Today's Credit Card Offer: Washington Mutual Visa Platinum

Dear Blog,

I'm sorry I haven't written in you since September 5th. It's nothing personal. I love you and will visit more often. Like in November. Just kidding, don't be angry.

Here is today's credit card offer:

Washington Mutual wants to send me a Visa Platinum. Jeez, there's like a million little papers in this envelope. It's like they want you to think this is the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes or something. It's just a credit card for God's sake.

Anyway, they're offering me a 0% fixed APR on purchases and balance transfers until August 1, 2007, with this helpful reminder: "Keep in mind that your 0% APR may increase if you default on any account with us. Payments are applied to balances with lower APRs before those with higher APRs, and a fee of 3% ($5 minimum/$75 maximum) per transfer will apply." That sentence kind of cuts down on the emotional high they had brought me up to by waving the 0% in front of me.

Let's see. The APR after the 0% introductory period is 9.99%. Not too shabby. AND----cash back! "Up to" 10% on gas and "up to" 5% on other purchases for 6 months, then "up to" 5% on gas and "up to" 1% on other purchases after that.

Let's check out these "up to"s to see what thresholds we have to meet. Not bad, actually. Once you hit $4000 in spending for the year, you're at the 5% and 1% mark. I do a lot of spending on my credit cards--I could hit those numbers easily. I don't see any info on limits, in terms of how much I can earn overall in a year. Are they hiding something? Like, you can only earn $100 per year? Not sure.

It does say I have to call the company to request my rebate check, which is just an annoying way to make it less convenient for you in hopes that you'll never actually call. I hate it when they pull that crap. Just send me the money or give me a credit on my bill. What possible reason would there be for me to have to call you to get my check, other than you're hoping I'm too lazy to do so?

I was considering this card, but that call-in thing drove me over the edge. Ixnay on the AshingtonWay UtualMay.