more money in the end. Certain store cards may have higher APRs than regular cards, and some may have shorter grace periods. Plus, the saving incentive may encourage you to spend more than you originally would have without the discount.

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