The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.

Anyone might have that 911 situation in a lifetime but not all have the means or time to settle it. For this there exists a special tool - an emergency credit card to supply you with immediate cash or credit funding. It may be any major bank card, such as that from Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover, with available funds and customer support services all over the world.

It is critical to keep it in good standing, so that when the situation arises and you do not have enough credit to hold out, you could ask your bank to extend the line. If you are a provident person who appreciates the feeling of financial safety and counts money well, an emergency credit card is the right financial tool for you.

But just like any form of credit, it has pitfalls which are critical to know about before you apply online for such a card. Similarly, if there is already a good credit card in your wallet and you plan to take it out for emergencies only, take your time to read on and learn how to use it wisely.

With the common practice of holding several credit cards at a time, putting one aside for emergency situations would be more than smart: it would turn your possible extra spending into a special safety account to guard you against unexpected bills.

Unexpected expenses will pose no risk to your family budget if there is an emergency credit card to cover them. But just like anything involving money management and budget planning, it requires prudent and rational use. Depending on how reasonable your financial decisions are, you may benefit or get into a hole of bad debt.

Make sure that each time you use the card you pay the whole balance off before the next billing cycle. This way, you won't pay anything extra to your bank. So, the idea of an emergency plastic is not to grant credit but to provide instant access to funds in urgent need.

An emergency credit card is not an opportune instrument to use on a big sale of a "must have" brand new product. Gone are the days when you could use your low interest, rewards plastic for just anything, whether needed or not, and enjoy credit card benefits and privileges even if you carried a balance.

An emergency is not a new fancy of yours to get that stylish garment or change your furniture set. An emergency card comes in handy when you get stuck far from home and you need a hotel room to stay over. It is also of great use when you have to travel suddenly, whether it is a domestic or international trip, or need medical care.

If you are a student, keeping an emergency credit card is particularly important. It provides you with immediate funding for the tuition bill or for new textbooks required in the new term.

Browse our website, study best offers and apply online for a credit card with most reasonable terms. Use it for emergencies only and pay off balances each month. It is the best way to keep or grow good credit rating and maintain permanent access to cash when there's no other financing alternative.

Disclaimer: This editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the credit card issuer(s), and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer(s). Reasonable efforts are made to present accurate information, however all information is presented without warranty. Consult a card's issuing bank for the terms & conditions.
All rates and fees, and other terms and conditions of the products mentioned in this article/post are actual as of the last update date but are subject to change. See the current products' Terms & Conditions on the issuing banks' websites.