Warning for consumers with credit cards

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - As the holiday season approaches, some gifts might be worth turning down.

Adam Levin from Credit.com said, "You must always beware of retailers with credit cards pushing gifts."

The 10, 15 or 20% discount that comes with opening a store credit card, can be tempting.

But consider the long-term effects of having that card in your wallet.

"They typically have low credit limits and they have high interest rates. So if you're going to revolve a balance, they're not the best credit cards to use," explained Leslie McFadden from Bankrate.com

If you're looking to build credit history, a card that's accepted at just one store, may not be the way to go.

Adam also suggested, "Store cards are not really where you want to be. You want general purpose credit cards that are aggressively priced so that you get the best possible rate deal."

Opening up a handful of accounts can still do damage, even if you pay in full and close them right away.

"Closing those cards again will drop that overall available credit that you have, and that can drive up your debt to credit limit ratio and that can hurt your score," Leslie said.

So if you really want to take advantage, do research online and prepare for that offer before you step up to the register.