A recent CardRating.com article noted a trend in the language of credit card companies. In light of economic conditions, card issuers are lauding credit cards as finance management tools. For example:

“American Express promotes its charge cards as an effective cash flow management tool for small business. A few years ago, analysts saw this core American Express product line as a liability. Today, industry watchers celebrate it as a low-risk, high-reward opportunity to generate profits from interchange charges and annual fees.”

JP Morgan Chase has even taken a drastic step in unveiling its new program called Blueprint, which waves interest fees for consumers on everyday items.  As with all marketing ploys, make sure to read the fine print. In the case of Blueprint, the average consumer won’t notice much of a change since the program is aimed more towards the affluent consumer.