Who is your credit card issuer? That question may not be as easy to answer as it sounds. There are hundreds of different credit card issuers out there, and many credit card issuing banks are actually divisions of larger banks. Plus, even understanding what exactly a credit card issuer is can be a little complex. Understanding this will help you manage your credit better, however.

What Is A Credit Card Issuer?
A credit card issuer is the bank who approves you for the card. So, if you have a Visa or Mastercard, the issuer is not either of those companies, but the bank who issues the card. For instance, you Master Card issuer may be Citibank or Wachovia. For American Express or Discover Card, the issuer is American Express or Discover. For store cards, most of the time the issuer is actually a larger bank, so your Sears card was issued by Citibank.

Knowing your credit card issuer can help you answer a lot of questions you need to know before and after you have your card. Which credit card issuers verify employment? Who are the best business credit card issuers? How do banks issue credit cards? Who issues guaranteed unsecured credit cards for bad credit customers? What about companies that issue secured credit cards? Are there any green card issuers? Plus, when you know your credit card issuer, you know how to whom you can direct questions like: where is the issue number on a Barclay’s debit card? Where is the issue number on a Solo card? Where is the issue number on a NatWest Solo card? Where is the issue number on a Lloyds TSB credit card? Knowing your card issuers helps you report credit card issues.

When you know about credit card issuers, you are also in a great position to do research into the different card companies before you get your card. This can really help you avoid damaging your credit by getting mixed up with the wrong company. You can find out who has credit card number privacy fraud issues or the legal issues around credit card gift cards. The best thing to do to learn about card issuers is to search for a complete list of credit card issuers and check out the top ten credit card issuers to find the most reliable and trust worthy credit card providers. You can also research the validity of the idea of that credit card debt is often abetted by issuers before you decide to step into the credit game. Information about credit card issuers can easily be found online.